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The Saudi Dynasty, Key U.S. Ally, Tops the World in Barbarism
Eric Zuesse
The richest person in the world isn’t anyone in the Forbes list, which excludes calculations for any heads-of-state, but is instead King Salman of Saudi Arabia, whose net worth is in the trillions of dollars. He virtually owns the Saudi Government, which owns the world’s largest oil company, Aramco, among other assets. Aramco alone is worth “anywhere between US$1.25 trillion[7] and US$7 trillion,[8] making it the world's most valuable company.” The company’s website says: “1980: Saudi Arabian government acquires 100 percent participation interest in Aramco,” most of which it had already owned. The Saud family’s partners since 1933 had been Chevron Corporation, or Standard Oil of California, which built Aramco. It was a Rockefeller company then; but no one can say who controls it today. As of 2013 (see p. 56 there), the only two investors that owned more than 0.002 or .02% of Chevron, each owned around 6% of it: Blackrock, Inc., and State Street Corp., and they essentially jointly controlled that company, regarding anything on which the two agreed.But the controlling stockholder of Blackrock in 2013 was PNC Financial Services, at 20.8%. PNC is jointly controlled by Wellington Management, Blackrock and the Vanguard Group, each at more than 5%. Wellington, the main stockholder, is jointly controlled by Blackrock, Dimensional Fund Advisors, Royce & Associates, T. Rowe Price, and Wellington Management itself. Some companies, such as Wellington Management, simply hide their owners. All of this is called ‘democracy.’ (Or, at least, it’s “capitalism” of the fascist sort.)
Israel’s Friday Bloodbath
by Stephen Lendman
Israel is more killing machine than nation - a ruthless Arab-hating monster.
On Friday, it continued murdering Palestinians in cold blood, another five lethally shot, the death toll now at 38 since October 1 alone, around 2,000 others injured, 300 on Friday alone, many thousands more from toxic tear gas.
Ruthless Israeli state terror rages daily, indiscriminately using live fire against defenseless Palestinians, wounding scores every day, killing others - brutalizing men, women and children, collectively punishing millions. One observer said Israel developed nuclear weapons to keep from being conquered and occupied. They’re willing to use them to remain free from foreign domination.
Venezuela Arrests Fugitive from Justice Manuel Rosales
by Stephen Lendman
Rosales is a US-born and educated fascist, parachuted into Venezuela by anti-Chavez US officials, a former Zulia state governor, overwhelmingly trounced by Chavez in the December 2006 presidential election - 62.8% to 36.9%.
He supported the aborted April 2002 two-day coup, signed the infamous (Pedro) Carmona Decree, naming himself head of state, abolishing democracy and Bolivarian fairness, dissolving Venezuela’s National Assembly and Supreme Court. He was Zulia governor at the time, over 400 miles away, yet was present in Caracas at the presidential palace during those tumultuous events, never explaining his involvement and support.
Fabricated Reports About Russia’s Syria Campaign
by Stephen Lendman
Two weeks of Russian airstrikes against ISIS and other terrorist targets already had a devastating impact on their operations, turning the tide of battle so far, enabling Syrian ground forces to recapture lost territory.
They’re on the move, advancing, taking the initiative, imported US-supported death squads on their heels, routed in some areas, in disarray, facing a formidable force against which they’re defenseless - no matter how many US weapons airdrops follow. Russia will target and destroy them, along with Syrian ground forces, finding abandoned weapons caches as they advance.
'Putin Has Just Demonstrated the Principle of the Flank'
LAROUCHEPAC
Sept. 28 (EIRNS)-Inside, outside, and at great distance from the United Nations on Manhattan's East Side today, it was obvious that Russian President Vladimir Putin is changing the strategic shape of world events, and has substantial support among Americans as well for a real international coalition to defeat terrorism.
Putin's UN speech defending the Franklin Roosevelt-originated Charter of that organization, was blunt and effective. He said that rapidly spreading terrorism, impoverishment, and loss of respect for life has been generated across the Mideast, North Africa and South Asia by regime change wars, or "wars for democracy,"which are in violation of that UN Charter and of international law, and that this devastation would spread until it were stopped. "We can no longer stand the state of the world."
Another Way Obama’s ‘Trade’ Deals Help International Corporations Privatize Government
Eric Zuesse,
Recently, the issue was raised regarding the profits that would flow to international corporations by Obama’s proposed trade-deals encouraging the privatizatilon of existing government-run social services, and the break-up of their labor unions. It was unfortunately mentioned only in passing by Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee. But that’s better than nothing.
She is a granddaughter of the famous British historian Arnold Toynbee. Her perspective on this matter seems to be in accord with that of Britain’s major corporations — they strongly favor both TTIP (the Obama-proposed trade-deal with the EU), and also Britain’s being a part of the EU (and of that proposed trade-deal). In Britain, the number of families in the aristocracy, and that serve the aristocracy (the people who control the international corporations, and who serve those families), are few enough in number so that the individuals who can win a public voice such as becoming a columnist in the Guardian, tend to be well-vetted by the aristocracy, not favorable towards democracy.
Vietnam: From National Liberation to Trans-Pacific Vassalage 1975-2015
James Petras
In 1975 the people of Vietnam successfully ended one of the longest and bloodiest anti-colonial wars in world-history – defeating the US, the world’s biggest imperial power, after 20 years of struggle.
Barely forty years later the Vietnamese regime signed off on the US-Japanese dominated Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement (TPFTA), which essentially converted Vietnam into a vassal state.
Vietnam has gone full circle: From a neo-colony ruled by puppet dictators backed by an American occupation army involving 500,000 troops from 1955-1975, to its current ‘Communist’ rulers who have turned-over its markets, industries, ports, resources and labor to the 500 largest Western and Asian multi-national corporations.
Evidence Proves US Afghan Hospital Attack Was Deliberate
by Stephen Lendman
Changing US explanations following the October 3 Kunduz hospital attack were all lies - willful deception, covering up a deliberate attack on a Doctors Without Borders (MSF) facility.
Pentagon officials knew it was a hospital, yet attacked it anyway - multiple times for over an hour, killing 24 doctors, other medical staff and patients, injuring 37 others.
Make no mistake! This was a deliberately planned war crime. An AP report said “US analysts knew (the) Afghan site was (a) hospital.” They’d been gathering intelligence on it for days - the strike authorized on the phony pretext of it being used by “a Pakistani operative…coordinat(ing) (with) Taliban activity,” said AP.
Aren't Children Members of the Animal Kingdom?
By Robert Singer
The Animal Rights National Conference is the U.S. animal rights movement's annual national conference. It is also the world's largest and longest-running animal rights gathering, hailing back to 1981. It is the only conference open to all points of view on achieving animal liberation.
The conferences attract thousands of leaders, activists, vegan vendors, and others who care about animals. They offer sessions on abuse, organizing, and outreach skills, as well as opportunities to discuss controversial issues, enjoy delicious food, network, and "recharge your batteries."
And in the spirit of being open to all points of view and the willingness to discuss controversial issues, we call on the leaders, activists, vegan vendors to acknowledge that Children are members of the Animal Kingdom.
The movement to end cruelty to children and animals began in 1874 when Henry Bergh, president of the American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), took on the responsibility to remove Mary Ellen from an abusive home, because she too was " a member of the animal kingdom." Etta Wheeler's story about Mary marked the beginning of a worldwide crusade to save children.
In 1877, the American Humane Association was founded on a mission and vision to prevent cruelty, abuse, neglect and exploitation of both children and animals. And in 1954, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) followed with that mission to "create a humane and sustainable world for all animals, including people, through education, advocacy, and the promotion of respect and compassion" (2001 HSUS Annual Report).
Aren't children people?
Investigating Horrific US War Crime Against Afghan Hospital Staff and Patients
by Stephen Lendman
On October 3, US warplanes knowingly and deliberately bombed a Kunduz, Afghanistan hospital repeatedly for over an hour, the facility staffed by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) physicians and other medical personnel.
A previous article said let’s not mince words. Multiple US air strikes were willful acts of mass-murder, a horrific war crime demanding accountability.
The death toll rose to 24, another 37 injured. Doctors, other medical staff and patients died. Nine patients remain unaccounted for. Two or more unable to be moved were immolated in their beds - burned alive by US imperialism.
MSF rejects Washington’s hollow apologies and condolences. They’re meaningless, disgusting and insulting. Pentagon investigations when conducted are automatically whitewashed to absolve guilty parties of blame.
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