Monday, October 03, 2022

Truest statement of the week

Of course, Russia bashing was the focus of Biden’s speech with false claims of a nuclear threat, unprovoked attack, and accusations of war crimes. He didn’t mention well documented Ukrainian war crimes such as the shelling of civilians in Donetsk. Worse yet, there was no acknowledgement that Ukraine and Russia were negotiating until the U.S. and the U.K. intervened and scuttled the talks. Biden’s speech was full of projection and every condemnation leveled against Russia or Iran or Venezuela was instead an indictment of U.S. behavior in the world.

The world has changed but American administrations don’t. They continue behaving as if the U.S. is still the all-powerful hegemon that will always get what it wants. It does have the world’s reserve currency and the biggest military, but it can’t control the world without doing harm to itself and its allies. The United States cynically used the United Nations to call for a “no fly zone” over Libya, which allowed it to destroy that nation. Partnerships with jihadists brought destruction to Libya and to Syria, causing a humanitarian disaster which displaced millions of people. The 2014 coup against the elected government of Ukraine has turned into all out war. The sanctions targeting Russian gas and oil have raised prices all over the world and damaged European economies more than any others. The ruble has risen in value and the euro has declined. Even hegemons don’t always get their way.

While Biden mouthed platitudes and falsehoods at the United Nations, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met with representatives from China, Cuba, Eritrea, Serbia, Laos, Jordan, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Algeria, Burkina Faso, India, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Mexico among others. So much for Washington’s claims that Russia is an isolated pariah.

While Washington rails against Moscow, it continues to ignore UN votes to end sanctions against Cuba. This year Cuba will again submit a resolution calling on the U.S. to end its trade embargo. During the 2021 vote only the U.S. and Israel voted no. The next vote will have the same result, and reveal Biden’s words, “The United States will always promote human rights and the values enshrined in the U.N. Charter in our own country and around the world,” as a sham.

-- Margaret Kimberley, "Biden Lies At The United Nations" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).

 

 

 

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Truest statement of the week II

The Democratic-controlled Congress completed voting on a bill to authorize federal spending through December 16 and President Joe Biden signed it into law. The measure provides an additional $12.3 billion for the war against Russia in Ukraine, but nothing for public health measures against an impending fall and winter surge of the coronavirus pandemic.

 -- Patrick Martin, "Biden, Democrats approve spending bill with no funds for pandemic, $12 billion for Ukraine war" (WSWS).

 

 

 

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A note to our readers

Hey -- 

Look, we managed to get an edition completed and on time.


Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:


The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,

Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen, 
Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.



And what did we come up with? 

 

 

 

Peace,


-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

 

 

 

 

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Iraq

Instead of an editorial, we're reposting C.I.'s Saturday entry:

The October Revolution returns to Tahrir Square

 A major protest took place today in Baghdad.


Our correspondent in #Iraq tells
@JURISTnews
that there was a large demonstration Saturday in #Baghdad marking the third anniversary of major unrest on this day in 2019. Today's protest was broken up by security forces using tear gas and rubber bullets. 5:30 PM local time:
Image




It was a real protest which means it didn't have anything to do with Moqtada al-Sadr or his cult so it will get far less press.  Or worse, it'll be credited to him -- like an idiot did not long ago did claiming Moqtada led the 2019 protests.  He didn't.  The October Revolution was initially by Moqtada, then he saw it was popular not just with young Shi'ites but with middle-aged and older Shi'ites.  Then he tried to jump on the bandwagon but the protesters made clear to him that he was not running anything.  He demanded that women not be allowed at the marches and they then carried signs mocking him.  Then he started his verbal attacks on the protesters.


He had nothing to do with those protests and you have be a real idiot or a real whore to credit him for those protests.


This isn't minor.  In fact, lies that it's Moqtada's cult piss me off so much that I've done my first ever Tweet:


Common Ills
@CommonIlls
Replying to
@aliostad
It's not Sadrists. Correct your Tweet. This is The October Revolution. That's why they were attacked by secuirty forces. Correct your Tweet.
theguardian.com
Scores of Iraqis injured in anti-government protests in Baghdad
Teargas and stun grenades used by security forces as unrest over poverty and corruption flares up in the capital and other cities

And I was so mad, I misspelled "security."


It's October 1st.  Guess what?  The October Revolution is back.


And you know it's really them and not Moqtada al-Sadr's groupies because the security forces fired at them and used tear gas.


10:30 PM local time, when the protest was effectively ended:

See how a protester is beaten by the security forces in Baghdad. The video is from tonight.#IraqProtests #protest #iraq

Remember when Moqtada's cult broke into the Green Zone and weren't stopped.  Remember how they then broke into the Parliament and weren't stopped.  Remember how they occupied for days and got away with it?


Yeah, that's because Mustafa al-Kahmini is a puppet for Moqtada.  When Moqtada's cult 'protests,' he orders a stand down so that Iraq's security forces won't harm a hair on the head of the zealots and let those men dry hump one another in the Parliament all night.  


DW notes:


Medical and security sources told the Reuters news agency that the scuffles left some 64 people wounded, 26 of whom belonging to the security forces. Thirty-eight of the hundreds of protesters who took to the streets were hit by rubber bullets. 

Some protests were also reported in the provinces of Basra and Nasiriyah. This year's protest anniversary comes at a turbulent time in Iraq, with tension between its rival Shiite blocs bringing the state to the brink of a civil war on more than one occasion.


Iraq: Injuries as protesters mark mass protests anniversary amid Shiite tensions dlvr.it/SZLZkv
Image

 On 3rd anniversary of 2019 anti-corruption protests, scuffles between police and demonstrators break out in several cities in Iraq leaving hundreds injured

dailysabah.com
Iraqis mark 3rd anniversary with nationwide anti-corruption protests
Thousands took to the streets in Iraqi cities on Saturday to mark three years since nationwide demonstrations erupted against endemic corruption


THE GUARDIAN notes:


Iraqi security forces have fired teargas and stun grenades to disperse stone-throwing protesters in clashes that wounded scores of people near Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, where hundreds marked the anniversary of anti-government unrest in 2019.

At least 86 people were wounded on Saturday, about half of them members of the security forces, and 38 protesters were hit by rubber bullets.

“Infiltrated elements” were attacking security forces with molotov cocktails and hunting rifles, Iraq’s military said.

Security personnel had deployed checkpoints across the city, closed bridges and squares, and erected walls across some of the bridges leading to the fortified Green Zone that houses government headquarters and foreign embassies.


The following sites updated:



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