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Canada’s Ambassador David Usher with Professor Mekonen
March 30, 2015 by politicalsnapshots
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Splitting the Atalantic Alliance
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March 13, 2015 by politicalsnapshots
Splitting the Atlantic Alliance
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NATO Lies and Provocations
“The war has been provoked to destroy the Russian World, to draw Europe into
it, and to surround Russia with hostile countries. Unleashing this world war,
America is trying to deal with its own internal problems.”
– Sergei Glazyev, Advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin
The fabrications of NATO’s top commander in Europe, General Philip Breedlove,
have driven a wedge between Germany and the United States that could lead
to a collapse of the Atlantic Alliance. According to the German news magazine,
Der Spiegel, Breedlove has repeatedly sabotaged Chancellor Angela Merkel’s
attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine by spreading
“dangerous propaganda” that is misleading the public about Russian “troop
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advances on the border, (and) the amassing of munitions and alleged columns
C orruption
of Russian tanks.” But while the unusually critical article singles out Breedlove
codeine on SAVE
for his hyperbolic exaggerations of so-called Russian aggression, the real
THE DATE: ETHIOPIA
purpose of the Spiegel piece is to warn Washington that EU leaders will not
INVEST…
support a policy of military confrontation with Moscow.
Before we explain what’s going on, we need to look at an excerpt from the
article. According to Spiegel:
“…for months now, many in the Chancellery simply shake their heads each time
NATO, under Breedlove’s leadership, goes public with striking announcements
about Russian troop or tank movements … it is the tone of Breedlove’s
announcements that makes Berlin uneasy. False claims and exaggerated
accounts, warned a top German official during a recent meeting on Ukraine,
have put NATO — and by extension, the entire West — in danger of losing its
credibility.
There are plenty of examples….At the beginning of the crisis, General Breedlove
announced that the Russians had assembled 40,000 troops on the Ukrainian
border and warned that an invasion could take place at any moment. The
situation, he said, was “incredibly concerning.” But intelligence officials from
NATO member states had already excluded the possibility of a Russian invasion.
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They believed that neither the composition nor the equipment of the troops was
consistent with an imminent invasion.
The experts contradicted Breedlove’s view in almost every respect. There
weren’t 40,000 soldiers on the border, they believed, rather there were much
less than 30,000 and perhaps even fewer than 20,000. Furthermore, most of
the military equipment had not been brought to the border for a possible
invasion, but had already been there prior to the beginning of the conflict.
Furthermore, there was no evidence of logistical preparation for an invasion,
such as a field headquarters.
Breedlove, though, repeatedly made inexact, contradictory or even flat-out
inaccurate statements.”…
On Nov. 12, during a visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, Breedlove reported that “we have
seen columns of Russian equipment — primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery,
Russian air defense systems and Russian combat troops — entering into
Ukraine.” It was, he noted, “the same thing that OSCE is reporting.” But the
OSCE had only observed military convoys within eastern Ukraine. OSCE
observers had said nothing about troops marching in from Russia.
Breedlove sees no reason to revise his approach. “I stand by all the public
statements I have made during the Ukraine crisis,” he wrote to SPIEGEL in
response to a request for a statement accompanied by a list of his controversial
claims.”
(Breedlove’s Bellicosity: Berlin Alarmed by Aggressive NATO Stance on Ukraine,
Der Spiegel)
While it’s easy to get swept up in the Spiegel’s narrative of a rabid militarist
dragging Europe closer to World War 3, the storyline is intentionally misleading.
As anyone who’s been following the Ukraine fiasco for the last year knows,
there’s nothing particularly unusual about Breedlove’s distortions. Secretary of
State John Kerry has made similar claims numerous times as have many others
in the major media. The lies about “Russian aggression” are the rule, not the
exception. So why has the Spiegel decided to selectively target Breedlove who
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is no more deceitful than anyone else? What’s really going on here?
Clearly, the Spiegel is doing Merkel’s work, that is, undermining the credibility of
Washington’s chief commander in Europe in order to discourage further
escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. But while Merkel wants to humiliate
Breedlove to show that Germany will not sit on its hands while Washington
plunges the region into the abyss; she has also shown considerable restraint in
limiting her attack to the General while sparing Kerry and Obama any
embarrassment. This is quite an accomplishment given that –as we said earlier–
virtually everyone in the political establishment and the media have been lying
nonstop about every aspect of the conflict. Merkel doesn’t want to discredit
these others just yet, although the Spiegel piece infers that she has the power
to do so if the “bad behavior” persists.
The Spiegel article is part of a one-two punch designed to force Washington to
change its confrontational approach. The second jab appeared late Sunday
afternoon when EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced that
Europe needed to field its own army. Here’s the story from Reuters:
“The European Union needs its own army to face up to Russia and other threats
as well as restore the bloc’s foreign policy standing around the world, EU
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told a German newspaper on
Sunday…
“With its own army, Europe could react more credibly to the threat to peace in a
member state or in a neighboring state.
“One wouldn’t have a European army to deploy it immediately. But a common
European army would convey a clear message to Russia that we are serious
about defending our European values.” (Juncker calls for EU army, says would
deter Russia, Reuters)
Can you see what’s going on? On the one hand, the Spiegel delivers a hammerblow to the credibility of NATO’s top officer and on the other, the President of
the EU Commission blindsides US powerbrokers by announcing a plan to create
an independent EU fighting force that will render NATO redundant. These are
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big developments that have undoubtedly left the Obama troupe reeling. This is
a full-blown assault on NATO’s role as the primary guarantor of EU regional
security. Maybe the European people are gullible enough to accept Junker’s
absurd claim that an EU army will “send an important message to the world”,
but you can be damn sure that no one at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue believes
that nonsense. The move is clearly designed to send a message to Washington
that Europe is fed up with NATO and wants a change. That means it’s “shape up
or ship out time” for Breedlove and his ilk.
Ironically, these developments align Merkel with Putin’s view of things as stated
in his famous Munich speech in 2007 when he said:
“I am convinced that we have reached that decisive moment when we must
seriously think about the architecture of global security. And we must proceed
by searching for a reasonable balance between the interests of all participants
in the international dialogue … The United States, has overstepped its national
borders in every way … And of course this is extremely dangerous. It results in
the fact that no one feels safe. I want to emphasize this — no one feels safe.”
(Russian President Vladimir Putin, 43rd Munich Security Conference, 2007)
How can the US possibly cast itself as “steward of the global security system”,
when its interventions have left a trail of decimated failed states from the
southernmost border of Somalia to the northern tip of Ukraine, a chaotic swathe
of smoldering ruin and agonizing human suffering that rivals the depredations of
the Third Reich.
Europe’s security requirements cannot be met by a belligerent, warmongering
US-controlled entity that acts solely in Washington’s interests. At present, NATO
gets 75% of its funding from the US, which is why the alliance is less interested
in peacemaking and security than it is in internationalizing its imperial war of
aggression across the planet. Prior to the crisis in Ukraine, European leaders
didn’t see the danger of this idiotic arrangement (even though interventions in
Serbia, Libya and Afghanistan should have brought them to their senses) But
now that NATO’s recklessness could vaporize Europe in a nuclear firestorm,
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now that NATO’s recklessness could vaporize Europe in a nuclear firestorm,
leaders like Merkel and Hollande are starting to change their tune. Keep in mind,
the ideal scenario for the US would be a limited war that levels large parts of
the European and Asian continents, thus restoring the US to its post WW2
heyday when the “rubblized” world was Washington’s oyster. That would be
just fine for genocidal maniacs and armchair warriors who rule the globe from
the safety of their well-stocked DC bunkers. But for Europe, this is definitely not
a winning strategy. Europe doesn’t want a war, and it certainly doesn’t want to
be used as cannon fodder for the greater glory of the dystopian NWO.
Putin advisor, Sergei Glazyev, figured out what Washington was up to long
before Kiev launched its wretched “anti terrorism” campaign against federalist
rebels in the East. Here’s how he summed it up:
“The main task the American puppet masters have set for the (Kiev) junta is to
draw Russia into a full-scale war with Ukraine. It is for this purpose that all of
these heinous crimes are committed – to force Russia to send troops to Ukraine
to protect the civilian population…
The bankruptcy of the US financial system, which is unable to service its foreign
debt, the lack of investments to finance a breakthrough to a new technological
order and to maintain America’s competitiveness, and the potential defeat in the
geopolitical competition with China. To resolve these problems, Americans need
a new world war.” (Sergei Glazyev)
Bingo. The steadily-declining empire, whose share of global GDP continues to
shrivel with every passing year, has wanted a war from the get go. That’s the
only way that the US can reverse its precipitous economic slide and preserve its
lofty spot as the world’s only superpower. Fortunately, EU leaders are
beginning to pull their heads out of the sand long enough to grasp what’s going
on and change their behavior accordingly.
It’s worth noting, that no one in the Merkel administration or anyone else for
that matter, has publicly challenged the allegations in the Spiegel article. Why is
that, do you think?
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Doesn’t their silence suggest that they knew all along that all the anti-Putin
propaganda hullabaloo was pure bunkum; that “evil” Putin didn’t send tanks
and soldiers across the border into Ukraine, that Putin didn’t shoot down
Malaysian Airline 17, that Putin didn’t have a political opponent gunned down
gangland style just a few hundred yards from the Kremlin? Isn’t that what their
silence really says?
Of course, it does. The reason no one in power has spoken out is because –as
the Spiegel cynically admits–“A mixture of political argumentation and military
propaganda is necessary.”
“Propaganda is necessary”?
Whoa. Now there’s an admission you’re not going to see in the media too often.
But it’s the truth, isn’t it? The Euro-leaders have been going along with the lies
to keep the public in line. In other words, it’s a healthy dose of perception
management for the sheeple, but the unvarnished truth for our revered
overlords. Sounds about right. Only now these ame elites have decided to
share the facts with the lumpen masses. But, why? Why this sudden willingness
to share the truth?
It’s because they no longer support Washington’s policy, that’s why. No one in
Europe wants the US to arm and train the Ukrainian army. No one wants them
to deploy 600 paratroopers to Kiev and increase US logistical support. No one
wants further escalation, because no one wants a war with Russia. It’s that
simple.
For the first time, EU leaders, particularly Merkel, understand that the United
States’ strategic objectives (the pivot to Asia) do not align with those of the EU,
in fact, Washington’s geopolitical ambitions pose a serious threat to Europe’s
security. Regrettably, it’s not enough for Merkel to simply understand what is
going on. She needs to huddle with her EU colleagues and take positive steps
to derail Washington’s plan now, otherwise the US will continue its incitements
and false flags until Putin is forced to respond. Once that happens, a broader
and, perhaps, catastrophic conflagration will be unavoidable.
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MIKE WHITNEY
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The Greeks Have Shaken the Pillars of the Temple
February 16, 2015 by politicalsnapshots
What Next for Europe?
The Greeks Have Shaken the Pillars of the Temple
In the aftermath of last month’s Greek election that vaulted the left antiausterity party Syriza into power, armies of supporters and detractors—from
Barcelona to Berlin—are on the move. While Germany’s Finance Minister
Wolfgang Schaueble was making it clear that Berlin would brook no change in
the European Union’s (EU) debt strategy that has impoverished countries like
Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland, left organizations from all over Europe met
in Barcelona to drew up a plan of battle.
As Schaueble was stonewalling Greek Finance Minister Yanis Karoufakis, the
Party of the European Left (PEL), along with assorted Green parties, gathered
for the “1st European South Forum” in Catalonia’s capital to sketch out a 10point “Declaration of Barcelona” aimed at ending “austerity and inequality,” and
promoting “democracy and solidarity.”
At first glance, the past two weeks look ominously like September 1914, with
opposing forces digging in for a massive bloodletting.
On one hand the European Central Bank (ECB)—one of the “Troika” members,
that includes the European Commission (EC) and the International Monetary
Fund (IMF)—brusquely denied Greece the right to sell government bonds to
raise money. Representatives of the Greek government also got little support
from other leaders of EU member countries to reduce Athens’ unsustainable
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$360 billion debt. Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Osborne, grimly
opined that “The standoff” between the Eurozone and Greece was
“endangering the global economy.”
On the other hand, the Syriza government made it clear that Greece was
finished with the austerity policies that crashed its economy, made more than a
quarter of the population jobless, and shredded essential social services. And
the Barcelona Declaration is a direct challenge to the economic formulas of the
Troika and German Chancellor Andrea Merkel: “Merkelism is not invincible.
Austerity can stop. Europe can change,” reads the document.
Behind the trenches, however, the situation was far more complex than two
sides bunkered down in a winner-take-all battle, and the politics around
economic policy more fluid than one might initially conclude.
While Greece will certainly not go back to the failed formula of selling off stateowned enterprises, huge budget cuts, layoffs and onerous taxes, neither is it
eager to exit the Eurozone. The latter is composed of 18 out of the 28 EU
members that use a common currency, the euro.
For all the sturm und drang coming from Berlin and EU headquarters in Brussels,
Syriza’s program is anything but radical, more social democratic than Bolshevik.
And a growing number of economists and Europeans are concluding that taking
a hard line on Greece might, in the end, endanger the entire EU endeavor.
As a strategy for getting out of debt, austerity has an almost unbroken track
record of failure, starting with Latin American in the late 1980s. It has certainly
been catastrophic for Greece and, to a lesser extent, Ireland, Portugal, and
Spain, and virtually no European country has dodged its impact on employment
and social services.
“Austerity” is not just about cutbacks and budget tightening. By increasing
unemployment, and introducing “temporary” labor contracts, it severely
weakens unions and the ability of workers to bargain for higher wages and
improved benefits. Indeed, according to the International Labor Organization,
since 2007 wages have either stalled or fallen in most EU countries.
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Austerity also accelerates economic inequality. According to the credit Suisse
Research Institute, the top 1 percent now control 48.2 percent of the world’s
wealth, and inequality in Europe is the highest it has been in a half century.
More people are poorer than they were a decade ago, while a few are richer
than ever. The latter will be reluctant to moderate the policies that have given
them a half-decade of unalloyed profit making.
The Greek election was a shot across the bow for this strategy and a warning
that, while wealth and political power may be related, they are not the same
thing: Governments can be overturned.
But compromise on the Troika’s side will be difficult, in part because the
austerity strategy has been so lucrative for the EU’s elites, in part because the
intransigence of many EU leaders is driven by multiple devils.
There is the “why not us?” devil. The ruling parties in Ireland, Portugal and
Spain are spooked, because if Syriza gets a deal on the Greek debt that doesn’t
involve crucifying most its population, their own impoverished constituents are
going to be asking some hard questions and demanding something similar.
Spain’s right-wing Popular Party is nervously looking over its shoulder at the
growing strength of the anti-austerity Podemos party. It was no accident that
the ELP chose Spain for its conference: Podemos is drawing 24 percent in
national polls and is the only party in the country currently growing. It is now
the second largest in Spain. With local and national elections coming up this
year—the former in May, the latter in December—Spain’s two mainstream
parties are running scared.
So, too, are the governments in Portugal and Ireland that went along with the
austerity demands of the troika and now face expanding anti-austerity parties
on their left.
Another devil is the right, although last May’s European parliamentary elections
demonstrated that when the left clearly articulated an anti-austerity program,
voters picked it over the right. What those elections also showed, however, is
that when the center-left went along with austerity—as it did in Britain and
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France—the right made gains.
German Chancellor Andrea Merkel is apprehensive about losing votes to the
right-wing, anti-EU Alternate Party for Germany. British Prime Minister David
Cameron is trying to fend off the rightist United Kingdom Independence Party,
and French President Francois Hollande is running behind Marine Le Pen of the
anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic National Front Party.
There are strong right-wing parties in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands,
although, in the latter two, their poll numbers fell in the European parliamentary
elections.
What those last May elections suggest is that any effort to co-opt the right’s
politics or base by moving in its direction does little more than feed the beast.
Greece’s experiences are instructive. The neo-Nazi New Dawn Party is also antiausterity, but Syriza trounced them in last month’s election. At the same time,
Syriza’s warning that austerity fuels the politics of the right is almost certainly
true. In an economic crisis there are always those who turn to the dark side and
its simplistic explanations for their condition: immigrants, Roma, Jews, and
“slackers.”
While the European right is worrisome, it has generally lost head-on battles
with the left, because the right has little to offer besides the politics of racism
and xenophobia.
And Europe needs answers. The Greek crisis is a crisis of the entire EU. To one
extent or other, every country—even Germany, the EU’s engine—is
characterized by falling or anemic wage growth, increasing economic inequality,
spreading deflation, and an overall decline in living standards. It is this general
malaise that the Barcelona Declaration is taking aim at.
Pierre Laurent, head of the French Communist Party and president of the ELP,
told the Barcelona forum that “2015 is a decisive year, the year of change,” and
that Syriza’s victory will “have a huge impact throughout Europe because for the
first time since the crisis, it will force all European governments to discuss and
alternative to austerity.”
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The Declaration proposes a program for relieving unemployment, creating
sustainable development, expanding credit, resisting “racism and xenophobia,”
and a European debt conference along the lines of the 1953 London Debt
Agreement that relieved Germany of half its post-World War II debts.
How the Greek debt crisis will play out over the next few months is not clear.
The troika may take a hard line, in which case Greece may be forced to leave
the Eurozone, a move that Berlin claims would have little impact. Other analysts
are not so certain.
“The predominant German view” that a Greek exit would be a “minor shock for
the Eurozone and a non-event for the global economy” says Financial Times
analyst Wolfgang Munchau, “could not be more wrong.”
Faced with a possible meltdown of the European Union or the Eurozone and a
growing insurgency on its left, the Troika may blink and give the Greeks part of
what they want: a reduction in the interest rate on the debt—maybe even a
write-down on some of it—and an extension of the payment schedule. What
they will not get—because the Greek electorate has made it clear they will not
accept—is more austerity.
That is the contagion—sometimes called the “Greek virus””—that is already
spreading to Spain, Portugal and Ireland and which is likely to jump to Italy,
France and Central Europe.
The Greeks have shaken the pillars of the temple. Inside the mighty tremble.
Conn Hallinan
Posted in Austerity is dead. | Tagged austerity, Barcelona, European Union, Eurozone. EU,
Greeks, Ireland, Merkelism, Minister Wolfgang Schaueble, Portugal, Spain, Syriza | Leave
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Beware of the Wrath of the people.
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February 9, 2015 by politicalsnapshots
“What governments need to pay extra attention to should be high
unemployment rate; with a large population of an educated youth force with
shattered expectations, and an uneven distribution of wealth. These problems
are also faced by democratic governments as well. With the use of new
information technologies to quickly spread news and images to help organize
street protests, no government will be able to escape the wrath of the citizens.”
“Those governments who objectively understand the existence of the problems
within their societies will be able to find remedies, in time. Those who are blind
and deaf to the realities within society, those government leaders who love to
hear sugar coated lies from their snake oil salesmen advisors, those leaders
who are way removed from the “real” people and are surrounded by
cheerleaders are bound to repeat the usual historical mistake. False sense of
security cannot replicate the reality. Neither Zine Al-Abiidine Ben Ali nor Hosni
Mubarak thought that they will be kicked out so quickly by the same people that
they had oppressed for long and had taken them for granted.”
Kidane Tsegai.
Kidane Via Professor Mekonen Haddis
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cheerleaders, Hosni Mubarak., IT, snake oil salesmen,
Youth unemployment, Zine Al-Abiidine | Leave a C omment »
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