Afghanistan Papers Proves U.S. Invasion Was Built on Lies, Deceit and Confusion
Paul Antonopoulos | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history, is based on lies made by top U.S. officials and was “idiotic” as there was no clear plan, according to the documents published by the Washington Post, dubbed the …
globalresearch.ca/afghanistan-papers-pro…
‘Afghanistan Papers’ release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans
Michael Kramer | workers.org | 2019-12-16
On Dec. 9, 2019, the Washington Post released an investigative report entitled “The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War.” The report was based on a review of hundreds of written and audio interviews conducted by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Those interviewed included military officers, . . . | Continue reading ‘Afghanistan Papers’ release stirs protest from U.S. war veterans at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44905/
Afghanistan: Oh, When Will We Ever Learn?
Thomas Knapp | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
“U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign,” the Washington Post’s Craig Whitlock reports, “making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable.” Whitlock bases that claim on a collection of candid, confidential interviews with more than 400 military…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/afghanistan-…
The Afghanistan Papers Confirm America’s Longest War Is a Lie
Sonali Kolhatkar | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The Washington Post’s Afghanistan Papers, detailing a true history of the nation’s longest official war, reveals nothing new about the war’s futility or about the fact that it was doomed to failure from almost the beginning.
globalresearch.ca/afghanistan-papers-con…
A Hidden Majority: UK General Election 2019
Afshin Rattansi | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
The threat posed by Jeremy Corbyn to the powerful and privileged in Britain at the 2019 general election was far more severe than the one from Clement Attlee in 1945. While his Labour Party manifesto may have just laid out plans for a return to post-war norms of a “civilized” European social democratic state, Corbyn’s…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/a-hidden-maj…
Medical Doctors Issue Urgent Australian Appeal to Save Julian Assange
Doctors for Assange | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
More than 100 medical doctors have issued an urgent appeal to the Australian government to protect the life of its citizen, imprisoned WikiLeaks journalist and publisher Julian Assange. | The doctors’ action follows warnings from medical and human rights experts that …
globalresearch.ca/medical-doctors-issue-…
The Armenian Genocide: US Congress’ Recognition and Remembrance. Ignores White House and Turkey’s Objection
Sarah Abed | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Over a century ago, the systematic mass extermination and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians from the Ottoman Empire took place between 1914 and 1923 (some accounts state 1915-1922). For decades, Turkish and Israeli lobbies in Washington have successfully prevented …
globalresearch.ca/congress-ignores-white…
Trump Regime Breaching Mandated Judicial Procedures Against Assange
Stephen Lendman | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
According to the London Daily Mail, the Trump regime intends to use secret evidence against Assange — undisclosed to him and his legal team, wanting them prevented from preparing a proper defense. | He faces 18 spurious charges under the …
globalresearch.ca/trump-regime-breaching…
After Impeachment and Acquittal, Expect a Vicious Republican Counterattack
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
In the past, despite their differences, our political leaders were in agreement that to at least preserve the ideals behind our democratic system it was important to pay lip service to the spirit of the law. For instance, during the Iraq war, the Bush administration committed war crimes. But officials didn’t come right out and say, “Yes, we torture people. What are you going to do about it?” There were consequences to openly defying the law, which they knew could get quite serious down the road.
truthout.org/articles/after-impeachment-…
Democracy 21 Supports Articles of Impeachment, Essential Need to Hold President Trump Accountable for Gross Abuse of his Powers
commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/16/dem…
Democrats combine impeachment and collaboration with Trump
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
In the midst of the impeachment inquiry, congressional Democrats are collaborating with Trump on trade war, attacks on immigrants, and massive military build-up.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/pers…
Nationwide Mobilization for Impeachment in More Than 500 Communities in All 50 States and D.C
commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/16/nat…
Democrats Should Go After Trump’s Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
Donald Trump is set to become the third president to be impeached when the Democrat-controlled House votes Wednesday on two charges related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. The vote will send the charges to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will then hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Witnesses who could be called to testify include former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Ea…
truthout.org/video/democrats-should-go-a…
‘To protect our democracy,’ Tuesday night rallies planned in all 50 states to demand Congress votes to impeach Trump
Julia Conley | nationofchange.org | 2019-12-16
“It’s on us, the people, to protect our democracy. Congress will only act if we the people demand it.”
nationofchange.org/2019/12/16/to-protect…
Plea for the Liberation of Julian Assange. Response from the Archbishop of Canterbury
Diana Johnstone | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Dear Friends, | The plea which you kindly signed calling on the Archbishop of Canterbury to use his moral influence to bring about liberation of Julian Assange from Belmarsh prison was delivered to Lambeth Palace in London last November 29. On | …
globalresearch.ca/plea-liberation-julian…
2019 Latin America in Review: Year of the Revolt of the Dispossessed
Roger D. Harris | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
2019 has not been an entirely bullish year for US imperialism, notwithstanding the hard turns to the right in Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Powerful winds against neoliberalism are gusting in Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and even in the US “Commonwealth” of Puerto Rico.
mintpressnews.com/2019-latin-america-rev…
Bolivia’s New US-Backed Interim Gov’t Wastes No Time Privatizing Economy
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
It has been barely one month since the administration of Jeanine Añez seized power in a military coup in Bolivia, but it has wasted no time in attempting to transform the economy and society. Its latest move is aimed at privatizing the country’s economy. A government spokesperson confirmed the fears of many, claiming that “I believe the government should reduce its own size” and a protagonistic role should be given to private enterprises. In case that was not clear enough, he emphasized, “Yes, I’m talking a…
mintpressnews.com/bolivia-interim-govern…
New Bolivian Gov’t Leading Country to Bankruptcy: Evo Morales
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Bolivian President Evo Morales, who is now an asylum seeker in Argentina after the coup d’etat against him, warned that the de-facto government is leading the South American country “to bankruptcy” because “they have paralyzed the productive apparatus and halted public investment.” | RELATED: | De-Facto Bolivian President to Issue Arrest Warrant for Morales | Using his Twitter account on Monday, the democratically elected President tweeted that the main issue of the economic r…
telesurenglish.net/news/New-Bolivian-Gov…
Malta: Masses take to the streets demanding resignation of Prime Minister Muscat
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
Masses of people have taken to the streets on the island of Malta to demand the resignation of the country’s prime minister following the murder of a Maltese journalist.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/malt…
°Manos de Estados Unidos fuera de Venezuela!
Editor | workers.org | 2019-12-16
En la reunión del Tratado Interamericano de Asistencia Recíproca (TIAR) en Bogotá, Colombia, el 3 de diciembre, unos 15 países tomaron medidas contra el gobierno bolivariano de Venezuela. Restringieron los viajes de los principales miembros del gobierno venezolano, incluidos su presidente y vicepresidente. Este paso hostil de estos países, cuyos . . . | Continue reading °Manos de Estados Unidos fuera de Venezuela! at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44915/
Colombians Launch National Cacerolazo Against Tax Reform
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Thousands participated in a pot-banging protest in Bogota on Monday afternoon in the Plaza de Bolivar, in order to demand the burying of a tax reform bill in the Congress of the Republic, as it lowers duties on businesses. | RELATED: | Colombians Protest Against Tax Reform in Front of Congress | Colombia’s National Strike Committee, comprised of major unions and student organizations, called this Monday for a national ‘cacerolazo’ (pot-banging protest) in rejection of the tax refor…
telesurenglish.net/news/Colombians-Launc…
Erdogan Threatens to Close 2 US Military Bases in Turkey
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Sunday to shut down two strategic military bases used by the United States if Washington imposes sanctions on Turkey for buying the S-400 Russian missile system. | RELATED: | Turkey Stands Its Ground Against NATO Over Syria Dispute | “If necessary, we’ll close Incirlik and also Kurecik,” Erdogan said in a televised…
telesurenglish.net/news/Erdogan-Threaten…
New WikiLeaks documents expose phony claims of 2018 Syria chemical weapons attack
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The latest round of revelations makes clear that the US-led regime change operation in Syria has been based on a pack of lies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/chem…
Ltamenah Village: Syrian Military Finds Massive Weapons Left Behind by NATO Terrorists
Miri Wood | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Ltamenah is a village in Hama countryside which the Syrian Arab Army recently cleansed of foreign-owned and armed terrorist savages. Last week, authorities discovered a mass grave. This week, they have found a massive quantity of weapons left behind: …
globalresearch.ca/ltamenah-military-find…
Chilean President’s Disapproval Rating Jumps to 79 Percent
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
A recent survey revealed that the disapproval of the management of President Sebastián Piñera increased to 79 percent, two points more than the previous week. | RELATED: | ‘Concert for Dignity’ Marks 8 Weeks of Social Unrest in Chile | While support for the Chilean President did not manage to lower or rise, it remained at 13 percent, despite the fact that Piñera focused on a constitutional accusation for human rights violations in the social protests that have occurred in the Sout…
telesurenglish.net/news/Chilean-Presiden…
‘Your batons can only break our bones, not our spirit of resistance’
Peoples Dispatch | peoplesdispatch.org | 2019-12-16
On Sunday, December 15, police in the Indian state of Delhi baton charged and tear gassed students of Jamia Millia Islamia University and laid a siege on nearby Muslim dominated colony. According to reports, police entered university hostels and library, thrashing students and firing tear gas inside the library reading room. Numerous students were injured, with three said to be in critical condition. | The Jamia students and residents were protesting against the discriminatory citizenship law and all India National Register of Citizens being implemented by far-right Indian government.
peoplesdispatch.org/2019/12/16/your-bato…
Unrest Grows in India Over New Citizenship Law
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-16
NEW DELHI–Thousands of university students flooded the streets of India’s capital, while a southern state government led a march and demonstrators held a silent protest in the northeast on Monday to protest a new law giving citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India illegally to flee religious persecution in several neighboring countries. | The protests in New Delhi followed a night of violent clashes between police and demonstrators at Jamia Millia Islamia University. People who student organizers said were not students set three buses on fire and police stormed the university library, firing tear gas at…
truthdig.com/articles/unrest-grows-in-in…
Army Injures Several Palestinians Near Nablus
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Israeli soldiers injured, on Monday evening, several Palestinians in Sebastia town, north of Nablus, in northern West Bank. Mohammad Azem, the mayor of Sebastia, said several army jeeps invaded the center of the town, before stopping and harassing many Palestinians. Azem added that many Palestinians protested the invasion, and hurled …
imemc.org/article/army-injures-several-p…
India: The Self-Professed ‘World’s Largest Democracy’ Is Experiencing a Real Social Uprising
Andrew Korybko | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Increasingly violent protests are sweeping the self-professed “world’s largest democracy” as its people fight to protect the secular nature of their state following Prime Minister Modi’s decision to push forward with a religiously discriminatory citizenship amendment, with this national uprising …
globalresearch.ca/self-professed-world-l…
Lebanon Delays Nomination of New PM, Political Crisis Deepens
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
The expected nomination of caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri as Lebanon’s premiere was postponed Monday after major Christian parties said they would not support the candidacy. | RELATED: | Lebanon Protests Take Violent Turn, Thousands Protest Crackdown | According to political sources, the decision comes as the Christian Lebanese Forces (LF) party refused to name neither Hariri nor anyone else for prime minister, as they have stated they want a cabinet of independent sp…
telesurenglish.net/news/Lebanon-Delays-N…
Mass Protests Spread in India After Citizenship Law Passes
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
Protests over a new Indian citizenship law based on religion spread to student campuses on Monday as critics said the Hindu nationalist government was pushing a partisan agenda in conflict with the country’s founding as a secular republic. | RELATED: | Indian Police Clashes with Anti-Citizenship Law Protesters | Students pelted stones at police who locked up the gates of a college in the northern city of Lucknow to prevent them from taking to the streets. About two dozen s…
telesurenglish.net/news/Mass-Protests-Sp…
After UK government silence, over 100 medical doctors urge Australia to defend Assange
John McEvoy | thecanary.co | 2019-12-16
On 22 November, over 60 medical doctors signed an open letter to the UK government concerning WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The letter, addressed to the UK home secretary Priti Patel and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, expressed concerns that Assange “could die in prison”. Despite wide media coverag…
thecanary.co/global/world-news/2019/12/1…
Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Assange’s threatened extradition, but declares he is “not a journalist”
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The blog post justifying the decision to exclude Julian Assange from a list of imprisoned journalists is shot through with contradictions and double-speak.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/cpjj…
IG report exposes FBI, Congressional, and media deceit in Russia probe
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-16
A new report from DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz confirms that the FBI relied on the Steele dossier — a…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/ig-report-exp…
Monday’s Daily Brief: anti-corruption conference, refugees’ summit, food extremes, Yemen aid
news.un.org | 2019-12-16
Our top stories for Monday include: major international conference on anti-corruption underway; first ever Global Refugee Forum kicks off; global undernutrition and obesity crisis laid bare; food aid in Yemen; the power of youth to end hunger.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/12/1…
Maduro Causes a Stir with About-Face on Dollarisation
Clodovaldo Hernández | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Former Vice President, turned journalist and TV host José Vicente Rangel recently returned to the screen in a big way with an interview with President Nicolas Maduro, in which Maduro shook the hornet’s nest with his comments concerning dollarisation….
globalresearch.ca/maduro-causes-stir-abo…
Progressives Need a United Front for Sanders and Warren
Norman Solomon | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren greet each other at the start of the Democratic presidential debate at the Fox Theatre on July 30, 2019, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/progre…
The Centuries-Long History of Extractive Greed
Josue De Luna Navarro | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
Two years after spilling 407,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota, the Keystone Pipeline erupted again. In November, a North Dakota portion of the pipeline leaked another 380,000 gallons — adding to the millions of gallons of crude oil that have spilled from pipelines over the last decade, as Undark has reported. As the climate…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/the-centurie…
Investors Join Forces to Demand U.S. Energy Majors Align with Paris Climate Goals
commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
______________________________…
commondreams.org/newswire/2019/12/16/inv…
Climate: From Catastrophe to Cataclysm
Manuel García, Jr. | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
Please watch the 23 minute video, linked below, to completion. It shows an interview of Dr. Peter Carter (Director Climate Emergency Institute, IPCC expert reviewer, Co-author in 2018 of Unprecedented Crime: Climate Science Denial and Game Changers for Survival). This interview was conducted at COPS25 (“this is set up to fail”) currently underway in Madrid,…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/climate-from…
Geoengineering is no climate fix. But calling it a moral hazard could be counterproductive
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-12-16
Desperate times call for desperate measures. In recent years and in the face of unprecedented changes in the climate system, some previously unknown and risky solutions have been proposed to put a halt to the chain of climate disasters, or at least to slow down the speed of their onslaught. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/12/16/geoengineering-i…
Climate Change Accounting: The Failure of COP25
Dr. Binoy Kampmark | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Prior to the UN Convention on Climate Change talks held in Madrid, the sense that tradition would assert itself was hard to buck. Weariness and frustration came in the wake of initial high minded optimism. Delegates spent an extra two …
globalresearch.ca/climate-change-failure…
Why Elliott Abrams is Smurf villain Gargamel
Anya Parampil | thegrayzone.com | 2019-12-16
Trump Administration Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abram is not only the spitting image of Gargamel; the Smurfs are a…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/16/elliott-abram…
U.S. Regime Change Operation Is Taking Shape in Mexico?
Rainer Shea | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
When it comes to Mexico, one can at this point easily spot the signs of a brewing U.S. regime change operation. Since Mexico’s president Andre Manuel López Obrador was elected last year, he’s been thoroughly vilified by the U.S. media. …
globalresearch.ca/u-s-regime-change-oper…
Head of UK Israel Lobby Group Announces Gov’t Plan To Ban Boycotting Israel
Whitney Webb | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
After an election dogged by the weaponization of anti-Semitism, the victorious UK conservative party has announced a new legislative push that would prevent the public sector from working with any individual or organization that supports a boycott of Israel’s government.
mintpressnews.com/uk-conservative-ban-bo…
Venezuela Allocates 76 Percent of Budget to Social Investment
telesurenglish.net | 2019-12-16
The Venezuelan government will allocate 75.9 percent of the 2020 budget to social investment, which places the country as a benchmark in the search for protection and the fair distribution of income, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on Monday. | The Venezuelan official presented this Monday to the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) and other authorities to the draft national budget for 2020, which provides 404 development projects. | “It will be a social protection budget, focused on the National System platform, a social equality budget,” she said. | In addition, she said that thanks to the 20…
telesurenglish.net/news/Venezuela-Alloca…
ALBA Summit: Venezuela Promises to Relaunch PetroCaribe in 2020
Paul Dobson | venezuelanalysis.com | 2019-12-16
Heads of state also pledged to bolster various regional social programs including the Miracle Mission and Latin American Medical Schools.
venezuelanalysis.com/news/14745
‘The Calculated Subversion of Humanity’ …and How to Resist It
Julian Rose | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
As we transition into 2020, our World is in the grip of a deliberate attempt to destroy the fundamental values upon which all civilised life depends. | Humanitarian values of love, kindness, compassion and mutual support — are being deliberately blocked, …
globalresearch.ca/subversion-humanity-ho…
Analysis: Jerusalem is at the Heart of the Palestinian Cause
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
By: Burak Bir for Anadolu Agency The heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, and what is happening today in Gaza is for Jerusalem, a Palestinian expert said last week. “If the heart of the Palestinian cause is Jerusalem, Palestine’s striking force is Gaza.
imemc.org/article/analysis-jerusalem-is-…
Progressives Need a United Front for Warren and Sanders
Norman Solomon | truthdig.com | 2019-12-16
Corporate Democrats are out to destroy them both. Only through their camps’ tacit corporation will one be able to capture the nomination.
truthdig.com/articles/progressives-need-…
The Pentagon budget still rising, 40 years later
William D. Hartung | nationofchange.org | 2019-12-16
The rationale for spending more than $700 billion a year on the Pentagon–and well over $1.2 trillion for national security writ large–simply does not exist.
nationofchange.org/2019/12/16/the-pentag…
US-China deal a new phase in global trade war
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
In the longer term, the US wrecking operation against the World Trade Organisation is probably the most significant action in the global trade war.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/usch…
B’Tselem: To Understand the Violence of Israel’s Occupation, Know These 30 Stories
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
By Hagai El-Ad for +972 Magazine Aishah Abu Laban is 70 years old. It has been 30 years since the fateful day in 1989 when an Israeli soldier shot and killed her daughter Rufaydah, 13, but she will never forget it. Rufaydah, who lived in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, was killed …
imemc.org/article/btselem-to-understand-…
Israeli Soldiers Abduct 23 Palestinians In West Bank
IMEMC News | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Israeli soldiers abducted, Monday, at least 23 Palestinians from several parts of the occupied West Bank; 22 of the abducted were taken prisoner after the soldiers stormed and ransacked their homes, and one after being stopped at a military roadblock. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said the soldiers abducted Majd …
imemc.org/article/israeli-soldiers-abduc…
Dozens of Palestinian Workers Suffocate on Tear Gas
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Dozens of Palestinian laborers suffered from tear gas inhalation, on Sunday, as near al-Ziraeia gate, along the Apartheid Wall, west of the town of Qaffin, northeast of the city of Tulkarem, northern occupied West Bank. Alray reported that Israeli forces pursued a group of laborers on their way to their …
imemc.org/article/dozens-of-palestinian-…
Settlers Damage Road Equipment in Jordan Valley
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
Illegal Israeli settlers, on Saturday night, vandalized a number of bulldozers that were parked at the site of a road working project in the Jordan Valley region, the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported. Salah Zayed, the project contractor, said that he and staff of …
imemc.org/article/settlers-damage-road-e…
B’Tselem: When You Work for Thirty Years You Learn a Few Things. Here’s What We’ve Learned Since 1989
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
The Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) reported that during a speech at Khan al-Ahmar, marking 30 years since the establishment of B’Tselem, Executive Director of the Israeli human rights center, Hagai El-Ad delivered the following speech: “When you work for thirty years you learn a few things. Here’s what …
imemc.org/article/btselem-when-you-work-…
Israel’s Haaretz: 256 Cases of Israeli Settlers’ Violence Towards Palestinians
IMEMC & Agencies | imemc.org | 2019-12-16
An increase in Israeli settlers’ aggression against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank compared to recent years, Alray reported. The Israeli paper Haaretz published data from Israeli security institutions that documented 256 cases of Israeli settlers’ aggression against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security services expressed …
imemc.org/article/israels-haaretz-256-ca…
Lessons From Battling the Pentagon for Four Decades
William Hartung | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
In 2019, Pentagon spending is actually higher than it was at the peak of either the Korean or Vietnam conflicts and may soon be—adjusted for inflation—twice the Cold War average. (Photo: David B. Gleason/flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/lesson…
British Weapons Manufacturers, Banks, See Share Price Rocket after Conservative Election Victory
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2019-12-16
Almost every one of Britain’s top arms producers saw large spikes in their share price immediately following the news that Boris Johnson was to become the next Prime Minister.
mintpressnews.com/uk-weapons-manufacture…
Payday Lenders Have Embraced Installment Loans to Evade Regulation
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-12-16
Installment loans seem like a kinder, gentler version of their “predatory” cousin, the payday loan. But for consumers, they may be even more harmful. | Use of the installment loan, in which a consumer borrows a lump sum and pays back the principal and interest in a series of regular payments, has grown dramatically since 2013 as regulators began to rein in payday lending. In fact, payday lend…
truthout.org/articles/payday-lenders-hav…
Trump’s Monroe Doctrine 2.0
Wayne Madsen | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Donald John Trump has turned back the clock in the Western Hemisphere to an era that saw coups and political unrest as the order of the day. Trump and his administration of far-right and pro-fascists have already overthrown the democratically-elected …
globalresearch.ca/trumps-monroe-doctrine…
Egyptian dictatorship causing spike in youth suicide
Aboulfotouh Kandil | peoplesworld.org | 2019-12-16
The increasing suicide among youth is one of the fatal consequences of the 2013 military coup in Egypt. This has become a nightmare to the regime fearing that it could cause revolution that topples it. Neither the regime nor Egyptians have forgotten that in order to show his opposition to injustice, oppression and poverty, the …
peoplesworld.org/article/egyptian-dictat…
Michael Bennet Keeps Going Backwards on Child Benefits
Matt Bruenig | peoplespolicyproject.org | 2019-12-16
Michael Bennet and Mitt Romney released a Child Tax Credit proposal last night. When reorganized logically, the proposed CTC has three pieces: | $1,000 CTC that phases in at a 15 percent rate for all children. | $1,000 CTC that is fully refundable for all children. | $500 CTC that is fully refundable for children ages 0 to 6. | Thus, young children would receive $1,500 in fully refundable benefits while older children would receive $1,000 in fully refundable benefits. Both would then re…
peoplespolicyproject.org/2019/12/16/mich…
Socialist Equality Party used UK general election to put forward a socialist perspective
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
The SEP’s candidates reached thousands of workers and youth and was followed across Britain and internationally.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/camp…
Rating the 2020 Democrats at This Weekend’s Education Forum
Carol Burris | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
Warren argued throughout for increased funding for public education, funded by her proposed wealth tax. (Photo: Public Education Forum in Pittsburgh) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/views/2019/12/16/rating…
On Rogues and Rogue States
Fred Reed | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
I have just finished reading William Shirer’s Berlin Diary. (This may not fascinate you, but I am coming to something.) I first encountered it in high school. It is of course Shirer’s account as a correspondent in Germany of the …
globalresearch.ca/rogue-states/5697889
The Revelations About Cambridge Analytica Indicate Clearly that Western Governments Are Subverting Democracy
Kitty S Jones | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
This carefully research article by Kitty S. Jones (first published on March 20, 2019) provides us with an understanding of what happened to the U.K. on election night, December 12, 2019. | It informs us on the insidious election strategies envisaged …
globalresearch.ca/revelations-cambridge-…
Those Torture Drawings by Guantanamo Prisoner in the NYT
John Kiriakou | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
In 2002, John Kiriakou captured the Guantanamo prisoner who drew those sickening pictures. Abu Zubaydah has a constitutional right to face his accusers in court, or be released, Kiriakou says. | *** | The New York Times last week published shocking drawings…
globalresearch.ca/those-torture-drawings…
Pamir Highway: The Road on the Roof of the World
Pepe Escobar | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
This is arguably the ultimate road trip on earth. Marco Polo did it. All the legendary Silk Road explorers did it. Traveling the Pamir Highway back to back, as a harsh winter approaches, able to appreciate it in full, in …
globalresearch.ca/pamir-highway-road-roo…
Stay Informed about What They Don’t Want You to Know: Support Global Research
The Global Research Team | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
As the saying goes, knowledge is power. The more informed we are the harder it becomes to deceive us. | We are currently facing an unprecedented threat to the independent media and freedom on the Internet. The ultimate goal is the …
globalresearch.ca/stay-informed-about-wh…
The Revelations About Cambridge Analytica Indicate Clearly that Western Governments Are Subverting Democracy
Kitty S Jones | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
I wrote an article about Cambridge Analytica, the commodification of voter decision making and the marketisation of democracy, along with previous articles about western government strategies for subverting democracy. I have also extensive…
globalresearch.ca/revelations-cambridge-…
Ontario Teachers Ramp Up the Pressure on the Tories
Dudley Paul | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Educators are ramping up their fight against the Tories’ 18-month attack on public education. | On Tuesday, public elementary teachers stepped up their work-to-rule refusing, for example, to participate in performance evaluations, plan new field trips, buy school supplies on their …
globalresearch.ca/educators-ramp-up-pres…
Open Rights Group Reveals How UK Political Parties Are Using Data to Profile Voters
Derek du Preez | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The Open Rights Group …
globalresearch.ca/open-rights-group-reve…
The Danish Orania (a Reply to M.G. Piety)
Andres D. Medellin | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
I would have never thought that I would be using the pages of Counterpunch to defend an article that appeared (of all places) in The New York Times. Yet, the contents of M.G. Piety’s “A Lesson From the Danes on Immigration” required some sort of reply. Piety describes the troubles she saw with Brooke Harrington’s NYT piece…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/the-danish-o…
What Does the Evidence Show?
Wim Laven | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
I learned many powerful lessons from my father. He was a dedicated pediatrician and he spent his last years doing medical evaluations for suspected child abuse. He was responsible for forensic analysis and, in some cases, evidence collection. Over lengthy conversations I learned of a number of his frustrations in this area, often due to…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/what-does-th…
An Ominousness Act: Jewish Nationality
Sheldon Richman | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order that implicitly defines Jewishness as a racial or national category and not as just a religious category. This is ominous. The order reinforces the Department of Education’s power to punish colleges that receive federal tax dollars if they allow Palestinian solidarity activities that offend pro-Israel Jewish students…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/an-ominousne…
Ann Arbor Taskforce on the Center of the City Commons
Peter Linebaugh | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
In October 2018 the voters of Ann Arbor, Michigan, approved an amendment to the City Charter for a commons in the center of the city. These remarks formed the basis of a brief talk to the Task Force charged with planning its implementation. We want an open space; we want a beautiful place; we want…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/ann-arbor-ta…
Human Rights, Myopic Perspectives, and Ideological Manipulations
Charles McKelvey | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
Since the 1990s, the U.S. government has launched manipulative ideological campaigns with respect to human rights in order to justify interventions in the affairs of nations that resist subordination to U.S. imperialist intentions. The U.S. ideologically manipulated human rights campaign has ignored the evolution of the meaning of democratic rights during the last two and…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/human-rights…
This week in history: December 16-22
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
On December 20, 1994, the Mexican peso was devalued, sending shock waves throughout the structure of world capitalism. Mexico had been touted for a decade as proof that the profit system was capable of developing the oppressed semi-colonial countries and transforming them into modern industrialized societies. Its collapse led to a generalized loss of confidence in “emerging markets” from Brazil to Poland.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/twih…
The Brexit Election Labour Lost. The Relentless Smear Attacks against Jeremy Corbyn
Diana Johnstone | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
The chorus of smear attacks on Jeremy Corbyn was so vile and relentless that it is unseemly to blame him personally for the defeat of his party in the December 12 parliamentary elections. Perhaps Labour’s defeat was inevitable. But with …
globalresearch.ca/brexit-election-labour…
Boris Johnson is the Luckiest Politician Alive
Patrick Cockburn | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
I suspected from the moment the general election was called that the result would be a large Conservative majority, a calamitous defeat for Labour, and a decisive victory for Brexit. To prevent myself getting too depressed by this grim prospect, I picked out and read two books on crises that were far more dire: one on the Wars of the Roses in 15th century England and the other on Verdun in 1916, perhaps the most horrific battle in the First World War.
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/boris-johnso…
Johnson’s Brexit deal to be brought before Commons this week
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-12-16
MPs will be asked to vote on the prime minister’s Brexit deal this week as the government begins its push to take Britain out of the European Union next month.The Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) will be brought before the commons on Friday — and could be debated at first and second reading in one day, if the Speaker agrees to the timetable.Boris Johnson said during the general election campaign that he would kick-start the process of exiting the EU before families tuck into their turkeys on Christmas Day if he was re-elected.The prime minister’s official spokesperson told a Westminster briefing: “We plan to…
thecanary.co/uk/news/2019/12/16/johnsons…
Brexit and the Collapse of British Labour: A Post-Mortem on the UK Election
Jack Rasmus | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
Last week, the British parliamentary election gave conservative Boris Johnson a big victory, and leveled an historic defeat on the British Labour Party not witnessed since 1935. Johnson now has an absolute majority in Parliament and his quick march to a hard Brexit is now very likely. Once the leading global capitalist economic world power,…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/brexit-and-t…
Hallmark Channel Reinstates Same-Sex Ads
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-12-16
NEW YORK–The Hallmark Channel, reversing what it called a “wrong decision,” said Sunday it will reinstate commercials featuring same-sex couples that it had pulled following a complaint from a conservative group. | The earlier decision by Crown Media, Hallmark’s parent company, to pull several ads for the wedding planning site Zola featuring two brides kissing at the altar had launched a storm of protest. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and William Shatner criticized the move and the hashtag #BoycottHallmarkChannel was trending on Twitter at one point. | “The Crown Media team has been agonizing over this d…
truthdig.com/articles/hallmark-channel-r…
Surrendering to the ‘woke army’? Hallmark apologizes after pulling ad featuring same-sex wedding
rt.com | 2019-12-16
Hallmark has reversed its decision to ax an ad on its network that showed a same-sex female couple, after the move sparked outrage on social media. But not everyone is happy about the backpedaling. | The television channel, known for its corny holiday films, initially came under fire from a conservative group, One Million Moms, for airing a commercial for the wedding site Zola.The ad showed two women tying the knot, leading to accusations that the network had besmirched its “family-friendly” programming. Perhaps naively believing it could avoid a scandal, Hallmark relented and pulled the ad. | It wasn’t long b…
rt.com/usa/475976-hallmark-gay-wedding-a…
Ralph Nader on Impeachment: Democrats Should Go After Trump’s Full Corruption, Not Just Ukraine
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-16
Donald Trump is set to become the third president to be impeached when the Democrat-controlled House votes Wednesday on two charges related to his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival Joe Biden. The vote will send the charges to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will then hold a trial on whether to remove Trump from office. Witnesses who could be called to testify include former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Early Monday, the House Judiciary Committee released its full report on Trump’s impeachment that is nearly 700 pag…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/16/ralph_na…
Boeing May Suspend 737 MAX, But Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader Wants a Total Recall of Deadly Planes
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-16
Executives at Boeing are reportedly considering ending production of the troubled 737 MAX passenger jet, which was grounded worldwide after two crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed all 346 people on board. Last week, former Boeing manager Edward Pierson testified to the House Transportation Committee that he tried to warn executives about safety concerns four months before the first deadly crash, as well as before the second crash, but his warnings were ignored. We continue our conversation with Ralph Nader, longtime consumer advocate, corporate critic and three-time presidential candidate, whose great-n…
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/16/ralph_na…
COP25 Was a Failure, But Activists’ Collective Organizing at the Talks Was Unprecedented
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-12-16
The COP25 United Nations climate summit ended in failure Sunday, after negotiators failed to agree to a deal that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — a key goal of the Paris Agreement. Scores of civil society groups condemned governments in the European Union, Australia, Canada and the U.S. for a deal that requires far less action than needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Indigenous leaders and environmentalists blasted the United Nations for marginalizing civil society groups over two weeks of negotiations at the climate summit, while welcoming polluters.
www.democracynow.org/2019/12/16/cop25_fa…
NATO Summit strengthens the ‘War Party’
Manlio Dinucci | workers.org | 2019-12-16
This Dec. 6 article from the Italian web newspaper, Il Manifesto, shows how the Dec. 3-4 London NATO Summit reinforced the belligerent stance of that military alliance. Before 1991, NATO was a U.S.-dominated alliance of European and North American imperialist interests directed at the USSR and the East European socialist . . . | Continue reading NATO Summit strengthens the ‘War Party’ at Workers.org…
workers.org/2019/12/44893/
L’esplosivo Della Strage Di Piazza Fontana Proveniva Dalle Basi Nato
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
La Denuncia Del Magistrato Imposimato: | Nel 50 ∞ anniversario della strage di Piazza Fontana, ripubblichiamo l’intervento del magistrato Ferdinando Imposimato, Presidente Onorario della Suprema Corte di Cassazione, al Convegno del Comitato No Guerra No Nato, svoltosi a Roma il 26 Ottobre …
globalresearch.ca/lesplosivo-della-strag…
The Hidden Military Use of 5G Technology
Manlio Dinucci | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
At the London Summit, the 29 member countries of NATO agreed to “guarantee the security of our communications, including 5G”. Why is this fifth generation of mobile data transmission so important for NATO? | While the earlier technologies were perfected to …
globalresearch.ca/hidden-military-use-5g…
100+ Doctors Urge Australian Govt to Ensure Julian Assange’s Safe Passage to Australian Hospital ‘Before It Is Too Late’
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
“That we, as doctors, feel ethically compelled to hold governments to account on medical grounds speaks volumes about the gravity of the medical, ethical, and human rights travesties that are taking place.” | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
commondreams.org/news/2019/12/16/100-doc…
Democrats Urged to Reject $1.375 Billion for Trump Border Wall in Compromise Spending Bill
Eoin Higgins, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-12-16
commondreams.org/sites/default/files/sty… …
Selected Articles: New WikiLeaks Bombshell
Global Research News | globalresearch.ca | 2019-12-16
Global Research strives to shine light on the under-reported, less known injustices ignored or buried. | | Governments know it too, which is why there is an unprecedented threat to the independent media and the Internet. Fight-back was never more needed. | Please, …
globalresearch.ca/selected-articles-new-…
Across the Balkans: Sarajevo
Matthew Stevenson | counterpunch.org | 2019-12-16
An account of a journey from Croatia to Kosovo, by way of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Serbia, and with a detour into Montenegro. This is part IV of a series. To cover the siege lines that once encircled Sarajevo took most of the afternoon. My driver had been a teenager during the war years, and he well…
counterpunch.org/2019/12/16/across-the-b…
Trump’s Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Attacks Free Speech, Palestinians, and Jews
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-12-16
Dima Khalidi discusses the legal and civil society ramifications of President Trump’s executive order adopting the controversial IHRA working definition on antisemitism, defining Judaism as a race or nationality, which would threaten free speech on US campuses and sow divisions among US Jews, and criminalize the BDS movement.
therealnews.com/stories/trumps-executive…
Trump’s mean words harm our agency, says former FBI Director — just don’t ask about our past!
rt.com | 2019-12-16
President Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on the FBI are a “dire threat” to the rule of law in America, according to former FBI Director William Webster. But the agency has a scandal-rich history and needs more, not less, scrutiny. | Trump has referred to certain FBI officials as “scum” and former agency Director James Comey as a “slimeball.” He’s accused Comey of launching the 2016 ‘Russiagate’ investigation against his campaign for nakedly partisan reasons, and his Attorney General, William Barr, has accused the agency of acting in “bad faith” in its handling of the 2016 probe. | This renewed attention on the…
rt.com/usa/476042-trump-attack-fbi-direc…
Sri Lankan authorities delay on whether to prosecute award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara
wsws.org | 2019-12-16
Sri Lanka’s ruling elite is whipping up religious communalism to counter the development of unified mass action by workers, youth and the rural poor against government austerity and attacks on democratic rights.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/16/sath…
‘Girl, stop talking right now’: Whoopi shuts down interrupting Meghan McCain, internet celebrates (VIDEO)
rt.com | 2019-12-16
The View host Whoopi Goldberg has finally done what everyone who’s ever watched the show was praying for her to do – shut down constantly-interjecting co-host Meghan McCain after one too many entitled interruptions. | McCain finally pushed Goldberg over the edge as she attempted to talk over co-host Sunny Hostin, discussing the looming impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Boasting that she is a Political Analyst, not just a talk-show host like the four other women at the table, McCain successfully wrested the conversation away from Hostin and kept going. After a few polite attempts to stem the flow of…
rt.com/usa/476035-whoopi-mccain-view-sma…