Unrest grows in Germany

 

 

What took them so long? https://t.co/FeBfibvqv6

— JD (@Dy321J) December 17, 2022

Covering the coup in Peru

 

 

Peru's elected left-wing President Pedro Castillo was overthrown in a coup by the right-wing-controlled congress.

Ben Norton speaks with Peruvian activist Daniela Ortiz about the protests demanding a new constitution and the freedom of Castillo, a humble teacher and union organizer from a rural, indigenous-descent community in a country whose political system has long been dominated by racist elites.

The F-35 boondoggle

 

Germany just bought 35 for $8.5 billion while heading into a recession. You literally can’t make this stuff up. https://t.co/JM5K657KgK

— ayden (@squatsons) December 15, 2022

 

An F-35 fighter jet costs anywhere between $100 million to $400 million to purchase.

The exact cost of buying an F-35 depends on the country purchasing the jet, their relationship with the United States, and the number of planes they’re buying.

Fighter jets don’t have fixed prices. Instead, fighter planes are sold in individually negotiated deals, with the number of planes and the presence of supporting equipment and spare parts all influencing the unit price.

There are currently four F-35 variants that all have a relatively similar cost.

With an estimated lifetime cost of $1.6 trillion (particularly because of expected maintenance costs), the F-35 Lightning II, conceived as a versatile, super stealthy next-generation fighter plane, is the most expensive weapon system ever built. When the program began way back in 1992, the F-35 was supposed to be an affordable one-size-fits-all solution for the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. It took until 2021 for the Air Force to publicly admit that the F-16 replacement failed the affordability test.

Living under Kiev's shelling (since 2014 coup)

 

 

Patrick Lancaster

For the last 8 years of the War in Ukraine, Ukraine's [US-NATO backed Nazi-led army] has been firing on civilian areas in the Russian-populated areas of Donbass in a territory [right along the Russian border] they do not control. This is a fact but you will never be told about it by the western mainstream media.

In this report I show you a village, near Donetsk, that had a population of about 2,200 people before the war but now only 18 residents remain. This is because of the attacks by Ukraine forces on the buildings and infrastructure of the village. Right now they have no Electric, Gas, or Running water.  Still, there are daily attacks by Ukraine forces on their village. 

Attacking civilian areas is wrong no matter who is doing it. The fact that the western media ignores these people is a horrible reflection on society as a whole. I am not and cannot be in the west of Ukraine - Kiev or Odessa - so I can not show you what happens there. I have been reporting from Donbass for the last 8 years and have been doing my best to show you the facts that I see about what is happening here. 

The western media will not show you the facts that are not positive for Ukraine. Don't think it is because they can't. They can. For example, Reuters has had local cameramen employed on this side of the contact line for 8 years but the agency refuses to report on the war crimes committed by Ukraine. 

Will the world correct this problem in the media or will be led like sheep forever?

~ I'd say this is one of Patrick's best videos that I've seen. Very brave people in this settlement who have lived thru 8 years of shelling by US-NATO proxies. Bruce

Biden flubs African summit speech

 

 

 "Invitations for a Seat at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Table Should Not Only Be Rejected, the Table Needs Turning Over!"

The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) recognizes the “U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit'' — scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. December 13-15th — as nothing more than collusion between neo-colonial powers and U.S. attempts to advance and maintain dominance over the continent.

Liberal elements of U.S. civil society will preoccupy themselves with the issues they think should be addressed at the Summit, claiming to act in the best interest of Africa or, as with the Summit of the Americas held earlier this year, attack those who they say do not deserve to be invited. Such dispositions presume the U.S. has honest intentions for Africa and legitimizes/obscures its real interests and role.

Convened on the heels of Human Rights Day which is held every December 10, the Black Radical Human Rights and Peace Traditions must center the historical record of the U.S. in Africa and the geo-strategic interests it is committed to upholding. The carefully considered proceedings, side events, invitations, and public relations campaigns are designed to secure greater control of Africa’s abundant resources for U.S. “national interests” aligned with the interest of international finance capital.

Having assumed the racist mantle of the “White Man’s Burden” in the Global South in general and Africa in particular, the U.S. claims that this summit will “demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities.” Such statements should be exposed as being disingenuous and an effort to cover up the United States' malign intent.

African independence movements since the 1950s have been destabilized by U.S. administrations of both parties. Democratically elected leaders such as Patrice Lumumba of Congo, who was assassinated by the CIA, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, who was overthrown in a CIA orchestrated coup, fell victim to U.S. government meddling, and they are only two among many. Contemporary U.S. interference has involved proxy wars in Congo with the assistance of Uganda and Rwanda, and in Somalia with Ethiopia (2006-2009) followed by a sustained drone war over Somalia under the guise of fighting extremists. In 2011 the U.S. led NATO in a regime change operation resulting in the total destruction of Libya. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) occupies 53 of the 54 countries on the continent in one form or another for U.S. neo-colonial hegemony.

A core goal of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit is to challenge the inroads of the People’s Republic of China and to a lesser extent the Russian Federation vis-à-vis the continent. The political sectors of the U.S. oligarchy are concerned about regional cooperation initiated in the Horn of Africa since 2018, and anti-France and pro-Russia expressions among the people in countries like Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso, which is invoking the legacy of the revolutionary Thomas Sankara.

Most notably, the complicity and silence of the Congressional Black Caucus members over the role of the U.S. federal government in Africa and the dereliction of their professed purpose to represent the interests of Black and oppressed people will undoubtedly find political cover in the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. CBC members will be key-note speakers, event conveners, and backdoor deal makers for the U.S. neo-colonial, white supremacist, patriarchal order.

In contrast, the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) is holding an anti-imperialist week of actions to raise public awareness related to the real issues that should be on the agenda for discussion at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.  BAP calls for the dismantling of NATO, AFRICOM and all imperialist structures. Africa and the rest of the world cannot be free until all peoples are able to realize the right of sovereignty and the right to live free of domination.

We demand:

•     The complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Africa;

•     The closure of U.S. bases throughout the world; and

•     The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to oppose the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and conduct hearings on AFRICOM’s impact on the African continent, with the full participation of members of U.S. and African civil society.

Join BAP for an anti-imperialist week of actions!  

History lesson: 'NATO Warplanes Jolt Yugoslav Power Grid'

 

 

By Philip Bennett and Steve Coll
Washington Post
Tuesday, May 25, 1999

BELGRADE, May 24 – NATO airstrikes on Yugoslavia's power grid left millions of people without electricity or water service today, bringing the war over Kosovo more directly into the lives of civilians across the country.

Three consecutive nights of air attacks caused extensive blackouts in Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Nis, the three largest cities in Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic. In contrast with previous attacks on the power supply – in which allied warplanes triggered temporary outages by dropping carbon-fiber filaments that shorted out electrical lines – NATO forces this time struck at Serbia's five major power-transmission stations with high-explosive munitions, causing damage that could take weeks to repair.

Officials at the Pentagon and at NATO headquarters in Belgium said allied jets deliberately attacked the power grid, aiming to shut it down more completely and for longer periods than at any time previously in the two-month-old air campaign. U.S. officials estimated the attacks had shut off power to about 80 percent of Serbia.

Allied officials said the attacks were intended to disrupt operations by the Serb-led Yugoslav military in Kosovo, the focus of the conflict, and not target civilians. But by increasing the hardship of ordinary citizens, alliance leaders also appeared to be seeking to encourage public disaffection with the government of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. 

Read the rest of this article here

 

Kiev's troops continue to rebel

 

🇺🇦🏴‍☠️☠️AFU appeal to the command:"We did not receive proper weapons and artillery support. As a result, 70% of the company was killed or wounded. We didn't even have equipment to evacuate the wounded, which is why several of the wounded did not survive." pic.twitter.com/Y9Mgg0AlTY

— AZ 🛰🌏🌍🌎 (@AZgeopolitics) December 12, 2022

What is happening in Peru?

 

  

Multipolarista 

 Peru rises up after coup against elected President Pedro Castillo

Peru's democratically elected left-wing President Pedro Castillo was overthrown and arrested in a coup on December 7 by the right-wing-controlled congress, which has an approval rating of between 7% and 11%.

Castillo is a humble teacher and union organizer from a rural, indigenous-descent community in a country whose political system has long been dominated by racist elites.

As soon as Castillo entered office at the end of July 2021, far-right elements in the congress, loyal to the US-backed former dictator Alberto Fujimori, constantly tried to overthrow him and destabilize his government.

 

teleSUR 

 
Over The Last 24 Hours, Strong Protests Have Been Registered In Andahuaylas, Lima, And In The Municipality Of Chala.

Some 2,000 People Have Blocked The Pan-American Highway.

In the early hours of Monday, Peru’s president Dina Boluarte decreed a state of emergency in “the areas of high social conflict” where thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to demand her resignation and the advancement of general elections.

“I have ordered that control of the internal order be recovered peacefully, without affecting the fundamental rights of the citizenry,” she said after a brutal police repression left two citizens dead in the city of Andahuaylas.

Boluarte assumed the presidency on Dec. 7, replacing Pedro Castillo, who was removed by the Peruvian lawmakers after he ordered the dissolution of Congress, announced the formation of an “Emergency Government,” and called a constituent assembly.

Initially, Boluarte said she would finish her term in July 2026. After the protests, however, she announced that she will send to Congress a bill to advance general elections to April 2024.

She explained that the approval of the bill implies constitutional reforms that should be approved for the most expeditious procedure.

“From now until the elections, my administration will promote a parliamentary agreement to reform the political system, which will allow for a more efficient, transparent and participatory democratic system of government,” Boluarte said, adding that this reform is expected to eliminate all corruption practices and legitimize political parties.

Since the former President Castillo was removed from office, citizen discontent has been increasing in quantity and intensity.

Over the last 24 hours, strong protests have also been registered in Lima and in the municipality of Chala, where some 2,000 people have blocked the Pan-American highway.

Take action: You can send a solidarity message with the people of Peru to the presidents of Peru and the US here 

 

First killing by the coup regime in Peru. This is in Apurimac, in the Andes. Outrageous. Sound the alarm. Defend the people of Peru against a racist ruling class that is backed fully by Washington. (Share widely). pic.twitter.com/KR6oLL2Rzn

— Vijay Prashad (@vijayprashad) December 11, 2022

Does corporate media tell the truth?

 

 

Rebel News

Rebel News' Jeremy Loffredo is in Moscow, Russia to show you what the mainstream media won't.

Assange will not be forgotten - free him now!

 

 

Roger Waters joined 300 people outside the British consulate in NYC to support Julian Assange. Also protests at Belmarsh prison in London and in Sydney, Australia.

On Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, 2022, about 300 people gathered outside the British consulate in New York to voice their support for imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange. 

Speakers: Rock legend and activist Roger Waters (@ 31.30) , Assange Attorney and Author Margaret Kunstler, Environmental activist Steve Donziger, Consortium News Editor- in-Chief Joe Lauria, Grayzone Editor Max Blumenthal, Bundestag Member Sevin Dagdelen, Comedian and Activist Randy Credico, Co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Ben Cohen, Broadcast Journalist Garland Nixon, National Director of Movement for a People’s Party Nick Brana, and union official and grass roots activist Chuck Zlatkin.  

Col. Macgregor on what comes next in Ukraine

 

 

Judge Napolitano - Judging Freedom

Andrew Napolitano interviews Col. Macgregor about the latest twists in Ukraine - including Biden giving the A-OK for Kiev to escalate the war onto Russian soil.

They discuss what comes next and the US-NATO refusal to allow Ukraine to seriously negotiate.

First snow

 

 

We had our first snow last night here in Brunswick, Maine. A dusting as it is called. As I write this the temperature is 22 degrees Fahrenheit. The snow will not likely last long as the sun is shining. It's always quite special to see the snow - especially as we approach Christmas. I still get sentimental this time of year. 

My son Julian will be here for 10 days starting next week. He's in the states after being in Taiwan and Cambodia for the last seven years or so. He teaches and enjoys Asian cultures. It will be great to see him in person again.

One of my five sisters will also be with us during the same time so it will be a lovely family time for all of us. Another of my sisters has baked our mother's traditional holiday cookies and a box of them is now in the mail.

Bruce 

PS   The US-EU-NATO are edging up to creating a war between Kosovo and Serbia - likely as a 2nd front to force Russia to help Serbia. These western elites seem determined yet to start WW III. You can get an idea about what is going on here

A slipping & sliding dominant economic power

 

 

Richard David Wolff is an American Marxian economist, known for his work on economic methodology and class analysis. He is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School in New York. Wolff has also taught economics at Yale University, City University of New York, University of Utah, University of Paris I (Sorbonne), and The Brecht Forum in New York City. 

Wolff hosts the weekly 30-minute-long program Economic Update, which is produced by the non-profit Democracy at Work, which he co-founded. Economic Update is on YouTube, FreeSpeech TV, WBAI-FM in New York City (Pacifica Radio), CUNY TV (WNYE-DT3), and available as a podcast. 

The New York Times Magazine has named him "America's most prominent Marxist economist". Wolff lives in Manhattan with his wife and frequent collaborator, Harriet Fraad, a practicing psychotherapist.

Latest news from Alex in Greece (with surprise ending)

 

 

Alex Christoforou

Twitter files targeting Trump. Putin, trust at ZERO with west. EU Greek MEP World Cup bribes and western racketeering in Ukraine.

Sunday song