Obama Wants State-Sponsored Murder Legalized
by Stephen Lendman
A previous article discussed Obama's kill list. Another explained his "disposition matrix." Both constitute elevating Murder, Inc. to a higher level.
Obama now wants more. He wants murder legalized. On November 24, The New York Times headlined "Election Spurred a Move to Codify US Drone Policy," saying:
Pre-election, Obama "accelerated work… to develop explicit rules for the targeted killing of terrorists by unmanned droned." He wants standards and procedures established.
In other words, he wants murder legalized. Washington designates anti-war/imperial opponents "terrorists." He wants new rules giving him clear authority to murder them.
Israel designates Palestinians wanting to live free from occupation and state terror the same way. Rogue states operate that way.
Obama wants new standards in place. He wants cover for governing illegally. He wants fundamental US and international laws overridden. He wants tyrannical authority.
PermalinkIsrael's Genocidal War on Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
Longstanding Israeli policy reflects slow-motion genocide. Non-Jews aren't wanted. Israel considers them subhuman.
Peace, nonviolence, diplomacy, human and civil rights, as well as fundamental rule of law principles are systematically spurned. That's now rogue states operate.
Pillar of Cloud raged from November 14 - 21. Memorandum of understand terms ended eight terror bombing days. Israel violated its pledge multiple times. Its word isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Less than 24 hours after conflict ended, Israeli soldiers killed one Palestinian. Another 19 were injured.
Israeli Terror: The “Final Solution” to the Palestine Question
James Petras
Introduction
For the past forty-five years the state of Israel has been dispossessing millions of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, confiscating their lands, destroying homes, bulldozing orchards and setting-up ‘Jews-only’ colonial settlements serviced by highways, electrical systems and water works for the exclusive use of the settlers and occupying soldiers. The process of Israeli territorial expansion throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem has greatly accelerated in recent years, converting Palestinian-held territory into non-viable isolated enclaves – like South Africa’s Bantustans – surrounded by the Israeli soldiers who protect violent settler-vigilantes as they assault and harass Palestinian farmers at work in their fields, beat Arab children on their way to school , pelt Palestinian housewives as they hang their laundry and then invade and defecate in Palestinian mosques and churches.
Susan Rice's Conflict of Interest - Major Holdings in Tar Sands Oil, Keystone XL Pipeline, and Canadian Financiers
By Michael Collins
(Washington, DC 11/29) United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice will face serious and blatant conflicts of interest if nominated and confirmed as United States Secretary of State. Rice has major financial interests in the company extracting oil from Canada's tar sands, the company building the pipeline that will carry the oil across the U.S., and the Canadian banks financing this deadly project. (Image)
As Secretary of State, Rice would be responsible for the key recommendation to President Barack Obama on lifting the president's ban on construction of the Keystone XL pipeline imposed in January. She would make the decision knowing that there would be major impact on nearly one third of her (and her husband's) investments.
According to her 2011 financial disclosures, "Rice and her husband own at least $1.25 million worth of stock in four of Canada’s eight leading oil producers." These include Enbridge, the oil company extracting the highly toxic tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada's boreal forest, which are being destroyed to access the oil (boreal forests sequester carbon).
Bangladesh Sweatshop Fire
by Stephen Lendman
Corporate predators seek cheap labor worldwide. Countries like China, India, Honduras, Jordan, Haiti, and Bangladesh provide it.
Transnational giants are unaccountable. Global sweatshops supply them. Workers endure horrific conditions. Some work up to 90 or more hours weekly.
They're wage slaves. They earn sub-poverty pay. They're subjected to punishing harassment, beatings, sexual abuse, and rape.
According to the group Sweatshop Watch:
"A sweatshop is a workplace that violates the law and where workers are subject to:
● extreme exploitation, including the absence of a living wage or long hours;
● poor working conditions, such as health and safety hazards;
● arbitrary discipline, such as verbal or physical abuse, or
● fear and intimidation when they speak out, organize, or attempt to form a union."
Thank you … Crazy Netanyahu???
By Dr. Elias Akleh
No Palestinian, and definitely not I among them, would ever thank crazy Netanyahu for his genocidal crimes against Palestinians especially his latest criminal war against Gaza. There is an Arabic saying that blessings at times come in the form of disguised calamities. Netanyahu was the carrier of such a disguised calamity on the Palestinians in his latest genocidal war against Gaza.
The calamity came in the form of the Israeli military operation “Pillar of Cloud” dropping thousands of tons of bombs on Gaza Strip within 8 days that killed 170 Palestinians, mainly civilians including 34 children, and wounding more than 1100 others. The Israeli air raids had also caused a rough estimate of over a billion dollars worth of damages to infrastructures, buildings, and homes. This included 42 government buildings and offices, 15 schools including UNRWA schools, private institutions such as news broadcast centers, total destruction of 200 apartment buildings, partial damage to 8 thousand other apartment buildings, one clinic, and three mosques. Again, Israeli terror struck the hearts of Palestinians specifically the helpless children.
World Social Forum Free Palestine
by Stephen Lendman
The World Social Forum calls itself "an open meeting place where social movements, networks, NGOs and other civil society organizations opposed to neoliberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action."
WSF believes another world is possible. Money controlled societies don't work. Most people are shut out and denied. Corporate interests subvert human ones. Profits are prioritized. Popular needs go begging.
Oh you who support the Free Syrian Army, think with an "open mind", I DARE YOU!
By 2pt718
Oh you who support the Free Syrian Army, think with an "open mind" as they say. The imperialist nations want a civil conflict in Syria and the division amongst the Syrians (Pro-Bashar vs Pro FSA) today is the beginning. The war in Syria is not about whether Bashar Al-Assad stays in office or steps down, this war is much bigger than you think.
Let us think logically for a minute. Since when has the West supported anything in the Middle East (or anywhere in the world) for the sake of the people. History and recent events show us that since World War II, the U.S. has overthrown, or attempted to overthrow governments all across the world. A government that refuses to bow down to imperialism, capitalism, and globalization makes a perfect candidate for "regime" change. Governments such as Iran, Guatemala, British Guiana, Iraq, North Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Ecuador, Congo, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Indonesia, Ghana, Chile, and many more are amongst the governments that have been successfully overthrown by the U.S. since WWII. Attempts have been made on other governments as well. Now PLEASE TELL ME, what makes the situation in Syria any different??? The funding of rebels, traitors, and extremists to overthrow a government is just one of the methods the US uses. The entire war in Syria and every so-called revolution in the Middle East and across the North African coast reeks of U.S., Europe, Israel, U.N., and NATO involvement. Can't you smell it? If you can't then there is a huge problem! Do some thinking, please!
Abbas Submits Weak UN Status Bid
by Stephen Lendman
Palestine deserves full UN membership. It's entitled to all rights and privileges afforded other Member States. Getting them is simple. It should have happened years ago.
Palestine satisfies all essential criteria. On November 15, 1988, it achieved statehood.
Previous articles explained. Security Council vetoes can't prevent UN admission. General Assembly Member States have sole authority.
A two-thirds majority admits full de jure members. A simple majority admits observer ones. Palestine has more than enough support for either.
Why Arafat didn't seek UN admission he can't explain. In 2004, Israel murdered him. It's indisputable. Clear evidence proves it.
Abbas has lots of explaining to do. He's a longtime Israeli collaborator. He's a traitor. Israel made him president for that reason.
Palestinians have good reason to expect a watered-down, meaningless UN bid. That's all they'll get. The fix is in. It shouldn't be that way.
Obedience to Authority, Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Commandant of Auschwitz
By Gary G. Kohls, MD
“From where in the human soul comes the willingness to kill?”
A couple of years ago, the iconic gate to the infamous World War II-era extermination camp at Auschwitz was stolen. As far as I know, the “crime” has not been solved. At the top of that gate was this classic bit of Nazi propaganda, proclaimed to the millions of doomed incoming victims: “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Makes One Free).
“Arbeit Macht Frei” is a pretty good summary of what is otherwise known as “the Protestant work ethic” that started in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Right-wing nationalists, anti-communist, pro-capitalist, pro-war, anti-Semitic, racist and religious reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther would have agreed that “Arbeit Macht Frei” supported their dogmatic teachings about fulfilling one’s patriotic duty to the state, the church or the industry that employed the people.
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