Who really controls Africa?

 

Abby Martin speaks to Eugene Puryear to discuss the big picture of US imperialism in Africa: From the Berlin Conference to the subversion of liberation movements to neocolonial puppets and the current sprawl of AFRICOM "counterterrorism."

 

Exciting webinar on Russia-Ukraine

 

Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_984zj4TsQ8er6Ja5z3F9vg

Discussing why US-UK-NATO want to bust Russia into smaller countries

 

Lauren Steiner talks with Bruce Gagnon, who coordinates the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, about what is really behind the beating of the war drums with Russia over Ukraine, the history of our involvement there, specifically our role in the coup of 2014, why Russia is massing troops in the border, why both parties and the corporate media present only one side of this story, and what we can do to stop a potential war.

Washington trying to replace the U.N. with NATO

 

Biden saying, 'Let me guess. Ukraine loves us. Everyone in NATO loves us. The whole world loves the USA!'

The seemingly unbridgeable gap between the major powers was on full display at the Security Council as they sparred over Ukraine and Russia’s security concerns, reports Joe Lauria at Consortium News.

 

Tensions in U.S.-Russia relations soared yet higher on Monday as the two powers voiced polar opposite positions on events surrounding Ukraine and European security at the U.N. Security Council.

The U.S. and its allies on the council painted a stark picture of an outlaw Russia threatening to invade Ukraine, while Russia sought to zoom out to the larger picture of Western threats to Russia’s security.

Russian Ambassador Nebenzia Vassily Alekseevich pointed out that even Ukraine’s president had asked the U.S. not to stir up panic. “Ukraine talked of the lack of a threat from Russia,” Alekseevich said. “We should not use the rostrum of the Security Council to push forward the propaganda of our colleague,” meaning the American ambassador.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield answered Alekseevich by saying the meeting was “not about antics and not about rhetoric,” and also “not about the U.S. and Russia, but peace and security about one of our member states.” She said the U.S. had spent $5 billion since 2014 so that Ukraine would be “prepared” for a Russian invasion.

Thomas-Greenfield told the council that “Russia’s actions strike at the very heart of the U.N. Charter. This is as clear and consequential a threat to peace and security as anyone can imagine.”  She said, “Russia’s aggression today not only threatens Ukraine. It also threatens Europe. It threatens the international order.”   

The U.S. ambassador said if the Security Council “stands for anything, [it] stands for the principle that one country cannot simply redraw another country’s borders by force, or make another country’s people live under a government they did not choose.”

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield claimed 'Russia threatens the international order.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As any student of recent history or any astute newspaper reader understands, the United States, with its long history of coups, including by military invasions and occupations, has made many “country’s people live under a government they did not choose.”

Thomas-Greenfield portrayed Russia’s proposed treaties with the U.S. and NATO to create a new “security architecture” for Europe as being “extensive new demands and aggressive rhetoric” paired with “Russia’s military buildup.”

Thomas-Greenfield then accused Russia of shunning diplomacy, when it was Russia who asked for diplomatic meetings with the U.S. in Geneva and NATO in Brussels. “Russia could, of course, choose a different path: the path of diplomacy,” she said. “In recent weeks, the United States, along with our European allies and partners, and other nations around the globe concerned by Russia’s threat to Ukraine, have continued to do everything we can to resolve this crisis peacefully,” as Washington and its loyal media beat the drums of war.  

The Russian Response 

Alekseevich responded by saying that Russia is witness to a “very unusual situation” even in “these crazy times.” 

“Relocation of troops within our own national territory, which happened many times before on a larger or smaller scale and was never regarded hysterically,” he said, “as well as the relocation of military personnel … stationed in their garrisons rather than at the Ukrainian-Russian border, is considered by our American and Western colleagues as a confirmation of [an] allegedly planned military campaign … of Russia against Ukraine that is about to start in the next couple of weeks if not days.”

Alekseevich added: “At the same time, they provide no proof to back such grave allegations.” The U.S. has released satellite photographs of Russian military installations on Russian soil, with no indication of how close to Ukraine they are.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the press on Friday that Ukrainian intelligence interpreted the satellite images differently than the U.S. and saw no readiness for invasion. 

Alekseevich said: “Our Western colleagues say that de-escalation is needed, but they are the first to build up tension, enhance rhetoric and escalate the situation. Talks about an imminent war are provocative per se. It might seem you call for it, want it and wait for it to come, as if you wanted your allegations to come true.” 

He refuted Thomas-Greenfield’s assertion that Russia has threatened an invasion. “No Russian politician or public figure has uttered any threat about a planned invasion of Ukraine,” Alekseevich said.

He said Russia’s “Western colleagues” didn’t care about Ukrainians but only to divide Ukraine from Russia in order to weaken Russia. The U.S. had falsely linked cries about a Russian invasion to Russia’s treaty proposals to the U.S. and NATO, he said.

“As for our security-related demands, they are much broader,” Alekseevich went on. “Ukraine’s non-accession to NATO and non-deployment of foreign troops at Ukraine’s territory constitute only a small portion of much-needed arrangements that could considerably improve the military and political situation in Europe, and in the whole world.” 

Turning the tables on the U.S., the Russian ambassador asked the council which country was the real threat to international peace and security:

    “The maneuvers that the United States undertook to convene this meeting look especially inadequate and hypocritical against the fact that it is Americans who have record rates of military presence outside their national territory. American military officers, advisers, and weapons (including nuclear) are often located thousands of kilometers away from Washington. To say nothing of the fact that American military [ad]ventures claimed dozens and hundreds [of thousands] of  lives of people in the countries to which they were bringing peace and democracy.

 

Russian Ambassador Nebenzia Vassily Alekseevich

 

The United States repeatedly (i.a. in the recent years) used force against other states without Security Council consent. Their toolkit includes unilateral sanctions and coercive measures, as well as threats that they regard as a verdict of some sort of Supreme Court and try to make everyone deliver on them.

As reported by American experts, 84 out of 193 UN member states have been subjected to US occupation or aggression to some degree. In the course of 20th and 21st centuries, American troops have been deployed in one way or another in 191 states.

In a right of reply, Thomas-Greenfield said she was “disappointed” by Alekseevich’s “false equivalency” — the stock line from the Cold War, which says it is false to equate U.S. behavior with the aggression of others. “There are no plans to weaken Russia,” she said. “Welcome Russia as a responsible member of the international community,” which means, of course, following the Washington Consensus.

Alekseevich then replied that he had not heard one word from Thomas-Greenfield about the Minsk agreements “and that is very indicative.”

 

My take: US-NATO wants to expand into a global military alliance & replace United Nations

The US strategy is increasingly to divide the United Nations as a way to reject the UN. The US is tired of the Security Council. The US, and its war-mongering fascist allies, don't want to have to go to Security Council anymore to request approval for another regime change operation or war. 

They can't get Chinese or Russian approval anyway, thus they have hit the road and are out scooping up the most reactionary governments to join this 'Global NATO'.  The latest being Qatar. 

NATO signs these nations up as NATO 'partners' and then begins transforming their military (by forcing them to buy US manufactured expensive high-tech weapons systems) but always the Pentagon controls the tip of the spear.

With this armed apparatus Mr. Big hopes to keep cracking the whip over the backs of China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and many more.

The first job of this 'enhanced NATO' is to take down Russia and China - while they think they still can pull it off. 

But after 77 years of the US ruling the roost, the debacle in Afghanistan has caused many to doubt that the western empire has the moral clarity, sanity, peaceful intentions, wisdom and sense of justice to be handed the right to rule over Mother Earth.

Those days are vanishing by the second.

Bruce 

NATO HQ meeting of their endless war council in Brussels  

 

 

 

 

~ Parts reprinted from Consortium News

The trucker demo in Ottawa

 

 

Thousands and thousand of truckers (many who took the jab) roared into Canada's capital in Ottawa protesting against the covid vaccine mandates.

Huge numbers of people around the globe oppose the mandates (Green pass it is called in many nations) and have been protesting for months. In most cases their government mocks them, calls them right-wingers, and then uses them to divide the public against itself. A very old tactic of the elites.

Despite Canadian politicians attempts to down-play this large and important protest, I can say I watched numerous videos and it was evident to me that this was a widespread movement. 

One video stands out in my mind - a endless line of truckers heading toward Ottawa, blasting their horns - and standing alongside the road in the Canadian cold was an equally long line of people holding signs and cheering for the truckers.

That was a well organized event. These folks are serious and if the government of Canada was wise it would listen to then.

Unless that is, the goal is to divide the public and push them further into civil conflict. It's being done in virtually every western country.

I think it is the corporate 'masters' desperate attempt to direct us into high-tech-feudalism. But everyone gets a 5G phone....

Bruce

Message from Canada

 

By Peggy Andrews (while commenting on Scott Ritter's excellent article at Consortium News)

I am Canadian watching what is going on between the Commonwealth countries (namely, UK, Australia, Canada, India) and the USA. The US has been doing its best to gather some allies. They bought off Australia. Kissed up to an inept UK. Now trying to challenge Canada into getting involved with Ukraine. We have been holding out but the US is putting the screws to us. Closing subsidiaries, threatening our security, infiltrating and using media to agitate right wing activists and enacting border closures. They want us to supply more military personnel and arms for Ukraine. Biden knows the only thing which will unite a divided country is war!

I’m of the same opinion as Scott Ritter’s article on Russia, USA and NATO. I also believe the responsibility for American unrest is mainstream media, but I’m not forgiving the tech algorithms. It became obvious during Trump campaign and continued through out his Presidency. Giving air time to a man who has a disorder and suffers from lack of any ethical standards. But when we look at history, once the pandemic is behind us and the economy sinks and then comes back… that is when fascism takes hold. I hope that is not in store for our us, our children and grandchildren.

While going thru my computer I ran across an article written by Robert Parry [founder of Consortium News] in 2017 concerning Russia and Ukraine as well as the Contra affair. I saved it because I finally found someone who writes the truth and is willing to speak out. Today I read his obituary and discovered Consortiumnews. I generally read 3 – 5 foreign newspapers a day, (Canada, USA, Germany, China and UK). Then listen to CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and FOX. This enables a well-rounded picture of what is happening. (Hey, we are in lockdown what else is there to do?)

The USA media is so slanted, no wonder America is in such a sad state. I’ll be cancelling my subscriptions to Washington Post and New York Times and sending you [Consortium News] my subscription costs so your organization can continue accurate and complete reporting. Thank you for speaking up.

Lisa Savage: one of Maine's best activists

 

 

Regis Tremblay (from Waterville, Maine, now living in Crimea) interviews one of Maine's best activists Lisa Savage (Solon, Maine).

Always sharp and entertaining, Lisa was our Independent candidate for the US Senate seat from Maine in the last national election. She ran against Republican Sen. Susan Collins and a Democrat hack who said in one of the debates that everywhere she went the people told her they wanted 'Medicare for All'. She said she didn't support that program though, but instead supported 'universal access' to health care. That of course means that no one could be 'turned down' when applying for an private insurance policy. So the Democrat candidate ran the Wall Street line.

The sad part about that last national election, particularly here in Maine, was that the liberals still voted for the Democrats in resounding numbers despite knowing they are a bunch of lying war-mongers, thieves, and wimps.

Sen. Collins won with 51%. Lisa got a hard-earned 5% but she resoundingly won the four senate debates that were on TV across the state. Two of those debates were aired on national C-SPAN.

So enjoy (and share) this video of Lisa. 

She's the kind of person who ought to be in leadership in politics rather than the current dollar-grabbing corporate agents that pretend to be our 'representatives in Washington'.

Bruce

Crazy weather in Maine

 

 

How things can change in a week.

We've not had much snow here in Bath, Maine so far this year until Saturday.

So in one week's time we went from virtually no snow on the ground to this dump of 18-20 inches. And there is no place really to put the snow that we move! Another 5-8 inches is due on Friday of this week.

Is it the result of climate crisis where weather patterns are becoming increasingly strange and unpredictable? Sure seems that way.

One of my sisters who lives in northwest Iowa (Minnesota and South Dakota border) as of last week told me they've had no snow at all. 

Very strange indeed.

On top of that our two big propane tanks need refueling but the Irving Energy company has been stringing us along for the past week. One tank is now empty and the other is close to the end. We've lowered the heat way done - no showers for awhile either. We've heard that they are short on delivery drivers. Is this one more example of the growing disintegration of life in the 'greatest country in the history of the planet' as they like to say in Washington?

Bruce  

PS In this very bottom photo note the mound of snow (piled up by the city snow plow) in front of our car. Our good neighbor Gary brought his plow over to clear the path in the driveway. Very amazing. 

Sunday song

 

On the streets of Portland, Maine

 

 

Protest in downtown Portland, Maine at 5:00 pm last Friday, January 28.

Protest organized by Lisa Savage from Maine Natural Guard.

Video production by Brian Leonard.

NO WAR CALL TO ACTION!

 

STOP THE WAR WITH RUSSIA OVER UKRAINE!

We must act now to stop the war with Russia over Ukraine, a war that would risk becoming a dangerous conflict between nuclear states. As people residing in the United States, we have a special responsibility to call upon the U.S. government to: 

• Stop the war with Russia

• Stop the NATO expansion

• Stop sending weapons to Ukraine and the European Union

• Obey international laws and the UN Charter

• Resolve the current conflict within the United Nations Security Council

De-escalate the threat of a nuclear war

Once again, our world is facing an imminent threat of war between two major nuclear powers. As in the past, the United States is using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as the vehicle to wage war in clear violation of international law and the Charter of United Nations.

The Biden administration is currently flying $200 million worth of weapons and other “lethal aid” to Ukraine and has 8,500 US troops on standby to enter that country. ‘Nonessential’ U.S. diplomatic  personnel and their families are being withdrawn from the country. The corporate media is lockstep in its portrayal of Russia as the enemy who is about to invade Ukraine. These actions constitute a de facto declaration of war, while the corporate media fan the flame of war.

This current escalation of aggression against Russia through expansion of NATO’s presence into Ukraine is a serious threat to world peace and requires a unified and rapid response by anti-war organizations to stop a major war.

To that end, we, the undersigned groups, have agreed to support a day of action on February 5, 2022, with the following demands on the United States government:

On the morning of February 5, we will hold visibility actions by holding signs and banners in well-trafficked areas such as major intersections or highway overpasses that raise awareness of this urgent crisis and urge the President to stop the war with Russia. That afternoon, we will gather online for a national rally to demonstrate the breadth of opposition to war. During the rally, photos of the morning visibility actions will be shared.

Signatories (in alphabetical order):

• Answer Coalition

• Black Alliance for Peace

• CODE Pink

• Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

• International Action Center

• Massachusetts Peace Action

• Popular Resistance

• Task Force on the Americas

• United National Antiwar Coalition (UNAC)

• U.S. Peace Council

• Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF–US)

• World BEYOND War

TO ENDORSE THE CALL AND SIGN THE PETITION TO PRESIDENT BIDEN AND UN SECRETARY GENERAL PLEASE VISIT:

https://popularresistance.org/nowarwithrussia/

TO REGISTER FOR THE FEBRUARY 5 NATIONAL RALLY PLEASE VISIT:

bit.ly/StopWarWithRussia  

Donbass (Russian border) situation report

 

Please, be advised that the situation around Donbas is becoming tense:

• there are now 150 thousand Ukrainian troops near Donbas (some days ago it was 120 thousand); Donbass has only 35,000 troops that cannot attack Ukraine;

• the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) has finalized the master plan to attack Donbas;

• the USA has delivered 250 tons of military equipment and ammunition (MEA) to UAF;

• 45 more U.S.transport aircraft are to arrive to Ukraine with MEA;

• civil hospitals in Ukraine have been converted into military ones;

• any regular annual vacations for the Ukrainian GIs have been cancelled for indefinite period of time;

• M141 Bunker Defeat Munitions have arrived to the UAF attacking forces (Donbas does not have them; so, it does not have them to attack Ukraine);

• several public protests against war versus Donbas have been staged near the Ukrainian Parliament;

• Kiev continues to violate a ceasefire accord in Donbas: according to the report of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine dated January 28th, 2022 has stated:

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Daily Report 20/2022 issued on 28 January 2022
Summary In Donetsk region, the SMM recorded 173 ceasefire violations, including six explosions.
In the previous reporting period, it recorded 510 ceasefire violations in the region.
In Luhansk region, the Mission recorded 93 ceasefire violations, including 13 explosions.

Link: https://www.osce.org/special-monitoring-mission-to-ukraine/510929
 
Kind regards,
Dr. Vladimir Kozin
 
Member, Russian Academy of Military Sciences
Member, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,
Vice President, Russian National Institute for Global Security Research
Winner of Colonel-General Varfolomei Korobushin Reward (Russian Strategic Missiles Forces) and Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Reward
Leading Expert, Center for Military-Political Studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
Ph.D, Senior Researcher (Academic Rank) 

Fifteen nuclear reactors in Ukraine - war very bad idea

 

Ukraine diplomat sees little chance of war ‘in country with 15 nuclear reactors’

Ukraine is committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the current tension with Russia, its ambassador to Japan, Sergiy Korsunsky, said on Wednesday (26 January), adding that he saw little chance of all-out war, although there might be smaller conflicts.

Destruction of nuclear reactors would bring about a devastating regional impact on Europe.

“I believe that full-scale war is very, very, very difficult to expect, but we may see more localized conflict,” Korsunsky told a news conference in the Japanese capital Tokyo.

If war is going to happen, that will be the first ever in the history of mankind, war against a country which has on its territory 15 nuclear reactors, which has 30,000 km of gas and oil pipelines, full with gas and oil,” said Korsunsky.

“If all these infrastructure is destroyed, there is no more Ukraine. But this is just one consequence. There is no more central Europe and probably western Europe would be affected, too.”

An accident at the Chernobyl reactor, located in what is now Ukraine, spewed tonnes of nuclear waste into the atmosphere in 1986, spreading radioactivity across swathes of the continent and causing a spike in cancers in the more immediate region.

Russia’s Ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, said on Wednesday that Russia did not plan to invade Ukraine.

We don’t intend to invade at all,” Pavlovsky told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

“Our troops on the border…These troops are not a threat, they are a warning. A warning to Ukraine’s rulers not to attempt any reckless military adventure,” he said.

As to the sanctions, I think that by now everybody should understand that it is not the language which should be used when talking to Russia. The sanctions just don’t work.”

Coverage of our message in Pakistan papers

Pakistan Point

UrduPoint (Pakistan)

 

US Troop Alert May Be Empty Threat But It Awoke Many, Americans Don't Want War - Activist

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2022) US President Joe Biden's decision to alert 8,500 forces for possible deployment in Europe could be an empty threat, however, it awoke many in the United States as the Americans do not want another war, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space coordinator Bruce Gagnon told Sputnik.

The decision on alerting thousands of troops was made just two days before Washington gave its written responses to Russia' security proposals. A Pentagon spokesperson said on Monday that 8,500 US troops had been placed on heightened alert over the situation around Ukraine.

"First, I heard that Biden was immediately sending more troops, but then it was changed that the troops have been put on 'stand by'. So it could be an empty threat by the US," Gagnon said. "But the statement about sending the troops has woke up many people in the US to pay more attention to this issue. Americans don't want another war but with the Democrats in power many 'liberals' - who normally would not want a war - are now supporting Biden because their party is in power."

Gagnon added that, fortunately, growing numbers of Republicans are opposing war - "although some are doing it with electoral positioning in mind."

On Wednesday, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan delivered Washington's response to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that Russia is reviewing the response but stressed that the United States, in its response to Russia's proposals on security guarantees, left the main question about non-expansion of NATO to the east unanswered.

"No surprise though but it is a very sad and disingenuous response by the US," Gagnon said. "It is quite clear to me that the US only has one goal in mind and that is to continue to demonize Russia internationally and to militarily create chaos on all Russian borders in order to destabilize the Moscow government. The US-UK-NATO wants regime change in Russia. They want total control of the Arctic region as the ice melts due to climate crisis."

Moscow published its security suggestions for NATO and the US in late 2021 as tensions flared high around Ukraine.

It requested, in particular, guarantees that the alliance would not expand eastward. The US insists it will not allow anyone to slam NATO's open door policy shut.

"I thought Russia proposals were rational, justified and necessary when one considers that Moscow is facing a 'Cuban missile crisis in-reverse,'" Gagnon said. "We are now witnessing US missile launch facilities in Romania and Poland, aggressive NATO war games on Russian borders, and regular naval and air force provocations along Russian borders. One can just imagine how crazy Washington would be if any country was doing this along US borders with Canada or Mexico."

 

Commenting on possible development of the situation around Ukraine, Gagnon said, "We hear that some NATO members are telling the US to back off but Washington and NATO hardliners are not even listening to their own NATO member states."

"I think this confirms that the US rules NATO with an iron fist. I can't imagine that anyone in Europe wants a war with Russia," he said. "I recently heard that a petition is now being circulated in Italy to withdraw from NATO. In the end this entire situation is furthering the US-NATO 'bad image' around the globe."

When asked whether there is still a chance to stop the war and what can be done to do that, the activist said, "I think there is a chance but first we must have more voices opposing war in the US and throughout Europe."

"I don't believe that Moscow is eager to start war but the Russian government has legitimate security concerns that any thoughtful person should acknowledge," he said. "We all must take responsibility to help stop a war that could possibly go nuclear."

The United States and its allies have accused Russia that it conducts a troop build-up in Ukraine and plans to invade the latter. Russia has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying it does not plan to attack any country.

In addition, Russia has pointed to NATO's military activities close to its borders and the alliance's plans to move eastward as a threat to its national security. Russia has also said it reserves the right to move troops within its sovereign territory.

Hearing from the other side - who is the real threat?

 

 

I know in the west you are not supposed to share the words of the 'enemy camp' but 'F' that, if you know what I mean.

In this clip Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers a reporters question by addressing the forbidden subject of US domination of Europe and NATO and the ever expanding claims by the west of their right to influence other governments where ever they wish to plant their hot seat.

Lavrov reminds us that the west (the original colonizers of the global south) are still playing their old game of manifest destiny, western exceptionalism and domination.

Russia understands that at some point this all must stop. It's past time for some nation to stand up to the bullies in Washington-London-Brussels.

The UK has been inside Ukraine for several months building a Navy base on the Black Sea near Odessa This will become a NATO naval operations center.

 

NATO is in crisis. Even some of its own members are increasingly questioning the goals of the Atlanta alliance. Why is NATO expanding into the Asia-Pacific and signing up Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and others? Who gave NATO the right to declare they were now the #1 corporate oligarchic muscle machine for the whole world?

The UK and Poland are working together to ensure more weapons shipments get to Ukraine. The west is turning an already unstable failed state into the new Libya. The US-UK-NATO want chaos on the Russian border as a way to destabilize Moscow. Bleed them dry so to speak.

Fortunately many peace groups & and their members are beginning to crank up the action around this issue. They are finally recognizing that the real trigger for a nuclear war is US-UK-NATO aggression aimed at Moscow. 

Some folks have been a bit slow to come around because they feared being demonized as 'Putin apologists' and such.

 

Just Wednesday  night (after I had sent out an email to the Global Network list) I got a message from a long-time friend in Florida. He had his son read my email and the young man responded that I was pro-Soviet and pro-Russia.

I wrote back that the Soviets were long gone.

We keep hearing from the media that Russia wants to re-create the former Soviet Union and is now making its move. 

You can believe what you want about true Russian intentions but the numbers don't lie.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) each year publishes their global military spending numbers for the previous year. (They appear to not yet have published their 2021 numbers.)

In 2020 US military expenditure reached an estimated $778 billion. (Actually $1 billion per year when you add up all the military money hidden in various government departments.) As the world’s largest military spender, the USA accounted for 39 per cent of total military expenditure in 2020. 

China’s military expenditure, the second highest in the world, is estimated to have totaled $252 billion in 2020. 

Russia’s military expenditure in 2020 was $61.7 billion. 

Germany increased its spending by 5.2 per cent to $52.8 billion, making it the seventh largest spender in 2020. 

In addition to China, India ($72.9 billion), Japan ($49.1 billion), South Korea ($45.7 billion) and Australia ($27.5 billion) were the largest military spenders in the Asia and Oceania region. 

 

 

Now add it all up

When you add the US totals to all the NATO members/partners the number hits well over 60% of the global total. Russia comes in at $61.7 billion which is in the same league as Germany, France or India. 

The notion that Russia could re-create the former Soviet Union at their level of military spending - especially when they would come into obvious conflict with US-UK-NATO - is pure fantasy. That is a story-line that was invented by Hollywood and Madison Avenue. Many believe it.

NATO's true goal is to become an international alliance that would essentially take the power away from the United Nations. Then NATO would not have to go before the UN's Security Council and ask for 'permission' to invade another country like Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. 

A free and expansionist NATO dooms the world to perpetual war.

Time to shut it down.

Bruce

History lesson: Steroidal CIA

 

Abby Martin introduces the first installment of a new Empire Files series about the CIA explaining why the agency was created, and how it became the most nefarious criminal organization in the world, with CIA expert Douglas Valentine.

Time to speak out - no more damn war!

 

Have we gone mad? 

No, we don't need a war with Russia! 

Find Oliver Stone's film Ukraine on Fire for a bit of history. 

Expanding NATO only serves the interest (and insatiable greed) of the military industrial complex. Enough killing! 

Enough death!

~ Mary Beth Sullivan (Bath, Maine)

 

Message from a Donbass labor leader

 

Nazi death squads in Ukraine. Since the 2014 US orchestrated coup in Kiev these killers have been trained, put in fancy uniforms and sent by the US-NATO advisers to the Donbass region along the Russian border to create chaos and kill their fellow Ukrainian citizens who are ethnic-Russian.

 

Dear friend and comrade!

Now the situation around our Republics is very serious. Ukraine brought to the front line about 125,000 soldiers of Ukrainian Army and murders from Nazi battalions. Many foreign instructors came to train Ukrainian soldiers. 

But mass media of US and EU says about “Russian aggression”. But we can’t see any Russian troops on our territory. We hope that common sense and wisdom will win and the world doesn’t fall into war. 

 

We still remember that Ukrainian authorities decided to drop bombs on the heads of Donbass residents instead of sitting down at the negotiating table. And we will never forget that only Russia, not so-called “civilized world”, gave us real help, support and defense. 

It is difficult to make any prognosis right now. We just see US push Ukraine into the war very hard. It is terrible but it is so!

What you can do for us? Thanks to Russia we not suffer from hunger. Only one thing we need. Your support and help us dissemination of real information about the situation in our Republics. If it is possible you can send us the letter solidarity from the name of your organization.

Thank you very much!!!

Андрей Кочетов 

Lugansk labor leader 

Donbass

Ethnic cleansing in Israel continues

 

Mohammed Salhiya, the owner of the home, said, “I’ve been attacked for 25 years, 25 years I’ve faced pressure to sell the land.…I’ve spent 25 years just in the courts with them.” 

Mohammed and members of his family refused to leave their home on Monday, even threatening to burn down the house, rather than yield to Israel’s demands to vacate. "We don't want death. But we have been expelled from our homeland again and again. We are already dead. We are dead inside. We have been dead since 1948," he said.

Washington doesn't want their response to Russia made public

 

Washington Asked Russia to Keep US Response on Security Guarantees Secret

 

TASS   

 
US officials have asked their Russian colleagues not to publish Washington’s written response to Moscow’s proposal on security guarantees, The Washington Post has reported.

However, according to the paper, “a senior State Department official acknowledged that the Kremlin may decide to publish it after the United States sends it next week.”

Following Friday’s meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Geneva, Washington agreed to provide written responses to Moscow’s proposals on security guarantees. After that, the US Secretary of State and the Russian top diplomat plan to hold the next meeting. At a news conference after the meeting, Lavrov told reporters that, in his opinion, publishing the US response would be a right thing to do. However, Russia will request Blinken’s consent to do so, he added.

On December 17, 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a draft agreement on security guarantees between Russia and the United States, [a non-aggression pact] and a draft agreement on ensuring the security of Russia and NATO member states. The proposed measures include guarantees that NATO will not advance eastward, including the accession of Ukraine and other countries into the alliance. They also impose restrictions on deployment of serious offensive weapons, including nuclear ones.


The Washington Post:
 

Lavrov urged the United States to make its written response to the Russian proposals public.

U.S. officials asked their Russian counterparts to keep the document secret, but a senior State Department official acknowledged that the Kremlin may decide to publish it after the United States sends it next week.

The Biden administration’s written response will include American security proposals and demonstrate Washington’s interest in continuing dialogue, said the State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks.

Although the written response will continue to fall short of Russia’s demands to close NATO’s open door policy, the official said, the Biden administration believes there is still value in providing a letter that can be read directly by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There‘s one decision-maker in Russia and it’s President Putin,” said a second Biden administration official. “If this then allows the ultimate decision-maker in Russia to looks at these ideas and decide whether to move forward, it’s in our interest.”

 “We don’t want to be the ones who foreclose a potential diplomatic solution,” added the official, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.