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Hurricane Irma Threatens Florida
Stephen Lendman
Irma is expected to reach south Florida by Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) calls it “a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane and will continue to bring life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas through Saturday.”
“Heavy rainfall is still possible across portions of (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) through Friday. Hurricane conditions will also spread over portions of the north coast of Cuba…through Saturday.”“Severe hurricane conditions are expected over portions of the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys beginning late Saturday.”
Irma is hugely dangerous, much of Florida potentially affected, especially southern areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned of life-threatening hazards, notably from storm surge and large waves generated by heavy winds.
Catastrophic US Hurricanes
Stephen Lendman
Hurricane Irma, downgraded to category 4, is expected to make landfall in southern Florida late Saturday or early Sunday morning, its wind strength expected to remain around 150 MPH.
Its life-threatening winds, storm surge and heavy rain got Florida Governor Rick Scott to say “(a)ll Floridians should be prepared to evacuate.”
FEMA administrator Brock Long said “it’s a question of how bad Florida’s going to be impacted and where the storm ends up. (Irma poses) a threat that is going to devastate the United States, either Florida or some of the southeastern states.”
Trailing Irma is Hurricane Jose, elevated to category 4 with winds at around 150 MPH, moving at about 18 MPH. It’s threatening Caribbean states devastated by Irma, expected to pass near the Leeward Islands on Saturday.
What America’s Aristocracy Want
Eric Zuesse
The American aristocracy want inequality of rights, with two basic polar-opposite classes: the ‘elite’, with themselves at the top of everything, and everybody else below them, as subjects to be ruled by them, in such ways as they (themselves, and their fellow ‘elite’) can agree to do. They are convinced that they have earned their high status, in one way or another, and they compete ferociously amongst themselves, to rise even higher within the aristocracy.
Many of the aristocrats think that they are ‘elite’ because they are the richest; many think instead that the ‘elite’ are the smartest or the most cunning; and, a third group think that the ‘elite’ are the “well-born” who descended from ’superior’ people — they believe in an inherited elitist version of Hitler’s generic racist vision, of the ‘Aryans’ versus the ‘non-Aryans’. Instead of being such racists, however, this third category are simply classists, who define their aristocratic rights as being inherited from their ancestors — so, they’re similar to racists, insofar as they are obsessed with geneaology (like racists are), but their obsession is focused instead upon their own family, not upon any “race” at all. They ‘come from the right family’, not from ‘the right race’. This third type of aristocrat believe in inherited rights and obligations. They believe that they possess an inherited right to control the public — the non-aristocrats (the ‘lower class’).
Russia and China v. the West on North Korea
Stephen Lendman
Their positions are world’s apart - evident in Monday’s Security Council meeting on North Korea.
Russia and China urge diplomacy to resolve a deepening crisis. They want tensions defused.
They oppose counterproductive tougher sanctions, threats and saber rattling, encouraging enhanced development of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Above all, they want war on the Korean peninsula avoided. They sensibly proposed a double-freeze.
In return for Washington, South Korea and Japan halting their provocative military exercises Pyongyang believes are rehearsals for war, Russia and China call for suspension of the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Russia’s UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya warned that possible confrontation on the Korean peninsula is “high as never before,” peace experiencing a “serious test.”
He urged the international community to act “calmly and in a balanced way” - not “succumb to emotion.”
He criticized North Korea for undermining regional non-proliferation, posing a major threat to world peace - with possible “dire consequences” for its own country.
ISIS Siege of Deir Ezzor, Syria Broken
I Stephen Lendman
Breaking ISIS’ three-year siege of Deir Ezzor governorate was another milestone toward freeing the area entirely, smashing US-supported ISIS, and achieving another important victory toward Syria’s full liberation.
Miles to go remain toward that goal, but each battlefield triumph advances things closer to eventually defeating Washington’s aim for regime change and control of the country.
A Syrian Army Command statement announced the good news, saying:“After a series of successful operations, units of our armed forces, in cooperation with the supporting and allied forces and backed by the Syrian and Russian air forces, have completed the second phase of their operations deep in the Syrian Badia (desert), and they managed through qualitative operations and heroic actions to break the siege on our people who were besieged for more than three years in Deir Ezzor.”
The achievement “constitutes a strategic shift in the war on terrorism and affirms the ability of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies to defeat the terrorist project in Syria and foil the fragmentation plans of its sponsors and supporters.”
Canada’s Largest Private Sector Union Endorses BDS
Stephen Lendman
Unifor has more than 310,000 members nationwide.
At its August 18 - 20 convention in Winnipeg, it adopted a resolution, titled “Palestinian Self-Determination and the Movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanction.”
It affirms opposition to violence against civilians, along with “other human rights violations by either side in the conflict.”
It called for using BDS tactics to target “sectors of Israel’s economy and society which profit from the ongoing occupation of the OPT (occupied Palestinian territories),” adding:
“Unifor will support…BDS until such time as Israel implements a permanent ban on further settlement construction in the OPT, and enters into good faith negotiations with representatives of the Palestinian people for the purpose of establishing a viable, contiguous and truly sovereign Palestinian state.”
“The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s settlements in the (OPT) violate international law (and that) Israeli settlement expansions in the OPT are an undeniable obstacle to the Israel - Palestine peace process.”
Category 5 Hurricane Irma
Stephen Lendman
Category 5 storms are the most dangerous. Hurricane Irma is the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.
Winds approach 185 MPH, gusts exceed 215 MPH. A force this powerful will devastate any land areas struck. The human toll could be high.
Pre-dawn Wednesday, Irma made landfall in the northeastern Caribbean, the full impact still to be felt as this is written. Area officials warned about the coming onslaught.
At around 1:47AM, the hurricane’s eye passed over Barbuda. Its forecast trajectory has it heading toward Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before likely moving toward Florida’s east or west coasts by the weekend.
Governor Rick Scott declared a state-wide emergency in all Florida counties. The southern most Keys would be first affected. People in coastal areas should prepare to evacuate to inland locations.
Putin and South Korean President Meet
Stephen Lendman
For weeks after assuming office in May, South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged improved ties with Pyongyang, saying:
“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.”
Ahead of the early July Hamburg G20 summit, he expressed willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “any time, any place, if the conditions are met, and if it will provide an opportunity to transform the tension and confrontation on the Korean peninsula.”
He called US policy toward Pyongyang flawed and dangerous. “More desirable in international relations is to pursue a multifaceted approach” instead of hostile rhetoric and confrontational policies, he stressed.
Who Rules America? The Power Elite in the Time of Trump
James Petras
Introduction
In the last few months, several competing political, economic and military sectors - linked to distinct ideological and ethnic groups - have clearly emerged at the centers of power.
We can identify some of the key competing and interlocking directorates of the power elite:
1. Free marketers, with the ubiquitous presence of the ‘Israel First’ crowd.
2. National capitalists, linked to rightwing ideologues.
3. Generals, linked to the national security and the Pentagon apparatus, as well as defense industry.
4. Business elites, linked to global capital. This essay attempts to define the power wielders and evaluate their range of power and its impact.
The Economic Power Elite: Israel-Firsters and Wall Street CEO’s
‘Israel Firsters’ dominate the top economic and political positions within the Trump regime and, interestingly, are among the Administration’s most vociferous opponents. These include: the Federal Reserve Chairwoman, Janet Yellen, as well as her Vice-Chair, Stanley Fischer, an Israeli citizen and former (sic) Governor of the Bank of Israel.
Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and an Orthodox Jew, acts as his top adviser on Middle East Affairs. Kushner, a New Jersey real estate mogul, set himself up as the archenemy of the economic nationalists in the Trump inner circle. He supports every Israeli power and land grab in the Middle East and works closely with David Friedman, US Ambassador to Israel (and fanatical supporter of the illegal Jewish settlements) and Jason Greenblatt, Special Representative for International negotiations. With three Israel-Firsters determining Middle East policy, there is not even a fig leaf of balance.
Putin at BRICS Summit
Stephen Lendman
His straight talk is always refreshing - polar opposite double-talk from US leaders and most congressional members.
At the conclusion of the BRICS summit in Xiamen, China, he answered questions candidly during a news conference. He always says what he means and means what he says.
Nations have the right to determine the number of diplomatic offices they permit other countries to have. They can reduce the numbers at their discretion.
“It is another matter altogether that they have done this (to Russia) in a way that was absolutely uncivil,” Putin stressed.
No one has the right to seize the diplomatic properties of other nations. In response to the seizure of its San Francisco consulate, along with annex buildings in Washing and New York, Putin said he’ll file suit, seeking their lawful return.
In Nicaragua v. United States(1986), the International Court of Justice ruled against Washington for breaching international law and violating its sovereignty by supporting Contra death squads in the country, along with mining its waters and operating illegally in its airspace.
Washington rejected the ruling, refused to pay damages, and claimed the court had no “jurisdiction (or) competence” to render a judgment.
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