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Diet, Ignorance and the Environmental Crisis

by Graham Peebles / July 2nd, 2018
Climate change sounds vast and impersonal, but it’s really a very personal matter; a global crisis caused by the
individual actions humanity has collectively taken. All too often such actions proceed from a position of
ignorance, selfishness and habit, and are undertaken with little or no understanding of the effects on the
natural environment.

The debate around climate change commonly focuses on transportation, deforestation, and energy – replacing
fossil fuels with renewables. This is right and urgent, and some countries are taking steps; however, what is
not tackled at all is the devastating impact of a meat/dairy diet – common to …
(Full article …)

The Constitution Is Not Neutral: Courts of Justice Should Not Act Like Courts of
Order
by John W. Whitehead / July 2nd, 2018
The Constitution is not neutral. It was designed to take the government off the backs of the
people.

— Justice William O. Douglas, The Court Years, 1939-1975: The Autobiography of William
O. Douglas​ (1980), p. 8.

For those still deluded enough to believe they’re living the American dream—where the government
represents the people, where the people are equal in the eyes of the law, where the courts are arbiters of
justice, where the police are keepers of the peace, and where the law is applied equally as a means of
protecting the rights of the people—it’s time to wake up.

We no longer …
(Full article …)
Send in the Troops! Deploying the ADF against Rioters
by Binoy Kampmark / July 2nd, 2018
Such moves should trouble any constructive dissenter and civil libertarian: the vesting of powers in a military
force to be used against domestic disturbances. While the United States has a troubled history with it, posse
comitatus still remains something of a letter restricting the deployment of the US armed forces on the streets
of the country’s cities. That doctrine has effectively seen an expansion of the FBI’s role to occupy what might
have been seen in the past to be traditional military roles.

In Australia, no such reining in powers and impediments exist, though States have been hamstrung by the …
(Full article …)

Social Animals have Two Modes of Being

by Denis Rancourt / July 2nd, 2018
I want to describe what I think is a fundamental truth about the individual bio-psychology of social animals,
including humans.

Setting for the model

The setting for my model is arguably the greatest current scientific revolution: The formal realization and
empirical demonstration that virtually all of social behaviour and individual psychology is encased in the
evolutionary, biological and metabolic reality of dominance hierarchy.

For example, see Sapolsky’s influential 2005 review of primate studies, and my critical review of medicine
((Denis Rancourt. “…
(Full article …)

How the “Bernie of Mexico” Won the Presidency

by Greg Palast / July 2nd, 2018
This is Trump’s nightmare.I’m writing minutes after the victory of the Bernie Sanders of Mexico, Andres
Manuel Lopez Obrador. Everyone calls him, “AMLO.” This is actually AMLO’s re-election: He first won the
presidency in 2006. But back then the thieving, scheming, blood-stained criminal gang that rules Mexico (and
I’m being polite), declared AMLO’s dissolute opponent the winner.

In 2006, rather than concede to vote thievery, lick his wounds and toddle off on a book tour, AMLO took his
supporters into the streets, raised hell, blocked the capital’s central square for months, held a …
(Full article …)

GMO Agriculture and the Narrative of Choice

by Colin Todhunter / July 2nd, 2018
The pro-GMO lobby claim critics of the technology ‘deny farmers choice’. They say that farmers should have
access to a range of tools and technologies. It is all about maximising choice and options. Taken at face value,
who would want to deny choice?
At the same time, however, we do not want to end up offering a false choice (rolling out technologies that have
little value and only serve to benefit those who control the technology), to unleash an innovation that has an
adverse impact on those who do not use it or …
(Full article …)

Nationwide Protests: Pro-Immigrant or Anti-Trump?

by Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers / July 1st, 2018
Immigration protesters outside a Federal court calling for the abolishment of ICE and free movement of
immigrants, June 29, 2018, in New York (Photo: Mary Altaffer for AP)
Over the past weeks, there has been a series of major protests against the mistreatment of immigrants.
Hundreds were arrested after blocking DC streets and sitting-in at a Senate office building. Two weeks ago,
there were #FamiliesTogether rallies across the United States that forced Trump to end child separation and
return to the Obama era policy of incarcerating …
(Full article …)

Nicaragua: Terrorism as an Art of Demonstrating

by Alex Anfruns / July 1st, 2018
For two months, Nicaragua has been through a major political crisis, fueled by clashes between law
enforcement and an insurgency. Humanitarian organizations report a terrifying record of nearly 200
deaths. This violence, compromising the attempts of political negotiations, makes it necessary to understand
who has interest in paralyzing this Central America country. What are the motivations of protesters and
opposition forces? Is the Nicaraguan government the symbol of absolute tyranny?
*****
It was a pension reform project that started the fire. To avoid privatizing social security as recommended by …
(Full article …)

A Fatal Incompatibility: Big Business and Human Survival

by Luke Eastwood / June 30th, 2018
Dramatic as the title of the article is, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not hyperbole or hysterics. It
is the only logical conclusion one can arrive at if one analyses the facts of our current situation as a species.

Commerce has existed for thousands of years, with private and government-owned companies providing
goods and services for sale, largely unregulated for most of that time. Of course, government has always had
the capacity to intervene where business practices have been found to be unsafe or unethical, for the
protection of society.

As economies have developed beyond a mostly agricultural foundation …

(Full article …)
Trump Threatens Canada: “Defence” Community Remains Silent
by Yves Engler / June 29th, 2018
A volatile leader in charge of a military behemoth prone to aggression has repeatedly attacked Canada and its
prime minister in recent weeks. But, this country’s “defence” community, which often hypes Russian, Jihadist
and other threats, has barely made a peep.

Citing a concern for its “national security”, the US slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports at
the end of last month. Since then Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Justin Trudeau and two of the US
President’s top advisers called the prime minister “dishonest”, “weak” and “rogue” and said “there’s a special
place in hell” for him.

The bombastic …
(Full article …)

GM Crops in India: Approval by Contamination?

by Colin Todhunter / June 29th, 2018
The regulatory system for GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in India is in tatters. So said the Coalition
for a GMFree India (CGMFI) in 2017 after media reports about the illegal cultivation of GM soybean in the
country.

In India, five high-level reports have already advised against the adoption of GM crops:

The ‘Jairam Ramesh Report’, imposing an indefinite moratorium on Bt Brinjal [February 2010];
The ‘Sopory Committee Report’ [August 2012];
The ‘Parliamentary Standing Committee’ [PSC] Report on GM crops [August 2012];
The ‘Technical Expert Committee [TEC] Final Report’ [June-July 2013]; and
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment and Forests [August 2017].

Given the issues surrounding …

(Full article …)

Borneo: Not Just Nature, But Also Great Ancient Culture Has Been Destroyed
by Andre Vltchek and Mira Lubis / June 29th, 2018
Would you ever think of the third largest island on Earth – Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia) – as
one of the cradles of the world’s democracy? Perhaps you wouldn’t, but you should.
This is how Kalimantan used to be
While Europe was engaged in myriads of internal as well as expansionist wars, in the once lush, tropical
Borneo, people who belonged to the ancient local cultures, used to decide things communally, by consensus,
or should we use the Western term, “democratically”. Judged by today’s standards, they were …
(Full article …)
Venezuela: Towards an Economy of Resistance
by Peter Koenig / June 29th, 2018
The Government of Venezuela called an international Presidential Economic Advisory Commission, 14-16
June, 2018 to debate the current foreign injected economic disturbances and seeking solutions to overcome
them. I was privileged and honored to be part of this commission. Venezuela is literally being strangled by
economic sanctions, by infiltrated elements of unrest, foreign trained opposition leaders, trained to disrupt
distribution of food, pharmaceutical and medical equipment. Much of the training and disturbance in the
country is financed by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), an “NGO” that receives hundreds of
millions of dollars from the State Department to “spread democracy” …
(Full article …)

Is This the Real Culture War? Art Movements and the People’s Movement
by Caoimhghin Ó Croidheáin / June 28th, 2018
Introduction

Ever since the achievements of Renaissance humanism with the triumph of art over nature, with the
development of new artistic techniques (the optics of perspective, the structure of anatomy, the mixing of
pigments, and the development of movement) art was strengthened and, combined with the scientific
explorations and achievements of the Enlightenment, led to the idea that Man could become stronger and
better and hold an optimistic view of the future. He could improve his well-being and even take control of
nature to create a better life for all. This view continued through the decades and was associated with social …
(Full article …)

Democrats Against Assange: Influencing US-Ecuador Relations

by Binoy Kampmark / June 28th, 2018
Such a historical twist, but one that deserves its iniquitous slot in the history books. No secret has been made
about US policy towards Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, which continues its trajectory to seek his
apprehension and shutter the organisation. Despite its cables being used for political effect by interested
parties; despite the exposures of corruption within the ranks of US politics, Assange is to be thanked with
punishment.

This is the sentiment expressed by Senator Robert Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, along with nine other Democratic senators, in a letter to US Vice President …
(Full article …)

What does Doug Ford’s Election as Premier of Ontario mean for the Palestinian
Solidarity Movement?
by Yves Engler / June 28th, 2018
How will the election of Doug Ford as premier of Ontario effect the pro-Palestinian movement?
In one of his first post-election moves Ford announced that he would seek to ban an annual Palestinian
solidarity event. After the recent Al Quds (Jerusalem) Day protest brought over 500 people out in Toronto,
Ford tweeted, “our government will take action to ensure that events like Al Quds Day, which calls for the
killing of an entire civilian population in Israel, are no longer part of the landscape in Ontario.” Ignoring how
Israel has been killing large numbers of Palestinian civilians — 124 …
(Full article …)

Three Cheers for Trump’s Peace Trifecta

by John V. Walsh / June 28th, 2018
In the short space of five days, June 8-12, President Trump took three steps that upended the old post WWII
global order and moved us a few steps toward a more peaceful world. Two of those steps are undeniable; the
third is perhaps not so obvious.

The Singapore Summit

The Singapore Summit comes first, because it rocked the world.

In this bold and unprecedented meeting President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un, of the
Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK), started down a path to Détente, aiming toward
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, an intractable problem or so the pundits informed us. …
(Full article …)

Trump’s Sadist-in-Chief
Mugger Mick Mulvaney
by Ralph Nader / June 27th, 2018
Mr. Mick Mulvaney’s title seems uninterestingly bureaucratic—director of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). But as Trump’s chief hatchet man extraordinaire, Mugger Mick Mulvaney is easily one of the
cruelest, most vicious presidential henchman in modern American history. From his powerful perch next door
to the White House, he is carving a bloody trail against tens of millions of Americans who are poor, disabled,
frail, and elderly. He has gone after defenseless children and injured or sick patients with little or no access to
health care.

It is difficult to exaggerate the relentless, savage delight that this former Congressman from …
(Full article …)

Did Israel Inspire Trump’s Family Separation Policy?

by Ramzy Baroud / June 27th, 2018
This past May, the United States Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, announced the government’s ‘zero tolerance’
policy at US border crossings. It was a matter of weeks before the new policy began yielding tragic outcomes.
Those attempting to unlawfully cross into the US were subject to federal criminal prosecution, while their
children were taken away by federal authorities, which placed them in cage-like facilities.
Expectedly, the policy caused outrage and was eventually reversed. However, many of those who have
chastised the administration of President Donald Trump seem willfully ignorant of the fact that Israel has
been carrying out far worse practices …
(Full article …)

Immigration: Western Wars and Imperial Exploitation Uproot Millions

by James Petras / June 26th, 2018
“Immigration” has become the dominant issue dividing Europe and the US, yet the most important matter
which is driving millions to emigrate is overlooked — wars.

In this paper we will discuss the reasons behind the massification of immigration, focusing on several issues,
namely (1) imperial wars (2) multi-national corporate expansion (3) the decline of the anti-war movements in
the US and Western Europe (4) the weakness of the trade union and solidarity movements.

We …
(Full article …)

World Cup Soccer Host Targeted by US Nuclear Missiles

by Jay Janson / June 26th, 2018
Imagine if before each match of the World Cup that the FIFA World Soccer Federation made an appeal over
the loudspeaker asking all the fans in the name of the future of soccer to tell officials of their government to
demand Americans stop threatening the future of the World Cup with nuclear war.

Excitement! Exhilaration! The World Cup! Star footballers and tens of thousands of soccer fans from around
the world in Moscow! Who, while in Moscow for the World Cup, is going to remember that Moscow is a prime
target for multiple nuclear missile delivery systems constantly poised for …
(Full article …)

On Purpose, In Kabul
by Kathy Kelly / June 26th, 2018
Writing this week for the Chicago Tribune, Steve Chapman called a U.S. Government report on the war in
Afghanistan “a chronicle of futility.” “The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction” report
says the U.S. spent large sums “in search of quick gains” in regional stabilization – but these instead
“exacerbated conflicts, enabled corruption and bolstered support for insurgents.”

“In short,” says Chapman, the U.S. government “made things worse rather than better.”

Gains, meanwhile, have certainly been made by weapon manufacturers. On average, during Trump’s first year
in office, the Pentagon dropped 121 bombs per day on Afghanistan. The total number of …
(Full article …)
The Danger Is Real: We Need a New Declaration of Independence for Modern
Times
by John W. Whitehead / June 26th, 2018
These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,
in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the
love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have
this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

— Thomas Paine, December 1776

Imagine living in a country where armed soldiers crash through doors to arrest and imprison citizens merely
for criticizing government officials.

Imagine that in this very same country, you’re watched all the time, …
(Full article …)

Why do they flee?

Anti-Empire Report #158
by William Blum / June 26th, 2018
Why do they flee?

The current mass exodus of people from Central America to the United States, with the daily headline-
grabbing stories of numerous children involuntarily separated from their parents, means it’s time to remind
my readers once again of one of the primary causes of these periodic mass migrations.

Those in the US generally opposed to immigration make it a point to declare or imply that the United States
does not have any legal or moral obligation to take in these Latinos. This is not true. The United States does
indeed have the obligation because many of the immigrants, in addition …
(Full article …)

Trump Isn’t The Problem, He’s the Manifestation of America’s Id

by William Boardman / June 26th, 2018
Paul Krugman, professor of international trade and economics at Princeton University
The speed of America’s moral descent under Donald Trump is breathtaking. In a matter of
months we’ve gone from a nation that stood for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to a
nation that tears children from their parents and puts them in cages.
— Paul Krugman, New York Times column, June 21, 2018

conomist Paul Krugman is a smart Princeton professor who won a Nobel Prize, and most of what he …
(Full article …)
Why Do Students Kill Their Class-Mates?
Detachment, Isolation, Dehumanization, and Emotional Estrangement from Human
Relationships
by Mirah Riben / June 26th, 2018
A recently released phone video shot by 19-year-old Parkland, Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz, reveals a
cold, callus young man who claims to “hate everyone and everything.”

Los Angeles Times reporter, Melissa Healy, compares Nikolas Cruz to Sandy Hook school shooter, Adam
Lanza, and sees a commonality in isolation and “a profound sense of alienation from virtually all human
relationships.”

The anonymous web on which we play and interact is clearly a double-edged sword. Healy notes:

Most adolescents and young adults come to recognize there’s a fundamental difference
between going online and actually having a close personal relationship. But for kids

…
(Full article …)

Humanity’s “Dirty Little Secret”: Starving, Enslaving, Raping, Torturing and

Killing our Children
by Robert J. Burrowes / June 26th, 2018
In a recent article titled ‘Challenges for Resolving Complex Conflicts‘, I pointed out four conflict
configurations that are paid little attention by conflict theorists.

In this article, I would like to discuss a fifth conflict configuration that is effectively ignored by conflict
theorists (and virtually everyone else). This conflict is undoubtedly the most fundamental conflict in human
society, because it generates all of the violence humans perpetrate and experience, and yet it is utterly invisible
to almost everyone.

I have previously described this conflict as ‘the adult war on children’. It is indeed humanity’s ‘dirty little
secret’.

Let me illustrate and explain …

(Full article …)

The Next Step: The Campaign for Julian Assange

by Binoy Kampmark / June 26th, 2018
The modern detainee in a political sense has to be understood in the abstract. Those who take to feats of
hacking, publishing and articulating positions on the issue of institutional secrets have become something of a
species, not as rare as they once were, but no less remarkable for that fact. And what a hounded species at
that.
 Across the globe prisons are now peopled by traditional, and in some instances, unconventional journalists,
who have found themselves in the possession of classified material. In one specific instance, Julian Assange of
WikiLeaks stands tall, albeit in limited space, within the Ecuadorean embassy …
(Full article …)

Young Protesters are defying Israel’s Blockade with Scraps of Paper and Plastic
by Jonathan Cook / June 25th, 2018
First Israel built a sophisticated missile interception system named Iron Dome to neutralise the threat of
homemade rockets fired out of Gaza.

Next it created technology that could detect and destroy tunnels Palestinians had cut through the parched
earth deep under the fences Israel erected to imprison Gaza on all sides.

Israel’s priority was to keep Gaza locked down with a blockade and its two million inhabitants invisible.

Now Israel is facing a new and apparently even tougher challenge: how to stop Palestinian resistance from
Gaza using flaming kites, which have set fire to lands close by in Israel. F-16 fighter jets …
(Full article …)

Assad to Ban Foreign Money from Syria Reconstruction

"We don’t need the West"
by RT / June 25th, 2018
Syrian President Bashar Assad speaks to Russian NTV channel © Reuters
Syria will not allow Western investors to step into the rebuilding of war-damaged country as they only come to
“take” from foreign economies, Syria’s Bashar Assad told Russian media, adding he will seek friendly aid
instead.

The US and its Western allies have been actively engaged in the seven-year long war in Syria, including the
illegal stationing of troops in the country and backing anti-government militants such as Free Syrian Army
(FSA) and “moderate” Islamist groups. The …
(Full article …)

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