From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Tue Oct 1 13:19:33 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 08:19:33 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] From 2014: R. Hunter Biden Should Declare Who Really Owns His New Ukrainian Employer, Burisma Holdings Message-ID: <001201d5785a$de4a78f0$9adf6ad0$@comcast.net> This article is from the website ? NAKED CAPITALISM ?. Most of the info in the article was posted way back in 2014 immediately after the CIA backed coup against the democratically elected government of Ukraine. Shortly thereafter Hunter Biden, the former VP Joe Biden?s son is appointed to the board of directors of a Ukrainian energy company that pays him $ 50,000 U.S. per month. Hunter Biden invested no money, had no background in the gas and energy industry or related studies / expertise, and has absolutely no knowledge of the Ukrainian language. It is a long article including some excellent reader comments, but worth the read. Unfortunately this website has no links to share on Facebook. * * NAKED CAPITALISM From 2014: R. Hunter Biden Should Declare Who Really Owns His New Ukrainian Employer, Burisma Holdings Posted on September 30, 2019 by Yves Smith Yves here. This 2014 post by our house Sherlock Holmes of international scammers, Richard Smith, is a classic example of Naked Capitalism not simply being onto a story early, but even more than five years later, demonstrably providing depth and detail you won?t find anywhere else. Richard did a deep dive into the dodgy appointment of Hunter Biden and then Secretary of State John Kerry?s long-standing bundler, Devon Archer, to the board of Burisma Holdings. Richard quickly got past the noteworthy fact that Biden Jr. was being paid quite a lot for no relevant expertise and no investment in the company?so what was he being paid for, exactly? Oh, and Richard also describes how Hunter?s and his uncle James Biden?s past financial rides were with con artists. But the real puzzlement is that from everything that can be inferred, Burisma is either tiny or just a shell company. So who is behind these big director payoffs payouts? Richard found some bread crumbs that pointed to Burisma being owned by Privat Group, a conglomerate controlled by the Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. We?ll turn the mike over to Mark Ames: Kolomoyskiy is the Berezovsky of current Ukrainian oligarchs. The dirtiest of the bunch, absolutely loathed by the IMF/creditor crowd especially for his theft of billions through the collapse of Privat Bank a few years ago. Yet Kolomoyskiy also was one of the main funders of the Maidan revolution and of many of the neo-Nazi paramilitary death squads (and yes, he?s Jewish and Israeli?just business, Fredo). Kolomoyskiy had to flee Ukraine to Switzerland for a couple of years in a classic intra-oligarch war with Poroshenko, IMF and others. He backed [recently elected Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelensky?s rise to power, and returned to Ukraine soon as Zelensky won. None of this will make for an easy narrative about Biden Jr. except to show what a dirty cesspool he?s profiting off amid all that mass poverty in Ukraine, of and what a shitshow his dad helped make of that cursed country. Before you wonder if Trump was also trying to get to Kolomoyskiy, say that he had delusions of making a deal between Russia and Ukraine via the power behind the throne, Kolomoyskiy, Ames cautions: I don?t think anyone knows what the fuck they?re doing or what?s going on. Even Russians never figured out Ukraine politics. Hunter got to wet his beak for reasons he never quite grasped, used by forces he never understood, just like our whole Maidan project. And Lambert noted: Chaos, ideal to project onto. And both sides have had since August 12 to buy whatever evidence and witnesses they want, in a country that will sell whatever they want. Pass the popcorn. This post first ran on May 21, 2014 Here?s last week?s big announcement, adorned by a photograph of an American with a faintly alarming rictus; oh yes, oh dear me, yes: Hunter Biden joins the team of Burisma Holdings: Burisma Holdings, Ukraine?s largest private gas producer, has expanded its Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director. R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings? legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: ?Burisma?s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.? Wholehearted approval was not universally forthcoming: Isn?t that a bit fishy? Why do you say that? Because he?s the vice-president?s son! That?s a coincidence. ?This is totally based on merit,? said Burisma?s chairman, Alan Apter. He doesn?t sound very Ukrainian. He?s American, as is the other new board member, Devon Archer. Who? Devon Archer, who works with Hunter Biden at Rosemont Seneca partners, which is half owned by Rosemont Capital, a private equity firm founded by Archer and Christopher Heinz. Who? Christopher Heinz ? John Kerry?s stepson. I think Putin?s propaganda people can take a long weekend; their work is being done for them. What do you mean? Hasn?t Joe Biden pledged to help Ukraine become more energy independent in the wake of its troubles with Russia? Well, yes. And isn?t Burisma, as a domestic producer, well positioned to profit from rising gas prices caused by the conflict? Possibly, but Hunter Biden is a salaried board member, not an investor. According to anonymous sources in the Wall Street Journal, neither Rosemont Seneca nor Rosemont Capital has made any financial investment in Burisma. So it?s not fishy at all? No one?s saying that. Do say: ?Somebody needs to get involved in Ukraine?s corporate governance, and it might as well be a clutch of rich, well-connected American dudes with weird first names.? Don?t say: ?Thanks, Dad.? The White House did the best they could with the optics? The White House shot down any notion of a conflict of interest with Hunter Biden?s appointment. In a statement provided to Business Insider, Joe Biden spokesperson Kendra Barkoff said Hunter?s appointment did not constitute an endorsement by the vice president. ?Hunter Biden is a private citizen and a lawyer. The Vice President does not endorse any particular company and has no involvement with this company,? Barkoff said. ?For any additional questions, I refer you to Hunter?s office.? Commenters at Daily Kos affirm pugnaciously that there?s nothing to see here: So the Vice President?s son who has been a high powered lawyer for years who has passed the Bar in DC, CT and the Supreme Court with a speciality in international law and relations shouldn?t sit on company boards? Is this what you are trying to say? For me, that?s final confirmation that there?s something to see here. But what? Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist nails it. From her list of nine questions, numbers 7 and 9 are worth particular emphasis: 7. Why would a Ukrainian energy company want Devon Archer or Hunter Biden to serve on its board? Assuming that they have been appointed to the board, the most innocent explanation is that the company wants to increase foreign direct investment and views Archer and Biden as having the experience to make that happen. Archer, for example, is a long-time investor and financier. The most disturbing explanation is that the company is attempting to curry favor with the U.S. government by enlisting the services of the close family friend and campaign bundler of the Secretary of the State and the son of the vice president. ? 9. This has to be a hoax, right? It?s so bizarre that you almost have to assume it?s a hoax. It sounds more like a cliched movie plot ? a shady foreign oil company co-opts the vice president?s son in order to capture lucrative foreign investment contracts ? than something that would actually happen in real life. But the indications as of this afternoon are that the board appointments actually happened, and that a Ukrainian energy company has retained the counsel of the vice president?s son and the Secretary of State?s close family friend and top campaign bundler. Take question 9 first. The answer could indeed be ?yes?. However, it is not R. Hunter Biden?s appointment that is a hoax, nor Devon Archer?s; nor is it, for that matter, the appointment of the ex-President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, who is also on Burisma?s board, as of January. No, it?s Burisma itself that looks flaky, even on a casual inspection. But surely, that would be a failure of due diligence on the part of messrs Biden, Archer and Kwasniewski? Indeed it would, but there is a most unfortunate precedent for such a failure, which you can read about here, at some length. To sum it up: in 2006 or so, two Bidens, James Biden (future VP?s brother) and our R. Hunter Biden (future VP?s son), wildly overpaid a drug-addicted very senior Moonie for a hedge fund marketing operation that was hugely exaggerating its size and success, and turned out to be distributing ponzis, including the giant Allen Stanford ponzi, second only to Madoff, and other eyecatching frauds, such as Ponta Negra, via a sales network that included brokers with visibly very terrible FINRA records. None of this makes the Bidens look particularly astute. Much of it would have been very easy to pick up with proper due diligence. By 2009, Hempton, FT Alphaville and Felix Salmon (linkfest) were all over the story. Bits of it even crept out into the print media. Final point from Hempton: Paradigm rejects that the notion that they actively participated in the alleged Ponta Negra scam. That is an accusation I do not make. I only make the suggestion that ? through clumsiness and the failure to perform even the simplest due diligence ? they lend their name to alleged scammers. Which brings us, five years after the Paradigm scandal blew up, to R. Hunter Biden?s new job at Burisma Holdings, a company that has a mysterious past. By way of due diligence, we need to make a little dive into some old SEC filings of a US OTC Stock, Sunrise Energy Resources (now called Green Technology Solutions). In their filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, filed 3 Dec 2004, we find the following in the notes to the financial statements: Effective October 4, 2004, the Company and certain stockholders entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the ?Agreement?) with the stockholders of Esko Pivnich (?EP?), an oil and gas production and development company incorporated and operating in the Republic of Ukraine, to acquire all of the outstanding shares of EP. The Company is to issue that number of shares which, when added to the 5 million shares sold to the EP stockholders in connection with this transaction by five of the Company?s foreign institutional stockholders, will result in the Company?s current stockholders retaining, in the aggregate, 9% of the enlarged company, which will then have 17 million shares issued and outstanding. There are a series of conditions precedent to closing of the transaction, including listing of the Company?s shares for trading on OTC ?Pink Sheets?. There is also a handy list of directors and executive officers of the company, including a youngster called Taras Burdeniy who, ten years later, is part of the team at Burisma. In the filings for year end 2006, section ? description of business? we find another deal: On January 20, 2006, Sunrise Energy Resources, Inc. executed a share purchase agreement with the shareholders of Pari, Ltd. The board of directors of Sunrise Energy Resources, Inc. approved the transaction on February 9, 2006. ?and an address I?d like you to remember, EP?s offices in Ukraine, at 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. Sunrise chugs along producing a bit of oil and gas for a few years. But we are talking thousands of barrels, not millions: it is not some hydrocarbon Eldorado. At its peak, the operation is capitalized at about $20Mn. But alas, a series of catastrophes is related in the 10-K filed on 31st March 2009: according to the geologist, Sunrise has zero proven reserves, which finishes them as an investment proposition. One of their funders, Millington Solutions, has called in its debt. Oh, and Sunrise has changed accountants. In the same 10-K Burisma Holdings Limited, of 17 Gr Xenopolou Street, 3106, Limassol, Cyprus, puts in an appearance as the holder of just shy of 70% of Sunrise?s common stock. It?s all recapped again in a preliminary info filing, Sept 4 2009. Upshot: 1. Sunrise?s equity holders are wiped out. Since Burisma paid only a nominal fee for the privilege of holding 70% of the Sunrise equity, they probably don?t mind too much. As for the other 30%, who knows what they think; they have put no comments on the record. 2. Millington Solutions waltz off with Sunrise?s wholly owned subsidiaries Esko Pivnich and Pari, both with the address 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. Now debt-free, EP and Pari might at best have some underdeveloped mining assets to pick over. Millington Solutions LLC (properly Millington Solutions Limited), formerly of Suite 401, 302 Regent Street, London, was deregistered in August 2009, mere months after the above shenanigans. Millington was rather an opaque entity, of a particularly English style. English company law allows companies to be directors of companies, which, while pleasingly recursive, doesn?t do much for transparency. Thus we find that the directors of Millington Solutions are: Terthur Trading Limited, a BVI company which Opencorporates can?t tell me anything about, except that it directs or acts as secretary for another 1,065 companies just as opaque as Millington Solutions? and Lambert Investments Limited, which says it?s British, (although I couldn?t actually find a live British company called Lambert Investments Limited), directs 384 companies just as opaque as Millington Solutions, many still registered, and sometimes has a Cypriot co-director, Georgios Amerikanos, a director of 122 UK companies. In other words, it?s a big shell company network of a classic British kind, with ownership and control completely obfuscated. The Companies Act 2006 introduced a requirement that at least one company director should be a flesh-and-blood human being (? natural person?), but as we can see, Millington Solutions got its work done just before that loophole was closed. There?s another question. How is it that, 5 years after the utterly opaque Millington rode off into the sunset with Esko Pivnich and Pari, and Burisma Holdings was left empty-handed, it?s now Burisma Holdings who say they own Esko Pivnich and Pari? It?s all as murky as hell. If I were R. Hunter Biden, I wouldn?t touch it; but as we saw from the Paradigm saga, R. Hunter doesn?t look before he leaps. Another thought: could it be that Millington, Burisma, Esko Pivnich and Pari were owned by the same one person all along? All this calling in of loans would then just be corporate kabuki: a tax dodge, say, or some sort of favour to an oligarch or politician?or just the final public move of a good old-fashioned penny stock scam. This is what one careful Ukrainian journalist dug up in 2012: ?Burisma changed owners last year: instead of Zlochevsky and Lisin, the company was taken over by a Cypriot off-shore enterprise called Brociti Investments Ltd. Pari and Esko-Pivnich also changed their address: they moved from Kateryny Bilokur Street to 10a Rylyeyeva Street in Kyiv. A third company was already waiting for them in the same building ? the above-mentioned Ukrnaftoburinnya. ? The owners of Ukrnaftoburinnya, Pari, and Esko-Pivnich were finally confirmed through first-hand sources. Oleh Kanivets worked as CEO of Ukrnaftoburinnya for two years. He confirmed who actually controlled the above-mentioned companies to ?Slidstvo.Info?. ?The Privat Group is the immediate owner. This company was founded by Mykola Zlochevsky some time ago, but he later sold his shares to the Privat Group?. There?s that address again: 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. The identification of Privat Group as the owner of Burisma, though unconfirmed, is logical enough. Privat Group is a conglomerate controlled by the ferocious Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. Kolomoisky is one of the oligarchs charged with holding down the Eastern provinces of Ukraine, and recently mocked Putin, reputedly sensitive about his height, as a ?schizophrenic shortarse? (apologies for the English intonation: American alternatives are invited); definitely a bridge-burning moment. Putin, meanwhile, shut down as much of Kolomoisky?s bank as he could, in Crimea and Moscow. I?m not sure who started it, but we can certainly mark it down as a first-rate spat. While that was brewing up, Kolomoisky might well have wanted something that looked an American protector, and got it, in the form of the VP?s son. This line of thinking would neatly answer ?The Federalist??s other question: why would a Ukrainian energy company want Devon Archer or Hunter Biden to serve on its board? Another guess: Kolomoisky is far too ebulliently Jewish to look like a neo-Nazi. A US connection with Kolomoisky might play well in circles keen to counter Russian complaints that the interim Kiev regime is dominated by ?Fascists?. One also still wonders how oil- and gas-rich those Burisma Holdings assets really are; they never amounted to much in the years 2003-2009; why are they so much better after another roll of the dice? R. Hunter Biden could always get the boss to call in a geologist, I suppose, in the name of transparency, and all. Is there new capital, provenance unknown? Or are there new permits, acquired under the deliriously corrupt Yanukovych regime? Or is there still nothing much to Burisma Holdings at all? That?s far too many questions and guesses. What we can tell, from Forbes, is that our Ihor isn?t necessarily the most salubrious business partner: An independent lawsuit between powerful players will not only be fascinating, because it sheds light on how Ukrainian business empires were created. It can also set a powerful precedent for solving corporate conflicts fairly and transparently. Pinchuk?s suit, currently in English High Court, stems from an alleged breach of contract and breach of trust by the duo, Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky. The nature of Pinchuk?s claim is simple: Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky are holding Pinchuk?s property illegally. Pinchuk?s suit asserts that they sold him a shell company, Alcross Commercial Ltd., for $143 million in 2005. They told Pinchuk that Alcross owned Krivorozhskiy Zhelezorudnyy Kombinat (KZhRK), a Ukrainian ore-mining company. In reality, Alcross was worthless. They have continuously promised to transfer the assets of KZhRK to Pinchuk but failed to do so?and then, in 2007, they turned around and sold about 50 percent of KZhRK to a third party. They thus sold a stake in a business they did not own. Written evidence in the case is by no means extensive, it being common practice in the post Soviet time to do business in that way. The prima facie arguments in the claim look coherent enough to go to court. Bogolyubov?s lawyer declared that his client regards the claim ?as misconceived and will be vigorously defending it.? The truth will come out only during the court proceedings. This will surely be fascinating to watch because, as I made clear earlier, there are colorful people involved in the dispute. Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky fostered strong reputations as corporate raiders in the mid-2000s, becoming notorious for a series of hostile takeovers. Hostile takeovers Ukrainian style, that is, which often included the active involvement of Privat?s quasi-military teams. These schemes included, among others, a literal raid on the Kremenchuk steel plant in 2006, in which hundreds of hired rowdies armed with baseball bats, iron bars, gas and rubber bullet pistols and chainsaws forcibly took over the plant. More recently, Aerosvit Airlines, which according to the media was controlled by Mr. Kolomoisky, declared bankruptcy in 2012, stranding thousands of Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad. The Financial Times, when reporting on Kolomoisky?s recent conflict with UK company JKX Oil & Gas, stated in no uncertain terms, that ?in Ukraine they [Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov] are called ?The Raiders??. Privat Group has been involved in several court cases and arbitration proceedings in the US, UK, and Sweden. In 2009, a US court made clear its distrust of Privat representatives: ?the Court has become increasingly skeptical of these gentleman [at Privat] and the credibility of their statements.? Back to R. Hunter Biden: As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.? I suspect R. Hunter Biden, in his new role, will have as much impact as a fart in a thunderstorm, but let?s give him a chance. One modest way in which R. Hunter Biden could follow through on his job description would be to identify and declare who controls the apparently large and important company that he now works for. Assuming his boss?s boss allows him to tell us, let?s all see what R. Hunter?s bumbled into this time. Print Friendly, PDF & Email This entry was posted in Banana republic, Energy markets, Guest Post, Politics, Ridiculously obvious scams on September 30, 2019 by Yves Smith. Subscribe to Post Comments 19 comments 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 8:07 am I don?t think anyone knows what the fuck they?re doing or what?s going on. Even Russians never figured out Ukraine politics. Hunter got to wet his beak for reasons he never quite grasped, used by forces he never understood, just like our whole Maidan project. ?Here, hold my beer? ?and this bag.? The whole thing resembles one of those cheap plastic illusions you?d get in a Cracker-Jack box, where the picture changes as you wiggle the thing back and forth, sometimes it?s HRC, sometimes the Donald, but the face is always vicious, bloody fangs and bloodshot eyes. Can anyone sympathize with the perspective of an average Trump supporter who thinks that the Donald is fighting the good fight, looking to root out the insanely corrupt, and for his efforts being threatened with impeachment? It?s certainly no more insane than to believe the counter narrative. How in hell, and in what sort of world, is it accepted as settled fact that ?there?s nothing to see here? and everything involved in the looting of Ukraine by the forces of the neoliberal west, starring Obama, Clinton, and Biden is ?perfectly legal? and on the up-and-up? Reply ? 1. DJG September 30, 2019 at 9:08 am Watt4Bob: I am glad that Yves Smith reposted this article, in which several experts explain just how wide the corruption is. I keep wondering how it is that Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic / liberal-ish elite think that they have articles of impeachment. Trump?s defense is going to be to have information like this splashed all over the country. The Democrats made a mess in Ukraine, and it may sink in just how horrible foreign policy has been these last twenty years (killing Arabs obviously doesn?t register among the populace as ?problematic?). The up side may be that the elites have fractured so badly that they are on the verge of collapse. Not likely, though. Further, if the U.S. elites collapse, it is going to be like the financial crisis of 2008-09, with even more looting and pillaging. This time, they?ll privatize the Army. The down side is more fighting among the U.S. elites over their territory with no policy results that will benefit the rest of the citizenry. In short, a swarm of maggots on the corpse of the U.S. body politic. And yet I am already (and this is a sign of how deluded our betters are) seeing liberals tittering over Bill Clinton?s impeachment. ?Well at least this time it isn?t over a b.j.? The reasoning being, I suppose, that Monica Lewinsky and other young women are collateral damage when it comes to looting and pillage. If only this all would be good theater. Instead, it will pay out as melodrama of the worst kind? The Brent Kavanaugh show but even louder. Reply ? 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 9:38 am The army is already privatized. I have a friend who has spent time entertaining in Iraq with USO shows, he tells me there are more private ?contractors? than regular military there. I can?t see how regular military can stand to rub elbows with guys making 5 or 10 times their pay for doing similar work? Reply ? 2. Skip Intro September 30, 2019 at 12:19 pm That?s why I am increasingly feeling like this whole think is Trump trolling the Dems. He orchestrated the ?whistle blower?, or assumed it the story would leak. When you read the transcript, it sounds like he is trying to put the Burisma and Crowdstrike stories back in play? and he has succeeded, while tricking the dems back into a suicidal delusion of impeachment. Reply ? 1. Leif September 30, 2019 at 3:51 pm ?A suicidal delusion of impeachment?? Are we suggesting an equivalency between Hunter Biden?s opportunism and Donald trump?s subornation? Reply ? 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 5:17 pm Pardon me for butting in, but it seems to bear repeating; How in hell, and in what sort of world, is it accepted as settled fact that ?there?s nothing to see here? and everything involved in the looting of Ukraine by the forces of the neoliberal west, starring Obama, Clinton, and Biden is ?perfectly legal? and on the up-and-up? This is not about ?equivalency?, or ?Whataboutism? it?s plain to see that Trumps actions are well, actionable, but it is also plain to see that the top of the democrat party are opportunistic scum-bags with no moral compass. Hunter Biden?s ?opportunism? would not have existed but for the Maidan Revolution (CIA/State Dept. backed coup) . Are you saying you?re alright with violent meddling in another nation?s politics for the benefit of Wall $treet, Big Oil and the MIC, as long as it?s ?our guys? doing the meddling ? Reply ? 2. Skip Intro September 30, 2019 at 7:23 pm We are suggesting that drawing attention to Burisma and Crowdstrike and the Obama regime?s Nazi coup in Ukraine will not help the Democrat establishment damage Trump, but will hobble the presumed Dem. frontrunner, and suck the oxygen away from all the other campaigns. It is no part of defeating Trump. It is unclear to what your mention of subornation refers. Reply ? 2. The Rev Kev September 30, 2019 at 8:47 am This is all part of a pattern and for the political elites, it is just how you do business ? and make a little money along the way. Hunter Biden and Christopher Heinz?s name came up again together in a ?business? deal in China about the same time period through a Chinese-backed, billion-dollar investment fund called Bohai Harvest RST. You can read the sordid details in the link below ? and its security implications ? but the point is how Hunter Biden went to China. He didn?t take a United airliner nor did he take a Delta airline. He didn?t even take an American airliner. He flew over with his dad ? aboard Air Force Two. And that could only be interpreted by the Chinese that not only did Hunter Biden?s activities have the stamp of approval of the Vice-President of the United States but also that of the President of the United States ? Barack Obama. So if you go after Hunter Biden that very quickly leads you to Obama so no wonder the Ukrainian episode has stung the Democrat establishment like a broken tooth- https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/sep/28/hunter-biden-china-business-drawing-new-scrutiny/ Reply ? 1. Ford Prefect September 30, 2019 at 9:09 am The Democrats are trying to figure out why the American public isn?t up in arms about Ukraine, Russian meddling etc. What they have failed to grasp is that the Democrats and Republicans have colluded over the past 30 years to have a system for the 1% and a separate system for the 99%. This Ukraine stuff with the Bidens and Trump is classic 1% system stuff where the average person would never have a chance of being on a board of a Ukrainian firm. So asking the average American to split hairs on ?what is corruption? is very difficult because most of it is operating in a world that they can?t fathom ever entering. so how do you differentiate between nuances? The whole thing gives an appearance of sleaze on all sides. As a result, the average American has no way of knowing if Trump?s phone call asking for a ?favor? is unusual business or business as usual. They have to take the word of people leaking things or talking heads babbling talking points. Nixon blew the lid off things because people had a hard time fathoming that a US president would personally order a cover up of a break-in. The release of the Pentagon papers and other documents similarly undermined the credibility of governing figures when it became clear that the Administrations had lied about the Vietnam War just to save face. The various recent Wikileaks e-mail releases etc. further compound it. So the issue with impeaching Trump is that they themselves are in the mud wrestling the pig. The big problem the Dems have is the pig enjoys it. Reply ? 3. chuck roast September 30, 2019 at 9:49 am More on ?Bennie? here? http://johnhelmer.net/the-kolomoisky-pyramid-started-with-hillary-clinton-and-victoria-nuland-of-the-state-department-plus-christine-lagarde-of-the-imf/ Reply ? 4. JohnH September 30, 2019 at 11:15 am Hunter Biden also served on the Chairman?s Advisory Board for the National Democratic Institute, a subsidiary of the National Endowment for Democracy, the organization that is chartered with promoting democracy and is implicated in several color revolutions. https://www.energysecurityforum.org/speakers/186-hunter-biden-s After the coup it is only natural that the US would want to have its assets firmly implanted into the crown jewels of Ukraine?s energy sector: ?Burisma is the largest private natural gas producer in Ukraine.? Biden was appointed immediately after the February coup: ?On 18 April 2014, Hunter Biden, the son of then-US vice president Joe Biden, was appointed to the board of Burisma Holdings. He left the company in April 2019.At the same time, one of the board members was Devon Archer, a former senior adviser to John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign.? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burisma_Holdings If the made gobs of money in the process, it could have been just an additional benefit? Reply ? 5. JohnH September 30, 2019 at 11:22 am It should be noted that Aleksandr Kwa?niewski, former President of Poland, was also appointed to the board just before the revolution. Kwa?niewski approved the CIA?s black sites in Poland. Reply ? 6. Thomas P September 30, 2019 at 11:31 am I found it amusing how Kolomoyskyi when confronted with the fact that he has three citizenships and Ukraine doesn?t even allow dual citizenship replied: ?The constitution prohibits double citizenship but triple citizenship is not forbidden.? Reply ? 1. ChrisPacific September 30, 2019 at 4:54 pm Haha. Technically triple citizenship represents three different instances of double citizenship (one of each of the three pairs). Reply ? 7. Pavel September 30, 2019 at 11:35 am I noted with interest but not surprise that the NYT?s latest editorial (30 Sept) re this Ukraine matter posed a series of Very Serious Questions to various players e.g. Rudy, Barr, Pence, Bolton, Pompeo? Missing from the list? Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. I read through tens of thousands of words (or so it seemed) in the Sunday NYT on Ukrainegate and while there were a handful of brief mentions of Hunter?s role as a board member not once was it stated that he was getting $50k per month and putting that in perspective given that he had zero expertise in gas or the Ukraine. The Old Grey Lady has lost all its credibilityfor this reader of more than 50 years. I started reading it as a kid in high school. Reply ? 8. Susan the other` September 30, 2019 at 11:51 am I do get the feeling that the debt that is getting dumped on ?tax bases? (tax payers) is going to amount to all the money spent on equity for the last 70 years, and including its ?appreciation?. It?s the never ending restructuring of capitalism. Ukraine is as egregious as it gets just because it is so blatant. But it?s everywhere; everywhere governments have chosen to have no regulations or not to enforce weak ones. The only good thing about all this squirming is that capitalism is proven to be a very useful tool. Adaptable to say the least. Kolomoisky and Biden are birds of a feather. Making their own temporary rules as they go along. The big mistake that politicians make, like the entire democrat party, is thinking their positions won?t change. Like the once beatified Barack Obama won?t get dragged through the mud? It?s going to be very ugly. Reply ? 9. Brent September 30, 2019 at 11:55 am Looks like Trump will have to burn the swamp down ?? Reply ? 1. JEHR September 30, 2019 at 12:10 pm Of course, in realistic terms ?burning a swamp? cannot happen. Reply ? 10. Dan September 30, 2019 at 12:52 pm A deeper background read on Why Ukraine?: https://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/russian-gas-transit-across-ukraine-post-2019-pipeline-scenarios-gas-flow-consequences-and-regulatory-constraints/ http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175935/tomgram%3A_pepe_escobar%2C_eurasian_integration_vs._the_empire_of_chaos/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 1117 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 174 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Tue Oct 1 14:14:08 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 09:14:08 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] FW: From 2014: R. Hunter Biden Should Declare Who Really Owns His New Ukrainian Employer, Burisma Holdings Message-ID: <004a01d57862$7e505660$7af10320$@comcast.net> This article is from the website ? NAKED CAPITALISM ?. Most of the info in the article was posted way back in 2014 immediately after the CIA backed coup against the democratically elected government of Ukraine. Shortly thereafter Hunter Biden, the former VP Joe Biden?s son is appointed to the board of directors of a Ukrainian energy company that pays him $ 50,000 U.S. per month. Hunter Biden invested no money, had no background in the gas and energy industry or related studies / expertise, and has absolutely no knowledge of the Ukrainian language. It is a long article including some excellent reader comments, but worth the read. Unfortunately this website has no links to share on Facebook. * * NAKED CAPITALISM >From 2014: R. Hunter Biden Should Declare Who Really Owns His New Ukrainian Employer, Burisma Holdings Posted on September 30, 2019 by Yves Smith Yves here. This 2014 post by our house Sherlock Holmes of international scammers, Richard Smith, is a classic example of Naked Capitalism not simply being onto a story early, but even more than five years later, demonstrably providing depth and detail you won?t find anywhere else. Richard did a deep dive into the dodgy appointment of Hunter Biden and then Secretary of State John Kerry?s long-standing bundler, Devon Archer, to the board of Burisma Holdings. Richard quickly got past the noteworthy fact that Biden Jr. was being paid quite a lot for no relevant expertise and no investment in the company?so what was he being paid for, exactly? Oh, and Richard also describes how Hunter?s and his uncle James Biden?s past financial rides were with con artists. But the real puzzlement is that from everything that can be inferred, Burisma is either tiny or just a shell company. So who is behind these big director payoffs payouts? Richard found some bread crumbs that pointed to Burisma being owned by Privat Group, a conglomerate controlled by the Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. We?ll turn the mike over to Mark Ames: Kolomoyskiy is the Berezovsky of current Ukrainian oligarchs. The dirtiest of the bunch, absolutely loathed by the IMF/creditor crowd especially for his theft of billions through the collapse of Privat Bank a few years ago. Yet Kolomoyskiy also was one of the main funders of the Maidan revolution and of many of the neo-Nazi paramilitary death squads (and yes, he?s Jewish and Israeli?just business, Fredo). Kolomoyskiy had to flee Ukraine to Switzerland for a couple of years in a classic intra-oligarch war with Poroshenko, IMF and others. He backed [recently elected Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelensky?s rise to power, and returned to Ukraine soon as Zelensky won. None of this will make for an easy narrative about Biden Jr. except to show what a dirty cesspool he?s profiting off amid all that mass poverty in Ukraine, of and what a shitshow his dad helped make of that cursed country. Before you wonder if Trump was also trying to get to Kolomoyskiy, say that he had delusions of making a deal between Russia and Ukraine via the power behind the throne, Kolomoyskiy, Ames cautions: I don?t think anyone knows what the fuck they?re doing or what?s going on. Even Russians never figured out Ukraine politics. Hunter got to wet his beak for reasons he never quite grasped, used by forces he never understood, just like our whole Maidan project. And Lambert noted: Chaos, ideal to project onto. And both sides have had since August 12 to buy whatever evidence and witnesses they want, in a country that will sell whatever they want. Pass the popcorn. This post first ran on May 21, 2014 Here?s last week?s big announcement, adorned by a photograph of an American with a faintly alarming rictus; oh yes, oh dear me, yes: Hunter Biden joins the team of Burisma Holdings : Burisma Holdings, Ukraine?s largest private gas producer, has expanded its Board of Directors by bringing on Mr. R Hunter Biden as a new director. R. Hunter Biden will be in charge of the Holdings? legal unit and will provide support for the Company among international organizations. On his new appointment, he commented: ?Burisma?s track record of innovations and industry leadership in the field of natural gas means that it can be a strong driver of a strong economy in Ukraine. As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.? Wholehearted approval was not universally forthcoming : Isn?t that a bit fishy? Why do you say that? Because he?s the vice-president?s son! That?s a coincidence. ?This is totally based on merit,? said Burisma?s chairman, Alan Apter. He doesn?t sound very Ukrainian. He?s American, as is the other new board member, Devon Archer. Who? Devon Archer, who works with Hunter Biden at Rosemont Seneca partners, which is half owned by Rosemont Capital, a private equity firm founded by Archer and Christopher Heinz. Who? Christopher Heinz ? John Kerry?s stepson. I think Putin?s propaganda people can take a long weekend; their work is being done for them. What do you mean? Hasn?t Joe Biden pledged to help Ukraine become more energy independent in the wake of its troubles with Russia? Well, yes. And isn?t Burisma, as a domestic producer, well positioned to profit from rising gas prices caused by the conflict? Possibly, but Hunter Biden is a salaried board member, not an investor. According to anonymous sources in the Wall Street Journal, neither Rosemont Seneca nor Rosemont Capital has made any financial investment in Burisma. So it?s not fishy at all? No one?s saying that. Do say: ?Somebody needs to get involved in Ukraine?s corporate governance, and it might as well be a clutch of rich, well-connected American dudes with weird first names.? Don?t say: ?Thanks, Dad.? The White House did the best they could with the optics? The White House shot down any notion of a conflict of interest with Hunter Biden?s appointment. In a statement provided to Business Insider, Joe Biden spokesperson Kendra Barkoff said Hunter?s appointment did not constitute an endorsement by the vice president. ?Hunter Biden is a private citizen and a lawyer. The Vice President does not endorse any particular company and has no involvement with this company,? Barkoff said. ?For any additional questions, I refer you to Hunter?s office.? Commenters at Daily Kos affirm pugnaciously that there?s nothing to see here : So the Vice President?s son who has been a high powered lawyer for years who has passed the Bar in DC, CT and the Supreme Court with a speciality in international law and relations shouldn?t sit on company boards? Is this what you are trying to say? For me, that?s final confirmation that there?s something to see here. But what? Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist nails it . From her list of nine questions, numbers 7 and 9 are worth particular emphasis: 7. Why would a Ukrainian energy company want Devon Archer or Hunter Biden to serve on its board? Assuming that they have been appointed to the board, the most innocent explanation is that the company wants to increase foreign direct investment and views Archer and Biden as having the experience to make that happen. Archer, for example, is a long-time investor and financier. The most disturbing explanation is that the company is attempting to curry favor with the U.S. government by enlisting the services of the close family friend and campaign bundler of the Secretary of the State and the son of the vice president. ? 9. This has to be a hoax, right? It?s so bizarre that you almost have to assume it?s a hoax. It sounds more like a cliched movie plot ? a shady foreign oil company co-opts the vice president?s son in order to capture lucrative foreign investment contracts ? than something that would actually happen in real life. But the indications as of this afternoon are that the board appointments actually happened, and that a Ukrainian energy company has retained the counsel of the vice president?s son and the Secretary of State?s close family friend and top campaign bundler. Take question 9 first. The answer could indeed be ?yes?. However, it is not R. Hunter Biden?s appointment that is a hoax, nor Devon Archer?s; nor is it, for that matter, the appointment of the ex-President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, who is also on Burisma?s board, as of January . No, it?s Burisma itself that looks flaky, even on a casual inspection. But surely, that would be a failure of due diligence on the part of messrs Biden, Archer and Kwasniewski? Indeed it would, but there is a most unfortunate precedent for such a failure, which you can read about here , at some length. To sum it up: in 2006 or so, two Bidens, James Biden (future VP?s brother) and our R. Hunter Biden (future VP?s son), wildly overpaid a drug-addicted very senior Moonie for a hedge fund marketing operation that was hugely exaggerating its size and success, and turned out to be distributing ponzis, including the giant Allen Stanford ponzi , second only to Madoff, and other eyecatching frauds, such as Ponta Negra , via a sales network that included brokers with visibly very terrible FINRA records. None of this makes the Bidens look particularly astute. Much of it would have been very easy to pick up with proper due diligence. By 2009, Hempton, FT Alphaville and Felix Salmon (linkfest) were all over the story. Bits of it even crept out into the print media. Final point from Hempton: Paradigm rejects that the notion that they actively participated in the alleged Ponta Negra scam. That is an accusation I do not make. I only make the suggestion that ? through clumsiness and the failure to perform even the simplest due diligence ? they lend their name to alleged scammers. Which brings us, five years after the Paradigm scandal blew up, to R. Hunter Biden?s new job at Burisma Holdings, a company that has a mysterious past. By way of due diligence, we need to make a little dive into some old SEC filings of a US OTC Stock, Sunrise Energy Resources (now called Green Technology Solutions). In their filing for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003, filed 3 Dec 2004, we find the following in the notes to the financial statements : Effective October 4, 2004, the Company and certain stockholders entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement and Plan of Reorganization (the ?Agreement?) with the stockholders of Esko Pivnich (?EP?), an oil and gas production and development company incorporated and operating in the Republic of Ukraine, to acquire all of the outstanding shares of EP. The Company is to issue that number of shares which, when added to the 5 million shares sold to the EP stockholders in connection with this transaction by five of the Company?s foreign institutional stockholders, will result in the Company?s current stockholders retaining, in the aggregate, 9% of the enlarged company, which will then have 17 million shares issued and outstanding. There are a series of conditions precedent to closing of the transaction, including listing of the Company?s shares for trading on OTC ?Pink Sheets?. There is also a handy list of directors and executive officers of the company , including a youngster called Taras Burdeniy who, ten years later, is part of the team at Burisma. In the filings for year end 2006, section ?description of business ? we find another deal: On January 20, 2006, Sunrise Energy Resources, Inc. executed a share purchase agreement with the shareholders of Pari, Ltd. The board of directors of Sunrise Energy Resources, Inc. approved the transaction on February 9, 2006. ?and an address I?d like you to remember, EP?s offices in Ukraine, at 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. Sunrise chugs along producing a bit of oil and gas for a few years. But we are talking thousands of barrels, not millions: it is not some hydrocarbon Eldorado. At its peak, the operation is capitalized at about $20Mn. But alas, a series of catastrophes is related in the 10-K filed on 31 st March 2009: according to the geologist, Sunrise has zero proven reserves, which finishes them as an investment proposition. One of their funders, Millington Solutions, has called in its debt. Oh, and Sunrise has changed accountants. In the same 10-K Burisma Holdings Limited, of 17 Gr Xenopolou Street, 3106, Limassol, Cyprus, puts in an appearance as the holder of just shy of 70% of Sunrise?s common stock. It?s all recapped again in a preliminary info filing, Sept 4 2009 . Upshot: 1. Sunrise?s equity holders are wiped out. Since Burisma paid only a nominal fee for the privilege of holding 70% of the Sunrise equity, they probably don?t mind too much. As for the other 30%, who knows what they think; they have put no comments on the record. 2. Millington Solutions waltz off with Sunrise?s wholly owned subsidiaries Esko Pivnich and Pari, both with the address 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. Now debt-free, EP and Pari might at best have some underdeveloped mining assets to pick over. Millington Solutions LLC (properly Millington Solutions Limited), formerly of Suite 401, 302 Regent Street, London, was deregistered in August 2009, mere months after the above shenanigans. Millington was rather an opaque entity, of a particularly English style. English company law allows companies to be directors of companies, which, while pleasingly recursive, doesn?t do much for transparency. Thus we find that the directors of Millington Solutions are: Terthur Trading Limited, a BVI company which Opencorporates can?t tell me anything about, except that it directs or acts as secretary for another 1,065 companies just as opaque as Millington Solutions? and Lambert Investments Limited, which says it?s British, (although I couldn?t actually find a live British company called Lambert Investments Limited), directs 384 companies just as opaque as Millington Solutions, many still registered, and sometimes has a Cypriot co-director, Georgios Amerikanos, a director of 122 UK companies. In other words, it?s a big shell company network of a classic British kind, with ownership and control completely obfuscated. The Companies Act 2006 introduced a requirement that at least one company director should be a flesh-and-blood human being (?natural person ?), but as we can see, Millington Solutions got its work done just before that loophole was closed. There?s another question. How is it that, 5 years after the utterly opaque Millington rode off into the sunset with Esko Pivnich and Pari, and Burisma Holdings was left empty-handed, it?s now Burisma Holdings who say they own Esko Pivnich and Pari? It?s all as murky as hell. If I were R. Hunter Biden, I wouldn?t touch it; but as we saw from the Paradigm saga, R. Hunter doesn?t look before he leaps. Another thought: could it be that Millington, Burisma, Esko Pivnich and Pari were owned by the same one person all along? All this calling in of loans would then just be corporate kabuki: a tax dodge, say, or some sort of favour to an oligarch or politician?or just the final public move of a good old-fashioned penny stock scam. This is what one careful Ukrainian journalist dug up in 2012: ?Burisma changed owners last year: instead of Zlochevsky and Lisin, the company was taken over by a Cypriot off-shore enterprise called Brociti Investments Ltd. Pari and Esko-Pivnich also changed their address: they moved from Kateryny Bilokur Street to 10a Rylyeyeva Street in Kyiv. A third company was already waiting for them in the same building ? the above-mentioned Ukrnaftoburinnya. ? The owners of Ukrnaftoburinnya, Pari, and Esko-Pivnich were finally confirmed through first-hand sources. Oleh Kanivets worked as CEO of Ukrnaftoburinnya for two years. He confirmed who actually controlled the above-mentioned companies to ?Slidstvo.Info?. ?The Privat Group is the immediate owner. This company was founded by Mykola Zlochevsky some time ago, but he later sold his shares to the Privat Group?. There?s that address again: 10a Ryleeva St., Kiev, Ukraine. The identification of Privat Group as the owner of Burisma, though unconfirmed, is logical enough. Privat Group is a conglomerate controlled by the ferocious Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. Kolomoisky is one of the oligarchs charged with holding down the Eastern provinces of Ukraine , and recently mocked Putin, reputedly sensitive about his height, as a ?schizophrenic shortarse? (apologies for the English intonation: American alternatives are invited); definitely a bridge-burning moment. Putin, meanwhile, shut down as much of Kolomoisky?s bank as he could, in Crimea and Moscow . I?m not sure who started it, but we can certainly mark it down as a first-rate spat. While that was brewing up, Kolomoisky might well have wanted something that looked an American protector, and got it, in the form of the VP?s son. This line of thinking would neatly answer ?The Federalist??s other question: why would a Ukrainian energy company want Devon Archer or Hunter Biden to serve on its board? Another guess: Kolomoisky is far too ebulliently Jewish to look like a neo-Nazi. A US connection with Kolomoisky might play well in circles keen to counter Russian complaints that the interim Kiev regime is dominated by ?Fascists?. One also still wonders how oil- and gas-rich those Burisma Holdings assets really are; they never amounted to much in the years 2003-2009; why are they so much better after another roll of the dice? R. Hunter Biden could always get the boss to call in a geologist, I suppose, in the name of transparency, and all. Is there new capital, provenance unknown? Or are there new permits, acquired under the deliriously corrupt Yanukovych regime? Or is there still nothing much to Burisma Holdings at all? That?s far too many questions and guesses. What we can tell, from Forbes, is that our Ihor isn?t necessarily the most salubrious business partner : An independent lawsuit between powerful players will not only be fascinating, because it sheds light on how Ukrainian business empires were created. It can also set a powerful precedent for solving corporate conflicts fairly and transparently. Pinchuk?s suit, currently in English High Court, stems from an alleged breach of contract and breach of trust by the duo, Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky. The nature of Pinchuk?s claim is simple: Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky are holding Pinchuk?s property illegally. Pinchuk?s suit asserts that they sold him a shell company, Alcross Commercial Ltd., for $143 million in 2005. They told Pinchuk that Alcross owned Krivorozhskiy Zhelezorudnyy Kombinat (KZhRK), a Ukrainian ore-mining company. In reality, Alcross was worthless. They have continuously promised to transfer the assets of KZhRK to Pinchuk but failed to do so?and then, in 2007, they turned around and sold about 50 percent of KZhRK to a third party. They thus sold a stake in a business they did not own. Written evidence in the case is by no means extensive, it being common practice in the post Soviet time to do business in that way. The prima facie arguments in the claim look coherent enough to go to court. Bogolyubov?s lawyer declared that his client regards the claim ?as misconceived and will be vigorously defending it.? The truth will come out only during the court proceedings. This will surely be fascinating to watch because, as I made clear earlier, there are colorful people involved in the dispute. Bogolyubov and Kolomoisky fostered strong reputations as corporate raiders in the mid-2000s, becoming notorious for a series of hostile takeovers. Hostile takeovers Ukrainian style, that is, which often included the active involvement of Privat?s quasi-military teams. These schemes included, among others, a literal raid on the Kremenchuk steel plant in 2006, in which hundreds of hired rowdies armed with baseball bats, iron bars, gas and rubber bullet pistols and chainsaws forcibly took over the plant. More recently, Aerosvit Airlines, which according to the media was controlled by Mr. Kolomoisky, declared bankruptcy in 2012, stranding thousands of Ukrainians in Ukraine and abroad. The Financial Times, when reporting on Kolomoisky?s recent conflict with UK company JKX Oil & Gas, stated in no uncertain terms, that ?in Ukraine they [Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov] are called ?The Raiders??. Privat Group has been involved in several court cases and arbitration proceedings in the US, UK, and Sweden. In 2009, a US court made clear its distrust of Privat representatives: ?the Court has become increasingly skeptical of these gentleman [at Privat] and the credibility of their statements.? Back to R. Hunter Biden: As a new member of the Board, I believe that my assistance in consulting the Company on matters of transparency, corporate governance and responsibility, international expansion and other priorities will contribute to the economy and benefit the people of Ukraine.? I suspect R. Hunter Biden, in his new role, will have as much impact as a fart in a thunderstorm, but let?s give him a chance. One modest way in which R. Hunter Biden could follow through on his job description would be to identify and declare who controls the apparently large and important company that he now works for. Assuming his boss?s boss allows him to tell us, let?s all see what R. Hunter?s bumbled into this time. Print Friendly, PDF & Email This entry was posted in Banana republic , Energy markets , Guest Post , Politics , Ridiculously obvious scams on September 30, 2019 by Yves Smith . Subscribe to Post Comments 19 comments 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 8:07 am I don?t think anyone knows what the fuck they?re doing or what?s going on. Even Russians never figured out Ukraine politics. Hunter got to wet his beak for reasons he never quite grasped, used by forces he never understood, just like our whole Maidan project. ?Here, hold my beer? ?and this bag.? The whole thing resembles one of those cheap plastic illusions you?d get in a Cracker-Jack box, where the picture changes as you wiggle the thing back and forth, sometimes it?s HRC, sometimes the Donald, but the face is always vicious, bloody fangs and bloodshot eyes. Can anyone sympathize with the perspective of an average Trump supporter who thinks that the Donald is fighting the good fight, looking to root out the insanely corrupt, and for his efforts being threatened with impeachment? It?s certainly no more insane than to believe the counter narrative. How in hell, and in what sort of world, is it accepted as settled fact that ?there?s nothing to see here? and everything involved in the looting of Ukraine by the forces of the neoliberal west, starring Obama, Clinton, and Biden is ?perfectly legal? and on the up-and-up? Reply ? 1. DJG September 30, 2019 at 9:08 am Watt4Bob: I am glad that Yves Smith reposted this article, in which several experts explain just how wide the corruption is. I keep wondering how it is that Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democratic / liberal-ish elite think that they have articles of impeachment. Trump?s defense is going to be to have information like this splashed all over the country. The Democrats made a mess in Ukraine, and it may sink in just how horrible foreign policy has been these last twenty years (killing Arabs obviously doesn?t register among the populace as ?problematic?). The up side may be that the elites have fractured so badly that they are on the verge of collapse. Not likely, though. Further, if the U.S. elites collapse, it is going to be like the financial crisis of 2008-09, with even more looting and pillaging. This time, they?ll privatize the Army. The down side is more fighting among the U.S. elites over their territory with no policy results that will benefit the rest of the citizenry. In short, a swarm of maggots on the corpse of the U.S. body politic. And yet I am already (and this is a sign of how deluded our betters are) seeing liberals tittering over Bill Clinton?s impeachment. ?Well at least this time it isn?t over a b.j.? The reasoning being, I suppose, that Monica Lewinsky and other young women are collateral damage when it comes to looting and pillage. If only this all would be good theater. Instead, it will pay out as melodrama of the worst kind? The Brent Kavanaugh show but even louder. Reply ? 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 9:38 am The army is already privatized. I have a friend who has spent time entertaining in Iraq with USO shows, he tells me there are more private ?contractors? than regular military there. I can?t see how regular military can stand to rub elbows with guys making 5 or 10 times their pay for doing similar work? Reply ? 2. Skip Intro September 30, 2019 at 12:19 pm That?s why I am increasingly feeling like this whole think is Trump trolling the Dems. He orchestrated the ?whistle blower?, or assumed it the story would leak. When you read the transcript, it sounds like he is trying to put the Burisma and Crowdstrike stories back in play? and he has succeeded, while tricking the dems back into a suicidal delusion of impeachment. Reply ? 1. Leif September 30, 2019 at 3:51 pm ?A suicidal delusion of impeachment?? Are we suggesting an equivalency between Hunter Biden?s opportunism and Donald trump?s subornation? Reply ? 1. Watt4Bob September 30, 2019 at 5:17 pm Pardon me for butting in, but it seems to bear repeating; How in hell, and in what sort of world, is it accepted as settled fact that ?there?s nothing to see here? and everything involved in the looting of Ukraine by the forces of the neoliberal west, starring Obama, Clinton, and Biden is ?perfectly legal? and on the up-and-up? This is not about ?equivalency?, or ?Whataboutism? it?s plain to see that Trumps actions are well, actionable, but it is also plain to see that the top of the democrat party are opportunistic scum-bags with no moral compass. Hunter Biden?s ?opportunism? would not have existed but for the Maidan Revolution (CIA/State Dept. backed coup) . Are you saying you?re alright with violent meddling in another nation?s politics for the benefit of Wall $treet, Big Oil and the MIC, as long as it?s ?our guys? doing the meddling ? Reply ? 2. Skip Intro September 30, 2019 at 7:23 pm We are suggesting that drawing attention to Burisma and Crowdstrike and the Obama regime?s Nazi coup in Ukraine will not help the Democrat establishment damage Trump, but will hobble the presumed Dem. frontrunner, and suck the oxygen away from all the other campaigns. It is no part of defeating Trump. It is unclear to what your mention of subornation refers. Reply ? 2. The Rev Kev September 30, 2019 at 8:47 am This is all part of a pattern and for the political elites, it is just how you do business ? and make a little money along the way. Hunter Biden and Christopher Heinz?s name came up again together in a ?business? deal in China about the same time period through a Chinese-backed, billion-dollar investment fund called Bohai Harvest RST. You can read the sordid details in the link below ? and its security implications ? but the point is how Hunter Biden went to China. He didn?t take a United airliner nor did he take a Delta airline. He didn?t even take an American airliner. He flew over with his dad ? aboard Air Force Two. And that could only be interpreted by the Chinese that not only did Hunter Biden?s activities have the stamp of approval of the Vice-President of the United States but also that of the President of the United States ? Barack Obama. So if you go after Hunter Biden that very quickly leads you to Obama so no wonder the Ukrainian episode has stung the Democrat establishment like a broken tooth- https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/sep/28/hunter-biden-china-business-drawing-new-scrutiny/ Reply ? 1. Ford Prefect September 30, 2019 at 9:09 am The Democrats are trying to figure out why the American public isn?t up in arms about Ukraine, Russian meddling etc. What they have failed to grasp is that the Democrats and Republicans have colluded over the past 30 years to have a system for the 1% and a separate system for the 99%. This Ukraine stuff with the Bidens and Trump is classic 1% system stuff where the average person would never have a chance of being on a board of a Ukrainian firm. So asking the average American to split hairs on ?what is corruption? is very difficult because most of it is operating in a world that they can?t fathom ever entering. so how do you differentiate between nuances? The whole thing gives an appearance of sleaze on all sides. As a result, the average American has no way of knowing if Trump?s phone call asking for a ?favor? is unusual business or business as usual. They have to take the word of people leaking things or talking heads babbling talking points. Nixon blew the lid off things because people had a hard time fathoming that a US president would personally order a cover up of a break-in. The release of the Pentagon papers and other documents similarly undermined the credibility of governing figures when it became clear that the Administrations had lied about the Vietnam War just to save face. The various recent Wikileaks e-mail releases etc. further compound it. So the issue with impeaching Trump is that they themselves are in the mud wrestling the pig. The big problem the Dems have is the pig enjoys it. Reply ? 3. chuck roast September 30, 2019 at 9:49 am More on ?Bennie? here? http://johnhelmer.net/the-kolomoisky-pyramid-started-with-hillary-clinton-and-victoria-nuland-of-the-state-department-plus-christine-lagarde-of-the-imf/ Reply ? 4. JohnH September 30, 2019 at 11:15 am Hunter Biden also served on the Chairman?s Advisory Board for the National Democratic Institute, a subsidiary of the National Endowment for Democracy, the organization that is chartered with promoting democracy and is implicated in several color revolutions. https://www.energysecurityforum.org/speakers/186-hunter-biden-s After the coup it is only natural that the US would want to have its assets firmly implanted into the crown jewels of Ukraine?s energy sector: ?Burisma is the largest private natural gas producer in Ukraine.? Biden was appointed immediately after the February coup: ?On 18 April 2014, Hunter Biden, the son of then-US vice president Joe Biden, was appointed to the board of Burisma Holdings. He left the company in April 2019.At the same time, one of the board members was Devon Archer, a former senior adviser to John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign.? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burisma_Holdings If the made gobs of money in the process, it could have been just an additional benefit? Reply ? 5. JohnH September 30, 2019 at 11:22 am It should be noted that Aleksandr Kwa?niewski, former President of Poland, was also appointed to the board just before the revolution. Kwa?niewski approved the CIA?s black sites in Poland. Reply ? 6. Thomas P September 30, 2019 at 11:31 am I found it amusing how Kolomoyskyi when confronted with the fact that he has three citizenships and Ukraine doesn?t even allow dual citizenship replied: ?The constitution prohibits double citizenship but triple citizenship is not forbidden.? Reply ? 1. ChrisPacific September 30, 2019 at 4:54 pm Haha. Technically triple citizenship represents three different instances of double citizenship (one of each of the three pairs). Reply ? 7. Pavel September 30, 2019 at 11:35 am I noted with interest but not surprise that the NYT?s latest editorial (30 Sept) re this Ukraine matter posed a series of Very Serious Questions to various players e.g. Rudy, Barr, Pence, Bolton, Pompeo? Missing from the list? Joe Biden and Hunter Biden. I read through tens of thousands of words (or so it seemed) in the Sunday NYT on Ukrainegate and while there were a handful of brief mentions of Hunter?s role as a board member not once was it stated that he was getting $50k per month and putting that in perspective given that he had zero expertise in gas or the Ukraine. The Old Grey Lady has lost all its credibilityfor this reader of more than 50 years. I started reading it as a kid in high school. Reply ? 8. Susan the other` September 30, 2019 at 11:51 am I do get the feeling that the debt that is getting dumped on ?tax bases? (tax payers) is going to amount to all the money spent on equity for the last 70 years, and including its ?appreciation?. It?s the never ending restructuring of capitalism. Ukraine is as egregious as it gets just because it is so blatant. But it?s everywhere; everywhere governments have chosen to have no regulations or not to enforce weak ones. The only good thing about all this squirming is that capitalism is proven to be a very useful tool. Adaptable to say the least. Kolomoisky and Biden are birds of a feather. Making their own temporary rules as they go along. The big mistake that politicians make, like the entire democrat party, is thinking their positions won?t change. Like the once beatified Barack Obama won?t get dragged through the mud? It?s going to be very ugly. Reply ? 9. Brent September 30, 2019 at 11:55 am Looks like Trump will have to burn the swamp down ?? Reply ? 1. JEHR September 30, 2019 at 12:10 pm Of course, in realistic terms ?burning a swamp? cannot happen. Reply ? 10. Dan September 30, 2019 at 12:52 pm A deeper background read on Why Ukraine?: https://www.oxfordenergy.org/publications/russian-gas-transit-across-ukraine-post-2019-pipeline-scenarios-gas-flow-consequences-and-regulatory-constraints/ http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175935/tomgram%3A_pepe_escobar%2C_eurasian_integration_vs._the_empire_of_chaos/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 1117 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 174 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Tue Oct 1 14:28:17 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 09:28:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Letter to the editor Message-ID: My letter in today's News-Gazette: Responding to Belden Fields? letter regarding Bend the Arc, self-described ?Jewish progressives,? I would note that it was BtA that refused to ally with local socialist and pro-Palestinian groups in the broadly-supported event at Drury Inn in June 2018, attended by 300. While leftist groups should be willing to co-sponsor events with BtA, they should not do so on BtA?s terms?which are support for the U.S. war machine, neoliberal economic policies, and Israeli apartheid. Nevertheless, collaboration is a moot point. BtA is not progressive, nor ?progressive except for Palestine.? They are, as Steven Salaita argues, ?regressive because of Israel.? More generally, this is not ?whataboutism? on my part, but rejection of BtA?s fundamentally reactionary agenda. BtA?s claim to represent ?Jewish resistance? is spurious in light of its status as a Democratic Party PAC. They are using support for selective ?domestic? causes (don?t ask why there are so many refugees), as well as facile and manipulative anti-Trumpism, in order to promote establishment Democrats? (Clintons, Obama, Biden, Harris) version of a world run on behalf of the capitalists who own it, by violence if necessary?and it always is. Moreover, BtA?s propagandistic claims of increased anti-semitism and ?white nationalism? are from the (Zionist) Anti-Defamation League?s anti-Palestinian, conspiratorial playbook. I would challenge BtA to document any evidence in Champaign County that goes beyond constitutionally-protected ignorance and stupidity. Such qualities are hardly unique to the ?basket of deplorables? that BtA condescendingly uses as a foil in advocating for its elitist political agenda, immigrants notwithstanding. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Tue Oct 1 20:21:49 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 20:21:49 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Film showing: "Incident at Oglala" at the UCIMC. Message-ID: Monday, October 14th, from 7-9pm, Join the Champaign-Urbana branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples? Day with a screening of Incident at Oglala at the UCIMC. The film depicts the events which led to the arrest and trial of Leonard Peltier, Robert Robideau, and Darrell Butler for the alleged murder of two FBI agents in the summer of 1975. While Robideau and Butler were later released, Peltier was convicted and remains in prison to this day. As a Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe member, Leonard Peltier has been a long-time activist and a socialist voice for Native American rights. The International Indian Treaty Council, South African Communist Party member Nelson Mandela, the Ej?rcito Zapatista de Liberaci?n Nacional, Pope Francis, and many other socialist and progressive allies have long called for Peltier?s release, in clemency appeals that have been denied by multiple US Presidents, including Obama and Clinton. We, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, loudly join in these calls and say: Free Leonard Peltier! For the 2020 elections, Leonard Peltier is running on the Party for Socialism and Liberation's ticket for Vice President of the US--from the cell he has been in for 43 years. He is joined by Gloria La Riva, who is the PSL's candidate for US President. Read more about their campaign here: https://www.larivapeltier2020.org/campaign_announcement?fbclid=IwAR1J4FWFXzOwm4HgwIzxQcTPYSfT0nUS-fegmFYzZyv63MhVEtkTuWJHBPQ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Wed Oct 2 03:44:46 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 22:44:46 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE on the Air #494 notes Message-ID: <6e35df21-b9ef-7d32-ebea-b2f59448886c@forestfield.org> AWARE on the Air #494 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVihLWaNig A list of links to items referenced on the show. Jimmy Dore interview with John Kiriakou https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSG800M8n9c Related: Tucker Carlson interview with John Kiriakou from 2018-05-22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbitG-ZUd8 Caitlin Johnstone on "CIA, Climate And Conspiracy" https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/cia-climate-and-conspiracy-more-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix-8156bd1db9cb https://www.sgtreport.com/2019/09/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers/ https://www.dcclothesline.com/2019/09/29/media-defending-cias-whistleblower-after-ignoring-actual-whistleblowers/ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers Joseph Kishore on "CIA sets terms for Democrats? impeachment inquiry into Trump?s crimes" https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/28/pers-s28.html Jeremy Kuzmarov on "The War in Eastern Ukraine May be Coming to an End But Do Any Americans Care?" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/09/13/the-war-in-eastern-ukraine-may-be-coming-to-an-end-but-do-any-americans-care/ Kathy Kelly on "The Wounds of War in Afghanistan" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/09/30/the-wounds-of-war-in-afghanistan/ "On The Motives Behind Whistleblower-gate" https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/09/on-the-motives-behind-whistleblower-gate.html -J From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Oct 2 15:26:27 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2019 15:26:27 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE on the Air #494 notes In-Reply-To: <6e35df21-b9ef-7d32-ebea-b2f59448886c@forestfield.org> References: <6e35df21-b9ef-7d32-ebea-b2f59448886c@forestfield.org> Message-ID: Good one, very good. > On Oct 1, 2019, at 20:44, J.B. Nicholson via Peace wrote: > > AWARE on the Air #494 > Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVihLWaNig > > A list of links to items referenced on the show. > > Jimmy Dore interview with John Kiriakou > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSG800M8n9c > > Related: Tucker Carlson interview with John Kiriakou from 2018-05-22 > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKbitG-ZUd8 > > Caitlin Johnstone on "CIA, Climate And Conspiracy" > https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/cia-climate-and-conspiracy-more-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix-8156bd1db9cb > https://www.sgtreport.com/2019/09/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers/ > https://www.dcclothesline.com/2019/09/29/media-defending-cias-whistleblower-after-ignoring-actual-whistleblowers/ > https://www.zerohedge.com/political/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers > > Joseph Kishore on "CIA sets terms for Democrats? impeachment inquiry into Trump?s crimes" > https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/09/28/pers-s28.html > > Jeremy Kuzmarov on "The War in Eastern Ukraine May be Coming to an End But Do Any Americans Care?" > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/09/13/the-war-in-eastern-ukraine-may-be-coming-to-an-end-but-do-any-americans-care/ > > Kathy Kelly on "The Wounds of War in Afghanistan" > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/09/30/the-wounds-of-war-in-afghanistan/ > > "On The Motives Behind Whistleblower-gate" > https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/09/on-the-motives-behind-whistleblower-gate.html > > -J > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Wed Oct 2 16:12:44 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Wed, 2 Oct 2019 11:12:44 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] My article on Counterpunch Message-ID: Long, arduous, and wonky, but relates to recent comments on News from Neptune. https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/02/challenging-nicholas-kristofs-claim-of-thousands-more-jeffrey-epsteins/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Fri Oct 4 02:01:51 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2019 21:01:51 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Notes Message-ID: <7b37befa-8ad7-9859-7f7c-0f4ef0e5e88d@forestfield.org> Here are some items to consider discussing. Have a good show, guys. "The oppressed are allowed once every few years to decide which representatives of the oppressing class are to represent and repress them." -- Karl Marx Health care/Economy: "Whole Foods to cut health-care benefits for 1,900 part-time employees starting next year" -- CNBC https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/12/whole-foods-to-cut-healthcare-for-1900-part-time-employees-in-2020.html > Amazon-owned Whole Foods will be withdrawing medical benefits for > hundreds of its part-time workers starting Jan. 1, 2020, the company > said Thursday. > > In the past, employees needed to work at least 20 hours a week to buy > into the health-care plan. Now they will need to work at least 30 hours. > Less than 2% of its workforce, or 1,900 employees, will no longer be > eligible for medical coverage, under the new policy, the company said. [...] > "In order to better meet the needs of our business and create a more > equitable and efficient scheduling model, we are moving to a single-tier > part-time structure," a company spokesperson said in an email. "We are > providing Team Members with resources to find alternative healthcare > coverage options, or to explore full-time, healthcare-eligible positions > starting at 30 hours per week. All Whole Foods Market Team Members > continue to receive employment benefits including a 20% in-store > discount." From Wikipedia -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_Foods#Criticism_and_controversies > Whole Foods' health insurance plan is notable for its high > deductibles?$2000 for general medical expenses, and $1000 for > prescriptions. However, employees receive $300 to $1800 per year > (depending on years of service) in personal wellness funds. Once an > employee has met the deductibles, insurance covers 80% of general > medical costs and prescriptions but not for any type of mental > illness. CEO Mackey drew attention to the insurance program > (offered through United Health Care in the US) for its employees in an > op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. In the article he called his > company's insurance plan a viable alternative to "Obamacare". Mackey > summed up his antipathy toward universal coverage in his op-ed by > stating: > > "A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the > Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or > shelter. That's because there isn't any. This "right" has never existed > in America." Environment: In 2017 The Guardian reported that "Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says" https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change > Just 100 companies have been the source of more than 70% of the world?s > greenhouse gas emissions since 1988, according to a new report. > > The Carbon Majors Report[1] ?pinpoints how a relatively small set of > fossil fuel producers may hold the key to systemic change on carbon > emissions,? says Pedro Faria, technical director at environmental > non-profit CDP, which published the report in collaboration with the > Climate Accountability Institute. > > Traditionally, large scale greenhouse gas emissions data is collected at > a national level but this report focuses on fossil fuel producers. > Compiled from a database of publicly available emissions figures, it is > intended as the first in a series of publications to highlight the role > companies and their investors could play in tackling climate change. > > The report found that more than half of global industrial emissions > since 1988 ? the year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was > established ? can be traced to just 25 corporate and state-owned > entities. The scale of historical emissions associated with these fossil > fuel producers is large enough to have contributed significantly to > climate change, according to the report. > > ExxonMobil, Shell, BP and Chevron are identified as among the highest > emitting investor-owned companies since 1988. If fossil fuels continue > to be extracted at the same rate over the next 28 years as they were > between 1988 and 2017, says the report, global average temperatures > would be on course to rise by 4C by the end of the century. This is > likely to have catastrophic consequences including substantial species > extinction and global food scarcity risks. [1] https://b8f65cb373b1b7b15feb-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/327/original/Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf?1499691240 Environment: In 2013 years ago The Guardian reported "Just 90 companies caused two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/20/90-companies-man-made-global-warming-emissions-climate-change > The climate crisis of the 21st century has been caused largely by just > 90 companies, which between them produced nearly two-thirds of the > greenhouse gas emissions generated since the dawning of the industrial > age, new research suggests. > > The companies range from investor-owned firms ? household names such as > Chevron, Exxon and BP ? to state-owned and government-run firms. > > The analysis, which was welcomed by the former vice-president Al Gore as > a "crucial step forward" found that the vast majority of the firms were > in the business of producing oil, gas or coal, found the analysis, which > has been published in the journal Climatic Change. > > "There are thousands of oil, gas and coal producers in the world," > climate researcher and author Richard Heede at the Climate > Accountability Institute in Colorado said. "But the decision makers, the > CEOs, or the ministers of coal and oil if you narrow it down to just one > person, they could all fit on a Greyhound bus or two." > > Half of the estimated emissions were produced just in the past 25 years > ? well past the date when governments and corporations became aware that > rising greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal and oil were > causing dangerous climate change. > > Many of the same companies are also sitting on substantial reserves of > fossil fuel which ? if they are burned ? puts the world at even greater > risk of dangerous climate change. Democrats/Environment: "Saving the Planet Means Overthrowing the Ruling Elites" -- Chris Hedges https://www.truthdig.com/articles/saving-the-planet-means-overthrowing-the-ruling-elites/ > Friday?s climate strike by students across the globe will have no more > impact than the mass mobilizations by women following the election of > Donald Trump or the hundreds of thousands of protesters who took to the > streets to denounce the Iraq War. This does not mean these protests > should not have taken place. They should have. But such demonstrations > need to be grounded in the bitter reality that in the corridors of power > we do not count. If we lived in a democracy, which we do not, our > aspirations, rights and demands, especially the demand that we confront > the climate emergency, would have an impact. We would be able to vote > representatives into power in government to carry out change. We would > be able to demand environmental justice from the courts. We would be > able to divert resources to the elimination of carbon emissions. > > Voting, lobbying, petitioning and protesting to induce the ruling elites > to respond rationally to the climate catastrophe have proved no more > effective than scrofula victims? appeals to Henry VIII to cure them with > a royal touch. The familiar tactics employed over the past few decades > by environmentalists have been spectacular failures. In 1900 the burning > of fossil fuel?mostly coal?produced about 2 billion tons of carbon > dioxide a year. That number had risen threefold by 1950. Today the level > is 20 times higher than the 1900 figure. During the last decade the > increase in CO2 was 100 to 200 times faster than what the earth > experienced during the transition from the last ice age. On May 11 the > Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii recorded 415.26 parts per million of CO2 > in the air. It?s believed to be the highest concentration since humans > evolved. We will embrace a new paradigm for resistance or die. > > The ruling elites and the corporations they serve are the principal > obstacles to change. They cannot be reformed. And this means revolution, > which is what Extinction Rebellion seeks in calling for an > ?international rebellion? on Oct. 7, when it will attempt to shut down > city centers around the globe in acts of sustained, mass civil > disobedience. Power has to be transferred into our hands. And since the > elites won?t give up power willingly, we will have to take it through > nonviolent action. [...] > It does not matter who is the public face of the corporate state. This > is not about political personalities. It was Obama, after all, who > oversaw a coordinated national effort to eradicate the Occupy > encampments and place the water protectors at Standing Rock under siege. > Obama?s environmental policies, despite his lip service to curbing > global warming and his support of the nonbinding Paris climate > accord?which the climate scientist James Hansen called a fraud?were > appalling. U.S. oil production rose every year he was in office, an > increase of 88%. It was the largest domestic increase in oil production > in American history. Obama opened offshore drilling to American oil > companies as if he were Sarah Palin. ?American energy production, you > wouldn?t always know it, but it went up every year I was president,? > Obama told an audience at Rice University last year. ?And you know that > ? suddenly America?s like the biggest oil producer ? that was me, > people.? > > Democrats, like Republicans, serve corporate power. They will not end > government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and the extraction > industries. They will not impose carbon taxes to keep fossil fuels in > the ground. They will not limit overconsumption. The technologies they > invest in?fracking, hybrid cars, genetically modified food?are designed > to maintain or expand consumption levels, not reduce them. They will not > redirect the trillions of dollars and scientific and technical expertise > from the military and corporations toward saving us from environmental > catastrophe. The rhetoric and gimmicks they use to placate the public, > from carbon credits to wind turbines and solar panels, are, as the > scientist James Lovelock says, the equivalent of 18th-century doctors > attempting to cure serious diseases with leeches and mercury. > > The creation of ever more complex bureaucratic and technocratic systems > in an age of diminishing resources is a characteristic of dying > civilizations. Civilizations in their final phase frantically search for > new methods of exploitation rather than adapt to a changing environment. > They repress and exploit the lower classes with greater and greater > ruthlessness to maintain the insatiable appetites among the elites for > power, luxury and hedonism. The worse things get, the more the elites > retreat into their private enclaves. The more out of touch the elites > become, the more catastrophe is assured. This self-defeating process > degrades the ecosystem until catastrophic systems collapse. jbn: I'm reminded of the foolish notion that the Democrats can be 'reformed from within' if we just keep playing along with that non-oppositional party (non-oppositional precisely because it draws its money from the same sources as the only other party Americans are allowed to hear from, the Republicans). Play along and we'll be rewarded with a substantially improved Democratic party. This will never happen. The progress that party makes is marginal at best; the corporate duopoly is not stupid. They know how to shut down serious opposition through media coverage blackouts, co-optation, and getting the public to fear the other corporate party (vote Democrat because the Republicans are so much worse, we're repeatedly told). Fortunately there is evidence that the public doesn't accept this: most registered US voters in 2016 did not vote for the Democrat or Republican candidate, in fact most registered US voters in 2016 did not vote for US President at all. Economics: "US income inequality jumps to highest level ever recorded" https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/income-inequality-reached-highest-level-ever-recorded-in-2018-2019-9-1028559996 > * Income inequality in the US last year reached its highest level in > more than half a century. > > * While the economy has expanded steadily over the past decade, it has > disproportionately benefited some of the wealthiest Americans. > > * In February, Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell said income > inequality would be one of the biggest challenges for the US over the > next decade. [...] > A key measure of wealth distribution jumped to 0.485 in 2018, the Census > Bureau said Thursday, its highest reading since the so-called Gini index > was started in 1967. The gauge, which uses a scale of 0 to 1, stood at > 0.482 a year earlier. > > Alabama, Arkansas, California, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New > Mexico, Texas, and Virginia saw income inequality rise significantly > last year. Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico saw the highest Gini index > readings, while Utah was among the lowest. > > Real median household income rose by 0.8%, to $61,937, in 2018, a > slightly smaller increase than in the three previous years, the Census > Bureau said. The economy has expanded steadily over the past decade, > which has helped to push the unemployment rate to historic lows. > > But a majority of growth has gone to higher-income earners and the > owners of financial instruments, said Timothy Smeeding, a professor at > the University of Wisconsin at Madison who studies poverty and economic > mobility. > > "Wages remain low, there is a lack of childcare for single-parent > families, and so on. Work alone won't solve poverty ? unless wages and > earnings pick up substantially," he said. "It still takes government aid > for families with children and others who do not earn enough, despite > working 40-plus hours a week." War: "Modern soldiers can kill a target on computer, then head home for dinner ? and it's giving them 'moral injury'" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-29/unmanned-combat-drone-pilots-moral-injury-warfare-dissonance/11554058 > Dr. Adam Henschke is an applied ethicist, working on areas that cross > over between ethics, technology and security. He is a senior lecturer at > Australian National University's National Security College. Dr. Adam Henschke wrote: > The recent bombing of Saudi oil facilities by unmanned aerial vehicles > has raised a number of questions about drones. > > But one area that has seen considerable interest already is the problem > of "moral injury" in drone pilots. > > Instead of being shielded from the psychological and emotional impacts > of warfare, drone pilots instead face the risk of "moral injury". > > When drones were first being used for military operations, there was a > sense that these technologies would protect pilots from the harms of > warfare. > > As the vehicles could be remotely piloted, those pilots were no longer > at risk of being shot down. > > The worry was that they would treat conflict like a computer game, and > so would be less likely to adhere to the ethics of conflict. > > However, by the mid-to-late 2000s, drone pilots were showing some > concerning traits. > > The rates of drone pilot burn out were in fact higher than that of > traditional pilots. > > How could that be? Was there something special about being a drone > pilot that caused particular emotional tension or trauma, despite them > conducting their actions remotely from the conflict zone? > > An early idea was that these pilots were suffering some form of > post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). > > However, as more pilots suffered this, people altered their thinking > slightly. > > In sniper's syndrome, a sniper would suffer emotionally from killing > people at a long range from them. > > Given that the target often posed no direct threat to the sniper, there > was a moral dissonance about taking the life of someone who is no direct > threat. This has obvious parallels to drone pilots. > > As more research was conducted on drone pilots, two complementary causal > factors were proposed. > > First, even though the pilot is typically physically distant from the > battle, sometimes in entirely different continents, they are > "informationally close" to their targets. > > A pilot might have a target under surveillance for days or weeks before > they launch their attack. As such, they see their targets and get a > sense of them as a person. > > They will see their targets eating and spending time with family and > friends. Then, after conducting their attack, the drone pilot is often > expected to do a battle damage assessment, to see if the target has been > killed. > > Moreover, such events can produce very importance intelligence on the > target ? for example, who goes to the body? Who takes care of the > burial? How do family members react? > > Couple this with the familiarity that the drone pilot might have > developed through long-term surveillance, and the target becomes an > informationally rich human, rather than simply a blip on a screen. > > Often a pilot is much closer to the target informationally than a > traditional pilot. [ABC.net.au concludes] > Moral injury does not necessarily mean that we should stop using > drones. > > Instead, selection and training of pilots needs to take moral injury > into account. > > Further, there needs to be proper counselling and supports for pilots > following use of lethal force. > > While such pilots might be removed from physical risks, we have a moral > responsibility to ensure not just that drones are used in ways that > adhere to the ethics of warfare, but that the pilots are adequately > supported in their roles. jbn: So fans of drone warfare need not worry: ABC.net.au isn't going to call for an end to warring by drone or seemingly any other means of killing people. Instead we just need better "selection and training of pilots", "proper counselling and supports for pilots" because of our "moral responsibility" to pilots. Perhaps we could pick pilots without consciences and avoid all of the "moral injury" that results from seeing a human being (even remotely) and understanding that murder is wrong (isn't that what we're really talking about with the euphemism "informationally rich human rather than a blip on a screen"?). Despite that the western war powers largely create their own enemies with war actions such as sanctions, bombing, 'boots on the ground' invasions, occupations, and coup attempts, our moral responsibility need not extend to those people on the receiving end of any of these attacks. The Corporate Duopoly/Democrats are a sham: Elizabeth Warren got it right before she got it wrong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqDl6vRX4-E -- Jimmy Dore, Aaron Mat? & co on a recent Elizabeth Warren Q&A regarding Joe Biden's son's corruption. > Questioner: Could you say whether or not under a Warren administration > would your Vice President's child be allowed to serve on a board of a > foreign company? > > Sen. Elizabeth Warren: No. I don't-- I don't know. I mean I'd have to go > back and look at the details. > > Questioner: Do you think that could be a problem-- > > Sen. Elizabeth Warren: I have to go back and look. A response from a Twitter user in https://twitter.com/Karlmarxhd/status/1177210087347281922 > She [Sen. Warren] needs to "go back and look" if the party allows her to > say that or if her answer would be damning for Obama and Biden. Her > instinct was right... having your kid on that board stinks like > corruption. Aaron Mat?'s take on this: > Aaron Mat?: It reminds me of Russiagate where just like Russiagate sort > of forced all Democrats into defending Hillary Clinton and her wing of > the party to people that lost to Donald Trump and enrolled them in > making excuses for them, and enrolled them in this blaming everything on > Russia. Right? The same thing now where we're trying to make Trump's > presidency all about Ukrainegate, and this is the thing that's gonna get > him, it's forcing Democrats into this position where now they're gonna > feel worried about helping Trump if they do something like point out > that, yeah, it's not cool if a vice president's kid gets a lucrative > board seat on a gas company in a country where the vice president also > happens to be running US policy. So it's like these gifts that we keep > providing to Trump's re-election campaign never stop. We're making this > the issue now. And because of that it's forcing people like Warren into > this box where now she has to worry about [that] she doesn't want to > come across as helping Trump, so she has to sound so ridiculous like > that where she can't answer the question, you know? And this is what you > do when you center your resistance in the preferences of the people who > lost to Trump. It underscores just what a disaster it was under > Russiagate and what it could be under Ukrainegate. Free speech: A Christian doctor in the UK lost his job due to his unwillingness to call transgendered people by their chosen pronoun. Now a Birmingham employment tribunal has confirmed that he should have lost his job citing his religious beliefs as being "incompatible with human dignity". https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/10/christian-doctor-lost-job-government-department-refusing-identify/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI_08zLgXj8 -- Dr. David Mackerin is a Christian man who worked for the NHS for 26 years. He was fired after having a discussion with his boss about his unwillingness to address transgendered people by their chosen pronoun. His boss reportedly asked, "How would you address a 6-foot tall man who came into your office and wanted to be called Mrs. or 'she'?". Dr. Mackereth refused and said he wouldn't be able to conform to those requests. Birmingham Employment Tribunal: > A lack of belief in transgenderism and conscientious objection to > transgenderism in our judgment are incompatible with human dignity and > conflict with the fundamental rights of others. [...] in so far as those > beliefs form part of his wider faith, his wider faith also does not > satisfy the requirement of being worthy of respect in a democratic > society. From https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/christian-doctor-fired-gender-pronoun > Dr. David Mackereth, 56, a National Health Service employee, was fired > from his post at the Department for Work and Pensions in July because he > would not use a transgender pronoun, saying he believes "gender is > defined by biology and genetics" and the "Bible teaches us that God made > humans male or female." [...] > "No doctor, or researcher, or philosopher, can demonstrate or prove > that a person can change sex," Mackereth told Fox News. "Without > intellectual and moral integrity, medicine cannot function and my 30 > years as a doctor are now considered irrelevant compared to the risk > that someone else might be offended." > > Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, which represents > Mackereth, said the judge put transgender rights ahead of all others, > ruling a belief in the Bible is on par with Holocaust deniers and > neo-Nazi ideologies. > > ?It is deeply disturbing that this is the first time in the history of > English law that a judge has ruled that free citizens must engage in > compelled speech," Williams said, adding the judge "ruled that > Christianity is not protected by the Equality Act or the ECHR, unless > it is a version of Christianity which recognizes transgenderism and > rejects a belief in Genesis 1:27." Related: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/10/01/stack_exchange_controversy/ -- Stack Exchange (a popular tech-oriented Q&A website) has removed a moderator, Monica Cellio, who (according to Cellio) "will in the future violate a thoughtcrime-style provision of a Code of Conduct change that hasn't been made yet.". At the time Cellio was removed from being a moderator Stack Exchange's code of conduct hadn't changed to require that Stack Exchange users use other people's preferred pronoun. According to Cellio: > In January a mod[erator] asked a discussion question on the mod[erator] > team: should we require that people use preferred pronouns? My answer > said we must not call people what they don't want to be called, but > there are multiple ways to avoid misgendering and we should not require > a specific one. Under some pressure I said I don't use singular they or > words like chairwoman but solve the problem other ways (with examples). Another moderator linked to her response, called her a bigot, and Cellio lost her moderator status on Stack Exchange. Corporate power: Court lets Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) CEOs off the hook for predicted Fukushima failures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfc3T5n4wWQ -- RT report from "Redacted Tonight VIP" (showing again why Redacted Tonight is the best of the news comedy shows) In 2011 the T?hoku earthquake and tsunami started a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. As Wikipedia explains, "The loss-of-coolant accidents led to three nuclear meltdowns, three hydrogen explosions, and the release of radioactive contamination in Units 1, 2 and 3 between 12 and 15 March." Now three former TEPCO executives -- Katsumata, Takekuro, and Muto -- avoided 5-year prison sentences despite that the harm to the plant was foreseen and countermeasures to avoid problems at the plant were not taken because of the "social impact" the public would have experienced while the plant was temporarily shut down in order to set up the protection measures. https://gizmodo.com/former-fukushima-bosses-cleared-of-criminal-negligence-1838293556 > The Tokyo District Court has acquitted three former Tokyo Electric Power > Company executives charged with criminal negligence leading to the 2011 > Fukushima nuclear disaster. [...] > The Associated Press reports that prosecuting attorneys were asking that > each of the three TEPCO executives receive five-year prison sentences, > saying they failed to predict the scale of the tsunami and for failing > to implement the required countermeasures to protect the plant, such as > building a seawall of sufficient height. By failing to do so, > prosecutors argued, the executives were professionally negligent, > leading to the disaster and the required evacuations. Katsumata, > Takekuro, and Muto were also accused of being criminally responsible for > the deaths of 44 elderly patients who had to be evacuated from a nearby > hospital. > > All three men plead not guilty to the charges, contending that the > unusually large size of the tsunami was unforeseeable and that any > protective measures, had they been implemented, would?ve been futile > anyway, according to the Japan Times. The trial, which started in June > 2017, finally ended yesterday with the not guilty verdict. > > In its closing statements, the court said it wasn?t reasonable for the > executives to predict the severity of tsunamis, in stark contradiction > to what the prosecuting attorneys had argued. The Japan Times reports > that the prosecutors presented upsetting evidence suggesting the TEPCO > executives were given the heads-up by scientists three years before the > disaster: > > "A Tepco internal study, based on a 2002 report by a government panel, > concluded that a wave of up to 15.7 meters could hit after a magnitude > 8.3 quake and thus would surpass the 10-meter elevation of the site > where major facilities were located. The findings were reported to Tepco > executives including Muto in June 2008, according to a written statement > from a former Tepco executive. That executive claimed that his boss > abruptly postponed tsunami prevention measures at the Fukushima No. 1 > plant in 2008. The statement was read during a court hearing." The tsunami prevention measures were shelved because they would have had to shut down the plant to set up those prevention measures. https://time.com/5680959/tepco-fukushima-executives-not-guilty-negligence/ > The prosecutors had argued TEPCO could have prevented the disaster had > it stopped the plant to install safety measures ahead of the tsunami. > But the court said the company?s responsibility for supplying > electricity to the public meant that idling the plant would have caused > a ?social impact.? There were around 10,000 evacuees, forced to leave because of the damaged power plant. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster_casualties > As of 27 February 2017, the Fukushima prefecture government counted > 2,129 "disaster-related deaths" in the prefecture.[18][16][19][20] This > value exceeds the number that have died in Fukushima prefecture directly > from the earthquake and tsunami.[21] "Disaster-related deaths" are > deaths attributed to disasters and are not caused by direct physical > trauma, but does not distinguish between people displaced by the nuclear > disaster compared to the earthquake / tsunami. As of year 2016, among > those deaths, 1368 have been listed as "related to the nuclear power > plant" according to media analysis.[22] Reports have pointed out that > many of these deaths may have been caused by the evacuation period being > too long, and that residents could have been allowed to return to their > homes earlier in order to reduce the total related death toll. The Financial Times: > There were 2,202 disaster-related deaths in Fukushima, according to the > [Japanese] government's Reconstruction Agency, from evacuation stress, > interruption to medical care and suicide. Education/Who Benefits: "Colleges got millions from opioid maker owners" --ABC News (Disney) https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/ap-exclusive-colleges-60m-oxycontin-family-66026889 > Prestigious universities around the world have accepted at least $60 > million over the past five years from the family that owns the maker of > OxyContin, even as the company became embroiled in lawsuits related to > the opioid epidemic, financial records show. > > Some of the donations arrived before recent lawsuits blaming Purdue > Pharma for its role in the opioid crisis. But at least nine schools > accepted gifts in 2018 or later, when states and counties across the > country began efforts to hold members of the family accountable for > Purdue?s actions. The largest gifts in that span went to Imperial > College London, the University of Sussex and Yale University. > > Major beneficiaries of Sackler family foundations also included the > University of Oxford in England and Rockefeller, Cornell and Columbia > universities in New York, according to tax and charity records reviewed > by The Associated Press. > > In total, at least two dozen universities have received gifts from the > family since 2013, ranging from $25,000 to more than $10 million, the > records show. [...] > As opioid deaths have mounted, some schools joined with businesses and > museums cutting ties with the family, but none plans to return the > money. One school is redirecting unspent donations. Most schools refused > to say whether they would accept donations in the future. > > Kolodny, who is also director of the group Physicians for Responsible > Opioid Prescribing, said the money, if returned, could be used to help > cities and states harmed by the opioid crisis, which has killed more > than 400,000 people in the U.S. in the past two decades. > > The family?s ties with colleges have come under fire recently from some > students, alumni and politicians. > > Petitions at New York University and Tel Aviv University called on the > schools to strip the Sackler name from research institutes. A 2018 > lawsuit from the Massachusetts attorney general argued that Purdue > Pharma used its influence at Tufts University and other schools to > promote the company?s opioids. > > Tufts, near Boston, said it is reviewing its relationship with Purdue > and declined to answer questions until the review is finished. The > university?s school of graduate biomedical studies was founded with a > Sackler gift in 1980 and carries the family?s name. -J From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Fri Oct 4 18:18:11 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 13:18:11 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations Message-ID: It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. Best regards, David -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Fri Oct 4 20:16:43 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C. G. Estabrook ) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 15:16:43 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I?m sorry I?m away. I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace wrote: > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. > > Best regards, > > David > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From jbw292002 at gmail.com Fri Oct 4 22:29:31 2019 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 17:29:31 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: I?m sorry I?m away. > > I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. > > The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. > Unfortunately the U.S. government has a much stronger bench. :-( > > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly > demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, > incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also > that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to > do so. > > > > Best regards, > > > > David > > _______________________________________________ > > Peace mailing list > > Peace at lists.chambana.net > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From james.manrique at gmail.com Fri Oct 4 22:56:52 2019 From: james.manrique at gmail.com (James M) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 17:56:52 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I'm available tomorrow for the demonstration. I very much like the small effort we do for anti-war, and if y'all are still in, I'm still in. Would it be worth re-inviting a variety of local activists to the November or December rallies? We could try to drum up more digital support as well. Anti-war is still a cause I very much would like to see continued locally, even if it's a small effort. James. On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 5:30 PM John W. via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > I?m sorry I?m away. >> >> I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. >> >> The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. >> > > Unfortunately the U.S. government has a much stronger bench. :-( > > > > >> > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace < >> peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: >> > >> > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly >> demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, >> incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also >> that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to >> do so. >> > >> > Best regards, >> > >> > David >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Peace mailing list >> > Peace at lists.chambana.net >> > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Fri Oct 4 23:35:45 2019 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 18:35:45 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <5ede559b-f584-595c-c869-5ce745a96bd8@gmail.com> They do.?? But our monthly demonstrations have never been focused lobbying sessions.?? I'm willing to keep doing them, including tomorrow, if someone with a car can transport signs.?? I might want to leave a little before 4, if so. On 10/4/19 5:29 PM, John W. via Peace-discuss wrote: > On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace > > wrote: > > I?m sorry I?m away. > > I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. > > The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. > > > Unfortunately the U.S. government has a much stronger bench.? :-( > > > ? > > > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace > > wrote: > > > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least > monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to > attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of > absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow > or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. > > > > Best regards, > > > > David > > _______________________________________________ > > Peace mailing list > > Peace at lists.chambana.net > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sat Oct 5 00:09:39 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 19:09:39 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: <5ede559b-f584-595c-c869-5ce745a96bd8@gmail.com> References: <5ede559b-f584-595c-c869-5ce745a96bd8@gmail.com> Message-ID: <07C3C426-8581-484E-BAA3-A0C7715357C0@gmail.com> David of course has an ancient namesake. Happy new year. > On Oct 4, 2019, at 6:35 PM, Stuart Levy wrote: > > They do. But our monthly demonstrations have never been focused lobbying sessions. > > I'm willing to keep doing them, including tomorrow, if someone with a car can transport signs. I might want to leave a little before 4, if so. > > On 10/4/19 5:29 PM, John W. via Peace-discuss wrote: >> On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> I?m sorry I?m away. >> >> I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. >> >> The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. >> >> Unfortunately the U.S. government has a much stronger bench. :-( >> >> >> >> > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace wrote: >> > >> > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. >> > >> > Best regards, >> > >> > David >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Peace mailing list >> > Peace at lists.chambana.net >> > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace-discuss mailing list >> >> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sat Oct 5 01:02:29 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2019 20:02:29 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <450F3E33-7416-42A9-8423-A749B3B4D8EB@gmail.com> I think James is quite right. There a number of groups around town who claim to be anti-war, often in connection with other causes. We should invite them to join our autumnal memento mori. Our great political problem is American war-making. > On Oct 4, 2019, at 5:56 PM, James M wrote: > > I'm available tomorrow for the demonstration. I very much like the small effort we do for anti-war, and if y'all are still in, I'm still in. > > Would it be worth re-inviting a variety of local activists to the November or December rallies? We could try to drum up more digital support as well. > > Anti-war is still a cause I very much would like to see continued locally, even if it's a small effort. > > James. > > > > > On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 5:30 PM John W. via Peace-discuss wrote: > On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > I?m sorry I?m away. > > I think it?s a tradition worth maintaining. > > The US government will maintain its tradition of war-making. > > Unfortunately the U.S. government has a much stronger bench. :-( > > > > > On Oct 4, 2019, at 1:18 PM, David Green via Peace wrote: > > > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. > > > > Best regards, > > > > David > > _______________________________________________ > > Peace mailing list > > Peace at lists.chambana.net > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sat Oct 5 14:04:58 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2019 09:04:58 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Labor Hour cancelled today Sat. Oct. 5th Message-ID: <001001d57b85$dfc23050$9f4690f0$@comcast.net> World Labor Hour cancelled today ( Oct. 5th ). Tune in next week Saturday Oct. 12th when Anthony and Joe from CHIAMPA Weed Radio, who re-broadcast the World Labor Hour three times a week on their internet radio network, will join us live in the studio. David Johnson -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moboct1 at aim.com Sat Oct 5 18:37:14 2019 From: moboct1 at aim.com (Mildred O'brien) Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2019 18:37:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Before catching the bus to downtown Champaign for the monthly anti-war demo I checked P-D one last time to see if there would be any others to join for perhaps for the last time before cold weather ensues.? Finding no indication of anyone else, I have decided to cancel my plans this afternoon rather than spend another hour in transit for nothing.? ?Last month only Doug, David, (James and I with no signs)?showed up, so?I decided?not to make the?trip to Champaign this afternoon.? I sincerely hope Doug?has been notified.??It was a noble effort if futile, since 2003.? But?the wars continue... Midge??? -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss To: Peace-discuss ; peace Sent: Fri, Oct 4, 2019 1:19 pm Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. Best regards, David_______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Oct 5 20:33:38 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2019 20:33:38 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: David: I?ve done what I could to support and grow AWARE these past seven years, but sorry to say I see no growth or success in our efforts to enlighten the Champaign community. I know there are those who appreciate seeing us there so I?m not suggesting we give up completely, doing what we can to oppose US continuing wars, so I will still plan to attend from time to time. Midge: I knew you planned to be there, so I headed over after completing a couple errands, but by the time I arrived my asthma was so bad I headed home. A beautiful, cool day, but the humidity must be high because my breathing has been bad for a couple days now. On Oct 5, 2019, at 11:37, Mildred O'brien via Peace > wrote: Before catching the bus to downtown Champaign for the monthly anti-war demo I checked P-D one last time to see if there would be any others to join for perhaps for the last time before cold weather ensues. Finding no indication of anyone else, I have decided to cancel my plans this afternoon rather than spend another hour in transit for nothing. Last month only Doug, David, (James and I with no signs) showed up, so I decided not to make the trip to Champaign this afternoon. I sincerely hope Doug has been notified. It was a noble effort if futile, since 2003. But the wars continue... Midge -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss > To: Peace-discuss >; peace > Sent: Fri, Oct 4, 2019 1:19 pm Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. Best regards, David _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Sat Oct 5 21:11:54 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2019 17:11:54 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Age and attrition cometh for us all. But here's a proposal for how to skirt the problem of the cold weather: have the monthly "demonstration" indoors for the winter months. Here's an idea for how to do that. There are three local government bodies that meet regularly in the winter months, allow public participation before each meeting, and televise their proceedings: the Urbana City Council, the Champaign City Council, and the Champaign County Board. During the assigned time for public participation, you can say whatever the hell you want, within the assigned time limit. It doesn't have to concern business before the body that evening. So, my proposal is, instead of standing on the street corner, go to the public participation and speak up for peace. Going once to each body would take care of three months. I don't remember exactly how they do it in Champaign or at the County, but a nice thing about the way they do it in Urbana is that you fill out a slip, say why you're there, and say that you want to speak or you don't want to speak. So, for example, one person or two people who felt called to speak could speak, and the other people could say on their slip, "here in support of peace, don't need to speak." That would be kind of like a demonstration, only it wouldn't be cold, and you would be televised. And also, you can leave if you want as soon as public participation is over, so it takes less time. And you don't need to bring any signs. - Robert Naiman PS. We might be winning soon on ending US participation in the Saudi war in Yemen on the bill that funds the Pentagon. So peace activism is happening. On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 2:19 PM David Green via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly > demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, > incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also > that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to > do so. > > Best regards, > > David > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 6 14:01:07 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C. G. Estabrook ) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 09:01:07 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Midge? I assume we?ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition > On Oct 5, 2019, at 1:37 PM, Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss wrote: > > Before catching the bus to downtown Champaign for the monthly anti-war demo I checked P-D one last time to see if there would be any others to join for perhaps for the last time before cold weather ensues. Finding no indication of anyone else, I have decided to cancel my plans this afternoon rather than spend another hour in transit for nothing. Last month only Doug, David, (James and I with no signs) showed up, so I decided not to make the trip to Champaign this afternoon. I sincerely hope Doug has been notified. It was a noble effort if futile, since 2003. But the wars continue... > > Midge > > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Green via Peace-discuss > To: Peace-discuss ; peace > Sent: Fri, Oct 4, 2019 1:19 pm > Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. > > Best regards, > > David > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From james.manrique at gmail.com Sun Oct 6 15:58:17 2019 From: james.manrique at gmail.com (James M) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 10:58:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: A press release is a good idea. I was also going to write a Letter To The Editor for the NG to try and recruit some support. I also spoke with Stuart yesterday, and I think I want to try and wrangle up & recruit some of the local activists I know to join us. As part of that, I am currently looking into possibly scheduling a Sign Making Party before the next demonstration. Karen, I really appreciate all the effort you've put into the local anti-war scene. What were some of the bigger challenges you faced with getting folks to participate? Did they come to one demonstration but not others? Or was it difficult to get them to even join one? It's frustrating that there are so many "progressives" in this town, but so little support for these anti-war demonstrations. But I'd still like to try and help shift things. James. On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > Midge? > > I assume we?ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to > be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good > tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition > > On Oct 5, 2019, at 1:37 PM, Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss < > peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > Before catching the bus to downtown Champaign for the monthly anti-war > demo I checked P-D one last time to see if there would be any others to > join for perhaps for the last time before cold weather ensues. Finding no > indication of anyone else, I have decided to cancel my plans this afternoon > rather than spend another hour in transit for nothing. Last month only > Doug, David, (James and I with no signs) showed up, so I decided not to > make the trip to Champaign this afternoon. I sincerely hope Doug has been > notified. It was a noble effort if futile, since 2003. But the wars > continue... > > Midge > > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Green via Peace-discuss > To: Peace-discuss ; peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> > Sent: Fri, Oct 4, 2019 1:19 pm > Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations > > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly > demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, > incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also > that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to > do so. > > Best regards, > > David > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From baldwinricky at yahoo.com Sun Oct 6 17:43:12 2019 From: baldwinricky at yahoo.com (Ricky Baldwin) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 17:43:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1694782565.2806194.1570383792856@mail.yahoo.com> Actually it began in 2001, I believe, though I had not moved here yet. I can vouch for demonstrations on North Prospect in early 2002, only 2-4 people at times but growing to well over 300 every Saturday just before the invasion of Iraq and continuing until the move to downtown Champaign. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 10:59 AM, James M via Peace wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled URL: From baldwinricky at yahoo.com Sun Oct 6 17:44:40 2019 From: baldwinricky at yahoo.com (Ricky Baldwin) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 17:44:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1851098311.2807242.1570383880677@mail.yahoo.com> End of an era.? I will mourn, though I haven't been in a while. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled URL: From baldwinricky at yahoo.com Sun Oct 6 17:44:40 2019 From: baldwinricky at yahoo.com (Ricky Baldwin) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 17:44:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1851098311.2807242.1570383880677@mail.yahoo.com> End of an era.? I will mourn, though I haven't been in a while. Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss wrote: _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 6 17:57:15 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 17:57:15 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: James, In answer to your question. No I don?t recall in seven years any new people showing up for the AWARE anti-war demo. other than you and Midge, and both of you stayed active. Midge is one of those who was an activist opposing war previous to my time in Champaign. I was able to get AWARE folks to join up with the PSL, Party for Socialism and Liberation when they were doing their anti-war demonstrations/protests, and they though new, have been growing, but most of them either work on Saturdays or are students with many activities related to war, oppression and the root cause, capitalism. The problem as I understand it, is most people are Democrats, and the war issue died when Obama was elected, so now these people have taken up immigration concerns, the immigrants from the south. There doesn?t appear to be any concern over the thousands upon thousands of immigrants flooding Europe from US war and interventions, with 6,000 deaths by drowning in six years according to UN statistics. Liberal Democrats tend not to mention the interventions in Latin American nations by the US which is primarily responsible for the immigrants from those nations, the root cause for people leaving their homes and risking death to seek asylum in a nation that imprisons them. They focus on elections and getting rid of Trump as if that will change anything. There maybe other reasons people aren?t interested in participating in demonstrations opposing war, but that is what I see. Climate change is an issue deserving concern and action. Extinction Rebellion is doing just that, in the way which is necessary, I?m told they are here in Champaign, but have not been able to make contact with them. A joining of forces would be of value. History has proven the only thing effective is mass movements in the streets, but until the people unite, they become just a few here and there which is of little notice. It?s nice of you to do new signs but AWARE has an over abundance of signs already. Stuart has at least two full large garbage bags, and David Green has those we used at the market. I donated the few I have to AWARE over the past couple months. It?s important to have signs, but when too many it becomes problematic transporting. Good luck on the press release, with Sinclair owning most media in town. Many of us write letters to the Editors of the NG, but no support has been forthcoming, though we don?t advertise AWARE, so its not a bad idea. James, don?t let me discourage you, just understand why some of us no longer see the point in repeating the same actions over and over with little change, you?re young and tapped into the liberal community so maybe you can do that which we can?t. On Oct 6, 2019, at 08:58, James M via Peace > wrote: A press release is a good idea. I was also going to write a Letter To The Editor for the NG to try and recruit some support. I also spoke with Stuart yesterday, and I think I want to try and wrangle up & recruit some of the local activists I know to join us. As part of that, I am currently looking into possibly scheduling a Sign Making Party before the next demonstration. Karen, I really appreciate all the effort you've put into the local anti-war scene. What were some of the bigger challenges you faced with getting folks to participate? Did they come to one demonstration but not others? Or was it difficult to get them to even join one? It's frustrating that there are so many "progressives" in this town, but so little support for these anti-war demonstrations. But I'd still like to try and help shift things. James. On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss > wrote: Midge? I assume we?ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition On Oct 5, 2019, at 1:37 PM, Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss > wrote: Before catching the bus to downtown Champaign for the monthly anti-war demo I checked P-D one last time to see if there would be any others to join for perhaps for the last time before cold weather ensues. Finding no indication of anyone else, I have decided to cancel my plans this afternoon rather than spend another hour in transit for nothing. Last month only Doug, David, (James and I with no signs) showed up, so I decided not to make the trip to Champaign this afternoon. I sincerely hope Doug has been notified. It was a noble effort if futile, since 2003. But the wars continue... Midge -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss > To: Peace-discuss >; peace > Sent: Fri, Oct 4, 2019 1:19 pm Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. Best regards, David _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 6 19:13:07 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 19:13:07 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Extinction Rebellion interview by Chris Hedges, tomorrow is the big day across continents Message-ID: https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/470301-climate-emergency-extinction-rebellion/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbw292002 at gmail.com Sun Oct 6 19:50:22 2019 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 14:50:22 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: <1694782565.2806194.1570383792856@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> <1694782565.2806194.1570383792856@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 12:43 PM Ricky Baldwin via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: Actually it began in 2001, I believe, though I had not moved here yet. I > can vouch for demonstrations on North Prospect in early 2002, only 2-4 > people at times but growing to well over 300 every Saturday just before the > invasion of Iraq and continuing until the move to downtown Champaign. > I can't find my old issues of the public i any more, but I did find the MS Word file for the article I wrote for the November 2011 issue, which see attached if you're interested. The precursor of AWARE was Ladies Against War, started by Susan Parenti right after 9/11. Here's a brief excerpt from the article: ********** Susan Parenti, an artist and teacher at the School for Designing a Society, conceived the original idea for the Ladies Against War in the aftermath of September 11. A longtime student of language and its relationship to politics, Parenti observed with trepidation the media response to the events of that day. She saw clearly that the US media?s extensive use of emotion-laden language - what she calls the ?pirating of grief? - in framing the issue as an ?Attack on America? would contribute to a rapid militarization. In those first days Parenti visualized ?the slow movement of a bully who has just been tapped on the shoulder?. When she and some of her friends made small ?No War? banners which they pinned to their clothing, Parenti?s ?inner American? was frightened as she observed the glares of her fellow citizens in response. Within a week, Parenti had organized a small group of women who resolved to make themselves available publicly as a ?Red Cross station for those who were suffering from propaganda?. Initially the Ladies Against War stood quietly outside the Urbana Post Office during the lunch hour each day, dressed nicely and displaying anti-war signs and banners...... ********** -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: LADDIES2.RTF Type: application/octet-stream Size: 17950 bytes Desc: not available URL: From jbw292002 at gmail.com Sun Oct 6 20:00:52 2019 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 15:00:52 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 12:57 PM Karen Aram via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: James, > > In answer to your question. No I don?t recall in seven years any * new* > people showing up for the AWARE anti-war demo. other than you and Midge, > and both of you stayed active. Midge is one of those who was an activist > opposing war previous to my time in Champaign. > > I was able to get AWARE folks to join up with the PSL, Party for Socialism > and Liberation when they were doing their anti-war demonstrations/protests, > and they though new, have been growing, but most of them either work on > Saturdays or are students with many activities related to war, oppression > and the root cause, capitalism. > > The problem as I understand it, is most people are Democrats, and the war > issue died when Obama was elected, so now these people have taken up > immigration concerns, the immigrants from the south. There doesn?t appear > to be any concern over the thousands upon thousands of immigrants flooding > Europe from US war and interventions, with 6,000 deaths by drowning in six > years according to UN statistics. > > Liberal Democrats tend not to mention the interventions in Latin American > nations by the US which is primarily responsible for the immigrants from > those nations, the root cause for people leaving their homes and risking > death to seek asylum in a nation that imprisons them. They focus on > elections and getting rid of Trump as if that will change anything. > > There maybe other reasons people aren?t interested in participating in > demonstrations opposing war, but that is what I see. > Speaking only for myself, I quit participating for several reasons. Advancing age and infirmity was one. But more to the point of the general discussion, a demonstration, to be even remotely successful, needs to have a specific focus. If the public is, or can be persuaded to be, against a very specific intervention, such as the war in Viet Nam or the one in Iraq, it's possible that protest in the streets may eventually turn the tide. But to protest war in general, or American foreign policy in general, or capitalism, with no focus? You're beating your head against a very, very, very huge stone wall, and not giving the general public any focus for whatever efforts it may be willing to expend. War and human greed have been with us since the dawn of human existence, and you'd better have a pretty detailed plan if you intend to change THAT. > Climate change is an issue deserving concern and action. Extinction > Rebellion is doing just that, in the way which is necessary, I?m told they > are here in Champaign, but have not been able to make contact with them. A > joining of forces would be of value. History has proven the only thing > effective is mass movements in the streets, but until the people unite, > they become just a few here and there which is of little notice. > > It?s nice of you to do new signs but AWARE has an over abundance of signs > already. Stuart has at least two full large garbage bags, and David Green > has those we used at the market. I donated the few I have to AWARE over the > past couple months. It?s important to have signs, but when too many it > becomes problematic transporting. > > Good luck on the press release, with Sinclair owning most media in town. > Many of us write letters to the Editors of the NG, but no support has been > forthcoming, though we don?t advertise AWARE, so its not a bad idea. > > James, don?t let me discourage you, just understand why some of us no > longer see the point in repeating the same actions over and over with > little change, you?re young and tapped into the liberal community so maybe > you can do that which we can?t. > > > > > > > > > > On Oct 6, 2019, at 08:58, James M via Peace > wrote: > > A press release is a good idea. I was also going to write a Letter To The > Editor for the NG to try and recruit some support. > > I also spoke with Stuart yesterday, and I think I want to try and wrangle > up & recruit some of the local activists I know to join us. As part of > that, I am currently looking into possibly scheduling a Sign Making Party > before the next demonstration. > > Karen, I really appreciate all the effort you've put into the local > anti-war scene. What were some of the bigger challenges you faced with > getting folks to participate? Did they come to one demonstration but not > others? Or was it difficult to get them to even join one? > > It's frustrating that there are so many "progressives" in this town, but > so little support for these anti-war demonstrations. But I'd still like to > try and help shift things. > > > James. > > On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss < > peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > >> Midge? >> >> I assume we?ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to >> be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good >> tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition. >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 6 20:20:55 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 20:20:55 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: <1983000264.4182617.1570300634346@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: John Please in future, please just respond at the beginning, clarifying that its you making the statement. In reading the below it gives the impression that I said what you did, as you interspersed it with mine. I have placed it in red, to ensure no one thinks I said what you just did. On Oct 6, 2019, at 13:00, John W. > wrote: On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 12:57 PM Karen Aram via Peace > wrote: James, In answer to your question. No I don?t recall in seven years any new people showing up for the AWARE anti-war demo. other than you and Midge, and both of you stayed active. Midge is one of those who was an activist opposing war previous to my time in Champaign. I was able to get AWARE folks to join up with the PSL, Party for Socialism and Liberation when they were doing their anti-war demonstrations/protests, and they though new, have been growing, but most of them either work on Saturdays or are students with many activities related to war, oppression and the root cause, capitalism. The problem as I understand it, is most people are Democrats, and the war issue died when Obama was elected, so now these people have taken up immigration concerns, the immigrants from the south. There doesn?t appear to be any concern over the thousands upon thousands of immigrants flooding Europe from US war and interventions, with 6,000 deaths by drowning in six years according to UN statistics. Liberal Democrats tend not to mention the interventions in Latin American nations by the US which is primarily responsible for the immigrants from those nations, the root cause for people leaving their homes and risking death to seek asylum in a nation that imprisons them. They focus on elections and getting rid of Trump as if that will change anything. There maybe other reasons people aren?t interested in participating in demonstrations opposing war, but that is what I see. John Wason: Speaking only for myself, I quit participating for several reasons. Advancing age and infirmity was one. But more to the point of the general discussion, a demonstration, to be even remotely successful, needs to have a specific focus. If the public is, or can be persuaded to be, against a very specific intervention, such as the war in Viet Nam or the one in Iraq, it's possible that protest in the streets may eventually turn the tide. But to protest war in general, or American foreign policy in general, or capitalism, with no focus? You're beating your head against a very, very, very huge stone wall, and not giving the general public any focus for whatever efforts it may be willing to expend. War and human greed have been with us since the dawn of human existence, and you'd better have a pretty detailed plan if you intend to change THAT. Climate change is an issue deserving concern and action. Extinction Rebellion is doing just that, in the way which is necessary, I?m told they are here in Champaign, but have not been able to make contact with them. A joining of forces would be of value. History has proven the only thing effective is mass movements in the streets, but until the people unite, they become just a few here and there which is of little notice. It?s nice of you to do new signs but AWARE has an over abundance of signs already. Stuart has at least two full large garbage bags, and David Green has those we used at the market. I donated the few I have to AWARE over the past couple months. It?s important to have signs, but when too many it becomes problematic transporting. Good luck on the press release, with Sinclair owning most media in town. Many of us write letters to the Editors of the NG, but no support has been forthcoming, though we don?t advertise AWARE, so its not a bad idea. James, don?t let me discourage you, just understand why some of us no longer see the point in repeating the same actions over and over with little change, you?re young and tapped into the liberal community so maybe you can do that which we can?t. On Oct 6, 2019, at 08:58, James M via Peace > wrote: A press release is a good idea. I was also going to write a Letter To The Editor for the NG to try and recruit some support. I also spoke with Stuart yesterday, and I think I want to try and wrangle up & recruit some of the local activists I know to join us. As part of that, I am currently looking into possibly scheduling a Sign Making Party before the next demonstration. Karen, I really appreciate all the effort you've put into the local anti-war scene. What were some of the bigger challenges you faced with getting folks to participate? Did they come to one demonstration but not others? Or was it difficult to get them to even join one? It's frustrating that there are so many "progressives" in this town, but so little support for these anti-war demonstrations. But I'd still like to try and help shift things. James. On Sun, Oct 6, 2019 at 9:01 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss > wrote: Midge? I assume we?ll demonstrate the first Saturday in November, and I plan to be in town and can drive you there & back if you want. Ithink its a good tradition to keep up. We should try a press release on our long tradition. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From brussel at illinois.edu Sun Oct 6 22:50:45 2019 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 22:50:45 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?Protests_and_rebellion=E2=80=A6?= Message-ID: My conclusion is that if people do not feel threatened, hence vitally concerned, it will be difficult to mobilize formidable masses against our wars, militarism, economic system, fossil fuel interests and ecocides, especially when a smothering media and government propaganda are opposed. The ?Extinct" rebellion (a la Greta Thunberg) movement is promising, because it is especially the youth who understand the urgency to do something revolutionary, now. Getting ?government? as now constituted, to act as science indicates is necessary, is highly unlikely. For example, getting police (and other instruments of state power) to support or even tolerate a militant protest movement is problematic, since their jobs and financial incentives are what keep them loyal to state repression. Yet, who can know for sure what may happen?minorities sometimes win the day?and therefore ways to uproot the present system are worth encouragement and active support. ?Optimism of the heart? I?m too ancient (decrepit?) now to attend most protests, but I too mourn the fact that such public protests as existed from the early 2000?s (related to mideast wars) have languished here. ?mkb -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 6 23:46:27 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2019 18:46:27 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE monthly demonstrations In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9B6962BD-F365-4418-9D4B-4FA923953776@gmail.com> I think Bob?s on to something here. A group address by AWARE to our elected representatives will point up the fact that the wars we've objected to for 20 years are not isolated events but the result of conscious, calculated and continuous US government policies. They do not depend on the vagaries of any of the US presidents of the last 20 years - they would have occurred even if their opponents had been elected. These criminal wars - in the interest of the US 1% - can be defeated only by arousing the native anti-war and isolationist sentiments of the US public, who are consistently misled by the corporate media. So Bob?s suggestion of a public informational campaign, using the organs of local government, has merit. We should plan for it. ?CGE > On Oct 5, 2019, at 4:11 PM, Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss wrote: > > > Age and attrition cometh for us all. > > But here's a proposal for how to skirt the problem of the cold weather: have the monthly "demonstration" indoors for the winter months. > > Here's an idea for how to do that. > > There are three local government bodies that meet regularly in the winter months, allow public participation before each meeting, and televise their proceedings: the Urbana City Council, the Champaign City Council, and the Champaign County Board. During the assigned time for public participation, you can say whatever the hell you want, within the assigned time limit. It doesn't have to concern business before the body that evening. > > So, my proposal is, instead of standing on the street corner, go to the public participation and speak up for peace. Going once to each body would take care of three months. > > I don't remember exactly how they do it in Champaign or at the County, but a nice thing about the way they do it in Urbana is that you fill out a slip, say why you're there, and say that you want to speak or you don't want to speak. So, for example, one person or two people who felt called to speak could speak, and the other people could say on their slip, "here in support of peace, don't need to speak." That would be kind of like a demonstration, only it wouldn't be cold, and you would be televised. And also, you can leave if you want as soon as public participation is over, so it takes less time. And you don't need to bring any signs. > > - Robert Naiman > > PS. We might be winning soon on ending US participation in the Saudi war in Yemen on the bill that funds the Pentagon. So peace activism is happening. > > On Fri, Oct 4, 2019 at 2:19 PM David Green via Peace-discuss wrote: > It would appear to me that our 18-year tradition of at least monthly demonstrations is no longer viable or tenable, due to attrition, age, incipient cold weather, and other causes of absence. My concern is also that Doug not be left alone tomorrow or in the future, unless he chooses to do so. > > Best regards, > > David > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From jbn at forestfield.org Tue Oct 8 23:03:37 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2019 18:03:37 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE on the Air #495 notes Message-ID: AWARE on the Air #495 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMPM9UP-d_I A list of links to items referenced on the show. C. J. Hopkins on "Trumpenstein Must Be Destroyed!" https://off-guardian.org/2019/10/05/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/cj-hopkins-trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed https://dissidentvoice.org/2019/10/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ https://libertarianhub.com/2019/10/04/cj-hopkins-trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ https://www.opednews.com/articles/Trumpenstein-Must-Be-Destr-by-CJ-Hopkins-Impeachment_PsyOps_Trump-191008-338.html https://wearechangetv.us/2019/10/cj-hopkins-trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ Caitlin Johnstone on "Wealth Identity Politics: Billionaires Acting Like A Persecuted Minority Is Peak Capitalism" https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/wealth-identity-politics-billionaires-acting-like-a-persecuted-minority-is-peak-capitalism-5872cde64dfb https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/10/04/wealth-identity-politics-billionaires-acting-like-a-persecuted-minority-is-peak-capitalism/ https://newlevellers.blogspot.com/2019/10/wealth-identity-politics-billionaires.html https://www.theburningplatform.com/2019/10/03/wealth-identity-politics-billionaires-acting-like-a-persecuted-minority-is-peak-capitalism/ https://osociety.org/2019/10/06/wealth-identity-politics-billionaires-acting-like-a-persecuted-minority-is-peak-capitalism/ Kathy Kelly on "The Wounds of War in Afghanistan" https://progressive.org/dispatches/when-will-the-war-cease-kelly-190927/ http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/28240 Rep. Tulsi Gabbard interview reflecting her views on drone warfare https://theintercept.com/2018/01/17/intercepted-podcast-white-mirror/ Heather Linebaugh on "I worked on the US drone program. The public should know what really goes on" in what amounts to a response although it was given years earlier than Rep. Gabbard's interview https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/29/drones-us-military Sophie & Co. interview with Lt. Col. Bruce Black https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVNN_Je7RgM -J From jbn at forestfield.org Thu Oct 10 05:44:14 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 00:44:14 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Notes Message-ID: <0121e4b3-e1e0-749c-445e-4ac46706e42e@forestfield.org> Here are some topics for you to consider discussing. Have a good show guys, looking forward to seeing the next show. Skripal affair: "Trump told Theresa May he doubted Russia was behind Skripal poisoning" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/05/trump-told-theresa-may-he-doubted-russia-was-behind-skripal-poisoning -- Russiagate takes another drubbing as the Skripal story looks like it is losing advocates. > Donald Trump disputed that Russia was behind the attempted murder of a > former Russian spy in a tense call with Theresa May, it has emerged. > > Despite the widespread conclusion that Vladimir Putin?s regime was > behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia last year, > the US president is said to have spent 10 minutes expressing his doubts > about Russian involvement. > > According to the Washington Post, Trump ?harangued? May about Britain?s > contribution to Nato in a phone call with Britain?s then prime minister > in the summer of last year, before disputing Russian involvement in the > Skripal case. > > ?Trump totally bought into the idea there was credible doubt about the > poisoning,? said a figure briefed on the call. ?A solid 10 minutes of > the conversation is spent with May saying it?s highly likely and him > saying he?s not sure.? > > The Skripals were left fighting for their lives after the novichok > attack in Salisbury, while a policeman was also left seriously ill. A > second policeman was recently discovered to have been injured in the > attack. > > Two Russian agents, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were > identified as the likely culprits. However, they later appeared on > Russia?s state-funded TV station RT, claiming they visited the > ?wonderful? English city as tourists to see its cathedral. > > Trump has been pursued over his relationship with Russia ever since > allegations emerged that the country colluded with the Trump > presidential campaign in 2016. The Robert Mueller report, which examined > the claims, concluded Russia had been attempting to swing the > presidential election in favour of Trump, but did not say whether there > had been collusion. jbn: The Guardian gets some information wrong here -- saying the Mueller Report "did not say whether there had been collusion" is not correct, the Mueller Report didn't prove there was collusion and it was that report's job to do so in order to bolster the long-held and widely-repeated baseless claim of Russian collusion (hello Rachel Maddow, chief Russiagator who now blames Russia for Ukrainegate -- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBLXZHTljTM for more!). As the Mueller Report publication neared it was increasingly clear that no such collusion proof would come (as information about it would have leaked) and indeed the entirety of Russiagate fell apart as investigative journalists (such as Glenn Greenwald, Aaron Mat?, and others) made a greater name for themselves debunking Russiagate. This take on the story is also compatible with what Seymour Hersh told Afshin Rattansi on Rattansi's program "Going Underground" in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJgTiP6WBss -- the Skripal poisoning was not a Russian state operation despite that it involved some Russians: > Seymour Hersh: Those two [Mishkin & Chepiga said to be using the names > "Alexander Petrov" and "Ruslan Boshirov"] were helping the British > intelligence services with information about the Russian mafia. That's > what they were doing here [in the UK]. In other words, the people that > were high on the list of people who would want to hurt him [Sergey > Skripal] would be the Russian mafia. Russians, but not the Russian > government. > > Afshin Rattansi, RT host: Do you mean the Skripals? > > Seymour Hersh: Yeah, I mean that was the understanding. There was also > some reporting out of Europe about that that's been pretty much > widespread. Assange: Spying footage turns up showing Assange meeting with his guests inside the Ecuadorian embassy https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/09/25/inenglish/1569384196_652151.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMnVput4sS8 -- A Spanish firm has given the CIA years of footage of Assange's visitors From El Pais: > Undercover Global S. L., the Spanish defense and private security > company that was charged with protecting the Ecuadorian embassy in > London during the long stay there of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, > spied on the cyberactivist for the US intelligence service. That?s > according to statements and documents to which EL PA?S have had access. > David Morales, the owner of the company, supposedly handed over audio > and video to the CIA of the meetings Assange held with his lawyers and > collaborators. Morales is being investigated for this activity by > Spain?s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional. > > The judicial investigation into the director of UC Global S. L. and the > activities of his company were ordered by a judge named Jos? de la Mata, > and they began weeks after EL PA?S published videos, audios and reports > that show how the company spied on the meetings that the cyberactivist > held in the embassy. > > The secret probe is the consequence of a criminal complaint filed by > Assange himself, in which he accuses Morales and the company of the > alleged offenses involving violations of his privacy and the secrecy of > his client-attorney privileges, as well as misappropriation, bribery and > money laundering. The director of UC Global S. L. has not responded to > calls from this newspaper in order to confirm his version of events. > > Morales, a former member of the military who is on leave of absence, > stated both verbally and in writing to a number of his employees that, > despite having been hired by the government of then-Ecuadorian President > Rafael Correa, he also worked ?for the Americans,? to whom he allegedly > sent documents, videos and audios of the meetings that the Australian > activist held in the embassy. ?We are playing in another league. This is > the first division,? he told his closest colleagues after attending a > security fair in the US city of Las Vegas in 2015 where he supposedly > made his first American contacts. > > Despite the fact that the Spanish firm ? which is headquartered in the > southern city of Jerez de la Frontera ? was hired by Senain, the > Ecuadorian intelligence services, Morales called on his employees > several times to keep his relationship with the US intelligence services > a secret. > > The owner of UC Global S. L. ordered a meeting between the head of the > Ecuadorian secret service, Rommy Vallejo, and Assange to be spied on, at > a time when they were planning the exit of Assange from the Ecuadorian > embassy using a diplomatic passport in order to take him to another > country. This initiative was eventually rejected by Assange on the basis > that he considered it to be ?a defeat,? that would fuel conspiracy > theories, according to sources close to the company consulted by this > newspaper. > > The meeting took place on December 21, 2017 in the meeting room of the > diplomatic building and was recorded both on video and audio by cameras > installed by Morales? employees. A small number of people, among whom > were the Australian?s lawyers, were aware of the plan. Hours after the > meeting, the US ambassador informed the Ecuadorian authorities about the > plan, and the next day, December 22, the US put out an international > arrest warrant for Assange. > > ?It is absurd to spy on who has hired you if you are not going to hand > that material over to another country,? said a source close to UC > Global S. L. This newspaper has had access to the video and the audio of > the aforementioned meeting. > > After the installation of new video cameras at the beginning of > December 2017, Morales requested that his technicians install an > external streaming access point in the same area so that all of the > recordings could be accessed instantly by the United States. To do this, > he requested three channels for access: ?one for Ecuador, another for > us and another for X,? according to mails sent at the time to his > colleagues. When one of the technicians asked to contact ?the > Americans? to explain the way that they should access some of the spying > systems installed in the embassy, Morales would always be evasive with > his answers. > > Morales ordered his workers to install microphones in the embassy?s fire > extinguishers and also in the women?s bathroom, where Assange?s lawyers, > including the Spaniard Aitor Mart?nez and his closest collaborators, > would meet for fear of being spied on. The cyberactivist?s meetings with > his lawyers, Melynda Taylor, Jennifer Robinson and Baltasar Garz?n, were > also monitored. > > The UC Global S. L. team was also ordered by its boss to install > stickers that prevented the windows of the rooms that the WikiLeaks > founder used from vibrating, allegedly to make it easier for the CIA to > record conversations with their laser microphones. They also took a used > diaper that from a baby that was on occasions taken to visit the > activist in order to determine if the child was his by a close > collaborator. jbn: This footage includes Assange meeting with his attorneys. As George Galloway put it on RT (link above), "[This] is a breach of the law on multiple levels and surely prejudices any chance of a fair trial for Julian Assange back in the United States, something which should be weighed heavily by the British court now considering the extradition request.". Galloway was a frequent Assange guest in the Ecuadorian embassy. On a lesser point, this footage also includes people on the toilet (a point being used to advertise the story -- see Pamela Anderson on the toilet). I figure the main takeaway from that is if the US or allies try to use this to somehow embarrass her it's not embarrassing in the least (remember the children's book "Everybody Poops"?) and it's a point of pride to have visited Assange and been his friend in his time of need. Anderson has spoken excellently on Assange, WikiLeaks, and why he's being imprisoned and really given us reason to reconsider the image Hollywood would have us believe -- that she's nothing but a good-looking woman running along the beach in Baywatch. She's quite the opposite of the celebrities I mention below by using her celebrity to speak on behalf of an excellent cause. Galloway talks a bit about how Assange came to be ejected from the Ecuadorian embassy and the connection between when Assange was ejected and the recent IMF loan Ecuador got: > George Galloway: The timing is obvious: they [Ecuador] wouldn't have got > the loan if they hadn't played ball with the United States on that > occasion. But the terms of the IMF loan were the savage brutalization of > the conditions of life of the people of Ecuador. That was the quid pro > quo -- we'll lend you all this money but you'll have to dispense with > all this nonsense of public services, and decent wages for public > service employees, and all this pandering to the ethnic majority in > Ecuador. You'll have to cut all that out. [Lenin] Moreno played ball, > cut it out, and now your watching the results: the people want the fall > of the regime and I confidently expect that the regime will fall, and > I've got to tell you that will be one of the sweetest moments of my > life. Haiti Revolution: Orinoco Tribune: "Haiti on Brink of Revolution to Overthrow US-Backed Regime" https://orinocotribune.com/haiti-on-brink-of-revolution-to-overthrow-us-backed-regime -- > Revolutionaries destroyed police headquarters, attacked residences of > government officials, and burned a jail and courts to the ground in > different parts of Haiti on Friday. > > Insurgents are fighting to overthrow the corrupt right-wing regime of > Jovenel Moise, who is backed by the US. Four people died in clashes in > recent days, with many reports of injuries. > > In June, judges of Haiti?s High Court of Auditors said in a report that > Moise was at the center of an ?embezzlement scheme? that had siphoned > off Venezuelan aid money intended for road repairs, laying out a litany > of examples of corruption and mismanagement. > > The aid money came through Venezuela?s PetroCaribe program, which had > allowed Haiti to buy petroleum products at discount and on credit. > > However, the program has now been suspended for more than a year > because of the interests of US imperialism, which backs the Haitian > regime and has supported coup attempts to install a right-wing regime > in Venezuela. > > The suspension has meant that Haiti?s long-suffering people have been > faced with an extra burden: an ever-worsening fuel shortage that has > resulted in closed service stations, rising prices and long lines to > buy petrol. > > In the wealthy suburb Petion Ville, entire blocks were set ablaze. > > Protesters successfully drove the police out of Cit? Soleil, > Port-au-Prince?s poorest neighborhood. Revolutionaries completely > destroyed the UDMO/police headquarters. Heavily armed units of police > abandoned it after hours of attacks by residents with molotov cocktails > and showers of rocks. > > The UDMO (Departmental Unit for the Maintenance of Order), who have > murdered many Haitian people to protect the corrupt Moise regime in > power, have been trained by the US state in Austin, Texas where an > ?Executive Leadership? training course was set up for Haitian security > forces. Sanctions are war: But they don't call it the "permanent government" for nothing. https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/10/04/why-i-confronted-trumps-architect-us-sanctions-against-iran-and-called-her-weapon -- Jodie Evans of CODEPINK, describes her protest of Sigal Mandelker's work on the US's anti-Iran sanctions. As we know, sanctions are a very effective form of war that kill thousands. > Last week I exposed the architect of the U.S.?s deadly ?maximum > pressure? sanctions policy, Sigal Mandelker, in front of the United > Against a Nuclear Iran conference in New York City. > > The maximum pressure sanctions policy is responsible for the death of > over 40,000 people. Mandelker said, twice in her speech, that Iran has > weapons of mass destruction. She was knowingly dog-whistling, lying to > the media and conference attendees, knowing this would feed the story > Trump and Pompeo want to support war with Iran. > > Iran doesn?t have weapons of mass destruction. The Trump administration > knows they don?t have weapons of mass destruction. > > Iran doesn?t have weapons of mass destruction. The Trump administration > knows they don?t have weapons of mass destruction. We all know they are > 10 years away from having WMDs. > > So, I got up, holding a CODEPINK banner that says ?Peace with Iran,? and > disrupted her speech, walking to the podium and holding it for everyone > to see. > > ?You are lying,? I said to her, and so attendees could hear. ?There are > no weapons of mass destruction in Iran. You are a weapon of mass > destruction to the humanity of Iran. You are a weapon of mass > destruction to the people of Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. You have killed > people. You have denied sick people medicine.? > > I was brutally stopped and carried out of the room. > > But this moment was an impetus: > > Mandelker is the Trump administration?s top sanctions official and the > undersecretary at the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial > Intelligence. > > And she resigned this week from her position. Did she not want her lies > and violence exposed? > > Mandelker is one of the most hawkish members of the administration when > it comes to Iran, directly responsible for expanding the use of > sanctions as a primary tool of foreign policy against countries such as > Iran as well as Venezuela, Cuba and Russia. Throughout her career, she > has been in close step with the Israeli lobby, speaking at events hosted > by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and AIPAC and supporting > their agenda to falsely frame Iran as a nuclear threat and sanction the > nation into an economic crisis. Mandelker is a former clerk for Clarence > Thomas, a current member of the conservative Federalist Society, and is > one of the lawyers involved in brokering the Florida deal that allowed > child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal charges. [...] > While John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have been considered the main drivers > of Trump?s maximum pressure campaign against Iran, Mandelker has been > the person behind the scenes actually executing the policy, and has > spoken of the ?success? of the policy, though her definition of success > seems to be destroying Iran?s economy through collective punishment. > Since its founding and especially under Mandelker, the Treasury is > responsible for its innovative ways to expand sanctions as a form of > diplomatic isolation, going so far as to threaten fines and arrest to > those who associate with sanctioned actors without any stated > jurisdiction to do so in the regulations. The Office of Terrorism and > Financial Intelligence itself was created due to the lobbying of AIPAC > in 2004, and AIPAC also vetted the first person to fill the role > Mandelker recently held, the ultra-Zionist Stuart Levey, cementing its > very existence to the interests of the Israeli lobby. Under Mandelker, > the administration went forward with the unprecedented move to designate > the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists and leveled sanctions > against institutions that collaborate with the U.S., including > sanctioning the Jammal Trust Bank in Lebanon this year despite the fact > that the bank partnered with USAID the year before on public initiatives > to help impoverished communities. > > Mandelker has made it explicitly clear that her hawkish Iran policy is > acting on behalf of Israeli interests, claiming that the JCPOA did > nothing to curb Iran?s threat to Israel. She has gone so far as to state > that this is the reason ?why we have this massive sanctions regime. > Because we know Iran is threatening our great partner, Israel? at the > Aspen Security Forum this year. She has been referred to as ?Israeli > born? and a ?former Israeli? by right-wing Israeli press, but the > Treasury Department has refused to answer inquiries as to whether or not > Mandelker is still an Israeli citizen, an important piece of information > when U.S. attacks in the region are often the result of Israeli > partisans? interests. > > Her resignation is a victory for humanity. May it be the first of many > of the warmongers; and then there were none. jbn: While I am grateful for the protestations of murderous US policy I don't think that the resignations are that clearly a "victory for humanity" because a systemic analysis says that individuals are replaced with like-minded others to continue the same policy. Exploitation economy: Turns out the 'gig' economy is not good for workers -- "Foodora" is a food delivery service in Toronto. Foodora couriers in Toronto are facing the same unstable, irregular conditions as other gig economy workers. They're organizing a union to fight back. We see the same tactic -- they're not employees, they're independent contractors -- used to deny the workers a union. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-1a6tJeQsQ -- The Real News video https://therealnews.com/stories/toronto-couriers-unionize-gig-economy -- As of 2019-10-06 there's no transcript there but perhaps there will be later. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/09/10/future-of-gig-economy-workers-at-stake-in-foodora-couriers-unionization-battle.html > In a potentially precedent-setting battle for the future of gig economy > workers, Foodora couriers hoping to become the first app-based workforce > in the country to join a union have had their first hearing at Ontario?s > Labour Relations Board. > > At issue is whether couriers are independent contractors with no right > to unionize, as Foodora contends, or not. > > The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says couriers for the food > delivery company are dependent contractors who are economically reliant > on the app, which under Ontario law gives them the ability to unionize. > > The hearing Tuesday follows a union certification vote at Foodora in > August, whose results were sealed until outstanding legal issues at the > board are dealt with. > > Lawyers representing Foodora told the board the company exerts ?little > to no control? over couriers? work, making them independent contractors > who cannot join a union. > > In addition to the degree of control Foodora has over workers, couriers? > level of economic dependence on Foodora will be a key debate in the > proceedings ? which could take months to unfold. [...] > Couriers for the company make a base rate of $4.50 per order, plus $1 > for each kilometre from the restaurant to the drop-off point. As first > reported by the Star, workers launched a union drive in May arguing that > many of their hours on the road go uncompensated and their health and > safety protections are weak. > > Ivan Ostos, who attended Tuesday?s hearing and has worked at the company > for three years, said after he broke his arm on the job, he was asked by > the company to complete his delivery and received ?minimal? compensation > for the four months he could not work. Foodora has maintained that > ?safety and superior customer service? are ?tenets of our brand.? jbn: Let's also remember that for all of the anti-union infrastructure and training Wal-Mart workers get in the US, German Wal-Mart workers were unionized when Wal-Mart started there and Wal-Mart couldn't break that up, so they worked with the union. Economy: "Stockton Residents Who Received $500 a Month in Basic Income Experiment Spent Money on Food, Clothing and Bills" https://ktla.com/2019/10/03/stockton-residents-who-received-500-a-month-in-basic-income-experiment-spent-money-on-food-clothing-and-bills/ jbn: The experiment (paying 100 Stockton, CA residents $500/month) started on Friday, February 15, 2019. It's not UBI because it's not universal -- not even all Stockton, CA residents were included in the experiment -- but it is still interesting to see how people spend the money. A related article published when the experiment began: https://ktla.com/2019/02/16/stockton-universal-basic-income/ > The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy > people get $500 a month from the government shows they spend most of it > on things such as food, clothing and utility bills. > > The 18-month, privately funded program started in February and involves > 125 people in Stockton. It is one of the few experiments testing the > concept of ?universal basic income,? an old idea getting new attention > from Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination. > > Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has committed to publicly releasing data > throughout the experiment to win over skeptics and, he hopes, convince > state lawmakers to implement the program statewide. > > ?In this country we have an issue with associating people who are > struggling economically and people of color with vices like drug use, > alcohol use, gambling,? he said. ?I thought it was important to > illustrate folks aren?t using this money for things like that. They are > using it for literal necessities.? > > But critics say the experiment likely won?t provide useful information > from a social science perspective given its limited size and duration. > > Matt Zwolinski, director of the Center for Ethics, Economics and Public > Policy at the University of San Diego, said people aren?t likely to > change their behavior if they know the money they are getting will stop > after a year and a half. That?s one reason why he says the experiment is > ?really more about story telling than it is about social science.? > > Plus, he said previous studies have shown people don?t spend the money > on frivolous things. > > ?What you get out of a program like this is some fairly compelling > anecdotes from people,? he said. ?That makes for good public relations > if you are trying to drum up interest in a basic income program, but it > doesn?t really tell you much about what a basic income program would do > if implemented on a long-term and large-scale basis.? > > The researchers overseeing the program, Stacia Martin-West at the > University of Tennessee and Amy Castro Baker at the University of > Pennsylvania, said their goal is not to see if people change their > behavior, but to measure how the money impacts their physical and mental > health. That data will be released later. > > People in the program get $500 each month on a debit card, which helps > researchers track their spending. But 40% of the money has been > withdrawn as cash, making it harder for researchers to know how it was > used. They fill in the gaps by asking people how they spent it. > > Since February, when the program began, people receiving the money have > on average spent nearly 40% of it on food. About 24% went to sales and > merchandise, which include places like Walmart and discount dollar > stores that also sell groceries. Just over 11% went to utility bills, > while more than 9% went to auto repairs and fuel. > > The rest of the money went to services, medical expenses, insurance, > self-care and recreation, transportation, education and donations. > > Of the participants, 43% are working full or part time while 2% are > unemployed and not looking for work. Another 8% are retired, while 20% > are disabled and 10% stay home to care for children or an aging parent. > > ?People are using the money in ways that give them dignity or that gives > their kids dignity,? Castro-Baker said, noting participants have > reported spending the money to send their children to prom, pay for > dental work and buy birthday cakes. Media: "WBAI Radio Station Abruptly Shuts Down" https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/wbai-radio-station-abruptly-shuts-down > NEW YORK ? Financial woes forced the community radio station WBAI to > abruptly shut down Monday morning after decades on the air in the latest > loss to New York City's local news industry. > > The Pacifica Foundation, WBAI's California-based nonprofit parent, > announced the move to staffers in a letter and blamed the station's > demise on "ongoing and continued projections of further financial > losses." > > "We realize this news will come as a deep and painful shock, but we can > no longer jeopardize the survival of the entire network," Pacifica said > in the message. > > The foundation pledged to resurrect WBAI once it creates a "sustainable > financial structure for the station." Listeners can hear programming > from the foundation's Pacifica Across America network in the meantime, > according to the note. > > The news came as a shock to Jeff Simmons, a public relations executive > and former journalist who was a volunteer host of two weekly WBAI > shows. > > Simmons said he had just listened to the Monday morning replay of his > Sunday evening program a few hours before learning that WBAI's employees > had been fired. The station had about half a dozen core staffers along > with several paid and volunteer hosts, he said. Censorship as goal: Chinese censorship makes an episode (S23E02 -- "Band in China") of 'South Park' harder to find online https://reason.com/2019/10/07/china-south-park-ban-censorship/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/south-park-banned-chinese-internet-critical-episode-1245783 jbn: I bring this to your attention not because I wish to promote 'South Park' in general or any particular episode of it, but because this is another example of how Chinese censorship is viewed as a goal by corporate power and governments around the world. The power to carry this out requires a kind of cooperation that is only feasible with allowing monopolies to form (which means fewer organizations to coordinate), and wielding control over those organizations (ala US/UK government control over Google, Facebook, and Twitter these days). > South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone probably saw this coming, > and to their credit, simply didn't care. > > The most recent episode of South Park, "Band in China," has been > generating loads of media attention for its sharp critique of the way > Hollywood tends to shape its content to avoid offending Chinese > government censors in any way whatsoever. > > Now, those very same government censors, in the real world, have lashed > back at South Park by deleting virtually every clip, episode and online > discussion of the show from Chinese streaming services, social media and > even fan pages. > > A cursory perusal through China's highly regulated internet landscape > shows the show conspicuously absent everywhere it recently had a > presence. A search of the Twitter-like social media service Weibo turns > up not a single mention of South Park among the billions of past posts. > On streaming service Youku, owned by internet giant Alibaba, all links > to clips, episodes and even full seasons of the show are now dead. > > And on Baidu's Tieba, China's largest online discussion platform, the > threads and subthreads related to South Park are nonfunctional. If users > manually type in the URL for what was formerly the South Park thread, a > message appears saying that, "According to the relevant law and > regulation, this section is temporarily not open." > > The draconian response is par for the course for China's authoritarian > government, which has even been known to aggressively censor Winnie the > Pooh because some local internet users had affectionately taken to > comparing Chinese president Xi Jinping to the character. Environment/Economy: "Capitalism Made This Mess, and This Mess Will Ruin Capitalism" https://www.wired.com/story/capitalocene/ -- an interview with Jason Moore, environmental historian and sociologist at Binghamton University, [who] calls the problem something else: the Capitalocene [instead of the Anthropocene]. > You and I have the unfortunate honor of facing down a crisis the likes > of which our species has never before seen. Rapid climate change of our > own making is transforming every bit of ocean and land, imperiling > organisms clear across the tree of life. It?s killing people by way of > stronger storms and hotter heat waves and unchecked pollution. > > We all can and should do our part?fly less if possible, buy local foods > that haven?t been shipped thousands of miles, get solar panels and an > electric car. But let?s not lose sight of the root cause of this crisis: > rampant capitalism. Capitalism has steamrolled this planet and its > organisms, gouging out mountains, overexploiting fish stocks, and > burning fossil fuels to power the maniacal pursuit of growth and enrich > a fraction of humanity. Since 1988, 100 corporations have been > responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. jbn: Certain sacrifices for consumers strike me as misidentifying the source of the problem and remind me of asking Californians to bathe less often ("Shorten your showers and avoid baths" and "Avoid flushing the toilet every time you go to the bathroom" says https://www.sbadventureco.com/blog/10-ways-to-save-water-in-this-california-drought/ ) to save water instead of looking to agribusiness which uses orders of magnitude more water than any consumer can control. Labor/class payment disparity: CBS says "The GM strike is really about the switch to electric cars" but one should wonder what lower CEO pay and post-bailout public ownership would have meant for the workers today. But corporate media won't ask about these things. Something similar regarding CEO pay is also happening at General Electric -- when workers are offered low pay, frozen pensions, and lump-sum payouts CEOs get millions in their pensions and "golden parachutes" to leave the organization. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/guid/3870F370-E6CB-11E9-83E6-1366F1C3851C -- "GM CEO Mary Barra's compensation was $21.87 million in 2018, 281 times median GM worker" CBS (Marketwatch.com) argues that "The GM strike is really about the switch to electric cars"; electric cars require less maintenance than combustion engine cars and can be built by fewer workers as well: > UAW members? anxieties and uncertainties are actually shared by GM and > most other automakers, which know that it?s no longer a question of when > internal combustion engine cars will be replaced by electric vehicles, > but how quickly the changeover will take place. > > The shift to electric means a fundamental transformation of what workers > will do and how many are needed to do it. > > Electric cars have far fewer parts, which means far fewer people are > needed to put them together. When one analyst took apart a Chevrolet > Bolt and Volkswagen Golf, he found that the Golf had 125 more moving > parts than its electric counterpart. What?s more, the electric vehicles? > parts are often easier to put in place using automated machines. The > UAW?s own estimates that the move to electrification may cost 35,000 > members to lose their jobs may not be the most scientific study ever > done, but it?s also probably not far off. But according to the Free Press Auto Team (https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2019/09/29/gm-strike-uaw-update-status/3788205002/) the strikers argue > [...] that they made concessions a decade ago to help the companies > through the recession ? and GM to recover from bankruptcy ? but they > aren't adequately sharing in the billions in profits that have rolled in > during recent years. Who benefited from that bailout which put GM back into the hands of the management that bankrupted it? > General Motors CEO Mary Barra took home slightly less in 2018 than the > previous year, but remains one of the 20 highest-paid CEOs in America. > > For 2018, Barra's total compensation was $21.87 million ? about 281 > times as much as GM's median employee's compensation of $77,849, > according to figures the company released Thursday. In 2017, Barra was > compensated $21.96 million. > > Barra's total compensation, which includes stock awards and pension > payments, represents more than she actually saw in pay. She received a > $2.1 million salary and $4.45 million from her nonequity incentive plan. > She received a bonus of $811,684, down from $861,683 in 2017. Relatedly, why did automakers make so many new cars? It's not at all clear that we needed more new cars. According to http://www.epicdash.com/thousands-of-unsold-new-cars-are-being-abandoned-and-left-to-die-in-lots-this-is-insane/ "overproduction peaked in 2009, thousands of cars have been left in lots to waste away" and backs this claim up with pictures of large lots filled with new cars -- fleets of new cars -- sitting idle for years in towns around the world including: Port of Sheerness in Kent, England; off of Broening Highway in Baltimore (where 57,000+ cars sit); a location in Spain; another in St. Petersburg, Russia; Avonmouth, UK; Corby, UK; Port of Civitavecchia, Italy; Port of Valencia, Spain; and more showing this is a global problem. This report makes an interesting point: > At first I wondered why they weren?t simply put on sale, but the car > industry won?t reduce their prices drastically for one simple reason: > You can?t sell a car for $500 and expect someone to purchase a new one > for $15,000. So again we see a situation akin to paying for social services and domestic needs (national jobs program, purchasing our way out of homelessness, etc.) -- we have the money to spend on making sure people don't suffer. Nationally, we direct a lot of that money toward war. So why are we organizing the economy such that people who want a new car have to take out a loan to get one while surplus stockpiles sit idle? Why are we not instead organizing the economy to make sure everyone has a reasonably good life free from fears of becoming homeless, free to get a decent education, good food (no "food deserts" where nutritious food can't be found for miles and even then it's too expensive for the poor), and so on? Why do we choose to sustain poverty? Related: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/07/workers-stuck-paying-ultimate-price-ge-freezes-pensions-20000-employees -- GE freezes pensions for 20,000 employees and offers 100,000 workers a lump sum payout to those who have not yet begun to take pension payments. > The changes become effective January 1, 2021. At that point, affected > workers will neither accrue additional benefits nor be able to > contribute to the plan. > > "Returning GE to a position of strength has required us to make several > difficult decisions," said GE's chief human resources officer Kevin Cox, > "and today's decision to freeze the pension is no exception." > > The actions, as CNN Business reported, were made "to help clean up the > company's beleaguered balance sheet." Yet, as progressive observer Miles > Grant, they contrast greatly with the sweet deals the company gives its > CEOs. [...] > The AARP has previously cautioned against lump sum options, warning they > represent a bad financial move for individuals. > > GE closed its pension to new entrants in 2012, adding to a trend of > companies shifting away from traditional pensions. It's a shift > progressive observers say bolsters the case for expanding Social > Security. Miles Grant wrote about how CEO pay also benefits disproportionately when workers suffer https://twitter.com/MilesGrant/status/1181225774281641985 > - GE gave its previous CEO a $10M golden parachute ([on] top of his > $22M pension) despite losing >$100 billion in market value in his > 14-month term > > - GE hired a new CEO last year with a pay package worth up to $300 > million https://t.co/DPWBG3ZTE9 Celebrity news: Millionaire comedians show whose side they're on -- Ellen DeGeneres continues her warm relationship with George W. Bush proving she's not just papering over his war crimes. https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/07/ellen-degeneres-roasted-attending-football-game-absolute-fing-scum-george-w-bush > Progressives looked on Sunday as popular television personality Ellen > DeGeneres attended a football game with former President George W. Bush > and surmised that President Donald Trump will be subject to the same > kind of image rehabilitation after he leaves office. jbn: I predicted as much when DeGeneres gave G.W. Bush a very warm welcome on her TV show in 2017. A frame from her war crime image-rehab show is https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGRw3BIWkAA6z8n.jpg Recall some other corporate media advocates for softening G.W. Bush's image: - Comic Joy Behar (one of the co-hosts of "The View") saying "I like George [W.] Bush now, is what I'm trying to say". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yQd9O4MJTE has a clip of this. - Comic Margaret Cho said something comparable telling Larry King on his RT show "I'm glad he [Trump] wasn't president during 9/11. You know, like? George W. Bush, actually you know, we...I miss him. Which I thought I'd never say. I was a really big critic of his but now you know I'm like he's kind of cute.". See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMooJf0FaJo for the recording. - Comic Jimmy Kimmel joking about the "Mission Accomplished" banner in a light-hearted supportive manner instead of providing sharp critique of an ongoing war crime. - Comic Rosie O'Donnell in https://twitter.com/Rosie/status/1180957320702021633 refers warmly to former President G.W. Bush: > how comforting to see a real president - never thought his image would > move me so #PresidentBUSH #USA #CountryOverParty #PatriotsUnite come on > republicans - call bullshit on trump - save democracy #thisAINTnoMOVIE It's not just comedians either: - The Guardian called Bush's promo tour "a welcome return". - Michelle Obama said George W. Bush is "my partner in crime" and "I love him to death" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/10/11/michelle-obama-george-w-bush-my-partner-crime/1603296002/ Black Agenda Report offers a much better view to put these and other image rehabilitation efforts in context: From https://www.blackagendareport.com/theory-101-state-personified-embrace-michelle-obama-and-george-w-bush > Michelle Obama and George W. Bush provide a quintessential example of > what ruling class unity in the governance of the imperialist state looks > like. In response to the wall-to-wall media coverage that her hugs with > George W. Bush received, the former First Lady told the corporate media > that ?I love him to death.? Michelle Obama?s love for Bush is proof that > the state manages not only the class antagonisms of the system but also > the contradictions within the ruling class. The state enforces the unity > of ruling class interests; namely, profit, plunder, and the power > necessary to obtain them. George W. Bush and Michelle Obama's sweet > exchanges are thus much more than just a public relations stunt. They > represent the dangerous forces that are unleashed when consensus > between competing elements within the ruling class is achieved. jbn: For anyone deluded enough to believe that these corporate representatives should be taken seriously on matters of ethics, consider Ellen DeGeneres' politics: in January 2017 she canceled an appearance on her TV show 'Ellen' by gospel singer Kim Burrell following a discovery that Burrell had given an anti-gay sermon which included Burrell claiming that a "perverted homosexual spirit, and the spirit of delusion and confusion, it has deceived many men and women". DeGeneres (famously a self-outed lesbian) offered a response which was short and to the point: "For those asking, Kim Burrell will not be appearing on my show." (https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/816356807857684480). Bush's anti-gay choices included running for re-election on an anti-gay platform and calling for a Constitutional ban on gay marriage, something that would objectively adversely affect far more homosexuals than Burrell's sermon. But DeGeneres knows whose ass to kiss and this ugly history also wasn't subject to review on the 2017 'Ellen' show when she spoke with the former president. Getting back to 2019, Ellen DeGeneres discussed attending a football game with former President G.W. Bush on her show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZtjol7mJA starting at 2m20s): > But during the game, they showed a shot of George and me laughing together. > People were upset. They thought, why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next > to a conservative Republican president? Didn't even notice I'm holding the > brand new iPhone 11. > > [LAUGHTER] > > But a lot of people were mad, and they did what people do when they're mad-- > they tweet. But here's one tweet that I loved. This person says, "Ellen and > George Bush together makes me have faith in America again." > > [APPLAUSE] > > Exactly. Here's the thing. I'm friends with George Bush. In fact, I'm friends > with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have. We're all > different, and I think that we've forgotten that that's OK that we're all > different. For instance, I wish people wouldn't wear fur. I don't like it, but > I'm friends with people who wear fur. And I'm friends with people who are > furry, as a matter of fact. I have friends who should tweeze more. But just > because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean that I'm not > going to be friends with them. When I say be kind to one another, I don't mean > only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to > everyone. Doesn't matter. > > [APPLAUSE] > > Even people who are already playing Christmas music. I mean, seriously, there's > no excuse for that. But I'm kind to them. DeGeneres consistently responded to misstatements never once fairly describing why people found her choices so objectionable. Her cognitive dissonance was palpable but this way she could claim that she didn't ignore the issue and simultaneously avoid getting into why people were disappointed in her or using her as an example of how class politics trumps identity politics (as she said, she's gay but as she doesn't talk about much, she's a multi-millionaire). Jimmy Dore has a rather good response to this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGNebWt9_zI) which stays focused on the major issues here -- G.W. Bush, like every modern president since WWII, is a war criminal -- and includes quotes from a number of other responses: Glenn Greenwald https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1181585597200310273 > "I?m friends with George W. Bush" - @TheEllenShow, explaining why she > was sitting next to the torturer and war criminal, laughing it up at a > football game, reflecting the prevailing liberal ethos. Susan Sarandon quoted Nico Lang https://twitter.com/SusanSarandon/status/1181608640568025088 > ?But missing the point entirely, DeGeneres framed the issue as simply a > matter of her hanging out with someone with different opinions, not a > man repeatedly accused of being a war criminal.? The Nico Lang quote is from "Out" magazine (https://www.out.com/commentary/2019/10/08/ellen-friends-bush-he-was-no-friend-lgbtq-people) which raises some good points but still calls DeGeneres a "legend" in a seemingly complimentary sense which somewhat blunts what should be far more important points in the critique. No matter how funny or charming one finds DeGeneres' stand-up to be, a principled critique places top priority on killing over a million people, heading up a torture regime, lying the public into war, reducing our civil liberties, and costing us trillions which could have been spent saving lives, ending homelessness, putting people to work, laying potable water pipe, and so much more. Ellen DeGeneres really is like the new Oprah: Oprah too knew whom to please. Recall that Oprah was a supporter of the US-led 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq at a time when such support really counted (Oprah's show was also top-rated at the time). Oprah had an episode which famously included shutting down an audience member who dared to question the validity of the claim that Iraqis would somehow benefit from US military invasion and occupation without end. Skepticism was well justified then (as one could see from the millions of protestors on the streets of the world in coordinated protest actions) but not on Oprah's watch. Bill Moyers covered Oprah's Iraq war support based on a segment of Oprah's October 9, 2002 episode where Oprah spoke with Judith Miller: Bill Moyers episode title: "Buying the War" Transcript: https://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/transcript1.html Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W56Ezi3ZlzI Excerpt of the following transcript: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmevAN_FLnQ > BILL MOYERS: EVEN OPRAH GOT IN ON THE ACT, FEATURING IN OCTOBER 2002 > NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER JUDITH MILLER. > > JUDITH MILLER: (OPRAH 10/9/02) The US intelligence community believes > that Saddam Hussein has deadly stocks of anthrax, of botulinum toxin, > which is one of the most virulent poisons known to man. > > BILL MOYERS: LIBERAL HAWK KENNETH POLLAK. > > KENNETH POLLAK: And what we know for a fact from a number of defectors > who've come out of Iraq over the years is that Saddam Hussein is > absolutely determined to acquire nuclear weapons and is building them > as fast as he can. > > BILL MOYERS: AND THE RIGHT HAND MAN TO AHMED CHALABI. > > OPRAH: And so do the Iraqi people want the American people to liberate > them? > > QUANBAR: Absolutely. In 1991 the Iraqi people were.... > > WOMAN: I hope it doesn't offend you... > > BILL MOYERS: WHEN ONE GUEST DARED TO EXPRESS DOUBT OPRAH WOULD HAVE > NONE OF IT > > WOMAN: I just don't know what to believe with the media and.. > > OPRAH: Oh, we're not trying to propaganda-- show you propaganda. > ..We're just showing you what is. > > WOMAN: I understand that, I understand that. > > OPRAH: OK, but Ok. You have a right to your opinion. And there's also https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/2600/1*1hDL3hsWqdNmZ3SynqmeYA.jpeg -- a picture of Oprah cozying up to G.W. Bush. Class war: Billionaires complain about pointing out that the 99% don't like the 1%. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_hf599U1Fw -- RT report gets the timeline somewhat wrong in its recitation of quotes on this topic, not all were in response to Bernie Sanders, and the report fails to mention that Sanders' foreign policy poses no challenge to those made billionaires from war profiteering. But there does seem to be more sensitivity among current billionaires to being criticized for being billionaires and some of the quotes share a theme. Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone Group regarding the Obama administration increasing taxes on private-equity firms: > It's a war. It's like when Hitler invaded Poland in 1939. Ken Langone, founder of Home Depot: > I hope [that populist political appeals are] not working. Because if you > go back to 1933, with different words, this is what Hitler was saying in > Germany. You don?t survive as a society if you encourage and thrive on > envy or jealousy. Tom Perkins, venture capitalist on paying higher taxes: > Writing from the epicenter of progressive thought, San Francisco, I > would call attention to the parallels of fascist Nazi Germany to its > war on the "one percent", namely its Jews, to the progressive war on > the American one percent, namely the "rich." [...] This is a very > dangerous drift in our American thinking. Kristallnacht was unthinkable > in 1930; is its descendent ?progressive? radicalism unthinkable now? War/Imperialism: Another reason why liberals are fools to trust the CIA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAfyTftDSMk -- It seems that recently the CIA has been getting a warm reception by liberals: trust that they'll help take Pres. Trump out of power, calling their spies "whistleblowers" when they're really just "spooks doing spook things" as Caitlin Johnstone rightly put it (https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/09/27/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers/). A brief history of how the US has been fomenting war and offering the Kurds a "Groundhog Day of American betrayal [...] for more than half a century" (as one RT host put it). 1950s-1960s: "The CIA pushed the Kurds to revolt against Baghdad as part of their efforts to overthrow their leader Abd al-Karim Qasim. Eventually he was toppled by a coup. But the new ruler wasn't a big fan of Kurdish independence, so he bombed them into submission; bombed with napalm kindly provided by the United States." 1970s: "The Kurds seem to have a short memory or a forgiving heart because in the '70s the US was back on their good side. Iraq and Iran were involved in a border dispute and Washington was covertly supplying the minority with weapons, once again pitching them against Baghdad. But then Iraq and Iran kissed and made up. And all of a sudden the Kurds were on their own being blown to pieces as their supposed transatlantic guardian angel was watching. Idly. Even the Americans admitted that keeping their involvement under wraps was simply no excuse. > Pike Committee Report: This policy was not imparted to our clients > [Kurds], who were encouraged to continue fighting... Even in the context > of covert action, ours was a cynical enterprise. and > Henry Kissinger (former US Secretary of State 1973-1977): Covert action > should not be confused with missionary work. 1980s: "In the late '80s, Saddam Hussein unleashed his chemical arsenal against the Kurds. An atrocity looking to draw the wrath of The World's Policeman. But it was still a long time before Saddam was to turn from friend to foe. American wrath didn't go further than statements like:" > State Dept.: We want to maintain good political and economic relations > with Iraq, but the issue of chemical weapons gets in the way of that. 2000s: "In 2003 it looked like the US was finally ready to make amends for its decades of forsaking the Kurds. Helping them was among the pretexts for invading Iraq. But then even in Washington many took such goals with a pinch of salt:" From a C-SPAN debate between Daniel Ellsberg and Bill Kristol: > Daniel Ellsberg: The Kurds have every reason to believe, I think, that > they will be betrayed again by the United States as so often in the > past. In fact this spectacle of our inviting Turks into this war to > bribe them into it could not have been reassuring to the Kurds. I've > been under the Turks before. > > Bill Kristol: I'm against betraying the Kurds. And surely your point > isn't, yeah, because we've betrayed them in the past that we should > betray them this time. > > Daniel Ellsberg: Not that we should just that we will. > > Bill Kristol: No, we will not. "Uh, yes, they did. In 2007 the US let Turkey have its way with the Kurdish rebels in Iraq as Ankara launched a lethal bombing raid against them." "This is nowhere near a full list. By 2019 America had left the Kurds for dead a few more times both in Iraq and Syria." -J -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: GWBush-kisses-Oprah.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 188378 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Fri Oct 11 01:46:12 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 20:46:12 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Endless war Message-ID: <658A5863-B1CB-4422-9591-1439F0412A59@gmail.com> Q. Why is the U.S. political establishment so hysterically trying to get rid of Trump? A. They fear that he may end the endless war - in which the U.S. has killed more than 20 million people since World War II. The economic hegemony of the American one-percent depends on war - spending for preparation for war, and war provocations to trammel up potential economic rivals, notably China & Russia. Obama inherited two shameful wars from the Bush administration (in Afghanistan and Iraq): he increased the number to eight (attacking Libya, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen as well - notably with drone assassinations) and became the first U.S. president ever to be at war throughout two terms. Not even presidents Roosevelt (WWII), Wilson (WWI), or Lincoln (Civil War) did that. Obama bequeathed those wars to Trump, but now the U.S. political establishment fear that Trump cannot be relied upon to continue that war policy. They are determined to see that he does so, or is replaced by someone who will. ### From jbn at forestfield.org Fri Oct 11 02:49:51 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2019 21:49:51 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Notes In-Reply-To: <0121e4b3-e1e0-749c-445e-4ac46706e42e@forestfield.org> References: <0121e4b3-e1e0-749c-445e-4ac46706e42e@forestfield.org> Message-ID: I wrote: > DeGeneres consistently responded to misstatements never once fairly > describing why people found her choices so objectionable. Her cognitive > dissonance was palpable but this way she could claim that she didn't > ignore the issue and simultaneously avoid getting into why people were > disappointed in her or using her as an example of how class politics > trumps identity politics (as she said, she's gay but as she doesn't talk > about much, she's a multi-millionaire). A followup on Ellen DeGeneres: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191009/13333143164/ellen-show-issues-copyright-takedown-transformative-video-commenting-her-friendship-with-president-bush.shtml -- DeGeneres is now issuing copyright-based takedown requests to copies of a satirical video where one sees her on-show explanation her relationship with G.W. Bush with newly inserted background pictures of the consequences of his torture regime and wars (see https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EGc0EiPWkAUW4jw.jpg for a frame of this, or see the attached). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbhgEQv5KwU has the video for now. Bogus copyright claims have become the refuge of Ellen DeGeneres a multi-millionaire, thin-skinned, nervous member of the elite who exhibited her values: class consciousness. The benefit of this story is it's a chance to raise people's awareness of what happens in war and torture (the main things G.W. Bush's term in office is known for), which https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbhgEQv5KwU does a good job of illustrating. -J -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Ellen DeGeneres friends with G.W. Bush, started 2003 Iraq invasion, torturer.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 93596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From brussel at illinois.edu Fri Oct 11 03:49:54 2019 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 03:49:54 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?iso-8859-1?q?On_Ukraine_affairs_with_Mat=E9_an?= =?iso-8859-1?q?d_Blumenthal?= Message-ID: <3D25AB98-DAEB-4261-B76E-38FF1331B179@illinois.edu> Most enlightening: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-u-s-arming-of-ukraine-is-a-scandal-on-its-own/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Oct 11 18:11:41 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:11:41 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] A must listen, Joti Brar of the British Communist Party interview by Caleb Maupin Message-ID: A must listen, I?m going to really annoy a lot of people with this and though I don?t totally agree with everything she says, but most of what she says, and she covers quite a bit that is relevant today. Ex: her suggestion that all Trotskyist organizations support imperialism. That has not been my experience. The SWP was involved in organizing against the war in Vietnam, and the WSWS.ORG or the Socialist Equality Party writes about imperialism as almost no one else does. However, I now recognize the WSWS is negative towards both Russia and China. Also, I was young and naive when involved with the SWP, so who knows. I do think when Trotskyists focus so much on "international solidarity," one must be cautious not to be a pawn of imperialism, Syria is an example of Trotskyists supporting US imperialism. Again this does not apply to the Socialist Equality Party or their newsletter the WSWS.ORG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v7bWFFLzUY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR232PH53-0uOGCNP5rY0z7RmOmOlL7tNp05DNcXrjO2pJBDCiPpB4VBnUE -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Fri Oct 11 22:43:40 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:43:40 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Unfortunately, "multiculturalism" does not always lend itself to truth-telling Message-ID: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Review ordered after Mideast presentation sparks arguments By JULIE WURTH jwurth at news-gazette.com URBANA ? A residence hall presentation on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict led to complaints of anti-Semitism at the University of Illinois, prompting a campus review and an apology from Chancellor Robert Jones. The chancellor issued a statement late Wednesday denouncing anti-Semitism following that incident and Monday?s discovery of a swastika in the UI?s Foreign Languages Building. ?Bias and prejudice are antithetical to the educational foundations of our university and hurtful to our entire community. The idea that any individual feels threatened for expression of personal religious or ethnic identity is unacceptable,? Jones said in the email. The Sept. 25 presentation was based on the Palestinian perspective, and student Please see CAMPUS, A-6 Following up on our stories ------------------------------ CAMPUS Continued from A-*1* groups aligned with Israel and Palestine had very different reactions Thursday to the chancellor?s statement. In his mass email to campus, Jones said a student raised concerns about ?anti-Semitic content? at a staff development program for residence hall advisers, which included 11 RAs and one full-time Housing staff member. It was part of a program to help students learn to share ?diverse perspectives that lead to new understanding,? he said. ?Instead of fostering dialogue, it incited division, distrust and anger. The program allowed our students to enter an extremely challenging and potentially volatile situation without the preparation, training, education and professional oversight they needed to succeed. This is inexcusable and unacceptable. This is a failure to our students, and that is my responsibility,? Jones said. ??? The chancellor?s email didn?t include details about the presentation. But it was later shared online, titled ?Palestine & Great Return March: Palestinian Resistance to 70 Years of Israeli Terror.? It made a distinction upfront between anti-Zionism, opposition to the state of Israel or its actions, and anti-Semitism, the stereotyping or persecution of Jewish people. It presented the history of the conflict from Palestinians? perspective, showing maps of their dwindling territory since 1948, and photos of Palestinians crowded into Israeli checkpoints and the miserable living conditions in Gaza. It also equated Israel?s actions with apartheid in South Africa and 1940s-era Jim Crow laws in the United States and showed photos of ?martyrs? for the Palestinian cause. Housing Director Alma Sealine said one of the RAs at the meeting was concerned and shared his views with another student who used to live in the building. That student then filed a complaint, she said. The presentation was one of many given by multicultural advocates, who share information on topics related to diversity and inclusion as part of an ongoing staff development program, she said. They play an important role in educating residence hall staff about ?the identities students bring to the residential experience,? from race relations to body image to feminism to LGBTQ issues, she said. The goal is to do it in a safe environment where people can ask questions or respectfully disagree. In this instance, she said, ?it would be important for them to also talk about what is the Israeli viewpoint as well,? she said. ?Some individuals don?t feel that that happened.? Housing has followed up with all of those who were at the event as well as the person who filed the complaint, Sealine said. ?We?re working on some additional training for our staff and making sure that our multicultural advocates are not perceived as experts on any given topic. And we also make sure that we take the time to identify all sides of an issue,? she said. ??? Jones said the campus is: ? Instituting anti-Semitic training for all full-time housing staff, resident advisers and multicultural advocates by the end of the semester.? Launching an ?immediate, full review? of the hiring, training and professional oversight and management of resident advisers and multicultural advocates. ? Commissioning an external review of UI Housing?s multicultural educational programs ?to help us identify and to implement best practices based on leading national peers.? He also promised the campus would continue to track incidents of anti-Semitism, racism, bias and prejudice on campus. ?We will always recognize the rights of those on the campus to safely and freely express their perspectives and opinions. But we will also be ready to condemn statements and actions that violate our shared values and seek to demean, intimidate or devalue others in our community,? he said. ?I apologize to all of our students and to our community. This university promises an experience that prepares students to live, work and lead in a multicultural, diverse and international society. We did not live up to our obligations in this case.? UI Professor Bruce Rosenstock, who teaches a course on the history of anti-Semitism for the Jewish Culture and Society Program, applauded the chancellor?s efforts to increase staff knowledge about that topic. But he also hopes it includes ?diverse views about the state of Israel.? ??? Jewish organizations on campus welcomed the chancellor?s statement. ?This is a step in the right direction,? said Rabbi Dovid Tiechtel of Illini Chabad. Anti-Semitism has been an ongoing challenge, he said, from swastikas to vandalism of Chabad?s outdoor menorah in years past. But the UI chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine was disappointed by the chancellor?s statement, saying it ?demonizes a student presentation on Palestine? and equates the concept of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. The group demanded that any training make a distinction between the two. ?We firmly believe that everyone has the right to criticize the unjust actions of a state, and we wish to highlight the difference between what students in the Palestine movement are often accused of perpetuating, as opposed to what they are actually fighting for,? the group said in a statement signed by a dozen other student organizations. ?Students for Justice in Palestine unequivocally condemns anti-Semitic violence, such as the reported swastika on the Foreign Languages building. We extend our solidarity to Jewish students on campus who are impacted by this violent anti-Semitism. SJP is committed to the struggle of ending all forms of discrimination,? the statement said. It also said the role of multicultural advocates is to help raise awareness about marginalized groups, and information about the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is ?well within? that scope. But the Illini Public Affairs Committee, a group that works to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Israel, said it was inappropriate to ?push one-sided political messaging? about a complex topic at a mandatory staff meeting. The group?s main grievance was that the presentation labeled Israel as a terrorist nation and ?as a result did not facilitate any sort of conversational pieces of information for both sides of this very complex political debate.? Illini PAC said the multicultural advocates are supposed to generate ?productive conversation? on cultural issues, noting that the Housing website says they should serve as role models ?by confronting acts of intolerance and hate, encouraging dialogue among students, and working toward the creation of truly inclusive communities.? Instead, the incident created a ?hostile environment? for residents based on their national origin or identity, the group said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Fri Oct 11 22:47:41 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:47:41 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] A must listen, Joti Brar of the British Communist Party interview by Caleb Maupin In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: > However, I now recognize the WSWS is negative towards both Russia and > China. [...] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v7bWFFLzUY Speaking of which, consider her lecture "The Drive to War Against Russia and China" -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdi16fwn1d8 This runs about 1h7m and would be something to consider for AWARE on the Air if you need a full hour program. There's also some criticism of the British anti-war movements and points on how anti-war activism ought to go as well (toward the end). I'm sure some of the same topics are covered, but https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdi16fwn1d8 is virtually entirely Brar talking. I recently gave the News from Neptune fellows a transcript of her recent interview with George Galloway in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AEI8shuyJg which runs about 3h16m and has some breaks. -J From jbn at forestfield.org Sat Oct 12 13:27:03 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 08:27:03 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] News from Neptune #437 notes Message-ID: <1aa1c3fc-da6d-a9a1-2b0d-36cc7714bd54@forestfield.org> News from Neptune #437 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCtgxNdPSIk A "Ending U.S. War?" edition A list of links to items referenced on the show. President Trump on "GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE..." https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181905659568283648 Tulsi Gabbard on "Trump is not removing troops from Syria" https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1181984126083186688/pu/vid/360x504/QXA2SiMwPESphIGV.mp4 https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1181984547963101189.html Benjamin Studebaker, Aimee Terese's show "What's Left?" https://soundcloud.com/whatisleftpod/ep-1-whats-left-of-the-left -- Episode 1 https://twitter.com/whatisleftpod -- Twitter account https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:595199712/sounds.rss -- RSS feed Paul Left on "On the TrumpenLeft and False Equivalence" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/on-the-trumpenleft-and-false-equivalence/ Anthony Dimaggio on "Fake News in Trump's America" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/fake-news-in-trumps-america/ Andrew Levine on "Trump's End Days" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/trumps-end-days-2/ C.J. Hopkins on "Trumpenstein Must Be Destroyed!" https://www.unz.com/chopkins/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ https://consentfactory.org/2019/10/04/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ David Green on "Challenging Nicholas Kristof?s Claim of ?Thousands More Jeffrey Epsteins?" https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/02/challenging-nicholas-kristofs-claim-of-thousands-more-jeffrey-epsteins/ C. G. Estabrook responding to Louis Proyect on the Marxism mailing list https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2019-October/292145.html Jim Dey articles in the News-Gazette https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/jim%20dey/ Julie Wurth on "UI investigates anti-Semitism complaints" https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/ui-investigates-anti-semitism-complaints/article_c84f3c70-eb64-11e9-b41f-db8a3d1aaa7f.html Related: "Chancellor releases statement addressing antisemitism" https://dailyillini.com/news/2019/10/11/chancellor-releases-statement-addressing-antisemitism/ Julie Wurth articles in the News-Gazette https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/Julie%20Wurth "Those Who Served" series in the News-Gazette https://usveterans.news-gazette.com/ Paul Wood on "Those Who Served: 'Working in fear and isolation are the real corroding elements'" https://www.news-gazette.com/news/those-who-served-working-in-fear-and-isolation-are-the/article_b4a7d21d-8ce1-5be9-b9d9-5b7059159c8b.html Working Class History audio program http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:354109835/sounds.rss -- RSS feed https://libcom.org/library/working-class-history-podcast -- links to episodes, show information Related: http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/484912140-workingclasshistory-gi-resistance-in-vietnam-2.mp3 -- episode mentioning Jerry Lembcke and the spitting myth Related: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/opinion/myth-spitting-vietnam-protester.html -- Jerry Lembcke article on the spitting myth "1984" by George Orwell http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt https://www.george-orwell.org/1984 Vietnam Syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Syndrome Robert Parry on "Kicking the Vietnam Syndrome" http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/022811.html Professional-managerial class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional-managerial_class PBS NewsHour on "Deep State" by James B. Stewart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WXsGvwH4ng Democracy Now on "?Racism in America Is Endemic?: Democratic Candidates Vow to Confront White Supremacy & Legacy of Slavery" https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/democratic_debate_white_supremacy_racism John Clegg on "How Slavery Shaped American Capitalism" https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/how-slavery-shaped-american-capitalism Benjamin Studebaker on "Cotton is Not What Made the United States Rich" https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2019/09/03/cotton-is-not-what-made-the-united-states-rich/ Research notes https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051328.html -J From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Sat Oct 12 16:04:41 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 11:04:41 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] News from Neptune #437 notes In-Reply-To: <1aa1c3fc-da6d-a9a1-2b0d-36cc7714bd54@forestfield.org> References: <1aa1c3fc-da6d-a9a1-2b0d-36cc7714bd54@forestfield.org> Message-ID: Thanks to Jeff for providing the link to Wikipedia regarding my reference to the Professional Managerial Class, PMC, which was coined by the Ehrenreichs in the 1970s, and is the basis for Barbara Ehrenreich's great but mostly forgotten book, "Fear of Falling: the Inner Life of the Middle Class", which I used when I taught Sociology of Education 30 years ago. The Wikipedia article refers to as much as much as 30% or so of the population in this category, and that may be technically true in terms of occupational definitions. But as I stressed on the program, and as I have stressed in other contexts, I'm really referring to no more than 10% of the population, that portion that now owns 3/4 of the wealth. PMC members referred to in the Wikipedia article, especially teachers, nurses, etc., have a much more ambiguous status, characterized by an increasingly high level of unionization. This 10% is now the basis for the "meritocratic" class that supports the Clintonite/Warrenite Democratic Party, which has become increasingly tenuous due to its alienation of the "white working class," and its frayed relationship with POC in the post-Obama era. DG On Sat, Oct 12, 2019 at 8:27 AM J.B. Nicholson via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > News from Neptune #437 > Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCtgxNdPSIk > A "Ending U.S. War?" edition > > A list of links to items referenced on the show. > > President Trump on "GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS THE WORST DECISION EVER > MADE..." > https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1181905659568283648 > > Tulsi Gabbard on "Trump is not removing troops from Syria" > > https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1181984126083186688/pu/vid/360x504/QXA2SiMwPESphIGV.mp4 > https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1181984547963101189.html > > > > Benjamin Studebaker, Aimee Terese's show "What's Left?" > https://soundcloud.com/whatisleftpod/ep-1-whats-left-of-the-left -- > Episode 1 > https://twitter.com/whatisleftpod -- Twitter account > https://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:595199712/sounds.rss > -- > RSS feed > > Paul Left on "On the TrumpenLeft and False Equivalence" > > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/on-the-trumpenleft-and-false-equivalence/ > > Anthony Dimaggio on "Fake News in Trump's America" > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/fake-news-in-trumps-america/ > > Andrew Levine on "Trump's End Days" > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/11/trumps-end-days-2/ > > C.J. Hopkins on "Trumpenstein Must Be Destroyed!" > https://www.unz.com/chopkins/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ > https://consentfactory.org/2019/10/04/trumpenstein-must-be-destroyed/ > > David Green on "Challenging Nicholas Kristof?s Claim of ?Thousands More > Jeffrey Epsteins?" > > https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/10/02/challenging-nicholas-kristofs-claim-of-thousands-more-jeffrey-epsteins/ > > C. G. Estabrook responding to Louis Proyect on the Marxism mailing list > https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/pipermail/marxism/2019-October/292145.html > > Jim Dey articles in the News-Gazette > https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/jim%20dey/ > > Julie Wurth on "UI investigates anti-Semitism complaints" > > https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/ui-investigates-anti-semitism-complaints/article_c84f3c70-eb64-11e9-b41f-db8a3d1aaa7f.html > > Related: "Chancellor releases statement addressing antisemitism" > > https://dailyillini.com/news/2019/10/11/chancellor-releases-statement-addressing-antisemitism/ > > Julie Wurth articles in the News-Gazette > https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/Julie%20Wurth > > > > "Those Who Served" series in the News-Gazette > https://usveterans.news-gazette.com/ > > Paul Wood on "Those Who Served: 'Working in fear and isolation are the > real > corroding elements'" > > https://www.news-gazette.com/news/those-who-served-working-in-fear-and-isolation-are-the/article_b4a7d21d-8ce1-5be9-b9d9-5b7059159c8b.html > > Working Class History audio program > http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:354109835/sounds.rss > -- > RSS feed > https://libcom.org/library/working-class-history-podcast -- links to > episodes, show information > > Related: > > http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/484912140-workingclasshistory-gi-resistance-in-vietnam-2.mp3 > -- episode mentioning Jerry Lembcke and the spitting myth > > Related: > > https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/13/opinion/myth-spitting-vietnam-protester.html > -- Jerry Lembcke article on the spitting myth > > "1984" by George Orwell > http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt > https://www.george-orwell.org/1984 > > Vietnam Syndrome > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_Syndrome > > Robert Parry on "Kicking the Vietnam Syndrome" > http://www.consortiumnews.com/2011/022811.html > > Professional-managerial class > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional-managerial_class > > > > PBS NewsHour on "Deep State" by James B. Stewart > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WXsGvwH4ng > > > > Democracy Now on "?Racism in America Is Endemic?: Democratic Candidates > Vow > to Confront White Supremacy & Legacy of Slavery" > > https://www.democracynow.org/2019/9/13/democratic_debate_white_supremacy_racism > > John Clegg on "How Slavery Shaped American Capitalism" > https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/how-slavery-shaped-american-capitalism > > Benjamin Studebaker on "Cotton is Not What Made the United States Rich" > > https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2019/09/03/cotton-is-not-what-made-the-united-states-rich/ > > > Research notes > https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051328.html > > -J > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sat Oct 12 21:26:26 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 21:26:26 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?U=2ES=2E_and_Turkey_out_of_Syria_?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=94_No_to_the_NATO_invasion!?= Message-ID: U.S. and Turkey out of Syria ? No to the NATO invasion! By Party for Socialism and Liberation Oct 11, 2019 The Turkish invasion and bombardment of northern Syria is patently illegal and must be opposed. So too is the U.S. military occupation of Syria. The sovereign government of Syria has not invited U.S. or Turkish troops into its country. Rather it has condemned their presence as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. In just the first day of this operation, dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed and tens of thousands displaced. That Trump?s Democratic Party opponents and his Republican Party supporters are condemning his announcement of a ?pullout of US troops from Syria? is testament to the fact that the entire U.S. political establishment is thoroughly imbued with imperialist ideology. But Trump is not pulling the troops out of Syria. They are only being removed 20 miles south so that a Turkish military incursion can negate the possibility of the formation of a Kurdish-governed zone, be it in the form of an independent state or as an autonomous region within Syria. The Pentagon will, for the sake of damage control, distance themselves from the Turkish invasion, and Trump will deny he gave Erdogan the green light. But there is no doubt that this was coordinated. In essence one NATO power has turned over military control of a strip of northern Syria to another NATO ally. But it is not theirs to give. Neither the U.S. nor Turkey have any right to be in Syria. Nearly all the mainstream opposition to Trump and the Turkish invasion is obscuring this central fact. From Ilhan Omar to Mitch McConnell, MSNBC to National Review, all are now pounding away at Trump for leaving an opening in Syria to ?enemy states? ? implying the far-flung U.S. Empire is a force for good and stability, with unlimited global police powers and exempt from international law. Even some of those who said ?Bring the Troops Home? for Iraq and Afghanistan now find themselves echoing the neo-conservative talking points, defending a long-term illegal occupation of northern Syria in the name of ?protecting our allies.? This type of struggle against Trump is not being waged on an anti-war or progressive basis. The ruling-class argument is not that Trump is too much of a militarist or imperialist but rather that he often doesn?t follow through with his tough talk. At the United Nations two weeks ago, Trump delivered one of the most bellicose speeches ever given to that body ? an incredible display of swaggering, colonial arrogance, contemptuous of the rest of the world and threatening devastation to those who resist. But instead of making a big deal about this, the ?liberal? New York Times has goaded Trump with a series of articles about how he ?speaks loudly and carries a small stick.? Particularly upsetting to them is that he called off the Iran strikes this summer ? making the spectacular claim that not bombing Iran has destabilized the region. [Erdogan and Trump. Public domain.] Erdogan and Trump. Public domain. At the top echelons of the U.S. ruling class, the problem with Trump is not that he is too much of a militarist ? or alternately, that he?s too soft. It is that he is too unreliable, unpredictable and self-motivated to safeguard the Empire, and its system of alliances that they have carefully constructed over the last 70 years. For them, safeguarding these interests is the real job description of the President, and he is failing at it. They might even take him out if he wreaks more damage. The anti-war movement must, by contrast, denounce Trump on a completely different basis. We must say that Trump, while giving voice to the popular sentiment to end the ?forever wars,? is in fact lying. He is not pulling U.S. troops out of Syria ? only pulling them away from a 20-mile strip so as to cynically deliver the territory to Erdogan. Trump tanked the peace talks at the last second to end the Afghanistan war ? apparently caving to those like Pompeo, Pence and Bolton who advised him to do so. On North Korea, Trump has provided spectacle but nothing of substance; the occupation of southern Korea continues, along with the deployment of weapons systems, the war games and illegal sanctions. For all the talk about Ukraine, few are pondering the fact that Trump did what Obama cautiously refused to do: to deliver the Javelin anti-tank missile system to that far-right country, which will only deepen the bloody quagmire in the east and could lead to dangerous direct war with Russia. Trump has dramatically increased the attacks on Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua with punishing sanctions that have choked off these countries? access to international trade ? blatant economic warfare to which the ?liberal? opposition have hardly batted an eye. Is there another solution in Syria? The Syrian government has condemned the Turkish invasion and promised to, alongside the SDF/YPG, jointly defend the country?s sovereign territory. There is reportedly a consistent line of communication between the two forces; the stipulations and status of a deeper agreement are unknown at the time of this writing. But such a realignment would make a huge difference in the military and political relationship of forces. The two forces have a complicated relationship over the last eight years (and prior) ? sometimes opposing each other, and at other times working together. A new agreement of this nature would presumably endanger the ongoing U.S.-SDF relationship in other parts of the northeast, outside of the 20-mile strip. As of now the Kurdish-led military forces appear to be signaling a desire to maintain an alliance with U.S. military forces in the rest of northern Syria.The road to justice for Kurdish people or any minority people cannot be through a military alliance with predatory imperialism. U.S. imperialism is an obstacle to peace and self-determination and not its agent. Despite the sizable territory they control, Kurdish forces have been wrongly excluded from the Astana peace process which aims to produce a new Syrian constitution. Notably, they have been excluded not by Russia, Iran or the Syrian government but by Turkey, who refused to participate or allow the Free Syrian Army to participate, if the SDF/YPG were present. The only other proposal to head off a larger confrontation is Russia?s idea of reviving the 1998 Adana Accord between Syria and Turkey. But this is highly unlikely, as it would require Turkey, the largest sponsor of terrorism and mercenaries in the Syrian conflict to normalize its relations with the Syrian government. It would likewise require, as the original 1998 agreement stipulated, that the Syrian government would use its own military to work jointly with Turkey to contain the Kurdish national movement and it could still give Turkey a right to cross the border. So at this point, the options are for the SDF/YPG to fight alone against a much larger Turkish military, or to make an agreement with the Syrian government. The SDF/YPG is sending mixed signals at the moment. As stated above, some statements that appeared in the media indicate that these forces may be seeking to maintain an alliance with the U.S. further away from the border area in northern Syria. Such a long-term alliance with U.S. imperialism, which has illegally occupied the region and whose latest betrayal follows a century of betrayals, cannot be politically justified, and is clearly being withdrawn already by the Trump administration. The SDF/YPG forces have in prior interviews invoked the spirit of the U.S.-Soviet military alliance against the Nazis to explain the temporary confluence of interests with the U.S. military. This was the logic behind the call for U.S. air support to prevent ISIS from capturing and wiping out a Kurdish city of Kobane. But ISIS is largely defeated, and in the long run, everyone has understood that at some point the U.S. forces would have to leave and the Syrian government would remain. Moreover, no one seriously believes that the U.S. would ever fight a NATO ally, Turkey, in defense of the Kurdish people. The relationship of forces was bound to come to this sooner or later, as the SDF/YPG has long admitted in interviews. They have wanted to delay the arrival of that day, and were undoubtedly surprised that it had come in such a sudden and uncoordinated way. The truth is that most of the Western forces, conservative and liberal, who are crying crocodile tears over the Kurdish suffering care only about the projection of U.S. military power in Syria for geopolitical reasons. When the YPG fought in Aleppo alongside the Syrian government and against the Free Syrian Army and Al-Qaeda forces, these same Western forces cried out #SaveAleppo. When Turkey invaded Afrin and ethnically cleansed it of Kurds last year, they said nothing because Afrin was not part of U.S.-controlled territory. When Erdogan represses the Kurdish people in Turkey, the U.S. government sells him more weapons to do so ? without objection from the establishment here. If the SDF were to now ally with the Syrian government as a matter of self-defense against the Turkish invasion, where would Western liberal and conservative sentiment then stand? They would stand with Turkey ? a NATO ally ? and the Free Syrian Army-related mercenary forces, just as they have stood with them over the last eight years. Erdogan?s dream of a neo-Ottoman Empire has already been dashed. His goal of overthrowing the Syrian government has been defeated, after causing great suffering for the Syrian people, an explosion of fundamentalist death squads and groups like ISIS and a massive refugee crisis. With his star fading at home, Erdogan ? who at one point was maneuvering as a peacemaker on the Kurdish question ? has now turned to an all-out chauvinist crusade against the Kurdish minority within Turkey and across the border. He will meet considerable resistance in Syrian Kurdistan on one side while progressive workers in Turkey are already mobilizing at home against this criminal and dangerous adventure. From the United States, our message is clear: Down with the Turkish invasion! U.S. and Turkey out of Syria and the Middle East! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Sat Oct 12 22:31:35 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 22:31:35 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Another murder by Hillary & the Dems? Message-ID: [ NOTE that it is Correct Doctrine on this site that Seth Rich was murdered by an unknown DNC-Hillary-Deep State operative for leaking incriminating emails to WikiLeaks. ] Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Against Fox News Over Seth Rich Story NPR September 13, 2019 7:09 PM ET AVIE SCHNEIDER A federal appeals court is allowing a lawsuit by Seth Rich's parents against Fox News and two other defendants to proceed. A federal appeals court Friday [9/6] reinstated a lawsuit against Fox News and two other defendants over its coverage of the death of Seth Rich, a 27-year-old Democratic Party aide who was murdered in July 2016. The suit was filed by Rich's parents over a Fox News story from May 2017. The story reported that Rich had been linked to the leak of thousands of Democratic Party emails to WikiLeaks and suggested his death might be related to the release of those emails. The police department in Washington, D.C., believes Rich's shooting death was the result of a botched robbery. Fox retracted its story a week later, saying "the article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all of our reporting." The suit by Seth Rich's parents, Joel and Mary Rich, was dismissed last year by Judge George B. Daniels, of the Southern District of New York. Now, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has overturned that ruling on the suit surrounding Fox News' reporting about Rich's death. The Riches have sued Fox News and Malia Zimmerman, the reporter on the story, and Ed Butowsky, a Texas investment manager and former unpaid Fox News commentator, for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lenny Gail, an attorney for the Riches, said Friday's decision "clears the way for a thorough investigation into the facts. We will now obtain documents from Fox News and other parties and take testimony under oath from those involved." Fox News, in a statement, said that "while we extend the Rich family our deepest condolences for their loss, we believe that discovery will demonstrate that FOX News did not engage in conduct that will support the Riches' claims. We will be evaluating our next legal steps." In a statement, Joel and Mary Rich said, "We would not wish what we have experienced upon any other parent ? anywhere. We appreciate the appellate court's ruling and look forward to continuing to pursue justice." Editor's note: Ed Butowsky has filed a defamation suit against NPR and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik for their reporting on Fox News' story about Seth Rich. NPR has said it stands by its reporting and will defend the case vigorously. From r-szoke at illinois.edu Sat Oct 12 22:36:59 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 22:36:59 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Bothsidesing & Whataboutism Message-ID: Looking at ?Bothsidesing? When equal coverage leads to uneven results Merriam-Webster 23 Sep 2019 Bothsidesing is a critique leveled at the media and public personas referring to the practice of finding a second angle on a story in an attempt at appearing "fair" to each side, which can often be seen as lending credibility to a side or objectionable idea that has none. There are two sides to every story, or so we are told. Two people in an argument aren?t going to see an issue the same way. And people on different ends of the political spectrum are going to have different opinions about the events that take place in the news. Getting more than one point of view to the story is part and parcel of journalism, but sometimes that means taking pains to look for a second angle to a subject merely for the sake of argument. And that is how we have come to see use of bothsidesing. 'Bothsidesing' is thought to have much in common with 'whataboutism.' The state of our nation and the state of our president have all but passed the point of rescue, but the press, in misguided pursuit of objectivity and led by the New York Times, still ?bothsides? its coverage. Make no mistake: This too is bias, and though it?s not nearly as corrosive to democracy as the Trump administration, it distorts and accelerates that corrosion?all in the name of neutrality, no less. ? Roger Sollenberger, Paste, 27 Dec. 2018 Conservatives who spent decades railing against Kennedy, calling him a murderer and a scoundrel and screaming about the left's silence, are right to be annoyed by the bothsidesing of this event. ? Sonny Bunch, The Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2018 Bothsidesing and its related noun bothsidesism turn up in critiques of the news media when a journalist or pundit seems to give extra credence to a cause, action, or idea that on the surface seems objectionable, thereby establishing a sort of moral equivalence that allows said cause, action, or idea to be weighed seriously. By giving credence to the other side, the media gives an impression of being fair to its subject, but in doing so often provides credibility to an idea that most might view as unmerited. What really makes this the Tapper Moment, though, is not his growing fame and viral interviews. It's the breadth of the respect he's earned, and how he's wielding it in the age of Trump. Because while he's tough on conservatives and liberals alike, he doesn't engage in bothsidesism. As Tapper said to Maher, "I've never really seen this level of falsehood, just quantitatively." ? Graham Vyse, The New Republic, 9 Mar. 2018 'Bothsidesing' in Politics It?s not just the media that gets accused of bothsidesing. The term also arises whenever a public official?or anyone with a large listening audience?equivocates about a seemingly condemnable action by saying that the people on either side of that action are equally responsible for it having taken place. Bothsidesing happens prominently during times of mass protest?as protests are met with counterprotests and violent clashes erupt, turning to bothsidesism prevents one from explicitly identifying which is in the wrong, thereby avoiding any incisive comment on the discord that led to the protests in the first place. Calling this action bothsidesing might be a deliberate echo of Trump?s own language. In August 2017 he responded to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, saying that there were ?very fine people on both sides? at the rally, language that was viewed by many as a deliberate attempt to avoid singling out white supremacist activity. It?s probably not a coincidence that use of the term has increased in the months since Trump uttered the line?much of it on Twitter, sometimes as a hashtag. Similarities to 'Whataboutism' Bothsidesing has a lot in common with whataboutism?the rhetorical tactic of defending against an accusation by alerting others to a different accusation against an opponent. Both tactics rely on making false equivalences. While whataboutism comes with an element of diversion? look at what the guy over there did?bothsidesing tries to minimize what would often be deemed objectionable by heightening actions of other groups so that they will be deemed comparably objectionable. Some might argue that bothsidesing exposes a paradox about journalism: that sometimes, when both sides are treated fairly and equally, neither ends up shown in a true light. # # # From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 13 03:18:56 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 22:18:56 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Another murder by Hillary & the Dems? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <39F3DC4F-3831-476A-AED7-2CFCAA546326@gmail.com> The suggestion is that the Clinton campaign and the Democrat party organization had a motive to silence Seth Rich. If Rich leaked the DNC emails - rather than the Russians hacking them - then he would be able to disprove the hacking story that was not only important to the Clinton campaign but crucial to the Mueller report. The technical impossibility of the hacking story, and the asseverations of Craig Murray and others, would be supported without interfering with Wikileaks? general pledge not to reveal sources. The murder-mystery triad - motive, method, and opportunity - to identify suspects would here include "Hillary & the Dems.? ?CGE > On Oct 12, 2019, at 5:31 PM, Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss wrote: > > [ NOTE that it is Correct Doctrine on this site that Seth Rich was murdered by an unknown DNC-Hillary-Deep State operative for leaking incriminating emails to WikiLeaks. ] > > Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Against Fox News Over Seth Rich Story > > NPR September 13, 2019 7:09 PM ET > AVIE SCHNEIDER > > A federal appeals court is allowing a lawsuit by Seth Rich's parents against Fox News and two other defendants to proceed. > > A federal appeals court Friday [9/6] reinstated a lawsuit against Fox News and two other defendants over its coverage of the death of Seth Rich, a 27-year-old Democratic Party aide who was murdered in July 2016. > > The suit was filed by Rich's parents over a Fox News story from May 2017. The story reported that Rich had been linked to the leak of thousands of Democratic Party emails to WikiLeaks and suggested his death might be related to the release of those emails. The police department in Washington, D.C., believes Rich's shooting death was the result of a botched robbery. Fox retracted its story a week later, saying "the article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all of our reporting." > > The suit by Seth Rich's parents, Joel and Mary Rich, was dismissed last year by Judge George B. Daniels, of the Southern District of New York. Now, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has overturned that ruling on the suit surrounding Fox News' reporting about Rich's death. > > The Riches have sued Fox News and Malia Zimmerman, the reporter on the story, and Ed Butowsky, a Texas investment manager and former unpaid Fox News commentator, for intentional infliction of emotional distress. > > Lenny Gail, an attorney for the Riches, said Friday's decision "clears the way for a thorough investigation into the facts. We will now obtain documents from Fox News and other parties and take testimony under oath from those involved." > > Fox News, in a statement, said that "while we extend the Rich family our deepest condolences for their loss, we believe that discovery will demonstrate that FOX News did not engage in conduct that will support the Riches' claims. We will be evaluating our next legal steps." > > In a statement, Joel and Mary Rich said, "We would not wish what we have experienced upon any other parent ? anywhere. We appreciate the appellate court's ruling and look forward to continuing to pursue justice." > > Editor's note: Ed Butowsky has filed a defamation suit against NPR and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik for their reporting on Fox News' story about Seth Rich. NPR has said it stands by its reporting and will defend the case vigorously. > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 13 15:04:36 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 10:04:36 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Bothsidesing & Whataboutism In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <001701d581d7$87891f40$969b5dc0$@comcast.net> A much more accurate analysis of what the corporate owned media does is Norm Chomsky's " Limits of Allowable debate " and " Manufacturing of consent ". This article is extremely superficial in general but what made it leap from superficial to absurd was the following paragraph - " What really makes this the Tapper Moment, though, is not his growing fame and viral interviews. It's the breadth of the respect he's earned, and how he's wielding it in the age of Trump. Because while he's tough on conservatives and liberals alike, he doesn't engage in bothsidesism. As Tapper said to Maher, "I've never really seen this level of falsehood, just quantitatively." - Graham Vyse, The New Republic, 9 Mar. 2018 Really ? Citing Jake fucking Tapper from CNN as a good example ? Did I miss a satirical punch line somewhere in my reading of this ? Jake Tapper is one of the absolute WORST so called " journalists " ( actor and stenographer would be a more accurate description ) in the U.S. corporate media. Rivalled only by the conspiracy theory promoter Rachael Maddow and a cast of characters at FOX so called " News ". David Johnson -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2019 5:37 PM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace Subject: [Peace-discuss] Bothsidesing & Whataboutism Looking at 'Bothsidesing' When equal coverage leads to uneven results Merriam-Webster 23 Sep 2019 Bothsidesing is a critique leveled at the media and public personas referring to the practice of finding a second angle on a story in an attempt at appearing "fair" to each side, which can often be seen as lending credibility to a side or objectionable idea that has none. There are two sides to every story, or so we are told. Two people in an argument aren't going to see an issue the same way. And people on different ends of the political spectrum are going to have different opinions about the events that take place in the news. Getting more than one point of view to the story is part and parcel of journalism, but sometimes that means taking pains to look for a second angle to a subject merely for the sake of argument. And that is how we have come to see use of bothsidesing. 'Bothsidesing' is thought to have much in common with 'whataboutism.' The state of our nation and the state of our president have all but passed the point of rescue, but the press, in misguided pursuit of objectivity and led by the New York Times, still "bothsides" its coverage. Make no mistake: This too is bias, and though it's not nearly as corrosive to democracy as the Trump administration, it distorts and accelerates that corrosion-all in the name of neutrality, no less. - Roger Sollenberger, Paste, 27 Dec. 2018 Conservatives who spent decades railing against Kennedy, calling him a murderer and a scoundrel and screaming about the left's silence, are right to be annoyed by the bothsidesing of this event. - Sonny Bunch, The Washington Post, 19 Apr. 2018 Bothsidesing and its related noun bothsidesism turn up in critiques of the news media when a journalist or pundit seems to give extra credence to a cause, action, or idea that on the surface seems objectionable, thereby establishing a sort of moral equivalence that allows said cause, action, or idea to be weighed seriously. By giving credence to the other side, the media gives an impression of being fair to its subject, but in doing so often provides credibility to an idea that most might view as unmerited. What really makes this the Tapper Moment, though, is not his growing fame and viral interviews. It's the breadth of the respect he's earned, and how he's wielding it in the age of Trump. Because while he's tough on conservatives and liberals alike, he doesn't engage in bothsidesism. As Tapper said to Maher, "I've never really seen this level of falsehood, just quantitatively." - Graham Vyse, The New Republic, 9 Mar. 2018 'Bothsidesing' in Politics It's not just the media that gets accused of bothsidesing. The term also arises whenever a public official-or anyone with a large listening audience-equivocates about a seemingly condemnable action by saying that the people on either side of that action are equally responsible for it having taken place. Bothsidesing happens prominently during times of mass protest-as protests are met with counterprotests and violent clashes erupt, turning to bothsidesism prevents one from explicitly identifying which is in the wrong, thereby avoiding any incisive comment on the discord that led to the protests in the first place. Calling this action bothsidesing might be a deliberate echo of Trump's own language. In August 2017 he responded to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, saying that there were "very fine people on both sides" at the rally, language that was viewed by many as a deliberate attempt to avoid singling out white supremacist activity. It's probably not a coincidence that use of the term has increased in the months since Trump uttered the line-much of it on Twitter, sometimes as a hashtag. Similarities to 'Whataboutism' Bothsidesing has a lot in common with whataboutism-the rhetorical tactic of defending against an accusation by alerting others to a different accusation against an opponent. Both tactics rely on making false equivalences. While whataboutism comes with an element of diversion- look at what the guy over there did-bothsidesing tries to minimize what would often be deemed objectionable by heightening actions of other groups so that they will be deemed comparably objectionable. Some might argue that bothsidesing exposes a paradox about journalism: that sometimes, when both sides are treated fairly and equally, neither ends up shown in a true light. # # # _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 13 15:22:23 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 10:22:23 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Another murder by Hillary & the Dems? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <001901d581da$04113d70$0c33b850$@comcast.net> Ron, There is no evidence ( yet ) that indicates Seth Rich was murdered by " an unknown DNC-Hillary-Deep State operative ". However there is evidence that the DNC e-mails were downloaded ON SITE onto a thumb drive or disc. And that the download speed was too fast for a remote hack and based on the download speed could ONLY have been done directly from the server ON SITE. That according to NSA whistle blower William Binney who publicly posted / reported his findings and offered a cash reward if anyone could prove otherwise. NOBODY took him up on his offer. The other fact is that the DNC REFUSED to allow the FBI and Homeland Security to examine their servers. The DNC instead had their in house / on contract tech company CROWD STRIKE to write a report claiming ( with no evidence- just take their word for it ) that ; " The Russians hacked the DNC ". Then the DNC had their servers destroyed, hence destroying any evidence that may have proven otherwise. Therefore with those above FACTS in mind, it is not impossible or entirely implausible that SOMEBODY wanted Seth Rich murdered if they suspected him of being the person who downloaded the DNC files. Not saying that is what happened, but the possibility is not impossible and therefore should be considered as what might have happened and therefore should be a focus ( not the only focus ) of any criminal investigation. In any typical murder investigation the person or persons who intentionally destroyed evidence after being asked for it whould be a prime suspect. Why not in this case ? David Johnson -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2019 5:32 PM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace-discuss Subject: [Peace-discuss] Another murder by Hillary & the Dems? [ NOTE that it is Correct Doctrine on this site that Seth Rich was murdered by an unknown DNC-Hillary-Deep State operative for leaking incriminating emails to WikiLeaks. ] Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Against Fox News Over Seth Rich Story NPR September 13, 2019 7:09 PM ET AVIE SCHNEIDER A federal appeals court is allowing a lawsuit by Seth Rich's parents against Fox News and two other defendants to proceed. A federal appeals court Friday [9/6] reinstated a lawsuit against Fox News and two other defendants over its coverage of the death of Seth Rich, a 27-year-old Democratic Party aide who was murdered in July 2016. The suit was filed by Rich's parents over a Fox News story from May 2017. The story reported that Rich had been linked to the leak of thousands of Democratic Party emails to WikiLeaks and suggested his death might be related to the release of those emails. The police department in Washington, D.C., believes Rich's shooting death was the result of a botched robbery. Fox retracted its story a week later, saying "the article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all of our reporting." The suit by Seth Rich's parents, Joel and Mary Rich, was dismissed last year by Judge George B. Daniels, of the Southern District of New York. Now, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York has overturned that ruling on the suit surrounding Fox News' reporting about Rich's death. The Riches have sued Fox News and Malia Zimmerman, the reporter on the story, and Ed Butowsky, a Texas investment manager and former unpaid Fox News commentator, for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lenny Gail, an attorney for the Riches, said Friday's decision "clears the way for a thorough investigation into the facts. We will now obtain documents from Fox News and other parties and take testimony under oath from those involved." Fox News, in a statement, said that "while we extend the Rich family our deepest condolences for their loss, we believe that discovery will demonstrate that FOX News did not engage in conduct that will support the Riches' claims. We will be evaluating our next legal steps." In a statement, Joel and Mary Rich said, "We would not wish what we have experienced upon any other parent - anywhere. We appreciate the appellate court's ruling and look forward to continuing to pursue justice." Editor's note: Ed Butowsky has filed a defamation suit against NPR and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik for their reporting on Fox News' story about Seth Rich. NPR has said it stands by its reporting and will defend the case vigorously. _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From jbn at forestfield.org Sun Oct 13 18:42:42 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 13:42:42 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Another murder by Hillary & the Dems? In-Reply-To: <001901d581da$04113d70$0c33b850$@comcast.net> References: <001901d581da$04113d70$0c33b850$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <4697209b-f570-696c-7bd9-b9789104c27a@forestfield.org> David Johnson wrote: > Therefore with those above FACTS in mind, it is not impossible or entirely > implausible that SOMEBODY wanted Seth Rich murdered if they suspected him of > being the person who downloaded the DNC files. According to former CIA man John Kiriakou[1], someone handed Craig Murray a USB key containing a copy of DNC emails shortly after the 2016 Sam Adams award ceremony, and Craig Murray got that information to others at WikiLeaks. Kiriakou is backed up in this claim by Murray's December 2016 interview with The Daily Mail: From https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4034038/Ex-British-ambassador-WikiLeaks-operative-claims-Russia-did-NOT-provide-Clinton-emails-handed-D-C-park-intermediary-disgusted-Democratic-insiders.html > U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly told members of Congress > during classified briefings that they believe Russians passed the > documents on to Wikileaks as part of an influence operation to swing the > election in favor of Donald Trump. > > But Murray insisted that the DNC and Podesta emails published by > Wikileaks did not come from the Russians, and were given to the > whistleblowing group by Americans who had authorized access to the > information. > > 'Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians,' Murray said. 'The > source had legal access to the information. The documents came from > inside leaks, not hacks.' > > He said the leakers were motivated by 'disgust at the corruption of the > Clinton Foundation and the tilting of the primary election playing field > against Bernie Sanders.' > > Murray said he retrieved the package from a source during a clandestine > meeting in a wooded area near American University, in northwest D.C. He > said the individual he met with was not the original person who obtained > the information, but an intermediary. So the chain of handing off could look like: DNC server -> Seth Rich -> someone -> Craig Murray -> WikiLeaks It wouldn't have taken the Mueller report investigators much effort to interview Craig Murray or Julian Assange yet they interviewed neither man. If Craig Murray works for WikiLeaks (the Daily Mail calls Murray "a Wikileaks envoy") this would explain why Murray hasn't identified from whom he got the DNC email data. WikiLeaks doesn't reveal their sources (as well they shouldn't). I presume that also murdering Craig Murray would be harder to get away with than murdering Seth Rich was. As far as I know Rich lacked Murray's politically powerful friends; Murray was a former ambassador with Permanent Government connections (hence attending the Sam Adams award ceremony). Apparently the DNC got help from the seemingly highly corrupt Washington D.C. police (who initially claimed Seth Rich's murder was a robbery gone wrong despite that Seth Rich still had his belongings as he lay dead in the street). I'm unaware of the Washington D.C. police providing any information on Seth Rich's murder investigation over the past few years; years later we have no idea that the police possess any leads on the murderer. I find this to be indistinguishable from having silently dropped the investigation. [1] A transcript of Lee Camp interviewing John Kiriakou starting at 3m55s into https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrVWeA2QmWk > Lee Camp: And this is one of the many holes in the Muller report, which > still found no collusion, but they [the FBI] didn't even talk to Julian > Assange. > > John Kiriakou: They never even /asked/ to talk to Julian Assange. > > Lee Camp: It's amazing. > > John Kiriakou: And I'll tell you who else they didn't talk to was > Ambassador Craig Murray. Craig's the former ambassador to Uzbekistan. He > came here [to the US] right around that time in 2016 to participate in a > Sam Adams award ceremony. Sam Adams is a group of retired CIA, NSA, > other intelligence officers and we were giving an award. Well, Craig > loves to go out drinking after these award ceremonies. That night he > didn't. That night he said he had an important meeting. As it turned out > his important meeting was to meet someone who he's never named who gave > him a thumb drive with all of the information on it -- all of the DNC > emails-- > > Lee Camp: Wow. > > John Kiriakou: --which he then took to WikiLeaks. > > Lee Camp: Wow. > > John Kiriakou: So if he has come out to confess that it was not a hack, > not a Russian hack, 'I physically carried the documents to WikiLeaks', > why did the FBI never want to interview him? > > Lee Camp: That's incredible, I didn't even know that detail. But > there's been a lot of other evidence brought forward that this was not a > hack, it was a leak. It was from the inside. > > John Kiriakou: It was; Bill Binney, the former Technical Director at > the NSA has said repeatedly -- including in the Oval Office -- that the > rate of speed with the information was uploaded shows -- proves -- that > it could not possibly have been done remotely. It had to have been done > on- site on a thumb drive. > > Lee Camp: Yeah, but that upends the whole 'Russia did it' idea so we > can't have that. From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 13 20:45:23 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 20:45:23 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Interview with Kevin Zeese and Dr. Margaret Flowers Message-ID: https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/470821-rebel-kevin-zeese-resistance/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Sun Oct 13 23:05:45 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 18:05:45 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Interview with Kevin Zeese and Dr. Margaret Flowers In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <902AA839-A9BB-49F2-8F98-665775D810F0@newsfromneptune.com> On AOTA on Tuesday. > On Oct 13, 2019, at 3:45 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: > > https://www.rt.com/shows/on-contact/470821-rebel-kevin-zeese-resistance/ > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 00:23:52 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 00:23:52 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achtar uncloaked Message-ID: * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [https://i1.wp.com/thegrayzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/grayzone-logo-website.png?fit=700%2C200&ssl=1] The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire * YouTube * Facebook * Twitter * Reports * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [Gilbert Achcar British military] LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics ShareTweet Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. By Ben Norton Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan war]UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? [Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan]A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Jordan]A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. [Gilbert Achcar SOAS]Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar 2018] Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar Feburary 2019] Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. Lobbying for regime change in Syria Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? Peddling regime-change conspiracies While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? Demonizing Iran Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. And Achcar is far from alone. Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Helen Lackner Feburary 2019] Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. Former BBC manager and other scholars Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gamon McLellan 2018] Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Lina Khatib 2019] Other MOD training programs with British academics While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training James Gow Mart Kuldkepp] University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Russia implications UK military February 2018] In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 14:31:08 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:31:08 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Stop war, and climate change: Kevin Zeese is coming to Illinois Message-ID: In an effort to form a coalition of concerned individuals and groups, Kevin Zeese will be speaking at the Illini Union on Oct. 26th at 3:00pm. A panel discussion on Imperialism with locals such as David Johnson speaking on the ?Costs of War,? as well as others. A panel on Eco Socialism, with the goal of bringing these issues together and forming a coalition movement. Please see below: Kevin Zeese of Popular Resistance Coming to Illinois October 23-26, 2019 Posted on October 13, 2019 [Zeese_Embassy_Protectors.jpg] For years, Popular Resistance (https://popularresistance.org/) has been an indispensable source of information for the peace movement and struggles for economic, racial and environmental justice. Now co-director and frequent contributor Kevin Zeese will be coming to Illinois to speak at several events, including our Fall Conference in Urbana on October 26th. Zeese, a member of the Maryland Green Party, has been in the forefront of numerous struggles for peace and social justice, from the recent People?s Mobilization to Stop the US War Machine and Save the Planet outside the United Nations to his organizing of the Embassy Protection Collective in Washington. The Embassy Protection Collective is a group of peace activists who occupied the Venezuelan embassy in Washington with the permission of the sovereign government of Venezuela, after the Trump administration forced all diplomatic staff to leave the U.S. The Embassy Protection Collective successfully thwarted the Trump administration?s efforts to turn the embassy over to supporters of its puppet Juan Guaido, as part of its attempt to execute a coup in Venezuela. The above photo shows Kevin with Dr. Margaret Flowers during the protection action. Zeese is one of four Embassy Protectors now facing highly politicized federal criminal charges for his role in standing up for international law and the rights of nations to self-determination. Contributions to support the protectors? legal defense will be welcome at his appearances. (See defendembassyprotectors.org) Here is Kevin?s schedule while in Illinois: * Carbondale, Wednesday, October 23rd, 6:30 p.m.: ?Building the Peace Movement,? Carbondale Civic Center, 200 S. Illinois Ave. In this presentation, Zeese will expose the motives underlying our misbegotten foreign policy. He will be sharing his knowledge about U.S. interventions in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ukraine, and the Middle East, in making the case that the peace movement needs to become an explicitly anti-imperialist movement. Co-sponsored by the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois and the Shawnee Green Party. * Evanston, Thursday, October 24th, evening: Morton Civic Center, Lake Superior Room, Room #G300, 2100 Ridge Avenue. Further details forthcoming in next newsletter. * Chicago, Friday, October 25th, evening: Cary?s Lounge, 2251 W Devon Ave. (West Rogers Park.) Further details forthcoming in next newsletter. * Urbana, October 26th, 3 p.m.: Illinois Green Party Fall Conference, Illini Student Union Building, 1401 W Green St., Room 314B. Kevin will be participating in an afternoon panel on ?The Need For an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement.? * Champaign, October 26th, 6 p.m.: Fall Conference Dinner, Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge, 6 E. Columbia Ave., Champaign. After-dinner talk on the Venezuela Embassy Protection Collective and the Embassy Protectors Defense Committee. Dinner is off the menu at about 6:30; talk at about 7:30. Joint fundraiser for the Illinois Green Party and the Defense Committee. Suggested door donation of $20 but open to all. [us hands off venezuela 1 26 2019 milwaukee] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From brussel at illinois.edu Mon Oct 14 17:17:38 2019 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:17:38 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achtar uncloaked In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss > wrote: * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [https://i1.wp.com/thegrayzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/grayzone-logo-website.png?fit=700%2C200&ssl=1] The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire * YouTube * Facebook * Twitter * Reports * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [Gilbert Achcar British military] LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics ShareTweet Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. By Ben Norton Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan war]UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? [Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan]A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Jordan]A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. [Gilbert Achcar SOAS]Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar 2018] Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar Feburary 2019] Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. Lobbying for regime change in Syria Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? Peddling regime-change conspiracies While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? Demonizing Iran Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. And Achcar is far from alone. Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Helen Lackner Feburary 2019] Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. Former BBC manager and other scholars Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gamon McLellan 2018] Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Lina Khatib 2019] Other MOD training programs with British academics While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training James Gow Mart Kuldkepp] University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Russia implications UK military February 2018] In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 18:07:40 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 18:07:40 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achtar uncloaked In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Mort Good idea, I will see what I can do. On Oct 14, 2019, at 10:17, Brussel, Morton K > wrote: Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss > wrote: * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [https://i1.wp.com/thegrayzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/grayzone-logo-website.png?fit=700%2C200&ssl=1] The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire * YouTube * Facebook * Twitter * Reports * Videos * Espa?ol * Pushback * Contributors * Support * About * Contact [Gilbert Achcar British military] LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics ShareTweet Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. By Ben Norton Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan war]UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? [Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Afghanistan]A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? [UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit Jordan]A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. [Gilbert Achcar SOAS]Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar 2018] Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gilbert Achcar Feburary 2019] Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. Lobbying for regime change in Syria Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? Peddling regime-change conspiracies While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? Demonizing Iran Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. And Achcar is far from alone. Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Helen Lackner Feburary 2019] Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. Former BBC manager and other scholars Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Gamon McLellan 2018] Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Lina Khatib 2019] Other MOD training programs with British academics While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. [SOAS Ministry of Defence training James Gow Mart Kuldkepp] University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? [SOAS Ministry of Defence training Russia implications UK military February 2018] In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 18:51:29 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 18:51:29 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Norm Finkelstein in battle with Princetons school newspaper Message-ID: http://normanfinkelstein.com/2019/10/14/i-am-currently-in-a-battle-with-princetons-school-paper-the-daily-princetonian-which-grotesquely- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 14 19:12:48 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:12:48 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achtar uncloaked In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <56A59D3E-920C-432F-BEC7-D698E8DFD57F@newsfromneptune.com> Don?t you think what he said is more important than where he said it? People who work in US universities can?t get too heavy on this point? And Achcar (not 'Achtar?) didn?t defend the Obama-Clinton attack on the Libyan government. He defended the UN support for a no-fly zone around Bengazi. Obama?Clinton used that as an excuse and went well beyond it - to overthrow the most progressive government in Africa. The liberal establishment picks villains - Gaddaffi, Trump - in order to mask its neolib and neocon policies. It?s those policies that must be opposed, not the liberals? bogeymen. ?CGE > On Oct 14, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: > > Mort > > Good idea, I will see what I can do. > > >> On Oct 14, 2019, at 10:17, Brussel, Morton K wrote: >> >> Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. >> >>> On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>> >>> >>> ? Videos >>> >>> ? Espa?ol >>> >>> ? Pushback >>> >>> ? Contributors >>> >>> ? Support >>> >>> ? About >>> >>> ? Contact >>> >>> The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire >>> ? YouTube >>> >>> ? Facebook >>> >>> ? Twitter >>> >>> ? Reports >>> >>> ? Videos >>> >>> ? Espa?ol >>> >>> ? Pushback >>> >>> ? Contributors >>> >>> ? Support >>> >>> ? About >>> >>> ? Contact >>> >>> >>> LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 >>> Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics >>> >>> Share >>> Tweet >>> Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. >>> By Ben Norton >>> Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. >>> >>> Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. >>> >>> Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. >>> >>> Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. >>> >>> At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. >>> >>> The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. >>> >>> The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. >>> >>> Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. >>> >>> Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. >>> >>> Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. >>> >>> Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. >>> >>> To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>> >>> The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. >>> >>> The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. >>> >>> >>> UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan >>> Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? >>> On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? >>> >>> SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. >>> >>> But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. >>> >>> Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) >>> >>> The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. >>> >>> The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? >>> >>> The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? >>> >>> On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. >>> >>> These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? >>> >>> >>> A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan >>> A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? >>> The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. >>> >>> The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? >>> >>> The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? >>> >>> Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. >>> >>> A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. >>> >>> >>> >>> The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? >>> >>> By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? >>> >>> The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. >>> >>> One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? >>> >>> The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. >>> >>> A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. >>> >>> The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. >>> >>> An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? >>> >>> >>> A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan >>> According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. >>> >>> The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. >>> >>> The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. >>> >>> >>> Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 >>> Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military >>> One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. >>> >>> Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? >>> >>> Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. >>> >>> One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. >>> >>> >>> Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. >>> >>> One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? >>> >>> Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. >>> >>> >>> Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? >>> Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. >>> >>> Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? >>> >>> But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. >>> >>> Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. >>> >>> The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. >>> >>> Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. >>> >>> This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. >>> >>> ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya >>> In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. >>> >>> In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. >>> >>> Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. >>> >>> In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. >>> >>> Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. >>> >>> Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? >>> >>> He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? >>> >>> The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. >>> >>> Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? >>> >>> Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. >>> >>> During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. >>> >>> While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. >>> >>> Lobbying for regime change in Syria >>> Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. >>> >>> Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. >>> >>> But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? >>> >>> Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. >>> >>> ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? >>> >>> For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? >>> >>> Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? >>> >>> While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. >>> >>> ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? >>> >>> That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? >>> >>> This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? >>> >>> The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? >>> >>> The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. >>> >>> ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? >>> >>> Peddling regime-change conspiracies >>> While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. >>> >>> In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. >>> >>> As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? >>> >>> According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. >>> >>> While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. >>> >>> As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. >>> >>> ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. >>> >>> Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? >>> >>> Demonizing Iran >>> Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. >>> >>> In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? >>> >>> While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. >>> >>> Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. >>> >>> In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. >>> >>> Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? >>> >>> He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? >>> >>> Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. >>> >>> Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. >>> >>> And Achcar is far from alone. >>> >>> Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner >>> Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. >>> >>> Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. >>> >>> On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. >>> >>> >>> Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. >>> >>> In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? >>> >>> Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? >>> >>> She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. >>> >>> Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. >>> >>> The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? >>> >>> Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? >>> >>> But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. >>> >>> In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. >>> >>> Former BBC manager and other scholars >>> Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. >>> >>> McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. >>> >>> He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. >>> >>> Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. >>> >>> ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. >>> >>> In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? >>> >>> >>> Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. >>> >>> Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. >>> >>> Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. >>> >>> Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? >>> >>> >>> Other MOD training programs with British academics >>> While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. >>> >>> In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. >>> >>> Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. >>> >>> Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. >>> >>> >>> University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? >>> >>> Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. >>> >>> In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>> >>> >>> In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. >>> >>> The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. >>> >>> The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? >>> >>> This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >> > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 19:22:59 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 19:22:59 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achcar uncloaked In-Reply-To: <56A59D3E-920C-432F-BEC7-D698E8DFD57F@newsfromneptune.com> References: <56A59D3E-920C-432F-BEC7-D698E8DFD57F@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: Carl Sorry about the misspelling, but Achcar has been writing on the ISR for sometime supporting USG interventions in Syria, he is as an academic very good at not being too obvious in his support for war, but support war he does. He isn?t the only one posing as anti-war liberals, anarchists or socialists, as the ISO did previously. The ISO was funded by the DNC. They all deserve to be uncloaked, I would think you?d be pleased. I?m waiting to see the uncloaking of Louis Proyect who has influenced many people to support US imperialism. > On Oct 14, 2019, at 12:12, C. G. Estabrook wrote: > > Don?t you think what he said is more important than where he said it? > > People who work in US universities can?t get too heavy on this point? > > And Achcar (not 'Achtar?) didn?t defend the Obama-Clinton attack on the Libyan government. He defended the UN support for a no-fly zone around Bengazi. Obama?Clinton used that as an excuse and went well beyond it - to overthrow the most progressive government in Africa. > > The liberal establishment picks villains - Gaddaffi, Trump - in order to mask its neolib and neocon policies. It?s those policies that must be opposed, not the liberals? bogeymen. > > ?CGE > > >> On Oct 14, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >> >> Mort >> >> Good idea, I will see what I can do. >> >> >>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 10:17, Brussel, Morton K wrote: >>> >>> Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. >>> >>>> On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> ? Videos >>>> >>>> ? Espa?ol >>>> >>>> ? Pushback >>>> >>>> ? Contributors >>>> >>>> ? Support >>>> >>>> ? About >>>> >>>> ? Contact >>>> >>>> The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire >>>> ? YouTube >>>> >>>> ? Facebook >>>> >>>> ? Twitter >>>> >>>> ? Reports >>>> >>>> ? Videos >>>> >>>> ? Espa?ol >>>> >>>> ? Pushback >>>> >>>> ? Contributors >>>> >>>> ? Support >>>> >>>> ? About >>>> >>>> ? Contact >>>> >>>> >>>> LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 >>>> Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics >>>> >>>> Share >>>> Tweet >>>> Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. >>>> By Ben Norton >>>> Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. >>>> >>>> Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. >>>> >>>> Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. >>>> >>>> Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. >>>> >>>> At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. >>>> >>>> The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. >>>> >>>> The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. >>>> >>>> Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. >>>> >>>> Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. >>>> >>>> Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. >>>> >>>> Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. >>>> >>>> To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>> >>>> The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. >>>> >>>> The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. >>>> >>>> >>>> UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan >>>> Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? >>>> On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? >>>> >>>> SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. >>>> >>>> But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. >>>> >>>> Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) >>>> >>>> The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. >>>> >>>> The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? >>>> >>>> The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? >>>> >>>> On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. >>>> >>>> These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? >>>> >>>> >>>> A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan >>>> A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? >>>> The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. >>>> >>>> The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? >>>> >>>> The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? >>>> >>>> Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. >>>> >>>> A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? >>>> >>>> By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? >>>> >>>> The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. >>>> >>>> One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? >>>> >>>> The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. >>>> >>>> A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. >>>> >>>> The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. >>>> >>>> An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? >>>> >>>> >>>> A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan >>>> According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. >>>> >>>> The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. >>>> >>>> The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. >>>> >>>> >>>> Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 >>>> Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military >>>> One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. >>>> >>>> Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? >>>> >>>> Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. >>>> >>>> One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. >>>> >>>> >>>> Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. >>>> >>>> One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? >>>> >>>> Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. >>>> >>>> >>>> Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? >>>> Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. >>>> >>>> Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? >>>> >>>> But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. >>>> >>>> Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. >>>> >>>> The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. >>>> >>>> Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. >>>> >>>> This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. >>>> >>>> ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya >>>> In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. >>>> >>>> In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. >>>> >>>> Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. >>>> >>>> In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. >>>> >>>> Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. >>>> >>>> Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? >>>> >>>> He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? >>>> >>>> The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. >>>> >>>> Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? >>>> >>>> Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. >>>> >>>> During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. >>>> >>>> While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. >>>> >>>> Lobbying for regime change in Syria >>>> Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. >>>> >>>> Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. >>>> >>>> But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? >>>> >>>> Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. >>>> >>>> ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? >>>> >>>> For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? >>>> >>>> Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? >>>> >>>> While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. >>>> >>>> ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? >>>> >>>> That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? >>>> >>>> This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? >>>> >>>> The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? >>>> >>>> The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. >>>> >>>> ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? >>>> >>>> Peddling regime-change conspiracies >>>> While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. >>>> >>>> In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. >>>> >>>> As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? >>>> >>>> According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. >>>> >>>> While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. >>>> >>>> As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. >>>> >>>> ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. >>>> >>>> Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? >>>> >>>> Demonizing Iran >>>> Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. >>>> >>>> In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? >>>> >>>> While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. >>>> >>>> Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. >>>> >>>> In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. >>>> >>>> Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? >>>> >>>> He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? >>>> >>>> Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. >>>> >>>> Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. >>>> >>>> And Achcar is far from alone. >>>> >>>> Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner >>>> Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. >>>> >>>> Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. >>>> >>>> On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. >>>> >>>> >>>> Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. >>>> >>>> In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? >>>> >>>> Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? >>>> >>>> She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. >>>> >>>> Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. >>>> >>>> The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? >>>> >>>> Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? >>>> >>>> But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. >>>> >>>> In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. >>>> >>>> Former BBC manager and other scholars >>>> Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. >>>> >>>> McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. >>>> >>>> He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. >>>> >>>> Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. >>>> >>>> ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. >>>> >>>> In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? >>>> >>>> >>>> Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. >>>> >>>> Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. >>>> >>>> Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. >>>> >>>> Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? >>>> >>>> >>>> Other MOD training programs with British academics >>>> While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. >>>> >>>> In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. >>>> >>>> Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. >>>> >>>> Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. >>>> >>>> >>>> University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? >>>> >>>> Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. >>>> >>>> In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>> >>>> >>>> In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. >>>> >>>> The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. >>>> >>>> The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? >>>> >>>> This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace-discuss mailing list >> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > From jbw292002 at gmail.com Mon Oct 14 19:45:17 2019 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:45:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Norm Finkelstein in battle with Princetons school newspaper In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: This quote is interesting. It could describe a great many situations around the world. ********** Edith Garwood spoke extensively about the ways in which Israel has violated international law with the occupation of Gaza and compared the method by which Israel oppresses Palestinians to ?money-laundering.? ?There?s about 65 laws on the books that both directly and indirectly discriminate. Israel has for decades been very careful to not explicitly say things on the book so you don?t see the discrimination,? Garwood said. ?It?s kind of how money-laundering works, where you take dirty money but you invest it in something legit, and you move it around so much so that the trail gets cold and it?s hard to follow. I will say that they launder discrimination.? ********** On Mon, Oct 14, 2019 at 1:52 PM Karen Aram via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > http://normanfinkelstein.com/2019/10/14/i-am-currently-in-a-battle-with-princetons-school-paper-the-daily-princetonian-which-grotesquely- > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 14 19:54:10 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 14:54:10 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achcar uncloaked In-Reply-To: References: <56A59D3E-920C-432F-BEC7-D698E8DFD57F@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: <5790ACDE-9E62-4FCD-968A-B181A2B8E714@newsfromneptune.com> From a dozen years ago: http://socialistreview.org.uk/317/perilous-power > On Oct 14, 2019, at 2:22 PM, Karen Aram wrote: > > Carl > > Sorry about the misspelling, but Achcar has been writing on the ISR for sometime supporting USG interventions in Syria, he is as an academic very good at not being too obvious in his support for war, but support war he does. He isn?t the only one posing as anti-war liberals, anarchists or socialists, as the ISO did previously. The ISO was funded by the DNC. > > They all deserve to be uncloaked, I would think you?d be pleased. I?m waiting to see the uncloaking of Louis Proyect who has influenced many people to support US imperialism. > > >> On Oct 14, 2019, at 12:12, C. G. Estabrook wrote: >> >> Don?t you think what he said is more important than where he said it? >> >> People who work in US universities can?t get too heavy on this point? >> >> And Achcar (not 'Achtar?) didn?t defend the Obama-Clinton attack on the Libyan government. He defended the UN support for a no-fly zone around Bengazi. Obama?Clinton used that as an excuse and went well beyond it - to overthrow the most progressive government in Africa. >> >> The liberal establishment picks villains - Gaddaffi, Trump - in order to mask its neolib and neocon policies. It?s those policies that must be opposed, not the liberals? bogeymen. >> >> ?CGE >> >> >>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>> >>> Mort >>> >>> Good idea, I will see what I can do. >>> >>> >>>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 10:17, Brussel, Morton K wrote: >>>> >>>> Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. >>>> >>>>> On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ? Videos >>>>> >>>>> ? Espa?ol >>>>> >>>>> ? Pushback >>>>> >>>>> ? Contributors >>>>> >>>>> ? Support >>>>> >>>>> ? About >>>>> >>>>> ? Contact >>>>> >>>>> The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire >>>>> ? YouTube >>>>> >>>>> ? Facebook >>>>> >>>>> ? Twitter >>>>> >>>>> ? Reports >>>>> >>>>> ? Videos >>>>> >>>>> ? Espa?ol >>>>> >>>>> ? Pushback >>>>> >>>>> ? Contributors >>>>> >>>>> ? Support >>>>> >>>>> ? About >>>>> >>>>> ? Contact >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 >>>>> Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics >>>>> >>>>> Share >>>>> Tweet >>>>> Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. >>>>> By Ben Norton >>>>> Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. >>>>> >>>>> Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. >>>>> >>>>> At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. >>>>> >>>>> The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. >>>>> >>>>> The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. >>>>> >>>>> Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. >>>>> >>>>> Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. >>>>> >>>>> Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. >>>>> >>>>> Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. >>>>> >>>>> To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>>> >>>>> The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. >>>>> >>>>> The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan >>>>> Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? >>>>> On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? >>>>> >>>>> SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. >>>>> >>>>> But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) >>>>> >>>>> The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. >>>>> >>>>> The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? >>>>> >>>>> The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? >>>>> >>>>> On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. >>>>> >>>>> These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan >>>>> A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? >>>>> The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. >>>>> >>>>> The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? >>>>> >>>>> The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? >>>>> >>>>> Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. >>>>> >>>>> A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? >>>>> >>>>> By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? >>>>> >>>>> The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. >>>>> >>>>> One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? >>>>> >>>>> The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. >>>>> >>>>> A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. >>>>> >>>>> The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. >>>>> >>>>> An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan >>>>> According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. >>>>> >>>>> The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. >>>>> >>>>> The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 >>>>> Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military >>>>> One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? >>>>> >>>>> Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. >>>>> >>>>> One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. >>>>> >>>>> One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? >>>>> >>>>> Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? >>>>> Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. >>>>> >>>>> Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? >>>>> >>>>> But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. >>>>> >>>>> Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. >>>>> >>>>> The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. >>>>> >>>>> Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. >>>>> >>>>> This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. >>>>> >>>>> ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya >>>>> In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. >>>>> >>>>> In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. >>>>> >>>>> Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. >>>>> >>>>> In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? >>>>> >>>>> He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? >>>>> >>>>> The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. >>>>> >>>>> Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? >>>>> >>>>> Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. >>>>> >>>>> During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. >>>>> >>>>> While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. >>>>> >>>>> Lobbying for regime change in Syria >>>>> Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. >>>>> >>>>> Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. >>>>> >>>>> But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? >>>>> >>>>> Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. >>>>> >>>>> ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? >>>>> >>>>> For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? >>>>> >>>>> Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? >>>>> >>>>> While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. >>>>> >>>>> ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? >>>>> >>>>> That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? >>>>> >>>>> This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? >>>>> >>>>> The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? >>>>> >>>>> The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. >>>>> >>>>> ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? >>>>> >>>>> Peddling regime-change conspiracies >>>>> While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. >>>>> >>>>> In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. >>>>> >>>>> As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? >>>>> >>>>> According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. >>>>> >>>>> While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. >>>>> >>>>> As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. >>>>> >>>>> ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? >>>>> >>>>> Demonizing Iran >>>>> Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. >>>>> >>>>> In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? >>>>> >>>>> While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. >>>>> >>>>> Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. >>>>> >>>>> In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. >>>>> >>>>> Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? >>>>> >>>>> He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? >>>>> >>>>> Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. >>>>> >>>>> Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. >>>>> >>>>> And Achcar is far from alone. >>>>> >>>>> Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner >>>>> Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. >>>>> >>>>> Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. >>>>> >>>>> On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. >>>>> >>>>> In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? >>>>> >>>>> Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? >>>>> >>>>> She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. >>>>> >>>>> Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. >>>>> >>>>> The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? >>>>> >>>>> Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? >>>>> >>>>> But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. >>>>> >>>>> In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. >>>>> >>>>> Former BBC manager and other scholars >>>>> Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. >>>>> >>>>> McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. >>>>> >>>>> He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. >>>>> >>>>> Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. >>>>> >>>>> ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. >>>>> >>>>> In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. >>>>> >>>>> Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. >>>>> >>>>> Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. >>>>> >>>>> Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Other MOD training programs with British academics >>>>> While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. >>>>> >>>>> In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. >>>>> >>>>> Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. >>>>> >>>>> Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? >>>>> >>>>> Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. >>>>> >>>>> In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. >>>>> >>>>> The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. >>>>> >>>>> The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? >>>>> >>>>> This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >> > From cgestabrook at gmail.com Mon Oct 14 20:03:21 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 15:03:21 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Coup by the 'intelligence community' & the establishment Message-ID: <03D76B9E-0DA7-4681-89B8-6ACF7F141DA2@gmail.com> https://taibbi.substack.com/p/were-in-a-permanent-coup From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Oct 14 20:21:58 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:21:58 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] JFP alert: Tell Engel His "Backdoor to War" is Unconstitutional In-Reply-To: References: <4432268362.482366462@org.orgDB.reply.salsalabs.com> Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Just Foreign Policy Date: Mon, Oct 14, 2019 at 2:48 PM Subject: Tell Engel His "Backdoor to War" is Unconstitutional To: [image: Just Foreign Policy] *Urge Congress to tell HFAC Chair Eliot Engel that his "backdoor to war" is unconstitutional. Sign the petition * Dear Robert, New York Representative Eliot Engel, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced a bill [H.R. 625] that tries to endorse the use of U.S. military force in Syria without specifically authorizing the use of force as required by Section 8 of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which is U.S. law. The purpose of Section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution is to prevent the President from claiming that Congress has authorized the use of force unless Congress has specifically and explicitly done so. [Eliot Engel voted for the Iraq war, opposed President Obama?s Iran nuclear deal, supported President Trump?s aborted military strike on Iran, was one of only 16 House Democrats who voted to keep sending cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia to use in Yemen even after Obama stopped it, and has obstructed efforts to end unconstitutional U.S. participation in the catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen.] Congress has never authorized the use of military force in Syria as required by Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution. Any legal argument for the presence of U.S. troops in Syria was based on the disputed claim that ISIS was covered by the 2001 authorization for the use of force against Al Qaeda passed after the September 11 attacks eighteen years ago. If ISIS is defeated in Syria, that contested claim is moot. There is no dispute that Congress never authorized force in Syria against anyone who is not Al Qaeda or their so-called ?associated forces.? If the House passes Engel?s ?backdoor to war,? it would threaten future efforts to use the War Powers Resolution to end and prevent wars by undermining Section 8 of the War Powers Resolution. The President could point to any text passed by Congress that any Administration lawyer could somehow construe as an ?authorization of military force? and claim that was all the ?authorization? necessary to use military force. Then it would be even harder than it is now to force Congress to vote. As we?ve seen in our efforts to end unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen, it?s very hard for us to prevent or end wars if we can?t force Congress to vote. *Urge Eliot Engel to withdraw his unconstitutional bill to endorse the use of military force in Syria without authorizing it by signing our petition.* Thanks for all you do to help U.S. foreign policy become more just, Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy *If you think our work is important, please make a donation to support it. * *http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate * [image: Please support our work. Donate for a Just Foreign Policy] ? 2019 Just Foreign Policy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Oct 14 20:38:03 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:38:03 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Coup by the 'intelligence community' & the establishment In-Reply-To: <03D76B9E-0DA7-4681-89B8-6ACF7F141DA2@gmail.com> References: <03D76B9E-0DA7-4681-89B8-6ACF7F141DA2@gmail.com> Message-ID: I agree that the way the intelligence agencies have inserted themselves into the political process is very troubling. Democrats seem to have forgotten that this started with Comey's intervention against Hillary. Or else they don't care, we have a new "norm" now that seeking such intervention is fair game for both parties, and the winner is whoever does it more effectively and gets away with it. I support impeachment if and only if they impeach Trump for continuing unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen even after Congress voted against it. Those are facts that are beyond dispute. No investigation is necessary. No classified intelligence is necessary. No speculation about motives is necessary. It's a fact that Congress never authorized U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen. It's a fact that Trump continued U.S. participation in the war even after Congress voted against it. It's a fact that under Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress, not the President, is supposed to decide on the use of force. On Mon, Oct 14, 2019 at 4:03 PM C G Estabrook via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > https://taibbi.substack.com/p/were-in-a-permanent-coup > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 14 21:37:13 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 21:37:13 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gilbert Achcar uncloaked In-Reply-To: <5790ACDE-9E62-4FCD-968A-B181A2B8E714@newsfromneptune.com> References: <56A59D3E-920C-432F-BEC7-D698E8DFD57F@newsfromneptune.com> <5790ACDE-9E62-4FCD-968A-B181A2B8E714@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: Obama said a lot of good things about a dozen years ago too. > On Oct 14, 2019, at 12:54, C. G. Estabrook wrote: > > From a dozen years ago: > > http://socialistreview.org.uk/317/perilous-power > > >> On Oct 14, 2019, at 2:22 PM, Karen Aram wrote: >> >> Carl >> >> Sorry about the misspelling, but Achcar has been writing on the ISR for sometime supporting USG interventions in Syria, he is as an academic very good at not being too obvious in his support for war, but support war he does. He isn?t the only one posing as anti-war liberals, anarchists or socialists, as the ISO did previously. The ISO was funded by the DNC. >> >> They all deserve to be uncloaked, I would think you?d be pleased. I?m waiting to see the uncloaking of Louis Proyect who has influenced many people to support US imperialism. >> >> >>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 12:12, C. G. Estabrook wrote: >>> >>> Don?t you think what he said is more important than where he said it? >>> >>> People who work in US universities can?t get too heavy on this point? >>> >>> And Achcar (not 'Achtar?) didn?t defend the Obama-Clinton attack on the Libyan government. He defended the UN support for a no-fly zone around Bengazi. Obama?Clinton used that as an excuse and went well beyond it - to overthrow the most progressive government in Africa. >>> >>> The liberal establishment picks villains - Gaddaffi, Trump - in order to mask its neolib and neocon policies. It?s those policies that must be opposed, not the liberals? bogeymen. >>> >>> ?CGE >>> >>> >>>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 1:07 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>>> >>>> Mort >>>> >>>> Good idea, I will see what I can do. >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Oct 14, 2019, at 10:17, Brussel, Morton K wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Good to see this expos? of Ashcar and others, working with and for UK and NATO militaries. Someone should alert Paul Street about this, who vigorously defended Ashcar (to the point that he ceased giving his email address to his commentaries (seemingly because of my use of them) when i criticized his defense of Ashcar for adocating military interentions in Libya. Unhappily, Le Monde Diplomatique, has also published some of Ashcar's essays. >>>>> >>>>>> On Oct 13, 2019, at 7:23 PM, Karen Aram via Peace-discuss wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Videos >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Espa?ol >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Pushback >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Contributors >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Support >>>>>> >>>>>> ? About >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Contact >>>>>> >>>>>> The Grayzone Investigative journalism on politics and empire >>>>>> ? YouTube >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Facebook >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Twitter >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Reports >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Videos >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Espa?ol >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Pushback >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Contributors >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Support >>>>>> >>>>>> ? About >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Contact >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> LIBYA, SYRIA, UKOctober 3, 2019 >>>>>> Elite UK military unit secretly trained by leftist regime-change advocate Gilbert Achcar and other academics >>>>>> >>>>>> Share >>>>>> Tweet >>>>>> Government documents show scholar Gilbert Achcar and other pro-regime change academics have given training sessions to UK Ministry of Defense soldiers, helping the British military enhance its counter-insurgency tactics. >>>>>> By Ben Norton >>>>>> Declassified British government documents obtained by The Grayzone show that prominent regime-change activists who work in academia and market themselves as leftists have been quietly teaching training sessions for the United Kingdom?s Ministry of Defense. >>>>>> >>>>>> Among these UK military collaborators is the scholar Gilbert Achcar, a frequent contributor to Jacobin Magazine and Democracy Now who teaches international relations at the University of London?s School of Oriental and African Studies. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar has publicly identified himself as a Marxist while vehemently advocating for the overthrow of independent post-colonial governments in Libya and Syria. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar defended foreign intervention in Libya in 2011, insisting ?no one can reasonably oppose? the so-called no-fly zone, which was used to violently overthrow the government. And in 2018 he signed an open letter calling for foreign intervention in Syria, citing the ?responsibility to protect? doctrine in order to ?forcibly stop? the war. >>>>>> >>>>>> At the same time, Achcar has repeatedly attacked the anti-imperialist left, without ever publicly disclosing his work with the British military. >>>>>> >>>>>> The regular educational sessions led by Achcar and other top academics were organized to train the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit. This wing of the British military is staffed by senior officers who wear full uniform and are embedded with other soldiers on the battlefield. >>>>>> >>>>>> The unit?s cultural specialists have played a key role in the British war on Afghanistan, and have advised the military on how to operate in other countries, including several nations that were previously colonized by Britain. >>>>>> >>>>>> Many of the academics involved in these training sessions also teach at the School of Oriental and African Studies, which is known for hiring and producing post-modernist scholars who are progressive but staunchly anti-communist, and often supportive of NATO-backed regime-change efforts and Islamism. >>>>>> >>>>>> Some of the other scholars involved in the British military program include prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, the popular pundit Lina Khatib, and the former director of the BBC?s Arabic and Turkish services. >>>>>> >>>>>> Like Achcar, Lackner is a regular contributor to left-wing news outlets such as Jacobin Magazine, which this July co-sponsored a socialism-themed conference that featured numerous regime-change activists from US government-funded organizations. >>>>>> >>>>>> Jacobin has continued publishing articles by Achcar even after his involvement with the British military was first exposed in July by the UK?s Morning Star newspaper and its reporter Phil Miller. >>>>>> >>>>>> To be sure, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) trainings were not just innocuous educational sessions that equipped soldiers with historical and cultural background. Declassified schedules obtained by The Grayzone show some of the educational sessions focused explicitly on ?implications for UK military mission,? providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The School of Oriental and African Studies and its staff claim otherwise, and have defended their collaboration with the British military. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Grayzone has gotten access to the declassified British government files and published them in full. For the first time, the public can see for itself how the British military establishment has penetrated ostensibly progressive academic circles. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> UK Defence Cultural Specialist Unit forces in the British war in Afghanistan >>>>>> Training sessions for the UK?s ?Defense Cultural Specialist Unit? >>>>>> On July 26, following an explosive report in the Morning Star newspaper, London?s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) published a statement on its website confirming that its faculty trains and advises ?government bodies.? It added, ?We reject any suggestion that, in undertaking such work, we are perpetuating a colonial approach to between the UK and other nations.? >>>>>> >>>>>> SOAS also attached a three-page open letter from Gilbert Achcar (also first reported on by Morning Star?s Phil Miller). In the missive, the scholar acknowledged that he provided trainings for the British military. >>>>>> >>>>>> But Achcar stood by the decision, wondering, ?Should we prefer that the military and security personnel of this country be solely exposed to right-wing education?? He drew a false parallel between a school receiving public funding for education and a school taking money from the Ministry of Defense to provide training to the military, maintaining that it is important for self-declared leftists to try training the troops. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar insisted that renowned intellectual Noam Chomsky had ?convinced me that it is important to let critical voices be heard even among the military,? noting that Chomsky gave a lecture to the US Military Academy in 2006. (Chomsky collaborated with Achcar on a book on the Middle East.) >>>>>> >>>>>> The move to expose the role of SOAS academics like Achcar in a military training program began this January when a student at the school filed a Freedom of Information request for government documents related to the UK?s Defense Cultural Specialist Unit and its collaboration with his university. >>>>>> >>>>>> The student was part of the Decolonising Our Minds Society, a SOAS group that says it ?seeks to challenge the political, intellectual and structural legacies of colonialism and racism both within and outside the university.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The student asked the ministry how much the Defense Cultural Specialist Unit paid for ?briefing, training, consultancy, analysis or research, to the School of Oriental and African Studies.? >>>>>> >>>>>> On April 5, 2019, the Army Secretariat of the UK Ministry of Defense replied with an email containing several files. >>>>>> >>>>>> These documents ? which have been published by The Grayzone and are embedded at the bottom of this article ? reveal that the UK?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit holds what it calls Regional Studies Weeks, ?which are designed and delivered on our behalf by SOAS.? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> A ?cultural specialist? deployed with the UK military?s Defence Cultural Specialist Unit in Afghanistan >>>>>> A key component of British counterinsurgency that is ?essential to equipping the military? >>>>>> The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU) is not just a cultural group; it is a key part of the British military?s counter-insurgency operations. >>>>>> >>>>>> The unit was formed in 2010, soon after the UK withdrew from the war in Iraq, and while it was still bogged down in Afghanistan. The Ministry of Defense said in a news report announcing the unit?s creation that it was deploying ?military specialists in Afghan culture and language to advise commanders on the ground.? Most of these specialists were themselves uniformed ?senior military officers.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The UK?s assistant chief of the defense staff, Andy Pulford, said the ?unit is essential to equipping the military with a better understanding and appreciation of the region, its people and how to do business there.? The Defense Ministry added that the ?immediate focus for the DCSU is supporting operations in Afghanistan but it will evolve alongside operational requirements to fit the needs of the military in future conflicts.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Defense Cultural Specialist Unit forces are frequently deployed side-by-side with soldiers in Afghanistan, according to publicly available postings on the UK government?s official website. In Kenya, they have also deployed with the Psychological Operations Group, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina. >>>>>> >>>>>> A recruitment video for the unit that was published on YouTube in 2016 showed some of these ?cultural specialists? dressed in full military uniform and, to an untrained eye, indistinguishable from soldiers. Many had spent years embedded with the military in war zones. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The recruitment video explained that the DCSU ?really came out of the experience in Afghanistan.? When it was first formed in 2010, ?the sole focus, the whole point of the unit, was for Afghanistan.? >>>>>> >>>>>> By 2016, a DCSU officer said the mission had shifted: ?It?s completely different now. It?s a lot broader; it?s a lot wider.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The DCSU is today active in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had previously been part of Yugoslavia until it was balkanized in the 1990s in UK-backed NATO wars. >>>>>> >>>>>> One of the unit?s longest-serving members, Rachel Phillips, lives in Sarajevo and says, ?I can give piece of advice to a soldier about a situation in Sarajevo: Don?t do this, or don?t do that, or it?d be better if you did it this way.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The unit is also active in Jordan, which was a major base of operations for the Western war on Syria, where the CIA and other foreign intelligence services trained and armed Islamist militants in the bid to overthrow the government of Bashar al-Assad. >>>>>> >>>>>> A cultural specialist deployed in Jordan revealed that the DCSU also has forces active in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. >>>>>> >>>>>> The recruitment video shows DCSU forces are active as well in Kenya, a former British colony. >>>>>> >>>>>> An officer explained that the unit?s goal was to ?work with [cultural] differences so that we can sort of smooth the way for defense.? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> A UK Defense Cultural Specialist Unit training session in Jordan >>>>>> According to the Defense Ministry documents released to the SOAS student, London?s School for Oriental and African Studies designs and delivers these training programs for the DCSU in three different regional groupings: the Middle East and North Africa; Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia; and Sub-Saharan Africa. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Defense Ministry provided information on payments going back only to May 2017. But the documents revealed that there were SOAS training sessions in May 2017, October 2017, February 2018, July 2018, November 2018, December 2018, and February 2019, with each costing roughly ?50,000 or more. >>>>>> >>>>>> The British military released the schedules for only two of these training sessions, showing that they were held over several days in February 2018 and February 2019. These materials unequivocally demonstrate that leading scholars have been enthusiastically collaborating with the UK?s military. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Professor Gilbert Achcar speaking at SOAS in 2012 >>>>>> Gilbert Achcar?s training for the UK military >>>>>> One of the most prominent scholars involved in the British military training sessions is Gilbert Achcar. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar has been a strong supporter of overthrowing the governments of Libya and Syria, portraying the NATO-backed regime-change efforts as ?revolutions.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar kicked off the Ministry of Defense?s five-day Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2018 with two full days of lessons taught entirely by himself. Indeed, he was more actively engaged in the program than any other scholar. >>>>>> >>>>>> One of the schedules from 2018 (but mistakenly labelled 2017 in the declassified document), shows that Achcar gave two day-long training sessions to the Ministry of Defense on February 19 and 20. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar taught subjects including the so-called Arab Spring, Arab nationalism, Israel-Palestine, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Islamic fundamentalism. >>>>>> >>>>>> One of Achcar?s sessions was titled ?The Arab Uprising: Revolution and Counter-Revolution.? Another was titled ?Oil and US hegemony.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar once again opened up the MOD?s Middle East and North Africa Training Program in 2019, repeating these two full days of sessions on February 11 and 12. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Regime change-supporting ?Marxist? >>>>>> Gilbert Achcar?s role in training this important British military unit might come as a surprise to those familiar with the SOAS scholar?s self-portrayal as an anti-war socialist. >>>>>> >>>>>> Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as a man of the left by, for instance, co-authoring a book with Noam Chomsky and publishing volumes with titles like ?Marxism, Orientalism, Cosmopolitanism.? >>>>>> >>>>>> But Achcar has also spent years attacking the anti-imperialist left, while lobbying for regime change against the top targets of NATO. >>>>>> >>>>>> Haymarket Books, the publishing arm of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization, released a volume in 2018 titled ?Indefensible: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism.? Authored by Rohini Hensman, the tract was a several hundred pages-long tirade against the anti-imperialist left that featured full-throated support for virtually every regime-change war the West has waged since the 1990s. >>>>>> >>>>>> The book featured a prominent blurb from Achcar, who praised Hensman for ?brushing off all sorts of dogmatic beliefs.? Achcar was apparently so enthused by the book?s contents that he introduced and chaired Hensman?s official launch event, which was held at SOAS. >>>>>> >>>>>> Almost nothing Achcar says challenges American and British foreign-policy designs in the Middle East, save for his criticism of Israel. >>>>>> >>>>>> This might explain why a soi-disant ?Marxist? scholar linked to numerous Trotskyite groups enjoys positive book reviews in mainstream pro-NATO newspapers like The Guardian. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?No one can reasonably oppose? regime change in Libya >>>>>> In recent years, Achcar has eagerly performed the role of the corporate media?s go-to ?socialist? voice, lending credibility to regime-change campaigns against independent post-colonial governments. >>>>>> >>>>>> In 2011, Achcar was a vocal supporter of regime change in Libya. While claiming to oppose to NATO intervention, the academic strongly cheered on NATO-backed ?rebel? groups, many of whom were dominated by extremist Salafi-jihadists who committed egregious war crimes and racist atrocities. >>>>>> >>>>>> Numerous critics have thoroughly documented Achcar?s public support for regime change in Libya. >>>>>> >>>>>> In an interview published on the day NATO military intervention began in Libya in March 2011, Achcar acknowledged that the opposition ?very heterogeneous,? but insisted that what ?unites all the disparate forces is a rejection of the dictatorship and a longing for democracy and human rights.? Critics pointed out that Achcar made this claim while reports circulated about NATO-backed ?rebels? ethnically cleansing Black Libyans. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar strongly supported UN Security Council resolution 1973, which imposed a so-called ?no-fly zone? over Libya and opened the door for NATO military intervention, leading to the murder of Muammar Qadhafi and the eventual destruction of the Libyan state. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar condemned anti-war skeptics who warned that the Security Council resolution would be used to justify a war of regime change, claiming, ?Given the urgency of preventing the massacre that would have inevitably resulted from an assault on Benghazi by Gaddafi?s forces, and the absence of any alternative means of achieving the protection goal, no one can reasonably oppose it.? >>>>>> >>>>>> He added, ?I believe that from an anti-imperialist perspective one cannot and should not oppose the no-fly zone, given that there is no plausible alternative for protecting the endangered population.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The UK House of Commons? bipartisan Foreign Affairs Committee later published a report admitting that there was no basis whatsoever for the myth spread by Achcar and the Western government-backed opposition that Qadhafi had planned to massacre civilians in Benghazi. >>>>>> >>>>>> Like many anti-anti-imperialist leftists, Achcar insisted that he opposed foreign military intervention, even while he actively called for regime change and lobbied on behalf of Western-backed militants. A week into the NATO military intervention, Achcar wrote, ?if there is no clarity about what a post-Gaddafi Libya might look like ? it can?t be worse than Gaddafi?s regime.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Today, it is difficult to overstate how wrong he was. Libya went from one of the most prosperous and equitable countries in Africa to a failed state that is still the site of a bloody civil war between multiple competing governments, a huge ISIS threat, and open-air slave markets. >>>>>> >>>>>> During the NATO war on Libya, Achcar smeared actual anti-imperialists and anti-war skeptics as supporters of a ?dictator.? Meanwhile, the scholar Micah Zenko employed the military alliance?s own materials to demonstrate how the war was always about regime change and never related to the protection of civilians in any sincere way. >>>>>> >>>>>> While NATO was bombing the independent North African nation, Achcar adamantly maintained, ?The idea that Western powers are intervening in Libya because they want to topple a regime hostile to their interests is just preposterous. Equally preposterous is the idea that what they are after is laying their hands on Libyan oil.? Both of these actually preposterous claims were proven to be completely wrong. >>>>>> >>>>>> Lobbying for regime change in Syria >>>>>> Gilbert Achcar would go on to use the same smear tactics against opponents of regime change in Syria. >>>>>> >>>>>> Since the war began in the country in 2011, the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have spent billions upon billions of dollars to arm, train, and fund a violent insurgency that is dominated primarily by sectarian Salafi-jihadist extremists. >>>>>> >>>>>> But instead of blaming these foreign governments for needlessly prolonging the regime-change war on Syria, Achcar has put the blame squarely on their enemies, claiming, ?If the war is dragging and carrying on, it is because of Russian and Iranian support to Bashar al-Assad. The main responsibility in that regard falls on Moscow and Tehran.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar adopted the ultra-hardline position of the Syrian opposition in exile, maintaining that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad bears all of the responsibility for the war, and that there is no way to end it without his overthrow. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?The key point again, the stumbling block is Assad,? Achcar maintained. ?Assad and his clan. This ruling clan which is controlling Syria for several decades now. This is the point. And this is the source of the whole explosion. And there is no peace coming to Syria as long as they are at the end. That?s out of the question.? >>>>>> >>>>>> For Achcar, there was only one solution to the war: ?What is needed is to get rid of Assad, or to force Assad to step down. Go to Moscow in exile, if you want, or to Tehran. And let this country go into some transition.? He added, ?it is just impossible for the war to end in Syria as long as he is in power.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Borrowing rhetoric familiar to neoconservatives, Achcar was careful to point out that, ?when I say ?regime,? I am actually referring to the Russia-Iran-Assad axis.? >>>>>> >>>>>> While attacking what he described as ?campist ?anti-imperialism? (which by the way is exclusively anti-American, and often even pro-Russian),? Achcar has even defended US military intervention in Syria. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?There are in fact cases,? Achcar claimed in a 2018 interview with a Trotskyite publication, ?where the United States supports, as in Syria today, a progressive force in its fight against a reactionary enemy.? >>>>>> >>>>>> That same year, Achcar joined a who?s who of regime-change activists in signing an open letter published in the New York Review of Books that demanded that the ?The World Must Act Now on Syria.? >>>>>> >>>>>> This open letter explicitly cited the imperialist ?responsibility to protect? doctrine, and called on foreign nations to ?forcibly stop? the war and provide ?immediate protection for all Syrian lives.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The letter blamed the international proxy war entirely on the Syrian government and its allies Russia and Iran, and insisted that ?every member state has nevertheless adopted and pledged to uphold the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine,? adding that the war ?can now only be ended by the elected and appointed members of democratic bodies if they fulfill their obligations under R2P to protect Syria?s endangered population.? >>>>>> >>>>>> The invocation of R2P ? which had previously been used to justify bombing Yugoslavia and Libya ? was an obvious call for foreign military intervention. The Achcar-endorsed letter stopped just short of openly demanding military intervention by Western governments, but it was very strongly implied. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?For the agony of the people of Syria to come to an end, this must be forcibly stopped,? the letter continued. ?The perpetrators of these colossal crimes against humanity must be halted, once and for all.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Peddling regime-change conspiracies >>>>>> While whitewashing and in some cases even defending Western intervention, Achcar also for years adamantly advanced the conspiracy theory that the US government was never truly committed to regime change in Libya and Syria. >>>>>> >>>>>> In Achcar?s eyes, only the administration of George W. Bush was trying to overthrow independent governments in the Middle East. >>>>>> >>>>>> As he put it in an interview with Jacobin magazine, ?after Bush, the Obama administration was no longer in the business of regime change.? >>>>>> >>>>>> According to Achcar?s bizarre theory, the United States and Russia were secretly conspiring to preserve the Syrian government, even while they supported opposing sides in the war that were killing each other. ?They agreed from the beginning on that,? he claimed. >>>>>> >>>>>> While burnishing the so-called ?Arab Spring? protests with a radical leftist veneer by analyzing them ?through Marxist lenses as a classic case of social revolution,? Achcar argued that the US supposedly only wanted to remove the leaders of Syria, Libya, and beyond; while he on the other hand wanted to go a step further, implementing complete regime change that dismantled the governing ?regime? as a whole. >>>>>> >>>>>> As he clamored for the dismantlement of entire state structures, Achcar grossly downplayed the billions of dollars worth of foreign military support Syria?s armed opposition received. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?Whatever you want to say, there is no comparison between the support that whoever has received in the opposition has received and the support given to the Assad regime,? he maintained. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar continued drawing false equivalences, arguing that ?both the United States of America and Russia are imperialist countries, and [Russian] imperialism is no better than US imperialism.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Demonizing Iran >>>>>> Gilbert Achcar has also relentlessly demonized Iran, blaming its post-revolutionary government for many of the problems in the Middle East. >>>>>> >>>>>> In Jacobin magazine, Achcar dismissed Iran?s republican government as a ?mullarchy,? while condemning what he called ?neo-tsarist Russia.? >>>>>> >>>>>> While even Larry Wilkerson, the conservative ex-chief of staff to George Bush?s Secretary of State Colin Powell, has acknowledged that Iran is ?the most democratic country in the Persian Gulf region,? self-declared ?Marxist? Achcar has branded the independent nation as a ?regime? that is supposedly ?motivated by a sectarian political agenda? and supports ?Islamic fundamentalist forces. >>>>>> >>>>>> Curiously, Achcar avoids this heated rhetoric when describing Western allies. >>>>>> >>>>>> In an interview with the ISO?s newspaper, Achcar blamed Iran for the spread of sectarianism in the region. He failed to note that the Takfiri sectarianism spread by US- and UK-backed Gulf regimes like the Wahhabi monarchy in Saudi Arabia has promoted the extermination of Muslim minorities, whereas the supposed sectarianism spread by Shia Iran has done nothing of the sort. >>>>>> >>>>>> Achcar claimed the ?expansionism of the Iranian regime is at the same time a threat to the populations of the region,? adding that Tehran?s supposed ?exploitation of the religious factor is making the societies of the region explode.? >>>>>> >>>>>> He even went so far as to portray Iran as ?much more aggressive and expansionist? than the Saudi regime, writing, ?Tehran?s offensive policy of expansion contrasts with the conservatism of the Saudis. We do not see them building local armed tentacles as Iran does.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Given Achcar?s vehemently stated views on Iran and the region, it is not surprising that he enjoys so much support in elite Western circles, and is presented with opportunities to train a top-line British military unit. >>>>>> >>>>>> Rather than providing a forceful challenge to the British and US foreign policy consensus, the self-styled Marxist helps round it out with a left-wing voice. >>>>>> >>>>>> And Achcar is far from alone. >>>>>> >>>>>> Yemen expert and Jacobin contributor Helen Lackner >>>>>> Joining Gilbert Achcar in teaching UK Ministry of Defense personnel was the prominent Yemen expert Helen Lackner, who also associates with the socialist left. >>>>>> >>>>>> Lackner held an all-day training session on February 23, 2018 on Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf monarchies. >>>>>> >>>>>> On February 13, 2019, she conducted another session on the same topics, focusing largely on the ongoing UK-backed Saudi war on Yemen. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Like Achcar, Helen Lackner has repeatedly contributed to Jacobin, and has been the magazine?s go-to expert on the Yemen war. >>>>>> >>>>>> In 2017, she published an article in Jacobin attacking the revolutionary anti-imperialist armed group Ansarallah (known informally as the Houthis) as a reactionary ?familial, fundamental Zaydist movement.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Lackner took a liberal ?plague on both your houses? stance ? a common tactic of the anti-anti-imperialist left ? and wrote, ?The first thing any socialist, of whatever hue, needs to understand about the war in Yemen is that none of the leaders of any of the many factions involved has objectives worthy of support.? >>>>>> >>>>>> She expanded her ?plague on both your houses? analysis into an entire book, titled ?Yemen in Crisis: The Road to War,? which was published by Verso this April. >>>>>> >>>>>> Left out of Lackner?s analysis is Ansarallah leaders? statements of inspiration from Venezuela?s Hugo Ch?vez, as well as their modeling of resistance tactics after the Vietnamese national liberation front and those of Hezbollah. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Houthis have even insisted that the attempt to portray them as Iranian proxies is part of a strategy to, in their words, ?turn the struggle in this country and the region into a sectarian one, based on the American and Zionist agenda.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Western military officials recognize the challenge this movement presents. When the UAE announced that it was partially withdrawing from the Yemen war in July, the New York Times reported: ?Mike Hindmarsh, a retired Australian major general who commands the Emirati presidential guard, recently told Western visitors that Yemen had become a quagmire where the Houthis were the ?Yemeni Viet Cong.'? >>>>>> >>>>>> But Jacobin Magazine, the self-declared ?leading voice of the American left,? insists otherwise, relying on the expertise of scholars like Helen Lackner ? who was photographed attending the 2018 security summit of the pro-NATO group Friends of Europe. >>>>>> >>>>>> In addition to training the British military, Lackner likewise published an extensive report on Yemen for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, a soft-power organization that works on projects backed by Western governments and the European Union to advance Western foreign-policy interests in the Global South. >>>>>> >>>>>> Former BBC manager and other scholars >>>>>> Another SOAS colleague who gave training sessions to the Ministry of Defense was Gamon McLellan, a teaching fellow in Turkish studies at the school. >>>>>> >>>>>> McLellan?s biography on the SOAS website notes that he previously ran the Turkish Service for the BBC, a UK public broadcaster. >>>>>> >>>>>> He later became the head of the BBC Arabic Service, directing its output during the 2003 Iraq war, which the British military fought in alliance with the US. >>>>>> >>>>>> Just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, BBC?s Arabic Service fired two Arab producers, who accused the pro-war media organization of bias and character assassination. In a press conference following their dismissal, one of the sacked producers singled out Gamon McLellan, noting his Arabic-language skills were so weak he could not even understand the programs he was overseeing. >>>>>> >>>>>> ?The fact that the Arabic Service is headed by someone who doesn?t speak the language speaks for itself,? the fired Arab BBC producer said. >>>>>> >>>>>> In 2018, McLellan gave a half-day training session to the British military titled ?Turkey & the Kurdish question.? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Popular pundit Lina Khatib also gave full-day training sessions to the Ministry of Defence in 2018 and 2019. >>>>>> >>>>>> Khatib is a research associate at SOAS and head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the British think Chatham House, which receives funding from the UK government. >>>>>> >>>>>> Khatib primarily focuses on Syria, where she frequently pushes for regime change. She is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, where she has praised Western bombing of the Syrian government and called for Washington to more directly intervene to prevent fighting between Israel and Iran. >>>>>> >>>>>> Lancaster University scholar Alam Saleh filled the second half of the day with lectures on Iran. Saleh?s politics follow the established pattern. One of his articles is headlined ?Iran?s cynical pandering to its ethnic minorities will do it no good.? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Other MOD training programs with British academics >>>>>> While the UK Ministry of Defence held these Middle East-related trainings in February 2018, it also convened parallel sessions on other regions of the world. >>>>>> >>>>>> In its Eastern Europe and Central Asia Training Programme on the same dates, the Ministry of Defence hosted the London School of Economics scholar Janet Hartley and University of St Andrews lecturer Filippo Costa Buranelli. >>>>>> >>>>>> Another professor involved in the training was King?s College London?s James Gow, whose name appeared on a mailing list of the UK government-funded Integrity Initiative. >>>>>> >>>>>> Gow taught about ?Post-Soviet political and military integration with the West? and ?Russian influence in? the Balkans. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> University College London academic Mart Kuldkepp spoke about ?Current political, foreign policy and military trends? in the Baltics and gave a ?Russian threat assessment.? >>>>>> >>>>>> Economist Lilit Gevorgyan taught many sessions on Russia, focusing on its foreign policy, economy, and history. >>>>>> >>>>>> In both 2018 and 2019, Gevorgyan lectured on the ?Implications for UK military mission,? discussing ?Global scenarios on Russian foreign policy and direct implications for MOD mission? and providing ?key takeaways for MOD personnel.? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> In February 2019, MOD brought back many of the same experts, along with De Montfort University and London School of Economics scholar Kenneth Morrison. >>>>>> >>>>>> The roster for the Ministry of Defense?s Sub Saharan Africa Training Program almost entirely consisted of SOAS scholars, including Alastair Fraser, Matteo Rizzo, Chege Githoria, Jeremy Keenan, Friederike Luepke, Laura Hammond, and Tom Young. >>>>>> >>>>>> The only other academic featured in the Sub Saharan Africa Training Program was Cambridge University professor Christopher Clapham, who taught a session called, ?So what does it mean for the military?,? which provided ?Practical Exercises involving issues likely to be encountered by MOD staff.? >>>>>> >>>>>> This session made it abundantly clear that these trainings were not just designed to equip Ministry of Defense personnel with background knowledge and education. Their express, targeted purpose was to enhance the British military?s counter-insurgency prowess. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>>>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>>>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >>> >> > From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Mon Oct 14 21:42:26 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:42:26 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Bernie applauds successful Ecuador uprising against the IMF In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Please RT: https://twitter.com/sensanders/status/1183857996213948424 [image: image.png] === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 344772 bytes Desc: not available URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Tue Oct 15 05:19:29 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 05:19:29 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Capitalism is dying, or . . . Message-ID: Capitalism Needs Repair? Billionaire Marc Benioff: Capitalism has ?led to horrifying inequality? and must be fixed CNBC Mon, Oct 14 2019 Catherine Clifford @CATCLIFFORD ????Marc Benioff, chairman and chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., speaks during the grand opening ceremonies for the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Marc Benioff co-founded cloud software company Salesforce in 1999, and as a result of the company?s success, the 55-year-old is worth $6.3 billion, according to Forbes. But even as Benioff benefits from capitalism, he criticizes the ?horrifying inequality? America?s economic system has manifested in an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday. ?Capitalism, I acknowledge, has been good to me,? Benioff writes. ?But capitalism as it has been practiced in recent decades ? with its obsession on maximizing profits for shareholders ? has also led to horrifying inequality.? The piece calls for a ?new capitalism,? which, among other things, would include higher taxes on America?s richest, including himself. ?Nationally, increasing taxes on high-income individuals like myself would help generate the trillions of dollars that we desperately need to improve education and health care and fight climate change,? he writes. Benioff also calls on company leaders to be more mindful of their total impact on society. ?First, business leaders need to embrace a broader vision of their responsibilities by looking beyond shareholder return and also measuring their stakeholder return,? Benioff says. ?This requires that they focus not only on their shareholders, but also on all of their stakeholders ? their employees, customers, communities and the planet.? (Not everyone agrees. In response to Benioff?s op ed, Anand Giridharadas, author of ?Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,? tweeted Monday, ?...I don?t trust business to behave better voluntarily, any more than I trust cats with mice care,? adding that he supports raising taxes on the wealthy. ?The best way to get business to behave better is to drastically reduce business?s power,? Giridharadas tweeted.) In 2018, 26 people had the same wealth as the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity, according to a January report from Oxfam. Additionally, the wealth of the global population of billionaires increased by $900 billion in the last year alone and the wealth of the poorest fell by 11%, Oxfam says. In the United States, the Gini index showed an increased concentration of wealth too. The Gini index is ?a standard economic measure of income inequality,? according to the United States Census Bureau, in which a score of 0.0 indicates ?perfect equality in income distribution? and a 1.0 ?indicates total inequality, where one household has all of the income.? In 2018, the Gini index for the U.S. was 0.485, according to September?s American Community Survey. That?s up from 0.482 in 2017. Benioff joins other billionaires who have taken a stand against income inequality. Ray Dalio ? who founded Bridgewater Associates out of his two- bedroom apartment in New York City in 1975 and grew it into the largest hedge fund in the world ? is currently worth almost $19 billion, according to Forbes. Still, ?the American dream is lost,? Dalio told CBS? ?60 Minutes? in July, and he said that capitalism needs to be reformed. ?We?re at a juncture. We can do it together, or we will do it in conflict, that there will be a conflict between the rich and the poor,? Dalio said. Warren Buffett, the third richest person in the world with a fortune worth $82 billion, according to Forbes, does not want to disrupt the productivity of capitalism, which he likens to the ?the goose that lays the golden eggs.? Instead, Buffett suggests the country ought to better distribute resources (through taxes, for example) to take care of those who don?t have enough. ?The real problem, in my view, is ? this has been ? the prosperity has been unbelievable for the extremely rich people,? Buffett said on PBS Newshour in 2017. ?This has been a prosperity that?s been disproportionately rewarding to the people on top.? And Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, currently the second richest person in the world with more than $105 billion to his name according to Forbes, says capitalism has been effective in generating output, but the wealthiest, like him, ought to be taxed more. ?As you go about doing this additional collection, of course you want to be progressive. You want the portion that comes from the top 1% or top 20% to be much higher,? Gates told CNN?s Fareed Zakaria in February. From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Tue Oct 15 13:17:20 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 08:17:20 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Capitalism is dying, or . . . In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <000a01d5835a$e05accc0$a1106640$@comcast.net> Capitalism can NOT be " fixed ". David j. -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2019 12:19 AM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace-discuss Subject: [Peace-discuss] Capitalism is dying, or . . . Capitalism Needs Repair? Billionaire Marc Benioff: Capitalism has ?led to horrifying inequality? and must be fixed CNBC Mon, Oct 14 2019 Catherine Clifford @CATCLIFFORD ????Marc Benioff, chairman and chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., speaks during the grand opening ceremonies for the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Marc Benioff co-founded cloud software company Salesforce in 1999, and as a result of the company?s success, the 55-year-old is worth $6.3 billion, according to Forbes. But even as Benioff benefits from capitalism, he criticizes the ?horrifying inequality? America?s economic system has manifested in an op-ed in The New York Times on Monday. ?Capitalism, I acknowledge, has been good to me,? Benioff writes. ?But capitalism as it has been practiced in recent decades ? with its obsession on maximizing profits for shareholders ? has also led to horrifying inequality.? The piece calls for a ?new capitalism,? which, among other things, would include higher taxes on America?s richest, including himself. ?Nationally, increasing taxes on high-income individuals like myself would help generate the trillions of dollars that we desperately need to improve education and health care and fight climate change,? he writes. Benioff also calls on company leaders to be more mindful of their total impact on society. ?First, business leaders need to embrace a broader vision of their responsibilities by looking beyond shareholder return and also measuring their stakeholder return,? Benioff says. ?This requires that they focus not only on their shareholders, but also on all of their stakeholders ? their employees, customers, communities and the planet.? (Not everyone agrees. In response to Benioff?s op ed, Anand Giridharadas, author of ?Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,? tweeted Monday, ?...I don?t trust business to behave better voluntarily, any more than I trust cats with mice care,? adding that he supports raising taxes on the wealthy. ?The best way to get business to behave better is to drastically reduce business?s power,? Giridharadas tweeted.) In 2018, 26 people had the same wealth as the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity, according to a January report from Oxfam. Additionally, the wealth of the global population of billionaires increased by $900 billion in the last year alone and the wealth of the poorest fell by 11%, Oxfam says. In the United States, the Gini index showed an increased concentration of wealth too. The Gini index is ?a standard economic measure of income inequality,? according to the United States Census Bureau, in which a score of 0.0 indicates ?perfect equality in income distribution? and a 1.0 ?indicates total inequality, where one household has all of the income.? In 2018, the Gini index for the U.S. was 0.485, according to September?s American Community Survey. That?s up from 0.482 in 2017. Benioff joins other billionaires who have taken a stand against income inequality. Ray Dalio ? who founded Bridgewater Associates out of his two- bedroom apartment in New York City in 1975 and grew it into the largest hedge fund in the world ? is currently worth almost $19 billion, according to Forbes. Still, ?the American dream is lost,? Dalio told CBS? ?60 Minutes? in July, and he said that capitalism needs to be reformed. ?We?re at a juncture. We can do it together, or we will do it in conflict, that there will be a conflict between the rich and the poor,? Dalio said. Warren Buffett, the third richest person in the world with a fortune worth $82 billion, according to Forbes, does not want to disrupt the productivity of capitalism, which he likens to the ?the goose that lays the golden eggs.? Instead, Buffett suggests the country ought to better distribute resources (through taxes, for example) to take care of those who don?t have enough. ?The real problem, in my view, is ? this has been ? the prosperity has been unbelievable for the extremely rich people,? Buffett said on PBS Newshour in 2017. ?This has been a prosperity that?s been disproportionately rewarding to the people on top.? And Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, currently the second richest person in the world with more than $105 billion to his name according to Forbes, says capitalism has been effective in generating output, but the wealthiest, like him, ought to be taxed more. ?As you go about doing this additional collection, of course you want to be progressive. You want the portion that comes from the top 1% or top 20% to be much higher,? Gates told CNN?s Fareed Zakaria in February. _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Tue Oct 15 14:42:37 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 09:42:37 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Salaita's views on "multiculturalism" Message-ID: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/we-have-a-problem-as-a-community-chancellor-s-email/article_cd6c6aea-4a65-5bcc-9867-c3480f3d4c66.html *Pertaining to the brouhaha on campus, excerpts from Steven Salaita's Israel's Dead Soul:* https://mondoweiss.net/2014/10/scholarship-dismissal-university/ At the modern corporate university, and especially at public neoliberal high-tech research universities like UIUC, multiculturalism and diversity constitute the official ideology of identity (as opposed to class) politics; civility and respect, as they have been evoked by administrators and trustees in the Salaita affair, constitute its bureaucratic and disciplinary practices. In the Chapter 1, ?Israel as a Cultural Icon,? Salaita explores Zionists? exploitation of multicultural spaces on campus: "What are the ethical consequences of the coterminous relationship of Israel and Jewishness? They are many, none of them positive. First of all, it means that Israel cannot be included in multicultural celebrations without reflecting negatively on Jewish people, many of whom do not want to be identified in any way with the nation-state or who do not want the national-state to be their primary cultural identity. Second, it entraps Jewish people in an unsavory paradigm, one in which they perform gruesome acts because of their culture. ? Herein lies the main problem of conjoining culture and national character. Hillel and other Jewish civic organizations render themselves distinctly responsible for Israel?s violence by proclaiming themselves guardians of the state?s consciousness. ? It is never a good idea, even though the trope of strategic essentialism, to link an ethnic group to a military apparatus. Such a move automatically justifies discourses?in this case anti-Semitic ones?that should never be justifiable. (p. 23) In a manner that is rarely articulated in the belly of the beast, Salaita proceeds to place this critique in a larger educational/corporate/power context: The frequent inclusion of Zionism in multicultural spaces, both physical and metaphorical, enables us to think more closely about the utility of multiculturalism as a discourse and a practice. Zionism represents centers of power financially and politically. It is an ideology (or set of ideologies) deeply inscribed in state power all over the world. It supports an enormous military economy and an imperialism whose reach is capacious. It partakes of the capitalist structures of neoliberalism that expropriate resources from the Southern Hemisphere into the Northern. Zionism is inseparable from the forms of structural injustice that occur throughout the world. My point here is not to suggest that Zionism corrupts multiculturalism, though that is likely the case, at least in the abstract. I suggest instead the possibility that multiculturalism itself is problematic because it so easily accommodates Zionism (and other troublesome ideologies). Is the point of multiculturalism to oppose unjust power and racism? Or is it to provide spaces within institutions where ethnic minorities can escape racism? What is the point of using multicultural apparatuses to promote Israel as the apogee of Jewishness? Although I have rarely heard it stated that multiculturalism is supposed to oppose power, it frequently appeases it, a judgment I base on nothing more than its continued existence. Academic and corporate institutions are set up to regulate and efficiently eliminate both internal and external challenges to their modes of governance and authority. In many ways, the promotion of multiculturalism is a diversion or a delusion ? deep seated racism still exists in the institutions wherein the idea of multiculturalism was invented. (p. 28-29)" -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Tue Oct 15 18:00:29 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 13:00:29 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBOUFI6IOKAnFVTIG1pbGl0YXJ5?= =?utf-8?q?_withdrawal_caused_Turkish_invasion=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <005301d58382$6fa83760$4ef8a620$@comcast.net> Did you write this Bob ? Very good article, and my compliments if you are the author. David johnson From: Peace [mailto:peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Robert Naiman via Peace Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2019 9:29 AM To: peace Subject: [Peace] NPR: ?US military withdrawal caused Turkish invasion? The alarm went off at 6 AM, and Fair and Balanced National Pentagon Radio ?informed? me that the cause of the Turkish invasion of northern Syria was that Trump withdrew U.S. troops from northern Syria [U.S. troops whose presence Congress never authorized, U.S. troops whose presence was therefore unconstitutional.] This is the story that pro-war, pro-Empire legacy US media are selling to the American people right now. See, we told you so. Withdraw the US military from anywhere, catastrophe will ensue. This is the Blob worldview. This is the neocon worldview. This is the Richard Haass-John Bolton-James Stavridis-Paul Wolfowitz-Nikki Haley-Samantha Power-Dennis Ross-Lindsey Graham-Eliot Engel worldview. The solution to every problem is more US military power. ?If all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail.? Anyone who wants to withdraw US military power from anywhere is an uncaring, heartless, John Bircher isolationist. This is why these people hate Article I of the Constitution. This is why these people hate the War Powers Resolution. These people see the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution as annoying obstacles which might interfere with the hegemony of their worldview that the solution to every problem is more US military power. We few, we happy, happy few, know that the Blob-neocon-NPR story is a lie. Brett McGurk is no pacifist. Brett McGurk is no isolationist. Brett McGurk is no hippy-dippy flower child, no latte-sipping liberal surrender monkey, no latter-day Neville Chamberlain. Brett McGurk was Trump?s envoy to the coalition against ISIS. Brett McGurk believes in what he considers to be the appropriate use of US military power. Brett McGurk believes in international military alliances. In 2018, Brett McGurk, knowing that Trump wanted to get out of northern Syria ? as he had promised the American people he would do as a candidate - pushed for the Administration to help the US? Syrian Kurdish military partners negotiate a deal with the Syrian government and Russia. Exactly the thing that former Obama official Rob Malley, now [again] with the International Crisis Group, says the Trump Administration should have done, that?s exactly what Brett McGurk wanted to do. Brett McGurk behaved exactly the way an Administration official is supposed to behave in such a situation. The democratically elected US President sets the broad direction. Administration officials try to figure out how to implement the broad policy that the President has established in a way that maximizes benefit and minimizes harm. Why did Brett McGurk fail? Because he was sabotaged by John Bolton and the neocons, who didn?t want a deal, because the thing they cared about wasn?t protecting the Kurds. The thing that the neocons cared about was their geopolitical chess game with Russia and Iran. The question neocons ask themselves isn?t, ?What?s good for America?? The question neocons ask themselves is, ?What would do the most to hurt ?U.S. adversaries??? ? where, of course, the neocons get to unilaterally determine who the ?U.S. adversaries? are in the situation ? even if the neocons? proposed U.S. policies would also hurt America, more than real diplomacy with ?U.S. adversaries? [i.e. the neocons? adversaries] would. What is the moral of this story? ?Personnel is policy.? What did neocons Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz do when they saw Colin Powell as an obstacle inside the Bush Administration to their efforts to invade Iraq and overthrow its government? They created a ?cabal? inside the Bush Administration ? that?s what it was called, ?the cabal,? I?m not the one bringing the word ?cabal? to the conversation ? to push for war with Iraq, and excluded Colin Powell from it. They saw U.S. intelligence agencies as an obstacle to their desired war, so they created their own ?intelligence? apparatus inside the Pentagon. That was the genesis of the Valerie Plame?Joe Wilson?Scooter Libby scandal. Valerie Plame, a CIA employee who was an expert in WMD, tried to push back against Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz? cabal, that had determined that they wanted to invade Iraq by any means necessary, and was determined to ?fix the intelligence? to engineer the outcome that they wanted. In a way, Valerie Plame belongs in a higher circle of heaven than Joe Wilson. Joe Wilson was a whistleblower. Valerie Plame was just trying to do her job as a U.S. government employee, defending America from Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz? ?cabal.? What is the moral of this story? ?Personnel is policy.? If the POTUS wants to withdraw U.S. military power from anywhere, if the POTUS wants to pursue real diplomacy with Blob-defined, neocon-defined ?U.S. adversaries,? the POTUS needs to populate a Blob-free, neocon-free Administration. There is no ?half-pregnant? when it comes to populating your Administration with neocons and Blob loyalists. The right number of neocons in any Administration is zero. The right number of Blob loyalists in any Administration is zero. When Sheldon Adelson = Haim Saban comes and says, ?You need to hire this person, you need to hire John Bolton = Dennis Ross,? the POTUS needs to say, ?I take no delight in your feasts, to the melody of your harps I will not listen?? It makes no difference to this matter who we elect as President, as long as we don?t purge the neocons and the Blob loyalists. === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Tue Oct 15 18:15:46 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:15:46 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBOUFI6IOKAnFVTIG1pbGl0YXJ5?= =?utf-8?q?_withdrawal_caused_Turkish_invasion=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: <005301d58382$6fa83760$4ef8a620$@comcast.net> References: <005301d58382$6fa83760$4ef8a620$@comcast.net> Message-ID: Yes, I wrote it. === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 On Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 2:00 PM David Johnson wrote: > Did you write this Bob ? > > > > Very good article, and my compliments if you are the author. > > > > David johnson > > > > *From:* Peace [mailto:peace-bounces at lists.chambana.net] *On Behalf Of *Robert > Naiman via Peace > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 15, 2019 9:29 AM > *To:* peace > *Subject:* [Peace] NPR: ?US military withdrawal caused Turkish invasion? > > > > > > The alarm went off at 6 AM, and *Fair and Balanced* National Pentagon > Radio ?informed? me that the cause of the Turkish invasion of northern > Syria was that Trump withdrew U.S. troops from northern Syria [U.S. troops > whose presence Congress never authorized, U.S. troops whose presence was > therefore unconstitutional.] > > > > This is the story that pro-war, pro-Empire legacy US media are selling to > the American people right now. See, we told you so. Withdraw the US > military from anywhere, catastrophe will ensue. This is the Blob worldview. > This is the neocon worldview. This is the Richard Haass-John Bolton-James > Stavridis-Paul Wolfowitz-Nikki Haley-Samantha Power-Dennis Ross-Lindsey > Graham-Eliot Engel worldview. The solution to every problem is more US > military power. ?If all you have is a hammer, every problem is a nail.? > Anyone who wants to withdraw US military power from anywhere is an > uncaring, heartless, John Bircher isolationist. This is why these people > hate Article I of the Constitution. This is why these people hate the War > Powers Resolution. These people see the Constitution and the War Powers > Resolution as annoying obstacles which might interfere with the hegemony of > their worldview that the solution to every problem is more US military > power. > > > > We few, we happy, happy few, know that the Blob-neocon-NPR story is a lie. > > > > Brett McGurk is no pacifist. Brett McGurk is no isolationist. Brett McGurk > is no hippy-dippy flower child, no latte-sipping liberal surrender monkey, > no latter-day Neville Chamberlain. > > > > Brett McGurk was Trump?s envoy to the coalition against ISIS. Brett McGurk > believes in what he considers to be the appropriate use of US military > power. Brett McGurk believes in international military alliances. > > > > In 2018, Brett McGurk, knowing that Trump wanted to get out of northern > Syria ? as he had promised the American people he would do as a candidate - > pushed for the Administration to help the US? Syrian Kurdish military > partners negotiate a deal with the Syrian government and Russia. Exactly > the thing that former Obama official Rob Malley, now [again] with the > International Crisis Group, says the Trump Administration should have done, > that?s exactly what Brett McGurk wanted to do. Brett McGurk behaved exactly > the way an Administration official is supposed to behave in such a > situation. The democratically elected US President sets the broad > direction. Administration officials try to figure out how to implement the > broad policy that the President has established in a way that maximizes > benefit and minimizes harm. > > > > Why did Brett McGurk fail? Because he was sabotaged by John Bolton and the > neocons, who didn?t want a deal, because the thing they cared about wasn?t > protecting the Kurds. The thing that the neocons cared about was their > geopolitical chess game with Russia and Iran. The question neocons ask > themselves isn?t, ?What?s good for America?? The question neocons ask > themselves is, ?What would do the most to hurt ?U.S. adversaries??? ? > where, of course, the neocons get to unilaterally determine who the ?U.S. > adversaries? are in the situation ? even if the neocons? proposed U.S. > policies would also hurt America, more than real diplomacy with ?U.S. > adversaries? [i.e. the neocons? adversaries] would. > > > > What is the moral of this story? > > > > ?Personnel is policy.? > > > > What did neocons Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz do when they saw Colin > Powell as an obstacle inside the Bush Administration to their efforts to > invade Iraq and overthrow its government? They created a ?cabal? inside the > Bush Administration ? that?s what it was called, ?the cabal,? I?m not the > one bringing the word ?cabal? to the conversation ? to push for war with > Iraq, and excluded Colin Powell from it. They saw U.S. intelligence > agencies as an obstacle to their desired war, so they created their own > ?intelligence? apparatus inside the Pentagon. That was the genesis of the > Valerie Plame?Joe Wilson?Scooter Libby scandal. Valerie Plame, a CIA > employee who was an expert in WMD, tried to push back against Rumsfeld and > Wolfowitz? cabal, that had determined that they wanted to invade Iraq by > any means necessary, and was determined to ?fix the intelligence? to > engineer the outcome that they wanted. In a way, Valerie Plame belongs in a > higher circle of heaven than Joe Wilson. Joe Wilson was a whistleblower. > Valerie Plame was just trying to do her job as a U.S. government employee, > defending America from Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz? ?cabal.? > > > > What is the moral of this story? > > > > ?Personnel is policy.? > > > > If the POTUS wants to withdraw U.S. military power from anywhere, if the > POTUS wants to pursue real diplomacy with Blob-defined, neocon-defined > ?U.S. adversaries,? the POTUS needs to populate a Blob-free, neocon-free > Administration. There is no ?half-pregnant? when it comes to populating > your Administration with neocons and Blob loyalists. The right number of > neocons in any Administration is zero. The right number of Blob loyalists > in any Administration is zero. When Sheldon Adelson = Haim Saban comes and > says, ?You need to hire this person, you need to hire John Bolton = Dennis > Ross,? the POTUS needs to say, > > > > ?I take no delight in your feasts, to the melody of your harps I will not > listen?? > > > > It makes no difference to this matter who we elect as President, as long > as we don?t purge the neocons and the Blob loyalists. > > > > === > > > Robert Naiman > Policy Director > Just Foreign Policy > www.justforeignpolicy.org > naiman at justforeignpolicy.org > > (202) 448-2898 x1 > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Tue Oct 15 19:39:45 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 15:39:45 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] "Dems" vow to "reverse" Syria withdrawal; Russians say they've filled void In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Look at Pelosi and Schumer stamping their feet against U.S. military withdrawal from northern Syria, while *McConnell* and *Lindsey Graham [!] *seem to be* pivoting away from talking about military force. * https://thehill.com/policy/defense/465766-fury-over-trump-syria-decision-grows [...] *Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell * (R-Ky.) didn?t tip his hand Monday on what he will support, but said he was ?gravely concerned? and that talks would be ongoing in the Senate this week on how to respond. ?Withdrawing American leadership from this pivotal region would not serve our nation?s short-, medium- or long-term interests. ... I look forward to discussing what the United States can do to avoid a strategic calamity with my Senate colleagues *and* *with senior administration officials* when the Senate returns to Washington this week,? he said. [...] In addition to sanctions legislation, lawmakers are working on a joint resolution that would oppose Trump?s strategy, urge Turkey to stop its military operations, and support *military* and humanitarian efforts for the Kurds. ?Our *first order of business* was to agree that we must have a bipartisan, bicameral joint resolution to *overturn the president?s dangerous decision* *in Syria immediately*,? *Pelosi* said Monday. [...] *Democrats said Trump?s move didn?t go far enough.* ?Strong sanctions, while good and justified, *will not be sufficient* in undoing that damage nor will it stop the consequences stemming from the ISIS jailbreak,? *Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer * (D-N.Y.) [*voted for the Iraq war and against Obama's Iran nuclear deal*] and Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) [*voted for the Saudi war in Yemen, supported sending cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia*] and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) [*voted for the Saudi war in Yemen,* *voted against Obama's Iran nuclear deal*] said in a joint statement. ?The first step when Congress returns to session this week is for Republicans to join with us in passing a resolution making clear that *both parties are demanding the president?s decision be reversed*.? [...] *Meanwhile, Graham is pivoting...* [...] *Graham gave Trump some cover Monday* after spending the past week repeatedly lashing out at the administration. During a Fox News interview, *he placed the blame for the situation in Syria on Turkey*, saying Erdo?an had made ?the biggest mistake of his life? and ?misjudged? Trump. ?There?s going to be crippling* sanctions* imposed by the Congress to supplement what President Trump?s administration has done,? he said. ?I?ve never seen such bipartisan support. We?ve all had it with Erdo?an.? [...] *That's interesting, isn't it?* *I'm old enough to remember when it was Democrats who put forward sanctions as an alternative to military force...* *Meanwhile, in northern Syria...how exactly do "Democrats" propose to "reverse" or "overturn" Trump's decision? You and what army? * https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/russia-says-its-troops-have-filled-void-left-in-syria-by-us-troops/ Russia says its troops have filled void left in Syria by US troops By Mark Moore October 15, 2019 | 11:11am Russia on Tuesday said it has filled the void left by the withdrawal of US troops in northern Syria and its units are acting as a buffer to prevent clashes between Syrian government fighters and the Turkish military . The Russian Defense Ministry said military police were patrolling ?the northwestern borders of Manbij district along the line of contact of the Syrian Arab Republic military and the Turkish military.? The US-led coalition that had been in Manbij under a longstanding alliance with Turkey pulled its forces on Tuesday as the Syrian army entered the city. ?Coalition forces are executing a deliberate withdrawal from northeast Syria. We are out of Manbij,? Col. Myles B. Caggins, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve, said in a tweet. ?No one is interested? in allowing Syrian government and Turkish forces to fight each other, said Alexander Lavrentyev, Russia?s envoy for Syria. Russia ?is not going to allow it,? he said, according to Russian state media. [...] === Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (202) 448-2898 x1 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Tue Oct 15 19:52:23 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 14:52:23 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Sitrep in Syria Message-ID: [Pepe Escobar] THE SYRIAN ARAB ARMY (SAA) IS ALL OVER THE PLACE This is something absolutely EXTRAORDINARY. Please make it viral. Damascus and the SAA are on a roll. They now control the whole of Manjib. HUNDREDS of villages. Very important Kurdish cities - like Hasaka and Qamichli. Also Raqqa (remember US-bombed to smithereens Raqqa?) They control the ONLY BRIDGE LEFT OVER THE EUPHRATES - Qaram Qawzaq. They control dams, and the Tabqa airbase (back in business soon). No less than 40,000 SAA soldiers have been dispatched EVERYWHERE - north, northeast, east. EACH OILFIELD will have a dedicated SAA group to protect/defend it. A NO-FLY ZONE is actually in effect in northern Syria - led by Russia, side by side with Syria. EVERYWHERE THE SAA ARRIVES they are greeted like heroes by the local population. Did I hear some sub-zoology specimen mentioning NATO/GCC "credibility?? ### From brussel at illinois.edu Tue Oct 15 22:11:11 2019 From: brussel at illinois.edu (Brussel, Morton K) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 22:11:11 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Salaita's views on "multiculturalism" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <9F1AB5C6-AC97-45DA-AFF9-7064506BB030@illinois.edu> This brouhaha has now penetrated the UUC physics department, which is asking all its members, faculty, emeritii, and graduate students to endorse a statement about anti-semitism, diversity, antiracism and other anodyne, largely unobjectionable, issues, to which scientists are particularly attuned to (according to the physics statement) ! I?ve written my objections to this procedure and the statement to our Head. I have no idea whether others will be as incensed about it as I am, and/or will refuse to endorse this largely asinine statement. In my response, I asked in particular for a definition of anti-semitism, and was glad to see quoted in the N-G the remark by Rosenstock that "there is no legal definition of anti-Semitism in Illinois that is binding on the university". I also rejected the contention that scientists/physicists are more attuned to human rights, etc., than others. It is not incidental that those who promoted the physics statement are known apologists for Israel. The commentary by Salaita you?ve sent below clearly pertains to what has been happening here. The physics statement is at best gratuituous, since it essentially mirrors that of Chancellor Jones? on this issue; all the more disturbing in its boneheadedness. ?mkb On Oct 15, 2019, at 9:42 AM, David Green via Peace-discuss > wrote: https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/we-have-a-problem-as-a-community-chancellor-s-email/article_cd6c6aea-4a65-5bcc-9867-c3480f3d4c66.html Pertaining to the brouhaha on campus, excerpts from Steven Salaita's Israel's Dead Soul: https://mondoweiss.net/2014/10/scholarship-dismissal-university/ At the modern corporate university, and especially at public neoliberal high-tech research universities like UIUC, multiculturalism and diversity constitute the official ideology of identity (as opposed to class) politics; civility and respect, as they have been evoked by administrators and trustees in the Salaita affair, constitute its bureaucratic and disciplinary practices. In the Chapter 1, ?Israel as a Cultural Icon,? Salaita explores Zionists? exploitation of multicultural spaces on campus: "What are the ethical consequences of the coterminous relationship of Israel and Jewishness? They are many, none of them positive. First of all, it means that Israel cannot be included in multicultural celebrations without reflecting negatively on Jewish people, many of whom do not want to be identified in any way with the nation-state or who do not want the national-state to be their primary cultural identity. Second, it entraps Jewish people in an unsavory paradigm, one in which they perform gruesome acts because of their culture. ? Herein lies the main problem of conjoining culture and national character. Hillel and other Jewish civic organizations render themselves distinctly responsible for Israel?s violence by proclaiming themselves guardians of the state?s consciousness. ? It is never a good idea, even though the trope of strategic essentialism, to link an ethnic group to a military apparatus. Such a move automatically justifies discourses?in this case anti-Semitic ones?that should never be justifiable. (p. 23) In a manner that is rarely articulated in the belly of the beast, Salaita proceeds to place this critique in a larger educational/corporate/power context: The frequent inclusion of Zionism in multicultural spaces, both physical and metaphorical, enables us to think more closely about the utility of multiculturalism as a discourse and a practice. Zionism represents centers of power financially and politically. It is an ideology (or set of ideologies) deeply inscribed in state power all over the world. It supports an enormous military economy and an imperialism whose reach is capacious. It partakes of the capitalist structures of neoliberalism that expropriate resources from the Southern Hemisphere into the Northern. Zionism is inseparable from the forms of structural injustice that occur throughout the world. My point here is not to suggest that Zionism corrupts multiculturalism, though that is likely the case, at least in the abstract. I suggest instead the possibility that multiculturalism itself is problematic because it so easily accommodates Zionism (and other troublesome ideologies). Is the point of multiculturalism to oppose unjust power and racism? Or is it to provide spaces within institutions where ethnic minorities can escape racism? What is the point of using multicultural apparatuses to promote Israel as the apogee of Jewishness? Although I have rarely heard it stated that multiculturalism is supposed to oppose power, it frequently appeases it, a judgment I base on nothing more than its continued existence. Academic and corporate institutions are set up to regulate and efficiently eliminate both internal and external challenges to their modes of governance and authority. In many ways, the promotion of multiculturalism is a diversion or a delusion ? deep seated racism still exists in the institutions wherein the idea of multiculturalism was invented. (p. 28-29)" _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Wed Oct 16 03:57:47 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 22:57:47 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Gabbard Message-ID: From : If you didn't watch the presidential debate, you missed Tulsi take the CNN/NYT corporate media hosts ? and the American war machine they prop up ? to task for their despicable hypocrisy and the shared blood on their hands. Let?s look at the past 48 hours: ? Two days ago, The New York Times called Tulsi an Assad apologist and a Russian asset, and smeared all of us in our movement as white nationalists and Russian bots ? Today, CNN aired commentary claiming there is ?no question? that Tulsi is a ?puppet for the Russian government? ? daring to question her patriotism and loyalty to the country she deployed twice to protect and defend. ? Tonight, the mainstream media and establishment candidates on the stage have as much blood on their hands as President Trump for their role in championing and cheerleading the ongoing costly regime change war that we?ve been carrying out both overtly and covertly since 2011. The casualties of this war are both the Kurds who have been left exposed to Turkey?s invasion after we refused to let them negotiate with the Syrian government for protection, and the Syrian people who are suffering under the strengthening of ISIS and al-Qaeda who we have used as ground troops in Syria and the modern-day siege in the form of sanctions being waged against the people of Syria. CNN and the New York Times owe us an apology. To my sister who put her life on the line with two deployments to the Middle East. To our veterans and her brothers and sisters in arms and our families who made great sacrifices to defend and protect our freedoms ? to fight for their freedom of the press. They owe an apology to ALL OF US who pay the steep price of costly regime change wars, the new Cold War and nuclear arms race. Tulsi is being smeared and maligned for daring to speak out against the establishment war machine, for being brave enough to fight for peace. Let?s call these smears out for what they really are: A blatant attempt to silence dissent. To stifle democracy. In solidarity, Vrindavan (Tulsi?s little sister) TULSI NOW PO Box 75255 Kapolei HI 96707 ### From cgestabrook at gmail.com Wed Oct 16 15:45:35 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 10:45:35 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] "Trump is right to take troops out of Syria. Now they must leave Iraq and Afghanistan" Message-ID: <30243480-AC64-4814-A38B-AD5698DC512C@gmail.com> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/14/trump-troops-syria-leave-iraq-afghanistan-us From carl at newsfromneptune.com Wed Oct 16 16:51:09 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 11:51:09 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?=5BPeace=5D__What_I_learned_about_Syri?= =?utf-8?b?YSBhdCB0aGUgRGVtb2NyYXRpYyDigJxkZWJhdGVz4oCd?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1D60AC96-DCFF-44EC-ABD3-2EFB3C88BA3C@newsfromneptune.com> I think Bob?s correct here, but he perhaps doesn?t go far enough. US foreign policy has long been based (some would say, back to the Open Door Policy and before) on preventing what Zbigniew Brzezinski called ?peer competitors? (notably Russia and China) arising in Eurasia, for fear that would inhibit the US one-percent?s world-wide economic dominance, established after WWII. That policy became dominant after the victory of the Chinese revolution 70 years ago, and led the US to initiate wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and elsewhere. Since WWII the US has killed more than 20 million people in wars designed to retard the economic integration of Eurasia under ?peer competitors.? The Obama administration, with its eight wars and war provocations against Russia and China (Obama was the only president in US history to be at war throughout two terms) was a model of a modern American hegemon, approved by the 1%. The opposition to Trump by the US political establishment was based on the fear that Trump wouldn?t abide by this pattern. (He said he wouldn?t, in the 2016 campaign, while Clinton promised she would.) Trump, perhaps the weakest US president since Coolidge, has been largely tamed to standard US foreign policy, but when he does show signs of independence - however ham-fisted - the US political establishment (Bob?s ?Blob-neocon-Dems?) cries up impeachment, removal, and even a coup to prevent any departure from traditional US belligerence to assert 1% control. Again, I think Bob is right about why Gabbard, for all her failings, is hated so much by that establishment. It?s her opposition to the warmongering of the US government (?regime-change wars?). ?Regime change wars are the raison d?etre of the Blob-neocons. For the Blob-neocons, the whole objective of the game is to capture the U.S. government and then use U.S. power to overthrow foreign governments and install regimes friendly to the interests of the people who are engineering the overthrow. This is called ?U.S. interests,? but it has nothing to do with the interests of the majority of Americans. It has nothing to do with the interests of people in Peoria. It?s all about the interests of the Blob-neocons. This is a key objective of the game, to try to get people to go along with the claim that the interests of the Blob-neocons are identical with the interests of the majority of Americans, when all experience has shown that they are not.? Exactly. ?So when the Blob-neocons hear a Democrat say, ?End these regime change wars,? the Blob-neocons hear that as an existential threat. That?s about as welcome to them as an enthusiastic new Sheriff is to a band out of outlaws, about as welcome as an enthusiastic new fire department chief is to a gang of arsonists, about as welcome as Medicare for All is to private health insurers, about as welcome as postal banking is to payday lenders, about as welcome as tuition-free public college is to private universities. ?The thing about marginal ideas in America is, because it?s not a police state, ideas that are marginal now might not be marginal in the future. Word might get around. I think that this explains why the Blob-neocons are so apoplectic about Tulsi Gabbard, out of all proportion to her current impact, or any impact that she threatens to have in the future we can see. They?re afraid that the ?end these regime change wars? idea might be contagious. ??Regardless of what happens with the candidacy of Tulsi Gabbard, we learned something useful from the debate. We learned that ?end these regime change wars? is Kryptonite for the Blob-neocons, garlic for the vampires. You can?t kill an idea. Not as long as we don?t live in a police state. ?End these regime change wars.? Put it on the ground, spread it all around. ?End these regime change wars??? ================================= [Bob Naiman] ?My main interest in watching the ?debate? was to see what they would say about Syria. Surely it would be addressed. It was a golden opportunity for anyone who wanted to take down the Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative about Syria in front of millions of Democrats. Insiders know that the Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative about Syria is horse manure. The Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative is that Trump screwed up by withdrawing U.S. forces from northern Syria, and that?s what caused the Turkish invasion. We?ve got an all-star bipartisan duo of Establishment validators proving that this story is a lie: Brett McGurk and Rob Malley. Brett McGurk was a Trump Administration official, Trump?s envoy to the coalition against ISIS. Rob Malley was in the Obama Administration, and is now back at the International Crisis Group. Rob Malley says it was inevitable that the Syrian government was coming back and the thing that the Trump Administration did wrong was not preparing the U.S. withdrawal by helping its Syrian Kurdish military partners get a deal with the Russian and Syrian governments to protect them from a Turkish invasion. Brett McGurk says that?s exactly what he pushed for as a Trump Administration official, but he was blocked by John Bolton and the neocons. So there?s a spectacular story here of yet another catastrophic Blob-neocon failure, and it might be helpful for more Americans, especially Democrats, to know about this to help inoculate them from listening to the Blob-neocons in the future when the Blob-neocons clamor for more war. But nobody talked about this at the ?debate.? In fact, all but one of the ?Dems? who spoke parroted the Schumer-Pelosi-Blob-neocon line. The exception was Tulsi Gabbard. Here?s what Tulsi Gabbard said: ?End these regime change wars.? It?s not immediately obvious why the Democratic Establishment wing of the Blob hates Tulsi Gabbard so much, given that she is polling at 2% and is not on track to stay in the debates and is not included in the main conversation in the media. Why does the Democratic Establishment wing of the Blob see Tulsi Gabbard as such a threat? Why do they keep attacking her? Why don?t they just ignore her? ...When it comes to ending regime change wars, the Democratic Party as we know it is kind of a police state. Any Democrat who calls for ending regime change wars is ejected from the stadium, voted off the island. Why is that? Regime change wars are the raison d?etre of the Blob-neocons. For the Blob-neocons, the whole objective of the game is to capture the U.S. government and then use U.S. power to overthrow foreign governments and install regimes friendly to the interests of the people who are engineering the overthrow. This is called ?U.S. interests,? but it has nothing to do with the interests of the majority of Americans. It has nothing to do with the interests of people in Peoria. It?s all about the interests of the Blob-neocons. This is a key objective of the game, to try to get people to go along with the claim that the interests of the Blob-neocons are identical with the interests of the majority of Americans, when all experience has shown that they are not. So when the Blob-neocons hear a Democrat say, ?End these regime change wars,? the Blob-neocons hear that as an existential threat? > On Oct 16, 2019, at 10:46 AM, David Green via Peace wrote: > > Just from glancing at the NYT this morning, it's pretty clear that the plan for Elizabeth Warren to win the nomination is going along swimmingly. > > Which is to say, welcome to 4 more years of Trump. > > On Wed, Oct 16, 2019 at 9:28 AM Karen Aram via Peace wrote: > Sounds good Bob, but this ?we don?t live in a police state,? tends to apply only to white people, and for some of us who have been attempting to get the word out for a long time, it becomes frightening how little people care. > > I?m not a Tulsi Gabbard supporter, even if elected she works for the DNC given they have the power to control her actions, along with the Pentagon, State Dept., CIA, Council on Foreign Relations, Advisors etc. However, she is getting the word out, and its appalling that she is only polling at 2%. > > It could be that those who do know, and understand, aren?t interested in the one Party Democrat/Republican for profit system, no matter what a candidate has to say. It could be that the majority of people who watch the debates and think that they are serious politics, are just too blinded and manipulated by the media, to figure it out, and will support the most popular candidate be it Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, or Elizabeth Warren. It could be that no matter who the people vote for, assuming we are a democracy, will still get the preferred candidate the delegates choose, since we still have this antiquated, racist system known as the electoral college. > > I say this because I see very smart people on FB under the impression that its all about getting rid of Trump because he is somehow the problem. Pence is hardly a solution, and another Democrat in the WH will be another corporate owned puppet, different only on the surface, than that of Trump. > > >> On Oct 16, 2019, at 06:25, Robert Naiman via Peace wrote: >> >> >> I watched the Democratic ?debates? last night. I was bored out of my mind. I fell asleep on the couch. >> >> But when I woke, I realized that I had learned something potentially useful about U.S. foreign policy formation. Like what you learn when you read David Sanger or Helene Cooper in the New York Times, or when you read the Washington Post editorial page. What kind of sausages are they making in the Evil Factory today? Oh, that kind of sausages. >> >> My main interest in watching the ?debate? was to see what they would say about Syria. Surely it would be addressed. It was a golden opportunity for anyone who wanted to take down the Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative about Syria in front of millions of Democrats. Insiders know that the Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative about Syria is horse manure. The Blob-neocon-Dem Establishment narrative is that Trump screwed up by withdrawing U.S. forces from northern Syria, and that?s what caused the Turkish invasion. We?ve got an all-star bipartisan duo of Establishment validators proving that this story is a lie: Brett McGurk and Rob Malley. Brett McGurk was a Trump Administration official, Trump?s envoy to the coalition against ISIS. Rob Malley was in the Obama Administration, and is now back at the International Crisis Group. Rob Malley says it was inevitable that the Syrian government was coming back and the thing that the Trump Administration did wrong was not preparing the U.S. withdrawal by helping its Syrian Kurdish military partners get a deal with the Russian and Syrian governments to protect them from a Turkish invasion. Brett McGurk says that?s exactly what he pushed for as a Trump Administration official, but he was blocked by John Bolton and the neocons. So there?s a spectacular story here of yet another catastrophic Blob-neocon failure, and it might be helpful for more Americans, especially Democrats, to know about this to help inoculate them from listening to the Blob-neocons in the future when the Blob-neocons clamor for more war. >> >> But nobody talked about this at the ?debate.? In fact, all but one of the ?Dems? who spoke parroted the Schumer-Pelosi-Blob-neocon line. >> >> The exception was Tulsi Gabbard. Here?s what Tulsi Gabbard said: >> >> ?End these regime change wars.? >> >> It?s not immediately obvious why the Democratic Establishment wing of the Blob hates Tulsi Gabbard so much, given that she is polling at 2% and is not on track to stay in the debates and is not included in the main conversation in the media. Why does the Democratic Establishment wing of the Blob see Tulsi Gabbard as such a threat? Why do they keep attacking her? Why don?t they just ignore her? >> >> Ronald Reagan used to tell this joke about the Soviet Union. An American guy and a Soviet guy are trash-talking each other. The American guy says, ?You know what?s really great about America? I can stand in front of the White House and say, ?Ronald Reagan is a jerk,? and nobody will arrest me!? The Soviet guy says, ?Oh yeah? Big deal! I can stand in front of the Kremlin and say, ?Ronald Reagan is a jerk,? and nobody will arrest me either!? >> >> You know you?re not living in a police state if you can stand in front of the official residence of the Leader and say the Leader is a jerk and not get arrested. You may not be living in a vibrant democracy, but at least you?re not living in a police state. >> >> When it comes to ending regime change wars, the Democratic Party as we know it is kind of a police state. Any Democrat who calls for ending regime change wars is ejected from the stadium, voted off the island. >> >> Why is that? >> >> Regime change wars are the raison d?etre of the Blob-neocons. For the Blob-neocons, the whole objective of the game is to capture the U.S. government and then use U.S. power to overthrow foreign governments and install regimes friendly to the interests of the people who are engineering the overthrow. This is called ?U.S. interests,? but it has nothing to do with the interests of the majority of Americans. It has nothing to do with the interests of people in Peoria. It?s all about the interests of the Blob-neocons. This is a key objective of the game, to try to get people to go along with the claim that the interests of the Blob-neocons are identical with the interests of the majority of Americans, when all experience has shown that they are not. >> >> So when the Blob-neocons hear a Democrat say, ?End these regime change wars,? the Blob-neocons hear that as an existential threat. That?s about as welcome to them as an enthusiastic new Sheriff is to a band out of outlaws, about as welcome as an enthusiastic new fire department chief is to a gang of arsonists, about as welcome as Medicare for All is to private health insurers, about as welcome as postal banking is to payday lenders, about as welcome as tuition-free public college is to private universities. >> >> The thing about marginal ideas in America is, because it?s not a police state, ideas that are marginal now might not be marginal in the future. Word might get around. I think that this explains why the Blob-neocons are so apoplectic about Tulsi Gabbard, out of all proportion to her current impact, or any impact that she threatens to have in the future we can see. They?re afraid that the ?end these regime change wars? idea might be contagious. >> >> I?m old enough to remember when Medicare for All was a marginal idea. We called it ?single payer? then. Here?s how marginal the idea was: it was associated with Dennis Kucinich. Establishment Democrats would roll their eyes. ?Oh, that?s that Dennis Kucinich idea.? >> >> So maybe that could happen with ?end these regime change wars.? Regardless of what happens with the candidacy of Tulsi Gabbard, we learned something useful from the debate. We learned that ?end these regime change wars? is Kryptonite for the Blob-neocons, garlic for the vampires. You can?t kill an idea. Not as long as we don?t live in a police state. ?End these regime change wars.? Put it on the ground, spread it all around. ?End these regime change wars.? Let?s send it up the flagpole and see who salutes. >> >> === >> >> Robert Naiman >> Policy Director >> Just Foreign Policy >> www.justforeignpolicy.org >> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org >> (202) 448-2898 x1 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From mkb3 at icloud.com Wed Oct 16 20:37:27 2019 From: mkb3 at icloud.com (Morton K. Brussel) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 15:37:27 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?Daniel_Ellsberg=E2=80=A6?= Message-ID: Arrested at Livermore, speaks? http://covertactionmagazine.com/index.php/2019/09/24/interview-with-legendary-whistleblower-daniel-ellsberg-following-his-89th-arrest-for-resisting-nuclear-weapons-nuclear-war-and-government-secrecy/ From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Oct 16 22:08:43 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2019 22:08:43 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: PSL VP Candidate Leonard Peltier and whole Elder unit is on unjust lockdown: Write to the warden now! References: <5da7861b77f5f_7c1410eaf5031718@asgworker-qmb3-14.nbuild.prd.useast1.3dna.io.mail> Message-ID: [Party for Socialism and Liberation] Home About Join Us Support Sign up PSL VP Candidate Leonard Peltier and whole Elder unit is on unjust lockdown: Write to the warden now! [https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/psl/mailings/4031/attachments/original/leonard-peltier.jpg?1571254896] PSL Vice Presidential Candidate Leonard Peltier has dedicated his life and sacrificed enormously to the fight for a world free of exploitation and racism, where all people can determine their own destiny and have the social rights they need to live in dignity. The La Riva/Peltier campaign is an extension of this struggle. To learn more about the campaign visit larivapeltier2020.org The following appeal was circulated by Paulette Dauteuil, Director of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. The Party for Socialism and Liberation urges its supporters to write the warden to demand an end to this brutal lockdown. ______________________ I received a legal mail letter from Leonard yesterday. It is hard on his health to have no exercise and the lighting is so weak that reading and writing are hard on his eyes. He also said it looks like the lockdown won?t be lifted until sometime in Dec. This lockdown is so intense that even his Elder unit is confined to their cell 24/7 and allowed a half-hour to shower every 3 days. He would like you to write to the warden of Coleman 1 and ask why Leonard & the Elder unit is under such a strict lockdown? You would send your letters to: Warden Cheatham U.S. PENITENTIARY Coleman 1 P.O. BOX 1023 COLEMAN,?FL??33521 Remember: white paper only and white envelopes only. No stickers on the white envelope Questions? Comments? Contact us. You can also keep up with the PSL on Twitter or Facebook. This email was sent to karenaram at hotmail.com. To stop receiving emails, click here. Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Thu Oct 17 12:25:15 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:25:15 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: [recovery_human_face] Austerity, the "new normal." References: <000001d584da$786660d0$69332270$@ymail.com> Message-ID: Reply-To: recoveryhumanface at socpro.list.ilo.org, "Isabel Ortiz" > Dear friends, We have launched a new update on austerity at the IMF: ?Austerity, The New Normal: A Renewed Washington Consensus 2010-24? http://policydialogue.org/files/publications/papers/Austerity-the-New-Normal-Ortiz-Cummins-6-Oct-2019.pdf The report, published by IPD, ITUC, PSI, EURODAD and the Breton Woods Project: (i) examines historical and projected government expenditure trends for 189 countries; (ii) reviews the latest IMF country reports for countries to identify the main channels used by governments to adjust expenditures; (iii) discusses the negative social impacts of austerity measures; (iv) presents the renewed Washington Consensus advised to governments that are left with limited budgets?and the alternative UN Consensus on Development for All; and (v) calls for urgent action by governments to identify fiscal space to accelerate development, human rights, a green recovery with jobs and inclusive growth, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While this week Ministers of Finance and economists meet in Washington to confront global economic challenges at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, the majority of the world population lives with austerity cuts and see their living standards deteriorating. World leaders must reverse this trend. Summary: ? Since 2010, governments have been cutting public expenditure. According to IMF fiscal projections, a new shock is to start in 2020-21, affecting 130 countries. Rather than investing in a robust recovery to bring prosperity to citizens, austerity has become the ?new normal.? ? As many as 69 countries will be undergoing excessive contraction, cutting expenditure below pre-crisis levels in terms of GDP, including countries with dire development and human needs such as Angola, Burundi, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Nigeria or Yemen. ? Austerity will affect approximately 5.8 billion persons by 2021?about 75 per cent of the global population. For billions of persons, the persistence of a long jobs crisis and austerity mean a deterioration of living conditions, rising inequalities and social discontent. ? Analysis of IMF country reports in 161 countries in 2018-19 show that IMF policy discussions with government include: * Pension and social security reforms (86 countries), * Cutting or capping the public sector wage bill, including the number and salaries of teachers, health workers and civil servants delivering public services (80 countries) * Labor flexibilization reforms (79 countries) * Reducing or eliminating subsidies (78 countries) * Rationalizing and/or further targeting social assistance or safety nets (77 countries) * Increasing regressive consumption taxes, such as sales and value added taxes (73 countries) * Strengthening public-private partnerships (PPPs) (60 countries) * Privatizing public assets/services (59 countries) * Healthcare reforms (33 countries) ? all these reforms have NEGATIVE SOCIAL IMPACTS ? Further, public expenditure adjustment is being used as a trojan horse to induce Washington Consensus policies to cut back on public policies and the welfare state. Once budgets are contracting, governments must look at policies that minimize the public sector and expand PPPs and private sector delivery, often promoted and/or assisted by multilateral development banks. ? The paper presents the renewed Washington Consensus advised to governments that are left with limited budgets?and the alternative UN Consensus on Development for All ? Austerity and budget cuts do not need to be ?the new normal.? There are alternatives, even in the poorest countries. Governments can find additional fiscal space to fund public services and development policies through at least eight options, which range from increasing progressive tax revenues, cracking down on illicit financial flows, improving debt management and using fiscal and foreign exchange reserves, to adopting more accommodative macroeconomic frameworks, reprioritizing public expenditures and -for lower income countries- lobbying for greater aid. All these options are endorsed by the United Nations and the international financial institutions. ? It is time for world leaders to abandon the myopic scope of macroeconomic and fiscal policy decisions that benefit few and, instead, look for new fiscal space and financing opportunities to foster a robust global recovery and the achievement of long-term global prosperity for all. Press articles: IPS: Austerity, the ?New Normal? Project Syndicate: The Insanity of Austerity Best, Isabel and Matthew Isabel Ortiz is Director of the Global Social Justice Program, Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) at Columbia University, and former Director at the ILO and UNICEF. Matthew Cummins is a senior economist who has worked at UNDP, UNICEF and the World Bank. ________________________________ Please share your inputs by e-mailing: recoveryhumanface at socpro.list.ilo.org. To see earlier messages http://www.recoveryhumanface.org/. This e-discussion is intended to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas; the views expressed by contributors do not reflect the policies of ILO. The discussion is moderated by Isabel Ortiz, contact at isabel.ortiz at ymail.com . Subscribe ? Unsubscribe -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moboct1 at aim.com Thu Oct 17 13:57:13 2019 From: moboct1 at aim.com (Mildred O'brien) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 13:57:13 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] PSL VP Candidate Leonard Peltier and whole Elder unit is on unjust lockdown: Write to the warden now! In-Reply-To: <1810183480.4036840.1571317969689@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1922315962.4034084.1571317535886.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1922315962.4034084.1571317535886@mail.yahoo.com> <1810183480.4036840.1571317969689@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <702182399.4040540.1571320633510@mail.yahoo.com> Par for the course for Leonard Peltier, especially now in his high profile position as a VP?candidate (and socialist!).? All federal penitiaries are a microcosm of extreme authoritarian white supremacism?to remind the prison "violent criminal"?population who's in control.? Midge -----Original Message----- From: Karen Aram via Peace To: Peace List ; Peace-discuss List ; Peace Sent: Wed, Oct 16, 2019 5:09 pm Subject: [Peace] Fwd: PSL VP Candidate Leonard Peltier and whole Elder unit is on unjust lockdown: Write to the warden now! | | | | | | Home | About | Join Us | Support | Sign up | | | PSL VP Candidate Leonard Peltier and whole Elder unit is on unjust lockdown: Write to the warden now! PSL Vice Presidential Candidate?Leonard Peltier has dedicated his life and sacrificed enormously to the fight for a world free of exploitation and racism, where all people can determine their own destiny and have the social rights they need to live in dignity. The La Riva/Peltier campaign is an extension of this struggle. To learn more about the campaign visit?larivapeltier2020.org The following appeal was circulated by?Paulette Dauteuil, Director of the?International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. The Party for Socialism and Liberation urges its supporters to write the warden to demand an end to this brutal lockdown.? ______________________ I received a legal mail letter from Leonard yesterday. It is hard on his health to have no exercise and the lighting is so weak that reading and writing are hard on his eyes. He also said it looks like the lockdown won?t be lifted until sometime in Dec. This lockdown is so intense that even his Elder unit is confined to their cell 24/7 and allowed a half-hour to shower every 3 days. He would like you to write to the warden of Coleman 1 and ask why Leonard & the Elder unit is under such a strict lockdown? You would send your letters to: Warden Cheatham U.S. PENITENTIARY Coleman 1 P.O. BOX 1023 COLEMAN,?FL??33521 Remember: white paper only and white envelopes only. No stickers on the white envelope | | | | Questions? Comments??Contact us. You can also keep up with the PSL on?Twitter?or?Facebook. This email was sent to?karenaram at hotmail.com. To stop receiving emails,?click here. Created with?NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. | | | ? _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Thu Oct 17 19:24:17 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:24:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Despite Obstruction By Capitol Police, Progressive Groups Deliver 2.2 Million Petitions To Democrats Still Not Backing Medicare For All Message-ID: <00e401d58520$78e79bf0$6ab6d3d0$@comcast.net> House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has refused to allow the bill to the floor for a vote. Tom Nickels, a lobbyist for the American Hospital Association, predicted in April that Pelosi would ensure there is no vote on Medicare for All as long as she holds the gavel. Despite Obstruction By Capitol Police, Progressive Groups Deliver 2.2 Million Petitions To Democrats Still Not Backing Medicare For All By Jake Johnson, Commondreams.org October 17, 2019 | Create! https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/12/1googlenotice.png ?Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and our members will continue to push for it until we get it over the finish line.? A diverse coalition of progressive advocacy groups on Tuesday delivered 2.2 million petition signatures to House Democrats demanding that they use their majority to pass Rep. Pramila Jayapal?s gold-standard Medicare for All bill. The petition delivery hit a brief snag when members of the coalition?representing nurses, physicians, and consumers across the U.S.?were stopped by a Capitol police officer who said the public is not allowed to ?deliver? items to members of Congress. ?Does that mean that lobbyists can no longer provide any materials to offices, too?? asked activist Maria Langholz. Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen said it has ?delivered petitions to Congress countless times? and ?never encountered this before.? The groups were ultimately able to deliver petition signatures to a number of House Democrats who have yet to co-sponsor Jayapal?s Medicare for All Act of 2019, including Reps. Darren Soto (D-N.J.), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa). ?Our members are organizing and pushing other members of Congress to get on board with Medicare for All,? Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, said in a statement. ?Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and our members will continue to push for it until we get it over the finish line.? Melinda St. Louis, director of Public Citizen?s Medicare for All campaign, said the 2.2 million petition signatures ?are reflective of what we?re seeing at the grassroots level through efforts to win city and county council resolutions in support of Medicare for All.? ?As this campaign continues to gain steam,? said St. Louis, ?we expect to see more and more boxes of signatures from Americans demanding guaranteed healthcare for all.? A majority of the House Democratic caucus has co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has refused to allow the bill to the floor for a vote. Tom Nickels, a lobbyist for the American Hospital Association, predicted in April that Pelosi would ensure there is no vote on Medicare for All as long as she holds the gavel. Maplight?s Andrew Perez reported Tuesday that the for-profit hospital industry is ?leading the fight? against Medicare for All by bankrolling the Partnership for America?s Health Care Future (PAHCF), a dark-money organization formed by corporate interests to crush single-payer. Connie Huynh, healthcare for all campaign director with People?s Action, said in a statement that ?corporate greed keeps healthcare out of reach for millions of people.? ?We can?t wait,? said Huynh. ?We need Congress to vote for Medicare for All: it?s the best solution to our healthcare crisis right now.? Watch the petition delivery: ? Health Care Medicare for all Reform -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 13068 bytes Desc: not available URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Thu Oct 17 23:15:00 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 18:15:00 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Despite Obstruction By Capitol Police, Progressive Groups Deliver 2.2 Million Petitions To Democrats Still Not Backing Medicare For All In-Reply-To: <00e401d58520$78e79bf0$6ab6d3d0$@comcast.net> References: <00e401d58520$78e79bf0$6ab6d3d0$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <7c72419e-6642-3c48-bf25-88f123daff2a@forestfield.org> David Johnson: > House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has refused to allow the bill to > the floor for a vote. Tom Nickels, a lobbyist for the American Hospital > Association, predicted in April that Pelosi would ensure there is no > vote on Medicare for All as long as she holds the gavel. To add on to David's response: this should hardly come as a surprise to anyone given how the Democrats treated HR676 back when it was Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) Medicare for All bill[1] (referred to as the "gold standard" Medicare for All bill by Dr. Margaret Flowers of Health Over Profit for Everyone and Popular Resistance in https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/01/22/single-payer-gold-standard-hr-676-rest-peace). Pelosi's choice is simply part of the continuity of policy for the Democratic Party; Pres. Obama made sure his HMO-written, HMO-pleasing ObamaCare (n?e RomneyCare) would get through instead of Medicare for All. Jimmy Dore has rightly argued that this decision shows that as far as healthcare policy goes it wouldn't have mattered whether Mitt Romney or Barack Obama became POTUS. This is how the Democrats manipulate the electorate and satisfy their HMO funders -- the Democrats apparently put up Medicare for All bills that read more or less well (3 such bills so far) and possibly get wide co-sponsorship within the Democratic Party (as HR676 did). This delays some criticism from the public with an unjustified belief that Medicare for All is just around the corner. Then none of these bills are ever brought to the floor for a vote. This is also why I think it's not really that valuable to get into the details of the differences between Sen. Sanders' and Rep. Jayapal's respective Senate and House Medicare for All bills. Neither bill will ever get voted on, and there's no way the Democrats will pick Sen. Sanders to represent the Democratic Party no matter how many Democrats vote for him in that party's primary. The elites of that party cheated him before and they'll cheat him again if need be; he seemed to be down with being cheated out of a fair shot at that party's primary in 2016. I think this understanding should help form a right and proper view of the entire Democratic Party even those said to be "progressive" Democrats. Ultimately that party makes choices consistent with pleasing their HMO sponsors instead of the public that wants Medicare for All. I'm not interested in entertaining arguments against Medicare for All from the 'it's not perfect' bullshit point of view because Medicare for All is such an improvement over the status quo and addresses a nationally important issue. [1] Now HR676 is a bill to "reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)" as Russell Mokhiber aptly put it, pretty much the opposite of anything to do with caring about people's health. From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Oct 18 14:37:32 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 14:37:32 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] David Harvey on China Message-ID: If one only listens to the last couple minutes??. https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbnRpY2FwaXRhbGlzdGNocm9uaWNsZXMubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M&episode=OTI1NGJhNzI2ZWVmNDA2 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Fri Oct 18 17:06:36 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 13:06:36 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi is who she is talking about. https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 [image: image.png] > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 234824 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Fri Oct 18 21:38:18 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:38:18 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: Tulsi hits back: https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 [image: image.png] On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman wrote: > > This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's > name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi > is who she is talking about. > > https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 > > [image: image.png] > >> >> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 234824 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 153151 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Fri Oct 18 21:46:13 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 16:46:13 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail website: *Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance*One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > Tulsi hits back: > > https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 > > [image: image.png] > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman > wrote: > >> >> This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's >> name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi >> is who she is talking about. >> >> https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 >> >> [image: image.png] >> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 234824 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 153151 bytes Desc: not available URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Sat Oct 19 01:36:33 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Fri, 18 Oct 2019 20:36:33 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: As part of the 'anti-abortion crowd' and an opponent of US 'regime-change wars? (like Obama?s in Syria), I don?t think the government should arrange for the ending of human lives, in the womb or out of it. I support Gabbard as the best of the Democratic candidates on these issues. These are of course political questions. Che Guevara is supposed to have said, ?It?s easier to kill a guerrilla in the womb than in the hills." Class and racial wrongs are committed by a society that does not provide for pregnant women and their children while it "goes ... abroad in search of monsters to destroy.? It?s clear which one is the agent of these crimes, Clinton or Gabbard. ?CGE > On Oct 18, 2019, at 4:46 PM, David Green via Peace-discuss wrote: > > Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail website: > > Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance > One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) > > The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss wrote: > > Tulsi hits back: > > https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 > > > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman wrote: > > This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi is who she is talking about. > > https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Sat Oct 19 09:59:50 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 05:59:50 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: Tulsi hit back again in this CBS interview. Watching this interview turned some of my friends who were Tulsi skeptics before into Tulsi believers. They weren't Tulsi skeptics before in the sense that they didn't agree with what she was saying; they agreed with what she was saying, duh. They were skeptics of the idea that Tulsi could have a significant impact on the debate. Now they believe that if Tulsi keeps going and keeps saying what she is saying, it can change history. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjzBJWUyWI On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 9:36 PM C. G. Estabrook wrote: > As part of the 'anti-abortion crowd' and an opponent of US 'regime-change > wars? (like Obama?s in Syria), I don?t think the government should arrange > for the ending of human lives, in the womb or out of it. > > I support Gabbard as the best of the Democratic candidates on these issues. > > These are of course political questions. Che Guevara is supposed to have > said, ?It?s easier to kill a guerrilla in the womb than in the hills." > > Class and racial wrongs are committed by a society that does not provide > for pregnant women and their children while it "goes ... abroad in search > of monsters to destroy.? > > It?s clear which one is the agent of these crimes, Clinton or Gabbard. ?CGE > > > > On Oct 18, 2019, at 4:46 PM, David Green via Peace-discuss < > peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > > Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail > website: > > > > Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance > > One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, > specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi > Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s > actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for > an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated > this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the > overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria > is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore > Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle > to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) > > > > The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, > including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of > the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be > very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained > also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over > her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to > talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right > or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. > > > > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss < > peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > > Tulsi hits back: > > > > https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 > > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman > wrote: > > > > This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use > Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming > that Tulsi is who she is talking about. > > > > https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Peace-discuss mailing list > > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > > Peace-discuss mailing list > > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Sat Oct 19 14:40:33 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 10:40:33 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <0B3C1455-830C-4DAA-92C8-F04101A2DD18@gmail.com> Message-ID: Tucker Carlson joins the fray. https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1185365855573549056 [image: image.png] On Sat, Oct 19, 2019 at 5:59 AM Robert Naiman wrote: > > Tulsi hit back again in this CBS interview. Watching this interview turned > some of my friends who were Tulsi skeptics before into Tulsi believers. > They weren't Tulsi skeptics before in the sense that they didn't agree with > what she was saying; they agreed with what she was saying, duh. They were > skeptics of the idea that Tulsi could have a significant impact on the > debate. Now they believe that if Tulsi keeps going and keeps saying what > she is saying, it can change history. > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjzBJWUyWI > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 9:36 PM C. G. Estabrook > wrote: > >> As part of the 'anti-abortion crowd' and an opponent of US 'regime-change >> wars? (like Obama?s in Syria), I don?t think the government should arrange >> for the ending of human lives, in the womb or out of it. >> >> I support Gabbard as the best of the Democratic candidates on these >> issues. >> >> These are of course political questions. Che Guevara is supposed to have >> said, ?It?s easier to kill a guerrilla in the womb than in the hills." >> >> Class and racial wrongs are committed by a society that does not provide >> for pregnant women and their children while it "goes ... abroad in search >> of monsters to destroy.? >> >> It?s clear which one is the agent of these crimes, Clinton or Gabbard. >> ?CGE >> >> >> > On Oct 18, 2019, at 4:46 PM, David Green via Peace-discuss < >> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: >> > >> > Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail >> website: >> > >> > Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance >> > One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, >> specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi >> Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s >> actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for >> an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated >> this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the >> overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria >> is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore >> Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle >> to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) >> > >> > The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, >> including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of >> the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be >> very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained >> also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over >> her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to >> talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right >> or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. >> > >> > >> > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss < >> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: >> > >> > Tulsi hits back: >> > >> > https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman >> wrote: >> > >> > This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use >> Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming >> that Tulsi is who she is talking about. >> > >> > https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 >> > >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Peace-discuss mailing list >> > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Peace-discuss mailing list >> > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >> >> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 347901 bytes Desc: not available URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Sat Oct 19 21:37:45 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 16:37:45 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Why the establishment (Rep-Dem) fears Gabbard: she's right about their war-making Message-ID: <2465F83C-260E-43A8-A71E-837EA9D6324C@newsfromneptune.com> https://www.thecanary.co/us/us-analysis/2019/10/19/heres-why-the-establishment-media-is-openly-smearing-anti-war-democrat-tulsi-gabbard/ From carl at newsfromneptune.com Sun Oct 20 01:13:17 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 20:13:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] How the Syria War was Won Message-ID: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ [Pepe Escobar] I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. ### From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 02:23:00 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 21:23:00 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. Ignorance of the West The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. Rebuilding Syria The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? ?Pepe Escobar > On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ > > [Pepe Escobar] > I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. > > ### > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Sun Oct 20 02:34:40 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 21:34:40 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2EC3FB0A-53B6-4115-A185-C0058D4AA85C@newsfromneptune.com> Some people think the ?intelligence community? killed JFK for his failure to overthrow the revolutionary government in Cuba. The example, true or not, may be at work now in re Trump and Syria. What can Trump expect as the CIA?s (and the Democrats?) revenge for Syria? ?CGE > On Oct 19, 2019, at 9:23 PM, C G Estabrook wrote: > > ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. > > Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. > > The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. > > ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. > The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. > > One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. > > East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. > Ignorance of the West > > The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. > > Rebuilding Syria > > The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? > > ?Pepe Escobar > > >> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >> >> [Pepe Escobar] >> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >> >> ### >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 02:41:36 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 21:41:36 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Thank you for contacting TULSI 2020 In-Reply-To: <9E.D4.04678.CA3BBAD5@asv11mtam009.ngpweb.com> References: <9E.D4.04678.CA3BBAD5@asv11mtam009.ngpweb.com> Message-ID: I do follow TULSI 2020 and post your comments to social media and our local antiwar email list - . I look forward to your communications. --C.G. Estabrook > On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:09 PM, TULSI 2020 wrote: > > > > Dear C.G., > > Thanks for your note! My team and I read every email that comes in and your feedback, ideas, stories, prayers, hopes and dreams are important to us. This campaign is about lifting up the voices of the people. Your voice. Our voice. > > Consider following TULSI 2020 to continue the conversation. > > > > --- > > From: C.G. ESTABROOK > > You wrote: > > Dear Representative Gabbard: I support your anti-war positions but would like to know how you see the following actions as compatible with that position. It seems that you have voted to sanction Venezuela several times and co-sponsored anti-Maduro bills. H.R.2658 - Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act of 2017: https://www.congress.gov/.../hr2658/BILLS-115hr2658rfs.pdfH.Res.259 - Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela: https://www.congress.gov/.../hres259/BILLS-115hres259eh.pdfH.Res.488 - Supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for democracy, a reduction in violent crime and calling for an end to recent violence: https://www.congress.gov/.../hres488/BILLS-113hres488eh.pdfH.R.4229 - Venezuelan Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act: https://www.congress.gov/.../hr4229/BILLS-113hr4229ih.pdf In 2017, you voted for an anti-Iran bill that demanded sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program: H.R.1698 - Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act: https://www.congress.gov/.../115th.../house-bill/1698/text | In 2016, you co-sponsored H.Res.4333, authorizing ?expedited consideration of sanctions in the event that the Government of Iran commits acts of terror or uses ballistic missile technology in violation of international law.? https://www.congress.gov/.../hr4333/BILLS-114hr4333ih.pdf In 2016, you also co-sponsored H.Res.600, authorizing the use of military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons: https://www.congress.gov/.../hres600/BILLS-114hres600ih.pdf On the DPRK, you seem to have been unduly skeptical. In 2014, you seem to have attacked Obama from the right on Ukraine/Russia for not arming neo-Nazis. https://gabbard.house.gov/.../rep-tulsi-gabbard-russia... In 2014: ?By providing lethal and non-lethal aid and training, we can both support Ukraine?s peaceful aspirations and contribute to the stability of the region and safety of our allies. We have to act in a way that takes seriously the threat of Russian aggression against its peaceful, sovereign neighbor.? https://gabbard.house.gov/.../rep-tulsi-gabbard-statement... You voted for a triple sanctions bill in 2017 (CAATSA), authorizing the US government to impose sanctions on Russia, Iran, and DPRK. You seem to have been wrong on Afghanistan by supporting US bombing campaigns there. And you seem to have voted against repealing the AUMF: https://www.congress.gov/.../house-amendment/1033/text When it comes to Iraq, you've spoken in favor of a ?three-state solution? that would partition Iraq into three independent states. https://youtu.be/ovNMnfSq_x Best wishes for an anti-war vote in the 2020 election. Regards, (Dr.) C.G. Estabrook > > > > PAID FOR BY TULSI NOW > PO Box 75255 Kapolei HI 96707 > > If you believe we need to end the culture of corruption and greed in Washington, then now is the time to make a contribution to TULSI 2020. If you'd like to make a recurring contribution to TULSI 2020, please click here. > From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 20 15:22:18 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 15:22:18 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Inside the CIA/truth Message-ID: https://youtu.be/EYrznlDTE_M From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 20 15:25:34 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 10:25:34 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <004e01d5875a$9ec8bde0$dc5a39a0$@comcast.net> ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society.? The above statement is an absolute slanderous lie ! The YPG Kurdish areas had a bottom up grass roots democratic structure that did NOT discriminate against anyone, regardless if they were Kurds or Araba or Alawites. Muslims, Christians, or the other smaller religious groups in the area. It rejected capitalism and their areas consisted of small businesses and worker cooperatives. There was a total absence of misogyny with women in positions of elected leadership in governing councils and military units. The governing councils started at the neighborhood level and went to city and regional level. ALL 100 % democratic REGARDLESS of ethnicity etc.. The YPG Kurds has / had a society that was a model for not just the middle east but the world at large. Of course all of the actors involved, especially Turkey, wanted to see it destroyed, including Trump / U.S. ruling class and the Assad government. During the entire time of it?s existence it never battled the Syrian army and allowed the regional; airport and the postal system to remain in control of the Syrian government. It did have several armed confrontations with the CIA backed jihadists of the so called ? Free Syrian Army ? in addition to ISIS. The accepting of U.S. weapons and later troops was an act of survival. I have read two books written about the YPG as well as read countless interviews / personal accounts of Left-wing American and British individuals who visited and stayed in the Rojave region for various lengths of time. David J. From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of C G Estabrook via Peace-discuss Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2019 9:23 PM To: Carl G. Estabrook Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. Ignorance of the West The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. Rebuilding Syria The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? ?Pepe Escobar On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ [Pepe Escobar] I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. ### _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 15:48:09 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 11:48:09 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Nina Turner defends Tulsi: "this is revenge for supporting Bernie & calling out the DNC" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Please RT: https://twitter.com/shoe0nhead/status/1185742142985199616 [image: image.png] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 364254 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 20 16:09:29 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 16:09:29 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: <2EC3FB0A-53B6-4115-A185-C0058D4AA85C@newsfromneptune.com> References: <2EC3FB0A-53B6-4115-A185-C0058D4AA85C@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: Some think it wasn?t so much the failure of the overthrow of the Cuban government, but the CIA agents, and their Cuban contractors who were captured, and tortured as Cuban prisoners, due to Kennedy withdrawal of the invasion after it had already begun. > On Oct 19, 2019, at 19:34, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > Some people think the ?intelligence community? killed JFK for his failure to overthrow the revolutionary government in Cuba. > > The example, true or not, may be at work now in re Trump and Syria. What can Trump expect as the CIA?s (and the Democrats?) revenge for Syria? > > ?CGE > > >> On Oct 19, 2019, at 9:23 PM, C G Estabrook wrote: >> >> ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. >> >> Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. >> >> The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. >> >> ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. >> The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. >> >> One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. >> >> East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. >> Ignorance of the West >> >> The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. >> >> Rebuilding Syria >> >> The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? >> >> ?Pepe Escobar >> >> >>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>> >>> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >>> >>> [Pepe Escobar] >>> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >>> >>> ### >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From moboct1 at aim.com Sun Oct 20 16:23:35 2019 From: moboct1 at aim.com (Mildred O'brien) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 16:23:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" References: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865@mail.yahoo.com> The Oakland "Socialist"? "Marxmail"? (in DNC clothing trying to slam socialism with?twisted analysis), like Nora O'Donnell?(who muscled her way in as anchor of CBS news) opening?Friday CBS Evening News with "breaking news": Tulsi Gabbard has been identified as a Russian asset?with their attempt to?interfere again?in the?2020 election (I'm paraphrasing), picking up I suppose with the NYT?report of Hillary's slander of Tulsi and Jill Stein as Russian assets?and hanging out with Assad, in a?feeble attempt?to test the waters for what I suspect is her leap into the Democratic primary?(release of?a new book? is?the sure sign).? She picked?the wrong?targets to malign; Tulsi,responded with a beautiful?description of?Hillary's political foibles?with a perfect barrage.? Did Hill think she could?smear a couple of fringe?potential?enemies?to avenge her past or present defeats with slanderous invective???Did she really think tarring them?red would stick?? Apparently?it did, at least momentarily with the MSM and loyal feminist Hillary supporters, guilty themselves with spreading the slander as fact (more of Trump's "fake news").?? Midge???????? -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss To: Robert Naiman Cc: Peace-discuss List Sent: Fri, Oct 18, 2019 4:46 pm Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail website:? Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss wrote: Tulsi hits back: https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman wrote: This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi is who she is talking about. https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 234824 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 153151 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 20 16:57:38 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 11:57:38 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <00a001d58767$7c81cbc0$75856340$@comcast.net> Midge, The handle ? Oakland Socialist ? belongs to a FORMER Carpenter friend of mine who became obsessed with Syria and supporting the CIA backed jihadists, calling them ? The Syrian People?s revolution ?. He is sincere in his ridiculous beliefs. We had a falling out over this ( his choice not mine ) because I refused to support his view, even though I acknowledged that Assad was a brutal asshole. That wasn?t good enough for him. I felt as if a family member had joined some fucked up religious cult. He also hates the YPG Kurds, who I did / do support. David J. From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:24 AM To: davegreen84 at yahoo.com; peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" The Oakland "Socialist"? "Marxmail"? (in DNC clothing trying to slam socialism with twisted analysis), like Nora O'Donnell (who muscled her way in as anchor of CBS news) opening Friday CBS Evening News with "breaking news": Tulsi Gabbard has been identified as a Russian asset with their attempt to interfere again in the 2020 election (I'm paraphrasing), picking up I suppose with the NYT report of Hillary's slander of Tulsi and Jill Stein as Russian assets and hanging out with Assad, in a feeble attempt to test the waters for what I suspect is her leap into the Democratic primary (release of a new book is the sure sign). She picked the wrong targets to malign; Tulsi,responded with a beautiful description of Hillary's political foibles with a perfect barrage. Did Hill think she could smear a couple of fringe potential enemies to avenge her past or present defeats with slanderous invective? Did she really think tarring them red would stick? Apparently it did, at least momentarily with the MSM and loyal feminist Hillary supporters, guilty themselves with spreading the slander as fact (more of Trump's "fake news"). Midge -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss To: Robert Naiman Cc: Peace-discuss List Sent: Fri, Oct 18, 2019 4:46 pm Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail website: Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss wrote: Tulsi hits back: https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 image.png On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman wrote: This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi is who she is talking about. https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 image.png _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 176927 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 195935 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cgestabrook at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 17:34:51 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C. G. Estabrook ) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 12:34:51 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: References: <2EC3FB0A-53B6-4115-A185-C0058D4AA85C@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: <0F10CD66-C058-462F-A13C-489C1A9A0C2D@gmail.com> I don?t see the difference. > On Oct 20, 2019, at 11:09 AM, Karen Aram wrote: > > Some think it wasn?t so much the failure of the overthrow of the Cuban government, but the CIA agents, and their Cuban contractors who were captured, and tortured as Cuban prisoners, due to Kennedy withdrawal of the invasion after it had already begun. > > >> On Oct 19, 2019, at 19:34, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> Some people think the ?intelligence community? killed JFK for his failure to overthrow the revolutionary government in Cuba. >> >> The example, true or not, may be at work now in re Trump and Syria. What can Trump expect as the CIA?s (and the Democrats?) revenge for Syria? >> >> ?CGE >> >> >>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 9:23 PM, C G Estabrook wrote: >>> >>> ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. >>> >>> Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. >>> >>> The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. >>> >>> ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. >>> The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. >>> >>> One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. >>> >>> East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. >>> Ignorance of the West >>> >>> The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. >>> >>> Rebuilding Syria >>> >>> The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? >>> >>> ?Pepe Escobar >>> >>> >>>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>>> >>>> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >>>> >>>> [Pepe Escobar] >>>> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >>>> >>>> ### >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace mailing list >>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > From naiman at justforeignpolicy.org Sun Oct 20 17:47:20 2019 From: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:47:20 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: <00a001d58767$7c81cbc0$75856340$@comcast.net> References: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865@mail.yahoo.com> <00a001d58767$7c81cbc0$75856340$@comcast.net> Message-ID: This points to one of the spectacular features of the juncture: by and large, the same Blob-neocon forces denouncing Trump for not blocking the Turkish/Free Syrian Army invasion of northern Syria are the same people who denounced Obama for not supporting the Free Syrian Army. It's breathtaking. These people are denouncing the Free Syrian Army as jihadists now. But before they were demanding that Obama support the Free Syrian Army. As Orwell put it: "We have *always* been at war *with Eurasia." *The point of Big Brother's slogan isn't just that you're supposed to accept that we've always been at war. The point is that you're supposed to accept that we've *always* been allied with Oceania against Eurasia, even though yesterday we were allied with Eurasia against Oceania. This is the litmus test of required acceptance of the ideological demands of the Empire: you don't complain when the Empire flips its alliances, you don't even acknowledge that the Empire has just flipped its alliances. We've always been at war with Al Qaeda. Even though yesterday, we were supporting Al Qaeda. These people aren't Democrats or Republicans; they're not pro-Obama or anti-Obama; they're not pro-Trump or anti-Trump. They're pro-Empire. Their God isn't Woodrow Wilson or Ronald Reagan; it's Clausewitz. They're for whichever side leads to occupying or controlling more territory, overthrowing more governments, establishing and keeping more foreign military bases, projecting more military power. They're playing Risk, they're playing Diplomacy, they're playing chess, they're playing Empire. The ultimate object of the game isn't to protect your pieces; it's to checkmate the enemy King. All else is secondary. This is why these people hate Tulsi Gabbard so much. Her "crime" was to be "prematurely" right about Syria, to denounce to the U.S. alliance with Al Qaeda in Syria before the U.S. switched sides and gave up its previous support for Al Qaeda in Syria. Her existence is an obstacle to the slogan, "We've always been at war with Al Qaeda." That's why the Blob and the neocons are trying to push her into the memory hole. On Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 12:58 PM David Johnson via Peace-discuss < peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > Midge, > > > > The handle ? Oakland Socialist ? belongs to a FORMER Carpenter friend of > mine who became obsessed with Syria and supporting the CIA backed > jihadists, calling them ? The Syrian People?s revolution ?. He is sincere > in his ridiculous beliefs. We had a falling out over this ( his choice not > mine ) because I refused to support his view, even though I acknowledged > that Assad was a brutal asshole. That wasn?t good enough for him. I felt as > if a family member had joined some fucked up religious cult. He also hates > the YPG Kurds, who I did / do support. > > > > David J. > > > > *From:* Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] *On > Behalf Of *Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss > *Sent:* Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:24 AM > *To:* davegreen84 at yahoo.com; peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > *Subject:* [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" > > > > The Oakland "Socialist"? "Marxmail"? (in DNC clothing trying to slam > socialism with twisted analysis), like Nora O'Donnell (who muscled her way > in as anchor of CBS news) opening Friday CBS Evening News with "breaking > news": Tulsi Gabbard has been identified as a Russian asset with their > attempt to interfere again in the 2020 election (I'm paraphrasing), picking > up I suppose with the NYT report of Hillary's slander of Tulsi and Jill > Stein as Russian assets and hanging out with Assad, in a feeble attempt to > test the waters for what I suspect is her leap into the Democratic > primary (release of a new book is the sure sign). She picked the > wrong targets to malign; Tulsi,responded with a beautiful description > of Hillary's political foibles with a perfect barrage. Did Hill think she > could smear a couple of fringe potential enemies to avenge her past or > present defeats with slanderous invective? Did she really think tarring > them red would stick? Apparently it did, at least momentarily with the MSM > and loyal feminist Hillary supporters, guilty themselves with spreading the > slander as fact (more of Trump's "fake news"). > > Midge > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Green via Peace-discuss > To: Robert Naiman > Cc: Peace-discuss List > Sent: Fri, Oct 18, 2019 4:46 pm > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" > > Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail > website: > > > > *Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance* > One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, > specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi > Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s > actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for > an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated > this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the > overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria > is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore > Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle > to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) > > The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, > including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of > the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be > very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained > also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over > her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to > talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right > or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. > > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss < > peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > > Tulsi hits back: > > > > https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 > > > > [image: image.png] > > > > > > On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman > wrote: > > > > This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's > name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi > is who she is talking about. > > > > https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 > > > > [image: image.png] > > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 176927 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 195935 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 20 18:33:48 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 18:33:48 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: <0F10CD66-C058-462F-A13C-489C1A9A0C2D@gmail.com> References: <2EC3FB0A-53B6-4115-A185-C0058D4AA85C@newsfromneptune.com> <0F10CD66-C058-462F-A13C-489C1A9A0C2D@gmail.com> Message-ID: There is a difference. I don?t think the CIA risks killing a President or operative, due to failure of one mission or goal, when he is doing everything else correct by CIA standards, unless you think Kennedy was serious about withdrawing from Vietnam. > On Oct 20, 2019, at 10:34, C. G. Estabrook wrote: > > > I don?t see the difference. > >> On Oct 20, 2019, at 11:09 AM, Karen Aram wrote: >> >> Some think it wasn?t so much the failure of the overthrow of the Cuban government, but the CIA agents, and their Cuban contractors who were captured, and tortured as Cuban prisoners, due to Kennedy withdrawal of the invasion after it had already begun. >> >> >>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 19:34, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>> >>> Some people think the ?intelligence community? killed JFK for his failure to overthrow the revolutionary government in Cuba. >>> >>> The example, true or not, may be at work now in re Trump and Syria. What can Trump expect as the CIA?s (and the Democrats?) revenge for Syria? >>> >>> ?CGE >>> >>> >>>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 9:23 PM, C G Estabrook wrote: >>>> >>>> ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. >>>> >>>> Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. >>>> >>>> The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. >>>> >>>> ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. >>>> The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. >>>> >>>> One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. >>>> >>>> East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. >>>> Ignorance of the West >>>> >>>> The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. >>>> >>>> Rebuilding Syria >>>> >>>> The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? >>>> >>>> ?Pepe Escobar >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>>>> >>>>> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >>>>> >>>>> [Pepe Escobar] >>>>> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >>>>> >>>>> ### >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Peace mailing list >>>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 20 19:12:12 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 14:12:12 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" In-Reply-To: References: <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1736906048.5444674.1571588615865@mail.yahoo.com> <00a001d58767$7c81cbc0$75856340$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <00ce01d5877a$47da8200$d78f8600$@comcast.net> Wow Bob, That is an excellent analogy with Orwell?s 1984. And I absolutely agree with what else you wrote here. David J. From: Robert Naiman [mailto:naiman at justforeignpolicy.org] Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2019 12:47 PM To: David Johnson Cc: Mildred O'brien; David Green; Peace-discuss List Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" This points to one of the spectacular features of the juncture: by and large, the same Blob-neocon forces denouncing Trump for not blocking the Turkish/Free Syrian Army invasion of northern Syria are the same people who denounced Obama for not supporting the Free Syrian Army. It's breathtaking. These people are denouncing the Free Syrian Army as jihadists now. But before they were demanding that Obama support the Free Syrian Army. As Orwell put it: "We have always been at war with Eurasia." The point of Big Brother's slogan isn't just that you're supposed to accept that we've always been at war. The point is that you're supposed to accept that we've always been allied with Oceania against Eurasia, even though yesterday we were allied with Eurasia against Oceania. This is the litmus test of required acceptance of the ideological demands of the Empire: you don't complain when the Empire flips its alliances, you don't even acknowledge that the Empire has just flipped its alliances. We've always been at war with Al Qaeda. Even though yesterday, we were supporting Al Qaeda. These people aren't Democrats or Republicans; they're not pro-Obama or anti-Obama; they're not pro-Trump or anti-Trump. They're pro-Empire. Their God isn't Woodrow Wilson or Ronald Reagan; it's Clausewitz. They're for whichever side leads to occupying or controlling more territory, overthrowing more governments, establishing and keeping more foreign military bases, projecting more military power. They're playing Risk, they're playing Diplomacy, they're playing chess, they're playing Empire. The ultimate object of the game isn't to protect your pieces; it's to checkmate the enemy King. All else is secondary. This is why these people hate Tulsi Gabbard so much. Her "crime" was to be "prematurely" right about Syria, to denounce to the U.S. alliance with Al Qaeda in Syria before the U.S. switched sides and gave up its previous support for Al Qaeda in Syria. Her existence is an obstacle to the slogan, "We've always been at war with Al Qaeda." That's why the Blob and the neocons are trying to push her into the memory hole. On Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 12:58 PM David Johnson via Peace-discuss wrote: Midge, The handle ? Oakland Socialist ? belongs to a FORMER Carpenter friend of mine who became obsessed with Syria and supporting the CIA backed jihadists, calling them ? The Syrian People?s revolution ?. He is sincere in his ridiculous beliefs. We had a falling out over this ( his choice not mine ) because I refused to support his view, even though I acknowledged that Assad was a brutal asshole. That wasn?t good enough for him. I felt as if a family member had joined some fucked up religious cult. He also hates the YPG Kurds, who I did / do support. David J. From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Mildred O'brien via Peace-discuss Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2019 11:24 AM To: davegreen84 at yahoo.com; peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" The Oakland "Socialist"? "Marxmail"? (in DNC clothing trying to slam socialism with twisted analysis), like Nora O'Donnell (who muscled her way in as anchor of CBS news) opening Friday CBS Evening News with "breaking news": Tulsi Gabbard has been identified as a Russian asset with their attempt to interfere again in the 2020 election (I'm paraphrasing), picking up I suppose with the NYT report of Hillary's slander of Tulsi and Jill Stein as Russian assets and hanging out with Assad, in a feeble attempt to test the waters for what I suspect is her leap into the Democratic primary (release of a new book is the sure sign). She picked the wrong targets to malign; Tulsi,responded with a beautiful description of Hillary's political foibles with a perfect barrage. Did Hill think she could smear a couple of fringe potential enemies to avenge her past or present defeats with slanderous invective? Did she really think tarring them red would stick? Apparently it did, at least momentarily with the MSM and loyal feminist Hillary supporters, guilty themselves with spreading the slander as fact (more of Trump's "fake news"). Midge -----Original Message----- From: David Green via Peace-discuss To: Robert Naiman Cc: Peace-discuss List Sent: Fri, Oct 18, 2019 4:46 pm Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Hillary smears Tulsi as "Russian asset" Look at what the "Oakland Socialist" says, also a link on the Marxmail website: Syria, Tulsi Gabbard and red-brown alliance One of the most spirited subjects to be discussed was foreign policy, specifically Syria, and here is where the truly dangerous nature of Tulsi Gabbard emerged. All the candidates but her strongly condemned Trump?s actions. While Gabbard mildly criticized it, her main point was to call for an end to ?the regime change war that we are waging in Syria?. She repeated this phrase ? ?regime change wars? ? time and again. This is the term the overt and covert Assad supporters use. They claim that the revolt in Syria is just a US effort at regime change. Along the way, they dismiss or ignore Assad?s absolutely criminal repression. So Gabbard was making a dog whistle to them. (At least Biden attacked her for this lie of hers.) The issue of Syria is the key nexus where the ?left? and the far right, including outright fascists, meet, and Tulsi Gabbard is playing the role of the magnet for this tendency within the Democratic Party. She seems to be very conscious of that, as she was the only one to be fairly restrained also when the issue of a woman?s right to choose, a woman?s control over her own body, came up. In the few minutes allotted to her, Gabbard chose to talk against third trimester abortions. Regardless of whether she is right or not, this again is a dog whistle for the anti-abortion crowd. On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 4:38 PM Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss wrote: Tulsi hits back: https://mobile.twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1185289626409406464 image.png On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 1:06 PM Robert Naiman wrote: This is breathtaking. There must be pushback. Hillary doesn't use Tulsi's name but as you can see from the responses everybody is assuming that Tulsi is who she is talking about. https://twitter.com/aaronblake/status/1185196559941722113 image.png _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 176927 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 195935 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 20:10:05 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 16:10:05 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?Tulsi_Gabbard=E2=80=99s_Blob_apostasy?= =?utf-8?b?OiDigJxwcmVtYXR1cmXigJ0gb3Bwb3NpdGlvbiB0byBVLlMuIHN1cHBv?= =?utf-8?q?rt_for_Al_Qaeda?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Tulsi Gabbard?s Blob apostasy: ?premature? opposition to U.S. support for Al Qaeda https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158745493197656 Many recall that in George Orwell?s dystopian novel _*1984_* one of Big Brother?s slogans was: ?We have always been at war with Eurasia.? But they forget the context of Big Brother?s slogan, so they lose much of its significance in Orwell?s critique of endless war. In Orwell?s dystopia, Big Brother keeps switching sides in the war between Eurasia and Oceania. Every time Big Brother switches sides, Big Brother insists that he was always on the side he is now on, even though yesterday Big Brother was on the other side. Willingness to accept Big Brother?s insistence that he was always on the side he is now on, instead of acknowledging that Big Brother was on the other side yesterday, is presented as a crucial test of loyalty to Big Brother. Whoever refuses to ?acknowledge? as ?true? the manufactured reality that Big Brother was always on the same side as Big Brother is now has committed a _*thoughtcrime_ *and can be singled out for punishment and ?re-education.? To clarify Orwell?s intent, we can italicize his sentence, as Leo Rosten used italics in _*The Joys of Yiddish_*: ?We have *_always_* been at war with _*Eurasia_*.? The point isn?t just that we?ve always been at war. That?s also true. The point is to forget that yesterday we were on the other side of the endless war. The point of forgetting that we were on the other side of the endless war yesterday is that the moment the Empire switches sides in the endless war is a moment of ideological vulnerability for the Empire with the domestic population that?s bearing the domestic burden of the endless war. When the Empire switches sides in the endless war, the ?justifications? for continuing participation in the endless war need to change. If we?re not living in a police state, that dramatic shift might raise questions in the domestic population carrying the domestic burden of the endless war. Answering those questions might be awkward if there?s free inquiry, because the new ?justifications? might be the opposite of the old ?justifications.? The best way to pre-empt the questions is to pretend that the shift in alliances didn?t just occur and punish anyone who doesn?t comply with the officially sanctioned make-believe. During the post-World War II ?witch hunt? against the American Left of the McCarthy period, a curious phrase arose: ?premature anti-fascists.? These were Americans who had opposed the fascist takeover of Spain in 1936-1937. Having opposed the fascist takeover of Spain in 1936-1937 was taken as evidence of prior support for the American Communist Party, which had opposed the fascist takeover of Spain in 1936-1937. But, the accused argued, didn?t we just fight a war against European fascism? Weren?t we all on the same side? Yes, the accusers acknowledged, it?s true, we did just fight a war against European fascism. But that was from _*1941-1945*_. In _ *1936*_ you hadn?t been issued an opinion against European fascism by the U.S. government yet. That?s what?s so _*suspicious*_ about your _*premature*_ opposition to European fascism: you hadn?t been issued an opinion against European fascism by the U.S. government yet. Therefore, your _premature_ opposition to European fascism must have come from some other, nefarious place, since it was not issued by the people who own and operate America. What Tulsi Gabbard stands accused of amounts to _*prematurely*_ opposing U.S. support for Al Qaeda in Syria when U.S. support for Al Qaeda in Syria was being advocated by the Blob and the neocons; indeed, when it was U.S. policy during the Obama Administration. Look at the Establishment Democrat wing of the Blob?s bill of indictment against Trump for withdrawing the unconstitutional U.S. military presence in northern Syria. Trump?s military withdrawal has, they claim, enabled the Turkish military invasion of northern Syria, together with the Turkish-backed ?Free Syrian Army,? _*whom the Blob now denounces as jihadists_*. But during the Obama Administration, _*the Blob supported the Free Syrian Army_*, and _*demanded that Obama support the Free Syrian Army*_. Obama did support the Free Syrian Army, but he was nervous about it, and Obama refused to support the Free Syrian Army as much as the Blob demanded. Why was Obama stingy with U.S. support for the Free Syrian Army? _*Because he saw the Free Syrian Army as jihadists, and didn?t want them to take over Syria as a result of the U.S. toppling the Syrian government, as jihadists had taken over Libya as a result of the U.S. toppling the Libyan government*_. Eventually Obama curtailed U.S. support for the Free Syrian Army, and backed the Syrian Kurds instead, seeing them as more trustworthy. When Obama curtailed U.S. support for the Free Syrian Army, _*the Blob denounced Obama for ?betrayal,?* *just as the Blob is denouncing Trump for ?betrayal? now_*. What was the goal of the Blob in Syria? It was to install a pro-Saudi regime in Damascus, to bleed the Syrian government and its supporters until they agreed to the installation of a pro-Saudi regime in Damascus. Failing that, their secondary goal was to bleed the Syrian government and its supporters as much as possible, to punish them for defying the Blob?s _ *diktat*_ to accept a pro-Saudi regime in Damascus. The first goal of installing a pro-Saudi regime in Damascus was almost surely doomed from the start. But the Blob certainly achieved its secondary goal of killing a lot of people to punish non-compliance with Blob _*diktat*_. Since the Blob is never punished for failure, since it?s not the children of the Blob who bleed, the Blob will surely continue to advocate more regime change wars in the future. This is why the Blob wants to isolate and marginalize Tulsi Gabbard and people with similar views from having any say: because regime change wars are the _*raison d?etre_ *of the Blob, the reason that the Blob exists. The Blob exists to capture the U.S. government, make the Blob?s enemies into the U.S. government?s enemies, and then use U.S. military power to overthrow the governments of the Blob?s enemies. That?s what they did in Iraq, that?s what they did in Libya, that?s what they tried to do in Syria, that?s what they tried to do in Yemen, that?s what they wanted to do in Iran. This is who the Blob is. The Blob is neither Democratic nor Republican. The Blob is neither pro-Obama nor anti-Obama, neither pro-Trump nor anti-Trump. The Blob is pro-Blob. The Blob is pro-Empire. The Blob is for endless war. The Blob sees the world as a game of Risk, of Diplomacy, of chess. The object is to control more territory, control more oil fields, establish and hold more foreign military bases, overthrow more governments and replace them with compliant regimes. The Blob will ally with or oppose whoever they think helps them achieve these objectives at any particular time, and switch alliances as soon as they see it as being in their interests to do so. The God of the Blob is not Woodrow Wilson or Ronald Reagan, but Clausewitz. As in chess, the ultimate object of the game is not to protect one?s own pieces, but to checkmate the enemy King. If one sacrifices pieces to checkmate the enemy King, that is considered strategic. Since it?s not the children of the Blob who bleed, the people who are killed are only chess pieces. What?s most important about this for America going forward is this: ?_ *premature*_? opposition to the agenda of the Blob is _*exactly the opposition to the agenda of the Blob we need*_. There?s nothing we can do now to undo the destruction caused by the Blob?s wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The most important thing is to _*end these crimes now*_, and _*stop these crimes from being repeated in the future*_. To stop these crimes from being repeated in the future, we need to defang the political power of the Blob. We need to purge the U.S. government of the Blob and its loyalists. We need to ensure that future U.S. governments employ zero neocons and zero Blob loyalists. This is why everyone who wants to end endless war must defend Tulsi Gabbard from the smears of Hillary Clinton, queen of the warmongers, even if they are supporting another candidate, _*especially*_ if they are supporting another candidate. If we want to end endless wars, it cannot be the case that opponents of endless war are pushed out of the discussion by McCarthyite smear tactics. End these regime change wars. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Sun Oct 20 21:07:50 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 21:07:50 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] From the David Duke website, 10/20/19: Message-ID: I must make it clear that I did not endorse Tulsi Gabbard for President yesterday, but I do endorse her efforts to stop these insane Neocon Zionist wars for Israel in the Mideast and that even threatens us with a catastrophic war with Russia, a nation which has simply dared to oppose Israel and Zionist objectives in the Mideast and globally. I did reproduce some Tulsi Gabbard campaign graphics and I asked the question yesterday, ?Tulsi Gabbard in 2020. Finally a candidate for President who will really put America First?? Hopefully Gabbard will be the first candidate who really does put America, rather than Israel. First. By opposing the Zionist Globalist agenda casting us in insanely dangerous war scenarios in the Mideast and even against Russia, Gabbard has put herself in the crosshairs of the real rulers of the Democrat and Republican Party as well as the warmongering Global media and Zionist financial elite who want endless war. For that she must be commended. Her candidacy is one more opportunity for us to expose the Zionist elite who has ungodly financial power such as the biggest corporate political contributor, Goldman Sachs, to the huge ZioMedia Global corporations, to the mega-billionaires who can buy elections. as well as control the largest social media internet corporations. Because of the unbridled power of this elite Zionist oligarchy, anyone who exposes this extremist power will be attacked and pilloried. Tulsi is now enduring their hatred and lies. For that I praise Tulsi Gabbard, but I have not and am not at this time endorsing her. However, Trump must understand, that just as all races and factions have spokesmen, someone must speak up for the interests of White people. Jewish Zionists unabashedly speak up for Jewish interests and Israel, Black people for their identity interests, Mexican leaders do the same. Even sexually oriented identity politics interests are pervasive. I am the only political figure who dares to defend the rights, heritage and interests of America?s founding, but dwindling White majority. It is not in the interests of White people or America for our politics and media to be controlled by a tiny ultra-organized element. Trump must be put on notice by the constituency that elected him, dare I say it, the overwhelming majority of White people, that we expect him to fulfill the solemn promises he made to us and to America. Trump Promised us America First, but he seems to be letting the Shadow President, the ultra-Zionist, radical Chabad Lubavitcher, Jared Kushner, direct the foreign and domestic policy of Trump and America. Ironically, the same Zionist media and political elite that hates Donald Trump and is actively working to completely destroy him and his family, is the same entity to whom Trump gives lip service. When Trump calls out the vicious fake news media, the NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, CBS, NBC/MSNBC, ABC, he is talking about media completely controlled by radical Zionists. Unless Donald Trump wakes up and fulfills his solemn promises to the American people and the constituents who voted for him, he will lose his last sector of public support. That would be a shame for him and crying shame for us, for we need someone in the White House who not only speaks for us, but acts for us. This is our warning to Donald. Stand up for America First, for America, and for yourself and your family. From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Sun Oct 20 21:46:17 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 17:46:17 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] clarifying moment: Beto O'Rourke v. Neera Tanden on Hillary's smear of Tulsi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Look at this. Think about who Neera Tanden is in the Dem Establishment ecosystem. This really clarifies how morally bankrupt the Dem Establishment is on this front. *Beto: * https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1185667486139764736 [image: image.png] *And now Neera Tanden's response:* https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1185691972390064130 [image: image.png] This proves everything. This proves that denouncing Tulsi as a "Russian asset" is an Orwellian Dem Establishment-Blob loyalty test. Look what Beto said that Neera found "disappointing." He refused to support the smear campaign. He refused to go along to get along with the Salem witch trial. That's all. That's what Neera found "disappointing." Beto's refusal to be a cheerleader in the Salem witch trial. That's who Neera Tanden is. That's who Neera Tanden will always be. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 259182 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 31215 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 20 22:12:09 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 22:12:09 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Hybrid Warfare against China Message-ID: [The Greanville Post] Home AMERICAN BRAINWASH As The US Loses Primacy In The Pacific The West Ramps Up Hybrid Warfare Against China As The US Loses Primacy In The Pacific The West Ramps Up Hybrid Warfare Against China October 16, 2019 Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise. ________________________________ R S Ahthion ________________________________ [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HongKong-mosaic-wong-rubio.png] ABOVE: Joshua Wong, an NED funded China destabiliser. The apparent ?democrat? that keeps meeting with Marco Rubio who has been involved in numerous anti-democratic coups. Most recently supporting the CIA funded Guaido in Venezuela against the democratically elected government. The entire English speaking media landscape and internet seems to be up in arms against China in the Wests latest move of hybrid warfare. Images of Hong Kong protesters stream into every living room and internet device. Nothing seems to be said of how the protestors are waving British and American flags. People in France have been getting their eyes blasted out by water cannons, flash bombs, and rubber bullets. A total of 11 deaths of protestors in France yet the media barely covers them at all. Especially for people who in the UK where, after all, France is only an hour flight away. Eleven people have died in France since the protests began. Substantially more than Hong Kong. Instead we are treated to a long spectacle of New Endowment for Democracy (NED) paid protestors. This of course is the NGO that is essentially an arm of the CIA. Indeed since 2014 the NED has poured $22,000,000 into Hong Kong under the usual guise of sponsoring ?democracy? and ?freedom?. And that?s just the money it freely declares on its website. The true figure could be much higher. The democracy the NED wants and spreads however usually has little to do with actual democracy. In reality the NED supports pliable states that are amenable to US hegemony. The US itself is an oligarchy not a democracy. This is the same NED that promotes the separation of Xinjiang by promoting ?East Turkistan? (the term used by separatists in China). The NED proudly displays the amount of money it pours into these groups seeking to separate from China. And by using the phrase ?East Turkistan? the NED nakedly shows its support for the balkanisation of China. This is largely behind the propaganda about ?camps for Uyghurs? which has been shown to be absolute nonsense. This large psyop by the west against China can only be on such display because on planet Earth the United States is the one with concentration camps in which children are going missing and dying. [And also because the anglo-americans lead the world in the art of professional marketing of ideas and general deception.?Eds] [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Immigrants-US-concentration-camp.jpeg] ABOVE: An American concentration camp courtesy of Telesur But despite not being a democracy that doesn?t stop the US sponsoring and funding groups all over the globe that essentially call for the overthrow of the existing government and ideology. It ignores of course monarchist theocracies like Saudi Arabia that sponsor wahhabism (the extreme sect of Islam). And this aspect of free speech is missing from the United States itself. For example which TV channel can an American turn to at 6pm to hear for a call of overthrowing the government and its ideology? Where can I watch a socialist, anarchist or communist on prime time American TV calling for the overthrow of capitalism and the corrupt government in the United States? As The 70th Anniversary Of The PRC Happened, We Watched In Real Time The End Of US Primacy In The Pacific As President Xi sped down the military parade of his motorcade going past troops and weapons to the outside observer it looked like any military parade celebration. The inside observer with knowledge of the weapons on display realised it was an announcement of the end of US primacy in the Pacific. As this article beautifully illustrates the Chinese nuclear deterrent was outmoded and dated. Any nuclear exchange with the US and China would result in America intact and China annihilated. One of the weapons on display being the DF-41, a road mobile ICBM capable of surviving a 1st strike and retaliating in kind. China has now achieved mutually assured destruction which once belonged only to the US and Russia. BELOW: Some of China?s new weapons. Radically altering the strategic balance. [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/China-AircraftCarrier2.jpg] China?s navy has been beefing up its capabilities. [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/DF-5B_intercontinental_ballistic_missiles_during_2015_China_Victory_Day_parade.jpg] [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/df41.jpg] DF-41 ICBMs, with new capabilities. [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/China-drones7.jpg] ________________________________ Whilst the DF-41 brought the nuclear arsenal onto equal footing of the United states the Df-21/Df26 and Df-100 brought China onto equal footing with the US Navy. The US Navy is now a sitting duck in the pacific should a hot war break out with the United States. The Aircraft carriers the US owns are now floating coffins. Overshadowing the above however was the DF-17 with a long range cruise missile that has a hyper-sonic glide warhead. Travelling at over seven times the speed of sound. The US remains defenceless against this and nothing can intercept it. Not the upgraded anti-missile ships/THAAD or even Ground Based Interceptors. [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/df17.jpg]ABOVE: China now has regiments of DF17s. Not just a few, but regiments. As Scott Ritter puts it: Most who watched the Chinese military parade on October 1 saw what looked to be some interesting missiles. For the informed observer, however, they were witnessing the end of an era. The Future Of US Involvement Hong Kong, Tibet And Taiwan The NED was created when it was becoming too embarrassing for the CIA to be increasingly involved in sponsoring regime change of reactionary elements of society. As seen in Yugoslavia, the nazi state of Ukraine, the umbrella movement of Hong Kong in 2014 to today. The world has largely come to see Western NGOs as synonymous with Western-backed foreign policy. Probably that?s why Russia did the sensible thing and banned them from their country. The Hong Kong protests were largely by a swath of the population that live in awful conditions in Hong Kong. From citizens living in cages to Hong Kong being one of the most unequal societies on the planet. These protests were largely highjacked by the NED and the likes of Joshua Wong ? who frankly is a traitor to his country. The protesters that started the civil war in Yugoslavia once remarked ?10 people in the street isn?t newsworthy, 10 people doing something crazy in the street is newsworthy?. Yet decades on from the NATO backed bombing, invasion and destruction of Yugoslavia, an outright majority say the years of socialism under Tito were the best. Yet these NED funded protesters in Yugoslavia were successful. The West annexed Yugoslavia, destroyed their industry and forced them to de-industrialise. The result was the states that made up Yugoslavia became sources of cheap labour for capitalist exploitation. A poll taken a while back showed 81 percent of Serbians saying they lived best in the time of socialism. [https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/HongKong-western-support-orgs.jpg]ABOVE: Webs of deceit. All of these organisations are members of the extensive global network of political manipulation utilised by the US and its allies in their hybrid war operations. The graph does not include NED, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other US-controlled NGOs which also participate in these dishonest campaigns. ________________________________ In truth, the Hong Kong protesters will not be successful as they have so thoroughly discredited themselves. From waving British or American flags to the far right symbol of racism Pepe. China is a thoroughly competent state with a rational government and Hong Kong is frankly no longer the jewel in China?s crown. One only need look at percentage of GDP Hong Kong made of China?s total GDP today and 20 years ago to see the dramatic shift in power relations. Whilst the Hong Kong bourgeois would prefer to keep their privileges at the expense of China the truth is they are already history. US Sinks Lower And Lower And Meanwhile China Rises Jeffrey Sachs recently said in a frank interview that the trade war is nothing to with ?IP theft? as the capitalists in the US like to cry and whine about. Trump even going so far to say ?China is raping us?. ?China is a technology super power. That?s what is actually driving this. Not so much that they?re stealing but they?re getting ahead in artificial intelligence, expert systems and 5g. The attack on Huawei is not because they?re stealing but ?Oh my god they?re getting ahead?. What?s really driving this in foreign policy terms is fear they?re moving ahead not that they?re stealing from us. Every week I read the leading scientific journals. Chinas publishing like crazy. They?re not stealing from us. They?re in a very advanced stage. New chips, new applications of AI, new super computers.? Jeffrey Sachs also mentioned how we?re seeing a slowdown on economic growth due to the trade war and uncertainty in supply chains. With a recession on the horizon we can expect to see a repeat of 2008 ? the west further weakened and China emerging even stronger. The US has now gone that step further in trying to separate Hong Kong off from China by passing a bill to determine whether Hong Kong should be treated as a separate trading entity. When China emerges even stronger China should seriously consider pushing western NGO?s out of its territory [a much belated move] or even better yet, pumping millions of dollars into funding and expanding communist parties abroad. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 20 22:45:13 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 17:45:13 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] clarifying moment: Beto O'Rourke v. Neera Tanden on Hillary's smear of Tulsi In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <010401d58798$09b9adc0$1d2d0940$@comcast.net> Indeed Bob ! Man, you have been on an EXCELLENT role lately ! Neera Tanden, from the ?Center for Corporate Progress ?. Opps, I mean ? The Center for American Progress ?, is a disgusting corporate tool, who if you have ever seen her in an interview, has the most annoying nasal voice, with nothing but Neo-liberal corporate ruling class / DNC talking points. David J. From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2019 4:46 PM To: Peace-discuss List Subject: [Peace-discuss] clarifying moment: Beto O'Rourke v. Neera Tanden on Hillary's smear of Tulsi Look at this. Think about who Neera Tanden is in the Dem Establishment ecosystem. This really clarifies how morally bankrupt the Dem Establishment is on this front. Beto: https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1185667486139764736 image.png And now Neera Tanden's response: https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1185691972390064130 image.png This proves everything. This proves that denouncing Tulsi as a "Russian asset" is an Orwellian Dem Establishment-Blob loyalty test. Look what Beto said that Neera found "disappointing." He refused to support the smear campaign. He refused to go along to get along with the Salem witch trial. That's all. That's what Neera found "disappointing." Beto's refusal to be a cheerleader in the Salem witch trial. That's who Neera Tanden is. That's who Neera Tanden will always be. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: NATO catfishing.rtfd.zip Type: application/zip Size: 3275 bytes Desc: NATO catfishing.rtfd.zip URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 20 23:55:10 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 18:55:10 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Catfishing the troops In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <014501d587a1$cf89d9e0$6e9d8da0$@comcast.net> " Remember Bothsidesism & Whataboutism! " - Yes Ron, we Are aware of this superficial / pseudo, ruling class / corporate media, talking point that you are parroting. This is all so convenient of an attempt at a counter argument, when you cannot defend your ridiculous corporate media talking points or disprove the FACTS many of us present. It is at best intellectually lazy and at worst a deliberate attempt at Neo-liberal corporate propaganda promotion. You need to stop reading the NY Times and watching MSDNC. Or at LEAST, stop believing everything you read from these corporate ruling class media sources, and start using critical thinking skills and finding INDEPENDENT NON-CORPORTATE REAL journalists on the internet to compare facts ( with evidence ). I would be happy to help you in that task. What I would really like to see you do Ron, is actually provide some REAL evidence to disprove something one of us posts. As opposed to just repeating blindly ruling class propaganda. You are an educated intelligent man. Act like it ! David J. -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2019 6:42 PM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace Subject: [Peace-discuss] Catfishing the troops Remember Bothsidesism & Whataboutism! From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 21 04:03:20 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2019 23:03:20 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Syrian Kurds as US agents in Syria In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: https://www.dailysabah.com/war-on-terror/2019/10/20/council-of-syrian-tribes-calls-for-liberation-of-manbij-from-ypg-terrorists > On Oct 19, 2019, at 9:23 PM, C G Estabrook wrote: > > ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. > > Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. > > The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. > > ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. > The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. > > One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. > > East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. > Ignorance of the West > > The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. > > Rebuilding Syria > > The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? > > ?Pepe Escobar > > >> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >> >> [Pepe Escobar] >> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >> >> ### >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Mon Oct 21 13:36:37 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 09:36:37 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Neera Tanden: "I'm a big fan of Tulsi Gabbard" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Apparently the head of CAP is a Russian sleeper cell. Those sneaky Russians. Who knew they had infiltrated and compromised the Center for American Progress? https://twitter.com/1stTakeJake/status/1185543390554931200 [image: image.png] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 157561 bytes Desc: not available URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 21 15:06:35 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 10:06:35 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: <004e01d5875a$9ec8bde0$dc5a39a0$@comcast.net> References: <004e01d5875a$9ec8bde0$dc5a39a0$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <0FB307DA-275F-4F5C-A705-9918FA901DC4@newsfromneptune.com> The attractiveness of the Rojava social experiment may lead us to ignore the use of the Rojava Kurds by the US and Israel (both in Syria illegally) to displace the Damascus government, and the Syrian Kurds? relation to the surrounding tribes, as described by Escobar? [Gabriel Uriarte] Mmm, think it [Escobar?s account] might be a bit overdrawn (as I find so much of Escobar's stuff). The description I've found convincing about the weaknesses of "Rojava" east of the Euphrates is Fabrice Balanche here, (yeah, I know it's at WINET, but the guy's good.) Point I'd make is that the Arab tribes' attitude is kind of independent of whether the PYD realistic (or nice) or not: either a Turkish conquest or a Syrian return would be preferable to them. "The Kurds no longer pay much heed to traditional tribal structures, but the tribal system still dominates Arab society in Tal Abyad. Long protected by Syria?s Baath regime, Arab tribal leaders have retained their status as notables and their capacity for political mobilization. The main tribe in Tal Abyad district is the Jays, divided into three powerful clans: the Bou Assaf, who are close to the YPG, and the Jamilah and Bou Jarada, who are very anti-YPG. Less prominent local tribes are the Naim, Hannada, Baggara, and Annaza. Two Turkmen collectives, the Slouk and Hamam Turkmen, also constitute tribes. "The Jays is a warrior tribe with strong ties to Turkey and a history of conflict with the Kurds of Kobane, whose agricultural lands are nearby. Before the war, the tribe was close to the Assad regime; once government forces withdrew in July 2012, it tried to behave like the master of the region. After periods of chaos and rebel takeover, the YPG occupied Tal Abyad city for a few days in March 2013, spurring some of the clans from Jays and other Arab tribes to ask for help from al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (which including IS cadres at the time). In addition to pushing the YPG out of the district, this Arab alliance displaced the entire Kurdish population, destroying their homes in the process. "Currently, Arab refugees from Tal Abyad are keen to return to the district by force with Turkey?s help. Many of them have trained in Turkish military camps in Sanliurfa and Akcakale, the border town nearest Tal Abyad. These young trainees may be used as the vanguard to ?liberate? the district, similar to how the Turkish army used proxies when invading the Kurdish district of Afrin in northwest Syria. This strategy has an even better chance of succeeding (and avoiding international outcry) in Tal Abyad because the majority of the population is Arab, unlike in Afrin where Kurds are more numerous. For instance, the Sukhanya clan fled Tal Abyad in May 2015 and sought refuge in Turkey, and their homes have since been confiscated by the YPG. Today, they regularly demonstrate on the Turkish side of the border to demand the YPG?s departure, and their militia is ready to participate in any advance against the town.? =========== The Turkish invasion of course has forced the Kurds to reunite with Damascus, as Russia has been pressing them to - and stop being a stalking horse for the US. ?CGE > On Oct 20, 2019, at 10:25 AM, David Johnson wrote: > > ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society.? > > The above statement is an absolute slanderous lie ! > > The YPG Kurdish areas had a bottom up grass roots democratic structure that did NOT discriminate against anyone, regardless if they were Kurds or Araba or Alawites. Muslims, Christians, or the other smaller religious groups in the area. It rejected capitalism and their areas consisted of small businesses and worker cooperatives. There was a total absence of misogyny with women in positions of elected leadership in governing councils and military units. The governing councils started at the neighborhood level and went to city and regional level. ALL 100 % democratic REGARDLESS of ethnicity etc.. > The YPG Kurds has / had a society that was a model for not just the middle east but the world at large. Of course all of the actors involved, especially Turkey, wanted to see it destroyed, including Trump / U.S. ruling class and the Assad government. > During the entire time of it?s existence it never battled the Syrian army and allowed the regional; airport and the postal system to remain in control of the Syrian government. It did have several armed confrontations with the CIA backed jihadists of the so called ? Free Syrian Army ? in addition to ISIS. The accepting of U.S. weapons and later troops was an act of survival. > I have read two books written about the YPG as well as read countless interviews / personal accounts of Left-wing American and British individuals who visited and stayed in the Rojave region for various lengths of time. > > David J. > > > From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of C G Estabrook via Peace-discuss > Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2019 9:23 PM > To: Carl G. Estabrook > Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won > > ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. > > Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. > > The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. > > ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. > The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. > > One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. > > East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. > Ignorance of the West > > The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. > > Rebuilding Syria > > The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? > > ?Pepe Escobar > > > > On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ > > [Pepe Escobar] > I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. > > ### > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Mon Oct 21 16:05:51 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:05:51 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Intercept: Early polling shows HFAC chair Eliot Engel is vulnerable in primary In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: If Hillary Clinton is "Queen of the Warmongers," Eliot Engel is their Crown Prince. He voted for the Iraq war. He voted against the Iran nuclear deal. He voted to keep sending cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia to use in Yemen. He helped block the first introduction of the Yemen War Powers Resolution in the House. He helped sabotage the second one. He helped Pelosi keep Ciciline's Venezuela War Powers Resolution from getting a vote on the floor. He tried to cram an unconstitutional endorsement of an unauthorized war in Syria through the House, and he likely would have gotten away with it if the CPC hadn't stopped him. If Engel goes down like Crowley, House Dems will get to pick a new leader on HFAC. It won't make a dime's bit of difference to that if Jamaal Bowman is Jesus Christ the Savior. If Engel goes down like Crowley, House Dems will get to pick a new leader on HFAC. If House Dems get to pick a new leader on HFAC, maybe we can have a real debate about how the sausages of Democratic policy on endless wars are produced. Maybe we can even argue that the chair of HFAC shouldn't automatically go to whoever raises the most Benjamins from Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Haim Saban. Nor her designee. Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. End these regime change wars. https://theintercept.com/2019/10/20/eliot-engel-jamaal-bowman-progressive-new-york-primary/ In New York?s 16th Congressional District, a Troubling Early Poll for Longtime Incumbent Eliot Engel Akela Lacy October 20 2019, 9:00 p.m. *Six in 10* registered Democrats in New York?s 16th Congressional District aren?t sure who they?ll vote for in the June 2020 primary ? despite longtime incumbent House Foreign Affairs Chair Eliot Engel?s place on the ballot ? according to a new poll from Data for Progress. The burgeoning uncertainty over Engel?s reelection is just the latest example of an upending of politics as usual in the Democratic Party. The most famous upset of a Democratic congressional incumbent by a progressive primary challenger came in 2018, when now-Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shocked the political classes by unseating a machine-backed Queens Democrat and landing on Capitol Hill. Engel, who has served 16 terms in Congress, is facing two primary challengers next June: Jamaal Bowman, a middle school principal from the Bronx who?s endorsed by the progressive group Justice Democrats, and Andom Ghebreghiorgis, a special education teacher born to parents who immigrated to the U.S. from Eritrea. [image: Jamaal] Jamaal Bowman during his campaign launch at the Bronx on June 18, 2019. Photo: Corey Torpie Photography/Courtesy of Jamaal Bowman For Congress The new poll from the progressive think tank Data for Progress, which is aligned with Bowman, surveyed 578 registered Democrats in New York?s 16th District between September 9 and 13. Half of the registered Democrats in the district said they were not sure how to describe Engel?s political viewpoint. If the primary were held today, 29 percent said they would vote for Engel, and 10 percent said they would support Bowman. One percent said the would vote for Ghebreghiorgis. Bowman?s campaign has raised $189,000 to Engel?s $566,200 . Ghebreghiorgis has raised $67,400 so far. The poll results represented a relatively slim lead for such an entrenched incumbent ? and progressive activists see the weakness as an opening for one of the challengers. ?This is a wide open race, Engel is extremely vulnerable, and Jamaal, as a longtime middle school principal in the district, has the momentum and record of service to win this,? said Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats. Over his three decades in Congress, Engel has built a reputation for being hawkish on foreign policy and friendly toward Wall Street. Like many other Democrats, he voted for the Iraq War, the 1994 crime bill , and to repeal parts of the Glass-Steagall regulations on Wall Street. Engel initially opposed the Iran nuclear deal, but now says he supports it. Bowman is busy hitting Engel for his hawkish policies. The challenger?s website says his campaign is about supporting ?schools and education, not bombs and incarceration.? He?s in favor of Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and reforming the criminal justice system. Bowman pledged to refuse corporate PAC money and has criticized Engel?s reliance on PAC money and large-dollar contributions. Ghebreghiorgis said that the poll shows vulnerability. ?What does it say that a 16-term incumbent can?t count on the support of even 1 in 3 voters in the district?? he said. ?From my conversations with voters across the district, I know that they want an end to politics as usual ? big money and special interests, forever wars, mass incarceration, housing unaffordability, and income inequality. They want new leadership and transformational change from someone homegrown. We are the only campaign that has a detailed platform and vision rooted in economic, racial, and environmental justice and international solidarity.? The primary is still eight months away, and it?s normal for a large portion of voters to still be undecided. But the fact that voters in the district can?t describe the political ideology of an official who has represented the state for some 30 years underscores the argument made by both challengers that he?s lost touch with his constituents. Engel represented the 16th District since 2013, holding seats in the 17th and 19th districts before that. He was a New York state assemblyman from 1977 to 1988, when he was first elected to Congress. At this stage in the race, Engel?s lukewarm standing sets up a promising path for Bowman as momentum builds behind a number of primary challengers in neighboring districts and across the country. In comparison, with three weeks left to go before Ocasio-Cortez?s 2018 primary, the incumbent?s internal polling had him up by 36 points. The primary in the 16th District is one of Justice Democrats? top priorities this cycle, along with challenges to other powerful members of the House in Massachusetts, Texas, and Ohio, among others. Half of respondents in the district described themselves as liberal or very liberal. Thirty-eight percent say they?re moderate. Twenty-five percent described Engel as moderate. The report on the poll says, ?Bowman has been able to break through more than Ghebreghiorgis, and commands more support in the horserace and higher name identification.? The poll, however, reported that 59 percent of respondents still said they had never heard of Bowman, and 75 percent said the same for Ghebreghiorgis. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Mon Oct 21 17:00:17 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 12:00:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: <0FB307DA-275F-4F5C-A705-9918FA901DC4@newsfromneptune.com> References: <004e01d5875a$9ec8bde0$dc5a39a0$@comcast.net> <0FB307DA-275F-4F5C-A705-9918FA901DC4@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: <005c01d58831$03fc2950$0bf47bf0$@comcast.net> " The Turkish invasion of course has forced the Kurds to reunite with Damascus, as Russia has been pressing them to - and stop being a stalking horse for the US. ?CGE " The YPG NEVER wanted to be a " stalking horse " for the U.S. ! As I mentioned earlier, and as anyone who as even a casual knowledge of what has been happening in Rojave during the last 5 years or so, would know that it was a matter of pure SURVIVAL. The YPG Kurds were between three rocks and a hard place. Turkey to the north, CIA backed jihadists to the west, ISIS to the east, all wanting to slaughter the YPG. And to the south the Assad Syrian government that was not intent on any type of slaughter, but nevertheless would want to dominate and control. This a good article Carl. I am glad that Russia took the initiative on this with the Syrian army, however the genie has already been let out of the bottle so to speak in regards to the YPG Kurds. I knew it would eventually have to come to some type of arrangement like this, but the YPG Kurds will not give up their political / economic / social structure and general autonomy without a prolonged and vicious fight. If Assad is smart he will allow that autonomy to continue. Without the U.S. troops of course. One thing I also found disingenuous about the last article you posted, was the authors implication that the YPG Kurds were " invaders " of sort to the region. That is absolutely not true. There has been a Kurdish presence in northern / north-east Syria for centuries. Large numbers of YPG did come to that area ( and supplemented the YPG who were already there ) from the Iraqi Kurdish area, because of the absolute corrupt and collaborationist petti capitalist governing structure of that Kurdish controlled region, that did whatever the U.S. government told them to, not out of necessity but out of pure opportunism. David J. -----Original Message----- From: C. G. Estabrook [mailto:carl at newsfromneptune.com] Sent: Monday, October 21, 2019 10:07 AM To: David Johnson Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won The attractiveness of the Rojava social experiment may lead us to ignore the use of the Rojava Kurds by the US and Israel (both in Syria illegally) to displace the Damascus government, and the Syrian Kurds? relation to the surrounding tribes, as described by Escobar? [Gabriel Uriarte] Mmm, think it [Escobar?s account] might be a bit overdrawn (as I find so much of Escobar's stuff). The description I've found convincing about the weaknesses of "Rojava" east of the Euphrates is Fabrice Balanche here, (yeah, I know it's at WINET, but the guy's good.) Point I'd make is that the Arab tribes' attitude is kind of independent of whether the PYD realistic (or nice) or not: either a Turkish conquest or a Syrian return would be preferable to them. "The Kurds no longer pay much heed to traditional tribal structures, but the tribal system still dominates Arab society in Tal Abyad. Long protected by Syria?s Baath regime, Arab tribal leaders have retained their status as notables and their capacity for political mobilization. The main tribe in Tal Abyad district is the Jays, divided into three powerful clans: the Bou Assaf, who are close to the YPG, and the Jamilah and Bou Jarada, who are very anti-YPG. Less prominent local tribes are the Naim, Hannada, Baggara, and Annaza. Two Turkmen collectives, the Slouk and Hamam Turkmen, also constitute tribes. "The Jays is a warrior tribe with strong ties to Turkey and a history of conflict with the Kurds of Kobane, whose agricultural lands are nearby. Before the war, the tribe was close to the Assad regime; once government forces withdrew in July 2012, it tried to behave like the master of the region. After periods of chaos and rebel takeover, the YPG occupied Tal Abyad city for a few days in March 2013, spurring some of the clans from Jays and other Arab tribes to ask for help from al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (which including IS cadres at the time). In addition to pushing the YPG out of the district, this Arab alliance displaced the entire Kurdish population, destroying their homes in the process. "Currently, Arab refugees from Tal Abyad are keen to return to the district by force with Turkey?s help. Many of them have trained in Turkish military camps in Sanliurfa and Akcakale, the border town nearest Tal Abyad. These young trainees may be used as the vanguard to ?liberate? the district, similar to how the Turkish army used proxies when invading the Kurdish district of Afrin in northwest Syria. This strategy has an even better chance of succeeding (and avoiding international outcry) in Tal Abyad because the majority of the population is Arab, unlike in Afrin where Kurds are more numerous. For instance, the Sukhanya clan fled Tal Abyad in May 2015 and sought refuge in Turkey, and their homes have since been confiscated by the YPG. Today, they regularly demonstrate on the Turkish side of the border to demand the YPG?s departure, and their militia is ready to participate in any advance against the town.? =========== The Turkish invasion of course has forced the Kurds to reunite with Damascus, as Russia has been pressing them to - and stop being a stalking horse for the US. ?CGE > On Oct 20, 2019, at 10:25 AM, David Johnson wrote: > > ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society.? > > The above statement is an absolute slanderous lie ! > > The YPG Kurdish areas had a bottom up grass roots democratic structure that did NOT discriminate against anyone, regardless if they were Kurds or Araba or Alawites. Muslims, Christians, or the other smaller religious groups in the area. It rejected capitalism and their areas consisted of small businesses and worker cooperatives. There was a total absence of misogyny with women in positions of elected leadership in governing councils and military units. The governing councils started at the neighborhood level and went to city and regional level. ALL 100 % democratic REGARDLESS of ethnicity etc.. > The YPG Kurds has / had a society that was a model for not just the middle east but the world at large. Of course all of the actors involved, especially Turkey, wanted to see it destroyed, including Trump / U.S. ruling class and the Assad government. > During the entire time of it?s existence it never battled the Syrian army and allowed the regional; airport and the postal system to remain in control of the Syrian government. It did have several armed confrontations with the CIA backed jihadists of the so called ? Free Syrian Army ? in addition to ISIS. The accepting of U.S. weapons and later troops was an act of survival. > I have read two books written about the YPG as well as read countless interviews / personal accounts of Left-wing American and British individuals who visited and stayed in the Rojave region for various lengths of time. > > David J. > > > From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of C G Estabrook via Peace-discuss > Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2019 9:23 PM > To: Carl G. Estabrook > Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won > > ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. > > Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. > > The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. > > ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. > The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. > > One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. > > East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. > Ignorance of the West > > The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. > > Rebuilding Syria > > The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? > > ?Pepe Escobar > > > > On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ > > [Pepe Escobar] > I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. > > ### > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 21 20:32:40 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 20:32:40 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Updates: Kevin Zeese, Conference in Urbana Saturday! References: Message-ID: There have been some time changes: please see below: [Illinois Green Party] * * Urbana, October 26th, 4 p.m.: Illinois Green Party Fall Conference Illini Student Union Building, 1401 W Green St., Room 314B. Kevin will be participating in an afternoon panel on ?The Need For an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement.? More details below. * Champaign, October 26th, 5:30 p.m.: Fall Conference Dinner Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge, 6 E. Columbia Ave., Champaign. After-dinner talk on the Venezuela Embassy Protection Collective and the Embassy Protectors Defense Committee. Social at 5:30; cash bar and dinner off the menu. Dinner at about 6; talk at about 7. Joint fundraiser for the Illinois Green Party and the Defense Committee. Suggested door donation of $20 but open to all. You can purchase tickets and donate in advance on our information page here. Please consider bringing an item to donate for our silent auction. Join us at our Fall Conference in Urbana! When: October 26, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ? 5:30 p.m. Where: Illini Student Union Building, 1401 W Green St., Room 314B. What?s happening: The membership is the highest decision-making body in the Illinois Green Party, and if you are a duespaying member, you can participate in its deliberations. At this conference, the morning and early afternoon sessions will be devoted mostly to party business, including possible future by-laws amendments, planning for the upcoming 2020 campaigns and statewide petition drive, including potential U.S. Senate campaign, election of a new membership steward and seats on the Green National Committee. The balance of the afternoon will be devoted to panel presentations and discussions on Eco-Socialism and building the peace movement in the U.S. Then please join us for our fundraising dinner at Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge! (See above announcement.) Afternoon program: 2:15 ? 2:30: Ben Chapman Illinois Organizer for FairVote 2:30 ? 3:50: Panel: What is Eco-socialism? Illinois Green Party Co-Chair Rich Whitney, Illinois Green Party Secretary Chris Blankenhorn (Young Ecosocialists), Peter Sentz (computer science PhD student at UIUC and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Peter is also a member of the coordinating committee of the UIUC graduate employees' labor union, GEO, and organizes with the anti-imperialist ANSWER coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism).) 3:50 ? 4:00: Break 4:00 ? 5:15: Panel: The Need for an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement: Kevin Zeese, Karen Aram (AWARE, Prairie Greens), Dave Johnson (IWW, Prairie Greens) Watch our website, Facebook page for further details. Illinois Green Party Outreach http://www.ilgp.org/ Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Mon Oct 21 20:32:40 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 20:32:40 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Updates: Kevin Zeese, Conference in Urbana Saturday! References: Message-ID: There have been some time changes: please see below: [Illinois Green Party] * * Urbana, October 26th, 4 p.m.: Illinois Green Party Fall Conference Illini Student Union Building, 1401 W Green St., Room 314B. Kevin will be participating in an afternoon panel on ?The Need For an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement.? More details below. * Champaign, October 26th, 5:30 p.m.: Fall Conference Dinner Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge, 6 E. Columbia Ave., Champaign. After-dinner talk on the Venezuela Embassy Protection Collective and the Embassy Protectors Defense Committee. Social at 5:30; cash bar and dinner off the menu. Dinner at about 6; talk at about 7. Joint fundraiser for the Illinois Green Party and the Defense Committee. Suggested door donation of $20 but open to all. You can purchase tickets and donate in advance on our information page here. Please consider bringing an item to donate for our silent auction. Join us at our Fall Conference in Urbana! When: October 26, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ? 5:30 p.m. Where: Illini Student Union Building, 1401 W Green St., Room 314B. What?s happening: The membership is the highest decision-making body in the Illinois Green Party, and if you are a duespaying member, you can participate in its deliberations. At this conference, the morning and early afternoon sessions will be devoted mostly to party business, including possible future by-laws amendments, planning for the upcoming 2020 campaigns and statewide petition drive, including potential U.S. Senate campaign, election of a new membership steward and seats on the Green National Committee. The balance of the afternoon will be devoted to panel presentations and discussions on Eco-Socialism and building the peace movement in the U.S. Then please join us for our fundraising dinner at Kohinoor Indian Restaurant and Lounge! (See above announcement.) Afternoon program: 2:15 ? 2:30: Ben Chapman Illinois Organizer for FairVote 2:30 ? 3:50: Panel: What is Eco-socialism? Illinois Green Party Co-Chair Rich Whitney, Illinois Green Party Secretary Chris Blankenhorn (Young Ecosocialists), Peter Sentz (computer science PhD student at UIUC and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Peter is also a member of the coordinating committee of the UIUC graduate employees' labor union, GEO, and organizes with the anti-imperialist ANSWER coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism).) 3:50 ? 4:00: Break 4:00 ? 5:15: Panel: The Need for an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement: Kevin Zeese, Karen Aram (AWARE, Prairie Greens), Dave Johnson (IWW, Prairie Greens) Watch our website, Facebook page for further details. Illinois Green Party Outreach http://www.ilgp.org/ Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Mon Oct 21 22:17:47 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 17:17:47 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] US Out Of Syria And The Middle East Message-ID: <00c101d5885d$5edc4e50$1c94eaf0$@comcast.net> Here is a good article by Kevin Zeese and Dr. Margaret Flowers, which has a good description of the governance structure of the YPG Syrian Kurds. US Out Of Syria And The Middle East By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, Popular Resistance October 20, 2019 | Newsletter Above: US Out of the Middle East, Los Angeles protest against bombing in Syria from ABC7.com. Stop The Turkish Invasion Of Syria The crisis in Syria has taken a new direction with the Turkish invasion into the Northeast ostensibly to push the Kurdish peoples out. The US has added to this crisis by its green light to Turkey to attack after using the Kurds as a proxy force in the battle against ISIS. The US' role in Syria and in the greater Middle East has been destructive throughout this century. The invasion and occupation of Iraq have left destruction and chaos. The illegal bombing of Libya and the brutal murder of its prime minister, Muammar al-Gaddafi, have created a failed state. The US' alliance with Saudi Arabia in the war against Yemen has resulted in mass murder and destruction. The ongoing conflicts with Iran through illegal unilateral coercive measures (sanctions), regime change attempts, threats of war and military skirmishes have created more instability in the region. And, the US' 'special relationship' with Israel has allowed continued ethnic cleansing and land theft from the Palestinians and has been a tool for instability in the region. The never-ending war in Afghanistan continues to cause destruction as the US remains even though it has been defeated. These actions have resulted in more than a million deaths and mass migration, which has not only impacted the region but also Europe, causing political instability and the advance of right-wing, anti-immigrant forces. The Middle East was better off, more stable and wealthier before the disastrous US actions of this century. The illegal wars have cost the US trillions of dollars with no benefit. US policy has not served any positive purposes but has caused instability, conflict, and destruction. It is time for the US to get out of Syria and out of the Middle East. https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2018/12/mobilizat ion-against-war-protest-against-war-against-syria.-vancouver.-e1547401201836 .jpg Mobilization against war protest in Vancouver, Canada. Syria: A Major Defeat for the US and a Geopolitical Game Changer The bi-partisans in Washington, DC and the foreign policy establishment are furious at Donald Trump for pulling out of the Kurdish region of Syria and allowing Turkey to invade. These groups were united when the US' goal was removing President Assad from power, but with the culmination of this failed policy, there is political division. Pepe Escobar describes Syria as the biggest defeat for the CIA since Vietnam. It is a significant defeat, but US losses in Iraq and Afghanistan are in the running for the worst defeat since Vietnam. Escobar describes the failure "as a massive geopolitical game-changer" that strengthens Assad as he retakes control of Northeast Syria. Russia benefits as a guarantor for Syria and key player in the victory over US regime change. The losers are the United States and Kurds. The US' contribution to the current chaos and destruction precedes Trump. While the brutal attacks by Turkey in Syria are being blamed on Trump, in reality, they go back to President Obama. Max Blumenthal reports in The Grayzone that "many [of the Turkish fighters] were former members of the Free Syrian Army, the force once armed by the CIA and Pentagon and branded as 'moderate rebels.'" Blumenthal cites a research paper published this October by the pro-government Turkish think tank, SETA: "Out of the 28 factions [in the Turkish mercenary force], 21 were previously supported by the United States, three of them via the Pentagon's program to combat DAESH. Eighteen of these factions were supplied by the CIA .." Further, the leader of this force is Salim Idriss, who hosted John McCain when the late senator made his infamous 2013 incursion into Syria. The Turkish attack in Syria has been filled with ugly extreme violence that is causing outrage. Mercenaries are sawing the heads off of Kurdish fighters they have killed, a Syrian Kurdish legislator was pulled from her car and executed along with her driver, unarmed Kurdish captives were filmed as they were murdered, the corpse of a female Kurdish fighter was vandalized, ISIS captives were deliberately freed from unguarded prisons, and in a video message, one of the invading fighters promised mass ethnic cleansing if Kurds in the area refused to convert to his Wahhabi strain of Sunni Islam. Ajamu Baraka points out that the US created the "Free Syrian Army" (FSA), who were the good guys when they were overthrowing Assad, but have now been turned into the "Turkish supported FSA," especially after the gruesome graphic videos of the Turkish invasion emerged. In reality, Baraka points out, "many of us knew, along with the CIA and most of the honest foreign policy community, that the FSA was always al-Qaeda's Syria operation in the form of Jabhat al-Nusra and other jihadist militias." Listen to our interview with Ajamu Baraka on Clearing the FOG (available Monday). Blumenthal concludes: "Left out of the coverage of these horrors was the fact that none of them would have been possible if Washington had not spent several years and billions of dollars subsidizing Syria's armed opposition." These recent events need to be viewed through the context of sixty years of on-again, off-again coups and regime change campaigns that have failed. Timber Sycamore, the regime change project of the Obama administration, was a "secret" plan that allowed the CIA to arm terrorists in Syria. Timber Sycamore, which included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey working with the US, officially began in late 2012 and ended in failure in 2017. The secret program trained future ISIS members as part of covert aid to the insurgents targeting Bashar al-Assad. The US was duplicitous and used terrorism as a tool as documented in the book "The Management of Savagery". When Obama's regime change strategy failed, the US switched to occupying one-third of Syria, including the oil region in the Northeast. In January, Secretary of State T illerson announced the US was creating a de facto Kurdish State there with a 30,000-strong Syrian Defense Force (SDF) troop, US air support, and eight new US bases. In April 2018, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced the US planned to maintain its illegal presence in Syria. Obama's effort to dominate Syria was rooted in the Bush-era. In 2001, former NATO commander Wesley Clark was on record stating that Syria was on a list of targeted nations to be toppled by the US. In 2002, former Secretary of State John Bolton said, in a speech titled "Beyond the Axis of Evil", that Syria was among a handful of nations the US was targeting. The 2011 protests in Syria were quickly manipulated by the US and foreign powers who sought to destabilize Syria. CIA-backed Muslim Brotherhood assets were in place to snipe at both police and protesters when the demonstrations broke out and Saudia Arabia provided weapons to aid regime change. Caitlan Johnstone points to more evidence that Syria was not an organic uprising but a foreign regime change effort from the beginning: "The former Prime Minister of Qatar said on television that the US and its allies were involved in the Syrian conflict from the very beginning. A WikiLeaks cable and a declassified CIA memo both show the US government plotting to provoke an uprising in Syria exactly as it occurred, years before it happened. Former Foreign Minister of France Roland Dumas stated that he was informed that the UK was engineering an uprising in Syria two years before the violence erupted." Even the Obama era regime change goal needs to be put in the context of over sixty years of the US trying to control Syria. The first coup attempt by the CIA after it's creation was in Syria in 1949. Controlling Syria has been a consistent policy objective. CIA documents from 1986 describe how the US could remove the Assad family. Each of Trump's efforts to get out of Syria has been opposed by bipartisan war hawks. In March 2018, Trump tweeted that the US would soon be withdrawing from Syria. One month later Secretary of Defense Mattis told Congress the US was not withdrawing testifying, "We are continuing the fight, we are going to expand it and bring in more regional support." In January, Trump called for withdrawal from Syria, which was met with a firestorm of opposition. He was outmaneuvered by war hawks in his administration and Congress. There continues to be resistance to withdrawal today. The US is not leaving Syria but is merely moving troops from the Northeast to other areas. David Macilwain reports, "The truth of US intentions - to remain in Eastern Syria until they are driven out militarily - has now been emphasized by US Defence secretary Mark Esper. At a press conference where he confirmed the US intention to withdraw 1000 troops from Syria, when asked whether this meant from all of Syria he simply repeated what he had said -'from Northern Syria.'" It is past time for the US to leave Syria and end its longterm desire to dominate the country. People in the United States and around the world must insist on the US obeying international law, which means the US must leave Syria as it has no legal grounds for being in that sovereign nation. https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2016/12/DecisionM akingRojava.jpg The Rojava Cantons direct democracy governance without a state. Still from video Kurds in Syria Negotiate Their Future With Damascus Kurds, who live in Turkey, Syria, Iraq , and Iran, are often regarded as "the largest ethnic group without a state." With the US withdrawal from Northeast Syria, the Kurds in Syria are now working with Damascus to repel the Turkish invasion and negotiate their future. In mid-2012, Assad's forces largely withdrew from the Kurdish area, and the battle against ISIS was left to the Kurdish militias: the YPG (People's Protection Units) and the YPJ (Women's Defense Forces), the autonomous women's militias. When the Free Syrian Army failed, the US funded the Syrian Kurdish militias known as the Peoples Protection Unit using a new name, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Kurdish never targeted the Syrian government but focused on ISIS. The Kurdish Rojava cantons are a liberated area in Syria led by socialist-feminists and a population that makes decisions through local councils. Their economy is based on a cooperative model with thousands of co-ops, but private businesses are allowed. The co-ops are initiated and controlled by the communes, i.e. the community assembly structures. Their basic principle is the participation of everyone in production. In the words of a minister of economics: "If a single loaf of bread is manufactured in Rojava, everyone will have contributed to it." Their governing model is direct democracy governance without a state, built on local assemblies. There are multiple levels with neighborhood councils, District Councils and a People's Council for the entire region. And there is also 'Democratic Self-Administration,' which is a more conventional government structure of legislative and executive bodies as well as municipal administration. These bodies are not limited to Kurds but open to all religions and ethnicities. Women hold 40 percent of leadership positions at all levels. Three leftist enclaves make up an area slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut. Some see Rojava's governance without hierarchy, patriarchy or capitalism as a model for the future of the Middle East and beyond, and as an antidote to capitalism. It is the Communalist Model of Democratic Confederalism, an adaptation of the ideas of the Zapatistas in Chiapas and the work of Murray Bookchin. In Turkey, Kurds remain part of Turkey and " have formed a political party (Peoples Democratic Party - HDP), which unites progressives of all ethnicities. In the 2015 Turkish election, HDP emerged as the third most popular party and stopped Erdogan's election domination." The HDP opposes Turkey's invasion of Syria. Turkey is concerned that the Kurds will use the territory they've captured to establish an independent Kurdish state for the region's 25 to 35 million Kurds, roughly 15 million of whom reside in Turkey. Four percent of Kurds reside in Syria, approximately 1.6 million people. Kurds are the fourth largest ethnic group in the region after Arabs, Persians, and Turks. After the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I, they were not granted a homeland. Peace activists and popular movements around the world should be in solidarity with the Kurdish people's desire for a semi-independent territory. A contiguous Kurdish state is an impossible dream and negotiation will be required by each population in the country where they reside. https://popularresistance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2019/10/us-out-of -syria-internationalist-protest-in-nyc-internationalist-photo.jpg US Out of Syria Internationalist protest in NYC (Internationalist photo). US Out of Syria and Out of the Middle East We agree with the US Peace Council, which urges "the US peace movement to organize a united national campaign in support of the Syrian people and demand the total withdrawal of all occupying forces from Syria. Leave Syria to the Syrian People!" The movement's first demand must be the US out of Syria and out of the Middle East because the US is not yet leaving Syria or the region. Reports indicate between 200 and 300 U.S. troops will remain at the southern Syrian outpost of Al-Tanf and 1,000 troops will shift into western Iraq adding to the more than 5,000 US troops in Iraq. US forces may conduct operations in Syria from Iraq. On October 11, the US announced it was sending an additional 1,800 troops to Saudi Arabia. An additional 14,000 US troops have been deployed to the Middle East since spring, including more than 6,000 who are part of a naval strike group. The US is fighting in at least seven countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Niger, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. We must also be in solidarity with the Kurdish people and call for an end to the Turkish invasion of Syria. The Turkish invasion is already backfiring and people mobilizing against the invasion will lead to its retreat. And, we must accept immigrants from Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan where migration crises have been caused by US wars. Rebuilding nations destroyed by the United States is a costly endeavor that the US owes to the region. These countries do not want the US meddling in their efforts so compensation must be made through the United Nations without any strings attached. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 114439 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 166022 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 93968 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Mon Oct 21 23:04:03 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 19:04:03 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Bernie Sanders: "it is outrageous for anyone to suggest that Tulsi is a foreign asset" In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1186405744146554882 [image: image.png] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 60356 bytes Desc: not available URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Tue Oct 22 01:15:58 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 20:15:58 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Julian Assange reportedly inside prison van, then confirmed -- only by RT? Message-ID: <2f3cbbfa-21ef-2cdb-eff4-77dcdd4e6970@forestfield.org> It seems that RT is getting the Assange scoop again: Julian Assange was reportedly in a prison van in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ioWYDoGcjM And then it was confirmed in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiCnSuaCS_Q which shows him inside that van and is listed as a RUPTLY exclusive. I don't know why the person recording was panting, but I imagine it had to do with running to catch up to the van. So of chief interest: why is Assange being moved? Where was Assange being moved? Is Assange being moved to US custody? RT got the footage in both cases and I wonder if this will be another case like before when he was forced out of the Ecuadorian embassy and RT was the only news outlet around to capture the act. Everyone else who wanted to get that footage had to license it from RT (and I hope RT charged them through the nose for that as some small payback, literally this time, for the unjustified name-calling corporate media have done as part of the Russiagate conspiracy theory). From carl at newsfromneptune.com Tue Oct 22 14:41:47 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 09:41:47 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] US gov. persecutes journalist Message-ID: https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/10/22/only-cowards-and-sadists-support-the-persecution-of-assange/ From cgestabrook at gmail.com Tue Oct 22 15:19:27 2019 From: cgestabrook at gmail.com (C G Estabrook) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 10:19:27 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [The News-Gazette] Letter to the Editor | U.S. has killed millions in wars Message-ID: https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/letters-editor/letter-to-the-editor-u-s-has-killed-millions-in/article_87b213e5-9f21-5acf-8f54-df41b18d026d.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Tue Oct 22 16:59:33 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:59:33 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?q?The_New_York_Times=2C_China=2C_and_the?= =?utf-8?q?_specter_of_the_=E2=80=9CYellow_Peril=E2=80=9D?= Message-ID: The New York Times, China, and the specter of the ?Yellow Peril? 22 October 2019 In a full-page editorial in its Sunday edition, the New York Times engaged in a vicious anti-Chinese rant, warning of a ?dangerous and growing threat? by the ?aggressive ? Communist state.? The editorial presented the United States in a twilight struggle against Chinese ?cultural imperialism,? which was aiming to ?stifle this nation?s core values.? This hysterical language?calling China ?dangerous,? ?aggressive? and a ?threat??has all the hallmarks of the racist myth of the ?yellow peril? used to justify the colonial subjugation of Asia by the European and American imperialist powers. ?China,? the Times wrote, ?is seeking to control not just what is said in China but what is said about China, too.? It asserted that ?America?s commitment to human rights, including the freedom of expression? faces ?an especially stern test.? The Times did not seek to explain what ?commitment to human rights? is shown by US imperialism. Is it the ?commitment to human rights? that led the US to rape, torture, or murder hundreds of thousands of people across Iraq, from the dungeons of Abu Ghraib, to Fallujah and Sadr City? Or to commit massacres all over the world, from My Lai in Vietnam to the Kunduz hospital attack in Afghanistan? The Obama administration murdered American citizens with drone missiles. The Trump administration, expanding on the policies of the Democrats, separates thousands of immigrant families and presides over what the UN characterizes as child torture. The American government imprisons whistleblower Chelsea Manning and is seeking to inflict a life sentence, or worse, on WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange for exposing war crimes. US imperialism claims the prerogative not just to ?meddle? in the affairs of other countries, but to overthrow any elected government that it views as an obstacle to its interests. According to one study reported in the Washington Post, the US tried to change other nations? governments 72 times between 1947 and 1989. Of those, ?26 of the United States? covert operations successfully brought a US-backed government to power.? No country comes close to the United States in the vast resources it devotes to propaganda and placing politicians, academics, and journalists on the payroll of its intelligence agencies. In his history of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The Mighty Wurlitzer, Hugh Wilford noted: High-ranking officials in the American labor movement, it emerged, had worked clandestinely with the [CIA] to spread the principles of ?free trade unionism? around the world. Anticommunist intellectuals, writers, and artists were the recipients of secret government largesse... University professors, journalists, aid workers, missionaries, civil rights activists? all had belonged to the CIA?s covert network of front operations. And then there were the hundreds of journalists revealed to be on the CIA payroll. Wilford wrote: Arthur Hays Sulzberger, publisher of the New York Times, was a good friend of [Central Intelligence Agency Director] Allen Dulles and signed a secrecy agreement with the Agency... Under the terms of this arrangement, the Times provided at least ten CIA officers with cover as reporters or clerical staff in its foreign bureaus, while genuine employees of the paper were encouraged to pass on information to the Agency. The New York Times epitomizes the eradication of any distinction between news and state propaganda. In his recent memoir, whistleblower Edward Snowden recalls seeing stories that appeared in the CIA?s internal news service show up, several days later, in the pages of the American newspapers, almost unchanged with additional references to ?unnamed intelligence sources.? The threat to American democracy comes not from without, but from within. The New York Times, in its endless demands for censorship and conformity with the ?values? of the state, is one of the principal instigators of that threat. American companies, the Times declared on Sunday, must affirm the ?American?consensus? against the ?Chinese Communist Party?s position.? It accused Disney and Comcast of ?appeasement,? and of advocating ?for the Chinese Communist Party?s position, and against the American?consensus.? In particular, the Times took issue with a scene in the Disney children?s film, Abominable, that, it claimed, inaccurately portrays the borders of China. The Times asserted that this was a betrayal of ?American values? and all but treasonous. The logic of this argument is that the United States should follow the lead of government censors in Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia, who have banned the film. ?Corporations,? the Times declared, ?are the creatures of a particular state, however much their executives prefer to think of their operations as multinational. American companies choose to operate under the laws of the United States and to reap the benefits of life in the United States?and they ought to be held accountable for upholding the values of the United States.? Such statements reveal the hostility of the Times to the democratic conceptions that are embodied in the American Constitution. The First Amendment states: ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.? That is, the government has no power to impose a set of religious, moral or political views on the people. There is not a universal set of ?American values? that citizens, or companies, are obligated to uphold, or can be ?held accountable? for opposing. The Times is making a fascistic argument. It was the Nazi regime in Germany that asserted that the ?people? must conform to the ethnic and religious ?values? dictated by the state, and brutally repressed all those who did not or could not because of their background. The editorial?s rhetoric about ?human rights? and the ?freedom of expression? is a smokescreen for the real agenda of the New York Times and the dominant sections of the American ruling class. US imperialism is preparing for a catastrophic war against China to prevent it challenging American global strategic and economic dominance. ?For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the United States finds itself in a contest?with a country in its own weight class,? the Times stated. ?China has taken a hard line, and it?s time for the United States to respond in kind.? Ideologically, the conditions for war are being prepared with hysteria about foreign interference and infiltration, and accusations of treason against all those who oppose militarism. Last month, the Washington Post promoted a report by the Hoover Institution that declared that ?it should no longer be acceptable that scholars, journalists, diplomats, and public officials from the People?s Republic of China be afforded unfettered access to American society.? The New York Times, the unofficial mouthpiece of the Democrats, attacked Trump in its editorial for not being aggressive enough. The president, it declared, had ?weakened the ability of American companies to stand up for American values? by ?failing to firmly oppose China?s demands.? However bitter the factional conflict in Washington, both the Democratic and Republican parties are committed to reversing the inexorable decline in American capitalism?s global hegemony by means of confrontation and war against China. Andre Damon WSWS.ORG -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Tue Oct 22 17:55:00 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:55:00 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won In-Reply-To: <005c01d58831$03fc2950$0bf47bf0$@comcast.net> References: <004e01d5875a$9ec8bde0$dc5a39a0$@comcast.net> <0FB307DA-275F-4F5C-A705-9918FA901DC4@newsfromneptune.com> <005c01d58831$03fc2950$0bf47bf0$@comcast.net> Message-ID: https://www.rt.com/news/471529-putin-erdogan-sochi-talks/ > On Oct 21, 2019, at 12:00 PM, David Johnson via Peace-discuss wrote: > > " The Turkish invasion of course has forced the Kurds to reunite with Damascus, as Russia has been pressing them to - and stop being a stalking horse for the US. ?CGE " > > The YPG NEVER wanted to be a " stalking horse " for the U.S. ! As I mentioned earlier, and as anyone who as even a casual knowledge of what has been happening in Rojave during the last 5 years or so, would know that it was a matter of pure SURVIVAL. The YPG Kurds were between three rocks and a hard place. Turkey to the north, CIA backed jihadists to the west, ISIS to the east, all wanting to slaughter the YPG. And to the south the Assad Syrian government that was not intent on any type of slaughter, but nevertheless would want to dominate and control. > > This a good article Carl. I am glad that Russia took the initiative on this with the Syrian army, however the genie has already been let out of the bottle so to speak in regards to the YPG Kurds. I knew it would eventually have to come to some type of arrangement like this, but the YPG Kurds will not give up their political / economic / social structure and general autonomy without a prolonged and vicious fight. > If Assad is smart he will allow that autonomy to continue. Without the U.S. troops of course. > > One thing I also found disingenuous about the last article you posted, was the authors implication that the YPG Kurds were " invaders " of sort to the region. That is absolutely not true. There has been a Kurdish presence in northern / north-east Syria for centuries. Large numbers of YPG did come to that area ( and supplemented the YPG who were already there ) from the Iraqi Kurdish area, because of the absolute corrupt and collaborationist petti capitalist governing structure of that Kurdish controlled region, that did whatever the U.S. government told them to, not out of necessity but out of pure opportunism. > > David J. > > -----Original Message----- > From: C. G. Estabrook [mailto:carl at newsfromneptune.com] > Sent: Monday, October 21, 2019 10:07 AM > To: David Johnson > Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won > > The attractiveness of the Rojava social experiment may lead us to ignore the use of the Rojava Kurds by the US and Israel (both in Syria illegally) to displace the Damascus government, and the Syrian Kurds? relation to the surrounding tribes, as described by Escobar? > > [Gabriel Uriarte] Mmm, think it [Escobar?s account] might be a bit overdrawn (as I find so much of Escobar's stuff). The description I've found convincing about the weaknesses of "Rojava" east of the Euphrates is Fabrice Balanche here, (yeah, I know it's at WINET, but the guy's good.) Point I'd make is that the Arab tribes' attitude is kind of independent of whether the PYD realistic (or nice) or not: either a Turkish conquest or a Syrian return would be preferable to them. > > "The Kurds no longer pay much heed to traditional tribal structures, but the tribal system still dominates Arab society in Tal Abyad. Long protected by Syria?s Baath regime, Arab tribal leaders have retained their status as notables and their capacity for political mobilization. The main tribe in Tal Abyad district is the Jays, divided into three powerful clans: the Bou Assaf, who are close to the YPG, and the Jamilah and Bou Jarada, who are very anti-YPG. Less prominent local tribes are the Naim, Hannada, Baggara, and Annaza. Two Turkmen collectives, the Slouk and Hamam Turkmen, also constitute tribes. > > "The Jays is a warrior tribe with strong ties to Turkey and a history of conflict with the Kurds of Kobane, whose agricultural lands are nearby. Before the war, the tribe was close to the Assad regime; once government forces withdrew in July 2012, it tried to behave like the master of the region. After periods of chaos and rebel takeover, the YPG occupied Tal Abyad city for a few days in March 2013, spurring some of the clans from Jays and other Arab tribes to ask for help from al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra (which including IS cadres at the time). In addition to pushing the YPG out of the district, this Arab alliance displaced the entire Kurdish population, destroying their homes in the process. > > "Currently, Arab refugees from Tal Abyad are keen to return to the district by force with Turkey?s help. Many of them have trained in Turkish military camps in Sanliurfa and Akcakale, the border town nearest Tal Abyad. These young trainees may be used as the vanguard to ?liberate? the district, similar to how the Turkish army used proxies when invading the Kurdish district of Afrin in northwest Syria. This strategy has an even better chance of succeeding (and avoiding international outcry) in Tal Abyad because the majority of the population is Arab, unlike in Afrin where Kurds are more numerous. For instance, the Sukhanya clan fled Tal Abyad in May 2015 and sought refuge in Turkey, and their homes have since been confiscated by the YPG. Today, they regularly demonstrate on the Turkish side of the border to demand the YPG?s departure, and their militia is ready to participate in any advance against the town.? > > =========== > The Turkish invasion of course has forced the Kurds to reunite with Damascus, as Russia has been pressing them to - and stop being a stalking horse for the US. ?CGE > > >> On Oct 20, 2019, at 10:25 AM, David Johnson wrote: >> >> ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society.? >> >> The above statement is an absolute slanderous lie ! >> >> The YPG Kurdish areas had a bottom up grass roots democratic structure that did NOT discriminate against anyone, regardless if they were Kurds or Araba or Alawites. Muslims, Christians, or the other smaller religious groups in the area. It rejected capitalism and their areas consisted of small businesses and worker cooperatives. There was a total absence of misogyny with women in positions of elected leadership in governing councils and military units. The governing councils started at the neighborhood level and went to city and regional level. ALL 100 % democratic REGARDLESS of ethnicity etc.. >> The YPG Kurds has / had a society that was a model for not just the middle east but the world at large. Of course all of the actors involved, especially Turkey, wanted to see it destroyed, including Trump / U.S. ruling class and the Assad government. >> During the entire time of it?s existence it never battled the Syrian army and allowed the regional; airport and the postal system to remain in control of the Syrian government. It did have several armed confrontations with the CIA backed jihadists of the so called ? Free Syrian Army ? in addition to ISIS. The accepting of U.S. weapons and later troops was an act of survival. >> I have read two books written about the YPG as well as read countless interviews / personal accounts of Left-wing American and British individuals who visited and stayed in the Rojave region for various lengths of time. >> >> David J. >> >> >> From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of C G Estabrook via Peace-discuss >> Sent: Saturday, October 19, 2019 9:23 PM >> To: Carl G. Estabrook >> Cc: peace-discuss at anti-war.net; peace >> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] How the Syria War was Won >> >> ...The first major game-changer was the spectacular Russian entrance in the summer of 2015. Vladimir Putin had asked the U.S. to join in the fight against the Islamic State as the Soviet Union allied against Hitler, negating the American idea that this was Russia?s bid to restore its imperial glory. But the American plan instead, under Barack Obama, was single-minded: betting on a rag-tag Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a mix of Kurds and Sunni Arabs, supported by air power and U.S. Special Forces, north of the Euphrates, to smash ISIS/Daesh all the way to Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor. >> >> Raqqa, bombed to rubble by the Pentagon, may have been taken by the SDF, but Deir ez-Zor was taken by Damascus?s Syrian Arab Army. The ultimate American aim was to consistently keep the north of the Euphrates under U.S. power, via their proxies, the SDF and the Kurdish PYD/YPG. That American dream is now over, lamented by imperial Democrats and Republicans alike. >> >> The CIA will be after Trump?s scalp till Kingdom Come. >> >> ...The Kurdish dream of a contiguous, autonomous territory from Qamichli to Manbij is over. Sunni Arabs living in this perimeter will resist any Kurdish attempt at dominance. >> The Syrian PYD was founded in 2005 by PKK militants. In 2011, Syrians from the PKK came from Qandil ? the PKK base in northern Iraq ? to build the YPG militia for the PYD. In predominantly Arab zones, Syrian Kurds are in charge of governing because for them Arabs are seen as a bunch of barbarians, incapable of building their ?democratic, socialist, ecological and multi-communitarian? society. >> >> One can imagine how conservative Sunni Arab tribal leaders hate their guts. There?s no way these tribal leaders will ever support the Kurds against the SAA or the Turkish army; after all these Arab tribal leaders spent a lot of time in Damascus seeking support from Bashar al-Assad. And now the Kurds themselves have accepted that support in the face of the Trukish incursion, greenlighted by Trump. >> >> East of Deir ez-Zor, the PYD/YPG already had to say goodbye to the region that is responsible for 50 percent of Syria?s oil production. Damascus and the SAA now have the upper hand. What?s left for the PYD/YPG is to resign themselves to Damascus?s and Russian protection against Turkey, and the chance of exercising sovereignty in exclusively Kurdish territories. >> Ignorance of the West >> >> The West, with typical Orientalist haughtiness, never understood that Alawites, Christians, Ismailis and Druze in Syria would always privilege Damascus for protection compared to an ?opposition? monopolized by hardcore Islamists, if not jihadis. The West also did not understand that the government in Damascus, for survival, could always count on formidable Baath party networks plus the dreaded mukhabarat ? the intel services. >> >> Rebuilding Syria >> >> The reconstruction of Syria may cost as much as $200 billion. Damascus has already made it very clear that the U.S. and the EU are not welcome. China will be in the forefront, along with Russia and Iran; this will be a project strictly following the Eurasia integration playbook ? with the Chinese aiming to revive Syria?s strategic positioning in the Ancient Silk Road? >> >> ?Pepe Escobar >> >> >> >> On Oct 19, 2019, at 8:13 PM, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> https://consortiumnews.com/2019/10/18/pepe-escobar-the-road-to-damascus-how-the-syria-war-was-won/ >> >> [Pepe Escobar] >> I'm VERY pleased to present this special Syria essay for Consortium News. Yes, it's provocative, quite ambitious - and the emphasis is not geopolitics, but the arc of history. I had to sacrifice many ramifications for the sake of a concise narrative. I really hope this may be helpful, especially across the Global South, for anyone trying to make sense of the senseless, attempted destruction of Syria. And yes, in the end Syria wins. >> >> ### >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From jbn at forestfield.org Wed Oct 23 02:38:53 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:38:53 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] US gov. persecutes journalist In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1331be99-0fb8-0b15-ab0d-858eab9be322@forestfield.org> C. G. Estabrook via Peace-discuss wrote: > https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/10/22/only-cowards-and-sadists-support-the-persecution-of-assange/ George Galloway is calling the Craig Murray article at https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/10/assange-in-court/ "This may be the most important article you will ever read. I?m not exaggerating. I beg you now to read it." in https://twitter.com/georgegalloway/status/1186597353991614464 It seems that someone else had the same idea I had: Murray's article is copied at https://archive.fo/meaav as well (58 minutes before I acted). So for good measure I made sure Johnstone's is at https://archive.fo/Pa8NU too (or soon will be by the time you read this). Articles like these have a way of disappearing when they're read too much. From carl at newsfromneptune.com Wed Oct 23 02:44:20 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2019 21:44:20 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Sitrep from CJ Hopkins Message-ID: <1E782B01-01A4-443D-98F9-1DDEA3F492A4@newsfromneptune.com> ...2020 is for all the marbles, and it?s not just about who wins the election. No, it?s mostly about crushing the ?populist? backlash against the hegemony of global capitalism and its happy, smiley-faced, conformist ideology. To do that, the neoliberal establishment has to delegitimize, and lethally stigmatize, not just Trump, but also people like Gabbard, Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn ? and any other popular political figure (left, right, it makes no difference) deviating from that ideology. In Trump?s case, it?s his neo-nationalism. In Sanders and Corbyn?s, it?s socialism (or at least some semblance of social democracy). In Gabbard?s, it?s her opposition to the Corporatocracy?s ongoing efforts to restructure and privatize the Middle East (and the rest of the entire planet), and their using the U.S. military to do it. Ask yourself, what do Trump, Sanders, Corbyn, and Gabbard have in common? ? it?s the challenge they represent to global capitalism. Each, in his or her own way, is a symbol of the growing populist resistance to the privatization and globalization of everything. And thus, they must be delegitimized, stigmatized, and relentlessly smeared as ?Russian assets,? ?anti-Semites,? ?traitors,? ?white supremacists,? ?fascists,? ?communists,? or some other type of ?extremists?... ### From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Oct 23 15:24:15 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:24:15 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: "Kangaroo Court" "Railroading" Noted Peace Activists References: Message-ID: From: Institute for Public Accuracy [mailto:accuracy at accuracy.org] Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 8:19 AM Subject: "Kangaroo Court" "Railroading" Noted Peace Activists These activists have have spent varying amount of time in jail for having entered a major nuclear facility to nonviolently "symbolically disarm" the massive nuclear arsenal stationed there. "Kangaroo Court" "Railroading" Noted Peace Activists The trial of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 enters its third day today in Brunswick, Georgia. These activists have have spent varying amount of time in jail for having entered a major nuclear facility to nonviolently "symbolically disarm" the massive nuclear arsenal stationed there. Prosecution witnesses on Tuesday refused to "either confirm or deny" the existence of nuclear weapons on the base. The defendants face decades in prison if convicted. The judge has indicated she wants to finish the trial Wednesday or Thursday. See Wednesday morning report from the Intercepted podcast: "Omnicidal Tendencies. Also see report by "Democracy Now": "Kings Bay Plowshares 7: Trial Begins for Liz McAlister & Others for Breaking Into Nuke Sub Base." See reporting from the court room from the Ithaca Voice and by Linda Pentz Gunter in the BritishMorning Star. Howard Zinn testified in a similar Plowshares case in 1985 and related the action to a tradition in the U.S. of civil resistance. See video. But in this case, the judge has restricted expert testimony and prevented a defense based on religious freedom. See Sam Husseini's report "Catholic Activists Stand Trial for Protesting Nuclear Weapons" in The Nation: Daniel Ellsberg "has filed an affidavit with the court arguing that the defendants were justified in their actions because they are attempting to prevent 'omnicide, the collateral murder of nearly every human on earth in a war in which the nuclear missiles aboard Trident submarines were launched.' "But decisions of the judge have largely shut the door to the jury hearing anything about such defenses of 'justification' or 'necessity.' On Friday, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia prohibited a whole series of defenses -- including the testimony of international lawyer Francis Boyle of the University of Illinois, on the illegality of U.S. nuclear policy -- writing that while the defendants? 'subjective beliefs about the illegality of nuclear weapons may be relevant background information, whether nuclear weapons are actually illegal under international or domestic law...is not relevant or an appropriate issue to litigate in this case.? The prosecution in excruciating detail showed pictures of the actions of the protesters. Husseini posted pictures of the actions, which include spray painting statements on a monument to nuclear missiles on the base and spilling their own blood on the emblem of the facility. The defendants left a copy of Ellsberg's latest book -- The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner -- at the base. It was not among the items the prosecution offered for evidence, although they did discuss Kind bar wrappings the defendants had apparently brought onto the base. Available for interviews: FRANCIS BOYLE, fboyle at illinois.edu Professor of international law at the University of Illinois, Boyle's books include Destroying World Order. He also submitted declarations to the court which the judge is preventing the jury from knowing about. ?This is a kangaroo court with a rubber stamp and a railroad all put together,? said Boyle. ART LAFFIN, artlaffin at hotmail.com Laffin is member of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker community in Washington, D.C. He is also editor of the two-volume work Swords into Plowshares, which has a forward by the late Father Daniel Berrigan. He gave a talk Tuesday night at a nearby church on the history of the Plowshares movement, see audio here and here. These activists -- all Catholic Workers -- are: Father Steve Kelly, who is still in prison, Elizabeth McAlister (who is the widow of Phillip Berrigan), Martha Hennessy (the granddaughter of Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day), Mark Colville of the Amisdat House New Haven, Clare Grady of the community in Ithaca New York, who made the first of the defendants opening statements, Patrick O'Neill of the community in Garner, N.C., and Carmen Trotta of the New York community. For interviews with the Plowshares activists and other information, contact: Mary Anne Grady Flores, gradyflores08 at gmail.com Bill Ofenloch, billcpf at aol.com Ellen Barfield, ellene4pj at yahoo.com [Note: electronic equipment is not allowed in the court room, so defendants and others there may be slow in responding to electronic communications.] For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy: Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; David Zupan, (541) 484-9167 October 23, 2019 Institute for Public Accuracy 980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045 (202) 347-0020 * accuracy.org * ipa at accuracy.org @accuracy * ipaccuracy Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Institute for Public Accuracy, please -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 23 16:34:18 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 12:34:18 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: "At this point, what difference does it make?" On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram wrote: > Bob > > Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of > the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars > of imperialism. > > > On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the > recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. > > Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights > about the King of the Benjamins. > > Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is > *Important*. > > We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer > came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the > donors.? > > The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & > Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would > interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. > > The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows > policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal > from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might > be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. > > Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery > slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. > > Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. > > End these regime change wars. > > https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Oct 23 17:35:03 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 17:35:03 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: If you have to ask the question??. On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman > wrote: "At this point, what difference does it make?" On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram > wrote: Bob Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars of imperialism. On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace > wrote: It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights about the King of the Benjamins. Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is Important. We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the donors.? The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. End these regime change wars. https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 23 17:59:19 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 13:59:19 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: It was a rhetorical question. You were concern trolling me because you hate Tulsi Gabbard. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to humiliate you again for being such a moron. Sorry. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:35 PM Karen Aram wrote: > If you have to ask the question??. > > On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman wrote: > > > "At this point, what difference does it make?" > > > On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram wrote: > >> Bob >> >> Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of >> the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars >> of imperialism. >> >> >> On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace < >> peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: >> >> >> It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the >> recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. >> >> Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights >> about the King of the Benjamins. >> >> Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is >> *Important*. >> >> We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer >> came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the >> donors.? >> >> The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & >> Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would >> interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. >> >> The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows >> policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal >> from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might >> be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. >> >> Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery >> slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. >> >> Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. >> >> End these regime change wars. >> >> https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> >> >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Wed Oct 23 19:09:40 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:09:40 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] FW: Military Spending's Out of Control While Slashing It Could Easily Fund Medicare for All In-Reply-To: <00a001d589d5$5c768c10$1563a430$@comcast.net> References: <00a001d589d5$5c768c10$1563a430$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <00b201d589d5$6c81c160$45854420$@comcast.net> October 23, 2019 Military Spending 's Out of Control While Slashing It Could Easily Fund Medicare for All by Dave Lindorff https://uziiw38pmyg1ai60732c4011-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/dropzone /2017/09/atoa-print-icon.png https://uziiw38pmyg1ai60732c4011-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/dropzone /2019/10/2560px-thumbnail.jpg Photograph Source: MSgt John Nimmo Sr. - Public Domain Something very unusual happened on Thursday, Oct. 17. The New York Times suddenly ran an article on its opinion page explaining how to cut $300 billion from the $1-trillion military budget - enough, the article explained, to fund Bernie Sanders' proposed program for an expanded Medicare program to cover all Americans without raising a dime in new taxes. The article, written by Lindsay Koshgarian, director of the Institute for Policy Studies' National Priorities Project, explained that by shifting the US diplomatic and military strategy from one of confrontation, endless wars, expansive overseas basing, and unilateralism to one of diplomacy, a pull-back from foreign bases and global deployments, with a concomitant reduction in the nation's 2.4 million-person military could be accomplished with no threat to US national security. Koshgarian's opinion article actually listed the cuts that could be made, attaching a dollar value to each one. Examples were: * End the practice of supplemental appropriations for war funding, much of which is actually used for more spending on other unintended military programs and which have only led to unending wars that have done nothing to make the US safer, for example in Iraq and Afghanistan. Savings: $66 billion per year. * End funding for other nations' militaries. Savings $14 billion a year. * Close foreign bases (Almost one-third of all uniformed US military personnel serve abroad, most of them in non-crisis-zone locations or combat zones). Savings: $90 billion * Cancel nuclear programs. The US has 1550 or more operational nuclear weapons - enough to destroy any enemy, and indeed the whole globe - yet at the end of his second term before leaving office, President Obama signed a bill launching a 10-year $1.7-trillion program to "modernize" and upgrade the US nuclear arsenal. It is a completely unneeded and destabilizing program certain to trigger a new global arms race. Immediate savings from eliminating this program: $43 billion a year. * Cancel pointless weapons programs from the F-35 and F-22 to new Navy destroyers and aircraft carriers. These are all weapons that will never be used in any war against the US as all such wars, experts agree, would almost instantly go nuclear. Savings: $57 billion. Just these five areas of cuts alone would save a total of $270 billion. The remaining savings in the IPS study came from smaller cuts, such as the $9 billion for Trump's Mexico border wall. The surprise isn't that there are enormous savings to be had by ending America's imperial military and slashing its extravagant annual budget, which by one reckoning done by the Project on Government Oversight's Straus Military Reform Project is actually now closer to $1.25 trillion a year. It's that this opinion piece by Koshgarian is the first time that a major US news organization has published an article detailing how vast that spending is, and how useless and damaging to US society it has become. The Times in fact, has long been a cheerleader for more spending to confront alleged "threats" that its own news pages have fraudulently inflated over the years from "missile gaps" to "Russian aggression in Ukraine," to NATO weakness to Saddam Hussein's "weapons of mass destruction," etc. But Koshgarian is the first to admit that her article really didn't tell the whole story. She explains that space limitations imposed by the Times opinion page prevented her from expanding on the point she was making. "The US military budget could actually be cut much more without harming US national security," Koshgarian said in an interview with ThisCantBeHappening! Her study, for example, looked at cutting some 200,000 to 220,000 US military personnel through closing bases and ending interminable wars and interventions in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Actually though, the number of US troops based abroad is double that figure, and virtually all of those soldiers, sailors, pilots and marines, perhaps with the exception of marine embassy guards, could be brought home, and US troop levels could be reduced by that amount. As well, she agreed, the US, has some 900,000 uniformed personnel based in the domestic US. That's a number greater than the People's Armed Police, the domestic troops China's dictatorship uses to control its 1.4 billion people. On top of that, the US has another 1.1 million reservists and National Guard personnel, plus another - far more than justifiable for any real national or international emergency, plus 861,000 civilian employees. Clearly the Pentagon could cut its domestic military payroll by a staggering amount. Since the military payroll accounts for about one-quarter of the annual Pentagon budget, that cut alone would produce an annual savings of some $250-$300 billion. And there are other ways to make substantial budget cuts. Take the Navy. With its 11 aircraft carrier battle groups, each accounting for some 30,000 sailors and base personnel as well as billions of dollars' worth of floating weaponry, it's a ripe target for the budget axe. These carrier groups, nine of which are sitting in harbors in the US doing nothing, each costs $3 billion per year just to operate (or not operate!), not counting the huge cost of construction, nuclear refueling, periodic repairs, aircraft replacement and maintenance, weapons acquisition and decommissioning. Likewise the Navy's vastly excessive 18 trident nuclear subs, 14 of which each carry 20 huge Trident missiles each with multiple warheads making one such sub capable of launching armageddon on any enemy all by itself, could be cut down to one or two floating nuclear menaces with no loss of US security, but with a savings of $3 billion per sub. (The other four other Trident subs have been converted to carry Tomahawk cruise missiles whose purpose is launching illegal missile salvos at third world enemies and should be brought home simply on principle, for similar savings.) For that matter, virtually the entire Air Force, with a 2020 budget of $165 billion which includes its enormous number of fighters and fighter-bombers, and its strategic bomber force of B-52s, B-1 and B-2 Stealth bombers and other aircraft and personnel, could be eliminated with no significant loss in US security. This is because a couple of those virtually impregnable Trident subs mentioned above would alone be sufficient to deter any potential enemy from attacking the US. Meanwhile the rest of the Air Force fleet is really for "force projection" in the Third World, and thus is part of the American imperial foreign policy we currently have and need to end. Just based upon what Koshgarian has written and the Times published, it should be clear to any rational American that the US is being spent into the ground by its imperial foreign policy and its military strategy of global dominance - a policy that decades of experience has shown has done nothing to make either the world or the US safer, but that has led to us living in a nation that is virtually a third world country itself in terms of education, health care, transportation infrastructure, environmental protection, worker safety, standard of living, life expectancy, infant mortality, and democratic freedom. What's needed now is more transparency and truth from the NY Times and other mainstream media. Koshgarian's article should be just a starting point. But the discussion, and the journalism covering this issue, then needs to broaden and deepen. Koshgarian also readily adds that her article's focus on how the cited $300 billion in savings from military budget cuts could fund Medicare for All fails to explain that actually no extra funding is probably even needed for such a radical reform. It's not just that such a reform could be funded, as Sen. Sanders has said, by a small tax on stock and bond trading and a big increase in taxes on the wealthy and corporations. In fact, savings that would come from moving away from a medical system based upon private insurance and for-profit health companies, hospitals and physicians to one funded by a single government insurer able to negotiate lower costs and coverage for all Americans would end up being "vastly cheaper" than our current system. In fact, she points to a recent study by the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute, which that a Medicare for All program such as that proposed by Democratic presidential contender Sanders, because of such savings as have been demonstrated by other countries that operate a single-payer system have discovered, rather than costing $300 billion more to operate, could save 10% on current costs per person or about $300 billion per year! Among the examples of the kind of huge savings to be obtained almost immediately from adoption of a single-payer system: an end to private insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles as well as employer premium payments to insurers, an end to current Medicare programs and even to Veterans medical care and health care programs for active duty military and their dependents. An end to Medicaid, the woefully inadequate and bureaucratically plagued program for the poor, elimination of the terribly complex and often prohibitively expensive subsidized "Affordable" Care Act program, and the end of "charity care" for the uninsured, provision of which by hospitals inevitably inflates other people's hospital bills and insurance premiums. So one big question is why candidates and advocates of Medicare for All like Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, allow themselves to get caught up in idiotic debates over whether setting up a Canadian-style single-payer, government- funded health care system would require increasing middle-class taxes or not? Why don't they start pointing instead to the need to slash Pentagon spending? "I think that there is a fear among progressives about being accused of being 'soft on defense,'" suggests Koshgarian, "but I think that is an outdated perception of public attitudes. People are ready to start seriously shifting Pentagon spending to fund other things." She points to a new poll just completed by Public Citizen which finds that by a margin of 52% to 34%, American voters say they would support shifting money from war to domestic needs. The actual question asked read: "According to the Congressional Budget Office, the US is expected to spend $738 billion on its military in 2020. Some say that maintaining a dominant global military footprint is necessary to keep us safe and is worth the cost. Others say that money could be better spent on domestic needs like health care, education or protecting the environment. Based on what you've just read, would you support or oppose re-allocating money from the Pentagon budget to other priorities?" By a more than 3-1 margin (66% to 18%), Democratic voters say the favor such a shift in funding. Among independents, that margin is 46% to 39%. Even among Republicans 39% favored shifting funding from the Pentagon to human needs with 52% opposed to the idea. Clearly then, progressive Democrats including Sanders, should be hitting this issue head on. Instead of ducking and weaving on the issue of funding a Medicare for All single-payer reform of America's current overpriced, bureaucratic and woefully inadequate health care system, reform advocates and candidates like Sanders and Warren should be declaring that such a reform would actually save money. They can also say that if more funding were to prove needed, it should be taken from military spending, which should be massively cut in any case and used to fund other urgent social and environmental needs if not needed for health care. As for our pathetic and grossly overrated "free press," instead of one shockingly honest op-ed piece on cutting the Pentagon budget to fund health care reform we need a sea-change in journalism to make investigating the decades-long hijacking of our taxes for war a top priority. The Times, which has acknowledged the value of this debate by publishing Koshgarian's excellent article, should take the lead. It should start by reporting on the Public Citizen poll, and also stop questioning how candidates "plan to pay" for Medicare for All proposals. If that paper won't do this, other news organizations should pick up the job and run with it. America - and the rest of the world! - will be a better place for it. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 256 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 25379 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Wed Oct 23 19:17:46 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:17:46 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Vladimir Putin, Syria's pacifier-in-chief Message-ID: <00c701d589d6$8de55000$a9aff000$@comcast.net> Vladimir Putin, Syria's pacifier-in-chief October 23, 2019 Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise. _____ Pepe Escobar ASIA TIMES _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.21.11-AM.png _____ Russia-Turkey deal establishes 'safe zone' along Turkish border and there will be joint Russia-Turkey military patrols The negotiations in Sochi were long - over six hours - tense and tough. Two leaders in a room with their interpreters and several senior Turkish ministers close by if advice was needed. The stakes were immense: a road map to pacify northeast Syria, finally. The press conference afterwards was somewhat awkward - riffing on generalities. But there's no question that in the end Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan managed the near impossible. The Russia-Turkey deal establishes a safe zone along the Syrian-Turkish border - something Erdogan had been gunning for since 2014. There will be joint Russia-Turkey military patrols. The Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units), part of the rebranded, US-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces, will need to retreat and even disband, especially in the stretch between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, and they will have to abandon their much-cherished urban areas such as Kobane and Manbij. The Syrian Arab Army will be back in the whole northeast. And Syrian territorial integrity - a Putin imperative - will be preserved. This is a Syria-Russia-Turkey win-win-win - and, inevitably, the end of a separatist-controlled Syrian Kurdistan. Significantly, Erdogan's spokesman Fahrettin Altun stressed Syria's "territorial integrity" and "political unity." That kind of rhetoric from Ankara was unheard of until quite recently. Putin immediately called Syrian President Bashar al Assad to detail the key points of the memorandum of understanding. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov once again stressed Putin's main goal - Syrian territorial integrity - and the very hard work ahead to form a Syrian Constitutional Committee for the legal path towards a still-elusive political settlement. Russian military police and Syrian border guards are already arriving to monitor the imperative YPG withdrawal - all the way to a depth of 30 kilometers from the Turkish border. The joint military patrols are tentatively scheduled to start next Tuesday. On the same day this was happening in Sochi, Assad was visiting the frontline in Idlib - a de facto war zone that the Syrian army, allied with Russian air power, will eventually clear of jihadi militias, many supported by Turkey until literally yesterday. That graphically illustrates how Damascus, slowly but surely, is recovering sovereign territory after eight and a half years of war. Who gets the oil? For all the cliffhangers in Sochi, there was not a peep about an absolutely key element: who's in control of Syria's oilfields, especially after President Trump's now-notorious tweet stating, "the US has secured the oil." No one knows which oil. If he meant Syrian oil, that would be against international law. Not to mention Washington has no mandate - from the UN or anyone else - to occupy Syrian territory. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.24.57-AM-600x335.pngAbove: In blue, the Russo-Turkish buffer zone agreed by Putin and Erdogan, guaranteeing security for Turkey, and eventual territorial integrity for Syria. The Russo-Turkish buffer is far more extensive than the one proposed by the US. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.26.34-AM-350x195.png Withdrawing US troops, pelted by Kurds. The Arab street is inundated with videos of the not exactly glorious exit by US troops, leaving Syria pelted by rocks and rotten tomatoes all the way to Iraqi Kurdistan, where they were greeted by a stark reminder. "All US forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan region [only] so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq," the Iraqi military headquarters in Baghdad said. The Pentagon said a "residual force" may remain in the Middle Euphrates river valley, side by side with Syrian Democratic Forces militias, near a few oilfields, to make sure the oil does not fall "into the hands of ISIS/Daesh or others." "Others" actually means the legitimate owner, Damascus. There's no way the Syrian army will accept that, as it's now fully engaged in a national drive to recover the country's sources of food, agriculture and energy. Syria's northern provinces have a wealth of water, hydropower dams, oil, gas and food. As it stands, the US retreat is partial at best, also considering that a small garrison remains behind at al-Tanf, on the border with Jordan. Strategically, that does not make sense, because the al-Qaem border between Iran and Iraq is now open and thriving. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/map-syria-oil.png Map: Energy Consulting Group The map above shows the position of US bases in early October, but that's changing fast. The Syrian Army is already working to recover oilfields around Raqqa, but the strategic US base of Ash Shaddadi still seems to be in place. Until quite recently US troops were in control of Syria's largest oilfield, al-Omar, in the northeast. There have been accusations by Russian sources that mercenaries recruited by private US military companies trained jihadi militias such as the Maghawir al-Thawra ("Army of Free Tribes") to sabotage Syrian oil and gas infrastructure and/or sell Syrian oil and gas to bribe tribal leaders and finance jihadi operations. The Pentagon denies it. Gas pipeline As I have argued for years, Syria to a large extent has been a key ' Pipelineistan' war - not only in terms of pipelines inside Syria, and the US preventing Damascus from commercializing its own natural resources, but most of all around the fate of the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline which was agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2012. This pipeline has, over the years, always been a red line, not only for Washington but also for Doha, Riyadh and Ankara. The situation should dramatically change when the $200 billion-worth of reconstruction in Syria finally takes off after a comprehensive peace deal is in place. It will be fascinating to watch the European Union - after NATO plotted for an "Assad must go" regime change operation for years - wooing Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus with financial offers for their gas. NATO explicitly supported the Turkish offensive "Operation Peace Spring." And we haven't even seen the ultimate geoeconomic irony yet: NATO member, Turkey, purged of its neo-Ottoman dreams, merrily embracing the Gazprom-supported Iran-Iraq-Syria 'Pipelineistan' road map. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 170692 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 95697 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 36193 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 699101 bytes Desc: not available URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Wed Oct 23 19:22:18 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 14:22:18 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] FW: Vladimir Putin, Syria's pacifier-in-chief Message-ID: <00d601d589d7$2fb3bca0$8f1b35e0$@comcast.net> Vladimir Putin, Syria's pacifier-in-chief October 23, 2019 Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise. _____ Pepe Escobar ASIA TIMES _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.21.11-AM.png _____ Russia-Turkey deal establishes 'safe zone' along Turkish border and there will be joint Russia-Turkey military patrols The negotiations in Sochi were long - over six hours - tense and tough. Two leaders in a room with their interpreters and several senior Turkish ministers close by if advice was needed. The stakes were immense: a road map to pacify northeast Syria, finally. The press conference afterwards was somewhat awkward - riffing on generalities. But there's no question that in the end Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan managed the near impossible. The Russia-Turkey deal establishes a safe zone along the Syrian-Turkish border - something Erdogan had been gunning for since 2014. There will be joint Russia-Turkey military patrols. The Kurdish YPG (People's Protection Units), part of the rebranded, US-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces, will need to retreat and even disband, especially in the stretch between Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ayn, and they will have to abandon their much-cherished urban areas such as Kobane and Manbij. The Syrian Arab Army will be back in the whole northeast. And Syrian territorial integrity - a Putin imperative - will be preserved. This is a Syria-Russia-Turkey win-win-win - and, inevitably, the end of a separatist-controlled Syrian Kurdistan. Significantly, Erdogan's spokesman Fahrettin Altun stressed Syria's "territorial integrity" and "political unity." That kind of rhetoric from Ankara was unheard of until quite recently. Putin immediately called Syrian President Bashar al Assad to detail the key points of the memorandum of understanding. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov once again stressed Putin's main goal - Syrian territorial integrity - and the very hard work ahead to form a Syrian Constitutional Committee for the legal path towards a still-elusive political settlement. Russian military police and Syrian border guards are already arriving to monitor the imperative YPG withdrawal - all the way to a depth of 30 kilometers from the Turkish border. The joint military patrols are tentatively scheduled to start next Tuesday. On the same day this was happening in Sochi, Assad was visiting the frontline in Idlib - a de facto war zone that the Syrian army, allied with Russian air power, will eventually clear of jihadi militias, many supported by Turkey until literally yesterday. That graphically illustrates how Damascus, slowly but surely, is recovering sovereign territory after eight and a half years of war. Who gets the oil? For all the cliffhangers in Sochi, there was not a peep about an absolutely key element: who's in control of Syria's oilfields, especially after President Trump's now-notorious tweet stating, "the US has secured the oil." No one knows which oil. If he meant Syrian oil, that would be against international law. Not to mention Washington has no mandate - from the UN or anyone else - to occupy Syrian territory. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.24.57-AM-600x335.pngAbove: In blue, the Russo-Turkish buffer zone agreed by Putin and Erdogan, guaranteeing security for Turkey, and eventual territorial integrity for Syria. The Russo-Turkish buffer is far more extensive than the one proposed by the US. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Screen-Shot-2019-1 0-23-at-10.26.34-AM-350x195.png Withdrawing US troops, pelted by Kurds. The Arab street is inundated with videos of the not exactly glorious exit by US troops, leaving Syria pelted by rocks and rotten tomatoes all the way to Iraqi Kurdistan, where they were greeted by a stark reminder. "All US forces that withdrew from Syria received approval to enter the Kurdistan region [only] so that they may be transported outside Iraq. There is no permission granted for these forces to stay inside Iraq," the Iraqi military headquarters in Baghdad said. The Pentagon said a "residual force" may remain in the Middle Euphrates river valley, side by side with Syrian Democratic Forces militias, near a few oilfields, to make sure the oil does not fall "into the hands of ISIS/Daesh or others." "Others" actually means the legitimate owner, Damascus. There's no way the Syrian army will accept that, as it's now fully engaged in a national drive to recover the country's sources of food, agriculture and energy. Syria's northern provinces have a wealth of water, hydropower dams, oil, gas and food. As it stands, the US retreat is partial at best, also considering that a small garrison remains behind at al-Tanf, on the border with Jordan. Strategically, that does not make sense, because the al-Qaem border between Iran and Iraq is now open and thriving. _____ https://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/map-syria-oil.png Map: Energy Consulting Group The map above shows the position of US bases in early October, but that's changing fast. The Syrian Army is already working to recover oilfields around Raqqa, but the strategic US base of Ash Shaddadi still seems to be in place. Until quite recently US troops were in control of Syria's largest oilfield, al-Omar, in the northeast. There have been accusations by Russian sources that mercenaries recruited by private US military companies trained jihadi militias such as the Maghawir al-Thawra ("Army of Free Tribes") to sabotage Syrian oil and gas infrastructure and/or sell Syrian oil and gas to bribe tribal leaders and finance jihadi operations. The Pentagon denies it. Gas pipeline As I have argued for years, Syria to a large extent has been a key 'Pipelineistan ' war - not only in terms of pipelines inside Syria, and the US preventing Damascus from commercializing its own natural resources, but most of all around the fate of the Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline which was agreed in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2012. This pipeline has, over the years, always been a red line, not only for Washington but also for Doha, Riyadh and Ankara. The situation should dramatically change when the $200 billion-worth of reconstruction in Syria finally takes off after a comprehensive peace deal is in place. It will be fascinating to watch the European Union - after NATO plotted for an "Assad must go" regime change operation for years - wooing Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus with financial offers for their gas. NATO explicitly supported the Turkish offensive "Operation Peace Spring." And we haven't even seen the ultimate geoeconomic irony yet: NATO member, Turkey, purged of its neo-Ottoman dreams, merrily embracing the Gazprom-supported Iran-Iraq-Syria 'Pipelineistan' road map. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 170692 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 95697 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 36193 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 699101 bytes Desc: not available URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Wed Oct 23 19:44:59 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 19:44:59 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hah, I don?t hate Tulsi, I would love her if I thought she was genuine, I fear she isn?t. I would love to be proven wrong, as I was when I supported Obama. As to humiliating me, no you merely show your true character, with your personal attacks. Trolling you? No, which is why I left the Peace Discuss List, so I wouldn?t have to read the nonsense that often appears here. However, I think its important to point out what some Democrats are attempting to hide, that is the goal of US wars is hegemony, by way of imperialism. The fact that they are wars of imperialism, needs to be emphasized and understood. It?s a result of capitalism which requires imperialism to survive, meaning new markets, and control of others resources. Regime change is only one step or one tool used in the process. Important, as if we have puppets in power that we can utilize and support, it?s easy to control. It?s what we attempt to achieve usually through covert interventions, and in failing to do so, we will resort to sanctions, drones, bombs, war, troops, etc. Perhaps given the Green Party is coming to Champaign for their annual conference, I am reminded of your lies and slander of Jill Stein a couple years ago, not unlike that which Hillary is doing to her and Tulsi now, so the temptation to call you out on subterfuge of any kind is hard to resist. Have a good day, and thank you for all you do. :) On Oct 23, 2019, at 10:59, Robert Naiman > wrote: It was a rhetorical question. You were concern trolling me because you hate Tulsi Gabbard. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to humiliate you again for being such a moron. Sorry. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:35 PM Karen Aram > wrote: If you have to ask the question??. On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman > wrote: "At this point, what difference does it make?" On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram > wrote: Bob Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars of imperialism. On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace > wrote: It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights about the King of the Benjamins. Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is Important. We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the donors.? The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. End these regime change wars. https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 23 19:50:59 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:50:59 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Of course you hate Tulsi Gabbard. You're a Green Party Trot. Hating on Tulsi Gabbard is the Green Party Trot line. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 3:45 PM Karen Aram wrote: > Hah, I don?t hate Tulsi, I would love her if I thought she was genuine, I > fear she isn?t. I would love to be proven wrong, as I was when I supported > Obama. > > As to humiliating me, no you merely show your true character, with your > personal attacks. > > Trolling you? No, which is why I left the Peace Discuss List, so I > wouldn?t have to read the nonsense that often appears here. > > However, I think its important to point out what some Democrats are > attempting to hide, that is the goal of US wars is hegemony, by way of > imperialism. The fact that they are wars of imperialism, needs to be > emphasized and understood. It?s a result of capitalism which requires > imperialism to survive, meaning new markets, and control of others > resources. Regime change is only one step or one tool used in the process. > Important, as if we have puppets in power that we can utilize and support, > it?s easy to control. It?s what we attempt to achieve usually through > covert interventions, and in failing to do so, we will resort to sanctions, > drones, bombs, war, troops, etc. > > Perhaps given the Green Party is coming to Champaign for their annual > conference, I am reminded of your lies and slander of Jill Stein a couple > years ago, not unlike that which Hillary is doing to her and Tulsi now, so > the temptation to call you out on subterfuge of any kind is hard to resist. > > Have a good day, and thank you for all you do. :) > > > On Oct 23, 2019, at 10:59, Robert Naiman wrote: > > It was a rhetorical question. You were concern trolling me because you > hate Tulsi Gabbard. > > I couldn't pass up the opportunity to humiliate you again for being such a > moron. Sorry. > > > > On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:35 PM Karen Aram wrote: > >> If you have to ask the question??. >> >> On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman wrote: >> >> >> "At this point, what difference does it make?" >> >> >> On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram >> wrote: >> >>> Bob >>> >>> Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of >>> the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars >>> of imperialism. >>> >>> >>> On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace < >>> peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: >>> >>> >>> It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the >>> recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. >>> >>> Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights >>> about the King of the Benjamins. >>> >>> Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is >>> *Important*. >>> >>> We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer >>> came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the >>> donors.? >>> >>> The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & >>> Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would >>> interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. >>> >>> The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken >>> windows policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. >>> withdrawal from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. >>> Tomorrow it might be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. >>> >>> Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery >>> slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. >>> >>> Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. >>> >>> End these regime change wars. >>> >>> https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>> >>> >>> >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Wed Oct 23 20:07:17 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 15:07:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <00fa01d589dd$7878ad50$696a07f0$@comcast.net> I support the Green party and I voted proudly for Jill Stein in 2016, and I think Tulsi is great ! I will be voting for Sanders, but I am glad Tulsi is running and on the debate stage speaking out forcefully against U.S. destabilizations and war, and hopefully will give Sanders some courage and encouragement to do likewise. Sanders USE to be a LOT better on foreign policy and I would like to see him return to those positions. There has been a lot of great postings on this list recently, so I would hope that we can keep differences of opinions on analysis and other nuances from getting flared up to assume the worse about those we disagree with and turn it into personal attacks. It is counterproductive to why we are on this list. David Johnson From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Robert Naiman via Peace-discuss Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2019 2:51 PM To: Karen Aram Cc: Peace-discuss List Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Katie Halper: ?Amy Klobuchar is an Israeli asset.? Of course you hate Tulsi Gabbard. You're a Green Party Trot. Hating on Tulsi Gabbard is the Green Party Trot line. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 3:45 PM Karen Aram wrote: Hah, I don?t hate Tulsi, I would love her if I thought she was genuine, I fear she isn?t. I would love to be proven wrong, as I was when I supported Obama. As to humiliating me, no you merely show your true character, with your personal attacks. Trolling you? No, which is why I left the Peace Discuss List, so I wouldn?t have to read the nonsense that often appears here. However, I think its important to point out what some Democrats are attempting to hide, that is the goal of US wars is hegemony, by way of imperialism. The fact that they are wars of imperialism, needs to be emphasized and understood. It?s a result of capitalism which requires imperialism to survive, meaning new markets, and control of others resources. Regime change is only one step or one tool used in the process. Important, as if we have puppets in power that we can utilize and support, it?s easy to control. It?s what we attempt to achieve usually through covert interventions, and in failing to do so, we will resort to sanctions, drones, bombs, war, troops, etc. Perhaps given the Green Party is coming to Champaign for their annual conference, I am reminded of your lies and slander of Jill Stein a couple years ago, not unlike that which Hillary is doing to her and Tulsi now, so the temptation to call you out on subterfuge of any kind is hard to resist. Have a good day, and thank you for all you do. :) On Oct 23, 2019, at 10:59, Robert Naiman wrote: It was a rhetorical question. You were concern trolling me because you hate Tulsi Gabbard. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to humiliate you again for being such a moron. Sorry. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:35 PM Karen Aram wrote: If you have to ask the question??. On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman wrote: "At this point, what difference does it make?" On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram wrote: Bob Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars of imperialism. On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace wrote: It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights about the King of the Benjamins. Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is Important. We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the donors.? The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. End these regime change wars. https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 23 20:58:05 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 16:58:05 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] 'Whoa, ' Says Edward Snowden as Sanders Vows to End Prosecution of Whistleblowers Under Espionage Act Message-ID: Published on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 by Common Dreams 'Whoa,' Says Edward Snowden as Sanders Vows to End Prosecution of Whistleblowers Under Espionage Act "This is the most important stance any candidate has taken affecting press freedom so far. Hopefully this will force others to follow," said Trevor Timm, executive director of the Freedom of the Press foundation by Jake Johnson, staff writer https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/23/whoa-says-edward-snowden-sanders-vows-end-prosecution-whistleblowers-under-espionage -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Thu Oct 24 02:11:46 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 21:11:46 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] The Outcome is Chaos Message-ID: "Since Donald Trump became president many of his subordinates have tried to subvert his policies. Instead of implementing Trump's idea and preferences they have tried to implement their own. Some have done so because they believed that it is the "right thing to do" while others have ignored Trump's wishes to play their own game." https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/10/when-us-officials-ignore-their-president-the-outcome-is-chaos.html [Moon of Alabama is an independent news and current affairs internet forum and online discussion site covering topic of politics, philosophy, economics and the writings of blogger Billmon from Whiskey Bar, the name of the forum's predecessor. After Whiskey Bar closed on June 29, 2004, Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent, open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community. The user Bernhard started and still runs the forum with posts and art from regular contributors. The name of the original Whiskey Bar was taken from Bertolt Brecht's Alabama Song where the first line goes "Show me the way to the next whiskey bar" wheras the name Moon of Alabama was taken from the chorus"Oh, moon of Alabama...?.] ?CGE From karenaram at hotmail.com Thu Oct 24 12:02:03 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 12:02:03 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] =?utf-8?b?W1BlYWNlXSBLYXRpZSBIYWxwZXI6IOKAnEFt?= =?utf-8?q?y_Klobuchar_is_an_Israeli_asset=2E=E2=80=9D?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Oct 23, 2019, at 17:00, Robert Naiman > wrote: Don't say I didn't warn you. If you ever fuck with me again, I will come down on you like a ton of fucking bricks. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 5:07 PM Karen Aram > wrote: Hah, ha. On Oct 23, 2019, at 13:28, Robert Naiman > wrote: Stay the fuck away from me and we won't have any problems. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 4:02 PM Karen Aram > wrote: 1) I?m not a trot. 2) The Greens are not trots, many aren?t socialists. 3) We don?t hate, that?s your thing, hating people, spewing lies and propaganda. Thats what those in power do. On Oct 23, 2019, at 12:50, Robert Naiman > wrote: Of course you hate Tulsi Gabbard. You're a Green Party Trot. Hating on Tulsi Gabbard is the Green Party Trot line. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 3:45 PM Karen Aram > wrote: Hah, I don?t hate Tulsi, I would love her if I thought she was genuine, I fear she isn?t. I would love to be proven wrong, as I was when I supported Obama. As to humiliating me, no you merely show your true character, with your personal attacks. Trolling you? No, which is why I left the Peace Discuss List, so I wouldn?t have to read the nonsense that often appears here. However, I think its important to point out what some Democrats are attempting to hide, that is the goal of US wars is hegemony, by way of imperialism. The fact that they are wars of imperialism, needs to be emphasized and understood. It?s a result of capitalism which requires imperialism to survive, meaning new markets, and control of others resources. Regime change is only one step or one tool used in the process. Important, as if we have puppets in power that we can utilize and support, it?s easy to control. It?s what we attempt to achieve usually through covert interventions, and in failing to do so, we will resort to sanctions, drones, bombs, war, troops, etc. Perhaps given the Green Party is coming to Champaign for their annual conference, I am reminded of your lies and slander of Jill Stein a couple years ago, not unlike that which Hillary is doing to her and Tulsi now, so the temptation to call you out on subterfuge of any kind is hard to resist. Have a good day, and thank you for all you do. :) On Oct 23, 2019, at 10:59, Robert Naiman > wrote: It was a rhetorical question. You were concern trolling me because you hate Tulsi Gabbard. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to humiliate you again for being such a moron. Sorry. On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 1:35 PM Karen Aram > wrote: If you have to ask the question??. On Oct 23, 2019, at 09:34, Robert Naiman > wrote: "At this point, what difference does it make?" On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 11:22 AM Karen Aram > wrote: Bob Your uncloaking of the Israeli asset, etc. is admirable. but not all of the US wars are necessarily regime change wars, however they are all wars of imperialism. On Oct 23, 2019, at 07:48, Robert Naiman via Peace > wrote: It appears that the G-d of Hosts may be revealing His purpose for the recent intervention of the Queen of the Warmongers. Some people in the Democratic Party are now claiming Free Speech rights about the King of the Benjamins. Neither the Queen nor the King can touch Katie Halper. Katie Halper is Important. We tried to do something about Yemen War Powers at the DNC. The answer came back: sorry, so sorry. We weren?t able to get this ?vetted by the donors.? The first time we tried to do Yemen War Powers in Congress, Engel & Shaheen said: this is no-go. It would set a bad precedent that would interfere with U.S. policy in Ukraine. The Queen, the King, and their subjects try to maintain a ?broken windows policing? policy in the Democratic Party on any proposed U.S. withdrawal from any imperial commitments. Today it?s northern Syria. Tomorrow it might be Puerto Rico or Hawaii. Of course, this is histrionics. But these people believe in the slippery slope. If a lot of it would make you drunk, a little bit is forbidden. Let Justice Democrats roll down like waters. End these regime change wars. https://twitter.com/kthalps/status/1186814689709383680 _______________________________________________ Peace mailing list Peace at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Thu Oct 24 13:26:50 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 09:26:50 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] "when elizabeth warren is asked about palestine" Message-ID: https://twitter.com/zachjcarter/status/1187114086733144065 [image: image.png] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 277014 bytes Desc: not available URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Thu Oct 24 20:08:31 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 16:08:31 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Barbara Lee: Trump doesn't have authority for troops in Syria, much less oil In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Please RT: https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/1187120544757571585 [image: image.png] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 320612 bytes Desc: not available URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Thu Oct 24 23:22:33 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 23:22:33 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] USA a Democracy? Message-ID: USA a Democracy? The United States is more of an oligarchy than a democracy, and policy decisions don?t reflect what a majority of citizens want. By Malka Older Dr. Older is a sociologist and science fiction author. NYT Oct. 24, 2019 Between impeachment inquiries, questions about the security of our elections and the proliferation of books and articles announcing that democracy is dead, it?s clear that many people in the United States are disillusioned with democracy. But it?s hard to claim that the United States, at any point in its history, has been a democracy in the rigorous sense of the word. This is partly by design. The foundations of the United States were defined by a struggle over how much democracy should be mitigated. It was terrifyingly radical to suggest that the people ? even a very restricted group of people ? might have a say in government, and the founders cautiously padded the rails to limit the power of the masses. This was still a huge step forward from dynastic monarchy, but it was not a place to stop. And we didn?t stop. Over the two and a half centuries since, we?ve grown more democratic, expanding the franchise to women and people of color and instituting the direct election of senators by popular vote (the 17th amendment, ratified in 1913). But we?ve also taken steps away from pure democracy; initiatives making it more difficult for people to vote and gerrymandering are good examples of this. We?ve watched the role of money in politics grow and seen the proportion of our representation drop because of the cap on the number of members in the House of Representatives. In the past 20 years, we?ve had two presidential elections in which the candidate with the most votes did not take office. But presidential elections are only the tip of the undemocratic iceberg. In 2014, a Princeton study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page found that the United States is an oligarchy, not a democracy, with policy driven by the economic elite and business interests. Furthermore, studies and polls show that majority public opinion on many of the key issues of the day ? abortion, gun control, universal health care ? is nowhere near reflected in public policy decisions. IT?S HARDLY SURPRISING THAT WE HAVEN?T YET PERFECTED OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN PRACTICING DEMOCRACY FOR A VERY SHORT TIME RELATIVE TO HUMAN HISTORY, AND WE?RE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS AND PERSUADING OURSELVES TO COMMIT TO THE DIFFICULTIES. AND DEMOCRACY IS STILL A TERRIFYINGLY RADICAL IDEA ? AS MUCH AS WE RHAPSODIZE ABOUT GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, WE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST OURSELVES AND MUCH MORE AFRAID TO TRUST ANYONE ELSE. MOREOVER, DEMOCRACY WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A PERFECT CLOCKWORK MECHANISM, FUNCTIONING ON ITS OWN WHILE CITIZENS WENT ABOUT THEIR LIVES, MITIGATING WITH PRETERNATURAL PRECISION EVERY FAILURE OF HUMAN NATURE. DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT PEOPLE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE DECISIONS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL. IT REQUIRES CREATING THE SPACE AND PROCESSES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, PROVIDING EDUCATION TO ENABLE AN INFORMED CITIZENRY AND PUTTING IN PLACE SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT OPPRESSION BY THE MAJORITY ? AND THEN CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING AND ADJUSTING THOSE COMPONENTS AS SOCIETY CHANGES. IN OUR TECHNOLOGY-RICH WORLD, WITH A SURPLUS OF WEALTH AND LEISURE TIME, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITATE AND EXTEND DEMOCRACY THAN EVER BEFORE. AND WE DO. MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEMOCRACY, LEVERAGING DIGITAL AND NONDIGITAL INNOVATIONS TO BETTER INVOLVE CITIZENS. SOME COUNTRIES HAVE MANDATORY VOTING; SOME HAVE INSTITUTED E-VOTING. SOME LOCALITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH RANKED- CHOICE VOTING OR QUADRATIC VOTING. SOME COUNTRIES ARE EXPANDING THE POTENTIAL OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY, IN WHICH PEOPLE VOTE ON POLICIES OR LAWS RATHER THAN ON REPRESENTATIVES; SOME ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE BEYOND VOTING, INTO BROADER ENGAGEMENT IN GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNITY. THERE ARE MYRIAD WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE REPRESENTATIVE, MORE ACCOUNTABLE, MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT PEOPLE WANT. AND YET MOST OF THE DISCOURSE IN THE UNITED STATES TREATS DEMOCRACY AS A DONE DEAL, AN ACHIEVEMENT TO TRUMPET AND SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD, AN ENVIABLE AND UNCHANGEABLE STATUS QUO. THERE?S AN IMMENSE KIND OF HUBRIS IN THE SUGGESTION THAT THE WAY WE DO DEMOCRACY IS THE END-ALL AND BE-ALL OF GOVERNANCE, AND THAT IF IT DOESN?T WORK IT MUST BE DEMOCRACY?S FAULT RATHER THAN OUR OWN. IT?S TELLING THAT MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE END OF DEMOCRACY SUGGEST IT?S BECAUSE WE?VE GIVEN TOO MUCH POWER TO THE MASSES, THAT WE?VE BECOME TOO DEMOCRATIC. A PAPER BY SHAWN ROSENBERG, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, CLAIMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT OTHER TECHNOLOGIES HAVE DISRUPTED THE ROLE OF ELITES IN GUIDING THE MASSES THROUGH THE INTRICACIES OF POLICY AND ECONOMICS. OTHER COMMENTERS SUGGEST THAT THE ABYSMAL STATE OF POLITICAL LITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES MEANS THE PEOPLE CAN?T BE TRUSTED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR GOVERNMENT. But how many of the recent ?failures of democracy? have come about not because ?institutions eroded? but because those institutions either were never intended to be democratic or have recently been adjusted to be exclusionary? That the Electoral College system should result in a president who did not win the popular vote is not a failure of democracy; rather, it?s the expected effect of a system that was always supposed to be undemocratic, and it?s functioning as intended (if not quite as designed). If the checks and balances of our tripartite system have failed, it?s not only because of bad people acting in venal and unethical ways; it?s because those people were elected through undemocratic means of gerrymandering, party politics, voter suppression and intense injections of money, and they know where their incentives lie. If voter turnout is low, maybe it?s not because people don?t believe in democracy any more, but because the system they live in has shown them time and again that their vote doesn?t count the way it?s supposed to count and their representatives don?t need to care about representing them. Our recent stumbles are reminders that we still have work to do on our system of government. Democracy is not a unitary state that can be achieved, but a continuous process. We need to keep reinventing and refining government, to keep up with changes in society and technology and to keep it from being too easy for elites with resources to exploit. And it is worth fighting for. Not because of the founders, or because it sounds good, but because while democracy may be far from perfect, it is still the best system we?ve got. At least so far. Malka Older is an affiliated research fellow with the Center for the Sociology of Organizations at the Paris Institute of Political Studies and the author of ?The Centenal Cycle? trilogy. Her new collection of short stories, ? ... And Other Disasters,? will be published on Nov. 16. # # # From r-szoke at illinois.edu Thu Oct 24 23:22:33 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 23:22:33 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] USA a Democracy? Message-ID: USA a Democracy? The United States is more of an oligarchy than a democracy, and policy decisions don?t reflect what a majority of citizens want. By Malka Older Dr. Older is a sociologist and science fiction author. NYT Oct. 24, 2019 Between impeachment inquiries, questions about the security of our elections and the proliferation of books and articles announcing that democracy is dead, it?s clear that many people in the United States are disillusioned with democracy. But it?s hard to claim that the United States, at any point in its history, has been a democracy in the rigorous sense of the word. This is partly by design. The foundations of the United States were defined by a struggle over how much democracy should be mitigated. It was terrifyingly radical to suggest that the people ? even a very restricted group of people ? might have a say in government, and the founders cautiously padded the rails to limit the power of the masses. This was still a huge step forward from dynastic monarchy, but it was not a place to stop. And we didn?t stop. Over the two and a half centuries since, we?ve grown more democratic, expanding the franchise to women and people of color and instituting the direct election of senators by popular vote (the 17th amendment, ratified in 1913). But we?ve also taken steps away from pure democracy; initiatives making it more difficult for people to vote and gerrymandering are good examples of this. We?ve watched the role of money in politics grow and seen the proportion of our representation drop because of the cap on the number of members in the House of Representatives. In the past 20 years, we?ve had two presidential elections in which the candidate with the most votes did not take office. But presidential elections are only the tip of the undemocratic iceberg. In 2014, a Princeton study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page found that the United States is an oligarchy, not a democracy, with policy driven by the economic elite and business interests. Furthermore, studies and polls show that majority public opinion on many of the key issues of the day ? abortion, gun control, universal health care ? is nowhere near reflected in public policy decisions. IT?S HARDLY SURPRISING THAT WE HAVEN?T YET PERFECTED OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN PRACTICING DEMOCRACY FOR A VERY SHORT TIME RELATIVE TO HUMAN HISTORY, AND WE?RE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS AND PERSUADING OURSELVES TO COMMIT TO THE DIFFICULTIES. AND DEMOCRACY IS STILL A TERRIFYINGLY RADICAL IDEA ? AS MUCH AS WE RHAPSODIZE ABOUT GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, WE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST OURSELVES AND MUCH MORE AFRAID TO TRUST ANYONE ELSE. MOREOVER, DEMOCRACY WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A PERFECT CLOCKWORK MECHANISM, FUNCTIONING ON ITS OWN WHILE CITIZENS WENT ABOUT THEIR LIVES, MITIGATING WITH PRETERNATURAL PRECISION EVERY FAILURE OF HUMAN NATURE. DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT PEOPLE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE DECISIONS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL. IT REQUIRES CREATING THE SPACE AND PROCESSES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, PROVIDING EDUCATION TO ENABLE AN INFORMED CITIZENRY AND PUTTING IN PLACE SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT OPPRESSION BY THE MAJORITY ? AND THEN CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING AND ADJUSTING THOSE COMPONENTS AS SOCIETY CHANGES. IN OUR TECHNOLOGY-RICH WORLD, WITH A SURPLUS OF WEALTH AND LEISURE TIME, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITATE AND EXTEND DEMOCRACY THAN EVER BEFORE. AND WE DO. MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEMOCRACY, LEVERAGING DIGITAL AND NONDIGITAL INNOVATIONS TO BETTER INVOLVE CITIZENS. SOME COUNTRIES HAVE MANDATORY VOTING; SOME HAVE INSTITUTED E-VOTING. SOME LOCALITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH RANKED- CHOICE VOTING OR QUADRATIC VOTING. SOME COUNTRIES ARE EXPANDING THE POTENTIAL OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY, IN WHICH PEOPLE VOTE ON POLICIES OR LAWS RATHER THAN ON REPRESENTATIVES; SOME ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE BEYOND VOTING, INTO BROADER ENGAGEMENT IN GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNITY. THERE ARE MYRIAD WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE REPRESENTATIVE, MORE ACCOUNTABLE, MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT PEOPLE WANT. AND YET MOST OF THE DISCOURSE IN THE UNITED STATES TREATS DEMOCRACY AS A DONE DEAL, AN ACHIEVEMENT TO TRUMPET AND SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD, AN ENVIABLE AND UNCHANGEABLE STATUS QUO. THERE?S AN IMMENSE KIND OF HUBRIS IN THE SUGGESTION THAT THE WAY WE DO DEMOCRACY IS THE END-ALL AND BE-ALL OF GOVERNANCE, AND THAT IF IT DOESN?T WORK IT MUST BE DEMOCRACY?S FAULT RATHER THAN OUR OWN. IT?S TELLING THAT MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE END OF DEMOCRACY SUGGEST IT?S BECAUSE WE?VE GIVEN TOO MUCH POWER TO THE MASSES, THAT WE?VE BECOME TOO DEMOCRATIC. A PAPER BY SHAWN ROSENBERG, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, CLAIMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT OTHER TECHNOLOGIES HAVE DISRUPTED THE ROLE OF ELITES IN GUIDING THE MASSES THROUGH THE INTRICACIES OF POLICY AND ECONOMICS. OTHER COMMENTERS SUGGEST THAT THE ABYSMAL STATE OF POLITICAL LITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES MEANS THE PEOPLE CAN?T BE TRUSTED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR GOVERNMENT. But how many of the recent ?failures of democracy? have come about not because ?institutions eroded? but because those institutions either were never intended to be democratic or have recently been adjusted to be exclusionary? That the Electoral College system should result in a president who did not win the popular vote is not a failure of democracy; rather, it?s the expected effect of a system that was always supposed to be undemocratic, and it?s functioning as intended (if not quite as designed). If the checks and balances of our tripartite system have failed, it?s not only because of bad people acting in venal and unethical ways; it?s because those people were elected through undemocratic means of gerrymandering, party politics, voter suppression and intense injections of money, and they know where their incentives lie. If voter turnout is low, maybe it?s not because people don?t believe in democracy any more, but because the system they live in has shown them time and again that their vote doesn?t count the way it?s supposed to count and their representatives don?t need to care about representing them. Our recent stumbles are reminders that we still have work to do on our system of government. Democracy is not a unitary state that can be achieved, but a continuous process. We need to keep reinventing and refining government, to keep up with changes in society and technology and to keep it from being too easy for elites with resources to exploit. And it is worth fighting for. Not because of the founders, or because it sounds good, but because while democracy may be far from perfect, it is still the best system we?ve got. At least so far. Malka Older is an affiliated research fellow with the Center for the Sociology of Organizations at the Paris Institute of Political Studies and the author of ?The Centenal Cycle? trilogy. Her new collection of short stories, ? ... And Other Disasters,? will be published on Nov. 16. # # # From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Thu Oct 24 23:33:16 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 18:33:16 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] USA a Democracy? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <013401d58ac3$69e8fbf0$3dbaf3d0$@comcast.net> Yes ! Great article Ron. David J. -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2019 6:23 PM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace-discuss Subject: [Peace-discuss] USA a Democracy? USA a Democracy? The United States is more of an oligarchy than a democracy, and policy decisions don't reflect what a majority of citizens want. By Malka Older Dr. Older is a sociologist and science fiction author. NYT Oct. 24, 2019 Between impeachment inquiries, questions about the security of our elections and the proliferation of books and articles announcing that democracy is dead, it's clear that many people in the United States are disillusioned with democracy. But it's hard to claim that the United States, at any point in its history, has been a democracy in the rigorous sense of the word. This is partly by design. The foundations of the United States were defined by a struggle over how much democracy should be mitigated. It was terrifyingly radical to suggest that the people - even a very restricted group of people - might have a say in government, and the founders cautiously padded the rails to limit the power of the masses. This was still a huge step forward from dynastic monarchy, but it was not a place to stop. And we didn't stop. Over the two and a half centuries since, we've grown more democratic, expanding the franchise to women and people of color and instituting the direct election of senators by popular vote (the 17th amendment, ratified in 1913). But we've also taken steps away from pure democracy; initiatives making it more difficult for people to vote and gerrymandering are good examples of this. We've watched the role of money in politics grow and seen the proportion of our representation drop because of the cap on the number of members in the House of Representatives. In the past 20 years, we've had two presidential elections in which the candidate with the most votes did not take office. But presidential elections are only the tip of the undemocratic iceberg. In 2014, a Princeton study by Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page found that the United States is an oligarchy, not a democracy, with policy driven by the economic elite and business interests. Furthermore, studies and polls show that majority public opinion on many of the key issues of the day - abortion, gun control, universal health care - is nowhere near reflected in public policy decisions. IT'S HARDLY SURPRISING THAT WE HAVEN'T YET PERFECTED OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. SOCIETIES HAVE BEEN PRACTICING DEMOCRACY FOR A VERY SHORT TIME RELATIVE TO HUMAN HISTORY, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT THE BUGS AND PERSUADING OURSELVES TO COMMIT TO THE DIFFICULTIES. AND DEMOCRACY IS STILL A TERRIFYINGLY RADICAL IDEA - AS MUCH AS WE RHAPSODIZE ABOUT GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE, WE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST OURSELVES AND MUCH MORE AFRAID TO TRUST ANYONE ELSE. MOREOVER, DEMOCRACY WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE A PERFECT CLOCKWORK MECHANISM, FUNCTIONING ON ITS OWN WHILE CITIZENS WENT ABOUT THEIR LIVES, MITIGATING WITH PRETERNATURAL PRECISION EVERY FAILURE OF HUMAN NATURE. DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT PEOPLE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE DECISIONS OF THEIR GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL. IT REQUIRES CREATING THE SPACE AND PROCESSES FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, PROVIDING EDUCATION TO ENABLE AN INFORMED CITIZENRY AND PUTTING IN PLACE SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT OPPRESSION BY THE MAJORITY - AND THEN CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING AND ADJUSTING THOSE COMPONENTS AS SOCIETY CHANGES. IN OUR TECHNOLOGY-RICH WORLD, WITH A SURPLUS OF WEALTH AND LEISURE TIME, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITATE AND EXTEND DEMOCRACY THAN EVER BEFORE. AND WE DO. MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEMOCRACY, LEVERAGING DIGITAL AND NONDIGITAL INNOVATIONS TO BETTER INVOLVE CITIZENS. SOME COUNTRIES HAVE MANDATORY VOTING; SOME HAVE INSTITUTED E-VOTING. SOME LOCALITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH RANKED- CHOICE VOTING OR QUADRATIC VOTING. SOME COUNTRIES ARE EXPANDING THE POTENTIAL OF DIRECT DEMOCRACY, IN WHICH PEOPLE VOTE ON POLICIES OR LAWS RATHER THAN ON REPRESENTATIVES; SOME ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ENGAGE PEOPLE BEYOND VOTING, INTO BROADER ENGAGEMENT IN GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNITY. THERE ARE MYRIAD WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR SYSTEM MORE REPRESENTATIVE, MORE ACCOUNTABLE, MORE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT PEOPLE WANT. AND YET MOST OF THE DISCOURSE IN THE UNITED STATES TREATS DEMOCRACY AS A DONE DEAL, AN ACHIEVEMENT TO TRUMPET AND SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD, AN ENVIABLE AND UNCHANGEABLE STATUS QUO. THERE'S AN IMMENSE KIND OF HUBRIS IN THE SUGGESTION THAT THE WAY WE DO DEMOCRACY IS THE END-ALL AND BE-ALL OF GOVERNANCE, AND THAT IF IT DOESN'T WORK IT MUST BE DEMOCRACY'S FAULT RATHER THAN OUR OWN. IT'S TELLING THAT MANY OF THE ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE END OF DEMOCRACY SUGGEST IT'S BECAUSE WE'VE GIVEN TOO MUCH POWER TO THE MASSES, THAT WE'VE BECOME TOO DEMOCRATIC. A PAPER BY SHAWN ROSENBERG, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, CLAIMS THAT THE PROBLEM IS SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT OTHER TECHNOLOGIES HAVE DISRUPTED THE ROLE OF ELITES IN GUIDING THE MASSES THROUGH THE INTRICACIES OF POLICY AND ECONOMICS. OTHER COMMENTERS SUGGEST THAT THE ABYSMAL STATE OF POLITICAL LITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES MEANS THE PEOPLE CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR GOVERNMENT. But how many of the recent "failures of democracy" have come about not because "institutions eroded" but because those institutions either were never intended to be democratic or have recently been adjusted to be exclusionary? That the Electoral College system should result in a president who did not win the popular vote is not a failure of democracy; rather, it's the expected effect of a system that was always supposed to be undemocratic, and it's functioning as intended (if not quite as designed). If the checks and balances of our tripartite system have failed, it's not only because of bad people acting in venal and unethical ways; it's because those people were elected through undemocratic means of gerrymandering, party politics, voter suppression and intense injections of money, and they know where their incentives lie. If voter turnout is low, maybe it's not because people don't believe in democracy any more, but because the system they live in has shown them time and again that their vote doesn't count the way it's supposed to count and their representatives don't need to care about representing them. Our recent stumbles are reminders that we still have work to do on our system of government. Democracy is not a unitary state that can be achieved, but a continuous process. We need to keep reinventing and refining government, to keep up with changes in society and technology and to keep it from being too easy for elites with resources to exploit. And it is worth fighting for. Not because of the founders, or because it sounds good, but because while democracy may be far from perfect, it is still the best system we've got. At least so far. Malka Older is an affiliated research fellow with the Center for the Sociology of Organizations at the Paris Institute of Political Studies and the author of "The Centenal Cycle" trilogy. Her new collection of short stories, " ... And Other Disasters," will be published on Nov. 16. # # # _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From jbn at forestfield.org Fri Oct 25 02:00:54 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2019 21:00:54 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Notes Message-ID: <201925b6-2df3-75db-bba6-8e50401b3d60@forestfield.org> Here are some topics for you to consider discussing; some of the notes below are reposts of older notes I included before but you didn't have a chance to include in a News from Neptune show, some are newer notes (toward the end). Have a good show guys, looking forward to seeing the next show. Russiagate/Skripal affair: "Trump told Theresa May he doubted Russia was behind Skripal poisoning" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/05/trump-told-theresa-may-he-doubted-russia-was-behind-skripal-poisoning -- Russiagate takes another drubbing as the Skripal story looks like it is losing advocates. > Donald Trump disputed that Russia was behind the attempted murder of a > former Russian spy in a tense call with Theresa May, it has emerged. > > Despite the widespread conclusion that Vladimir Putin?s regime was > behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia last > year, the US president is said to have spent 10 minutes expressing his > doubts about Russian involvement. > > According to the Washington Post, Trump ?harangued? May about Britain?s > contribution to Nato in a phone call with Britain?s then prime minister > in the summer of last year, before disputing Russian involvement in the > Skripal case. > > ?Trump totally bought into the idea there was credible doubt about the > poisoning,? said a figure briefed on the call. ?A solid 10 minutes of > the conversation is spent with May saying it?s highly likely and him > saying he?s not sure.? > > The Skripals were left fighting for their lives after the novichok > attack in Salisbury, while a policeman was also left seriously ill. A > second policeman was recently discovered to have been injured in the > attack. > > Two Russian agents, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, were > identified as the likely culprits. However, they later appeared on > Russia?s state-funded TV station RT, claiming they visited the > ?wonderful? English city as tourists to see its cathedral. > > Trump has been pursued over his relationship with Russia ever since > allegations emerged that the country colluded with the Trump > presidential campaign in 2016. The Robert Mueller report, which > examined the claims, concluded Russia had been attempting to swing the > presidential election in favour of Trump, but did not say whether there > had been collusion. jbn: The Guardian gets some information wrong here -- saying the Mueller Report "did not say whether there had been collusion" is not correct, the Mueller Report didn't prove there was collusion and it was that report's job to do so. The Mueller report was widely awaited among the corporate media Russiagate defenders in order to bolster the long-held and widely-repeated baseless claim of Russian collusion (hello Rachel Maddow, chief Russiagator who now blames Russia for Ukrainegate -- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBLXZHTljTM for more!). The Mueller report was a great disappointment to that end. As the Mueller Report publication neared it was increasingly clear that no such collusion proof would come (as information about it would have leaked) and indeed the entirety of Russiagate fell apart as investigative journalists (such as Glenn Greenwald, Aaron Mat?, and others) made a greater name for themselves debunking Russiagate. This take on the story is also compatible with what Seymour Hersh told Afshin Rattansi on Rattansi's program "Going Underground" in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJgTiP6WBss -- the Skripal poisoning was not a Russian state operation despite that it involved some Russians: > Seymour Hersh: Those two [Mishkin & Chepiga said to be using the names > "Alexander Petrov" and "Ruslan Boshirov"] were helping the British > intelligence services with information about the Russian mafia. That's > what they were doing here [in the UK]. In other words, the people that > were high on the list of people who would want to hurt him [Sergey > Skripal] would be the Russian mafia. Russians, but not the Russian > government. > > Afshin Rattansi, RT host: Do you mean the Skripals? > > Seymour Hersh: Yeah, I mean that was the understanding. There was also > some reporting out of Europe about that that's been pretty much > widespread. Assange: Spying footage turns up showing Assange meeting with his guests inside the Ecuadorian embassy https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/09/25/inenglish/1569384196_652151.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMnVput4sS8 -- A Spanish firm has given the CIA years of footage of Assange's visitors From El Pais: > Undercover Global S. L., the Spanish defense and private security > company that was charged with protecting the Ecuadorian embassy in > London during the long stay there of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, > spied on the cyberactivist for the US intelligence service. That?s > according to statements and documents to which EL PA?S have had access. > David Morales, the owner of the company, supposedly handed over audio > and video to the CIA of the meetings Assange held with his lawyers and > collaborators. Morales is being investigated for this activity by > Spain?s High Court, the Audiencia Nacional. > > The judicial investigation into the director of UC Global S. L. and the > activities of his company were ordered by a judge named Jos? de la > Mata, and they began weeks after EL PA?S published videos, audios and > reports that show how the company spied on the meetings that the > cyberactivist held in the embassy. > > The secret probe is the consequence of a criminal complaint filed by > Assange himself, in which he accuses Morales and the company of the > alleged offenses involving violations of his privacy and the secrecy of > his client-attorney privileges, as well as misappropriation, bribery > and money laundering. The director of UC Global S. L. has not responded > to calls from this newspaper in order to confirm his version of events. > > Morales, a former member of the military who is on leave of absence, > stated both verbally and in writing to a number of his employees that, > despite having been hired by the government of then-Ecuadorian President > Rafael Correa, he also worked ?for the Americans,? to whom he allegedly > sent documents, videos and audios of the meetings that the Australian > activist held in the embassy. ?We are playing in another league. This is > the first division,? he told his closest colleagues after attending a > security fair in the US city of Las Vegas in 2015 where he supposedly > made his first American contacts. > > Despite the fact that the Spanish firm ? which is headquartered in the > southern city of Jerez de la Frontera ? was hired by Senain, the > Ecuadorian intelligence services, Morales called on his employees > several times to keep his relationship with the US intelligence services > a secret. > > The owner of UC Global S. L. ordered a meeting between the head of the > Ecuadorian secret service, Rommy Vallejo, and Assange to be spied on, at > a time when they were planning the exit of Assange from the Ecuadorian > embassy using a diplomatic passport in order to take him to another > country. This initiative was eventually rejected by Assange on the basis > that he considered it to be ?a defeat,? that would fuel conspiracy > theories, according to sources close to the company consulted by this > newspaper. > > The meeting took place on December 21, 2017 in the meeting room of the > diplomatic building and was recorded both on video and audio by cameras > installed by Morales? employees. A small number of people, among whom > were the Australian?s lawyers, were aware of the plan. Hours after the > meeting, the US ambassador informed the Ecuadorian authorities about the > plan, and the next day, December 22, the US put out an international > arrest warrant for Assange. > > ?It is absurd to spy on who has hired you if you are not going to hand > that material over to another country,? said a source close to UC Global > S. L. This newspaper has had access to the video and the audio of the > aforementioned meeting. > > After the installation of new video cameras at the beginning of > December 2017, Morales requested that his technicians install an > external streaming access point in the same area so that all of the > recordings could be accessed instantly by the United States. To do this, > he requested three channels for access: ?one for Ecuador, another for > us and another for X,? according to mails sent at the time to his > colleagues. When one of the technicians asked to contact ?the Americans? > to explain the way that they should access some of the spying systems > installed in the embassy, Morales would always be evasive with his > answers. > > Morales ordered his workers to install microphones in the embassy?s fire > extinguishers and also in the women?s bathroom, where Assange?s lawyers, > including the Spaniard Aitor Mart?nez and his closest collaborators, > would meet for fear of being spied on. The cyberactivist?s meetings with > his lawyers, Melynda Taylor, Jennifer Robinson and Baltasar Garz?n, were > also monitored. > > The UC Global S. L. team was also ordered by its boss to install > stickers that prevented the windows of the rooms that the WikiLeaks > founder used from vibrating, allegedly to make it easier for the CIA to > record conversations with their laser microphones. They also took a > used diaper that from a baby that was on occasions taken to visit the > activist in order to determine if the child was his by a close > collaborator. jbn: This footage includes Assange meeting with his attorneys. As George Galloway put it on RT (link above), "[This] is a breach of the law on multiple levels and surely prejudices any chance of a fair trial for Julian Assange back in the United States, something which should be weighed heavily by the British court now considering the extradition request.". Galloway was a frequent Assange guest in the Ecuadorian embassy. On a lesser point, this footage also includes people on the toilet (a point being used to advertise the story -- see Pamela Anderson on the toilet). I figure the main takeaway from that is if the US or allies try to use this to somehow embarrass her it's not embarrassing in the least (remember the children's book "Everybody Poops"?) and it's a point of pride to have visited Assange and been his friend in his time of need. Anderson has spoken excellently on Assange, WikiLeaks, and why he's being imprisoned and really given us reason to reconsider the image Hollywood would have us believe -- that she's nothing but a good-looking woman running along the beach in Baywatch. She's quite the opposite of the celebrities I mention below by using her celebrity to speak on behalf of an excellent cause. Galloway talks a bit about how Assange came to be ejected from the Ecuadorian embassy and the connection between when Assange was ejected and the recent IMF loan Ecuador got: > George Galloway: The timing is obvious: they [Ecuador] wouldn't have > got the loan if they hadn't played ball with the United States on that > occasion. But the terms of the IMF loan were the savage brutalization > of the conditions of life of the people of Ecuador. That was the quid > pro quo -- we'll lend you all this money but you'll have to dispense > with all this nonsense of public services, and decent wages for public > service employees, and all this pandering to the ethnic majority in > Ecuador. You'll have to cut all that out. [Lenin] Moreno played ball, > cut it out, and now your watching the results: the people want the fall > of the regime and I confidently expect that the regime will fall, and > I've got to tell you that will be one of the sweetest moments of my > life. Haiti Revolution: Orinoco Tribune: "Haiti on Brink of Revolution to Overthrow US-Backed Regime" https://orinocotribune.com/haiti-on-brink-of-revolution-to-overthrow-us-backed-regime -- > Revolutionaries destroyed police headquarters, attacked residences of > government officials, and burned a jail and courts to the ground in > different parts of Haiti on Friday. > > Insurgents are fighting to overthrow the corrupt right-wing regime of > Jovenel Moise, who is backed by the US. Four people died in clashes in > recent days, with many reports of injuries. > > In June, judges of Haiti?s High Court of Auditors said in a report that > Moise was at the center of an ?embezzlement scheme? that had siphoned > off Venezuelan aid money intended for road repairs, laying out a litany > of examples of corruption and mismanagement. > > The aid money came through Venezuela?s PetroCaribe program, which had > allowed Haiti to buy petroleum products at discount and on credit. > > However, the program has now been suspended for more than a year because > of the interests of US imperialism, which backs the Haitian regime and > has supported coup attempts to install a right-wing regime in > Venezuela. > > The suspension has meant that Haiti?s long-suffering people have been > faced with an extra burden: an ever-worsening fuel shortage that has > resulted in closed service stations, rising prices and long lines to buy > petrol. > > In the wealthy suburb Petion Ville, entire blocks were set ablaze. > > Protesters successfully drove the police out of Cit? Soleil, > Port-au-Prince?s poorest neighborhood. Revolutionaries completely > destroyed the UDMO/police headquarters. Heavily armed units of police > abandoned it after hours of attacks by residents with molotov cocktails > and showers of rocks. > > The UDMO (Departmental Unit for the Maintenance of Order), who have > murdered many Haitian people to protect the corrupt Moise regime in > power, have been trained by the US state in Austin, Texas where an > ?Executive Leadership? training course was set up for Haitian security > forces. Sanctions are war: But they don't call it the "permanent government" for nothing. https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/10/04/why-i-confronted-trumps-architect-us-sanctions-against-iran-and-called-her-weapon -- Jodie Evans of CODEPINK, describes her protest of Sigal Mandelker's work on the US's anti-Iran sanctions. As we know, sanctions are a very effective form of war that kill thousands. > Last week I exposed the architect of the U.S.?s deadly ?maximum > pressure? sanctions policy, Sigal Mandelker, in front of the United > Against a Nuclear Iran conference in New York City. > > The maximum pressure sanctions policy is responsible for the death of > over 40,000 people. Mandelker said, twice in her speech, that Iran has > weapons of mass destruction. She was knowingly dog-whistling, lying to > the media and conference attendees, knowing this would feed the story > Trump and Pompeo want to support war with Iran. > > Iran doesn?t have weapons of mass destruction. The Trump administration > knows they don?t have weapons of mass destruction. > > Iran doesn?t have weapons of mass destruction. The Trump administration > knows they don?t have weapons of mass destruction. We all know they are > 10 years away from having WMDs. > > So, I got up, holding a CODEPINK banner that says ?Peace with Iran,? > and disrupted her speech, walking to the podium and holding it for > everyone to see. > > ?You are lying,? I said to her, and so attendees could hear. ?There are > no weapons of mass destruction in Iran. You are a weapon of mass > destruction to the humanity of Iran. You are a weapon of mass > destruction to the people of Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. You have killed > people. You have denied sick people medicine.? > > I was brutally stopped and carried out of the room. > > But this moment was an impetus: > > Mandelker is the Trump administration?s top sanctions official and the > undersecretary at the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial > Intelligence. > > And she resigned this week from her position. Did she not want her lies > and violence exposed? > > Mandelker is one of the most hawkish members of the administration when > it comes to Iran, directly responsible for expanding the use of > sanctions as a primary tool of foreign policy against countries such as > Iran as well as Venezuela, Cuba and Russia. Throughout her career, she > has been in close step with the Israeli lobby, speaking at events > hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and AIPAC and > supporting their agenda to falsely frame Iran as a nuclear threat and > sanction the nation into an economic crisis. Mandelker is a former clerk > for Clarence Thomas, a current member of the conservative Federalist > Society, and is one of the lawyers involved in brokering the Florida > deal that allowed child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to avoid federal > charges. [...] > While John Bolton and Mike Pompeo have been considered the main drivers > of Trump?s maximum pressure campaign against Iran, Mandelker has been > the person behind the scenes actually executing the policy, and has > spoken of the ?success? of the policy, though her definition of success > seems to be destroying Iran?s economy through collective punishment. > Since its founding and especially under Mandelker, the Treasury is > responsible for its innovative ways to expand sanctions as a form of > diplomatic isolation, going so far as to threaten fines and arrest to > those who associate with sanctioned actors without any stated > jurisdiction to do so in the regulations. The Office of Terrorism and > Financial Intelligence itself was created due to the lobbying of AIPAC > in 2004, and AIPAC also vetted the first person to fill the role > Mandelker recently held, the ultra-Zionist Stuart Levey, cementing its > very existence to the interests of the Israeli lobby. Under Mandelker, > the administration went forward with the unprecedented move to > designate the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorists and leveled > sanctions against institutions that collaborate with the U.S., > including sanctioning the Jammal Trust Bank in Lebanon this year despite > the fact that the bank partnered with USAID the year before on public > initiatives to help impoverished communities. > > Mandelker has made it explicitly clear that her hawkish Iran policy is > acting on behalf of Israeli interests, claiming that the JCPOA did > nothing to curb Iran?s threat to Israel. She has gone so far as to > state that this is the reason ?why we have this massive sanctions > regime. Because we know Iran is threatening our great partner, Israel? > at the Aspen Security Forum this year. She has been referred to as > ?Israeli born? and a ?former Israeli? by right-wing Israeli press, but > the Treasury Department has refused to answer inquiries as to whether or > not Mandelker is still an Israeli citizen, an important piece of > information when U.S. attacks in the region are often the result of > Israeli partisans? interests. > > Her resignation is a victory for humanity. May it be the first of many > of the warmongers; and then there were none. jbn: While I am grateful for the protestations of murderous US policy I don't think that the resignations are that clearly a "victory for humanity" because a systemic analysis says that individuals are replaced with like-minded others to continue the same policy. Exploitation economy: Turns out the 'gig' economy is not good for workers -- "Foodora" is a food delivery service in Toronto. Foodora couriers in Toronto are facing the same unstable, irregular conditions as other gig economy workers. They're organizing a union to fight back. We see the same tactic -- they're not employees, they're independent contractors -- used to deny the workers a union. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-1a6tJeQsQ -- The Real News video https://therealnews.com/stories/toronto-couriers-unionize-gig-economy -- As of 2019-10-06 there's no transcript there but perhaps there will be later. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/09/10/future-of-gig-economy-workers-at-stake-in-foodora-couriers-unionization-battle.html > In a potentially precedent-setting battle for the future of gig economy > workers, Foodora couriers hoping to become the first app-based > workforce in the country to join a union have had their first hearing at > Ontario?s Labour Relations Board. > > At issue is whether couriers are independent contractors with no right > to unionize, as Foodora contends, or not. > > The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) says couriers for the food > delivery company are dependent contractors who are economically reliant > on the app, which under Ontario law gives them the ability to unionize. > > The hearing Tuesday follows a union certification vote at Foodora in > August, whose results were sealed until outstanding legal issues at the > board are dealt with. > > Lawyers representing Foodora told the board the company exerts ?little > to no control? over couriers? work, making them independent contractors > who cannot join a union. > > In addition to the degree of control Foodora has over workers, > couriers? level of economic dependence on Foodora will be a key debate > in the proceedings ? which could take months to unfold. [...] > Couriers for the company make a base rate of $4.50 per order, plus $1 > for each kilometre from the restaurant to the drop-off point. As first > reported by the Star, workers launched a union drive in May arguing > that many of their hours on the road go uncompensated and their health > and safety protections are weak. > > Ivan Ostos, who attended Tuesday?s hearing and has worked at the > company for three years, said after he broke his arm on the job, he was > asked by the company to complete his delivery and received ?minimal? > compensation for the four months he could not work. Foodora has > maintained that ?safety and superior customer service? are ?tenets of > our brand.? jbn: Let's also remember that for all of the anti-union infrastructure and training Wal-Mart workers get in the US, German Wal-Mart workers were unionized when Wal-Mart started there and Wal-Mart couldn't break that up, so they worked with the union. Economy: "Stockton Residents Who Received $500 a Month in Basic Income Experiment Spent Money on Food, Clothing and Bills" https://ktla.com/2019/10/03/stockton-residents-who-received-500-a-month-in-basic-income-experiment-spent-money-on-food-clothing-and-bills/ jbn: The experiment (paying 100 Stockton, CA residents $500/month) started on Friday, February 15, 2019. It's not UBI because it's not universal -- not even all Stockton, CA residents were included in the experiment -- but it is still interesting to see how people spend the money. A related article published when the experiment began: https://ktla.com/2019/02/16/stockton-universal-basic-income/ > The first data from an experiment in a California city where needy > people get $500 a month from the government shows they spend most of it > on things such as food, clothing and utility bills. > > The 18-month, privately funded program started in February and involves > 125 people in Stockton. It is one of the few experiments testing the > concept of ?universal basic income,? an old idea getting new attention > from Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination. > > Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs has committed to publicly releasing data > throughout the experiment to win over skeptics and, he hopes, convince > state lawmakers to implement the program statewide. > > ?In this country we have an issue with associating people who are > struggling economically and people of color with vices like drug use, > alcohol use, gambling,? he said. ?I thought it was important to > illustrate folks aren?t using this money for things like that. They are > using it for literal necessities.? > > But critics say the experiment likely won?t provide useful information > from a social science perspective given its limited size and duration. > > Matt Zwolinski, director of the Center for Ethics, Economics and Public > Policy at the University of San Diego, said people aren?t likely to > change their behavior if they know the money they are getting will stop > after a year and a half. That?s one reason why he says the experiment > is ?really more about story telling than it is about social science.? > > Plus, he said previous studies have shown people don?t spend the money > on frivolous things. > > ?What you get out of a program like this is some fairly compelling > anecdotes from people,? he said. ?That makes for good public relations > if you are trying to drum up interest in a basic income program, but it > doesn?t really tell you much about what a basic income program would do > if implemented on a long-term and large-scale basis.? > > The researchers overseeing the program, Stacia Martin-West at the > University of Tennessee and Amy Castro Baker at the University of > Pennsylvania, said their goal is not to see if people change their > behavior, but to measure how the money impacts their physical and > mental health. That data will be released later. > > People in the program get $500 each month on a debit card, which helps > researchers track their spending. But 40% of the money has been > withdrawn as cash, making it harder for researchers to know how it was > used. They fill in the gaps by asking people how they spent it. > > Since February, when the program began, people receiving the money have > on average spent nearly 40% of it on food. About 24% went to sales and > merchandise, which include places like Walmart and discount dollar > stores that also sell groceries. Just over 11% went to utility bills, > while more than 9% went to auto repairs and fuel. > > The rest of the money went to services, medical expenses, insurance, > self-care and recreation, transportation, education and donations. > > Of the participants, 43% are working full or part time while 2% are > unemployed and not looking for work. Another 8% are retired, while 20% > are disabled and 10% stay home to care for children or an aging parent. > > ?People are using the money in ways that give them dignity or that > gives their kids dignity,? Castro-Baker said, noting participants have > reported spending the money to send their children to prom, pay for > dental work and buy birthday cakes. Media: "WBAI Radio Station Abruptly Shuts Down" https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/wbai-radio-station-abruptly-shuts-down > NEW YORK ? Financial woes forced the community radio station WBAI to > abruptly shut down Monday morning after decades on the air in the > latest loss to New York City's local news industry. > > The Pacifica Foundation, WBAI's California-based nonprofit parent, > announced the move to staffers in a letter and blamed the station's > demise on "ongoing and continued projections of further financial > losses." > > "We realize this news will come as a deep and painful shock, but we can > no longer jeopardize the survival of the entire network," Pacifica said > in the message. > > The foundation pledged to resurrect WBAI once it creates a "sustainable > financial structure for the station." Listeners can hear programming > from the foundation's Pacifica Across America network in the meantime, > according to the note. > > The news came as a shock to Jeff Simmons, a public relations executive > and former journalist who was a volunteer host of two weekly WBAI > shows. > > Simmons said he had just listened to the Monday morning replay of his > Sunday evening program a few hours before learning that WBAI's > employees had been fired. The station had about half a dozen core > staffers along with several paid and volunteer hosts, he said. Censorship as goal: Chinese censorship makes an episode (S23E02 -- "Band in China") of 'South Park' harder to find online https://reason.com/2019/10/07/china-south-park-ban-censorship/ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/south-park-banned-chinese-internet-critical-episode-1245783 jbn: I bring this to your attention not because I wish to promote 'South Park' in general or any particular episode of it, but because this is another example of how Chinese censorship is viewed as a goal by corporate power and governments around the world. The power to carry this out requires a kind of cooperation that is only feasible with allowing monopolies to form (which means fewer organizations to coordinate), and wielding control over those organizations (ala US/UK government control over Google, Facebook, and Twitter these days). > South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone probably saw this > coming, and to their credit, simply didn't care. > > The most recent episode of South Park, "Band in China," has been > generating loads of media attention for its sharp critique of the way > Hollywood tends to shape its content to avoid offending Chinese > government censors in any way whatsoever. > > Now, those very same government censors, in the real world, have lashed > back at South Park by deleting virtually every clip, episode and online > discussion of the show from Chinese streaming services, social media > and even fan pages. > > A cursory perusal through China's highly regulated internet landscape > shows the show conspicuously absent everywhere it recently had a > presence. A search of the Twitter-like social media service Weibo turns > up not a single mention of South Park among the billions of past posts. > On streaming service Youku, owned by internet giant Alibaba, all links > to clips, episodes and even full seasons of the show are now dead. > > And on Baidu's Tieba, China's largest online discussion platform, the > threads and subthreads related to South Park are nonfunctional. If > users manually type in the URL for what was formerly the South Park > thread, a message appears saying that, "According to the relevant law > and regulation, this section is temporarily not open." > > The draconian response is par for the course for China's authoritarian > government, which has even been known to aggressively censor Winnie the > Pooh because some local internet users had affectionately taken to > comparing Chinese president Xi Jinping to the character. Environment/Economy: "Capitalism Made This Mess, and This Mess Will Ruin Capitalism" https://www.wired.com/story/capitalocene/ -- an interview with Jason Moore, environmental historian and sociologist at Binghamton University, [who] calls the problem something else: the Capitalocene [instead of the Anthropocene]. > You and I have the unfortunate honor of facing down a crisis the likes > of which our species has never before seen. Rapid climate change of our > own making is transforming every bit of ocean and land, imperiling > organisms clear across the tree of life. It?s killing people by way of > stronger storms and hotter heat waves and unchecked pollution. > > We all can and should do our part?fly less if possible, buy local foods > that haven?t been shipped thousands of miles, get solar panels and an > electric car. But let?s not lose sight of the root cause of this > crisis: rampant capitalism. Capitalism has steamrolled this planet and > its organisms, gouging out mountains, overexploiting fish stocks, and > burning fossil fuels to power the maniacal pursuit of growth and enrich > a fraction of humanity. Since 1988, 100 corporations have been > responsible for 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. jbn: Certain sacrifices for consumers strike me as misidentifying the source of the problem and remind me of asking Californians to bathe less often ("Shorten your showers and avoid baths" and "Avoid flushing the toilet every time you go to the bathroom" says https://www.sbadventureco.com/blog/10-ways-to-save-water-in-this-california-drought/ ) to save water instead of looking to agribusiness which uses orders of magnitude more water than any consumer can control. Labor/class payment disparity: CBS says "The GM strike is really about the switch to electric cars" but one should wonder what lower CEO pay and post-bailout public ownership would have meant for the workers today. But corporate media won't ask about these things. Something similar regarding CEO pay is also happening at General Electric -- when workers are offered low pay, frozen pensions, and lump-sum payouts CEOs get millions in their pensions and "golden parachutes" to leave the organization. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/guid/3870F370-E6CB-11E9-83E6-1366F1C3851C -- "GM CEO Mary Barra's compensation was $21.87 million in 2018, 281 times median GM worker" CBS (Marketwatch.com) argues that "The GM strike is really about the switch to electric cars"; electric cars require less maintenance than combustion engine cars and can be built by fewer workers as well: > UAW members? anxieties and uncertainties are actually shared by GM and > most other automakers, which know that it?s no longer a question of > when internal combustion engine cars will be replaced by electric > vehicles, but how quickly the changeover will take place. > > The shift to electric means a fundamental transformation of what > workers will do and how many are needed to do it. > > Electric cars have far fewer parts, which means far fewer people are > needed to put them together. When one analyst took apart a Chevrolet > Bolt and Volkswagen Golf, he found that the Golf had 125 more moving > parts than its electric counterpart. What?s more, the electric > vehicles? parts are often easier to put in place using automated > machines. The UAW?s own estimates that the move to electrification may > cost 35,000 members to lose their jobs may not be the most scientific > study ever done, but it?s also probably not far off. But according to the Free Press Auto Team (https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-motors/2019/09/29/gm-strike-uaw-update-status/3788205002/) the strikers argue > [...] that they made concessions a decade ago to help the companies > through the recession ? and GM to recover from bankruptcy ? but they > aren't adequately sharing in the billions in profits that have rolled > in during recent years. Who benefited from that bailout which put GM back into the hands of the management that bankrupted it? > General Motors CEO Mary Barra took home slightly less in 2018 than the > previous year, but remains one of the 20 highest-paid CEOs in America. > > For 2018, Barra's total compensation was $21.87 million ? about 281 > times as much as GM's median employee's compensation of $77,849, > according to figures the company released Thursday. In 2017, Barra was > compensated $21.96 million. > > Barra's total compensation, which includes stock awards and pension > payments, represents more than she actually saw in pay. She received a > $2.1 million salary and $4.45 million from her nonequity incentive > plan. She received a bonus of $811,684, down from $861,683 in 2017. Relatedly, why did automakers make so many new cars? It's not at all clear that we needed more new cars. According to http://www.epicdash.com/thousands-of-unsold-new-cars-are-being-abandoned-and-left-to-die-in-lots-this-is-insane/ "overproduction peaked in 2009, thousands of cars have been left in lots to waste away" and backs this claim up with pictures of large lots filled with new cars -- fleets of new cars -- sitting idle for years in towns around the world including: Port of Sheerness in Kent, England; off of Broening Highway in Baltimore (where 57,000+ cars sit); a location in Spain; another in St. Petersburg, Russia; Avonmouth, UK; Corby, UK; Port of Civitavecchia, Italy; Port of Valencia, Spain; and more showing this is a global problem. This report makes an interesting point: > At first I wondered why they weren?t simply put on sale, but the car > industry won?t reduce their prices drastically for one simple reason: > You can?t sell a car for $500 and expect someone to purchase a new one > for $15,000. So again we see a situation akin to paying for social services and domestic needs (national jobs program, purchasing our way out of homelessness, etc.) -- we have the money to spend on making sure people don't suffer. Nationally, we direct a lot of that money toward war. So why are we organizing the economy such that people who want a new car have to take out a loan to get one while surplus stockpiles sit idle? Why are we not instead organizing the economy to make sure everyone has a reasonably good life free from fears of becoming homeless, free to get a decent education, good food (no "food deserts" where nutritious food can't be found for miles and even then it's too expensive for the poor), and so on? Why do we choose to sustain poverty? Related: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/07/workers-stuck-paying-ultimate-price-ge-freezes-pensions-20000-employees -- GE freezes pensions for 20,000 employees and offers 100,000 workers a lump sum payout to those who have not yet begun to take pension payments. > The changes become effective January 1, 2021. At that point, affected > workers will neither accrue additional benefits nor be able to > contribute to the plan. > > "Returning GE to a position of strength has required us to make several > difficult decisions," said GE's chief human resources officer Kevin > Cox, "and today's decision to freeze the pension is no exception." > > The actions, as CNN Business reported, were made "to help clean up the > company's beleaguered balance sheet." Yet, as progressive observer > Miles Grant, they contrast greatly with the sweet deals the company > gives its CEOs. [...] > The AARP has previously cautioned against lump sum options, warning > they represent a bad financial move for individuals. > > GE closed its pension to new entrants in 2012, adding to a trend of > companies shifting away from traditional pensions. It's a shift > progressive observers say bolsters the case for expanding Social > Security. Miles Grant wrote about how CEO pay also benefits disproportionately when workers suffer https://twitter.com/MilesGrant/status/1181225774281641985 > - GE gave its previous CEO a $10M golden parachute ([on] top of his > $22M pension) despite losing >$100 billion in market value in his > 14-month term > > - GE hired a new CEO last year with a pay package worth up to $300 > million https://t.co/DPWBG3ZTE9 War/Imperialism: Another reason why liberals are fools to trust the CIA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAfyTftDSMk -- It seems that recently the CIA has been getting a warm reception by liberals: trust that they'll help take Pres. Trump out of power, calling their spies "whistleblowers" when they're really just "spooks doing spook things" as Caitlin Johnstone rightly put it (https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/09/27/msm-defends-cias-whistleblower-ignores-actual-whistleblowers/). A brief history of how the US has been fomenting war and offering the Kurds a "Groundhog Day of American betrayal [...] for more than half a century" (as one RT host put it). > 1950s-1960s: "The CIA pushed the Kurds to revolt against Baghdad as > part of their efforts to overthrow their leader Abd al-Karim Qasim. > Eventually he was toppled by a coup. But the new ruler wasn't a big fan > of Kurdish independence, so he bombed them into submission; bombed with > napalm kindly provided by the United States." > > 1970s: "The Kurds seem to have a short memory or a forgiving heart > because in the '70s the US was back on their good side. Iraq and Iran > were involved in a border dispute and Washington was covertly supplying > the minority with weapons, once again pitching them against Baghdad. > But then Iraq and Iran kissed and made up. And all of a sudden the > Kurds were on their own being blown to pieces as their supposed > transatlantic guardian angel was watching. Idly. Even the Americans > admitted that keeping their involvement under wraps was simply no > excuse. > > Pike Committee Report: This policy was not imparted to our clients > [Kurds], who were encouraged to continue fighting... Even in the > context of covert action, ours was a cynical enterprise. and > Henry Kissinger (former US Secretary of State 1973-1977): Covert action > should not be confused with missionary work. 1980s: "In the late '80s, Saddam Hussein unleashed his chemical arsenal against the Kurds. An atrocity looking to draw the wrath of The World's Policeman. But it was still a long time before Saddam was to turn from friend to foe. American wrath didn't go further than statements like:" > State Dept.: We want to maintain good political and economic relations > with Iraq, but the issue of chemical weapons gets in the way of that. 2000s: "In 2003 it looked like the US was finally ready to make amends for its decades of forsaking the Kurds. Helping them was among the pretexts for invading Iraq. But then even in Washington many took such goals with a pinch of salt:" From a C-SPAN debate between Daniel Ellsberg and Bill Kristol: > Daniel Ellsberg: The Kurds have every reason to believe, I think, that > they will be betrayed again by the United States as so often in the > past. In fact this spectacle of our inviting Turks into this war to > bribe them into it could not have been reassuring to the Kurds. I've > been under the Turks before. > > Bill Kristol: I'm against betraying the Kurds. And surely your point > isn't, yeah, because we've betrayed them in the past that we should > betray them this time. > > Daniel Ellsberg: Not that we should just that we will. > > Bill Kristol: No, we will not. "Uh, yes, they did. In 2007 the US let Turkey have its way with the Kurdish rebels in Iraq as Ankara launched a lethal bombing raid against them." "This is nowhere near a full list. By 2019 America had left the Kurds for dead a few more times both in Iraq and Syria." -J War profiteers: Sisters are doin' it for themselves in 2019! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLM1Rt7iLPA -- Jimmy Dore & co. on year 2 of women being the top American weapons manufacturers -- "Female Merchants of Death". For the second year in a row, women are the CEOs of the biggest American-made vehicles for killing people (including women and girls) at home and abroad. So women can be the leading American source of assassination just like their male counterparts were in years past. Take that, identity politics! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN7wyuwYmqs -- Marilyn Hewson, CEO Lockheed Martin, at Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women" summit in 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gz2PH1BI00 -- Hewson again named one of the "Most Powerful Women" by Fortune magazine in 2019. Remember what coverage year 1 got from corporate media? RT remembered (RT was one of only a handful of outlets to cover this without giving into the 'gee whiz' reportage which basically said 'when women do it, it's better!'). The "Military-Industrial Complex is now run by women" according to Redacted Tonight's Lee Camp in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOGowwQToM -- Lee is correct: most of the American weapons manufacturer CEOs are now women. The way MSNBC talks about this (in a report Redacted Tonight's Naomi Karavani shows us) we're supposed to as progress in the correct direction. MSNBC asked (and answered) "Who runs the world?": > The CEOs of 4 of the 5 biggest defense contractors are in fact women: > Northrop Grumman (CEO Kathy Warden), Lockheed Martin (CEO Marillyn > Hewson), General Dynamics (CEO Phebe Novakovic), and Boeing's defense > wing (President & CEO Leanna Caret). There's also America's lead weapons > negotiator the Undersecretary of State for Arms Control (Andrea > Thompson) and the Undersecretary of State for Energy for Nuclear > Security (Lisa Gordon-Hagerty) also a woman, she runs the world's > largest nuclear stockpile. Related: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/02/how-women-took-over-the-military-industrial-complex-1049860 (or https://archive.fo/MHWwp which doesn't require Javascript to read) -- David Brown on "How women took over the military-industrial complex": > It?s a watershed for what has always been a male-dominated bastion, the > culmination of decades of women entering science and engineering fields > and knocking down barriers as government agencies and the private > sector increasingly weigh merit over machismo. > > And, as Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson told POLITICO, it's also > the result of "quieting that little voice in your head that doubts > whether you can do that next job or take on that special assignment." > > ?I think there?s critical mass, where you have enough women that they?re > getting noticed,? said Rachel McCaffrey, a retired Air Force colonel and > executive director of Women in Defense, a career development and > networking organization affiliated with the National Defense Industrial > Association, a leading industry group. Waaaaay back in 2018, Raytheon partnered with the Girl Scouts -- see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0atqH8pmMzg for the full promotional clip. Raytheon calls their partnership "Thinking like a programmer" and "making the world a safer place". Saudi Arabia has been using US-supplied/Raytheon-made bombs to kill Yemeni civilians (including children) as Ben Norton wrote about in https://www.mintpressnews.com/saudi-arabia-kills-civilians-in-yemen-with-another-us-made-raytheon-bomb/251104/ War/Syria: "Beyond unconstutional" but beyond impeachment too? https://twitter.com/RepBarbaraLee/status/1187120544757571585 -- Rep. Barbara Lee (D, California) > ?? TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO HAVE TROOPS IN SYRIA, MUCH LESS > TO PROTECT OIL. Protecting oil is not a mission and only increases our > chance of conflict in the region. This is beyond unconstitutional. jbn: But, Rep. Lee and those who repeat her without comment and presumably supportively[1]: is this the matter behind Pres. Trump impeachment challenges or is this just more Democratic Party grandstanding? We all know the Democrats are a pro-war party even if a few Democrats have famously stood against such war (Rep. Lee was notable for her vocal criticism of the war in Iraq and for being the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization of use of force following the September 11, 2001 attacks). I applaud the effort to stand for the right thing, but I fear that such effort stands out precisely because it is so different than the vast majority of Rep. Lee's party. To the extent Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is accurately described as anti-war we see much the same going on there too. [1] Such as Robert Naiman in https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051436.html University politics/free speech: This "beacon" didn't shine on Steven Salaita who criticized Israel for their extreme discrimination against Palestinians -- killing them. So, it's an inclusive environment so long as you don't say things UIs funders don't want to hear. > Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 4:46 PM > > Dear students, faculty and staff, > > As you may know, this past Sunday morning, a noose was found in a > residence hall elevator. The University of Illinois Police Department > made an arrest Monday. > > Regardless of the intent behind this incident, the fact that we are > confronted by a symbol with such intense racist and violent connections > is a difficult reminder of the damage that hatred and intolerance > inflict on our entire community. To those like myself, who grew up in > the South when Jim Crow laws were still in full force, this incident > recalls memories of senseless violence and horrific acts carried out in > the name of racist hatred. It is extremely upsetting that, more than a > half century later, we are still facing symbols of hate that force > another generation to ask why the color of your skin, the religion you > practice or where your parents came from should make you a target of > anyone?s anger or distrust. > > We will not tolerate racism here at Illinois. We will not tolerate > bigotry here at Illinois. We will not tolerate discrimination here at > Illinois. We are committed to creating a university free of acts of > intolerance, bias or prejudice. Incidents like this one remind us how > much work remains for all of us to see that these words are always and > truly practiced here at this university. > > Housing staff and the University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) > responded quickly to this incident. UIPD immediately began an > investigation that led to Monday?s arrest of a student. In addition to > being subject to potential criminal prosecution, possible violations of > the student code by individuals are also reviewed by our own Office for > Student Conflict Resolution to determine any appropriate disciplinary > action. The student is currently not allowed on campus property. > > We did communicate the incident to all students in our residence halls > along with information about how they could access support resources. > Additionally, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Vice > Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have begun a series of > meeting opportunities to allow students safe places to discuss the > incident and any concerns they have. > > We aspire to be a beacon of inclusion and excellence. I want to assure > all of our students, staff and faculty that we are fully conscious of > the seriousness of incidents like this and the chilling effect they > have on every single thing we do here. We will continue to use all of > our resources to investigate and address incidents as quickly as > possible. > > The work of creating an inclusive environment is everyone?s > responsibility. Whether faculty, students or staff, we each have a role > to play in creating a positive climate. And we will endeavor to more > broadly share news of incidents of intolerance and racism that occur on > the campus in order to ensure that our entire community can come > together to make everyone who comes here feel welcomed and respected. > > Sincerely, > > Robert J. Jones Chancellor Health: "Vaping is even more addictive than cigarettes" -- Judith Grisel, former nicotine addict and author https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/10/breaking-up-with-my-juul-why-quitting-vaping-is-harder-than-quitting-cigarettes Kari Paul recently wrote an op-ed for The Guardian. She says she has "decided to quit using her Juul e-cigarette amid reports of users with lung problems" > Nicotine is one of the world?s most addictive chemicals. Even smoking > just one cigarette a month induces addiction in more than 30% of users, > a 2002 study from Medical School found. Another study found 97% of > people who smoked three or more cigarettes became addicted. The number > of teens using vapes daily increased by 80% in 2018. > > ?It?s almost a guaranteed addiction,? Judith Grisel, a former nicotine > addict herself and author of Never Enough: the Neuroscience of > Addiction, said. ?It?s very compelling because the brain adapts to it > so quickly, in a way that isn?t true with opiates or alcohol. Some > people can drink alcohol without developing a problem, not everyone who > takes opiates recreationally has a problem, but pretty much everyone > likes the feeling of nicotine.? > > Vaping is even more addictive than cigarettes, Grisel said, and Juul is > more addictive than other brands of vapes. In 2015, when Juul was > introduced to the market, the most popular e-cigarettes had only > between 1% and 2.4% nicotine. Juul debuted pods with 5% nicotine. > > ?The delivery of nicotine in vapes is even quicker than cigarettes, > which is hard to do,? Grisel said. ?That?s the biggest factor in > addictive liability if it?s the same chemical: the speed with which you > get the hit.? > > Juul says it selected the 5% nicotine concentration in its products in > the US ?to provide adult smokers with a viable, satisfying alternative > to combustible cigarettes?. > > The company said it also offers 3% strength products and that far > higher nicotine concentrations in products other than Juul were > available when the company launched in 2015. > > The function of Juul makes it difficult to quit as well. Its discrete > puffs of smoke and small size make using it much easier, and quitting > it much harder. When I Juuled, I didn?t take smoke breaks ? I had grown > accustomed to puffing away all day at my desk, and even more on > stressful deadlines. I was often Juuling in my pajamas the last thing > before bed and the first thing when I woke up. I Juuled on bike rides, > on plane bathrooms, and at the office. Once I repeatedly hit my Juul on > a kayak as I floated through the rivers of northern California, storing > the device in my swimsuit top. Venezuela/War: Sanctions are war (war on the poor) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/19/world/americas/venezuela-water.html -- NY Times reliably supporting US aggression against Venezuela and noting some of the effects of US sanctions (sanctions are war against the poor) without ever mentioning 'sanctions'. > In Venezuela, a crumbling economy and the collapse of even basic state > infrastructure means water comes irregularly ? and drinking it is an > increasingly risky gamble. Venezuela?s current rate of infant mortality > from diarrhea, which is closely related to water quality, is six times > higher than 15 years ago, according to the World Health Organization. > > But the government stopped releasing official public health data years > ago. > > So The New York Times commissioned researchers from the Universidad > Central de Venezuela to recreate the water quality study they had > conducted regularly for the water utility in Caracas from 1992 until > 1999. > > The scientists found that about a million residents were exposed to > contaminated supplies. This puts them at risk of contracting waterborne > viruses that could sicken them and threatens the lives of children and > the most vulnerable. > > ?This is a potential epidemic,? said Jose Mar?a De Viana, who headed > Caracas?s water utility, Hidrocapital, until 1999. ?It?s very serious. > It?s unacceptable.? > > In the latest study, 40 samples were taken from the capital?s main water > systems and tested for bacteria and for chlorine, which keeps water > safe. The study also tested alternative water sources used by city > residents during supply outages. > > One third of the samples did not meet national norms. > > This should have required Hidrocapital to issue a sanitation alert, > according to the utility?s own internal regulations. But Venezuela?s > government has not issued any alerts at least since President Nicolas > Maduro?s Socialist Party took power 20 years ago. > > ?The biggest health risk that we see there right now is water ? water > and sanitation,? the head of the International Federation of the Red > Cross, Francesco Rocca, told foreign reporters this week, referring to > Venezuela. > > Venezuela?s stagnant economy went into a tailspin in 2014, when a > collapse in the nation?s oil export revenues exposed the failure of Mr. > Maduro?s disastrous policies of price and currency controls. The economy > has imploded since, with Venezuela losing two thirds of its gross > domestic product and at least 10 percent of its population. > > Spokesmen for Hidrocapital, Venezuela?s water ministry and the ministry > of information did not respond to questions about drinking water quality > in the capital. > > The risks posed by poor water quality are particularly threatening for a > population weakened by food and medication shortages. But the problem > cuts across the capital?s social, political and geographic divide, > affecting wealthy gated communities and shantytowns, areas that support > the opposition and those loyal to the government. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72S3zb16Fq0 -- Dr. Jill Stein on the feckless Democrats and the smears against WikiLeaks in interview with Jimmy Dore: > Jimmy Dore: So I just want to show you this is how normal Americans > responded after WikiLeaks revealed what was going on inside the > [Hillary] Clinton campaign; this is how normal people think of it. > > Man on panel of ordinary Americans from "Face the Nation": I've been a > Democrat all my life. I think the Democrats not only are they out of > touch, they have no interest in correcting the situation. They did not > do any post-mortems, they are writing off, 'well, we don't own the White > House because of Putin or because of WikiLeaks'. What did WikiLeaks tell > us, by the way? That regardless of who was behind it, they confirmed > that Hillary Clinton and the Democratic establishment are liars! And > that they had their thumb on the scale for Hillary Clinton. So what are > they basically saying? 'If we hadn't been caught lying, we'd be running > the country right now.'. > > Jill Stein: [laughs] Yeah, exactly. [...] This is why the Democrats are > on the attack: because people are not just fed up, they are fighting > angry. A recent poll, like last month, in Wall St. Journal-sponsored > polling [with] I think ABC, it basically found that; that people are at > the boiling point. 70% say that they are fighting angry at the whole > damn political establishment. So, you know, this is very threatening to > the power structure; they really don't want another political vehicle to > get a foothold. And that's why they're still fighting Greens because all > the crap they're throwing at us has not managed to stick. Why is not > sticking? Because it's so preposterous! And as this gentleman just said, > they are against Trump but it's not clear what they're for, it's > certainly not for you. They're not for Medicare for All, they're not for > a Green New Deal, they're not for the right to a job, they're not for a > decent retirement, or for union rights to organize. They're not for any > of that, they're just against Trump so that they can continue to please > their big money donors and keep the dollars flowing. And that's their > strategy in 2020 just like it was in 2016, so they are basically > preparing to give it away to Trump again in 2020. They are /not/ an > opposition party. And then, [...] the smear on WikiLeaks is just > horrific: we see Julian Assange rotting away in jail where he should not > be. There are so many illegalities that should have put him in this > position right now where he can't organize right now he doesn't have > access to his lawyers or his material. His basic human rights and his > medical rights are being horrifically violated. The guy is very sick, > from what I understand in the reports which I haven't seen yet from his > appearance yesterday or the day before. He's really fading away. But > he's not just fading away, he's being persecuted into oblivion. You > know, he offered to testify in the Mueller hearings. They don't want to > hear what he has to say and who knows what he has to say. But it's a > very important part of the so-called mysteries that we are still left to > wonder about. And [...] also, the attack against me which was against > the recount, that my trip to Russia was some kind of collusion, which > has been completely debunked, the lynch mob that was whipped up by the > Clintonites; the lynch mob that was whipped up on social media, then > translated into an investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee -- > which I fully cooperated with, which took over my life for a little > while -- these rumors have consequences. But suffice it to say, the > Senate Intelligence Committee found nothing, at least nothing that they > got back to me about in the year that has transpired. That was a big > to-do. Then the smear campaign moves on to social media: and that's been > part of this fairy tale that there are these trolls, angels, devils, > whatever you want to call them, on social media that no one can really > see, they can only be seen by the like of Clint Watts[1] and these think > tanks sponsored by the Military-Industrial Complex. [1] From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Watts -- "[Clint Watts is a] senior fellow at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University and a Foreign Policy Research Institute fellow. He previously was an infantry officer in the United States Army, and was the executive officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at United States Military Academy at West Point (CTC).[6][7] He became a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served on the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).[1][8] He has consulted for the FBI Counterterrorism Division (CTD) and FBI National Security Branch". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXzudMCyM4 -- John Pilger on Julian Assange's appearance in court on the Magistrate's hearing on Monday: > John Pilger: It was one of the most searing events I've -- I don't like > calling it an event but it was an event, it was an atrocious event, in > this courtroom presided over by a judge. She's a mere magistrate > actually-- > > Afshin Rattansi, host: Magistrate Vanessa Baraitser. > > John Pilger: --they elevated her to Judge. In which she said imperiously > to Julian Assange, "Have you anything to say?" and he stood, "You stand, > Mr. Assange." [she said]. Her dictatorial gestures to this sick man > through the whole thing were just disgraceful. And he stood and his lips > moved. And nothing came out. And still nothing came out. And I strained > to hear what he was saying. And he said, "For ten years," he said this > very falteringly, "for ten years, the superpower has had all this time > to prepare a case against me. I am denied the opportunity," and I > paraphrase him now, 'I am denied the opportunity. I can't even have > access to my writings,' as he calls it. He means the documents. > > Afshin Rattansi: His defense documents. > > John Pilger: His defense documents! He can't see his defense documents! > To say it is surreal is not enough. It is truly appalling. > > Afshin Rattansi: You're saying the judge was biased in favor of the > extradition-- > > John Pilger: Yes! > > Afshin Rattansi: --attorney acting for the United States. > > John Pilger: Yes, she was biased. All the judges have [been biased]. The > previous one, Lady Arbuthnot, whose husband, Lord Arbuthnot, was > revealed in WikiLeaks cables to be up to his neck in the national > security state and arms companies and so on and so forth. And she should > have never been sitting on the bench. This one, her bias was > incandescent! I've sat in a number of courts all over the world, I've > never seen anything like this. It belonged in a show trial. In the > 1950's. Moscow. Prague. You name it. And they call-- this is London? Do > they know what's happened to justice here? > > Afshin Rattansi: Of course Stalin's trials were broadcast, would you > have-- > > John Pilger: This wasn't broadcast. There's no reporting of this. > > Afshin Rattansi: It didn't make Channel 4 news here. It made headlines > around the world, but not news here. > > John Pilger: No, it didn't make it-- the BBC-- deliberately, > deliberately excluded the most important case: a publisher and > journalist is brought to a court. He is convicted of nothing. Charged, > in this country, with nothing. The charges against him are not only > concocted but as his QC pointed out yesterday, the treaty -- extradition > treaty -- between Britain and the United States has a specific section > in it that says a person cannot be extradited if the offenses are said > to be political. Sixteen of the seventeen, at least, charges against > Assange in the United States are unlawful. They are political. That's > not opinion. That's not a piece of agitprop. They are, under law, > political. They're based on a 1917 law called the Espionage Act which > was used to chase down conscientious objectors. > > Afshin Rattansi: I mean the media here, in fairness, is more interested, > arguably, in this case, of an RAF base in the killing of a British > teenager. That extradition is interesting. Presumably Lewis, though, in > court was saying, 'This is our closest ally. And Julian Assange has > endangered the national security of Britain's closest ally.', let alone > a hacking charge which isn't political is it? > > John Pilger: No it's not-- well, yeah, the hacking charge, the single > hacking charge, even the prosecutor in the Department of Justice in the > United States is dismissive of their own charge. Now that would be > thrown out of court. The fact that they repeated the old canard that > there is some kind of conspiracy between Chelsea Manning and Julian > Assange. They were never in touch. There's no contact. Don't they read > the transcripts of the court martial of Chelsea Manning? They tried > again and again to prove a conspiracy that existed between Julian and > Chelsea. And there was none. > > Afshin Rattansi: Was the UN mentioned? I mean she [the judge] seemed > unmoved by any of the reports. I don't know whether Assange's > attorneys... [drifts off] > > John Pilger: She's not only unmoved but she said 'It's not up to this > court to consider the conditions in the prison, that is not what we're > here to do today.'. Why isn't it? Why isn't it? She just dismissed it. > The man has been so mistreated. I saw him last Thursday. His spirit had > returned in some way because there was something ahead, there was a > court case. There was the beginning of the fight. But watching him in > court, that spirit had just departed. He's lost almost 15 kilos of > weight. He's isolated when he walks through the prison -- the other > prisoners are put back in their cells so that he can't fraternize with > them. He's only allowed to talk to people in the so-called 'health care' > which is, as he rightly labels, as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Syria was a war for oil: Pres. Trump admits that US troops are staying in Syria for the oil, which the US has successfully stolen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBiJCEmHe_k -- an excerpt of a recent Presidential announcement from The Grayzone: > Pres. Trump: We've secured the oil [in Syria] and therefore a small > number of U.S. troops will remain in the area where they have the oil. > And we're going to be protecting it. And we'll be deciding what we're > going to do with it in the future. -J From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Oct 25 14:49:08 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 14:49:08 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] More unveiling of Hilary Message-ID: Hillary?s attack on Tulsi for speaking truth, has revealed Hillary for the monster she is, though anyone still liking Hillary after her cackling over the torture, death and destruction of Gaddafi and Libya, for which she as Secretary of State along with Obama the President was responsible, I don?t know. Evidently she is now promoting her book and articles with lies and propaganda, with some protesting but receiving no coverage. The media is still in the back pockets of the ruling elites. See below: Coleen Rowley/former FBI 27 mins Unbelievable! Please help me in demanding a retraction of such false news coverage by calling the Star Tribune's editor at 612 673-7299 and/or contacting the reporter, Torey Van Oot, at torey.vanoot at startribune.com or by posting comments under her horrible article (blatantly attempting to whitewash history). How could this reporter, so blindly fawning over Hillary Clinton, ignore the opposition to the Queen of Warmongers' appearance inside the (formerly peace-oriented) Methodist Church?! The writer claims "only Clinton supporters were in view" while our signs of opposition were prominently placed all around the entrance and were viewed by many in the lines of Clinton's fan club waiting for hours to get in. How could this Strib reporter highlight Clinton's telling the audience how important it is to be "kind" when she ruthlessly pushed in her recent positions of power as Senator and Secretary of State for the most strategically disastrous wars in U.S. history, ones that not only have taken the lives of millions of women, children and other civilians but which have led to thousands of PTSD-afflicted and suicidal veterans, created millions more refugees, created ISIS and increased many-fold the level of terrorism in the world?!How is it "gutsy" for Clinton, channeling Joe McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover, to blacklist her fellow female presidential candidates Jill Stein and Tulsi Gabbard as "Russian assets"? How was it gutsy or kind to have labeled half of the people in the United States "deplorable?" Ignoring this awful hypocrisy--and all of our clearly-visible signs of opposition to Clinton and her war bloodlust-- would only be possible by the most brainwashed and blindly partisan of "news" coverage. I will be asking for a full retraction and submitting a letter to the editor but I'm not holding my breath unless we can show that there are more Americans who have not normalized this horrible state of war that Hillary and her neocon warhawk pals have ushered in. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Oct 25 23:19:12 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 23:19:12 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Updates: Kevin Zeese, Conference in Urbana Saturday! References: Message-ID: There have been some time changes: please see below: [Illinois Green Party] 2:30 ? 3:50: Panel: What is Eco-socialism? Illinois Green Party Co-Chair Rich Whitney, Illinois Green Party Secretary Chris Blankenhorn (Young Ecosocialists), Peter Sentz (computer science PhD student at UIUC and an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Peter is also a member of the coordinating committee of the UIUC graduate employees' labor union, GEO, and organizes with the anti-imperialist ANSWER coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism).) 3:50 ? 4:00: Break 4:00 ? 5:15: Panel: The Need for an Anti-Imperialist Peace Movement: Kevin Zeese, Karen Aram (AWARE, Prairie Greens), Dave Johnson (IWW, Prairie Greens) Professor Francis Boyle. Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Fri Oct 25 23:50:43 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2019 23:50:43 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] "The Management of Savagery" from the Mint Press. Message-ID: The Management of Savagery October 22nd, 2019 By Roger D. Harris (Analysis) ? Destination Afghanistan was known as the big easy back in the halcyon days of the late 1960s. Hippies from throughout the affluent West hitchhiked to the capital, Kabul, where crash pads and hashish were cheap, and the locals were tolerant. Life appeared to be mellow in the scenic shadow of the Hindu Kush Himalayans. That was then. Now Afghanistan is engulfed in year 18 of the forever US war with no end in sight. The war has gotten so old ? the longest in US history ? that the Pentagon PR flacks changed the code name from Operation Enduring Freedom to Operation Freedom?s Sentinel to spruce up its image. Half of Kabul is now in rubble. Music, education for girls, and cultivation of opium poppies are prohibited in areas controlled by the former US-allied Taliban. US-backed warlords in the rest of this devastated land supply the majority of the world?s illicit heroin, visiting a plague of drug addiction on nearby Iran, China, and Russia ? official US enemies ? and on the ghettos, rural wastelands, and hipster dens of the West. US attempts at ?reconstruction? of Afghanistan have cost $117 billion, eclipsing the price tag of the entire Marshall Plan for Europe. [https://www.mintpressnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Fundraiser-Icon-400x2.jpg] So why is the US still in Afghanistan? The official explanation has something vaguely to do with the arch villain Osama bin Laden from Saudi Arabia who was last holed up in Pakistan before reportedly being assassinated by US special forces and unceremoniously dumped into the sea eight years ago. Max Blumenthal?s The Management of Savagery provides a far more cogent explanation for the US wars in Afghanistan along with Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, and Syria with Iran on the to-do list (and may be on the war list by the time this article gets posted). Savagery reads like a real-life whodunit tracing the shadowy back channels of the CIA, FBI, DIA, and NSA piping jihadists around the greater Middle East to create chaos only to find their assets turning against them. Besides being well written, the analysis of the maturation of the neoliberal imperial project by the world?s sole remaining superpower illuminates the current bi-partisan consensus for militarism. The politics of chaos The collapse of the Soviet Union left a geopolitical power vacuum and an opportunity for the US to more aggressively exert its imperial will. The ensuing politics of chaos produced some strange bedfellows: ?human rights? thinktanks with Gulf monarchies, anti-Semites with Zionists, the US security state with jihadists, and neoconservatives with establishment liberals. Bin Laden, according to Savagery, had a master plan to create ?full chaos? in the greater Middle East, which he believed would precipitate the collapse of local regimes so that the culture of jihad could supersede them. Dovetailing this scenario was the neocon plan for regime change in regional states not subservient to US dictates and Israeli expansion. ?In the global war bin Laden envisioned,? Blumenthal reports, ?these [US] foreign policy fanatics would make the perfect partners.? Leading the charge were neocon Republicans like John Bolton and Elliot Abrams with the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), later to be joined by liberal Clinton Democrats. [John Bolton] President Bush stands with John Bolton, left, as he announces Bolton?s installation as United States ambassador to the United Nations, Aug. 1, 2005 in Washington, D.C. J. Scott Applewhite | AP Both foreign jihadists and domestic militarists needed a precipitating incident, what the PNAC envisioned as a ?catastrophic and catalyzing event.? That came with 9/11. Blumenthal finds credence that the US government likely had some foreknowledge of the attacks, but accuses some Truthers of inadvertently running interference ?for the imperialist power they claimed to disdain? by ?omitting any historical discussion of the American government?s relationship with the forces directly implicated in the attacks.? The Authorization for the Use of Military Force was passed just five days after 9/11 as a joint resolution of Congress with only one dissenting vote. ?Congress thus voluntarily abdicated its constitution authority and,? according to Blumenthal, ?gave its blessing to America?s forever war.? The Patriot Act followed a month later, ?granting the executive branch unprecedented wartime powers to investigate and prosecute Americans.? The neocons and the alt-right have been able to mainstream anti-Muslim politics in the US. Meanwhile the liberal ?responsibility to protect? (R2P) doctrine has created popular support for forever war ?by weaponizing the discourse of human rights to justify the use of force against governments that resisted the Washington consensus.? The R2P liberals achieved what the right could not. ?In the era of Russiagate, when so many liberals cling to institutions like the FBI and NATO as guardians of their survival,? Blumenthal explains, ?the dastardly record of America?s national security mandarins has been wiped clean.? The forever wars are ?marketed to the Western public as clinical exercises in freedom-spreading? with a ?dual layer patina of patriotic hoopla [for the right] and humanitarian goodwill [for the liberals].? [Mohammed bin Salman | Trump] President Trump shows a chart highlighting arms sales to Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office, March 20, 2018. Evan Vucci | AP The refugee crises coming out of the Middle East, generated by the forever wars and accompanying economic sanctions (more accurately, illegal unilateral coercive measures), have consequently fueled xenophobia both in the US and abroad. This, in turn, has fostered an ascendant wave of rightists. ?Trump?s election,? Blumenthal contends, ?would not have been possible without 9/11 and the subsequent military interventionism conceived by the national security state.? The national security state did not arise with Trump, but ?has maintained a steady continuity between successive administrations.? Unwanted refugees are not the only inconvenient byproduct of the forever wars in the greater Middle East. The US security state?s alliance with jihadists to overthrow the Soviet-friendly government in Afghanistan ? a pattern which is has been repeated in each subsequent Middle Eastern misadventure ? has created a ?disposal problem? of what to do with these US-armed combatants. For Americans, the tragedy of 9/11 was just the most dramatic example of the ?disposal problem.? ?The plague of international jihadism that the United States helped to unleash through its covert interventionism in Cold War-era Afghanistan,? Blumenthal warns, ?was to expand and metastasize?? The neoliberal imperial project, a symbiotic association of liberal ?military humanism? and rightwing straight-up militarism, is now showing signs of undoing according to Blumenthal: ?Through covert operations and overt invasions, America?s national security state had destabilized entire regions, from the Levant to North Africa, unleashed a migration crisis of unprecedented proportions onto Europe and spurred an inevitable right-wing backlash that was unraveling the neoliberal consensus they sought to protect.? Critical reviews In a critical review of Savagery, Louis Proyect finds himself ?in agreement? on Afghanistan and Libya but not on Syria. Proyect rejects the analysis that the purpose of the US is or ever was regime change of the Assad government in Syria: ?with the regime still intact, it might be obvious that this was never the goal.? Proyect dismisses what otherwise the purpose of the US war effort might be with a ?let?s leave that aside.? In contrast, regime change is the central thesis of Blumenthal?s book. Proyect accuses Blumenthal of being ?one of Assad?s biggest supporters on the left,? though a reading of Savagery would suggest Blumenthal is not an apologist for the governments targeted by the US for regime change. In an interview after his recent visit to Syria, Blumenthal commented: ?Whether or not Syria is a dictatorship or a police state; I would not dispute that at all.? Rather, the focus of Savagery is on the policies and actions of the US and its allies, the deleterious effects it has had on the people of the region, and the blowback it has had at home. A critique in the Times Literary Supplement, from a liberal ?humanitarian imperialism? point of view, kvetches: ?It is easy to blame the United States for many of the world?s ills: easy because of the availability of evidence. It is also easy to overstate your case, with misleading or one-sided examples ? the trap that Max Blumenthal falls into in The Management of Savagery.? Which raises the question of why, given ?the availability of evidence,? the TLS and its co-conspirators in the corporate media unerringly fall into the opposite trap of being sycophants of the Empire? Why have they failed to connect the dots, as Blumenthal has, and shown ?how America?s national security state fueled the rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump?? Roger D. Harris is a human rights activist who recently visited Syria for an international conference on the impacts of economic sanctions by the US and its allies on over 30 countries in the world. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Sun Oct 27 11:28:28 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 11:28:28 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: [New post] In A Society Built On War, We Must Do More Than Just Prefer Peace References: <139971992.7296.0@wordpress.com> Message-ID: New post on Caitlin Johnstone [https://i1.wp.com/caitlinjohnstone.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cropped-caitlinpic1.jpg?resize=32%2C32&ssl=1] [http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/12152988a68a6d4dae7506812444c18f?s=50&d=monsterid&r=G] In A Society Built On War, We Must Do More Than Just Prefer Peace by Caitlin Johnstone American activist Angela Davis once said, "In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.? Our responsibility to truth and justice isn't fulfilled by merely witnessing the perverse tendency in western society toward white supremacy without participating in it, any more than our responsibility is fulfilled by merely witnessing but not participating in a gang rape. Simply choosing not to participate in a grave injustice while giving it our tacit permission to continue is insufficient, especially if the color of your skin gives you an advantage resulting from that injustice. This injustice must be forcefully opposed. The same is true of war, which is the glue that holds together the empire which dominates our society. There is a painfully common notion among leftists and progressives that it is perfectly acceptable to focus on domestic policy while de-emphasising the importance of foreign policy, or even ignoring foreign policy entirely. Politicians can generate immense support for themselves simply by promoting decent domestic policies while maintaining foreign policy that is not terribly distinct from the CIA/CNN mainstream consensus. I'm not as familiar with right-wing political circles, but I gather that libertarians and other right-leaning anti-interventionists often encounter a similar deprioritization of sane foreign policy. War is the worst thing in the world. In terms of death, destruction and suffering caused to human beings, nothing else comes close: it's just the absolute worst thing. It is worse than economic injustice. It is worse than racism. It is worse than sexism. It is worse than homophobia and transphobia. It is worse than draconian drug policies and immigration policies. All of those things are bad. War is worse. The politics of anyone who claims to care about people should reflect this. If you don't think that war is the worst thing in the world, it's only because you haven't looked closely enough at exactly what it is and how it works. Wars always necessarily involve not just mountains of human corpses, but lives ruined forever, bodies ripped apart, brains permanently destroyed by neurological trauma and minds permanently destroyed by psychological trauma, millions displaced from their homes, rape and slavery and human trafficking rising exponentially in the chaos, extremist factions rising to power and inflicting unspeakable evils on people. The suffering that is inflicted by every one of these military operations which get promoted by middle-aged men in DC think tanks in a casual tone of voice with the occasional joke mixed in, the suffering is literally unfathomable. We live in a civilization that was built by war. A civilization that is currently propped up by war. A civilization that has its future mapped out with war as its career and war as its retirement plan. The political and economic system which dictates the way our society moves and operates has its roots sunk deep into the soil of war. The only thing separating us from the wars our government is waging in our name is physical proximity. In such a society, it is not enough to merely not be a warmonger. It is not enough to simply have a preference for peace. Our responsibility to truth and justice does not end in our non-participation in warmongering, because the wars go on regardless. In fact, those who are responsible for keeping the wars going would much prefer that we didn't think too hard about them. Because they know that if we thought with lucid intellectual honesty about the horrors that our civilization is unleashing upon the world every single day, we would find this entire system intolerable. It is the responsibility of anyone who wants to be a good person, anyone who wants to be a just person, anyone who wants to be a truthful and authentic person to stand in ferocious opposition to this system. To look closely at what's being done by your government and its allies overseas, to learn as much as you can about it, and to oppose it loudly and forcefully. This is more important than any other political agenda you could possibly fight for. If you don't undertake it you have no basis on which to call yourself a good person, a just person, or a truthful or authentic person. You're just another tacit facilitator. ________________________ Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, checking out my podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following me on Steemit, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I'm trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I?ve written) in any way they like free of charge. [https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://i0.wp.com/steemitimages.com/0x0/https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/800/0*VDvfq6m943JQbqLO.png?w=1060&ssl=1] Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2 Caitlin Johnstone | October 27, 2019 at 1:24 am | Tags: antiwar, government, peace, Politics, war | Categories: Article | URL: https://wp.me/p9tj6M-1TG Comment See all comments Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Caitlin Johnstone. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/10/27/in-a-society-built-on-war-we-must-do-more-than-just-prefer-peace/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From r-szoke at illinois.edu Sun Oct 27 20:30:23 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 20:30:23 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] A note on conspiracy theories Message-ID: Mark Fenster, Conspiracy Theories : Secrecy and Power in American Culture (U. of Minnesota P., 1999, 282 pp.) [ Ph.D. in communications, UIUC; Yale law ] >From the jacket front flap: Fenster argues that conspiracy theories are a form of popular political interpretation and contends that recognizing how they circulate through mass culture helps us better understand our society as a whole. To that end, he discusses Richard Hofstadter?s The Paranoid Style in American Politics, the militia movement, The X-Files, popular Christian apocalyptic thought, and such artifacts of suspicion as The Turner Diaries, The Illuminati Trilogy, and the novels of Richard Condon [The Manchurian Candidate]. Fenster analyzes the ?conspiracy community? of radio shows, magazine and book publishers, Internet resources and role-playing games that cultivate these theories. He believes that conspiracy theory has become a thrill for a bored subculture, one characterized by its members? reinterpretation of ?accepted? history, their deep cynicism about contemporary politics, and their longing for a utopian future. # # # From r-szoke at illinois.edu Sun Oct 27 20:30:23 2019 From: r-szoke at illinois.edu (Szoke, Ron) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 20:30:23 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] A note on conspiracy theories Message-ID: Mark Fenster, Conspiracy Theories : Secrecy and Power in American Culture (U. of Minnesota P., 1999, 282 pp.) [ Ph.D. in communications, UIUC; Yale law ] >From the jacket front flap: Fenster argues that conspiracy theories are a form of popular political interpretation and contends that recognizing how they circulate through mass culture helps us better understand our society as a whole. To that end, he discusses Richard Hofstadter?s The Paranoid Style in American Politics, the militia movement, The X-Files, popular Christian apocalyptic thought, and such artifacts of suspicion as The Turner Diaries, The Illuminati Trilogy, and the novels of Richard Condon [The Manchurian Candidate]. Fenster analyzes the ?conspiracy community? of radio shows, magazine and book publishers, Internet resources and role-playing games that cultivate these theories. He believes that conspiracy theory has become a thrill for a bored subculture, one characterized by its members? reinterpretation of ?accepted? history, their deep cynicism about contemporary politics, and their longing for a utopian future. # # # From jbn at forestfield.org Sun Oct 27 21:08:12 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 16:08:12 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] News from Neptune #438 notes Message-ID: <21ded78c-4d34-7bca-5719-0764042e597d@forestfield.org> News from Neptune #438 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgwqjsQkQ2c A "U.S. Government Censorship and Torture" edition A list of links to items referenced on the show. 2019 Illinois Green Party Fall Meeting http://www.ilgp.org/2019_fall_meeting Johnny Most's quote "Havlicek stole the ball" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havlicek_stole_the_ball "Speakers at UI sexual-harassment summit: Sexual 'coercion' just tip of iceberg" https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/university-illinois/speakers-at-ui-sexual-harassment-summit-sexual-coercion-just-tip/article_55dcd57a-18d5-54bd-9c4f-b4c1a62b50ec.html Julie Wurth's News-Gazette articles https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/julie%20wurth/ C. G. Estabrook Letter to the Editor regarding News-Gazette?s feature ?Those Who Served? weekly feature https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/letters-editor/letter-to-the-editor-u-s-has-killed-millions-in/article_87b213e5-9f21-5acf-8f54-df41b18d026d.html "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn Complete text as textual chapters: https://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html Complete text as a PDF and other whole-book formats: http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/More_Books_and_Reports/Howard_Zinn-A_peoples_history_of_the_United_States.pdf https://mvlindsey.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/peoples-history-zinn-1980.pdf https://libcom.org/library/peoples-history-of-united-states-howard-zinn Maj. Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) on "Crackpot Congress: The Hyper-Hypocrisy of the Syria Vote" https://original.antiwar.com/danny_sjursen/2019/10/21/crackpot-congress-the-hyper-hypocrisy-of-the-syria-vote/ Other Maj. Danny Sjursen articles: https://original.antiwar.com/author/danny_sjursen/ History of how the US treats the Kurds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAfyTftDSMk -- RT report on the history of how the US treats the Kurds including a reference to Henry Kissinger's quote. Jim Dey on "In addressing anti-Semitism issue, UI chancellor becomes issue" https://www.news-gazette.com/opinion/columns/jim-dey-in-addressing-anti-semitism-issue-ui-chancellor-becomes/article_c671ec5b-7ae4-5bf4-9333-105e32a27009.html Jim Dey's News-Gazette articles https://www.news-gazette.com/users/profile/jim%20dey/ David Green on "Israel?s Dead Soul: Steven Salaita?s critical scholarship explains his dismissal from the University of Illinois" https://mondoweiss.net/2014/10/scholarship-dismissal-university/ David Green's Mondoweiss.net articles https://mondoweiss.net/author/david-green/ Oscar Grenfell on "Julian Assange?s court hearing in London: Britain stages a lawless show-trial" https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/10/24/pers-o24.html Related: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/10/assange-in-court/ -- Craig Murray's blog Caitlin Johnstone on "Only Cowards And Sadists Support The Persecution Of Assange" https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/only-cowards-and-sadists-support-the-persecution-of-assange-b717b1b07dfe Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, reports on Julian Assange's treatment concluding it is torture https://medium.com/@njmelzer/demasking-the-torture-of-julian-assange-b252ffdcb768 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXzudMCyM4 -- John Pilger interview with Afshin Rattansi https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051440.html -- a partial transcript of the Pilger interview in the notes J.B. Nicholson's notes https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051440.html From davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net Sun Oct 27 22:35:57 2019 From: davidjohnson1451 at comcast.net (David Johnson) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 17:35:57 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] A note on conspiracy theories In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <00f501d58d16$e7247220$b56d5660$@comcast.net> I agree with all of the examples this author cites as actual " conspiracy theories ". The problem is that the term " conspiracy theory " has been so misused by establishment defenders to dismiss any exposure ( based upon facts ) of the misdeeds of the wealthy and powerful, that it has lost its relevancy. David J. -----Original Message----- From: Peace-discuss [mailto:peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Szoke, Ron via Peace-discuss Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2019 3:30 PM To: peace-discuss at anti-war.net Cc: peace-discuss Subject: [Peace-discuss] A note on conspiracy theories Mark Fenster, Conspiracy Theories : Secrecy and Power in American Culture (U. of Minnesota P., 1999, 282 pp.) [ Ph.D. in communications, UIUC; Yale law ] >From the jacket front flap: Fenster argues that conspiracy theories are a form of popular political interpretation and contends that recognizing how they circulate through mass culture helps us better understand our society as a whole. To that end, he discusses Richard Hofstadter's The Paranoid Style in American Politics, the militia movement, The X-Files, popular Christian apocalyptic thought, and such artifacts of suspicion as The Turner Diaries, The Illuminati Trilogy, and the novels of Richard Condon [The Manchurian Candidate]. Fenster analyzes the "conspiracy community" of radio shows, magazine and book publishers, Internet resources and role-playing games that cultivate these theories. He believes that conspiracy theory has become a thrill for a bored subculture, one characterized by its members' reinterpretation of "accepted" history, their deep cynicism about contemporary politics, and their longing for a utopian future. # # # _______________________________________________ Peace-discuss mailing list Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Mon Oct 28 03:57:11 2019 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 22:57:11 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] please move to peace-discuss ... Art Theater, which failed First Amendment test, closes its doors In-Reply-To: <1203110921.1970841.1572223570430@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1203110921.1970841.1572223570430@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <91de0166-1d65-af9f-c3eb-fff8f6e311dc@gmail.com> As this is a discussion, please let's move it to peace-discuss. I'll miss the Art, too.?? They've brought a lot of great films to this town which we would never have seen, or many of us even have heard of, without their work.? And we, sometimes lots of us, got to experience those films together. ? It doesn't happen that way if you watch things via internet stream in atomized isolation.? And they've put on excellent panels associated with some of those films. Concerning Violence, based on Frantz Fanon's writings ... Bisbee '17, a re-enactment of a miners' strike in Bisbee, AZ, during WWI.?? The IWW miners, organizing across lines of race and national origin, were forced at gunpoint onto a train and dumped hundreds of miles away in the desert.??? The performance was staged by present-day Bisbee residents.? The century-old class divisions are still raw. The Drunk, a lovely film involving the fictional grandson of Eugene V. Debs, which along the way shows us bits of the history of socialism in the US. I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary centered on James Baldwin's brilliant writing. Woman At War, which follows a woman quietly outraged at environmental exploitation of her native Finland and heads in unexpected directions ... I can't count how many more. Very sorry the Art is gone.?? I'd love to know more about why, and whether there might be a prospect for bringing back an Art Theater in Champaign-Urbana. On 10/27/19 7:46 PM, Dianna Visek via Peace wrote: > What did they have against Austin?? I will miss the place, First > Amendment or not. > > Dianna > > On Sunday, October 27, 2019, 6:46:16 PM CDT, Niloofar Shambayati via > Peace wrote: > > > Since they fired Austin McCain, I knew it was doomed to fail. And, > pulling down the iconic painting in the lobby too! > > Niloofar Shambayati? > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 1:40 AM Robert Naiman via Peace > > wrote: > > They wouldn't let me rent the theater to show a movie, because I > was not "politically correct." Even though the website said that > anyone could rent the theater to show a movie. Even though I > brought them a check, for the amount of money that the website > said it cost to rent the theater to show a movie.? > > > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 2:09 AM John W. > wrote: > > > I'm almost terrified to ask:? In what way were the > owners/operators of the Art Theater the "enemies of the First > Amendment"? > > > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 1:04 AM Robert Naiman via Peace > > > wrote: > > https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158766962282656 > > I am so, so glad, so grateful to myself, that I never > called for a boycott of the Art. Now, nobody can blame me > for this. These people did this to themselves. This is > what happens to a public-facing institution when it is > taken over by the enemies of the First Amendment. The > First Amendment. It's not just a good idea. It's the Law.? > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 28 16:16:08 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:16:08 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Patheos - Thomas More Society > Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood > Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT > To: "Friend" > Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society > > > This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society > Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. > Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. > > Dear Friend, > > Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. > > Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. > > And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. > > David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. > > Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. > > That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! > > And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. > > You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. > > That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. > > My friend, the reality is... > > You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." > > You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. > > You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. > > And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) > > But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. > > My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. > > The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... > > ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. > > And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. > > But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. > > My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. > > Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. > > You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. > > Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. > > And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) > > As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) > civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. > > And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! > > But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. > > That's why we urgently need your financial support today. > > And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. > > This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." > > It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. > > But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. > > So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. > > I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. > > May God bless you, > > > Tom Brejcha > President & Chief Counsel > > > > The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. > > Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. > ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org > 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 > > HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE > This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. > > 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 > > Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com . > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From loisiyoga at gmail.com Mon Oct 28 16:35:48 2019 From: loisiyoga at gmail.com (Lois Steinberg) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 11:35:48 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: Reproductive freedom for all. Love Lois On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From: *Patheos - Thomas More Society > *Subject: **On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood* > *Date: *October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT > *To: *"Friend" > *Reply-To: *Patheos - Thomas More Society < > r-jsfvtbbmjwbrbrrqwqhdrnvmkhrdbtshtzqqqnfptvspvfjms at mail.patheos.com> > > > [image: Logo] *This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society * > Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising > sponsors. > Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the > products/services they offer. > > Dear Friend, > > Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare > organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. > > Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their > radical abortion agenda on America. > > And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned > Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is > underway. > > David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months > leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned > Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. > > Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a > million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his > having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. > > *That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way > around!* > > And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) > prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of > Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. > > You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry > since *Roe v. Wade* ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever > it takes to silence him. > > *That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the > Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood.* > > > My friend, the reality is... > > *You couldn't be there* when David entered the dark underbelly of the > abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling > over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a > Lamborghini." > > *You couldn't be there* as David saw with his own eyes the preborn > children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs > for maximum profit. > > *You couldn't be there* when the videos were released and Planned > Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal > charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, > hard-drives, and recording equipment. > > And *you couldn't be there* with David when he appeared in both Texas and > California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for > mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) > > *But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help > vindicate this pro-life hero.* > > > My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the *Thomas > More Society* ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to > spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. > > The *Thomas More Society* is proud to defend many of the most renowned > leaders in America's pro-life movement... > > ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full > might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? *we > fight back.* > > And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to > destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain > high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who > didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. > > But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! *In fact, I know he > sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's > dark criminality into the spotlight.* > > My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can > make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. > > Now I'll get right down to it... *We anticipate all of the costs > associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, > FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.* > > You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. > > Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we > defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the > District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of > Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a > baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. > > And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him > against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against > him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the > charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) > > As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) > civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third > in federal court up in Seattle. > > And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our > appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least > until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing > the abortion giant's evil! > > But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and > lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the > truth from coming out. > > That's why we urgently need your financial support today. > > *And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency > contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society > defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies.* > > > This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned > Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed > against our "David." > > *It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned > Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished.* > > But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you > and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving > work. > > *So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more > today.* > > > I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous > support. > > May God bless you, > [image: Tom Brejcha] > > Tom Brejcha > President & Chief Counsel > > [image: Thomas More Society] > > > The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law > firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious > liberty. > > Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible > donation. > > > ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org > > 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 > > ------------------------------ > HOME > > | PRIVACY POLICY > > | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER > > | UNSUBSCRIBE > > This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive > special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the > unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be > removed. > > 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 > > Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com > . > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From carl at newsfromneptune.com Mon Oct 28 18:23:17 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:23:17 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: Including those conceived but not yet born. > On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: > > Reproductive freedom for all. > > Love > Lois > >> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> From: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood >>> Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>> To: "Friend" >>> Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >>> >>> This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society >>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. >>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. >>> >>> Dear Friend, >>> >>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>> >>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. >>> >>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >>> >>> That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! >>> >>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >>> >>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>> >>> That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. >>> >>> My friend, the reality is... >>> >>> You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>> >>> You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>> >>> You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. >>> >>> And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>> >>> But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. >>> >>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... >>> >>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. >>> >>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >>> >>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. >>> >>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >>> >>> Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. >>> >>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>> >>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>> >>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >>> >>> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) >>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>> >>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! >>> >>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>> >>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>> >>> And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. >>> >>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." >>> >>> It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. >>> >>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. >>> >>> So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. >>> >>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. >>> >>> May God bless you, >>> >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> President & Chief Counsel >>> >>> >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. >>> >>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. >>> >>> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>> >>> HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE >>> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. >>> >>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>> >>> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com. >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbw292002 at gmail.com Mon Oct 28 22:23:02 2019 From: jbw292002 at gmail.com (John W.) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 17:23:02 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Please move this to peace-discuss or elsewhere -- was Re: Art Theater, which failed First Amendment test, closes its doors In-Reply-To: References: <1203110921.1970841.1572223570430@mail.yahoo.com> <1097943288.2189850.1572272029099@mail.yahoo.com> <480652533.2176476.1572272153836@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Isn't it amazing that, after all these years, long-tiime AWARE supporters STILL post their screeds and diatribes, both short and long, to the Peace list rather than to the Peace-discuss list? On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 4:15 PM Stuart Levy via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: Please, all, this has become a discussion, not an announcement of the sort > that the Peace list is intended for. Move it and other discussions off > the Peace list onto Peace-discuss or elsewhere. > > In general, please think carefully before replying on the Peace list to a > message that arrived on the Peace list. > > > On 10/28/19 9:37 AM, Karen Aram via Peace wrote: > > Is or was the Art Theatre a Public owned or private owned entity. The > article in Smile Politely implies private ownership, if so then 1St. Amend. > does not apply. > > > Sent on my Virgin Mobile Phone. > > > ------ Original message------ > > *From: *Mildred O'brien via Peace > > *Date: *Mon, Oct 28, 2019 9:16 AM > > *To: *divisek at yahoo.com;naiman.uiuc at gmail.com;niloofar.peace at gmail.com; > > *Cc: *peace at lists.chambana.net; > > *Subject:*Re: [Peace] Art Theater, which failed First Amendment test, > closes its doors > > > That is, Congress making "no law..." (cancel the double negative) > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mildred O'brien via Peace > > To: divisek ; naiman.uiuc > ; niloofar.peace > > Cc: peace > Sent: Mon, Oct 28, 2019 9:14 am > Subject: Re: [Peace] Art Theater, which failed First Amendment test, > closes its doors > > > The First Amendment applies to Congress not making no law > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dianna Visek via Peace > > To: Robert Naiman ; > Niloofar Shambayati > Cc: peace > Sent: Sun, Oct 27, 2019 7:47 pm > Subject: Re: [Peace] Art Theater, which failed First Amendment test, > closes its doors > > What did they have against Austin? I will miss the place, First Amendment > or not. > > Dianna > > On Sunday, October 27, 2019, 6:46:16 PM CDT, Niloofar Shambayati via Peace > wrote: > > > Since they fired Austin McCain, I knew it was doomed to fail. And, pulling > down the iconic painting in the lobby too! > > Niloofar Shambayati > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 1:40 AM Robert Naiman via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > They wouldn't let me rent the theater to show a movie, because I was not > "politically correct." Even though the website said that anyone could rent > the theater to show a movie. Even though I brought them a check, for the > amount of money that the website said it cost to rent the theater to show a > movie. > > > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 2:09 AM John W. wrote: > > > I'm almost terrified to ask: In what way were the owners/operators of the > Art Theater the "enemies of the First Amendment"? > > > > On Sun, Oct 27, 2019 at 1:04 AM Robert Naiman via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158766962282656 > > I am so, so glad, so grateful to myself, that I never called for a boycott > of the Art. Now, nobody can blame me for this. These people did this to > themselves. This is what happens to a public-facing institution when it is > taken over by the enemies of the First Amendment. The First Amendment. It's > not just a good idea. It's the Law. > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Mon Oct 28 23:30:00 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2019 19:30:00 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] James Carden | The Nation: The Demonization of Dissent: McCarthyism has gone mainstream In-Reply-To: References: <11561334-ef81-6cba-1cba-2d45abff8e97@gmail.com> Message-ID: https://www.thenation.com/article/tulsi-russia-clinton/ The Demonization of Dissent McCarthyism has gone mainstream. By James Carden OCTOBER 28, 2019 - fb - tw - mail - Print [image: Tulsi Gabbard TPP] Representative Tulsi Gabbard speaks during a news conference on November 15, 2015. (AP Photo / Bill Clark) The war of words between former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and current 2020 presidential aspirant Tulsi Gabbard has been, in some respects, clarifying. Clinton?s insinuation that Russia is ?grooming? the Hawaiian Democrat for a third-party run in order to influence the outcome of next year?s election, instead of provoking a ?have you no shame?? response from the establishment media, was gleefully repeated by such establishment fixtures as the journalist Jonathan Alter and the scholar Norman Ornstein . In other words, McCarthyism has gone mainstream. To get to the root of what is going on here, the spat between the Clinton camp and the upstart, anti-interventionist Gabbard must be placed within the broader context of the past several years during which, under the influence of Russiagate, the Democratic Party and the establishment media have taken the lead in calling for a new Cold War. Only then can Clinton?s accusation be seen for what it is, part of a long campaign of vilification and demonization against critics of the establishment consensus on Russia going back at least to late 2013, if not earlier. Express doubts about the establishment?s preferred policy toward Russia, and you will find yourself not only in the crosshairs of the liberal mainstream media but, even more worryingly, on the radar of the intelligence community?just ask a minor Trump campaign functionary like George Papadopoulos. Left-leaning outlets and think tanks like MSNBC (*Hardball* host Chris Matthews has decreed that loyal ?Americans don?t go to Russia?), *The Daily Beast* , *New York* magazine , *Think Progress* , the Center for American Progress , and *The New Republic * have all recklessly accused scholars, journalists, and activists with whom they disagree of being Kremlin ?toadies ? and ?useful idiots ? ?this last, of course, having been a common trope marched out by the John Birch right during the Cold War, and even in the years following. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean has frequently accused journalists and news outlets with which he disagrees of being conduits for Russian propaganda. An op-ed by Kristofer Harrison in *The Hill *accused California Representative Ro Khanna of doing a ?favor? for Vladimir Putin in sponsoring legislation that would cut off US funding to neo-Nazi battalions in Ukraine. After the 2016 election, as the author Tony Wood puts it in his book *Russia Without Putin*, ?the paranoias of the Cold War seemed to have made a comeback.? Which is only too true. Over the last several years, high government officials have attempted to paint discourse and policy proposals with which they disagree as tantamount to disloyalty, if not worse. One need only look to March 2017, when, on the floor of the US Senate, the senior senator from Arizona, John McCain, accused Kentucky Republican Rand Paul of ?working for Vladimir Putin.? The accusation came amid an effort by Paul to have an actual debate (as opposed to a voice vote) over whether Montenegro should join NATO. Said McCain to Paul, ?If there is objection, you are achieving the objectives of Vladimir Putin.? Still more alarming, several months later, in December 2017, a little-noticed amicus curiae brief sent by former high-ranking US intelligence officials, asserted that Russia uses ?political organizers and activists, academics, journalists, web operators, shell companies, nationalists and militant groups, and prominent pro-Russian businessmen? to subvert the American political process. Russia?s intermediaries, said the brief cosigned by, among others, former CIA director John Brennan, may include ?the unwitting accomplice who is manipulated to act in what he believes is his best interest, to the ideological or economic ally who broadly shares Russian interests, to the knowing agent of influence who is recruited or coerced to directly advance Russian operations and objectives.? And this is precisely what Clinton has now accused Tulsi Gabbard, a woman of color, a combat vet and a major in the Army National Guard, of being: an accomplice in Russia?s malign campaign to influence the 2020 election. What we are now seeing is nothing less than a joint effort by the former secretary of state and her allies in the media (which very much include certain former high ranking members of the US intelligence community) to vilify those like Gabbard who vocally oppose a new Cold War with Russia. With the exception of Representative Beto O?Rouke and Senator Bernie Sanders, rather few of Gabbard?s 2020 rivals rushed to her defense. And while *The Nation*?s national correspondent Jeet Heer noted that it is ?crucial to defend Gabbard from Clinton?s smear, which is rooted in a pernicious tendency of centrists to see criticism of the status quo as treason,? the silence with which this development has been greeted by many of the erstwhile guardians of political dissent on the left has been nothing short of deafening. James Carden James W. Carden is a contributing writer at *The Nation* and the executive editor for the American Committee for East-West Accord . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Tue Oct 29 20:38:12 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 16:38:12 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] What if Bill Clinton tried to withdraw from Syria? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: When Bill Clinton was first President, he met with Netanyahu. Netanyahu used the meeting to tell Bill Clinton what Bill Clinton needed to do. After the meeting, Bill Clinton turned to his aides, astonished, and asked: *_?Who?s the f-g superpower here??_* Recently, Trump said he wanted to withdraw the U.S. military from Syria. That?s something he promised American voters he would do as a candidate. Now that he?s President, Trump said he wanted to keep this promise to American voters. Lindsey Graham and Jack Keane were determined to prevent that. Why do you suppose it was so important to Lindsey Graham and Jack Keane to prevent that? What interests do you think Lindsey Graham and Jack Keane might have been representing? If Bill Clinton were here, what question might he ask? What thread connects Jamal Khashoggi?s fianc?e with Rachel Corrie?s mom? What thread connects starving children in Yemen to the victims of the 9/11 attacks? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jbn at forestfield.org Wed Oct 30 04:02:04 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 23:02:04 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] AWARE on the Air #496 notes Message-ID: <9e2debef-6ad1-a1d2-e72c-47a3e32d1906@forestfield.org> AWARE on the Air #496 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ncNjP8wr6A A list of links to items referenced on the show. "Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization" by Nicholson Baker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Smoke ISBN: 9781416572466 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Barack Obama: "Turns out I?m really good at killing people. Didn?t know that was going to be a strong suit of mine." https://www.huffpost.com/entry/obama-drones-double-down_n_4208815 https://books.google.com/books?id=YcDiIW-5KvYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=double+down+book&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_oI_cl9HRAhWJyoMKHRYRDvQQ6AEIIzAA#v=snippet&q=%22Turns%20out%20I%E2%80%99m%20really%20good%20at%20killing%20people%22&f=false U.S. is the most feared country in the world http://dailyinfographics.eu/most-feared-countries-on-the-world/ -- includes which country other countries fear from 2015 http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/us-seen-as-greatest-threat-to-world-peaceand-the-nation-most-would-like-to-move-to-140102?news=852058 -- from 2014 https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/the-most-feared-nation-in-the-world/219628 -- from 2013 John Pilger interview with Afshin Rattansi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXzudMCyM4 Jill Stein interview with Jimmy Dore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72S3zb16Fq0 Partial transcripts of both the Pilger & Stein interviews https://lists.chambana.net/pipermail/peace-discuss/2019-October/051440.html Mail feedback to Carl Estabrook at carl at newsfromneptune.com -J From deb.pdamerica at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 09:19:13 2019 From: deb.pdamerica at gmail.com (Debra Schrishuhn) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 04:19:13 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to do with their bodies. On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > Including those conceived but not yet born. > > On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: > > Reproductive freedom for all. > > Love > Lois > > On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > >> >> >> Begin forwarded message: >> >> *From: *Patheos - Thomas More Society >> *Subject: **On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood* >> *Date: *October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >> *To: *"Friend" >> *Reply-To: *Patheos - Thomas More Society < >> r-jsfvtbbmjwbrbrrqwqhdrnvmkhrdbtshtzqqqnfptvspvfjms at mail.patheos.com> >> >> >> [image: Logo] *This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society * >> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising >> sponsors. >> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the >> products/services they offer. >> >> Dear Friend, >> >> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a >> healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >> >> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their >> radical abortion agenda on America. >> >> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned >> Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is >> underway. >> >> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months >> leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned >> Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >> >> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a >> million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his >> having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >> >> *That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way >> around!* >> >> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) >> prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of >> Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >> >> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry >> since *Roe v. Wade* ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever >> it takes to silence him. >> >> *That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the >> Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood.* >> >> >> My friend, the reality is... >> >> *You couldn't be there* when David entered the dark underbelly of the >> abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling >> over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a >> Lamborghini." >> >> *You couldn't be there* as David saw with his own eyes the preborn >> children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs >> for maximum profit. >> >> *You couldn't be there* when the videos were released and Planned >> Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal >> charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, >> hard-drives, and recording equipment. >> >> And *you couldn't be there* with David when he appeared in both Texas >> and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed >> for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was >> there!) >> >> *But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help >> vindicate this pro-life hero.* >> >> >> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the *Thomas >> More Society* ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to >> spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >> >> The *Thomas More Society* is proud to defend many of the most renowned >> leaders in America's pro-life movement... >> >> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full >> might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? *we >> fight back.* >> >> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to >> destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain >> high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who >> didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >> >> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! *In fact, I know he >> sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's >> dark criminality into the spotlight.* >> >> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I >> can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >> >> Now I'll get right down to it... *We anticipate all of the costs >> associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, >> FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.* >> >> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >> >> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we >> defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the >> District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of >> Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a >> baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >> >> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him >> against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against >> him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the >> charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >> >> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering >> (RICO) >> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third >> in federal court up in Seattle. >> >> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear >> our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least >> until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing >> the abortion giant's evil! >> >> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and >> lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the >> truth from coming out. >> >> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >> >> *And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency >> contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society >> defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies.* >> >> >> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned >> Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed >> against our "David." >> >> *It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while >> Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished.* >> >> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you >> and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving >> work. >> >> *So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more >> today.* >> >> >> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous >> support. >> >> May God bless you, >> [image: Tom Brejcha] >> >> Tom Brejcha >> President & Chief Counsel >> >> [image: Thomas More Society] >> >> >> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law >> firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious >> liberty. >> >> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible >> donation. >> >> >> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >> >> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >> >> ------------------------------ >> HOME >> >> | PRIVACY POLICY >> >> | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER >> >> | UNSUBSCRIBE >> >> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to >> receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by >> clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your >> email to be removed. >> >> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >> >> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com >> . >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kcapel at sbcglobal.net Wed Oct 30 11:56:26 2019 From: kcapel at sbcglobal.net (Karen Capel) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 06:56:26 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: <4a10431b-aacd-3bc2-9d2c-c16d04a79614@sbcglobal.net> Hear hear! Yes...thank you. On 10/30/2019 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: > I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to > do with their bodies. > > On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace > > wrote: > > Including those conceived but not yet born. > > On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg > wrote: > >> Reproductive freedom for all. >> >> Love >> Lois >> >> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace >> > wrote: >> >> >> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> *From: *Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >> > >>> *Subject: **On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood* >>> *Date: *October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>> *To: *"Friend" >> > >>> *Reply-To: *Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >> > >>> >>> Logo *This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society* >>> >>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our >>> advertising sponsors. >>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express >>> or the products/services they offer. >>> >>> >>> Dear Friend, >>> >>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are >>> not a healthcare organization that advocates for public >>> policy when necessary. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on >>> imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>> >>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of >>> Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life >>> hero David Daleiden is underway. >>> >>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent >>> 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured >>> video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally >>> harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus >>> over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees >>> from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal >>> money-making scheme. >>> >>> *That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David.????NOT the >>> other way around!* >>> >>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a >>> ???gag order???) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest >>> of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood???s criminal >>> wrongdoing. >>> >>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the >>> abortion industry since /Roe v. Wade/????? so the radical >>> abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>> >>> _*That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to >>> help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against >>> Planned Parenthood.*_ >>> >>> >>> My friend, the reality is... >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??when David entered the dark >>> underbelly of the abortion industry ??? sitting across the >>> table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body >>> parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??as David saw with his own eyes the >>> preborn children who had been killed with great precision to >>> preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??when the videos were released and >>> Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David >>> with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home >>> in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording >>> equipment. >>> >>> And _*you couldn't be there*_??with David when he appeared in >>> both Texas and California for booking and processing ??? >>> fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common >>> criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>> >>> _*But, now, this is the reality... there is something you >>> can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero.*_ >>> >>> >>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel >>> of the *Thomas More Society*????? a not-for-profit law firm >>> underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and >>> criminal defense. >>> >>> The *Thomas More Society*??is proud to defend many of the >>> most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement.. >>> >>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash >>> their full might to legally, financially and personally >>> destroy our clients ??? /*we fight back.*/ >>> >>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry???s >>> efforts to destroy David???s livelihood and future, this young >>> man???s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known >>> anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit >>> in his stomach. >>> >>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! *In >>> fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag >>> more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the >>> spotlight.* >>> >>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ??? and that's what >>> you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this >>> legal battle. >>> >>> Now I'll get right down to it... *We anticipate all of the >>> costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed >>> $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.* >>> >>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>> >>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! >>> Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor >>> criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris >>> County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood >>> Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby >>> body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>> >>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David >>> defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney >>> General???s office filed against him in a politically >>> motivated witch-hunt.????(The Judge threw out one of the >>> charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until >>> later this October.) >>> >>> As if that???s not enough, David still faces two >>> separate??racketeering (RICO) >>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, >>> California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>> >>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has >>> declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" >>> preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, >>> prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing >>> the abortion giant's evil! >>> >>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on >>> lawyers and lobbyists ??? and they'll stop at nothing to >>> silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>> >>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>> >>> _*And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make >>> an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help >>> the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against >>> Planned Parenthood and their radical allies.*_ >>> >>> >>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ??? with >>> Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and >>> their allies arrayed against our "David." >>> >>> *It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial >>> while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone >>> unpunished.* >>> >>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony >>> charges)...??you and I can allow him to continue with his >>> incredibly important lifesaving work. >>> >>> _*So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, >>> $100 or more today.*_ >>> >>> >>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your >>> generous support. >>> >>> May God bless you, >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> President & Chief Counsel >>> >>> Thomas More Society >>> >>> >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public >>> interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for >>> life, family, and religious liberty. >>> >>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, >>> tax-deductible donation. >>> >>> >>> ?? Thomas More Society |www.thomasmoresociety.org >>> >>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> HOME >>> |PRIVACY >>> POLICY >>> |SUBSCRIPTION >>> CENTER >>> |UNSUBSCRIBE >>> >>> >>> >>> This email was sent becausecgestabrook at gmail.com >>> has opted-in to receive >>> special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by >>> clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 >>> days for your email to be removed. >>> >>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>> >>> Report Abuse toabuse at patheos.com >>> . >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kcapel at sbcglobal.net Wed Oct 30 11:56:26 2019 From: kcapel at sbcglobal.net (Karen Capel) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 06:56:26 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: <4a10431b-aacd-3bc2-9d2c-c16d04a79614@sbcglobal.net> Hear hear! Yes...thank you. On 10/30/2019 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: > I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to > do with their bodies. > > On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace > > wrote: > > Including those conceived but not yet born. > > On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg > wrote: > >> Reproductive freedom for all. >> >> Love >> Lois >> >> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace >> > wrote: >> >> >> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> *From: *Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >> > >>> *Subject: **On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood* >>> *Date: *October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>> *To: *"Friend" >> > >>> *Reply-To: *Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >> > >>> >>> Logo *This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society* >>> >>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our >>> advertising sponsors. >>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express >>> or the products/services they offer. >>> >>> >>> Dear Friend, >>> >>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are >>> not a healthcare organization that advocates for public >>> policy when necessary. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on >>> imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>> >>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of >>> Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life >>> hero David Daleiden is underway. >>> >>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent >>> 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured >>> video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally >>> harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus >>> over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees >>> from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal >>> money-making scheme. >>> >>> *That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David.????NOT the >>> other way around!* >>> >>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a >>> ???gag order???) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest >>> of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood???s criminal >>> wrongdoing. >>> >>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the >>> abortion industry since /Roe v. Wade/????? so the radical >>> abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>> >>> _*That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to >>> help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against >>> Planned Parenthood.*_ >>> >>> >>> My friend, the reality is... >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??when David entered the dark >>> underbelly of the abortion industry ??? sitting across the >>> table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body >>> parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??as David saw with his own eyes the >>> preborn children who had been killed with great precision to >>> preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>> >>> _*You couldn't be there*_??when the videos were released and >>> Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David >>> with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home >>> in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording >>> equipment. >>> >>> And _*you couldn't be there*_??with David when he appeared in >>> both Texas and California for booking and processing ??? >>> fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common >>> criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>> >>> _*But, now, this is the reality... there is something you >>> can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero.*_ >>> >>> >>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel >>> of the *Thomas More Society*????? a not-for-profit law firm >>> underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and >>> criminal defense. >>> >>> The *Thomas More Society*??is proud to defend many of the >>> most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement.. >>> >>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash >>> their full might to legally, financially and personally >>> destroy our clients ??? /*we fight back.*/ >>> >>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry???s >>> efforts to destroy David???s livelihood and future, this young >>> man???s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known >>> anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit >>> in his stomach. >>> >>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! *In >>> fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag >>> more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the >>> spotlight.* >>> >>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ??? and that's what >>> you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this >>> legal battle. >>> >>> Now I'll get right down to it... *We anticipate all of the >>> costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed >>> $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.* >>> >>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>> >>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! >>> Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor >>> criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris >>> County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood >>> Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby >>> body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>> >>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David >>> defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney >>> General???s office filed against him in a politically >>> motivated witch-hunt.????(The Judge threw out one of the >>> charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until >>> later this October.) >>> >>> As if that???s not enough, David still faces two >>> separate??racketeering (RICO) >>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, >>> California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>> >>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has >>> declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" >>> preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, >>> prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing >>> the abortion giant's evil! >>> >>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on >>> lawyers and lobbyists ??? and they'll stop at nothing to >>> silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>> >>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>> >>> _*And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make >>> an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help >>> the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against >>> Planned Parenthood and their radical allies.*_ >>> >>> >>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ??? with >>> Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and >>> their allies arrayed against our "David." >>> >>> *It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial >>> while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone >>> unpunished.* >>> >>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony >>> charges)...??you and I can allow him to continue with his >>> incredibly important lifesaving work. >>> >>> _*So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, >>> $100 or more today.*_ >>> >>> >>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your >>> generous support. >>> >>> May God bless you, >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> President & Chief Counsel >>> >>> Thomas More Society >>> >>> >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public >>> interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for >>> life, family, and religious liberty. >>> >>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, >>> tax-deductible donation. >>> >>> >>> ?? Thomas More Society |www.thomasmoresociety.org >>> >>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> HOME >>> |PRIVACY >>> POLICY >>> |SUBSCRIPTION >>> CENTER >>> |UNSUBSCRIBE >>> >>> >>> >>> This email was sent becausecgestabrook at gmail.com >>> has opted-in to receive >>> special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by >>> clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 >>> days for your email to be removed. >>> >>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>> >>> Report Abuse toabuse at patheos.com >>> . >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 16:06:37 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:06:37 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] On the Importance of Being _Important_ In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Many good points, and lots to unpack. Nevertheless, I've been disappointed with both JVP and SJP in the Trump era, as they both seem to have been folded into the Identity Politics approach of the "progressive" wing of the DP. And even after all of this progress in expanding the limits of allowable debate within the Jewish community, there still isn't a decent place that I know of for critical Jewish students to go on this campus, unless it's SJP. Since I'm out of the loop, I don't know how this has been playing out. But my sense is that any focused activism is lacking, regardless of the kerfuffle with Robert Jones. In any event, it still remains to be proven whether the ruling class of this country can be persuaded by "the Jews" when Israel remains so central to their geopolitical calculations, and they have the support of the Christian Right in this regard. But a good discussion to have. On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:46 AM Robert Naiman via Peace < peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > > > https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158778178582656 > > > On the Importance of Being _*Important*_ > > > > I once met with Dick Durbin at a fundraising party in Champaign at a time > when President Obama was facing harsh pushback from pro-Netanyahu American > Jews for his attempts to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. Like, ?Obama is > leading Jews to the gas chambers,? this kind of thing was appearing > regularly in the Jewish press. The question I asked Durbin was: ?How come > Democrats in Congress are being so quiet when Obama is getting pummeled for > doing the thing that Democratic voters asked him to do?? Pursuing diplomacy > with Iran was a major issue in the 2008 Democratic primary and general > election. For a lot of Democratic voters the thing that distinguished Obama > was not just his early opposition to the Iraq war, running against Hillary > Clinton and John McCain who had supported it, but his promise to pursue > diplomacy with Iran to avoid another war like the Iraq war. It is why I > supported Obama: why I voted for him, why I gave his campaign money, why I > knocked on doors for him in Indiana, why I organized MoveOn calling parties > for him in Champaign-Urbana. > > > > Durbin answered at first with something mealy-mouthed, like ?I can see why > a lot of my colleagues are concerned?? I challenged him: ?Dianne Feinstein > is speaking up for diplomacy. How come you?re not speaking up for > diplomacy?? At the time it seemed that Dianne Feinstein was the only > Democrat in Congress saying anything against the anti-diplomacy onslaught. > > > > Durbin leaned in and lowered his voice. ?Dianne Feinstein is a very _ > *important*_ voice,? Durbin said. > > > > At the time I interpreted this to mean: ?This anti-diplomacy onslaught is > coming from pro-Netanyahu Jews. Dianne Feinstein is Jewish. So we?ve all > agreed that Dianne Feinstein is going to take the incoming fire on this and > the rest of us are going to hide behind Dianne Feinstein.? > > > > Sometime after that, I was at a party in Champaign where I met a woman who > worked for the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation. In the course of > describing my relationship to Jewish things, I said: ?I?m a member of J > Street and Jewish Voice for Peace and I read the *Forward*.? She said: ?J > Street and the *Forward* are _*important_ *institutions.? She said the > word _*important*_ exactly the same way Durbin had said it. This showed > that the word _*important*_ wasn?t just a Jewish code word for ?Jewish.? > It referred to Jewish people and institutions seen as existing inside a > perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability. > > > > The perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability in the United States is a > major determinant of how much peace we?re allowed to have in U.S. foreign > policy in the Middle East. The perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability > in the United States is not determined by a democratic vote of Jews, any > more than the perceived position of gun owners on gun regulation is > determined by a democratic vote of gun owners. Moneyed interests and the > institutions they fund play a huge role. U.S. policy in the Middle East > would never survive a referendum of American Jews, any more than U.S. > policy on gun regulation would survive a referendum of gun owners. There?s > nothing natural about this hegemony. This hegemony has been constructed by > moneyed interests and their surrogates to try to bring about certain > outcomes. > > > > Although the perimeter of Jewish respectability is not determined > democratically, democratic organizing can move it, because who gets elected > to the presidency and Congress dramatically shapes what the perceived > perimeter is. > > > > In 2000, Joe Lieberman was Al Gore?s running mate. In 2006, Joe Lieberman > was defeated in a Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut over Joe > Lieberman?s support for the Iraq war. Jews who opposed the Iraq war had a > lot to do with Joe Lieberman?s defeat. I know this because I knocked on > doors for Ned Lamont. And I saw a bunch of Jews there doing the same thing > I was. ?We need to get rid of this guy who is claiming that he is > representing Jews when he advocates for war in the public square.? > > > > At the beginning of the Obama Administration, AIPAC was perceived as > all-powerful and J Street was perceived as a 90 pound weakling. This > dynamic changed significantly during the Obama Administration, in part > because of the relationship between J Street and Obama. Today AIPAC is > still perceived as more powerful than J Street. But the margin isn?t nearly > as great as it was in 2008. This year, MoveOn called for Dem POTUS 2020 > candidates to boycott the AIPAC policy conference. Nancy Pelosi went to > AIPAC, where she was a keynote speaker, but no major Dem candidates for > President went. [Biden dodged this choice by announcing later.] In > contrast, a bunch of presidential candidates went to the J Street > conference this week. Biden and Warren didn?t go. But Bernie went. Julian > Castro went. PeteB went. Even Amy Klobuchar went. > > > > That?s a big change. When he was running for President, Obama went to the > AIPAC policy conference. Obama told the AIPAC conferees that Jerusalem must > be the united capital of Israel ? exactly the policy that Trump later > implemented, just like Trump has said. Obama talked about doing it, Trump > did it. Obama wasn?t interested in peace in general. Obama was interested > in pivoting the U.S. relationship with Iran, like Nixon pivoted the U.S. > relationship with China. Every other peace concern in the Middle East, > Obama was willing to throw under the bus to appease the Saudi and Israeli > governments. Obama destroyed Libya, Obama destroyed Syria, Obama destroyed > Yemen. That was all collateral damage, claimed to be necessary to appease > the Saudi and Israeli governments. > > > > J Street was good on nuclear diplomacy with Iran primarily because Obama > was good on it. Nuclear diplomacy with Iran was Obama?s priority in the > Middle East. Nuclear diplomacy with Iran was the fight that Obama was > willing to have with AIPAC and Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia. Obama wasn?t > willing to have any other fights with AIPAC and Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia. > J Street helped very little on ending the catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen > started by Obama. J Street helped even less in preventing the U.S. from > visiting the catastrophe on Syria started by Obama. And during the Obama > Administration, J Street didn?t move the ball in DC on peace and justice in > Israel-Palestine, mainly because Obama wasn?t really interested in that, > even though supposedly that was a key reason that J Street was created, to > move the ball in DC on peace and justice in Israel-Palestine. > > > > The half-full of this is: the better the next Democratic President is, the > better J Street will be. If we could elect a Democratic President who was > seriously interested in peace in the Middle East, J Street would improve > dramatically, because they?d be blocking for a much better Democratic > President on peace than Obama. To get a better Democratic President than > Obama on peace in the Middle East, we have to beat Haim Saban and his > surrogates in the primary. That?s the most important thing we have to do. > > > > The second most important thing we need to do is go after AIPAC?s most > extreme assets in Congress, like the Crown Prince of the Warmongers. We > could have a big impact just by picking off a few of them. The defeat of > Joe Lieberman in Connecticut in the Democratic primary in 2006 had a big > impact on how Democrats nationally thought about the Iraq war. If we picked > off a few of AIPAC?s most extreme assets in Congress, J Street would > improve. > > > > I once went to a movie about Iran. I invited some Iranian-American > friends. The movie was made by a friend of the comedian Jon Stewart. So Jon > Stewart introduced the movie. When Jon Stewart?s face came on the screen, > one of my friends said, I?m tired of Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart is not that > progressive. I said: look, here?s why I love Jon Stewart. He?s the most > famous and popular Jew in America who doesn?t want to bomb Iran. They > laughed. > > > > The sentence I said to my Iranian-American friends is no longer true. Jon > Stewart is no longer the most famous and popular Jew in America who doesn?t > want to bomb Iran. > > > > If there?s another plausible path to defeating Haim Saban in 2020, I have > no idea what it is. > > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 16:15:01 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:15:01 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Letter to the editor in today's N-G Message-ID: ?ve noticed a spike in misinformation and deception on campus. The University of Illinois student government recently passed a resolution distinguishing anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, and I encourage everyone to read the resolution. Some have claimed that: ? the resolution attempted to define anti-Semitism. This is false. The resolution does not try to define what anti-Semitism is precisely because that is such a difficult issue. ? the resolution was written without input from Jewish voices: this is incorrect. There were many Jewish voices, anti-Zionist and Zionist, who agreed with the resolution but wished to remain anonymous out of fear of exile from their communities. Additionally, there were several Jewish voices who favored the resolution and wished to advocate in favor of it. ? the resolution was about silencing Jewish voices. This is perhaps the most egregious insult. It in no way prevents Jewish people from speaking up, but instead holds the university administration accountable for silencing Palestinian voices. Additionally, not only is the silencing of Palestinian activists condemned, but the resolution also condemns the university administration for perpetuating anti-Semitism by allowing Holocaust deniers to speak freely on campus. I believe the news media has a responsibility to not perpetuate misinformation when it occurs, but to also correct misinformation when it arises. To do any less would be an affront to journalistic integrity and further contribute to the silencing of marginalized voices. Free Palestine. RAGHAVA KOVVALI Urbana -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 16:24:47 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 12:24:47 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] On the Importance of Being _Important_ In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: If Not Now is the only Jewish peace organization that seems to be creating any friction in the political system right now, as far as I am seeing, by going after Dem POTUS candidates. https://mondoweiss.net/2019/10/pro-israel-org-says-warren-campaign-assured-them-that-anti-occupation-staffer-wouldnt-be-working-on-middle-east-policy/ Justice Democrats is trying to unseat Eliot Engel. That would be a big deal, since Eliot Engel is chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a key Nancy Pelosi pro-war lieutenant. Eliot Engel voted for the Iraq war, voted against the Iran nuclear deal, voted to keep sending cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia, is hyper-AIPAC. If Engel goes down, it would be like Crowley going down. The Justice Democrats candidate is Jamaal Bowman, a public school principal who has attacked Engel on foreign policy, including his vote for the Iraq war. https://www.bowmanforcongress.com On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 12:06 PM David Green wrote: > Many good points, and lots to unpack. Nevertheless, I've been disappointed > with both JVP and SJP in the Trump era, as they both seem to have been > folded into the Identity Politics approach of the "progressive" wing of the > DP. And even after all of this progress in expanding the limits of > allowable debate within the Jewish community, there still isn't a decent > place that I know of for critical Jewish students to go on this campus, > unless it's SJP. Since I'm out of the loop, I don't know how this has been > playing out. But my sense is that any focused activism is lacking, > regardless of the kerfuffle with Robert Jones. > > In any event, it still remains to be proven whether the ruling class of > this country can be persuaded by "the Jews" when Israel remains so central > to their geopolitical calculations, and they have the support of the > Christian Right in this regard. But a good discussion to have. > > On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 7:46 AM Robert Naiman via Peace < > peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote: > >> >> >> https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158778178582656 >> >> >> On the Importance of Being _*Important*_ >> >> >> >> I once met with Dick Durbin at a fundraising party in Champaign at a time >> when President Obama was facing harsh pushback from pro-Netanyahu American >> Jews for his attempts to negotiate the Iran nuclear deal. Like, ?Obama is >> leading Jews to the gas chambers,? this kind of thing was appearing >> regularly in the Jewish press. The question I asked Durbin was: ?How come >> Democrats in Congress are being so quiet when Obama is getting pummeled for >> doing the thing that Democratic voters asked him to do?? Pursuing diplomacy >> with Iran was a major issue in the 2008 Democratic primary and general >> election. For a lot of Democratic voters the thing that distinguished Obama >> was not just his early opposition to the Iraq war, running against Hillary >> Clinton and John McCain who had supported it, but his promise to pursue >> diplomacy with Iran to avoid another war like the Iraq war. It is why I >> supported Obama: why I voted for him, why I gave his campaign money, why I >> knocked on doors for him in Indiana, why I organized MoveOn calling parties >> for him in Champaign-Urbana. >> >> >> >> Durbin answered at first with something mealy-mouthed, like ?I can see >> why a lot of my colleagues are concerned?? I challenged him: ?Dianne >> Feinstein is speaking up for diplomacy. How come you?re not speaking up for >> diplomacy?? At the time it seemed that Dianne Feinstein was the only >> Democrat in Congress saying anything against the anti-diplomacy onslaught. >> >> >> >> Durbin leaned in and lowered his voice. ?Dianne Feinstein is a very _ >> *important*_ voice,? Durbin said. >> >> >> >> At the time I interpreted this to mean: ?This anti-diplomacy onslaught is >> coming from pro-Netanyahu Jews. Dianne Feinstein is Jewish. So we?ve all >> agreed that Dianne Feinstein is going to take the incoming fire on this and >> the rest of us are going to hide behind Dianne Feinstein.? >> >> >> >> Sometime after that, I was at a party in Champaign where I met a woman >> who worked for the Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation. In the course of >> describing my relationship to Jewish things, I said: ?I?m a member of J >> Street and Jewish Voice for Peace and I read the *Forward*.? She said: >> ?J Street and the *Forward* are _*important_ *institutions.? She said >> the word _*important*_ exactly the same way Durbin had said it. This >> showed that the word _*important*_ wasn?t just a Jewish code word for >> ?Jewish.? It referred to Jewish people and institutions seen as existing >> inside a perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability. >> >> >> >> The perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability in the United States is >> a major determinant of how much peace we?re allowed to have in U.S. foreign >> policy in the Middle East. The perceived perimeter of Jewish respectability >> in the United States is not determined by a democratic vote of Jews, any >> more than the perceived position of gun owners on gun regulation is >> determined by a democratic vote of gun owners. Moneyed interests and the >> institutions they fund play a huge role. U.S. policy in the Middle East >> would never survive a referendum of American Jews, any more than U.S. >> policy on gun regulation would survive a referendum of gun owners. There?s >> nothing natural about this hegemony. This hegemony has been constructed by >> moneyed interests and their surrogates to try to bring about certain >> outcomes. >> >> >> >> Although the perimeter of Jewish respectability is not determined >> democratically, democratic organizing can move it, because who gets elected >> to the presidency and Congress dramatically shapes what the perceived >> perimeter is. >> >> >> >> In 2000, Joe Lieberman was Al Gore?s running mate. In 2006, Joe Lieberman >> was defeated in a Democratic Senate primary in Connecticut over Joe >> Lieberman?s support for the Iraq war. Jews who opposed the Iraq war had a >> lot to do with Joe Lieberman?s defeat. I know this because I knocked on >> doors for Ned Lamont. And I saw a bunch of Jews there doing the same thing >> I was. ?We need to get rid of this guy who is claiming that he is >> representing Jews when he advocates for war in the public square.? >> >> >> >> At the beginning of the Obama Administration, AIPAC was perceived as >> all-powerful and J Street was perceived as a 90 pound weakling. This >> dynamic changed significantly during the Obama Administration, in part >> because of the relationship between J Street and Obama. Today AIPAC is >> still perceived as more powerful than J Street. But the margin isn?t nearly >> as great as it was in 2008. This year, MoveOn called for Dem POTUS 2020 >> candidates to boycott the AIPAC policy conference. Nancy Pelosi went to >> AIPAC, where she was a keynote speaker, but no major Dem candidates for >> President went. [Biden dodged this choice by announcing later.] In >> contrast, a bunch of presidential candidates went to the J Street >> conference this week. Biden and Warren didn?t go. But Bernie went. Julian >> Castro went. PeteB went. Even Amy Klobuchar went. >> >> >> >> That?s a big change. When he was running for President, Obama went to the >> AIPAC policy conference. Obama told the AIPAC conferees that Jerusalem must >> be the united capital of Israel ? exactly the policy that Trump later >> implemented, just like Trump has said. Obama talked about doing it, Trump >> did it. Obama wasn?t interested in peace in general. Obama was interested >> in pivoting the U.S. relationship with Iran, like Nixon pivoted the U.S. >> relationship with China. Every other peace concern in the Middle East, >> Obama was willing to throw under the bus to appease the Saudi and Israeli >> governments. Obama destroyed Libya, Obama destroyed Syria, Obama destroyed >> Yemen. That was all collateral damage, claimed to be necessary to appease >> the Saudi and Israeli governments. >> >> >> >> J Street was good on nuclear diplomacy with Iran primarily because Obama >> was good on it. Nuclear diplomacy with Iran was Obama?s priority in the >> Middle East. Nuclear diplomacy with Iran was the fight that Obama was >> willing to have with AIPAC and Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia. Obama wasn?t >> willing to have any other fights with AIPAC and Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia. >> J Street helped very little on ending the catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen >> started by Obama. J Street helped even less in preventing the U.S. from >> visiting the catastrophe on Syria started by Obama. And during the Obama >> Administration, J Street didn?t move the ball in DC on peace and justice in >> Israel-Palestine, mainly because Obama wasn?t really interested in that, >> even though supposedly that was a key reason that J Street was created, to >> move the ball in DC on peace and justice in Israel-Palestine. >> >> >> >> The half-full of this is: the better the next Democratic President is, >> the better J Street will be. If we could elect a Democratic President who >> was seriously interested in peace in the Middle East, J Street would >> improve dramatically, because they?d be blocking for a much better >> Democratic President on peace than Obama. To get a better Democratic >> President than Obama on peace in the Middle East, we have to beat Haim >> Saban and his surrogates in the primary. That?s the most important thing we >> have to do. >> >> >> >> The second most important thing we need to do is go after AIPAC?s most >> extreme assets in Congress, like the Crown Prince of the Warmongers. We >> could have a big impact just by picking off a few of them. The defeat of >> Joe Lieberman in Connecticut in the Democratic primary in 2006 had a big >> impact on how Democrats nationally thought about the Iraq war. If we picked >> off a few of AIPAC?s most extreme assets in Congress, J Street would >> improve. >> >> >> >> I once went to a movie about Iran. I invited some Iranian-American >> friends. The movie was made by a friend of the comedian Jon Stewart. So Jon >> Stewart introduced the movie. When Jon Stewart?s face came on the screen, >> one of my friends said, I?m tired of Jon Stewart, Jon Stewart is not that >> progressive. I said: look, here?s why I love Jon Stewart. He?s the most >> famous and popular Jew in America who doesn?t want to bomb Iran. They >> laughed. >> >> >> >> The sentence I said to my Iranian-American friends is no longer true. Jon >> Stewart is no longer the most famous and popular Jew in America who doesn?t >> want to bomb Iran. >> >> >> >> If there?s another plausible path to defeating Haim Saban in 2020, I have >> no idea what it is. >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 20:35:22 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:35:22 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] we need a hashtag to mock Elizabeth Warren's pandering to AIPAC Message-ID: https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158779387607656 We need a hashtag to make fun of Elizabeth Warren's pandering to AIPAC. Here's some candidates: #LikudLiz #BinyaminBeth #EratzIsraelElizabeth Vote for your favorite in the comments. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From naiman.uiuc at gmail.com Wed Oct 30 20:55:02 2019 From: naiman.uiuc at gmail.com (Robert Naiman) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 16:55:02 -0400 Subject: [Peace-discuss] we need a hashtag to mock Elizabeth Warren's pandering to AIPAC In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Oh no no no *no* no no. It's not "#BinyaminBeth." It's *#BibiBeth*. Rhymes with "baby bath." On Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 4:35 PM Robert Naiman wrote: > https://www.facebook.com/robert.naiman/posts/10158779387607656 > > We need a hashtag to make fun of Elizabeth Warren's pandering to AIPAC. > Here's some candidates: > #LikudLiz > #BinyaminBeth > #EratzIsraelElizabeth > > Vote for your favorite in the comments. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From karenaram at hotmail.com Thu Oct 31 01:39:22 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 01:39:22 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: YouTube link for Green Party Conference References: <3B7DB233-F87A-41DA-9BC9-6CBCA2F55DFB@hotmail.com> Message-ID: > > > > Here?s the link to the video on YouTube - >> >> https://youtu.be/6y0_XBBQIho >> >> >> >> > From jbn at forestfield.org Thu Oct 31 03:39:32 2019 From: jbn at forestfield.org (J.B. Nicholson) Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2019 22:39:32 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] Flyer to be distributed at AWARE's regular monthly anti-war demonstration Message-ID: <1055032b-45b8-d548-baa3-3c8abae102f3@forestfield.org> [Flyer to be distributed at AWARE's regular monthly anti-war demonstration, 2-4pm Saturday, November 2, at the Susan B. Anthony Memorial (Main & Neil streets in Champaign)] U.S. WAR-MAKING IN SYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN TODAY The first of President Trump?s recent foreign policy steps was to withdraw the small U.S. contingent that was a deterrent to Turkey?s expansion of its invasion of Syria, and to authorize Turkish President Erdo?an?s plans to extend his atrocities and ethnic cleansing of Syrian Kurds. His second step was to move U.S. troops to ?secure? the oil-producing areas. The latter, apparently after he was told about the oil, is easy to understand. He has held all along that our only standing interest in the Middle East is to ?secure? its oil for our own benefit. As for the first step, we can only speculate, but it seems quite likely that the motive is what guides him consistently: How will the action affect me? Trump is an effective con man who has a good sense of what animates his voting base. In this case, he presumably expected (correctly it seems) that withdrawing a few hundred troops would appeal to the sector of the population that resonates to his message that America is foolishly expending its blood and treasure to help ?unworthy? people who don?t even thank us for our sacrifices on their behalf, and that Trump is the first president to stand up for the suffering American people instead of giving everything away to foreigners out of stupidity (or treachery). It?s worth recalling that repeated polls have shown that Americans vastly overestimate the scale of foreign aid ? and recommend that it be considerably higher than it actually is (putting aside what constitutes ?aid?). Much has been written and said about the betrayal of the Kurds, a U.S. ally in the war against ISIS (also known as Daesh). This isn?t, however, the first time that the U.S. has betrayed the Kurds and other former allies. Betrayal of the Kurds has been virtually a qualification for office since Ford-Kissinger abandoned the Kurds to the mercy of Saddam Hussein when they were no longer needed. Reagan went so far as to support his friend Saddam?s chemical warfare campaign against Iraqi Kurds, seeking to shift the blame to Iran and blocking congressional efforts to respond to these hideous crimes. Clinton?s method was to provide the arms for the murderous government assault on Turkish Kurds, which killed tens of thousands, wiped out 3,500 towns and villages, and drove hundreds of thousands from their homes. (See Noam Chomsky, ?The New Military Humanism,? 1999). Clinton?s flood of military aid increased along with the shocking crimes, as Turkey became the prime recipient of American arms (outside of Israel-Egypt, a separate category). Trump?s contribution is particularly disgusting. The Kurds lost 11,000 soldiers, men and women, leading the war against ISIS for which Trump claims credit, helped by some U.S. special forces (five casualties are reported) and air support. Erdo?an demanded that Kurds eliminate defensive fortifications (filling in trenches, etc.) near the border, and at the request of the U.S. command, they complied, trusting Washington?s promise that it would protect them from a further Turkish assault. Trump?s tweet broke that promise, leaving Kurds exposed to the invasion by Turkish-backed forces, most it seems jihadis and criminals. For years, Turkey has been helping tens of thousands of jihadis to flood into Syria for its anti-Assad war and to establish a Turkish presence. No surprises in how the extended Turkish assault has been carried out. Turkey had already invaded and occupied Kurdish-controlled regions of northern Syria, killing hundreds and displacing hundreds of thousands, with credible charges of serious war crimes. Trump?s green light was for extending the operation with the alleged goal of ending a terrorist threat, in reality in order to put an end to the highly promising social and political achievements in Kurdish-led Rojava by violence and terror, ethnic cleansing, and resettling the region with Syrians of Turkey?s choosing. ~~~ Write your Congressional representatives & demand the U.S. Government fulfill President Trump?s promises to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria & Afghanistan: ~ Senator Dick Durbin: ~ Sen. Tammy Duckworth: ~ Representative Rodney Davis: ~~~ The ANTI-WAR ANTI-RACISM EFFORT is on Facebook at The TV program ?AWARE on the Air,? a local discussion of war news, is on Urbana Public Television, Tuesdays at 10pm (& available on YouTube) ### From carl at newsfromneptune.com Thu Oct 31 11:21:44 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 06:21:44 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> Message-ID: <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> I would say we need more people (including old white men) saying ending human lives is wrong - at home and abroad. > On Oct 30, 2019, at 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: > > I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to do with their bodies. > > On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > Including those conceived but not yet born. > > On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: > >> Reproductive freedom for all. >> >> Love >> Lois >> >> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> From: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood >>> Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>> To: "Friend" >>> Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>> >>> >>> This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society >>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. >>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. >>> >>> Dear Friend, >>> >>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>> >>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. >>> >>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>> >>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >>> >>> That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! >>> >>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >>> >>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>> >>> That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. >>> >>> My friend, the reality is... >>> >>> You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>> >>> You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>> >>> You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. >>> >>> And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>> >>> But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. >>> >>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... >>> >>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. >>> >>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >>> >>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. >>> >>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >>> >>> Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. >>> >>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>> >>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>> >>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >>> >>> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) >>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>> >>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! >>> >>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>> >>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>> >>> And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. >>> >>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." >>> >>> It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. >>> >>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. >>> >>> So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. >>> >>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. >>> >>> May God bless you, >>> >>> >>> Tom Brejcha >>> President & Chief Counsel >>> >>> >>> >>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. >>> >>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. >>> >>> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>> >>> HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE >>> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. >>> >>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>> >>> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com. >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > _______________________________________________ > Peace-discuss mailing list > Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss From karenaram at hotmail.com Thu Oct 31 11:55:05 2019 From: karenaram at hotmail.com (Karen Aram) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 11:55:05 +0000 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: I couldn?t agree more when it refers to human lives, but what you?re referring to is fetuses. > On Oct 31, 2019, at 04:21, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: > > I would say we need more people (including old white men) saying ending human lives is wrong - at home and abroad. > > >> On Oct 30, 2019, at 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: >> >> I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to do with their bodies. >> >> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> Including those conceived but not yet born. >> >> On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: >> >>> Reproductive freedom for all. >>> >>> Love >>> Lois >>> >>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>> >>> >>>> Begin forwarded message: >>>> >>>> From: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>> Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood >>>> Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>>> To: "Friend" >>>> Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>> >>>> >>>> This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society >>>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. >>>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. >>>> >>>> Dear Friend, >>>> >>>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >>>> >>>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>>> >>>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. >>>> >>>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>>> >>>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >>>> >>>> That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! >>>> >>>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >>>> >>>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>>> >>>> That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. >>>> >>>> My friend, the reality is... >>>> >>>> You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>>> >>>> You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>>> >>>> You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. >>>> >>>> And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>>> >>>> But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. >>>> >>>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >>>> >>>> The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... >>>> >>>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. >>>> >>>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >>>> >>>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. >>>> >>>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >>>> >>>> Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. >>>> >>>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>>> >>>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>>> >>>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >>>> >>>> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) >>>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>>> >>>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! >>>> >>>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>>> >>>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>>> >>>> And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. >>>> >>>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." >>>> >>>> It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. >>>> >>>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. >>>> >>>> So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. >>>> >>>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. >>>> >>>> May God bless you, >>>> >>>> >>>> Tom Brejcha >>>> President & Chief Counsel >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. >>>> >>>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. >>>> >>>> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >>>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>>> >>>> HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE >>>> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. >>>> >>>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>>> >>>> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com. >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace-discuss mailing list >> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From davidgreen50 at gmail.com Thu Oct 31 14:42:59 2019 From: davidgreen50 at gmail.com (David Green) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 09:42:59 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] My letter in today's News-Gazette Message-ID: This responds to ?Speakers: Sexual ?coercion? tip of iceberg: Policy overhaul must consider ?gender harassment? they say at special summit,? by Julie Wurth. Wurth refers to UI anthropology professor Kate Clancy, who co-authored a national study on sexual harassment in STEM fields in higher education. I have read this 292-page study. It is, quite simply, garbage in, garbage out, from the ridiculous sampling methodology, to the opaque and dated literature review, to the overwrought generalizations and contrived language based on predetermined conclusions. To ?gaslight? is to ?manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity.? There is a problem in academia of male faculty sexually exploiting their authority over women, with notable local examples. Instead of addressing this specific issue in terms of institutional power dynamics and patriarchy, Clancy chooses to gaslight all males on this campus as being part of a sexist ?put-down? culture. Her conclusions are vastly over-stated and carelessly slanderous. They are supported by powerful bureaucrats wishing to deflect attention from actionable behavior among their own economic class of men. If campus ?climate? were as sexually and verbally abusive as Clancy claims, it would behoove Chancellor Jones to immediately suspend business-as-usual and hold intensive, mandatory sensitivity-training and interpersonal truth-telling workshops for at least a solid week in every office, classroom, and laboratory on this campus. Moreover, he would be compelled to restrain his grandiose rhetoric about this institution. But he won?t, because he knows that this ?summit? reflects an ongoing administrative public relations effort; i.e., propaganda. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From deb.pdamerica at gmail.com Thu Oct 31 15:16:35 2019 From: deb.pdamerica at gmail.com (Debra Schrishuhn) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 10:16:35 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: One of the founding principles of the U.S. was freedom from a state religion. Some religions teach that life begins at conception; others do not, and as Americans we have the right to believe or not to believe without interference from the state. I object to someone?s religious beliefs telling me in the form of laws or policy what medical procedures I can access. Sent from my iPhone > On Oct 31, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Karen Aram wrote: > > I couldn?t agree more when it refers to human lives, but what you?re referring to is fetuses. > > >> On Oct 31, 2019, at 04:21, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >> >> I would say we need more people (including old white men) saying ending human lives is wrong - at home and abroad. >> >> >>> On Oct 30, 2019, at 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: >>> >>> I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to do with their bodies. >>> >>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>> Including those conceived but not yet born. >>> >>>> On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: >>>> >>>> Reproductive freedom for all. >>>> >>>> Love >>>> Lois >>>> >>>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> Begin forwarded message: >>>>> >>>>> From: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>>> Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood >>>>> Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>>>> To: "Friend" >>>>> Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society >>>>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. >>>>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. >>>>> >>>>> Dear Friend, >>>>> >>>>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >>>>> >>>>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>>>> >>>>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. >>>>> >>>>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>>>> >>>>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >>>>> >>>>> That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! >>>>> >>>>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >>>>> >>>>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>>>> >>>>> That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. >>>>> >>>>> My friend, the reality is... >>>>> >>>>> You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>>>> >>>>> You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>>>> >>>>> You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. >>>>> >>>>> And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>>>> >>>>> But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. >>>>> >>>>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >>>>> >>>>> The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... >>>>> >>>>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. >>>>> >>>>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >>>>> >>>>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. >>>>> >>>>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >>>>> >>>>> Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. >>>>> >>>>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>>>> >>>>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>>>> >>>>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >>>>> >>>>> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) >>>>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>>>> >>>>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! >>>>> >>>>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>>>> >>>>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>>>> >>>>> And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. >>>>> >>>>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." >>>>> >>>>> It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. >>>>> >>>>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. >>>>> >>>>> So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. >>>>> >>>>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. >>>>> >>>>> May God bless you, >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Tom Brejcha >>>>> President & Chief Counsel >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. >>>>> >>>>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. >>>>> >>>>> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >>>>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>>>> >>>>> HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE >>>>> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. >>>>> >>>>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>>>> >>>>> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com. >>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace mailing list >>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Peace mailing list >> Peace at lists.chambana.net >> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace > From carl at newsfromneptune.com Thu Oct 31 16:01:02 2019 From: carl at newsfromneptune.com (C. G. Estabrook) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 11:01:02 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: <7DAE5A6C-A85F-4593-AC7E-E09DB02682A0@newsfromneptune.com> It?s not a religious but an ethical principle, that ending a human life is wrong. > On Oct 31, 2019, at 10:16 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace wrote: > > One of the founding principles of the U.S. was freedom from a state religion. Some religions teach that life begins at conception; others do not, and as Americans we have the right to believe or not to believe without interference from the state. I object to someone?s religious beliefs telling me in the form of laws or policy what medical procedures I can access. > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Oct 31, 2019, at 6:55 AM, Karen Aram wrote: >> >> I couldn?t agree more when it refers to human lives, but what you?re referring to is fetuses. >> >> >>> On Oct 31, 2019, at 04:21, C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>> >>> I would say we need more people (including old white men) saying ending human lives is wrong - at home and abroad. >>> >>> >>>> On Oct 30, 2019, at 4:19 AM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace-discuss wrote: >>>> >>>> I am so sick of (mostly) old, (mostly) white men telling women what to do with their bodies. >>>> >>>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 1:24 PM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>>> Including those conceived but not yet born. >>>> >>>>> On Oct 28, 2019, at 11:35 AM, Lois Steinberg wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Reproductive freedom for all. >>>>> >>>>> Love >>>>> Lois >>>>> >>>>> On Mon, Oct 28, 2019 at 11:17 AM C. G. Estabrook via Peace wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Begin forwarded message: >>>>>> >>>>>> From: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>>>> Subject: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood >>>>>> Date: October 23, 2019 at 7:01:10 AM CDT >>>>>> To: "Friend" >>>>>> Reply-To: Patheos - Thomas More Society >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> This email was sent on behalf of Thomas More Society >>>>>> Our thought-provoking newsletters are supported by our advertising sponsors. >>>>>> Patheos does not necessarily endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer. >>>>>> >>>>>> Dear Friend, >>>>>> >>>>>> Planned Parenthood has drawn a line in the sand. They are not a healthcare organization that advocates for public policy when necessary. >>>>>> >>>>>> Planned Parenthood is a political machine, hell-bent on imposing their radical abortion agenda on America. >>>>>> >>>>>> And sparks are flying in San Francisco now that the trial of Planned Parenthood's outrageous lawsuit against pro-life hero David Daleiden is underway. >>>>>> >>>>>> David Daleiden is the pro-life citizen journalist who spent 30 months leading an undercover investigation that captured video evidence of Planned Parenthood conspiring to illegally harvest and sell aborted baby body parts. >>>>>> >>>>>> Planned Parenthood is seeking monetary "triple damages" plus over a million dollars for repayment of its attorneys' fees from David for his having exposed their horrific and illegal money-making scheme. >>>>>> >>>>>> That's right. Planned Parenthood is suing David. NOT the other way around! >>>>>> >>>>>> And they want the judge to order a permanent injunction (a ?gag order?) prohibiting David from ever releasing the rest of his video evidence of Planned Parenthood?s criminal wrongdoing. >>>>>> >>>>>> You see, David Daleiden poses the biggest threat to the abortion industry since Roe v. Wade ? so the radical abortion industry will do whatever it takes to silence him. >>>>>> >>>>>> That's why I'm asking you to make an emergency donation to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood. >>>>>> >>>>>> My friend, the reality is... >>>>>> >>>>>> You couldn't be there when David entered the dark underbelly of the abortion industry ? sitting across the table from abortionists haggling over the price of baby body parts with cold-blooded clarity... "I want a Lamborghini." >>>>>> >>>>>> You couldn't be there as David saw with his own eyes the preborn children who had been killed with great precision to preserve their organs for maximum profit. >>>>>> >>>>>> You couldn't be there when the videos were released and Planned Parenthood and their allies conspired to crush David with trumped up legal charges and an armed raid on his home in which they seized laptops, hard-drives, and recording equipment. >>>>>> >>>>>> And you couldn't be there with David when he appeared in both Texas and California for booking and processing ? fingerprinted and photographed for mug-shots like a common criminal. (But our criminal defense team was there!) >>>>>> >>>>>> But, now, this is the reality... there is something you can do to help vindicate this pro-life hero. >>>>>> >>>>>> My name is Tom Brejcha. I'm the President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society ? a not-for-profit law firm underwriting and helping to spearhead David's civil and criminal defense. >>>>>> >>>>>> The Thomas More Society is proud to defend many of the most renowned leaders in America's pro-life movement... >>>>>> >>>>>> ...because when dark forces like Planned Parenthood unleash their full might to legally, financially and personally destroy our clients ? we fight back. >>>>>> >>>>>> And I have to tell you, even with the abortion industry?s efforts to destroy David?s livelihood and future, this young man?s spirits remain high. Of course, I've never known anyone in this kind of position who didn't feel an empty pit in his stomach. >>>>>> >>>>>> But David's not giving up. And he never will do so! In fact, I know he sees this as yet another opportunity to drag more of Planned Parenthood's dark criminality into the spotlight. >>>>>> >>>>>> My friend, that's what David set out to do ? and that's what you and I can make sure he continues doing by winning this legal battle. >>>>>> >>>>>> Now I'll get right down to it... We anticipate all of the costs associated with David's legal defense to exceed $5,000,000. That's right, FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. >>>>>> >>>>>> You see, it's not just this one legal battle we're fighting. >>>>>> >>>>>> Altogether David has been sued or prosecuted six times! Already we defeated a two-count felony and misdemeanor criminal case brought by the District Attorney of Harris County (Houston), Texas at the behest of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. And another nasty civil case brought by a baby body parts broker, Stem Express, in Los Angeles was dismissed. >>>>>> >>>>>> And we were just in California Criminal Court with David defending him against the 15 felony charges the Attorney General?s office filed against him in a politically motivated witch-hunt. (The Judge threw out one of the charges but will not issue his ruling on the rest until later this October.) >>>>>> >>>>>> As if that?s not enough, David still faces two separate racketeering (RICO) >>>>>> civil lawsuits in federal court in San Francisco, California, and a third in federal court up in Seattle. >>>>>> >>>>>> And to make matters worse, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear our appeal of the unjust "gag order" preliminary injunction that, at least until the trial, prohibits David from releasing more of his videos exposing the abortion giant's evil! >>>>>> >>>>>> But Planned Parenthood has millions of dollars to spend on lawyers and lobbyists ? and they'll stop at nothing to silence David and prevent the truth from coming out. >>>>>> >>>>>> That's why we urgently need your financial support today. >>>>>> >>>>>> And that's why I'm praying you will use this link to make an emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more to help the Thomas More Society defend David Daleiden against Planned Parenthood and their radical allies. >>>>>> >>>>>> This truly is a "David versus Goliath" type of battle ? with Planned Parenthood, the Attorney General of California, and their allies arrayed against our "David." >>>>>> >>>>>> It's a grave injustice that David is the one going on trial while Planned Parenthood (so far, at least) has gone unpunished. >>>>>> >>>>>> But by helping David defeat the lawsuits (and the felony charges)... you and I can allow him to continue with his incredibly important lifesaving work. >>>>>> >>>>>> So please make your emergency contribution of $35, $50, $100 or more today. >>>>>> >>>>>> I know David will be deeply touched and encouraged by your generous support. >>>>>> >>>>>> May God bless you, >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Tom Brejcha >>>>>> President & Chief Counsel >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. >>>>>> >>>>>> Please consider supporting our efforts with a generous, tax-deductible donation. >>>>>> >>>>>> ? Thomas More Society | www.thomasmoresociety.org >>>>>> 309 W. Washington Street Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606 >>>>>> >>>>>> HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | SUBSCRIPTION CENTER | UNSUBSCRIBE >>>>>> This email was sent because cgestabrook at gmail.com has opted-in to receive special offers from Patheos. You may opt-out at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link above. Please allow up to 10 days for your email to be removed. >>>>>> >>>>>> 2037 Laskin Road Virginia Beach, VA 23454 >>>>>> >>>>>> Report Abuse to abuse at patheos.com. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Peace mailing list >>>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace mailing list >>>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Peace-discuss mailing list >>>> Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net >>>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace-discuss >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Peace mailing list >>> Peace at lists.chambana.net >>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace >> > _______________________________________________ > Peace mailing list > Peace at lists.chambana.net > https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace From stuartnlevy at gmail.com Thu Oct 31 17:51:03 2019 From: stuartnlevy at gmail.com (Stuart Levy) Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 12:51:03 -0500 Subject: [Peace-discuss] [Peace] Fwd: On trial for exposing Planned Parenthood In-Reply-To: References: <1877542122.5138328.1571832070940@mail.patheos.com> <160B39A8-6516-4438-BD2E-41686F2946F6@newsfromneptune.com> Message-ID: <1d089cbe-47f5-5b5a-6eb3-4629bc1b79ea@gmail.com> All, regardless of merits, this thread is a discussion, not an AWARE announcement.?? Please move this discussion off the Peace list. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: