By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers

What should we do when we know the government does not represent us?

Two weeks ago in reaction to the McCutcheon decision we touched on an issue that will become central to our movement: Has the democratic legitimacy of the US government been lost?

We raised this issue by quoting a Supreme Court Justice, former US president and a sitting US Senator:

“The legitimacy of the US government is now in question. By illegitimate we mean it is ruled by the 1%, not a democracy ‘of, by and for the people.’ The US has become a carefully designed plutocracy that creates laws to favor the few. As Stephen Breyer wrote in his dissenting opinion, American law is now ‘incapable of dealing with the grave problems of democratic legitimacy.’ Or, as former president, Jimmy Carter said on July 16, 2013 “America does not at the moment have a functioning democracy.”

“Even members of Congress admit there is a problem. Long before the McCutcheon decision Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) described the impact of the big banks on the government saying: ‘They own the place.’ We have moved into an era of a predatory form of capitalism rooted in big finance where profits are more important than people’s needs or protection of the planet.”

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by Stephen Lendman

A previous article said welcome to Cold War 2.0. The first one never ended. Since Soviet Russia's 1991 dissolution, Western policy remained hard-wired in place.

Putin and Obama are geopolitical opposites. They're world's apart. Their ideologies clash. They represent conflicting values.

Putin defends Russian sovereignty. He opposes US imperial lawlessness. He affirms UN Charter and other rule of law principles.

Obama claims a divine right to pursue unchallenged global hegemony. Washington considers Putin public enemy number one. At risk is potential East/West confrontation.

Russia bashing persists. It's intense. It rages daily. It exceeds the worst of Soviet era levels.

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by Stephen Lendman

In May 2004, he was lawlessly convicted of three attacks killing five people. A three-judge panel admitted he had no involvement.

He said through year end. Perhaps well into 2015. In return, he demands concessions too minor to matter.

Why he'll have to explain. On April 18, Maan News headlined " 'No breakthrough' in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks," saying:

On April 17, five hours of "very difficult discussions" ended with no agreement. An unnamed Palestinian source said:

"The gap (between both sides) is still wide.

It didn't matter. Weeks later, he got five life sentences plus 40 years imprisonment. He's a prisoner of conscience.

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By Khalid Amayreh

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has warned that it may pass responsibility for the Occupied Palestinian territories back to occupying power Israel if peace talks remain stalled.

An unnamed PA official said the Palestinians told American envoy Martin Indyk on Friday that unless Israel releases Palestinian prisoners as agreed in American –mediated talks and freezes settlement building, they could dismantle the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) of Chairman Mahmud Abbas."The Palestinians informed Indyk that if this Israeli intransigence continues, they have several options to resort to," the Palestinian official told a western news agency on condition of anonymity.

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by Stephen Lendman

Washington bears full responsibility for elevating illegitimate fascist putschists to power. Doing so reflects another sordid chapter in US history. For sure, it won't be the last.

Bullying, bluster and threatening ultimatums define US policy. John Kerry warned Sergei Lavrov.

Moscow has "days, not weeks," to assure Ukrainian four-part agreement terms are implemented. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki repeated his threat, saying:

"The secretary urged Russia to take concrete steps to help implement the Geneva agreement, including publicly calling on separatists to vacate illegal buildings and checkpoints, accept amnesty and address their grievances politically."

"He also called on Russia to assign a senior diplomat to work with the OSCE mission in eastern Ukraine to make absolutely clear to the separatists that Russia supports the agreement and wants de-escalation."

"The Secretary also made clear that Russia’s recent public statement casting doubt on Ukraine's commitment to the Geneva agreement flies in the face of the facts."

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Five anti-government protesters reportedly killed, one injured in the eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk after Kiev authorities sent tanks and armored vehicles against the local population. Russian President Vladimir Putin: Kiev’s crackdown on anti-government protesters “a very serious crime.

Bolivian President Evo Morales: Washington is pushing Venezuela towards a “civil war” because it wants access to the country’s rich oil reserves. The Venezuelan government has also accused the US of fomenting a coup d’état.

Arctic University of Norway has detected “extreme levels” of the biotech giant’s RoundUp herbicide in our food, researchers found high levels of RoundUp on 70 percent of genetically engineered soy plants. Studies have proven there are ‘anti-nutrients’ in GM food.

New York Times made a rare admission that it submits to Israeli state gag orders, fueling charges from critics that the globally-influential publication plays fast-and-loose with journalistic ethics to give favorable coverage to Israel.

Boston: police security operation, massive surveillance. National Guard, police carried out warrantless house-to-house searches. Blanket order issued for all people to “shelter in place,” armored vehicles patrolled empty streets, helicopters buzzed overhead. Public transportation and institutions shut down.

A dentist pulled 28 healthy teeth from a 23-year-old man’s mouth for no good reason, and charged more than $5,000 to a credit card belonging to the man’s mother, according to a lawsuit. One of the teeth, the lower right first molar, had a treatable abscess.

State Representative Chris Broadwater: Louisiana making database to store information about residents who may represent a “risk to the state,” used in pinpointing “future criminals.” Permit state to “intervene” offer suggestions and guidance on factors such as mental and physical health.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: "If we are attacked, we would certainly respond. If our interests, attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law,

Research from the Medical University of Graz and published in PLoS ONE: Vegetarians were Twice as likely to suffer from allergies, had 50 percent greater risk of heart attacks and cancer. higher incidence of chronic disease, impairment from disorders, and more anxiety and depression.

The juice is 99.4 percent apple and grape-derived, contains 0.3 percent pomegranate, 0.2 percent blueberry juice. Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice is 100 percent pomegranate. Food and Drug Administration allows food companies to name beverages according to flavor rather than content.

US fund managers have warned of risks shareholders could face from current or future Western sanctions against Russia, as Washington move to impose more sanctions on Moscow over their dispute on Ukraine, could result in depreciation of the Russian currency, Reuters reported Friday.

Brands including Barbie, iPod, Mug Root Beer and Life Savers showed up on New York's Common Core standardized English tests. Speculation it was product placement advertising. State education officials say the brand references just happened to be contained in previously published passages.

Vice President Joseph Biden began two-day trip to Ukraine Monday as the country continued to the edge of civil war. Tensions mounting over killings in eastern part of the country. Demonstrators calling for union with Russia or federalized system of government, seized control in ten cities.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: In 2011 and 2012, Internal Revenue Service awarded 1,146 employees $1 million in bonuses that had tax violations. Employees with back taxes received 10,582 hours of paid time, another 69 received permanent raises through a step increase.

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake has struck Slovenia southwest of the country’s capital, Ljubljana, at a depth of 12.4 kilometers, says USGS. The earthquake took place about 200 kilometers from a nuclear power plant at Krško, a town in eastern Slovenia.

US frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50) has entered the Black Sea, according to the US Navy, as the Pentagon announces plans to dispatch some 600 troops to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia for military exercises. US claims the ship’s entry is “to promote peace and stability in the region.”

Ukraine’s acting president has ordered the resumption of what he calls “anti-terror” operations in the east of the country. Kiev launched controversial "anti-terrorist" operation to root out pro-Russian protests, blamed deaths on “terrorists, who have taken the whole region hostage.”

First Russia, Tasmania, and Mexico say no to Monsanto and now, the Netherlands have passed a similar ban, determined to keep Glyphosate-laced herbicides away from the general public. Citizens of the Netherlands have been expressing their concern over glyphosate chemicals.

A Transcript of the Interview with Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman conducted by journalist Bill Moyers,
Paul Krugman: Piketty is telling us that we are on the road not just to a highly unequal society, but to a society of an oligarchy. A society of inherited wealth.

Thousands of people flooded the streets of Canadian cities in protest calling for legalization of marijuana. inspired by government promises and easing of cannabis policy in Uruguay and some US states. Rallies, dubbed ‘420’, annual day of celebrating cannabis culture – April 20.

Puerto Rico contemplating more than a hundred different proposals to jumpstart its sagging economy including legal prostitution and marijuana use. Proposals range from eliminating various government agencies to cutting down the number of public holidays.

Those who can't smell the carbon dioxide ravaging the earth for hedonistic profit - enabled by federal and many state and local governments - will find out that just because you can't smell global warming does not mean that it is not brewing a cauldron of devastation just over the horizon.

China intends to invest in massive projects in Crimea less than a month after the former Ukrainian province was annexed by the Russian Federation. Russia ambassador to E U Vladimir Chizhovsaid: Russia partners with China in two major Crimean projects: gas pipeline, Crimean deep water port.

Ukrainian acting prime minister: his country needs to be militarily and economically supported by United States in its standoff with Russia. We need financial and economic support. We need to modernize, renovate our security and military forces. “We need to be in very good shape to stop Russia.

Two influential US senators, Bob Corker and Chris Murphy, have called on US President Barack Obama to ratchet up sanctions against Russia. Must include Russia’s petrochemical and banking industries. Bob Corker and Chris Murphy are members of Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Russian Foreign Ministry expressed outrage over deadly gun battle Saturday in city of Slavyansk in eastern Ukraine, said Kiev must deliver on its commitment to de-escalate the violence. Moscow condemned the violence said it indicates Kiev’s unwillingness to implement Geneva agreement.

Five people have been killed in a gunfight in Slavyansk, a city in eastern Ukraine held by anti-government protesters. The fatalities include three protesters and two attackers, who are believed to be from the Right Sector paramilitary. People trying to flee the attackers were shot in their backs.

China refused five total shipments of GM crops in just a month – all of it coming from the U S. Chinese Minister of Agriculture unable to issue safety certificate unless these strict scientific proofs utilized. Three shipments of US GMO corn without safety certificates, approval documents destroyed.

Matthew Green, a computer science professor in cryptography at JHU, tweeted on his blog that the NSA was engaged in efforts “to break encryption” on private servers and was doing so on a big scale. His post was flagged and Green was told by the school to remove the post.

Poland defense minister; Tomasz Siemoniak: Poland and United States will announce deployment of U.S. ground forces to Poland as part of expansion of NATO presence in Central and Eastern Europe in response to events in Ukraine. Decision made on a political level.

A suspected meteorite citizens of Russian city of Murmansk recorded bright blue trail speed across sky, then explode in air, suspected meteorite. Officials have not confirmed it.

Pro-Israeli US politicians trying to put in place visa waiver program that allows Israelis to travel to USA as tourists 90 days without having to apply for visa. American intelligence officials opposing the program. Concerns would increase risk of Israeli spying in US could harm national security.

People in eastern Ukraine fear worst is yet to come after Kiev authorities launched military operation in eastern regions of the country; possible crackdown by authorities will repeat events in Kiev. Tensions escalating. Russia warns Kiev use of force against protesters could be very dangerous.

President Putin: Russia sees no reason why its relationship with the West can’t normalize. I believe there is nothing hindering normalization and normal cooperation; on good terms with former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, to replace NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked top secret documents regarding U.S. government domestic and international surveillance programs, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin if Moscow used mass surveillance on its citizens during a televised call-in show Thursday.

Russian Communists planning mass boycott of all American goods “It is easy to find replacements with goods produced in Russia. ”They are high quality. Universal boycott might be too complicated, suggest pinpoint action of goods that deal heaviest blow to US economy. Boycott is voluntary.

United States farmers have interest in Ukraine situation, regional instability could have consequences on wheat and corn supplies around world, possible disruptions in country’s supply chain. Western sanctions on Russian wheat output could have repercussions on American farms and elsewhere.

Despite calls for a peaceful dialogue in the document on Ukraine adopted in Geneva, the coup-imposed Ukrainian Foreign Minister said not bound by its recommendations, will not affect “anti-terrorist” operation in the East of the country and troops will remain there.

Ukrainian army is ramping up psychological pressure on regions engulfed in anti-government protests to frighten rebellious cities into compliance by roaring fighter jets above the heads of the activists. The skies over cities in eastern Ukraine are resounding to the roar of attack helicopters and fighter jets.

Oklahoma residents who produce energy through solar panels or small wind turbines on their property will now be charged an additional fee, those with systems already installed won’t be affected, new customers will now be charged a monthly fee.

The Drug Policy Alliance filed an amicus brief today urging Louisiana Supreme Court to review the prison sentence of Bernard Noble, sentenced to 13.3 years of hard labor in prison without parole for possessing the equivalent of two marijuana cigarettes.

Genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton produced by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), banned from Indian state of Karnataka, a major cotton-producing region of India, after the transgenic crop failed to deliver on pest resistance and yields.

Chancellor Angela Merkel: “all of Germany’s energy policies must be reconsidered.”Most important energy supplier is Russia: provides 38 percent of Germany’s natural gas, 35 percent oil imports, 25 percent of coal, no alternatives that could cover shortfalls of this magnitude. Supplies already short.

New York Times whitewashes the social and political character of the new Ukrainian government, blames violence on Moscow. Downplays government’s decision to deploy military aircraft against its own population. Government in Kiev includes ministers from Ukraine fascist party Svoboda.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov: Russia, the US, the EU and Ukraine have adopted a joint document on the de-escalation of the Ukraine crisis, after talks in Geneva, calls for all illegal armed groups to lay down arms and a wide amnesty, “immediate start of a nationwide national dialogue,”

Putin criticized Ukraine’s coup-appointed government.“Have they lost their minds?! "They are deploying tanks, armored vehicles and weaponry! Crisis in Ukraine can only be solved through a compromise in the interests of the Ukrainian people".

Crimean First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Temirgaliyev: Kiev reduced water supplies to the peninsula by three times called on Ukraine to reconsider decision. Crimea prevented Kiev from cutting off all water with technical solution. Denied Ukraine allegations Crimea has not paid for its water,

Russian government has warned about delivering advanced weapons to Syria’s foreign-backed militants, saying it would destabilize the situation, thwart any political solution to the crisis in the country. Dangerously escalated with US anti-tanks missile systems delivered to militants.
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US President Barack Obama: The Russians are “not interested in any kind of military confrontation with us, understanding that our conventional forces are significantly superior to the Russians. “We don’t need a war.”Accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being behind the unrest in Ukraine.

New anti-terrorism law that widens definition of terrorist “crimes”, tougher sentences, aimed at crushing protests by the supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood. Anti-protest law is even stricter than those of the Mubarak era or when Egypt was still a British protectorate.

The Dow Jones and Standard & Poor’s 500 indexes reached record highs on Thursday, having completely erased the losses since the stock market’s last peak, in 2007. But instead of cheering, we should be very afraid. Over the last 13 years, the stock market has twice crashed and touched off a recession: American households lost $5 trillion in the 2000 dot-com bust and more than $7 trillion in the 2007 housing crash. Sooner or later — within a few years, I predict — this latest Wall Street bubble, inflated by an egregious flood of phony money from the Federal Reserve rather than real economic gains, will explode, too.

"Help me dad, they're killing me" Kelly Thomas cried as the good police beat and suffocated him to death. One cop commented, "God there's blood everywhere." Officer Manuel Ramos was charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter; Corporal Jay Cicinelli and Officer Joseph Wolfe were each charged with one count of felony involuntary manslaughter and one count of excessive force. On January 13, 2014, Ramos and Cicinelli were found not guilty of all charges, and the district attorney's office announced it would not pursue the case against Officer Wolfe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Kelly_Thomas

Nassim Taleb, New York University (NYU) professor: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have potential to cause “an irreversible termination of life at some scale, which could be the planet.” Being able to control GMOs in nature impossible. Domino effect risk genetic manipulation of nature will have on the worldwide ecosystem. Given enough time the “total ecocide barrier” is bound to be hit.

The ugly reality is that the US government has a long and unbroken record of working with fascists, dictators, druglords and state sponsors of terrorism in every region of the world. The US is backing Ukraine’s extreme right-wing Svoboda party and violent neo-Nazis whose armed uprising paved the way for a Western-backed coup. Events in the Ukraine are giving us another glimpse through the looking-glass of US propaganda wars against fascism, drugs and terrorism. The ugly reality behind the mirror is that the US government has a long and unbroken record of working with fascists, dictators, druglords and state sponsors of terrorism in every region of the world in its elusive but relentless quest for unchallenged global power.

“So your mother is a Palestinian and you think that you can come to Israel?” “Yes.” “You are not allowed to enter here because you have a Palestinian I.D..” “No, I do not, I am an American citizen. I wasn’t born in Palestine, nor have I ever lived there.” Again she laughed, and snidely replied, “Well there is no such thing as Palestine anyway, but you have an I.D. through your mother, so you are not allowed to enter here. No Palestinians are. But you can try the Allenby Border Crossing, that is for Arabs only” In just a few simple words it seemed that she had stripped me of my entire identity, erased my history, and labeled me as less than. I had never felt such anger in my life.

In the eastern Ukraine, which is an industrial hub and key sector of the country's economy, people are on edge, staging rallies and going on strikes. The Donetsk and Lugansk regions are also currently hotspots for anti-Kiev unrest. RT's Paula Slier went there to find out what's driving people to the edge.

On April 17, Putin held his annual televised Q & A session. He did it with ordinary Russians nationwide. He did it for the 12th time. Doing so connects with them.

He responded to questions forthrightly. Most concerned Ukraine and Crimea. He covered lots of ground.

Trust lost is hard to regain, he said. It's been "undermined to a great degree, but why is this happening?

http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/TPV3/Voices.php/2014/04/20/putin-speaks

Baltimore PostExaminer

Back in early September, 2013, Matthew Green, a computer science professor in cryptography at JHU, tweeted on his blog that the NSA was engaged in efforts “to break encryption” on private servers and was doing so on a big scale. His post was flagged and Green was told by the school to remove the post. Later, the school’s decision to impose its heavy-handed censorship measure was reversed.

On Tuesday evening, April 15, 2014, on the campus of Johns Hopkins U., a public forum featuring three panel members was held to discuss the above matter and the issue of “collaboration” between the NSA & JHU, and other universities. The event was sponsored by the students’ “Human Rights Working Group” and the “New Political Society.” The first speaker was Christopher Soghoain, a representative of the ACLU. Mr. Soghoain, a graduate of JHU, who is experienced in the field of surveillance cases, claimed: “We have an intelligence agency [NSA] that is out of control! This is an agency that is collecting information about law-abiding Americans who’ve done nothing wrong...”

Professor Green recounted his JHU-related blog/censorship experience from last year. He also underscored his concern that the “NSA has been inside ‘Google’s Data Centers‘ collecting data.” An attorney and expert on Constitutional Law, Shahid Buttar, was the third panel member. He is the Exec. Dir. of the “Bill of Rights Defense Committee.” Buttar traced the history of government-sanctioned spying and warned that the NSA’s egregious conduct has currently reached Orwellian proportions and is a serious threat to “Freedom of Thought!”

To learn more, go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/452572404886978/, “The Guardian,” Jay Rosen, Sept. 10, 2013, and the “Pro Publica” article at: http://www.propublica.org/article/johns-hopkins-and-the-case-of-the-missing-nsa-blog-post#update

RT

US confirms CIA chief paid a covert visit to Kiev. This sparked speculation US is helping coordinate activists in eastern Ukraine. For more on this we are joined by former MI5 agent Annie Machon

RT

Ukrainian armoured vehicle crews have switched sides, joining the anti-government protesters in the East. Activists place a Russian flag on one of them.