(2020-12-26). Veteran diplomat: US confronts China to protect supremacy, not security. thegrayzone.com Veteran US diplomat Chas Freeman says that despite talk of a New Cold War between the US and China, the US in reality is reacting aggressively to a rising Chinese power whose economic gains threaten US global supremacy. "We've become accustomed over the past 75 years to be the overlord in East Asia," Freeman says. Chas Freeman, who served in top State Department positions and as Richard Nixon's chief interpreter on his historic 1972 visit to China, discusses the state …
(2020-12-26). Four ISIL terrorists arrested in Republic of Dagestan. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Dec. 26 (MNA) — Federal security Service (FSB) of Russian Federation revealed the arrest of four ISIL terrorists in the Republic of Dagestan before carrying out a terrorist operation.
(2020-12-25). John le Carré (1931-2020) on the Iraq War, Corporate Power, the Exploitation of Africa & More. democracynow.org 
The world-renowned British novelist John le Carré died on December 12 at the age of 89. Le Carré established himself as a master writer of spy novels in a career that spanned more than half a century. He worked in the British Secret Service from the late 1950s until the early '60s, at the height of the Cold War — which was the topic of his early novels. His later works focused on the inequities of globalization, unchecked multinational corporate power and the role national spy services play in protecting corporate interests. His best-known books include "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" and "The Constant…
(2020-12-25). The real Gerasimov Doctrine: Russian Army chief says Moscow won't be drawn into arms race as Kremlin looks to cut defense costs. rt.com 
The head of Russia's General Staff has told foreign military attaches that Moscow has no intention of joining an arms race, and is much more interested in stabilizing the world and developing its defensive capabilities in peace. | "Next year, the Russian Ministry of Defense will continue to work to create conditions for the progressive and balanced development of the army and navy to ensure peaceful socio-economic development of the country without being drawn into a costly arms race," Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday. | The general also noted that Russia is capable of protecting the interests of the country…
(2020-12-25). COVID-19, The Climate Crisis, And Mutual Aid. popularresistance.org After COVID-19 struck in spring 2020, the absence of a concerted federal response prompted people across the country to begin self-organizing everything from food distribution to sewing squads to shelter. That work continues today, drawing on a long tradition. | "Mutual aid," a concept coined by the Russian naturalist and anarchist Peter Kropotkin in his 1902 Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, refers to the principles of cooperation, and of people joining together to help each other. It ran counter to the then-hegemonic Darwinian theories emphasizing competition and survival of the fittest. Kropotkin did not deny…
(2020-12-25). Russia Pledges to Invest $200 Billion to Reduce Poverty. telesurenglish.net The Russian government is planning to spend a total of 15.3 trillion rubles (nearly $207 billion) over the next five years to reduce poverty and improve citizens' incomes, the country's Accounts Chamber reported this Thursday. | The document indicates that the measures will be implemented through national and federal projects as well as state programs, and intend to help reduce the number of Russians with incomes below the subsistence level. | According to figures provided by economic analysts, poverty levels could be reduced by 2.32 percentage points, while real disposable incomes would increase by 1.04 perce…
(2020-12-24). Why is the Guardian promoting more Pentagon propaganda? mronline.org 
Recent reporting reinforces the false impression that the United States is threatened by Chinese and Russian expansionism.
(2020-12-24). Iran Builds Up Air Defense Systems Near Nuclear Sites Over Possible US Strikes, Reports Claim. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Iran is strengthening air defense systems located near its nuclear facilities as a precaution against possible US missile strikes, the Kuwaiti Al-Qabas newspaper reported on Thursday, citing informed sources from Iran.
(2020-12-23). Video: US Navy Deploys Nuclear Submarine to Persian Gulf Amid Heightened Tensions with Iran. globalresearch.ca The Ohio-class nuclear submarine USS Georgia along with the guided-missile cruisers USS Port Royal and USS Philippine Sea transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf, the US Navy announced on December 21. | The guided-missile submarine USS Georgia …
(2020-12-23). Don't Blame the Soviets for the War in Nagorno-Karabakh. globalresearch.ca In the final week of September, an Azerbaijani offensive renewed hostilities in the perennial armed conflict and territorial dispute in the South Caucasus between Armenia and its neighbor over the Nagorno-Karabakh ("Mountainous Karabakh") region. | By October, the clashes had escalated …
(2020-12-23). Russia imposes sanctions on German officials as Navalny story assumes farcical character. wsws.org For the imperialist powers, no lie is too big, and no story too absurd, to not be employed in the service of war propaganda.