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How Runaway Inequality Creates Runaway Global Warming
Eric Zuesse
The bottom half of humans own next to nothing, but they own as much as the world’s richest 80 individuals do, because though the bottom half are poor, there are 3.79 billion of them.
The average person among the richest 80 owns 45,750,000 times as much as does the average person among the lower half. In other words: in terms of wealth, the typical one of those hyper-rich equals nearly 46 million of those poor people.
The richest person among the poor half of humanity owns approximately $5,000, but billions of people in the lower half own less than nothing — they’re negative net worth: owing more than they own. However, whatever they own is visible, and easily seizable, either by creditors, or by thieves.
By contrast, the wealth of all billionaires, including of the top 80, is largely secret, lots of it being in shell companies, many offshore, untraceable. Consequently, estimates of the wealth of the richest 80 individuals are probably unrealistically low. This secretiveness is a major reason why the public tolerates being ruled by an aristocracy: they don’t even recognize that they are — they think they live in a democracy, even if they don’t.
China and the US: Rational Planning and ‘Lumpen’ Capitalism
James Petras
Introduction
US journalists and commentators, politicians and Sinologists spend considerable time and space speculating on the personality of China’s President Xi Jinping and his appointments to the leading bodies of the Chinese government, as if these were the most important aspects of the entire 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (October 18-24, 2017)[2].
Mired down in gossip, idle speculation and petty denigration of its leaders, the Western press has once again failed to take account of the world-historical changes which are currently taking place in China and throughout the world.
World historical changes, as articulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, are present in the vision, strategy and program of the Congress. These are based on a rigorous survey of China’s past, present and future accomplishments.
Trump’s Latest Warning
Stephen Lendman
His rage for war makes any announced warnings sound especially ominous - even if they’re only bluster.
With him it’s hard to tell, the latest one coming after discussing Iran and North Korea with Pentagon officials.
During a photo-op with them assembled before dinner, he asked: “You guys know what this represents? Maybe it’s the “calm before the storm. Could be the calm before the storm.”
What storm, he was asked: “ISIS? North Korea? Iran?”
“You’ll find out,” he responded, adding “(w)e have the world’s great military people in this room, I will tell you that.”
He denounced Iran, said the country won’t be allowed to have nuclear weapons it deplores and doesn’t want, Trump likely ignorant of its longterm position.
Maybe he doesn’t care. Talking tough is his preferred way of operating, making threats and enemies at the same time.
On North Korea, he roared “(w)e cannot allow this dictatorship to threaten our nation or allies with unimaginable loss of life,” vowing to “do what we must do to prevent that from happening and it will be done, if necessary. Believe me.”
Hawkish generals running administration policy prepared “a broad range of military options,” he added. Earlier he threatened total destruction on the country.
Kansas Teacher Barred from Employment for Supporting BDS
Stephen Lendman
Barring longtime math teacher Esther Koontz from renewing her teaching contract, solely for her political beliefs, is a flagrant First Amendment violation.
She righteously supports BDS activism, wanting Israel held accountable for its high crimes against Palestinians.
Kansas House Bill 2409 prohibits state contracts with individuals critical of Israel’s agenda. In NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co. (1982), the Supreme Court unanimously ruled for the plaintiff against state authorities, cracking down on boycotts of white businesses, saying authority over economic relations doesn’t limit or deny political speech.
Koontz is a member of the Mennonite Church USA. In July, it voted to divest from US companies, profiting from Israel’s illegal occupation.
She supports Palestinian rights. Her employment papers require a declaration in writing of no support for BDS. She declined and was denied the right to train other teachers.
The Kansas law is unconstitutional. The ACLU supports Koontz. Last week on its web site, she headlined “Kansas Won’t Let Me Train Math Teachers Because I Boycott Israel,” saying:
“Because of my political views, the state of Kansas has decided that I can’t help it train other math teachers.”
States Sue Trump for Cutting Off Healthcare Subsidies
Stephen Lendman
If America had universal healthcare like all other developed nations and many others, the only issue would be improving it, making it the world’s best.
Instead, it’s a national disgrace, by far the world’s most expensive, increasingly unaffordable for tens of millions of households - forced to go uninsured or way underinsured, leaving them vulnerable in case of serious illnesses or injuries.
Medicaid is bare bones, woefully inadequate and unacceptable. So are the actions of the world’s richest nation waging class war, eroding social justice, devoting its resources increasingly for militarism, endless wars of aggression, and corporate favoritism - the country thirdworldized to pursue this agenda.
Monied interests never had things better, the system rigged to serve them at the expense of most others, a deplorable system worsening, not improving.
Trump’s ending healthcare subsidies for low-income households was a contemptible act, a scheme to pressure Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare with a more dysfunctional system than already, freeing up billions in federal revenues for greater warmaking and tax cuts for the rich.
States are outraged, 19 attorneys general suing in federal court to reverse his action. Maybe others will join them.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said “(h)undreds of thousands of New York families rely on the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies for their health care.” Cutting them off is “unacceptable.”
America and France Reject Democratic Venezuelan Regional Election Results
Stephen Lendman
It’s no surprise. Venezuela is the hemisphere’s leading democracy. America and France are fascist police states, partnering in imperial wars of aggression, serving their privileged class exclusively, repressing nonbelievers.
On Monday, the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (CEELA) said Venezuela’s October 15 gubernatorial elections were open, free and fair.
“The vote took place peacefully and without problem. (It) reflects the will of (Venezuelan) citizens,” CEELA President Nicanor Moscoso explained.
Over 1,300 national and international observers monitored Sunday voting, saying it took place under conditions of “total normality,” no irregularities found, some minor technical glitches only, not affecting the process.
Opposition fascists illegitimately cried foul, how they always react to losing. CEELA said it received no formal complaints about Sunday’s process. No evidence shows any, just groundless opposition complaints through the media.
North Korean UN Envoy Warns of Possible Nuclear War
Stephen Lendman
The danger of Washington launching it is real, not Pyongyang. Trump’s rage for warmaking threatens everyone.
Addressing the General Assembly’s disarmament committee on Monday, DPRK UN envoy Kim In-ryong said things “reached the touch-and-go point and a nuclear war may break out any moment.”
North Korea is the world’s only country facing “an extreme and direct nuclear threat” from America, he explained, adding his nation has the right to possess nuclear weapons for self-defense.
He condemned provocative US military exercises near its territory, jointly with South Korea and/or Japan, using “nuclear assets,” he claimed - highlighting the danger of Washington perhaps staging a “secret operation aimed at the removal of our supreme leadership.”
Pyongyang completed its “nuclear force and thus became the full-fledged nuclear power which possesses the delivery means of various ranges, including the atomic bomb, H-bomb and intercontinental ballistic rockets,” he claimed.
North Korea indeed is a nuclear power, heading toward thermonuclear capability, not likely having achieved it, nor ICBMs in its arsenal yet.
Deplorable US Public Ignorance
Stephen Lendman
Americans are the most over-entertained, uninformed people on the planet - despite 84% of households having a computer, 73% with broadband Internet access, according to Pew Research.
Instead of relying on credible information sources easily available online, too many Americans apparently follow mainstream television - providing disinformation, Big Lies and fake news, masquerading as the real thing.
A mid-September Gallup poll showed 58% of US adults surveyed favor military action against North Korea if (nonexistent) diplomacy fails.
Support varied by party affiliation - 82% of Republicans favoring war, 56% of independents, only 37% of (undemocratic) Democrats.
A new Quinnipiac University poll showed 46% of Republicans support a preemptive strike on the DPRK, 41% against - 1% for is unacceptable.
Neocon Nikki Haley the Dark Force Behind Trump’s Decertification of Iran Nuclear Deal?
Stephen Lendman
Haley reportedly was Trump’s first choice for secretary of state, a war goddess Hillary clone, a Ziofascist, a recklessly dangerous neocon.
Her extremism makes her unqualified for any public position. She uses her UN envoy platform to maliciously vilify sovereign independent states - notably Russia, North Korea and Iran.
Earlier she claimed she was offered the secretary of state position, turned it down, telling Trump he could find someone better. Perhaps she’s Trump’s top choice now to replace Rex Tillerson, clearly frustrated about being left out of the loop on key geopolitical decision-making.
A previous article suggested Trump may choose CIA director Mike Pompeo, ideologically like Haley, a recklessly dangerous extremist heading an agency responsible for high crimes globally since the 1940s.
On Saturday, Sputnik News said Haley “prepared the ground” for Trump’s decertification of the Iran nuclear deal, citing Politico, saying she was his “favorite internal voice” on Iran.
Trump EOs Aim to Undermine Obamacare
Stephen Lendman
On Wednesday and Thursday, Trump signed two anti-consumer executive orders, aiming to wreck Obamacare instead of seeking to improve affordable coverage for all Americans.
His actions made dysfunctional Obamacare much worse if they stick. One EO permits buying health insurance across state lines.
It’ll expand association health plans (AHPs) written by trade associations, small businesses and other groups. It’ll only lower insurance premiums by limiting coverage. Otherwise, they’ll keep increasing.
According to American Academy of Actuaries’ Cori Uccello, it’s “a step in the wrong direction” for millions of people with preexisting conditions.
Healthy individuals could go without coverage, creating a high risk pool, making insurance premiums more unaffordable than already.
Wyoming, Maine and Georgia tried cross-state purchases of coverage unsuccessfully. Insurers lacked interest, in part because they had no customer base outside their marketplace.
