Daily Archives: August 5, 2019

2019-08-05: News Headlines

Eve Ottenberg (2019-08-05). The Case for Socialism. counterpunch.org Anyone doubting the arguments for socialism, should read Bhaskar Sunkara's "The Socialist Manifesto." It presents old rationales in new clothes; the clothes are simple and attractive, while the rationales are sound. They come, however, with a big warning. "We certainly don't want to repeat the last century's attempts, whether in Russia or China, to impose More

Eds. (2019-08-05). Arctic fires: "You have to go to a different planet to find a more persistent type" mronline.org Here's a sentence for you: The Arctic is burning. Yes, that Arctic—the traditionally cold and wet one, large swaths of which are being consumed by an astonishing number of wildfires, from Russia to Greenland to Alaska. | Source

Staff (2019-08-05). Headlines for August 5, 2019. democracynow.org White Supremacist Kills 20 People After Hate-Fueled Gun Rampage in El Paso, Gunman with Misogynistic Past Kills 9 People in Dayton, OH Shooting Spree, General Strike Grips Hong Kong as Protesters Refuse to Back Down, India Revokes Kashmir's Special Status as Tensions Mount in Disputed Region, Iran Seizes Tanker as Tensions Between Iran and U.S. Remain High, Russian Police Arrest 800+ Protesters as Crackdown on Dissent Continues, Sudan's Military Rulers and Opposition Leaders Sign Transition Agreement, 3 Mexican Journalists Killed in Under a Week, Pierluisi Sworn In as Puerto Rico's New Governor as San Juan Mayor…

Andrew Emett (2019-08-05). U.S. imposes 2nd round of sanctions against Russia for poisoning ex-spy. nationofchange.org The United States is announcing a second round of sanctions on Russia for its use of a 'novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal.

M. K. Bhadrakumar (2019-08-05). Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Drives Trump to Insanity. globalresearch.ca At a time when the Trump administration has no problem negotiating with the secretary of the Russian national security council Nikolai Patrushev, who is technically under US sanctions since April 2018, the cut and thrust of Washington's move to …

Tom H. Hastings (2019-08-05). Election annulment please. nationofchange.org Russia hacked and attacked our 2016 presidential election and installed Donald Trump. This requires annulment. Trump didn't even come close on the actual popular vote, losing to Clinton by some three million votes, and yet seized the White House by the arcane and anti-democratic electoral college, but only due to Russian illegal interference. This makes …

Shane Quinn (2019-08-05). World War II: US Military Destroyed 66 Japanese Cities Before Planning to Wipe Out the Same Number of Soviet Cities. globalresearch.ca The number of Japanese cities destroyed was the exact figure that the Pentagon compiled when finalizing plans, in mid-September 1945, to eviscerate the Soviet Union. Indeed, 66 Soviet cities were earmarked to be wiped out — with 204 atomic bombs — less than 2 weeks after Japan's surrender.

WSWS (2019-08-05). Russian authorities continue crackdown on opposition protests. wsws.org The violent crackdown on protests by the "liberal" opposition is aimed at intimidating all government opposition and preparing for the suppression of widespread resistance by the working class.

WSWS (2019-08-05). US to ring China with missiles in nuclear arms race. wsws.org With the potential deployment of US nuclear missiles just minutes in flight-time from the Chinese mainland, the region's huge population will live under the specter of nuclear annihilation.

WSWS (2019-08-05). Trump orders review of Pentagon's JEDI cloud computing contract. wsws.org Trump's decision to halt the bidding process reflects concerns over Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' opposition to the administration's policies.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2019-08-05). In Wake of Nuclear Treaty Collapse, Putin Says if US Pursues Previously Banned Missiles, Russia Will Also. commondreams.org "The collapse of the INF Treaty last Friday opens up a Pandora's Box of dangerous possibilities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/russia-if-us-nuclear-missiles-treaty.jpg

Aaron Maté (2019-08-04). Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay. thegrayzone.com Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…

RT (2019-08-03). A $32mn nothingburger: Justice Dept bill comes due for Russiagate costs. rt.com Nearly two years of fruitlessly hunting for collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government cost the country $31.7 million, the Justice Department has revealed.

The Canary (2019-08-03). Russian opposition figure detained ahead of Moscow protest. thecanary.co A leading opposition figure has been detained by Moscow police as she was heading to an unauthorised protest against the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from the city council elections.Lyubov Sobol, who is one of the election hopefuls rejected from the ballot, was detained on Saturday in central Moscow and taken away in a police van.Activists intend to go ahead with the unauthorised protest (AP)The attempted rally comes a week after police detained nearly 1,400 protesters, beating some of them with truncheons.Despite repeated warnings that police would take active measures against a protest on…

splcenter (2019-08-03). Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy. splcenter.org In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.

WSWS (2019-08-03). US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war. wsws.org The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.

RT (2019-08-02). Russian assets in America: A field guide. rt.com While the media likes to make a fuss about shady 'Russian hackers' and 'Russian bots' subverting democracy, did you know that America is actually full of Russian assets plying their trade openly? We find the worst of the worst.

Staff (2019-08-02). US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability. therealnews.com Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US is unilaterally withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which could have been re-negotiated if the US had acknowledged its own responsibility for the treaty's problems…

Staff (2019-08-02). Headlines for August 2, 2019. democracynow.org Pentagon to Receive $1.48 Trillion Under Two-Year Budget Deal, Russia Declares Nuclear Arms Treaty "Formally Dead" as U.S. Withdraws, Trump Threatens to Impose Steeper Tariffs on Chinese Goods, Puerto Rico Faces Succession Crisis as Disgraced Governor Resigns, Video Shows Dallas Police Mocking Man Who Died in Their Custody, Dozens Killed as Two Attacks Rattle Yemen's Port City of Aden, Four Killed as Sudanese Soldiers Fire on Peaceful Pro-Democracy Activists, Third Case of Ebola in Congolese City Sparks Fears in Neighboring Rwanda, U.S. Prepares to Withdraw Thousands of Troops Amid Peace Talks with Taliban, July…

United Nations (2019-08-02). UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty. un.org Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and Russia came to an end.

Matt Korda (2019-08-02). In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32. thenation.com In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32…

T.J. Coles (2019-08-02). Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents. counterpunch.org Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task More

unitedEditor (2019-08-01). Recent statements from Minister of Defense Hulisi Akar on Syria. uwidata.com "If we do not reach a consensus, we will be forced to form a security zone alone." There had been intense discussions between Turkey and the United States for several months over the S-400 issue. They were full of hard mutual accusations and threats from every side. Turkey did not back down, and Russia began …

Reese Erlich (2019-08-01). Why Is Russia in Syria? progressive.org It's for many of the same bad reasons used by the United States.

Eoin Higgins (2019-08-01). Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard. theantimedia.com The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.

unitedEditor (2019-07-31). The Future of Turkey-Russia Relations Post Shipments S-400 Missile System. uwidata.com Russia as a country has been able to come to the forefront of the international arena in recent times, especially since Vladimir Putin came to power, and then in 2000 as the country's president. But there is one point to consider both in the political and international spheres about Russia, which is that it can …

Staff (2019-07-31). 2nd Democratic Debate, Pt. 1: The Moderate/Progressive Divide Came Through (1/3). therealnews.com The first part of the second democratic debate showed a non-rancorous divide on how to beat Trump and fresh discussions first-use of nuclear weapons and for getting out of Afghanistan…

Staff (2019-07-31). Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan. democracynow.org While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.

unitedEditor (2019-07-31). The mountain gave birth to a mouse. uwidata.com After Ankara began to receive the S-400 missile systems they had purchased from Russia, Trump gathered republican senators for a meeting in the White House to discuss possible retaliatory actions against Turkey. Members of Congress have been unhappy with Turkey's decision to buy the long-range missile defense systems, but have not yet decided what measures …

United Nations (2019-07-30). 'Do something'; UN relief chief urges Security Council action to stop the Syrian carnage unfolding 'in front of your eyes'. un.org Bombing and shelling in Syria for more than 90 days by the Government and Russia have led to "carnage in the so-called de-escalation zone" of Idlib, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Tuesday, in his seventh update since the "current onslaught" began.

Lawrence Wittner (2019-07-30). Dear Moderators of the Presidential Debates. dissidentvoice.org You mass media folks lead busy lives, I'm sure. But you must have heard something about nuclear weapons — those supremely destructive devices that, along with climate change, threaten the continued existence of the human race. Yes, thanks to popular protest and carefully-crafted arms control and disarmament agreements, there has been some progress in limiting …

Paul Dobson (2019-07-01). US Sanctions Maduro's Son as Venezuela Discussed at G20. venezuelanalysis.com Russian President Vladimir Putin challenged Juan Guaido to run in elections while Trump said he has "five different alternatives for Venezuela."

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-17). Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …

2019-08-05: Social Media Postees

Arctic fires: "You have to go to a different planet to find a more persistent type"
Eds. | mronline.org | 2019-08-05
Here's a sentence for you: The Arctic is burning. Yes, that Arctic–the traditionally cold and wet one, large swaths of which are being consumed by an astonishing number of wildfires, from Russia to Greenland to Alaska. | Source…
mronline.org/2019/08/05/arctic-fires-you-have-to-go-to-a-different-planet-to-find-a-more-persistent-type/

Iran's Foreign Minister Zarif Drives Trump to Insanity
M. K. Bhadrakumar | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-05
At a time when the Trump administration has no problem negotiating with the secretary of the Russian national security council Nikolai Patrushev, who is technically under US sanctions since April 2018, the cut and thrust of Washington's move to …
globalresearch.ca/irans-zarif-drives-trump-insanity/5685632

U.S. imposes 2nd round of sanctions against Russia for poisoning ex-spy
Andrew Emett | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-05
The United States is announcing a second round of sanctions on Russia for its use of a 'novichok' nerve agent in an attempt to assassinate Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal.
nationofchange.org/2019/08/05/u-s-imposes-2nd-round-of-sanctions-against-russia-for-poisoning-ex-spy/

Election annulment please
Tom H. Hastings | nationofchange.org | 2019-08-05
Russia hacked and attacked our 2016 presidential election and installed Donald Trump. This requires annulment. Trump didn't even come close on the actual popular vote, losing to Clinton by some three million votes, and yet seized the White House by the arcane and anti-democratic electoral college, but only due to Russian illegal interference. This makes …
nationofchange.org/2019/08/05/election-annulment-please/

World War II: US Military Destroyed 66 Japanese Cities Before Planning to Wipe Out the Same Number of Soviet Cities
Shane Quinn | globalresearch.ca | 2019-08-05
The number of Japanese cities destroyed was the exact figure that the Pentagon compiled when finalizing plans, in mid-September 1945, to eviscerate the Soviet Union. Indeed, 66 Soviet cities were earmarked to be wiped out — with 204 atomic bombs — less than 2 weeks after Japan's surrender.
globalresearch.ca/us-military-destroyed-66-japanese-cities-before-planning-wipe-out-same-number-soviet-cities/5680934

Russian authorities continue crackdown on opposition protests
wsws.org | 2019-08-05
The violent crackdown on protests by the "liberal" opposition is aimed at intimidating all government opposition and preparing for the suppression of widespread resistance by the working class.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/05/russ-a05.html

US to ring China with missiles in nuclear arms race
wsws.org | 2019-08-05
With the potential deployment of US nuclear missiles just minutes in flight-time from the Chinese mainland, the region's huge population will live under the specter of nuclear annihilation.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/05/miss-a05.html

Trump orders review of Pentagon's JEDI cloud computing contract
wsws.org | 2019-08-05
Trump's decision to halt the bidding process reflects concerns over Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' opposition to the administration's policies.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/05/jedi-a05.html

In Wake of Nuclear Treaty Collapse, Putin Says if US Pursues Previously Banned Missiles, Russia Will Also
Andrea Germanos, staff writer | commondreams.org | 2019-08-05
"The collapse of the INF Treaty last Friday opens up a Pandora's Box of dangerous possibilities." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/russia-if-us-nuclear-missiles-treaty.jpg
commondreams.org/news/2019/08/05/wake-nuclear-treaty-collapse-putin-says-if-us-pursues-previously-banned-missiles?cd-origin=rss

Mueller time is over, Russia-hate is here to stay
Aaron Maté | thegrayzone.com | 2019-08-04
Stephen F. Cohen says that while Robert Mueller has closed up shop, dangerous U.S. fear-mongering about Russia remains. Guest: Stephen…
thegrayzone.com/2019/08/04/mueller-time-is-over-russia-hate-is-here-to-stay/

Russian opposition figure detained ahead of Moscow protest
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2019-08-03
A leading opposition figure has been detained by Moscow police as she was heading to an unauthorised protest against the exclusion of independent and opposition candidates from the city council elections.Lyubov Sobol, who is one of the election hopefuls rejected from the ballot, was detained on Saturday in central Moscow and taken away in a police van.Activists intend to go ahead with the unauthorised protest (AP)The attempted rally comes a week after police detained nearly 1,400 protesters, beating some of them with truncheons.Despite repeated warnings that police would take active measures against a protest on…
thecanary.co/global/2019/08/03/russian-opposition-figure-detained-ahead-of-moscow-protest/

A $32mn nothingburger: Justice Dept bill comes due for Russiagate costs
rt.com | 2019-08-03
Nearly two years of fruitlessly hunting for collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government cost the country $31.7 million, the Justice Department has revealed. | …
rt.com/usa/465706-mueller-investigation-cost-justice/

Weekend Read: The SPLC fights an internal threat to our democracy
splcenter.org | 2019-08-03
In his recent testimony before Congress, Special Counsel Robert Mueller pointedly warned the nation about Russia's ongoing attempts to meddle in our nation's elections.
splcenter.org/news/2019/08/03/weekend-read-splc-fights-internal-threat-our-democracy

US scrapping of INF treaty heightens threat of nuclear war
wsws.org | 2019-08-03
The formal abrogation of the treaty declared on Friday sets the stage for the testing and deployment of medium-range missiles against both Russia and China.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/08/03/inft-a03.html

UN chief laments ending of Cold War-era disarmament treaty
United Nations | un.org | 2019-08-02
Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deep regret" on Friday that the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the United States and Russia came to an end.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/08/1043691

Russian assets in America: A field guide
rt.com | 2019-08-02
While the media likes to make a fuss about shady 'Russian hackers' and 'Russian bots' subverting democracy, did you know that America is actually full of Russian assets plying their trade openly? We find the worst of the worst. | …
rt.com/usa/465690-russian-assets-in-america-guide/

In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32
Matt Korda | thenation.com | 2019-08-02
In Memoriam: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty Dies at 32…
thenation.com/article/intermediate-range-nuclear-forces-treaty-inf-obituary/

Ship of Fools: Britain, America and the Iranian Oil Tanker Incidents
T.J. Coles | counterpunch.org | 2019-08-02
Taking over from Britain's colonial role in exploiting the country, the US has bullied and tried to intimidate Iran for decades. The ongoing pretext for strangling Iran economically is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly finds no evidence for this repeated US-led lie. Then-US President Barack Obama's Task…
counterpunch.org/2019/08/02/ship-of-fools-britain-america-and-the-iranian-oil-tanker-incidents/

US Withdrawal from INF Treaty Creates Greater Nuclear Instability
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-08-02
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo announced that the US is unilaterally withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which could have been re-negotiated if the US had acknowledged its own responsibility for the treaty's problems…
therealnews.com/stories/us-withdrawal-from-inf-treaty-creates-greater-nuclear-instability

Why Is Russia in Syria?
Reese Erlich | progressive.org | 2019-08-01
It's for many of the same bad reasons used by the United States.
progressive.org/magazine/why-is-russia-in-syria-erlich-190801/

Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard
Eoin Higgins | theantimedia.com | 2019-08-01
The Kamala Harris' campaign jumped to tie Gabbard and her campaign to a nebulously defined and unclear Russian conspiracy.

Kamala Harris Team Accused of "Inventing Conspiracies" About Tulsi Gabbard

Recent statements from Minister of Defense Hulisi Akar on Syria
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-08-01
"If we do not reach a consensus, we will be forced to form a security zone alone." There had been intense discussions between Turkey and the United States for several months over the S-400 issue. They were full of hard mutual accusations and threats from every side. Turkey did not back down, and Russia began …
uwidata.com/4677-recent-statements-from-minister-of-defense-hulisi-akar-on-syria/

The Future of Turkey-Russia Relations Post Shipments S-400 Missile System
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-31
Russia as a country has been able to come to the forefront of the international arena in recent times, especially since Vladimir Putin came to power, and then in 2000 as the country's president. But there is one point to consider both in the political and international spheres about Russia, which is that it can …
uwidata.com/4594-the-future-of-turkey-russia-relations-post-shipments-s-400-missile-system/

The mountain gave birth to a mouse
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-31
After Ankara began to receive the S-400 missile systems they had purchased from Russia, Trump gathered republican senators for a meeting in the White House to discuss possible retaliatory actions against Turkey. Members of Congress have been unhappy with Turkey's decision to buy the long-range missile defense systems, but have not yet decided what measures …
uwidata.com/4686-the-mountain-gave-birth-to-a-mouse/

2nd Democratic Debate, Pt. 1: The Moderate/Progressive Divide Came Through (1/3)
Staff | therealnews.com | 2019-07-31
The first part of the second democratic debate showed a non-rancorous divide on how to beat Trump and fresh discussions first-use of nuclear weapons and for getting out of Afghanistan…
therealnews.com/stories/second-demcoratic-debate-part-one-the-moderate-progressive-divide-came-through-1-3

Warren Backs "No First Use" Nuclear Policy as Buttigieg Calls for Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-31
While most of Tuesday's debate focused on domestic issues, Democratic candidates were briefly asked about nuclear weapons policy and the war in Afghanistan. Senator Elizabeth Warren defended her "no first use" policy on nuclear weapons, despite criticism from Montana Governor Steve Bullock. Meanwhile, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sparred on whether the U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/31/cnn_debate_foreign_policy_mehdi_hasan

Dear Moderators of the Presidential Debates
Lawrence Wittner | dissidentvoice.org | 2019-07-30
You mass media folks lead busy lives, I'm sure. But you must have heard something about nuclear weapons — those supremely destructive devices that, along with climate change, threaten the continued existence of the human race. Yes, thanks to popular protest and carefully-crafted arms control and disarmament agreements, there has been some progress in limiting …
dissidentvoice.org/2019/07/dear-moderators-of-the-presidential-debates/

'Do something'; UN relief chief urges Security Council action to stop the Syrian carnage unfolding 'in front of your eyes'
United Nations | un.org | 2019-07-30
Bombing and shelling in Syria for more than 90 days by the Government and Russia have led to "carnage in the so-called de-escalation zone" of Idlib, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Tuesday, in his seventh update since the "current onslaught" began.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2019/07/1043471