Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Criminal Summit
As Laura Carlsen reports, when Obama meets with the presidents of Mexico and Canada at the North American Summit tomorrow, it will be to expand corporate privilege at the expense of human rights and the environment. Privatization of public oil resources will top the list, furthering the model that has benefited both Wall Street and organized crime.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Trafficking Rhetoric
As the world's leading arms trafficking nation, the U.S. controls three-quarters of the international weapons trade. Selling arms is at the top of the list of priorities of every top-level official working on foreign policy throughout the U.S. Government.
As William Hartung reports on Obama's unrestrained promotion of U.S. arms exports, "Ironically, the administrations new rhetoric of restraint has been enunciated in parallel with an effort to loosen arms export controls, an initiative that could make it easier for U.S. weapons to fall into the hands of terrorists and human rights abusers."
All fraud, all the time. That's Obama.
As William Hartung reports on Obama's unrestrained promotion of U.S. arms exports, "Ironically, the administrations new rhetoric of restraint has been enunciated in parallel with an effort to loosen arms export controls, an initiative that could make it easier for U.S. weapons to fall into the hands of terrorists and human rights abusers."
All fraud, all the time. That's Obama.
Sunday, February 09, 2014
Neoliberal Fascism
Neoliberals like Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein and Barack Obama are fascists. They are not racists like Pat Buchanan, nor theocrats like Sarah Palin, but they are fascists. As fascists, they are committed to state-sponsored violence for the benefit of Wall Street. That violence is exercised in foreign and domestic affairs. Wars of aggression, surveillance and repression of dissent constitute a fascist agenda.
As a rationalization of theft, fascism in America incorporates much more than the Minutemen and Tea Parties; while these white supremacy factions of fascism are especially repugnant, the rationalization of theft found in the neoliberal privatization project is far more lethal in terms of scope and numbers. While Wise Use fascists (industry) might be uncomfortable with Christian Patriot fascists, their mutual willingness to use violence to maintain power and privileges based on wealth or race make them natural allies.
Excusing Wise Use because they are not racists or theocrats is common among progressives. One can see this in progressive defense of Obama or enthusiasm for his successor wannabe Hillary. But racist and theocratic fascism cannot be defeated by cuddling up to Wall Street fascists. One has to be against fascism in all its forms, or not at all.
As a rationalization of theft, fascism in America incorporates much more than the Minutemen and Tea Parties; while these white supremacy factions of fascism are especially repugnant, the rationalization of theft found in the neoliberal privatization project is far more lethal in terms of scope and numbers. While Wise Use fascists (industry) might be uncomfortable with Christian Patriot fascists, their mutual willingness to use violence to maintain power and privileges based on wealth or race make them natural allies.
Excusing Wise Use because they are not racists or theocrats is common among progressives. One can see this in progressive defense of Obama or enthusiasm for his successor wannabe Hillary. But racist and theocratic fascism cannot be defeated by cuddling up to Wall Street fascists. One has to be against fascism in all its forms, or not at all.
Saturday, February 08, 2014
The Violence of NAFTA
In his article about the violence in Mexico created by NAFTA, Victor M. Quintana describes how the imposition of poverty by NAFTA created a humanitarian crisis that left millions of peasant farmers broke, and thousands of communities broken down. Since 1994 when President Clinton pushed NAFTA through Congress, Mexico's aquifers have been over-exploited, and forests razed. After twenty years, impoverishment due to NAFTA has left 28 million people without enough to eat. Into this social vacuum, says Quintana, moved organized crime, issuing usurious credit, robbing day laborers, and requiring extortion payments. Gaining territorial control, organized crime now sows terror through executions, mutilations, kidnappings and arson. The violence promoted by neoliberals like Clinton through NAFTA has essentially destroyed community life.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Stolen Wealth
Austerity programs pushed by the US, EU, World Bank and IMF are only partly about the greed of financial institutions and those that own them; it is equally about maintaining the power of social control by oligarchies of stolen wealth. People who are desperately foraging for food, shelter and medicine cannot muster the resources required to fight effectively for universal freedom from the impoverishing oligarchies. Mutual aid and solidarity of spirit don't mean much when your network or milieu hasn't the wherewithal to afford an Internet connection, telephone, or postage stamp.
Oligarchies established by theft of other peoples' land, lives, resources and wealth need replenishing in order to maintain luxury lifestyles and keep democracy down. While murder is still a useful tool, theft of public treasuries is now the predominant method, and austerity for the victims the inevitable consequence.
Organizing effective resistance to thieving oligarchies is not a simple task under these conditions. It demands heroic sacrifice few will willingly make.
Oligarchies established by theft of other peoples' land, lives, resources and wealth need replenishing in order to maintain luxury lifestyles and keep democracy down. While murder is still a useful tool, theft of public treasuries is now the predominant method, and austerity for the victims the inevitable consequence.
Organizing effective resistance to thieving oligarchies is not a simple task under these conditions. It demands heroic sacrifice few will willingly make.
Monday, February 03, 2014
The End Is Near
Nightmare bacteria epidemics are on their way. So much for worrying about overpopulation.
