thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-18--Belarus – A U.S. Sponsored Color Revolution Is Underway

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA , BY `` B '' This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama U.S. engineered attempts to overthrow a foreign government by stirring civil arrests are usually named after a color or , at times , a flower .
Thus we had a `` rose revolution '' in Georgia , a `` green movement '' in Iran and an `` orange revolution '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CIA and its assortment of supporting organizations seems to have run out of color choices .
How else can one explain that their latest attempt in Belarus is called a `` slipper revolution '' .
No , the Guardian , which published the 'Slipper revolution ' headline today but later changed it , did not come up with that stupid moniker by itself .
The U.S. State Department funded Belsat.eu TV station was the first to mention slippers in a picture caption on May 31 .
On June 6 the U.S. government funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a headline .
Yesterday the U.S. government and NATO funded Atlantic Council mentioned slippers in a Belarus piece .
The Washington DC based and funded Center for European Policy Analysis avoided the 'slippers ' but its yesterday published piece on Belarus covers the same ground .
When these western government funded organizations and media come up with explainer pieces about one not yet westernized country at the very same time one can be sure that something is up .
Someone has obviously briefed these folks .
So what is up with Belarus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position squeezed between NATO aligned countries and Russia .
With some 9.5 million inhabitants Belarus is rather small .
Since 1994 it is ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko .
He has stuck to Soviet-era policies .
The country has a well developed industry that mainly exports heavy machinery .
Large parts of the economy are still state-owned and support the local towns and cities .
The country thereby avoided the economic catastrophe that happened in Russia under Boris Yelsin but it also missed out on the economic development that happened in Russia after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1995 Russia and Belarus have an agreement to form a Union State : The treaty , signed in 1999 , also includes a common defense and economic integration as well as a Union parliament and other institutions .
It is essentially aimed at integrating Belarus ( and other former Soviet Union states ) with Russia .
But within a full fledged Union State Lukashenko 's personal role would be largely diminished .
He has dragged his feet whenever Russia made attempts to push for further steps towards it .
In 2020 , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerate the activities of US / Western NGOs like the NED in their sovereign territory ?
Russia has subsidized the price of natural gas and crude oil it delivers to Belarus .
The oil is only partly used within the country itself .
Belarus refines it and sells the resulting products for hard currencies into western markets .
The subsidized oil was until recently the 'integration rent ' paid by Russia to keep Belarus near to its side .
In late 2019 Lukashenko and Putin met for a summit in Sochi .
Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Union State while Lukashenko continued to drag his feet .
In consequence Russia cut the 'integration rent ' by demanding higher prices for its oil .
Back from Sochi and faced with a diminishing economy Lukashenko changed tack .
He openly courted the U.S. and other western countries and suddenly emphasized Belorussian sovereignty .
He even bought U.S. shale oil : Lukashenko 's unsustainable stunt of buying oil elsewhere worked to a certain extent .
In May Russia again agreed to deliver oil to Belarus but only half the amount of previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 'west ' also has a price .
A U.S. ambassador in town means that regime change plots are never far away .
The sudden attention that Belarus now receives from U.S. aligned organizations is a sure sign that one is underway .
On August 9 Belarus will hold presidential elections .
Lukashenko will do his best to win again .
Color revolutions are usually launched over controversial elections .
The results are publicly put into doubt even before the election begins .
When the results finally arrive western media will claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and therefore must have been faked .
People will be pushed into the streets to protest .
To increase the chaos some sharp shooters may be put to work to fire at the police and at protesters like it was done in Ukraine .
The revolt ends when it is flogged down or when the U.S. favorite candidate is put into place .
Last year the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy financed at least 34 projects and organizations in Belarus .
The U.S. does not do that out of charity but to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. seems to have at least two candidates in the race .
The first one is the Navalny like rabble rousing 'slipper man ' : Two candidates can probably be taken seriously : Babariko , as former head of a Gazprom bank , is presumed to be Russia 's favorite candidate while Tsepkalo is likely the one who the U.S. would like to see in office .
Both have quite similar neoliberal programs which argue for privatization and a more open economy .
Lukashenko may take steps to remove candidates who could endanger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 900,000 in a house owned by the 'video blogger ' Tsikhanouski .
He is also accused of attacking police at an unsanctioned rally .
Last week Babariko 's former bank was raided over accusations of a tax evasion scheme .
Tsepkalo was fired as head of the Belarus Hi-Tech Park after he had used it to enrich himself .
There are several obvious fraud cases that could be raised against him .
The economy of Belarus is likely to shrink this year .
Lukashenko 's response to the Covid-19 epidemic has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state income from refining and selling products from subsidized Russian oil is down .
There are reasons to vote him out of office .
But there are also reasons for wanting him to stay .
The GDP per person in Belarus is around $ 20,000 ( PPP ) .
That is double the number of its neighbor Ukraine and some 30 % lower than in Russia .
Income equality in Belarus is relatively high .
Social security and services function to a significant degree .
It is not at all reasonable to claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election winner .
A color revolution , as it is now in preparation , would probably end up destroying the country .
Should Belarus fall into the hand of a 'western ' sponsored candidate its future would be bleak .
The state owned industries would be privatized for pennies and much of the Soviet Union like social system , which still works well for most of its people , would be dismantled .
The economic relations with Russia would suffer .
In the end Belarus would probably be worse off than even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country lies with Russia which has the resources and interests to manage it well .
The economies of both countries are already highly integrated .
Their people speak the same language .
They have a common history and the same religion .
Russia has high interest to keep Belarus within its realm .
It is difficult to predict how it will react should a U.S. directed color revolution proceed .
Posted by b on June 16 , 2020 at 17:42 UTC | Permalink '' b '' is Moon of Alabama 's founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ site 's purpose is to discuss politics , economics , philosophy and blogger Billmon 's Whiskey Bar writings .
Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent , open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community .
Bernhard ) '' b '' ) started and still runs the site .
Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators .
You can reach the current administrator of this site by emailing Bernhard at MoonofA @ aol.com .
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 @ @ @

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA, BY "B"
This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama
U.S. engineered attempts to overthrow a foreign government by stirring civil arrests are usually named after a color or, at times, a flower. Thus we had a "rose revolution" in Georgia, a "green movement" in Iran and an "orange revolution" in the Ukraine.
But now the CIA and its assortment of supporting organizations seems to have run out of color choices. How else can one explain that their latest attempt in Belarus is called a "slipper revolution".
No, the Guardian, which published the 'Slipper revolution' headline today but later changed it, did not come up with that stupid moniker by itself.
The U.S. State Department funded Belsat.eu TV station was the first to mention slippers in a picture caption on May 31.
On June 6 the U.S. government funded RFE/RL was the first to use it in a headline.
Yesterday the U.S. government and NATO funded Atlantic Council mentioned slippers in a Belarus piece. The Washington DC based and funded Center for European Policy Analysis avoided the 'slippers' but its yesterday published piece on Belarus covers the same ground.
When these western government funded organizations and media come up with explainer pieces about one not yet westernized country at the very same time one can be sure that something is up. Someone has obviously briefed these folks.
So what is up with Belarus?
The country has an interesting geographic position squeezed between NATO aligned countries and Russia.
With some 9.5 million inhabitants Belarus is rather small. Since 1994 it is ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko. He has stuck to Soviet-era policies. The country has a well developed industry that mainly exports heavy machinery. Large parts of the economy are still state-owned and support the local towns and cities. The country thereby avoided the economic catastrophe that happened in Russia under Boris Yelsin but it also missed out on the economic development that happened in Russia after President Vladimir Putin took over.
Since 1995 Russia and Belarus have an agreement to form a Union State:
The Union State does provide citizens of Russia and Belarus the right to work and permanently settle in either country without formal immigration procedures otherwise mandatory for foreign nationals. They retain their national passports and other identification papers.
The treaty, signed in 1999, also includes a common defense and economic integration as well as a Union parliament and other institutions. It is essentially aimed at integrating Belarus (and other former Soviet Union states) with Russia. But within a full fledged Union State Lukashenko's personal role would be largely diminished. He has dragged his feet whenever Russia made attempts to push for further steps towards it.
In 2020, we must ask, how can any leader tolerate the activities of US / Western NGOs like the NED in their sovereign territory?
Russia has subsidized the price of natural gas and crude oil it delivers to Belarus. The oil is only partly used within the country itself. Belarus refines it and sells the resulting products for hard currencies into western markets. The subsidized oil was until recently the 'integration rent' paid by Russia to keep Belarus near to its side.
In late 2019 Lukashenko and Putin met for a summit in Sochi. Putin again pressed for more progress towards forming the Union State while Lukashenko continued to drag his feet. In consequence Russia cut the 'integration rent' by demanding higher prices for its oil.
Back from Sochi and faced with a diminishing economy Lukashenko changed tack. He openly courted the U.S. and other western countries and suddenly emphasized Belorussian sovereignty. He even bought U.S. shale oil:
Lukashenko has long balanced keeping Russia close but not too close. He rarely throws up any roadblocks to Russian policies. But Lukashenko also has resisted the Kremlin’s push for the two countries to form a unified state — something they agreed to in 1999.
...
So when they failed in December to agree on a new price for oil Moscow sells to Minsk, Russia temporarily cut the supply. Lukashenko then vowed to diversify Belarus’s oil suppliers. He delivered by purchasing shipments from Azerbaijan, Norway and Saudi Arabia all in the past five months, capitalizing on a coronavirus-induced shock to oil prices.
...
Pompeo visited Minsk in early February, when he first offered to sell American oil “at a competitive price.” It marked the first trip to Belarus by the top U.S. diplomat since Lukashenko took power. Then in April, the two countries formally reestablished diplomatic relations when Julie Fisher, a top State Department official for Europe, was named ambassador to Belarus — a position that had been vacant for more than a decade.
Lukashenko's unsustainable stunt of buying oil elsewhere worked to a certain extent. In May Russia again agreed to deliver oil to Belarus but only half the amount of previous years.
But to get nearer to the 'west' also has a price. A U.S. ambassador in town means that regime change plots are never far away. The sudden attention that Belarus now receives from U.S. aligned organizations is a sure sign that one is underway.
On August 9 Belarus will hold presidential elections. Lukashenko will do his best to win again.
Color revolutions are usually launched over controversial elections. The results are publicly put into doubt even before the election begins. When the results finally arrive western media will claim that they diverge from the expectation it created and therefore must have been faked. People will be pushed into the streets to protest. To increase the chaos some sharp shooters may be put to work to fire at the police and at protesters like it was done in Ukraine. The revolt ends when it is flogged down or when the U.S. favorite candidate is put into place.
Last year the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy financed at least 34 projects and organizations in Belarus. The U.S. does not do that out of charity but to put its finger on the scale.
The U.S. seems to have at least two candidates in the race. The first one is the Navalny like rabble rousing 'slipper man':
During the early stages of the current election campaign, thousands have been queuing up in towns and cities to sign petitions backing the candidacies of Lukashenko’s main rivals. Candidates must collect 100,000 signatures by early July in order to be eligible for the ballot. Some anti-Lukashenko protesters have begun brandishing slippers in response to popular YouTube vlogger and presidential hopeful Syarhey Tsikhanouski’s call to squash the Belarus president “like a cockroach”. This has led to tentative talk of a looming “slipper revolution” in line with the branded protest movements that have succeeded in toppling authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the former Soviet Union.
Two candidates can probably be taken seriously:
Viktor Babariko is the former head of Belgazprombank, while Valery Tsepkalo is a former senior Lukashenko administration official who served as Belarusian ambassador to the United States before more recently heading up the Belarus Hi-Tech Park, one of the largest IT clusters in Central and Eastern Europe. Unlike the puppets and outsiders who are generally permitted to run against Lukashenko, Babariko and Tsepkalo have the necessary seniority and establishment experience to be taken seriously as alternatives to the current political status quo.
Babariko, as former head of a Gazprom bank, is presumed to be Russia's favorite candidate while Tsepkalo is likely the one who the U.S. would like to see in office. Both have quite similar neoliberal programs which argue for privatization and a more open economy.
Lukashenko may take steps to remove candidates who could endanger his position. Police say they found $900,000 in a house owned by the 'video blogger' Tsikhanouski. He is also accused of attacking police at an unsanctioned rally. Last week Babariko's former bank was raided over accusations of a tax evasion scheme. Tsepkalo was fired as head of the Belarus Hi-Tech Park after he had used it to enrich himself. There are several obvious fraud cases that could be raised against him.
The economy of Belarus is likely to shrink this year. Lukashenko's response to the Covid-19 epidemic has been as bad as Trump's. The state income from refining and selling products from subsidized Russian oil is down.
There are reasons to vote him out of office. But there are also reasons for wanting him to stay.
The GDP per person in Belarus is around $20,000 (PPP). That is double the number of its neighbor Ukraine and some 30% lower than in Russia. Income equality in Belarus is relatively high. Social security and services function to a significant degree.
It is not at all reasonable to claim that Lukashenko could not be a legitimate election winner.
A color revolution, as it is now in preparation, would probably end up destroying the country.
Should Belarus fall into the hand of a 'western' sponsored candidate its future would be bleak. The state owned industries would be privatized for pennies and much of the Soviet Union like social system, which still works well for most of its people, would be dismantled. The economic relations with Russia would suffer. In the end Belarus would probably be worse off than even the Ukraine.
The long term future of the country lies with Russia which has the resources and interests to manage it well. The economies of both countries are already highly integrated. Their people speak the same language. They have a common history and the same religion.
Russia has high interest to keep Belarus within its realm. It is difficult to predict how it will react should a U.S. directed color revolution proceed.
Posted by b on June 16, 2020 at 17:42 UTC | Permalink
NOTE ^1000Careerist lackeys serving the elites control the American press. Ever pushing for war and inequality, covering up the oligarchy's crimes... They are in reality shameless disinformers. No wonder the world is in such terrible disarray.
[post-views]
About the author(s) "b" is Moon of Alabama's founding (and chief) editor. This site's purpose is to discuss politics, economics, philosophy and blogger Billmon's Whiskey Bar writings. Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent, open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community. Bernhard )"b") started and still runs the site. Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators. You can reach the current administrator of this site by emailing Bernhard at MoonofA@aol.com.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
ALL CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS
Comment here or on our Facebook Group page.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-18--Why The Chinese-Indian Skirmishes May Escalate

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA , BY `` B '' This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama On Monday night a fight between Indian and Chinese soldiers cost several dozen lives : Both sides have agreed to not use guns along the Line of Actual Control ( LAC ) between the two countries .
The soldiers used clubs and stones to fight each other during the night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canyon of a very cold river at 4,000 meter ( 14,000ft ) height .
Apparently many of the dead fell off the ridge down into the river and died of hypothermia .
Minor clashes in the area over the historically ill defined and disputed border have been ongoing since April .
The immediate reason seems to be a new military access road that India has build towards the LAC and more aggressive patrolling on both sides .
But the strategic reasons behind these clashes loom much larger .
First a reminder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the British withdrawal from India , Maharaja Hari Singh , the ruler of the state , preferred to become independent and remain neutral between the successor dominions of India and Pakistan .
However , an uprising in the western districts of the State followed by an attack by raiders from the neighbouring Northwest Frontier Province , supported by Pakistan , put an end to his plans for independence .
On 26 October 1947 , the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession joining the Dominion of India in return for military aid .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan passed to the control of Pakistan , while the remaining territory became the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir .
The accession was limited to certain issues and Jammu and Kashmir became an autonomous state .
During the India-Pakistan partition in 1947 Pakistan had taken the northern part of the area known as Gilgit-Balistan while China took Aksai Chin , a historic part of Tibet .
Out of historic , religious and cultural reasons both would probably like to claim even more of the currently Indian area .
Kashmir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as part of its country .
The Ladakh region once belonged to Tibet .
It is thinly populated with people who are Buddhist and speak a similar Tibetan dialect as the people in Aksai Chin on the Chinese side .
In August 2019 the Hindu-fascist government of India under President Narendra Modi unilaterally revoked parts of the constitution that guaranteed the autonomous status of the Jammu and Kasmir region .
It also asserted direct control of the Ladakh part along the Chinese border .
We predicted that this would lead to renewed clashes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move was discussed in parliament a government minister asserted claims on the areas that now belong to China and Pakistan : The claim set off alarm bells in Islamabad and Beijing .
The only common boarder China and Pakistan have is within the Pakistan controlled Kashmir ( POK ) .
Should India eventual try to ( re- ) gain the area Pakistan and China would be separated .
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC ) , a $ 50 billion project that creates road , rail and pipeline connections from Pakistan 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
China is financing the corridor as an alternative strategic trade route to the U.S. controlled seaways through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca .
China needs the Pakistan connection to keep a line of communication with the oil fields of the Middle East during a conflict in the Pacific .
The removal of autonomy from J & K last year was not the only issue that alarmed China .
India under Modi gave up its traditional neutrality and joint the U.S. 'Indo-Pacific ' project in a pact against China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build up its military infrastructure in the region : [ T ] he Chinese have also been uncomfortable with infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control ( LAC ) with India , especially due to the pressure it imposes on Aksai Chin .
By 2008 , India had reactivated airfields of Daulet Beg Oldie ( DBO ) and Fukche , reducing reliance on Leh as the main air support hub for Ladakh .
A year later , the Nyoma airfield had also been revived .
“ DBO is on the old Leh-Tarim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and only nine kilometers northwest of Aksai Chin .
It is also important because India ’ s physical link with China ’ s Xinjiang province , and not Tibet , is routed through DBO , ” says a former diplomat , who did not wish to be named .
The revival of the aviation infrastructure has augmented India ’ s capacity to quickly insert troops and military supplies along the LAC .
“ DBO , Fukche and Nyoma have supplemented Leh , providing a major boost to intra-theatre movement of Indian forces and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice Marshal ( Retd . )
Amit Aneja , told The Hindu .
Indian road construction activity , with the 255-km Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie ( DSDBO ) as the spine has steeled Indian connectivity along the LAC , adding further pressure on Aksai Chin .
Satellite pictures show that China has positioned more troops behind the LAC and is ready should the current situation escalate further .
India has likewise send reinforcements into the wider area .
The U.S. and Australia have verbally supported India during the recent clashes .
But neither seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conflict .
The Sino-Indian war of 1962 started over similar border skirmishes and also with a larger strategic background .
Within a few days China took several areas from India but after a month it pulled back from Indian territory .
The idea had been to teach India a lesson and the point had been made .
Should the conflict escalate I expect a similar short and limited conflict as a reminder to Modi that a non-neutral alignment and claims on foreign territory do carry certain costs .
Posted by b on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Permalink '' b '' is Moon of Alabama 's founding ( and chief ) editor .
This site 's purpose is to discuss politics , economics , philosophy and blogger Billmon 's Whiskey Bar writings .
Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent , open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community .
Bernhard ) '' b '' ) started and still runs the site .
Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators .
You can reach the current administrator of this site by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA, BY "B"
This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama
On Monday night a fight between Indian and Chinese soldiers cost several dozen lives:
Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a commanding officer (CO), were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.
...
Government sources said the Chinese side too suffered "proportionate casualties" but chose not to speculate on the number. An ANI source has speculated that at least 43 Chinese soldiers have been seriously injured or killed in the clash.
Both sides have agreed to not use guns along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries. The soldiers used clubs and stones to fight each other during the night on a mountain ridge above the steep canyon of a very cold river at 4,000 meter (14,000ft) height. Apparently many of the dead fell off the ridge down into the river and died of hypothermia.
Minor clashes in the area over the historically ill defined and disputed border have been ongoing since April. The immediate reason seems to be a new military access road that India has build towards the LAC and more aggressive patrolling on both sides. But the strategic reasons behind these clashes loom much larger.
First a reminder of the area's history:
At the time of the British withdrawal from India, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the state, preferred to become independent and remain neutral between the successor dominions of India and Pakistan. However, an uprising in the western districts of the State followed by an attack by raiders from the neighbouring Northwest Frontier Province, supported by Pakistan, put an end to his plans for independence. On 26 October 1947, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession joining the Dominion of India in return for military aid. The western and northern districts presently known as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan passed to the control of Pakistan, while the remaining territory became the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir.
The accession was limited to certain issues and Jammu and Kashmir became an autonomous state.
During the India-Pakistan partition in 1947 Pakistan had taken the northern part of the area known as Gilgit-Balistan while China took Aksai Chin, a historic part of Tibet. Out of historic, religious and cultural reasons both would probably like to claim even more of the currently Indian area.
Kashmir is largely Muslim and Pakistan sees it as part of its country. The Ladakh region once belonged to Tibet. It is thinly populated with people who are Buddhist and speak a similar Tibetan dialect as the people in Aksai Chin on the Chinese side.
In August 2019 the Hindu-fascist government of India under President Narendra Modi unilaterally revoked parts of the constitution that guaranteed the autonomous status of the Jammu and Kasmir region. It also asserted direct control of the Ladakh part along the Chinese border. We predicted that this would lead to renewed clashes with Pakistan:
J&K is majority Muslim. It is of strategic importance as the headwaters of Pakistan's main water source, the Indus river system, are situated in J&K's mountains. Pakistani nationalist believe that it should be part of their state.
...
J&K's special status protected its inhabitants from overwhelming migration of Hindus from main India. Modi will now push his followers to move into the state. His aim in the end is to create a majority Hindu state in a currently majority Muslim one.
When the Indian government move was discussed in parliament a government minister asserted claims on the areas that now belong to China and Pakistan:
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asserted in Lok Sabha that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Aksai Chin are part of Jammu and Kashmir and that Kashmir Valley is an integral part of the country.
...
“Kashmir is an integral part of India, there is no doubt over it. When I talk about Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin are included in it,” he said.
The claim set off alarm bells in Islamabad and Beijing.
The only common boarder China and Pakistan have is within the Pakistan controlled Kashmir (POK). Should India eventual try to (re-)gain the area Pakistan and China would be separated. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $50 billion project that creates road, rail and pipeline connections from Pakistan's coast towards China, would be interrupted.
China is financing the corridor as an alternative strategic trade route to the U.S. controlled seaways through the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca.
China needs the Pakistan connection to keep a line of communication with the oil fields of the Middle East during a conflict in the Pacific.
China’s core interests have dictated that India should be firmly dissuaded from considering recovery of Gilgit-Baltistan to fulfil its long-stated goal of unifying Kashmir, in pursuit of a unanimous parliamentary resolution passed in 1994. China has also been vocal about retaining Aksai Chin — the essential link between Tibet and Xinjiang.
The removal of autonomy from J&K last year was not the only issue that alarmed China. India under Modi gave up its traditional neutrality and joint the U.S. 'Indo-Pacific' project in a pact against China. India has for quite a while build up its military infrastructure in the region:
[T]he Chinese have also been uncomfortable with infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, especially due to the pressure it imposes on Aksai Chin. By 2008, India had reactivated airfields of Daulet Beg Oldie (DBO) and Fukche, reducing reliance on Leh as the main air support hub for Ladakh. A year later, the Nyoma airfield had also been revived. “DBO is on the old Leh-Tarim basin trade route through the Karakoram pass and only nine kilometers northwest of Aksai Chin. It is also important because India’s physical link with China’s Xinjiang province, and not Tibet, is routed through DBO,” says a former diplomat, who did not wish to be named. The revival of the aviation infrastructure has augmented India’s capacity to quickly insert troops and military supplies along the LAC. “DBO, Fukche and Nyoma have supplemented Leh, providing a major boost to intra-theatre movement of Indian forces and equipment along the LAC,” Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Amit Aneja, told The Hindu. Indian road construction activity, with the 255-km Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) as the spine has steeled Indian connectivity along the LAC, adding further pressure on Aksai Chin.
Satellite pictures show that China has positioned more troops behind the LAC and is ready should the current situation escalate further. India has likewise send reinforcements into the wider area.
The U.S. and Australia have verbally supported India during the recent clashes. But neither seems inclined to become involved in an actual conflict.
The Sino-Indian war of 1962 started over similar border skirmishes and also with a larger strategic background. Within a few days China took several areas from India but after a month it pulled back from Indian territory. The idea had been to teach India a lesson and the point had been made.
Should the conflict escalate I expect a similar short and limited conflict as a reminder to Modi that a non-neutral alignment and claims on foreign territory do carry certain costs.
Posted by b on June 18, 2020 at 16:51 UTC | Permalink
NOTE ^1000Careerist lackeys serving the elites control the American press. Ever pushing for war and inequality, covering up the oligarchy's crimes... They are in reality shameless disinformers. No wonder the world is in such terrible disarray.
About the author(s) "b" is Moon of Alabama's founding (and chief) editor. This site's purpose is to discuss politics, economics, philosophy and blogger Billmon's Whiskey Bar writings. Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent, open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community. Bernhard )"b") started and still runs the site. Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators. You can reach the current administrator of this site by emailing Bernhard at MoonofA@aol.com.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
ALL CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS
Comment here or on our Facebook Group page.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-18--Was It Only “Fear Itself?”: FDR and Today

FDR rejected radical politics but the New Deal was deeply influenced by the president ’ s keen awareness of needing to propose policies that would ween discontented workers away from demanding deep structural changes .
The president employed three basic tactics : First , he was masterful in lifting and incorporating left demands into his rhetoric .
Second , he sought to co-opt some leaders by extending patronage to non-Democratic Party state and local officials .
Part of this involved setting aside references to the Democratic Party per se and frequently mentioning farmers , women , labor , minorities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his expedient and temporary tilt toward the left , FDR was not above disingenuously threatening that to save capitalism from itself it might be necessary to “ equalize the distribution of wealth ” and “ throw to the wolves the forty-six men reputed to have incomes in excess of one million dollars.
” This was all presaged in his FDR ’ s first presidential inaugural address in 1933 .
Ira Katznelson , author “ Fear Itself , ” a book celebrated by mainstream reviewers , wrote “ A climate of universal fear deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was sure.
” In the fifth sentence of his inaugural speech on March 4,1933 , President Roosevelt uttered the famous phrase “ Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
” He then proceeded to blame the depression on “ unscrupulous money changers ” who lacked any vision .
The president blamed `` callous and selfish bankers and businessmen who persisted in engaging in the “ evils of the old order.
” Hyperbole aside , the critical point is that Katznelson and many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major objective of the New Deal and that some form of “ liberal democracy ” was the preferred means of accomplishing that end .
While offering to work with legislators , FDR made clear that if Congress failed to act there would be a need for a “ temporary departure from the normal balance of public procedure.
” The president would seek “ broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency , as great as the power that would be given to me if if we were in fact invaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a law professor at Columbia , had created the original “ Brain Trust ” to advise Roosevelt during the 1932 presidential campaign .
He was also responsible for writing FDR ’ s inaugural address although the latter never acknowledged it .
Later , Morley said that because of the speech , “ Capitalism was saved in eight days.
” Hyperbole aside , the critical point is that Katznelson and many other liberal historians agree that saving capitalism was a major objective of the New Deal and that some form of “ liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishing that end .
W.E.B .
DuBois had hoped the incipient New Deal would be the opening , the first step toward socialism .
However , by 1938 , Roosevelt , perhaps concluding the threat had passed , slowed his reforms and even proposed a traditional balanced budget .
Tellingly , when the Recession of 1937-38 resulted in Republicans defeating several third party incumbents , FDR responded “ We have on the positive side eliminated Phil La Follete and the Farmer-Labor people in the Northwest as a standing Third Party threat.
” I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the New Deal period will comment and I ’ ll only suggest a line of inquiry that needs fleshing out : Unlike today ’ s predator class , who ’ ve little to worry about , their counterparts in the 1930s had more to fear than `` fear itself '' —and acted accordingly .
That is , “ ... the spectre that haunted the New Deal years ... was the fear of the dominant class of a renewed populist alliance—this time strengthened by a more combative and a more mature industrial proletariat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger wrote of the moment , “ It was now a matter of seeing whether a representative democracy could conquer economic collapse .
It was a matter of staving off violence—even some thought—revolution.
” Many people now understand that spending on World World II was what “ saved capitalism ” but I suspect the myth that benevolent motives dominated New Deal thinking is still believed by many .
Shedding further light on this matter should prove useful in clarifying and responding to both the diversions and opportunities awaiting us in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Not “ A few bad police apples , ” but a Rotten Capitalist Tree If polls are to be believed , a majority of the public agrees with the core positions put forth by Black Lives Matter and support the protests against police brutality .
I ’ ve been encouraged by the fact that hundreds of thousands of young , white Millennials have been in the streets , often outnumbering black participants .
For example , between 60-65 percent of the demonstrators in New York and Washington were white youth under age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their inception , the foremost function of the police has been to safeguard the capitalist private property of those who own and rule the country .
We are at a propitious moment and the critical question is whether the momentum of the protests will transition to a wider and deeper critique that extends beyond the police .
We can be certain that efforts are forthcoming to co-opt BLM supporters with cosmetic , liberal palliatives and to divert protests into the cul-de-sac of identity politics , the most insidiously effective weapon in corporatocracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will require a politically astute , creative , and sustained response .
Can we go further and explicitly explain that the police under capitalism can never be reformed to take the side of Black , Brown and working class people ?
All available evidence suggests that from their inception , the foremost function of the police has been to safeguard the capitalist private property of those who own and rule the country .
As Chris Hedges recently pointed out , “ The crisis we face is not , as the ruling elites want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .
It is a class and generational revolt .
It will not be solved by new police reforms .
The problem is an economic and political system that has by design created a nation of serfs and obscenely rich masters . ''
A new mass political formation of people prepared to engage in widespread civil disobedience and face arrest , remains our only hope for salvation , much depends upon how we creatively reimagine making our case .
It ’ s a daunting challenge and not the first time we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s invocation : pessimism of the intellect ; optimism of the will .

FDR rejected radical politics but the New Deal was deeply influenced by the president’s keen awareness of needing to propose policies that would ween discontented workers away from demanding deep structural changes. The president employed three basic tactics: First, he was masterful in lifting and incorporating left demands into his rhetoric. Second, he sought to co-opt some leaders by extending patronage to non-Democratic Party state and local officials. Part of this involved setting aside references to the Democratic Party per se and frequently mentioning farmers, women, labor, minorities and liberals. Finally, as part of his expedient and temporary tilt toward the left, FDR was not above disingenuously threatening that to save capitalism from itself it might be necessary to “equalize the distribution of wealth” and “throw to the wolves the forty-six men reputed to have incomes in excess of one million dollars.”
This was all presaged in his FDR’s first presidential inaugural address in 1933. Ira Katznelson, author “Fear Itself,” a book celebrated by mainstream reviewers, wrote “A climate of universal fear deeply affected political understandings and concerns. Nothing was sure.” In the fifth sentence of his inaugural speech on March 4,1933, President Roosevelt uttered the famous phrase “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He then proceeded to blame the depression on “unscrupulous money changers” who lacked any vision. The president blamed "callous and selfish bankers and businessmen who persisted in engaging in the “evils of the old order.”
Hyperbole aside, the critical point is that Katznelson and many other liberal historians agree that saving capitalism was a major objective of the New Deal and that some form of “liberal democracy” was the preferred means of accomplishing that end. While offering to work with legislators, FDR made clear that if Congress failed to act there would be a need for a “temporary departure from the normal balance of public procedure.” The president would seek “broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as the power that would be given to me if if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe.” Robert Morley, a law professor at Columbia, had created the original “Brain Trust” to advise Roosevelt during the 1932 presidential campaign. He was also responsible for writing FDR’s inaugural address although the latter never acknowledged it. Later, Morley said that because of the speech, “Capitalism was saved in eight days.” Hyperbole aside, the critical point is that Katznelson and many other liberal historians agree that saving capitalism was a major objective of the New Deal and that some form of “liberal democracy” was the preferred means of accomplishing that end.
W.E.B. DuBois had hoped the incipient New Deal would be the opening, the first step toward socialism. However, by 1938, Roosevelt, perhaps concluding the threat had passed, slowed his reforms and even proposed a traditional balanced budget. Tellingly, when the Recession of 1937-38 resulted in Republicans defeating several third party incumbents, FDR responded “We have on the positive side eliminated Phil La Follete and the Farmer-Labor people in the Northwest as a standing Third Party threat.”
I trust that others, far better versed in the New Deal period will comment and I’ll only suggest a line of inquiry that needs fleshing out: Unlike today’s predator class, who’ve little to worry about, their counterparts in the 1930s had more to fear than "fear itself"—and acted accordingly. That is, “...the spectre that haunted the New Deal years ...was the fear of the dominant class of a renewed populist alliance—this time strengthened by a more combative and a more mature industrial proletariat than had existed in the 1890s. Liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger wrote of the moment, “It was now a matter of seeing whether a representative democracy could conquer economic collapse. It was a matter of staving off violence—even some thought—revolution.”
Many people now understand that spending on World World II was what “saved capitalism” but I suspect the myth that benevolent motives dominated New Deal thinking is still believed by many. Shedding further light on this matter should prove useful in clarifying and responding to both the diversions and opportunities awaiting us in the near future.
What About today? Not “A few bad police apples,” but a Rotten Capitalist Tree
If polls are to be believed, a majority of the public agrees with the core positions put forth by Black Lives Matter and support the protests against police brutality. I’ve been encouraged by the fact that hundreds of thousands of young, white Millennials have been in the streets, often outnumbering black participants. For example, between 60-65 percent of the demonstrators in New York and Washington were white youth under age 34.
All available evidence suggests that from their inception, the foremost function of the police has been to safeguard the capitalist private property of those who own and rule the country. We are at a propitious moment and the critical question is whether the momentum of the protests will transition to a wider and deeper critique that extends beyond the police. We can be certain that efforts are forthcoming to co-opt BLM supporters with cosmetic, liberal palliatives and to divert protests into the cul-de-sac of identity politics, the most insidiously effective weapon in corporatocracy’s toolbox. Resisting these maneuvers will require a politically astute, creative, and sustained response.
Can we go further and explicitly explain that the police under capitalism can never be reformed to take the side of Black, Brown and working class people? All available evidence suggests that from their inception, the foremost function of the police has been to safeguard the capitalist private property of those who own and rule the country. As Chris Hedges recently pointed out, “The crisis we face is not, as the ruling elites want us to believe, limited to police violence. It is a class and generational revolt. It will not be solved by new police reforms. The problem is an economic and political system that has by design created a nation of serfs and obscenely rich masters."
A new mass political formation of people prepared to engage in widespread civil disobedience and face arrest, remains our only hope for salvation, much depends upon how we creatively reimagine making our case. It’s a daunting challenge and not the first time we’ve needed to take inspiration from Antonio Gramsci’s invocation: pessimism of the intellect; optimism of the will.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-19--As monuments are being toppled & WWII facts erased, Vladimir Putin gives a stark warning about playi

As monuments are being toppled & WWII facts erased, Vladimir Putin gives a stark warning about playing games with history

Published by the National Interest on Thursday , Putin ’ s text revisits some of the lesser-known historical facts to address narratives increasingly popular in the West – including the claim that the Soviet Union was as much to blame as Hitler ’ s Germany for starting the war , or that it was somehow the Western Allies who won the war , while the overwhelming Soviet contribution is erased entirely .
Putin ’ s essay is more than a polemic about history , however .
While he does seek to set the record straight , the Russian president also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so .
Historical revisionism “ grossly and cynically distorts the understanding of the principles ” set forth in 1945 by the Allied powers , on which the current international order is based , he argues .
Now that order is under attack – not by Russia , as Western powers continuously claim , but by the West itself – through historical revisionism about the origins of WWII , erasure of memory , destruction of monuments and even celebration of Nazi collaborators .
Less than two weeks ago , US Secretary of State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ landings in Normandy to claim all the credit for the victory in WWII , retroactively redefine what the war was about , and even demonize the Chinese government through absolutely inappropriate comparisons with Nazi Germany.Examples abound , from last year ’ s declaration by the European Union that Nazi Germany and the USSR started the war together by invading Poland – an official line in Warsaw , but a shameless falsification of actual history – to the recent statements by the White House and the Pentagon giving no credit whatsoever to the Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp .
In addition to erasing the USSR from history , the West is embracing and whitewashing Hitler ’ s collaborators , especially in Eastern Europe , by asserting moral equivalence between the Nazis and the Soviets .
Putin specifically mentions Ukraine and the Baltics , where such narratives have been encouraged and maintained on the state level .
Putin , by contrast , gives credit to China for fighting against Imperial Japan , recognizes the contributions of both the US and the UK , and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overlooked .
While reminding everyone that the almost 27 million Soviet citizens perished in the war , he is grateful about the “ significant ” Lend-Lease assistance provided by the West , amounting to “ about 7 percent of the total military production of the Soviet Union.
” NATO countries like Poland and Czechia are systematically dismantling monuments to Soviet soldiers who died liberating them from Hitler , which Putin denounces as both hypocritical and vile .
His point applies just as well to the current statue-smashing spree across the West , ostensibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Just as it wasn ’ t Moscow – but London , Paris , and Warsaw – that made a pact with Hitler in Munich to partition Czechoslovakia in 1938 , it is not Russia that now wants to “ reform ” the UN into another interwar League of Nations .
A recent policy paper by the Republican Study Committee of the US Congress even advocates leaving the UN altogether and setting up a rival organization with other “ democracies.
” During WWII , the USSR , the US and the UK were “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , interests , cultures ” but their leaders “ rose above the contradictions and preferences and put the true interests of peace at the forefront , ” judging the Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and establishing institutions such as the United Nations that have ensured there won ’ t be another major war for the next 75 years and counting , Putin explained .
Time and again , Putin notes that modern Russia is embracing its history – all of it , whether good or bad – while Western archives remain secret and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be distilled to any single point , it would be a none-too-subtle warning that those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it .

Published by the National Interest on Thursday, Putin’s text revisits some of the lesser-known historical facts to address narratives increasingly popular in the West – including the claim that the Soviet Union was as much to blame as Hitler’s Germany for starting the war, or that it was somehow the Western Allies who won the war, while the overwhelming Soviet contribution is erased entirely.
Putin’s essay is more than a polemic about history, however. While he does seek to set the record straight, the Russian president also offers an important reason why he is doing so. Historical revisionism “grossly and cynically distorts the understanding of the principles” set forth in 1945 by the Allied powers, on which the current international order is based, he argues.
Now that order is under attack – not by Russia, as Western powers continuously claim, but by the West itself – through historical revisionism about the origins of WWII, erasure of memory, destruction of monuments and even celebration of Nazi collaborators.
EXCLUSIVE: Pompeo Sees Parallels Between Nazi Germany And Communist China https://t.co/ebm7AXqMCs — Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 6, 2020
Less than two weeks ago, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used the anniversary of D-Day landings in Normandy to claim all the credit for the victory in WWII, retroactively redefine what the war was about, and even demonize the Chinese government through absolutely inappropriate comparisons with Nazi Germany.Examples abound, from last year’s declaration by the European Union that Nazi Germany and the USSR started the war together by invading Poland – an official line in Warsaw, but a shameless falsification of actual history – to the recent statements by the White House and the Pentagon giving no credit whatsoever to the Soviet Union for victory over the Nazis or the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
In addition to erasing the USSR from history, the West is embracing and whitewashing Hitler’s collaborators, especially in Eastern Europe, by asserting moral equivalence between the Nazis and the Soviets. Putin specifically mentions Ukraine and the Baltics, where such narratives have been encouraged and maintained on the state level. Putin, by contrast, gives credit to China for fighting against Imperial Japan, recognizes the contributions of both the US and the UK, and even mentions the Free French forces, often overlooked. While reminding everyone that the almost 27 million Soviet citizens perished in the war, he is grateful about the “significant” Lend-Lease assistance provided by the West, amounting to “about 7 percent of the total military production of the Soviet Union.”
NATO countries like Poland and Czechia are systematically dismantling monuments to Soviet soldiers who died liberating them from Hitler, which Putin denounces as both hypocritical and vile. His point applies just as well to the current statue-smashing spree across the West, ostensibly in the name of social justice.
Just as it wasn’t Moscow – but London, Paris, and Warsaw – that made a pact with Hitler in Munich to partition Czechoslovakia in 1938, it is not Russia that now wants to “reform” the UN into another interwar League of Nations. A recent policy paper by the Republican Study Committee of the US Congress even advocates leaving the UN altogether and setting up a rival organization with other “democracies.” During WWII, the USSR, the US and the UK were “countries with different ideologies, state aspirations, interests, cultures” but their leaders “rose above the contradictions and preferences and put the true interests of peace at the forefront,” judging the Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and establishing institutions such as the United Nations that have ensured there won’t be another major war for the next 75 years and counting, Putin explained.
Time and again, Putin notes that modern Russia is embracing its history – all of it, whether good or bad – while Western archives remain secret and revisionism runs rampant. If it can be distilled to any single point, it would be a none-too-subtle warning that those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-19--Caesar Tries to Suffocate 17 Million Syrians

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
The anglozionist empire sets new records for perfidious hypocrisy— ince 2011 , the US and allies have promoted , trained and supplied Jihadist militants trying to bring about in Damascus .
Having failed in that effort , they have tried to strangle Syria economically .
The goal has always been the same : to force Syria to change politically .
This month , June 2020 , the aggression reaches a new level with extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fraudulent on two counts .
It is called `` Caesar '' in reference to a 2014 propaganda stunt involving an anonymous Syrian who was alleged to be a military photographer .
He claimed to have 55,000 photos showing about eleven thousand victims of Syrian government torture .
As the Christian Science Monitor said at the time , the `` Caesar '' report was `` A well-timed propaganda exercise funded by Qatar . ''
A 30 page analysis later confirmed that the `` Caesar '' report was a fraud with nearly half the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed : they documented dead Syrian soldiers and civilian victims of `` rebel '' car bombs and attacks .
The Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act is also fraudulent by claiming to `` protect civilians '' .
In reality , it is punishes and hurts the vast majority of 17 million persons living in Syria .
It will result in thousands of civilians suffering and dying needlessly .
The US has been hostile to Syria for many decades .
Unlike Anwar Sadat of Egypt , Syria under Hafez al Assad refused to make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designated a `` state sponsor of terrorism '' and first sanctioned by the U.S. in 1979 .
After the US invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 , Syria accepted about one million Iraqi refugees and supported the Iraqi resistance in various ways .
In retaliation , the US escalated punishing sanctions in 2004 .
In 2010 , US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressured Syria to change their foreign policy and be more friendly to Israel .
Syrian President Bashar al Assad pointedly declined .
Twelve months later , when protests and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , Europe and Gulf monarchies ( Qatar , Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates ) quickly supported the opposition and imposed more sanctions .
In 2016 , after five years of crisis and war , a report on the humanitarian impact of sanctions on Syria was prepared for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia .
It noted that `` U.S. and E.U .
sanctions on Syria are some of the most complicated and far-reaching sanctions regimes ever imposed . ''
The 30 page report went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is supposed to be permitted is effectively stopped .
The sanction regulations , licenses , and penalties make it so difficult and risky that humanitarian aid is effectively prevented .
The report concluded with thirteen specific recommendations to allow humanitarian and development aid .
But there was not relaxation or changes in the maze of rules and sanctions to allow humanitarian relief .
On the contrary , as the Syrian government was expelling terrorists from east Aleppo , southern Damascus , and Deir Ezzor , the US and EU blocked all aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were intent to NOT allow Syria to rebuild and reconstruct .
In 2018 , the United Nations Special Rapporteur , Idriss Jazairy , prepared a report on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights in Syria .
He noted , `` Unilateral coercive measures on agricultural inputs and outputs , medicines , on many dual use items related to water and sanitation , public electricity and transportation , and eventually on rebuilding schools , hospitals and other public buildings and services , are increasingly difficult to justify , if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 90 % of pharmaceutical needs were filled by Syrian factories .
Those factories which remain have trouble getting raw materials and can not get replacement parts for equipment .
For example an expensive dialysis machine or MRI machine from Siemens or General Electric is rendered useless because Syria can not import the spare part of software .
On paper , they can purchase this but in reality they can not .
Over 500,000 civilians returned to Aleppo after the terrorists were expelled at end of 2016 .
But reconstruction aid is prohibited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They can receive `` shelter kits '' with plastic but rebuilding with glass and cement walls is not allowed because `` reconstruction '' is prohibited .
This article describes numerous case examples from war torn Aleppo .
The author had a personal experience with the impact of sanctions .
A Syrian friend could not get hearing aid batteries for a youth who was hard of hearing .
Sanctions prevented him from being able to order the item because financial transactions and delivery is prohibited without a special license .
A stockpile of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USA but took almost a year to get to the destination in Syria .
The Caesar Act extends the sanctions from applying to US nationals and companies to any individuals and corporations .
It claims the supra-national prerogative to apply US laws to anyone .
`` Sanctions with respect to foreign persons '' include blocking and seizing the property and assets of a person or company deemed to have violated the US law .
This is compounded by a fiscal penalty which can be huge .
In 2014 , one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was fined $ 9 Billion for violating US sanctions against Cuba , Iran and Sudan .
The Caesar Act claims the Syria Central Bank is a `` primary money laundering '' institution and thus in a special category .
It aims to make it impossible for Syrian companies to export and import from Lebanon .
It will make it extremely difficult or impossible for Syrians abroad to transfer money to support family members in Syria .
In addition to these extraordinary attacks , the US is undermining and destabilizing the Syrian currency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ was trading at about 650 Syrian pounds to one US dollar .
Now , just 8 months later , the rate is 2600 to the US dollar .
Part of the reason is because of the threat of Caesar sanctions .
Another reason is because of US pressure on the main trading partner , Lebanon .
Traditionally , Lebanon is the main partner for both imports and exports .
In spring 2019 US Secretary of State , Mike Pompeo , threatened Lebanon if they did not change their policies .
It was blatant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fall 2019 street protests began , and the Lebanese and Syrian banking crisis also began .
With the devaluation of their currency , prices of many items has risen dramatically .
Agricultural , medical , industrial and other raw materials and finished goods are almost impossible to acquire .
The shortage of food is compounded because wheat fields in North East Syria , the bread basket of Syria , have been intentionally set on fire .
In the past week , sectarian groups in Lebanon have blocked World Food Program trucks carrying food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eastern Syria , the US and its proxy militia control and profit from the oil fields while the Syrian government and civilians struggle with a severe shortage oil and gas .
In a June 7 webinar , the Special Representative for Syria Engagement , Ambassador James Jeffrey , brazenly stated the US policy .
The US seeks to prevent Syria from rebuilding .
He said `` We threw everything but the kitchen sink ... .
into the Caesar Act . ''
The exception to punishing sanctions are 1 ) Idlib province in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremists and Turkish invading forces and 2 ) north east Syria controlled by US troops and the proxy separatists known as the `` Syrian Democratic Forces '' .
The US has designated $ 50 million to support `` humanitarian aid '' to these areas .
Other US allies will pump in hundreds of millions more in aid and `` investments '' .
US dollars and Turkish lira are being pumped into these areas in another tactic to undermine the Syrian currency and sovereignty .
In contrast , the vast majority of Syrians - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hurt by the extreme sanctions .
The US has multiple goals .
One goal is to prevent Syria from recovering .
Another goal is to prolong the conflict and damage those countries who have assisted Syria .
With consummate cynicism and amorality , the US Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey described his task : `` My job is to make it a quagmire for the Russians . ''
Evidently there has been no significant change in foreign policy assumptions and goals since the US and Saudi Arabia began interfering in Afghanistan in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Mission '' statement , the United Nations Special Rapporteur was diplomatic but clear about the use of unilateral coercive sanctions against Syria : `` the use of such measures may be contrary to international law , international humanitarian law , the UN Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States . ''
The economic and other attacks on Syria have been promoted by right wing hawks , especially fervent supporters of Israel .
Eliot Engel , chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee , pushed to get the Caesar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was finally done by embedding it in the humongous 2020 National Defense Authorization Act .
In a hopeful sign that times may be changing , a progressive candidate named Jamaal Bowman may unseat Engel as the Democratic candidate in the upcoming election .
Eliot Engel is supported by Hillary Clinton and other foreign policy hawks .
Jamaal Bowman is supported by Bernie Sanders .
While this may offer hope for the future , the vast majority of Syrians continue as victims of US foreign policy delusions , hypocrisy , cynicism and cruelty .
@ @ @ @

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
The anglozionist empire sets new records for perfidious hypocrisy—
S
ince 2011, the US and allies have promoted, trained and supplied Jihadist militants trying to bring about "regime change" in Damascus. Having failed in that effort, they have tried to strangle Syria economically. The goal has always been the same: to force Syria to change politically. This month, June 2020, the aggression reaches a new level with extreme sanctions known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act
The new law is fraudulent on two counts. It is called "Caesar" in reference to a 2014 propaganda stunt involving an anonymous Syrian who was alleged to be a military photographer. He claimed to have 55,000 photos showing about eleven thousand victims of Syrian government torture. As the Christian Science Monitor said at the time, the "Caesar" report was "A well-timed propaganda exercise funded by Qatar." A 30 page analysis later confirmed that the "Caesar" report was a fraud with nearly half the photos showing the OPPOSITE of what was claimed: they documented dead Syrian soldiers and civilian victims of "rebel" car bombs and attacks.
The Caesar Syrian Civilian Protection Act is also fraudulent by claiming to "protect civilians". In reality, it is punishes and hurts the vast majority of 17 million persons living in Syria. It will result in thousands of civilians suffering and dying needlessly.
Pre-Existing Sanctions
The US has been hostile to Syria for many decades. Unlike Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Syria under Hafez al Assad refused to make a peace treaty with Israel. Syria was designated a "state sponsor of terrorism" and first sanctioned by the U.S. in 1979.
After the US invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, Syria accepted about one million Iraqi refugees and supported the Iraqi resistance in various ways. In retaliation, the US escalated punishing sanctions in 2004.
In 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pressured Syria to change their foreign policy and be more friendly to Israel. Syrian President Bashar al Assad pointedly declined. Twelve months later, when protests and violence began in Syria in 2011, the US, Europe and Gulf monarchies (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) quickly supported the opposition and imposed more sanctions.
In 2016, after five years of crisis and war, a report on the humanitarian impact of sanctions on Syria was prepared for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. It noted that "U.S. and E.U. sanctions on Syria are some of the most complicated and far-reaching sanctions regimes ever imposed." The 30 page report went on to document with case studies how humanitarian aid which is supposed to be permitted is effectively stopped. The sanction regulations, licenses, and penalties make it so difficult and risky that humanitarian aid is effectively prevented. The report concluded with thirteen specific recommendations to allow humanitarian and development aid.
But there was not relaxation or changes in the maze of rules and sanctions to allow humanitarian relief. On the contrary, as the Syrian government was expelling terrorists from east Aleppo, southern Damascus, and Deir Ezzor, the US and EU blocked all aid for reconstruction. The US and allies were intent to NOT allow Syria to rebuild and reconstruct.
In 2018, the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Idriss Jazairy, prepared a report on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights in Syria. He noted, "Unilateral coercive measures on agricultural inputs and outputs, medicines, on many dual use items related to water and sanitation, public electricity and transportation, and eventually on rebuilding schools, hospitals and other public buildings and services, are increasingly difficult to justify, if they ever were justifiable."
Before 2011, 90% of pharmaceutical needs were filled by Syrian factories. Those factories which remain have trouble getting raw materials and cannot get replacement parts for equipment. For example an expensive dialysis machine or MRI machine from Siemens or General Electric is rendered useless because Syria cannot import the spare part of software. On paper, they can purchase this but in reality they cannot.
Over 500,000 civilians returned to Aleppo after the terrorists were expelled at end of 2016. But reconstruction aid is prohibited by US sanctions and UN rules. They can receive "shelter kits" with plastic but rebuilding with glass and cement walls is not allowed because "reconstruction" is prohibited. This article describes numerous case examples from war torn Aleppo.
The author had a personal experience with the impact of sanctions. A Syrian friend could not get hearing aid batteries for a youth who was hard of hearing. Sanctions prevented him from being able to order the item because financial transactions and delivery is prohibited without a special license. A stockpile of the specialized batteries was easy to purchase in the USA but took almost a year to get to the destination in Syria.
US Economic Bullying and Terrorism
The Caesar Act extends the sanctions from applying to US nationals and companies to any individuals and corporations. It claims the supra-national prerogative to apply US laws to anyone. "Sanctions with respect to foreign persons" include blocking and seizing the property and assets of a person or company deemed to have violated the US law. This is compounded by a fiscal penalty which can be huge. In 2014, one of the largest international banks, BNP Paribas, was fined $9 Billion for violating US sanctions against Cuba, Iran and Sudan.
The Caesar Act claims the Syria Central Bank is a "primary money laundering" institution and thus in a special category. It aims to make it impossible for Syrian companies to export and import from Lebanon. It will make it extremely difficult or impossible for Syrians abroad to transfer money to support family members in Syria.
In addition to these extraordinary attacks, the US is undermining and destabilizing the Syrian currency. In October 2019, the Syrian currency was trading at about 650 Syrian pounds to one US dollar. Now, just 8 months later, the rate is 2600 to the US dollar. Part of the reason is because of the threat of Caesar sanctions.
Another reason is because of US pressure on the main trading partner, Lebanon. Traditionally, Lebanon is the main partner for both imports and exports. In spring 2019 US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, threatened Lebanon if they did not change their policies. It was blatant interference in Lebanese internal affairs. In Fall 2019 street protests began, and the Lebanese and Syrian banking crisis also began.
With the devaluation of their currency, prices of many items has risen dramatically. Agricultural, medical, industrial and other raw materials and finished goods are almost impossible to acquire.
The shortage of food is compounded because wheat fields in North East Syria, the bread basket of Syria, have been intentionally set on fire. In the past week, sectarian groups in Lebanon have blocked World Food Program trucks carrying food aid to Syria. Meanwhile, in eastern Syria, the US and its proxy militia control and profit from the oil fields while the Syrian government and civilians struggle with a severe shortage oil and gas.
James Jeffrey and US Policy
In a June 7 webinar, the Special Representative for Syria Engagement, Ambassador James Jeffrey, brazenly stated the US policy. The US seeks to prevent Syria from rebuilding. He said "We threw everything but the kitchen sink .... into the Caesar Act."
The exception to punishing sanctions are 1) Idlib province in the North West, controlled by Al Qaeda extremists and Turkish invading forces and 2) north east Syria controlled by US troops and the proxy separatists known as the "Syrian Democratic Forces". The US has designated $50 million to support "humanitarian aid" to these areas. Other US allies will pump in hundreds of millions more in aid and "investments". US dollars and Turkish lira are being pumped into these areas in another tactic to undermine the Syrian currency and sovereignty.
In contrast, the vast majority of Syrians - about 17 million - are being suffocated and hurt by the extreme sanctions.
The US has multiple goals. One goal is to prevent Syria from recovering. Another goal is to prolong the conflict and damage those countries who have assisted Syria. With consummate cynicism and amorality, the US Envoy for Syria James Jeffrey described his task: "My job is to make it a quagmire for the Russians." Evidently there has been no significant change in foreign policy assumptions and goals since the US and Saudi Arabia began interfering in Afghanistan in 1979.
In his 2018 "End of Mission" statement, the United Nations Special Rapporteur was diplomatic but clear about the use of unilateral coercive sanctions against Syria: "the use of such measures may be contrary to international law, international humanitarian law, the UN Charter and the norms and principles governing peaceful relations among States."
Caesar and the Democrats
The economic and other attacks on Syria have been promoted by right wing hawks, especially fervent supporters of Israel. Eliot Engel, chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee, pushed to get the Caesar Act into law for years. This was finally done by embedding it in the humongous 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
In a hopeful sign that times may be changing, a progressive candidate named Jamaal Bowman may unseat Engel as the Democratic candidate in the upcoming election. Eliot Engel is supported by Hillary Clinton and other foreign policy hawks. Jamaal Bowman is supported by Bernie Sanders.
While this may offer hope for the future, the vast majority of Syrians continue as victims of US foreign policy delusions, hypocrisy, cynicism and cruelty.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rick Sterling is a journalist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He can be reached at rsterling1@protonmail.com
[post-views]
Puke if you must
This bloodsoaked monster is probably the most evil person on planet earth https://t.co/nGq2H1EPHt — Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) April 9, 2020


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-06-19--Out of the Ashes of Covid-19 Should Rise Our Unstoppable Medicare for All Movement

These heroic , courageous , and selfless people are getting the job done , often without protective equipment and adequate facilities .
Many of them get extremely sick or die from Covid-19 .
Fat cat CEO ’ s are placing full-page ads elaborately praising their workers whom they regularly underpaid and disrespected before Covid-19 .
These bosses are now recognizing both the physical and moral courage it takes for these exceptional saviors to serve their communities .
`` What should have been done over a hundred years ago , when Republican President Theodore Roosevelt proposed universal health care , should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What is emerging from this catastrophe is an exceptional class of millions of potential advocates receiving mass media coverage .
Deeply personal profiles and first-person accounts of the pain and anguish they endure fills the news .
They have experienced firsthand the perverse priorities of the profiteering corporate health vendors that are leaving tens of millions of innocent families uninsured , underinsured , and without paid sick leave .
Now shift the scene to the only obstacle to single-payer universal health insurance in America—the corporate indentured Congress .
Out of 535 Senators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support H.R .
1384 full Medicare for All with free choice of doctors and hospitals .
This much more efficient and comprehensive lifesaving system is far superior to our current profits-first morass .
In the Senate , add another 30 supporters .
With about 200 more converts for Medicare for All , a veto-proof passage is possible .
Now can come the steely determined Covid-19 workers with their national advocates representing all their skills and geographic regions , heading straight for Congress .
In relays , day after day , observing CDC guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These days Congress is only periodically present for pressing financial legislation .
The frontline workers can push for Congressional hearings , floor debates , and then voting .
No more lies , delays , distortions , or domination of members of Congress by the corporate crime complex .
The legislators are directly told they work for the people , not the corporations pouring money into their campaign coffers .
These Covid-19 workers can not be stared down or flimflammed .
They have the decisive karma that veterans ’ groups often have with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among their protectees in three months then the U.S. soldiers lost in the Korean and Vietnam wars ( apart from the massive greater casualties on the native peoples ) .
They have experienced the staggering pressures of their hands-on service from ambulances to intubations and the solitary deaths of their patients .
While members of Congress huddle at home , they are shamed by the low-paid valiant toil of exposed grocery , public transit , and sanitation workers who don ’ t have the luxury of laboring remotely .
This new unstoppable non-partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backup .
Funding by well-to-do people will be forthcoming .
Experts like Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler , Dr. David Himmelstein , Dr. Sidney Wolfe , Dr. Michael Carome , former Nurses Union leader RoseAnn DeMoro , who keenly understand the tactics of the medical corporatists , are on hand .
So are the Physicians for a National Health Program ( PNHP ) and many other consumer and labor groups .
The polls will expand from a present , majority of Americans , doctors , and nurses to even greater numbers backing universal health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead the way in Congress will be the long-supportive Representatives and Senators energized and propelled by this new , relentless citizen dynamic demanding action now !
What should have been done over a hundred years ago , when Republican President Theodore Roosevelt proposed universal health care , should not be stalled any longer .
Not when 1500 to 2000 people lose their lives every week because they can ’ t afford to be diagnosed or treated in time , according to a new Yale study .
Not when an average of a billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud according to a conservative estimate by the leading expert on such crimes—Professor Malcolm Sparrow of Harvard University .
Not when a minimum of five thousand people a week die from preventable problems in hospitals ( not including clinics ) as reported in a peer-reviewed Johns ’ Hopkins School of Medicine analysis .
Putting people before profits would lower that horrendous casualty toll substantially .
Not when numerous countries , including Canada , cover all their people at half the price per capita with better outcomes , free choice of physicians and hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when documentation for fundamental change is so overwhelmingly at everyone ’ s fingertips ( See : SinglePayerAction.org ) .
Dr. John Geyman ’ s latest in a series of educational books by this sagacious practitioner and scholar—the galvanizing “ Profiteering , Corruption and Fraud in U.S. Health Care ” will be available very soon ( See : johngeymanmd.org ) .
The Covid-19 pandemic and its bungling by Trump and Trumpsters leading to the loss of loved ones , the loss of patients , and the horrific experiences of frontline workers would pave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humane laser-beamed arrival of workers , who have witnessed the tragedies caused by the pandemic will push Congress to provide Americans universal care and relief , from economic anxiety , dread , and fear .
Americans deserve the same health care coverage enjoyed by people in every other western country .

These heroic, courageous, and selfless people are getting the job done, often without protective equipment and adequate facilities. Many of them get extremely sick or die from Covid-19.
Fat cat CEO’s are placing full-page ads elaborately praising their workers whom they regularly underpaid and disrespected before Covid-19. These bosses are now recognizing both the physical and moral courage it takes for these exceptional saviors to serve their communities.
"What should have been done over a hundred years ago, when Republican President Theodore Roosevelt proposed universal health care, should not be stalled any longer."
What is emerging from this catastrophe is an exceptional class of millions of potential advocates receiving mass media coverage. Deeply personal profiles and first-person accounts of the pain and anguish they endure fills the news. They have experienced firsthand the perverse priorities of the profiteering corporate health vendors that are leaving tens of millions of innocent families uninsured, underinsured, and without paid sick leave.
Now shift the scene to the only obstacle to single-payer universal health insurance in America—the corporate indentured Congress. Out of 535 Senators and Representatives, 135 in the House already support H.R. 1384 full Medicare for All with free choice of doctors and hospitals. This much more efficient and comprehensive lifesaving system is far superior to our current profits-first morass. In the Senate, add another 30 supporters. With about 200 more converts for Medicare for All, a veto-proof passage is possible.
Now can come the steely determined Covid-19 workers with their national advocates representing all their skills and geographic regions, heading straight for Congress. In relays, day after day, observing CDC guidelines, they will find Congress mostly AWOL. These days Congress is only periodically present for pressing financial legislation. The frontline workers can push for Congressional hearings, floor debates, and then voting. No more lies, delays, distortions, or domination of members of Congress by the corporate crime complex. The legislators are directly told they work for the people, not the corporations pouring money into their campaign coffers.
These Covid-19 workers cannot be stared down or flimflammed. They have the decisive karma that veterans’ groups often have with Congress. They have seen more fatalities among their protectees in three months then the U.S. soldiers lost in the Korean and Vietnam wars (apart from the massive greater casualties on the native peoples). They have experienced the staggering pressures of their hands-on service from ambulances to intubations and the solitary deaths of their patients. While members of Congress huddle at home, they are shamed by the low-paid valiant toil of exposed grocery, public transit, and sanitation workers who don’t have the luxury of laboring remotely.
This new unstoppable non-partisan assemblage of Americans will have plenty of backup. Funding by well-to-do people will be forthcoming. Experts like Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, Dr. David Himmelstein, Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Dr. Michael Carome, former Nurses Union leader RoseAnn DeMoro, who keenly understand the tactics of the medical corporatists, are on hand. So are the Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and many other consumer and labor groups.
The polls will expand from a present, majority of Americans, doctors, and nurses to even greater numbers backing universal health care coverage. Rising to greater prominence to lead the way in Congress will be the long-supportive Representatives and Senators energized and propelled by this new, relentless citizen dynamic demanding action now!
What should have been done over a hundred years ago, when Republican President Theodore Roosevelt proposed universal health care, should not be stalled any longer.
Not when 1500 to 2000 people lose their lives every week because they can’t afford to be diagnosed or treated in time, according to a new Yale study.
Not when an average of a billion dollars a day is taken by billing fraud according to a conservative estimate by the leading expert on such crimes—Professor Malcolm Sparrow of Harvard University.
Not when a minimum of five thousand people a week die from preventable problems in hospitals (not including clinics) as reported in a peer-reviewed Johns’ Hopkins School of Medicine analysis. Putting people before profits would lower that horrendous casualty toll substantially.
Not when numerous countries, including Canada, cover all their people at half the price per capita with better outcomes, free choice of physicians and hospitals, and peace of mind.
Not when documentation for fundamental change is so overwhelmingly at everyone’s fingertips (See: SinglePayerAction.org). Dr. John Geyman’s latest in a series of educational books by this sagacious practitioner and scholar—the galvanizing “Profiteering, Corruption and Fraud in U.S. Health Care” will be available very soon (See: johngeymanmd.org).
The Covid-19 pandemic and its bungling by Trump and Trumpsters leading to the loss of loved ones, the loss of patients, and the horrific experiences of frontline workers would pave the way to this long-overdue change. The humane laser-beamed arrival of workers, who have witnessed the tragedies caused by the pandemic will push Congress to provide Americans universal care and relief, from economic anxiety, dread, and fear. Americans deserve the same health care coverage enjoyed by people in every other western country.