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Royal Saud Family Seek Trump’s Support Against Qatar’s Royal Thani Family
Eric Zuesse
It’s now war between the fundamentalist Sunni Sauds who own the world’s most oil-rich nation Saudi Arabia, versus the fundamentalist Sunni Thanis who own the world’s most gas-rich nation Qatar; and, America’s aristocrats (especially the Israeli and Jewish ones, plus the Mercers who funded Trump’s campaign) seem to be lining up behind the royal Sauds. The royal Sauds are the main family financing the fundamentalist Sunni group Al Qaeda. The royal Thanis are the main family financing the more moderate fundamentalist Sunni group, Muslim Brotherhood.
These are the two main families vying for the leadership not only of Arabia, but of international Islam. Until now, both families have been backed by the U.S. aristocracy. But that might now be beginning to change — and the U.S. join the Sauds against the Thanis.
The difference between the Sauds and the Thanis is that whereas the Sauds are committed to destroying Iran and all Shiite Muslims, the Thanis instead aim to bring together Sunnis and Shiites into a broader Islamic control over the world. The Sauds say that Iran is the terrorist threat to the world, and that the Thanis aren’t sufficiently hostile against ‘terrorists’ (i.e., against Shia, such as Iran’s rulers; or against Shia-tolerating Sunnis, such as Qatar’s rulers, and their Muslim Brotherhood).
Venezuelan Coup Plotter Released to House Arrest
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
In September 2015, anti-Bolivarian fascist coup plotter Leopoldo Lopez was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for inciting months of violence and related crimes against the state.
They resulted in 43 deaths, many injuries and destruction of public property. Lopez got off lightly. In America, he’d likely have been prosecuted and convicted of sedition, sentenced to decades or life in prison.
At the time, President Nicolas Maduro compared him to the 2002 coup plotters - calling him “the face of fascism.”Along with co-conspirators, he launched a US-supported La Salida (the Exit) campaign, openly calling for ousting Venezuela’s government, inciting street violence to replace Bolivarian social democracy with fascist rule.
The Obama administration supported his criminality. His State Department irresponsibly called Venezuela’s “judicial process and verdict” politically motivated - “to suppress and punish government critics.”
NYT Ravings About Putin
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
If all nations had leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, world peace and stability would replace raging imperial wars in multiple theaters, other more serious ones looming, possible unthinkable nuclear war.
Not according to The NYT, a longtime imperial press agent, glorifying naked aggression, opposing world peace, cheerleading lawless US attacks on sovereign states on the phony pretexts of humanitarian intervention, responsibility to protect and democracy building, a notion it deplores.
The Times: On the G20 sidelines in Hamburg, Germany, “Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the man whose thumb was all over the scale that delivered Trump’s victory. It was like a father meeting his offspring.”
Fact: Contempt for truth-telling is longstanding Times practice, the above rubbish one of endless daily examples.
UN Treaty Bans Nuclear Weapons
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
On Thursday, 122 UN member states adopted the first ever treaty banning nuclear weapons. It’s legally-binding when taking effect - without an enforcement mechanism to assure compliance.
The treaty states “(e)ach State Party undertakes never under any circumstances to…develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.”
All nine nuclear powers, NATO members except the Netherlands opposing the treaty, boycotted the meeting, along with Japan and South Korea. Iran supported it, long ago urging a nuclear-free Middle East. Singapore abstained.
On September 20, the measure will be open for signing by all nations. It will become effective 90 days after ratification by 50 member states.
Costa Rican UN envoy/president of negotiations to ban nuclear weapons said “(w)e have managed to sow the first seeds of a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Xi Jinping’s Meeting with Trump
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
China and America are largely world’s apart on ways to resolve differences between them, including major geopolitical issues.
Beijing urges diplomatic outreach with Pyongyang and cessation of provocative US/South Korean military exercises the DPRK believes are preparations for war on its country.
Washington categorically refuses to end decades of unjustifiable hostility toward North Korea, choosing confrontation over responsible outreach, risking unthinkable war on the peninsula, possibly going nuclear by accident or design.
Beijing and Moscow want provocative US THAAD missile systems removed from South Korea, threatening their territory. The Trump administration is unbending, keeping them deployed, intending new installations - aimed mostly at China and Russia aggressively.
Putin’s Meeting with Trump
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Putin is a preeminent, respected world leader, overwhelmingly popular domestically.
Trump a caricature of one, a real estate tycoon out of his element on the world stage - controlled by dark forces in America, representing their diabolical imperial agenda for global dominance.
The bottom line about the first face-to-face meeting between both presidents is little or nothing was accomplished other than them having a chance to meet and exchange views on issues of mutual importance, besides publicly getting along well together.Russia supports world peace, stability, security, and multi-world polarity, including harmony and mutual cooperation among all nations.
America’s agenda is polar opposite, wanting dominance over all other nations, using sticks, not carrots to achieve its destructive aims, war its favored strategy.
Progressive Democrats: Resist and Submit, Retreat and Surrender
James Petras
Introduction
Over the past quarter century progressive writers, activists and academics have followed a trajectory from left to right – with each presidential campaign seeming to move them further to the right. Beginning in the 1990’s progressives mobilized millions in opposition to wars, voicing demands for the transformation of the US’s corporate for-profit medical system into a national ‘Medicare For All’ public program. They condemned the notorious Wall Street swindlers and denounced police state legislation and violence. But in the end, they always voted for Democratic Party Presidential candidates who pursued the exact opposite agenda.
Over time this political contrast between program and practice led to the transformation of the Progressives. And what we see today are US progressives embracing and promoting the politics of the far right.
To understand this transformation we will begin by identifying who and what the progressives are and describe their historical role. We will then proceed to identify their trajectory over the recent decades.
We will outline the contours of recent Presidential campaigns where Progressives were deeply involved.
We will focus on the dynamics of political regression: From resistance to submission, from retreat to surrender.
We will conclude by discussing the end result: The Progressives’ large-scale, long-term embrace of far-right ideology and practice.
Tillerson Suggests Unacceptable No-Fly Zones in Syria
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
Ahead of Putin and Trump meeting face-to-face for the first time on Friday, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Hamburg, Germany, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson commented on the current situation in Syria.
Trump inherited Obama’s war, escalating, not responsibly ending it - on the phony pretext of combating ISIS Washington created and supports.
Tillerson’s comments were outrageously deceitful, calling for “stability on the ground” US aggression prevents.
Saying “military efforts to defeat ISIS on the ground” continue ignored US support for all anti-government terrorist groups - in Syria and elsewhere.
Anti-Populism: Ideology of the Ruling Class
James Petras
Introduction
Throughout the US and European corporate and state media, right and left, we are told that ‘populism’ has become the overarching threat to democracy, freedom and . . . free markets. The media’s ‘anti-populism’ campaign has been used and abused by ruling elites and their academic and intellectual camp followers as the principal weapon to distract, discredit and destroy the rising tide of mass discontent with ruling class-imposed austerity programs, the accelerating concentration of wealth and the deepening inequalities.
We will begin by examining the conceptual manipulation of ‘populism’ and its multiple usages. Then we will turn to the historic economic origins of populism and anti-populism. Finally, we will critically analyze the contemporary movements and parties dubbed ‘populist’ by the ideologues of ‘anti-populism’.
South Korean President Seeks Diplomatic Relations with DPRK
Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman)
President Moon Jae-in urges improved ties with Pyongyang over confrontation.
Earlier he said “I’m pro-US, but now South Korea should adopt diplomacy in which it can discuss a US request and say no to the Americans."
He wants his government taking the lead on policies affecting the peninsula, mostly concerned about preventing war, devastating for Seoul and Pyongyang if launched. On Thursday, ahead of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, he expressed willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “any time, any place” - despite the DPRK’s nuclear program and July 4 ballistic missile test.
He proposed both North and South resumption of family reunions and mutual cooperation on the 2018 winter Olympic games - to be held in Pyeonchang, South Korea.
