mintpressnews--2020-01-30--Cuba is Testing Products Against Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease

The Cuban government has announced that it is testing new medical products against a range of chronic illnesses , including cancer , Alzheimer ’ s and Parkinson ’ s disease .
The Caribbean country has become a hotspot for pharmaceutical research , having already developed techniques that eliminate the transmission of HIV and syphilis between mothers and children .
It was not revealed which types of cancer government scientists are testing against , but they have already developed a lung cancer vaccine , skin cancer medicine and new , minimally invasive techniques in esophageal cancer surgery .
Many of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for what amounts to political reasons .
The Trump administration has ratcheted up sanctions against Cuba , making it extremely difficult to visit the island or import goods from it .
This has led many desperate Americans to travel to Cuba clandestinely for treatment .
“ I am not looking to break the law .
But I am not looking to die , either , ” George Keays , a Colorado cancer patient told USA Today in 2018 .
Others spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity , afraid of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even to tell their doctors what they are doing for fear of potential government reprisals .
While many think of Cuba as only a place where rumba dancing models drive battered 1950s cars around old towns with fading grandeur , the country has , due in no small part because of decades of U.S. blockade , developed a world-leading medical industry that employs more than 3,000 people in clinical research .
Its lung cancer vaccine , Climavax , has been available since 2011 – particularly necessary in a country where cigar smoking is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States , the Cuban government has built a comprehensive nationalized healthcare system based on preventative medicine , rather than the curative model the U.S. employs .
In Cuba , medical staff are assigned to communities and it is their job to see and analyze the health of every person , nipping problems in the bud before they develop and need costly surgery .
That way , obesity , for example , is dealt with before it metastasizes into a more serious condition like diabetes or heart disease .
As a result , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system in the world and Cubans enjoy a life expectancy of 80 years – a year longer than Americans , despite only earning a GDP per capita of 7,600 U.S. dollars .
According to Margaret Chan , former Director General of the World Health Organization , Cuba ’ s prevention-based medicine is “ the way to go ” for the world .
“ We sincerely hope that all of the world ’ s inhabitants will have access to quality medical services , as they do in Cuba , ” she said , praising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare as a human right .
Internationalism is a core component of the Cuban government ’ s ideology .
There is an estimated 30,000 Cuban medical staff currently working in 67 countries , providing free healthcare to underprivileged patients .
The country of just 11 million people has more doctors abroad than the World Health Organization and all of the G7 countries combined and has been instrumental in the healthcare revolution in Latin America .
With the support of thousands of Cuban doctors , nationalized , expansive public healthcare systems have been established @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Brazil , more than 11,000 Cubans came to establish a medical program for underserved communities .
However , recent political changes in the region have led to their ejection from both Bolivia and Brazil .
Cuba also trains foreign medical students from across the world at the famous Latin American School of Medicine in Havana , on the condition they return to their own countries to serve the neediest .
This includes Americans , who can study medicine in Cuba without incurring huge debts like they would at home .
In total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuba ’ s revolutionary medicine .
Cuba is in stark contrast to the United States , where hospital bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy and one-third of all GoFundMe donations are for medical expenses .
Last month MintPress News reported on the phenomenon of poor people selling their blood just to live .
Americans are increasingly resorting to using dog insulin or fish antibiotics as alternatives to expensive drugs .
Lifesaving drugs that sell for $ 8 in countries like Australia cost around $ 2000 in the U.S. On Tuesday , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her private health insurer is making her appeal a skull surgery on her 8-week-old baby to make sure it was necessary , and not cosmetic .
Studies show that the greatest savings in a move towards Medicare for All would be getting rid of unnecessary administration and billing .
American voters ’ top issue is healthcare , and a number of Democratic candidates have promised to create a nationalized , comprehensive health system , while some have even called for normalizing relations with Cuba .
But until the blockade is lifted , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ successful , they won ’ t be available to suffering Americans .
Feature photo | Cuban doctors assemble to meet Cuba ’ s President Miguel Diaz-Canel after landing in Havana , Cuba , Nov. 23 , 2018 .
Desmond Boylan | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The Cuban government has announced that it is testing new medical products against a range of chronic illnesses, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The Caribbean country has become a hotspot for pharmaceutical research, having already developed techniques that eliminate the transmission of HIV and syphilis between mothers and children. It was not revealed which types of cancer government scientists are testing against, but they have already developed a lung cancer vaccine, skin cancer medicine and new, minimally invasive techniques in esophageal cancer surgery.
Many of these treatments are unavailable in the United States for what amounts to political reasons. The Trump administration has ratcheted up sanctions against Cuba, making it extremely difficult to visit the island or import goods from it. This has led many desperate Americans to travel to Cuba clandestinely for treatment. “I am not looking to break the law. But I am not looking to die, either,” George Keays, a Colorado cancer patient told USA Today in 2018. Others spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity, afraid of the consequences. Many American patients are scared even to tell their doctors what they are doing for fear of potential government reprisals.
While many think of Cuba as only a place where rumba dancing models drive battered 1950s cars around old towns with fading grandeur, the country has, due in no small part because of decades of U.S. blockade, developed a world-leading medical industry that employs more than 3,000 people in clinical research. Its lung cancer vaccine, Climavax, has been available since 2011 – particularly necessary in a country where cigar smoking is so prevalent.
While demonized in the United States, the Cuban government has built a comprehensive nationalized healthcare system based on preventative medicine, rather than the curative model the U.S. employs. In Cuba, medical staff are assigned to communities and it is their job to see and analyze the health of every person, nipping problems in the bud before they develop and need costly surgery. That way, obesity, for example, is dealt with before it metastasizes into a more serious condition like diabetes or heart disease. As a result, the country has perhaps the most cost-efficient system in the world and Cubans enjoy a life expectancy of 80 years – a year longer than Americans, despite only earning a GDP per capita of 7,600 U.S. dollars.
According to Margaret Chan, former Director General of the World Health Organization, Cuba’s prevention-based medicine is “the way to go” for the world. “We sincerely hope that all of the world’s inhabitants will have access to quality medical services, as they do in Cuba,” she said, praising the government’s leadership in treating healthcare as a human right.
A model for the world
Internationalism is a core component of the Cuban government’s ideology. There is an estimated 30,000 Cuban medical staff currently working in 67 countries, providing free healthcare to underprivileged patients. The country of just 11 million people has more doctors abroad than the World Health Organization and all of the G7 countries combined and has been instrumental in the healthcare revolution in Latin America. With the support of thousands of Cuban doctors, nationalized, expansive public healthcare systems have been established in many progressive Latin American countries.
In Brazil, more than 11,000 Cubans came to establish a medical program for underserved communities. However, recent political changes in the region have led to their ejection from both Bolivia and Brazil. Cuba also trains foreign medical students from across the world at the famous Latin American School of Medicine in Havana, on the condition they return to their own countries to serve the neediest. This includes Americans, who can study medicine in Cuba without incurring huge debts like they would at home. In total, 158 countries have directly benefited from Cuba’s revolutionary medicine.
AOC confronts and grills Gilead CEO over HIV drug price tag pic.twitter.com/RSOzJbnhz8 — The Independent (@Independent) May 18, 2019
Cuba is in stark contrast to the United States, where hospital bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy and one-third of all GoFundMe donations are for medical expenses. Last month MintPress News reported on the phenomenon of poor people selling their blood just to live. Americans are increasingly resorting to using dog insulin or fish antibiotics as alternatives to expensive drugs. Lifesaving drugs that sell for $8 in countries like Australia cost around $2000 in the U.S.
On Tuesday, New York Magazine editor Jenn Gann revealed that her private health insurer is making her appeal a skull surgery on her 8-week-old baby to make sure it was necessary, and not cosmetic. Studies show that the greatest savings in a move towards Medicare for All would be getting rid of unnecessary administration and billing. American voters’ top issue is healthcare, and a number of Democratic candidates have promised to create a nationalized, comprehensive health system, while some have even called for normalizing relations with Cuba. But until the blockade is lifted, even if the trials for new medicines prove successful, they won’t be available to suffering Americans.
Feature photo | Cuban doctors assemble to meet Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel after landing in Havana, Cuba, Nov. 23, 2018. Desmond Boylan | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-02-05--SOTU: Democratic “Resistance” Give Trump’s Venezuela Aggression a Standing Ovation

Donald Trump was in defiant mood at last night ’ s State of the Union Address in Washington , D.C. , confident that he will be acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial today .
While there is a great amount of talk that the United States is racked with partisan strife , when it comes to foreign policy , the parties are in near lockstep agreement .
A case in point was the cheers from the audience as Trump announced that “ we are once again standing up for freedom in our hemisphere ” by “ supporting the hopes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States is leading a 59 nation diplomatic coalition against the socialist dictator of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro .
Maduro is an illegitimate ruler , a tyrant who brutalizes his people .
But Maduro ’ s grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken , ” Trump declared .
He then turned to the gallery to announce that he had invited a “ very brave man who carries with him the hopes dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans ” to be there , “ The true and legitimate president of Venezuela Juan Guaidó.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ night was reserved for Guaidó , as Democrats and Republicans rose as one to salute the self-declared president .
Leading the clapping was Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives and liberal icon Nancy Pelosi .
Pelosi was more enthusiastic even than Vice-President Mike Pence , beating him out of her seat to give Guaidó a standing ovation .
While showing very little disagreement with the president ’ s proclamations , she was still lauded in liberal circles for tearing up Trump ’ s speech at the end of the event , long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her hand .
Immediately “ Nancy the Ripper ” became the trend of the night on social media , as messages of support flooded in for the supposedly brave action that spoke truth to power .
On the other hand , conservatives were outraged at the gesture .
“ It was disgraceful .
It was disgusting .
I was sitting 50 feet away for her and it made me angry because what she showed and what congressional Democrats showed was contempt for America ; that they won ’ t root for the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the barest modicum of respect for the American president , ” roared Texas Senator Ted Cruz on Fox News .
Yet , despite the talk of resisting Trump , Pelosi and the Democratic establishment ’ s record shows they have done anything but that .
In December 188 House Democrats joined the Republicans to push through Trump ’ s enormous military budget bill , including funding for his Space Force .
Democratic resistance is often strongest when the president has made moves to de-escalate militarism and aggression across the world .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the party are largely behind Trump on foreign policy .
Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren , for instance , supported the Trump administration ’ s coup against leftist Bolivian leader Evo Morales and declared that she was “ all for ” sanctions against Maduro .
The U.S. sanctions against Venezuela have been condemned by the United Nations , which called on all member states to block them , noting that they have been designed to hit the poor and most vulnerable hardest .
A recent study found that they killed at least 40,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alfred de Zayas , an American U.N. Special Rapporteur , visited the country and declared the Trump administration guilty of crimes against humanity , comparing them to a medieval siege .
One notable exception to the State of the Union echo chamber was Michigan ’ s Rashida Tlaib , who walked out of the event unable to stand “ the lies , the bigotry and the shameless bragging.
” Matt Duss , foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders , summed up the carnival , “ Pelosi applauded some truly awful portions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suckers a good gif at the end , ” he wrote .
However , he appeared to oppose Trump ’ s actions in Latin America only on the grounds that it was giving Russia a bigger foothold in the hemisphere , rather than for any ethical considerations .
Virtually unknown both inside and outside Venezuela until a year ago , Guaidó came to prominence in January 2019 after declaring himself president .
He attempted four unsuccessful coups against the elected government of Nicolas Maduro , all with U.S. backing , the last of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Over the past year , his domestic support has declined after a series of scandals , including public drunkenness and accusations of embezzling over $ 90 million in U.S. taxpayer money .
Guaidó had promised Pence that he had the support of at least 50 percent of the Venezuelan armed forces , getting the vice president to agree to support a coup .
But when the time came , no one defected .
Guaidó fled the country , going on a world tour to try to drum up support for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States where they assumed they would be treated well .
Instead , they have spent over nine months incarcerated in an ICE concentration camp for illegally crossing the border .
In an interview with Telemundo , one of their leaders claimed that Guaidó had abandoned them .
In January , as Guaido was also dropped by the coalition of domestic opposition parties , he staged a publicity stunt where he climbed over the fence of the National Assembly , claiming he had been locked out .
The U.S. subsequently sanctioned his political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House announced that Trump would meet him for an official visit today .
A key topic of the State of the Union Address was the economy , with the president claiming there had been a “ blue collar boom ” thanks to his administration , with working-class Americans experiencing a new golden age .
Trump also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh , who revealed this week he has stage four lung cancer .
Ironically , because of Trump ’ s sanctions against the island , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuba , where they have developed a vaccine against the disease .
Feature photo | Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó applauds as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington , Feb. 4 , 2020 .
Patrick Semansky | AP < Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon , The Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Donald Trump was in defiant mood at last night’s State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C., confident that he will be acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial today. While there is a great amount of talk that the United States is racked with partisan strife, when it comes to foreign policy, the parties are in near lockstep agreement. A case in point was the cheers from the audience as Trump announced that “we are once again standing up for freedom in our hemisphere” by “supporting the hopes of Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans.”
Pelosi claps as Trump calls Nicolas Maduro a socialist dictator, before giving a standing ovation as he introduces failed fascist coup leader Juan Guaido. The bipartisan agenda to topple socialism and destabilize the region in the name of big oil interests on full display pic.twitter.com/iDzK7iZBh8 — Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) February 5, 2020
“The United States is leading a 59 nation diplomatic coalition against the socialist dictator of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people. But Maduro’s grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken,” Trump declared. He then turned to the gallery to announce that he had invited a “very brave man who carries with him the hopes dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans” to be there, “The true and legitimate president of Venezuela Juan Guaidó.” Perhaps the loudest applause of the night was reserved for Guaidó, as Democrats and Republicans rose as one to salute the self-declared president. Leading the clapping was Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives and liberal icon Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi was more enthusiastic even than Vice-President Mike Pence, beating him out of her seat to give Guaidó a standing ovation.
While showing very little disagreement with the president’s proclamations, she was still lauded in liberal circles for tearing up Trump’s speech at the end of the event, long after the president had refused to shake her hand. Immediately “Nancy the Ripper” became the trend of the night on social media, as messages of support flooded in for the supposedly brave action that spoke truth to power. On the other hand, conservatives were outraged at the gesture. “It was disgraceful. It was disgusting. I was sitting 50 feet away for her and it made me angry because what she showed and what congressional Democrats showed was contempt for America; that they won’t root for the American people and they won’t show even the barest modicum of respect for the American president,” roared Texas Senator Ted Cruz on Fox News.
Yet, despite the talk of resisting Trump, Pelosi and the Democratic establishment’s record shows they have done anything but that. In December 188 House Democrats joined the Republicans to push through Trump’s enormous military budget bill, including funding for his Space Force. Democratic resistance is often strongest when the president has made moves to de-escalate militarism and aggression across the world. Even those who position themselves on the left of the party are largely behind Trump on foreign policy. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, for instance, supported the Trump administration’s coup against leftist Bolivian leader Evo Morales and declared that she was “all for” sanctions against Maduro.
The U.S. sanctions against Venezuela have been condemned by the United Nations, which called on all member states to block them, noting that they have been designed to hit the poor and most vulnerable hardest. A recent study found that they killed at least 40,000 Venezuelans between 2017 and 2018 alone. Alfred de Zayas, an American U.N. Special Rapporteur, visited the country and declared the Trump administration guilty of crimes against humanity, comparing them to a medieval siege.
Establishment Democrats have no ideology or fixed political beliefs so the only thing that animates them with politics are things like Pelosi ripping up the speech or putting on her sunglasses or other symbolic gestures that are designed to mask the emptiness underneath. — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 5, 2020
One notable exception to the State of the Union echo chamber was Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, who walked out of the event unable to stand “the lies, the bigotry and the shameless bragging.” Matt Duss, foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders, summed up the carnival, “Pelosi applauded some truly awful portions of the speech but at least she gave you suckers a good gif at the end,” he wrote. However, he appeared to oppose Trump’s actions in Latin America only on the grounds that it was giving Russia a bigger foothold in the hemisphere, rather than for any ethical considerations.
Virtually unknown both inside and outside Venezuela until a year ago, Guaidó came to prominence in January 2019 after declaring himself president. He attempted four unsuccessful coups against the elected government of Nicolas Maduro, all with U.S. backing, the last of which went so poorly few people noticed it. Over the past year, his domestic support has declined after a series of scandals, including public drunkenness and accusations of embezzling over $90 million in U.S. taxpayer money. Guaidó had promised Pence that he had the support of at least 50 percent of the Venezuelan armed forces, getting the vice president to agree to support a coup. But when the time came, no one defected. Guaidó fled the country, going on a world tour to try to drum up support for his cause. His co-perpetrators escaped to the United States where they assumed they would be treated well. Instead, they have spent over nine months incarcerated in an ICE concentration camp for illegally crossing the border. In an interview with Telemundo, one of their leaders claimed that Guaidó had abandoned them.
In January, as Guaido was also dropped by the coalition of domestic opposition parties, he staged a publicity stunt where he climbed over the fence of the National Assembly, claiming he had been locked out. The U.S. subsequently sanctioned his political partners for turning against him. The White House announced that Trump would meet him for an official visit today.
A key topic of the State of the Union Address was the economy, with the president claiming there had been a “blue collar boom” thanks to his administration, with working-class Americans experiencing a new golden age. Trump also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who revealed this week he has stage four lung cancer. Ironically, because of Trump’s sanctions against the island, Limbaugh is unable to legally travel to Cuba, where they have developed a vaccine against the disease.
Feature photo | Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó applauds as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 4, 2020. Patrick Semansky | AP<
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-02-05--“Corrupt” “Rigged” Iowa “Shit Show” Caucus Sparks Anger Across America

Two days after the caucus , the fiasco in Iowa continues .
On Monday , Shadow , the app the Democratic Party was relying on to count votes , crashed , leaving all sides angry at the incompetence and the confusion it caused .
Nevertheless , with no precincts reporting , South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg declared victory .
Bernie Sanders ’ team believed the Vermont senator held around a five-point lead over Buttigieg in the popular vote .
However , two days later the two are neck-and-neck , with ten pledged delegates each , both receiving over a quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Warren is the only other candidate to have captured any delegates at this moment , securing four .
The biggest loser among the primary contenders appears to be former vice-president Joe Biden , who is in a clear fourth place , securing only 15 percent of the vote , and not enough for any delegates .
Many of the most racially diverse counties have yet to declare .
Iowa Party Chairman Troy Price apologized to registered Democrats who flocked to more than 1,600 caucus sites across the state and as far afield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scotland .
“ There was a coding error , ” he claimed .
But as more details emerge of close ties between Buttigieg ’ s team and the makers of the app responsible for the disaster , anger turned to suspicion .
Records show that Buttigieg ’ s campaign has donated at least $ 42,500 to the makers of Shadow .
Tara McGowan , the CEO of its parent company , is married to a senior Buttigieg strategist and openly celebrated the news that the South Bend mayor decided to run for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of senior members of Shadow ’ s team , including the CEO , Gerard Niemira , COO James Hickey , CTO Krista Davis and Product Manager Ahna Rao ran Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 primary bid .
In 2016 , the Democratic National Congress ( DNC ) rigged the election in favor of Clinton , preventing Sanders from becoming the nominee .
It argued in court that they were under no legal obligation to provide the public with a clean election and it was its right under the First Amendment to put its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Words like “ impartial ” and “ evenhanded , ” as used in the DNC charter , it said , could not be interpreted by a court of law .
On Monday , MintPress also reported that the DNC had established an online “ counter disinformation team ” that claimed to be trying to prevent the spread of fake news .
Any social media user employing the word “ rigged ” or variations of it would be highlighted by the DNC ’ s new software and targeted , it claimed .
Many felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rerun of the corruption of the 2016 campaign , with Buttigieg standing in place of Clinton .
On the app , political comedian Lee Camp claimed that it was designed to crash .
“ The Buttigieg campaign , the former Hillary machine , and the DNC , is all working together to undermine Bernie Sanders ’ campaign in a million different ways , but what they ’ ve done in Iowa is beyond the pale , ” he said .
“ They are doing everything to rig this against the one progressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do when the exact same things happen this year that happened in 2016 ?
” Mike Figueredo of the Humanist Report described the events as a “ shit show ” and argued that the lack of transparency and the suspicion created by the events played into the current president ’ s hands , saying : Voters do not come out to support Democrats if they do not believe in the process .
This is why Democrats lose .
This is why Donald Trump has a very good shot of getting re-elected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And nobody believes in the process , nobody thinks it is legitimate .
The Democratic Party has done more than enough to delegitimize the process and we ’ re just getting started !
This is the first primary of 49 .
What a fucking disaster of epic proportions !
Again , we need the UN or some international entity to oversee our elections because nobody trusts the democratic process .
Nobody !
It also transpired that the Buttigieg campaign managed to have the final Iowa poll suppressed .
Former Green Party presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the former Indiana mayor ; “ Pete Buttigieg is what neoliberalism looks like .
He tells people to have high hopes & low expectations .
Under the folksy Heartland mayor is an ambitious resume-padder .
Behind the liberal rhetoric , he stands for the status quo .
How can he win if Black voters see through the hype ?
” she wrote .
Meanwhile , Iranian professor Mohammad Marandi made fun of the whole thing , calling for the removal of all corrupt DNC officials and “ supporting popular calls ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free and fair elections , free of Irregularities , could be scheduled , using the rhetoric of the United States government with regard to adversarial states like Bolivia and Venezuela against America itself .
Iowa is merely the first of the states to caucus in a four-month process leading up to the DNC convention in Milwaukee , WI in July .
But if there are dozens of other debacles that raise as much suspicion of corruption like this one , it is doubtful that the party will survive intact until then .
Feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , I-Vt. , accompanied by his family , speaks to supporters at a caucus night campaign rally in Des Moines , Iowa , Feb. 3 , 2020 .
Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books : Bad News From Venezuela : Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age : Still Manufacturing Consent .
He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting , The Guardian , Salon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

Two days after the caucus, the fiasco in Iowa continues. On Monday, Shadow, the app the Democratic Party was relying on to count votes, crashed, leaving all sides angry at the incompetence and the confusion it caused. Nevertheless, with no precincts reporting, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg declared victory. Bernie Sanders’ team believed the Vermont senator held around a five-point lead over Buttigieg in the popular vote. However, two days later the two are neck-and-neck, with ten pledged delegates each, both receiving over a quarter of the vote share. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren is the only other candidate to have captured any delegates at this moment, securing four. The biggest loser among the primary contenders appears to be former vice-president Joe Biden, who is in a clear fourth place, securing only 15 percent of the vote, and not enough for any delegates. Many of the most racially diverse counties have yet to declare.
Iowa Party Chairman Troy Price apologized to registered Democrats who flocked to more than 1,600 caucus sites across the state and as far afield as Paris, France and Glasgow, Scotland. “There was a coding error,” he claimed. But as more details emerge of close ties between Buttigieg’s team and the makers of the app responsible for the disaster, anger turned to suspicion. Records show that Buttigieg’s campaign has donated at least $42,500 to the makers of Shadow. Tara McGowan, the CEO of its parent company, is married to a senior Buttigieg strategist and openly celebrated the news that the South Bend mayor decided to run for president. Perhaps more ominously, a number of senior members of Shadow’s team, including the CEO, Gerard Niemira, COO James Hickey, CTO Krista Davis and Product Manager Ahna Rao ran Hillary Clinton’s 2016 primary bid.
In 2016, the Democratic National Congress (DNC) rigged the election in favor of Clinton, preventing Sanders from becoming the nominee. It argued in court that they were under no legal obligation to provide the public with a clean election and it was its right under the First Amendment to put its thumb on the scale for Clinton. Words like “impartial” and “evenhanded,” as used in the DNC charter, it said, could not be interpreted by a court of law. On Monday, MintPress also reported that the DNC had established an online “counter disinformation team” that claimed to be trying to prevent the spread of fake news. Any social media user employing the word “rigged” or variations of it would be highlighted by the DNC’s new software and targeted, it claimed.
Some Dems would rather have another Trump presidency than see Bernie in the White House pic.twitter.com/THpk2mQOBq — In the NOW (@IntheNow_tweet) February 3, 2020
Many felt that the Iowa caucus was turning into a rerun of the corruption of the 2016 campaign, with Buttigieg standing in place of Clinton. On the app, political comedian Lee Camp claimed that it was designed to crash. “The Buttigieg campaign, the former Hillary machine, and the DNC, is all working together to undermine Bernie Sanders’ campaign in a million different ways, but what they’ve done in Iowa is beyond the pale,” he said. “They are doing everything to rig this against the one progressive candidate…in the top tier…What are we going to do when the exact same things happen this year that happened in 2016?”
Mike Figueredo of the Humanist Report described the events as a “shit show” and argued that the lack of transparency and the suspicion created by the events played into the current president’s hands, saying:
Voters do not come out to support Democrats if they do not believe in the process. This is why Democrats lose. This is why Donald Trump has a very good shot of getting re-elected. Because when voters stay home Republicans win. And nobody believes in the process, nobody thinks it is legitimate. The Democratic Party has done more than enough to delegitimize the process and we’re just getting started! This is the first primary of 49. What a fucking disaster of epic proportions! Again, we need the UN or some international entity to oversee our elections because nobody trusts the democratic process. Nobody!
It also transpired that the Buttigieg campaign managed to have the final Iowa poll suppressed. Former Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was far from impressed with the former Indiana mayor; “Pete Buttigieg is what neoliberalism looks like. He tells people to have high hopes & low expectations. Under the folksy Heartland mayor is an ambitious resume-padder. Behind the liberal rhetoric, he stands for the status quo. How can he win if Black voters see through the hype?” she wrote. Meanwhile, Iranian professor Mohammad Marandi made fun of the whole thing, calling for the removal of all corrupt DNC officials and “supporting popular calls” for Jill Stein to be appointed leader until free and fair elections, free of Irregularities, could be scheduled, using the rhetoric of the United States government with regard to adversarial states like Bolivia and Venezuela against America itself.
Iran is troubled by irregularities in the results of the #IowaCaucuses. We do not recognize the results, we demand the quick removal of all corrupt #DNC officials & we support popular calls for @DrJillStein to assume the party leadership until free & fare elections can be assured — Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) February 4, 2020
Iowa is merely the first of the states to caucus in a four-month process leading up to the DNC convention in Milwaukee, WI in July. But if there are dozens of other debacles that raise as much suspicion of corruption like this one, it is doubtful that the party will survive intact until then.
Feature photo | Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., accompanied by his family, speaks to supporters at a caucus night campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Feb. 3, 2020. Pablo Martinez Monsivais | AP
Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary.


mintpressnews--2020-02-05--As Houthis Close in on Al-Qaeda in Yemen, US Drone Strikes Target its Leaders

MARIB , YEMEN — An escalating campaign of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen has sparked anger from residents and tribal leaders .
The drone strikes , according to the victims ’ relatives , not only killed suspected members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP ) but also killed and injured a number of civilians .
The recent escalation comes after the commander of the U.S Central Forces , Joseph Votel , handed ousted former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi a list of al-Qaeda military commanders and their supporters being targeted by the United States , according to local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , a suspected C.I.A .
drone targeted a home alleged to contain al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi in Marib Province , allegedly killing not only al-Rimi but some innocent civilians as well .
By Washington ’ s standards , residents told MintPress , just because they were near the house , those civilians deserved to die alongside al-Qaeda .
The drone strike took place in the al-Hazmah region in the eastern province of Marib on a home that was allegedly used to store weapons .
The house , according to local tribal leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than one airstrike and left no survivors .
A local al-Qaeda leader that went by the nickname Qusayleh was also killed in the attack .
Many of his bodyguards were killed and injured in another attack that targeted a car near Bin Maieli , outside of al-Hazmah .
Witnesses told MintPress that massive explosions rocked the area in the aftermath of the attack and that al-Qaeda fighters arrived in the area soon after and cordoned it off .
The al-Qaeda fighters , according to witnesses , were all Yemeni .
According to two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals , al-Rimi , the intended target of the attack , was not among the dead .
The latest U.S. airstrikes have been widely reported in local media and online and are a regular topic of discussion at weekly qat chewing sessions across the country .
They have also forced civilians in the district to flee their homes and farms and have created fear among women and children in the region .
Just as they did in the tribal areas of Yemen ’ s south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspected al-Qaeda members , the latest attacks in Marib have caused a marked increase in the radicalization of tribesmen and victims ’ relatives .
Many tribesmen have already joined AQAP not out of support for its ideology , but out of resentment towards the United States .
The majority of residents in the region want to see both an end to U.S. aggression and al-Qaeda ’ s presence .
In the wake of the U.S. attack , tribesmen in the district expressed sympathy with both residents and al-Qaeda .
Some even promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
drones do not differentiate between civilians and al-Qaeda-linked fighters , ” said farmer Ali Hammoud , adding that one of his relatives was killed in the attack .
“ In the end , you will be killed by plane , whether you are a civilian , or from al-Qaeda .
Joining al-Qaeda is what is on my mind now.
” Local al-Qaeda leaders are taking advantage of the anger to attract more recruits and financing from Yemen ’ s people , especially in al-Qaeda-controlled areas .
But the drone strikes do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also broaden the social space in which the group can safely function with local support .
Furthermore , the death of civilians in U.S. drones strikes gives resonance to al-Qaeda ’ s claims that their strategies in fighting the U.S. are justified .
Regardless of what leaders in Washington view as valid and legitimate responses to terrorist threats , the reality for Yemenis , including the Houthis , is that the United States is waging an undeclared war on Yemen and that its drone strikes are one of the many ways in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sovereignty .
Yemen ’ s tribal leaders and residents in Marib , which closely borders Houthi territory but remains largely under Saudi Coalition control , and other eastern provinces blame the United States and the Saudi-led coalition for the proliferation of AQAP in the region .
They complain that the global network has been expanded and built dozens of training and military bases supported by the coalition and overlooked by the Trump administration .
A high-ranking tribal leader in Marib who spoke to MintPress on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of bombing the USS Cole in 2000 and killing American soldiers , was receiving significant funds estimated at millions of U.S .
Dollars from senior officials in the ousted Hadi government .
The funds , he claimed , were transferred via local tribal sheikh and were to be spent on rebuilding al-Qaeda ’ s presence in the province .
MintPress could not independently verify his claim .
The Saudi-led coalition ’ s support for al-Qaeda in Yemen is no longer a secret .
In a recent development , Yemeni media aired footage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ al-Qaeda members following an attack by the Houthis .
The fighters were armed with western weapons ( particularly American and Canadian ) , armored vehicles , medium and heavy weapons and ammunition .
Al-Qaeda fighters were also a major component of the coalition forces in the Nihm , Marib , and al-Jawf battlefields .
Hundreds of them were killed by Saudi airstrikes while trying to escape the incoming Houthi advance .
Others were injured or captured by Houthis fighters .
For their part , the Houthis view the recent U.S. attacks as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fear that their strongholds , and the wealth of coalition-supplied weapons within them , could fall into Houthi hands .
The Saudi-led Coalition regularly targets its own arms with airstrikes in the wake of withdrawals .
The drone attack against al-Qaeda comes as Houthi fighters are getting closer to capturing the Marib and al-Jawf provinces , areas that have been the most important strongholds of al-Qaeda since 2015 , when the war on the country began .
But , according to Houthi officials , the mediation by the coalition has successfully slowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Feature photo | A man walks past a graffiti , denouncing US drones strikes in Yemen , painted on a wall in Sana ’ a .
Khaled Abdullah | Reuters Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist .
He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media .

MARIB, YEMEN — An escalating campaign of U.S. drone strikes in Yemen has sparked anger from residents and tribal leaders. The drone strikes, according to the victims’ relatives, not only killed suspected members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) but also killed and injured a number of civilians. The recent escalation comes after the commander of the U.S Central Forces, Joseph Votel, handed ousted former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi a list of al-Qaeda military commanders and their supporters being targeted by the United States, according to local news outlets close to Hadi.
Last week, a suspected C.I.A. drone targeted a home alleged to contain al-Qaeda leader Qassim al-Rimi in Marib Province, allegedly killing not only al-Rimi but some innocent civilians as well. By Washington’s standards, residents told MintPress, just because they were near the house, those civilians deserved to die alongside al-Qaeda.
The drone strike took place in the al-Hazmah region in the eastern province of Marib on a home that was allegedly used to store weapons. The house, according to local tribal leaders and witnesses, was targeted by more than one airstrike and left no survivors. A local al-Qaeda leader that went by the nickname Qusayleh was also killed in the attack. Many of his bodyguards were killed and injured in another attack that targeted a car near Bin Maieli, outside of al-Hazmah.
Witnesses told MintPress that massive explosions rocked the area in the aftermath of the attack and that al-Qaeda fighters arrived in the area soon after and cordoned it off. The al-Qaeda fighters, according to witnesses, were all Yemeni. According to two local tribal sources who spoke to MintPress on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals, al-Rimi, the intended target of the attack, was not among the dead.
The latest U.S. airstrikes have been widely reported in local media and online and are a regular topic of discussion at weekly qat chewing sessions across the country. They have also forced civilians in the district to flee their homes and farms and have created fear among women and children in the region.
Just as they did in the tribal areas of Yemen’s south, where U.S. drone strikes regularly target suspected al-Qaeda members, the latest attacks in Marib have caused a marked increase in the radicalization of tribesmen and victims’ relatives. Many tribesmen have already joined AQAP not out of support for its ideology, but out of resentment towards the United States. The majority of residents in the region want to see both an end to U.S. aggression and al-Qaeda’s presence.
In the wake of the U.S. attack, tribesmen in the district expressed sympathy with both residents and al-Qaeda. Some even promised to join the terror network. “U.S. drones do not differentiate between civilians and al-Qaeda-linked fighters,” said farmer Ali Hammoud, adding that one of his relatives was killed in the attack. “In the end, you will be killed by plane, whether you are a civilian, or from al-Qaeda. Joining al-Qaeda is what is on my mind now.”
Local al-Qaeda leaders are taking advantage of the anger to attract more recruits and financing from Yemen’s people, especially in al-Qaeda-controlled areas. But the drone strikes do not only make al-Qaeda recruiting easier, they also broaden the social space in which the group can safely function with local support. Furthermore, the death of civilians in U.S. drones strikes gives resonance to al-Qaeda’s claims that their strategies in fighting the U.S. are justified.
Regardless of what leaders in Washington view as valid and legitimate responses to terrorist threats, the reality for Yemenis, including the Houthis, is that the United States is waging an undeclared war on Yemen and that its drone strikes are one of the many ways in which it runs roughshod over Yemen’s sovereignty.
A Saudi-backed AQAP resurgence
Yemen’s tribal leaders and residents in Marib, which closely borders Houthi territory but remains largely under Saudi Coalition control, and other eastern provinces blame the United States and the Saudi-led coalition for the proliferation of AQAP in the region. They complain that the global network has been expanded and built dozens of training and military bases supported by the coalition and overlooked by the Trump administration.
A high-ranking tribal leader in Marib who spoke to MintPress on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals claimed that AQAP operative Jamal al-Badawi, accused of bombing the USS Cole in 2000 and killing American soldiers, was receiving significant funds estimated at millions of U.S. Dollars from senior officials in the ousted Hadi government. The funds, he claimed, were transferred via local tribal sheikh and were to be spent on rebuilding al-Qaeda’s presence in the province. MintPress could not independently verify his claim.
The Saudi-led coalition’s support for al-Qaeda in Yemen is no longer a secret. In a recent development, Yemeni media aired footage of dead Saudi troops alongside dozens of al-Qaeda members following an attack by the Houthis. The fighters were armed with western weapons (particularly American and Canadian), armored vehicles, medium and heavy weapons and ammunition.
Al-Qaeda fighters were also a major component of the coalition forces in the Nihm, Marib, and al-Jawf battlefields. Hundreds of them were killed by Saudi airstrikes while trying to escape the incoming Houthi advance. Others were injured or captured by Houthis fighters.
For their part, the Houthis view the recent U.S. attacks as an attempt to dispose of an invoncenviet ally for fear that their strongholds, and the wealth of coalition-supplied weapons within them, could fall into Houthi hands. The Saudi-led Coalition regularly targets its own arms with airstrikes in the wake of withdrawals.
The drone attack against al-Qaeda comes as Houthi fighters are getting closer to capturing the Marib and al-Jawf provinces, areas that have been the most important strongholds of al-Qaeda since 2015, when the war on the country began. But, according to Houthi officials, the mediation by the coalition has successfully slowed the Houthi advance towards Marib and al-Jawf.
Feature photo | A man walks past a graffiti, denouncing US drones strikes in Yemen, painted on a wall in Sana’a. Khaled Abdullah | Reuters
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.


mintpressnews--2020-02-05--Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’: Old Israeli Demands in a New Package

After several postponements , US President , Donald Trump , has finally revealed the details of his Middle East plan , dubbed ‘ Deal of the Century ’ , in a press conference in Washington on January 28 .
Standing triumphantly beside Trump , Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , must have surely understood that the timing of the announcement , only a few weeks before Israel ’ s third general elections in one year , was tailored especially to fit the embattled Israeli leader ’ s domestic agenda .
Consisting of 80 pages , 50 of which are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic component , the document was a rehash of previous Israeli proposals that have been rejected by Palestinians and Arab governments for failing to meet the minimum standards of justice , equality and human rights .
Former Palestinian negotiator , Saeb Erekat , contended in an interview that the plan is not even American , but an Israeli one .
“ What you heard last night from Trump is what I heard from Netanyahu and his negotiating team in 2011-2012 , ” Erekat said .
“ I can assure you that the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or comma in this program .
I have the protocols and I am willing to reveal to you what we have been offered .
This is the plan of Netanyahu and the settler council.
” It was no surprise , then , to read the reaction of Palestinian Authority ( PA ) President Mahmoud Abbas , who assigned Trump ’ s plan to the “ dustbin of history ” .
As expected , Trump has granted Netanyahu everything that he and Israel ever wanted .
The American vision for Middle East ‘ peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a single illegal Jewish settlement and recognizes Jerusalem as Israel ’ s ‘ undivided ’ capital .
It speaks of a conditioned and disfigured Palestinian state that can only be achieved based on vague expectations ; it wholly rejects the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees and fails to mention the word ‘ occupation ’ even once .
Obviously , only Israel benefits from the US plan ; the Zionist discourse , predicated on maximum territorial gains with minimal Palestinian presence , has finally prevailed .
Every Israeli request has been met , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinians received nothing , aside from the promise of chasing another mirage of a Palestinian state that has no territorial continuity and no true sovereignty .
Palestinian concerns continue to be ignored , as Palestinian rights have been ignored for many years , even during the heyday of the ‘ peace process ’ , in the early and mid-1990s .
At the time , all fundamental issues had been relegated to the ‘ final status negotiations ’ , which have never taken place .
The ‘ Deal of the Century ’ merely validated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unilaterally carried out by Israel .
That said , Trump ’ s plan will fail to resolve the conflict .
Worse , it will exacerbate it even further , for Israel now has a blank check to speed up its colonial venture , to entrench its military occupation and to further oppress Palestinians , who will certainly continue to resist .
As for the economic component of the plan , history has proven that there can be no economic prosperity under military occupation .
Netanyahu , and others before him , tried such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ and such , and all have miserably failed .
Time and again , the UN has made it clear that it follows a different political trajectory than that followed by Washington , and that all US decisions regarding the status of Jerusalem , the illegal settlements and the Golan Heights , are null and void .
Only international law matters , as none of Trump ’ s actions in recent years have succeeded in significantly altering Arab and international consensus on the rights of the Palestinians .
As for the status of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city – East Jerusalem , rebranding a few neighborhoods – Kafr Aqab , the eastern part of Shuafat and Abu Dis – as al-Quds , or East Jerusalem , is an old Israeli plan that has already failed in the past .
The late Palestinian leader , Yasser Arafat , had enough political sagacity to reject it , and neither Abbas nor any other Palestinian official would dare compromise on the historic and legal Palestinian rights in the city .
The Palestinian leadership can not be absolved from its responsibility towards the Palestinian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop a comprehensive national strategy .
Immediately after Trump announced his plan , Abbas called on all Palestinian factions , including his rivals in the Hamas movement , to unite and to develop a common strategy to counter the ‘ Deal of the Century ’ .
Knowing that the US-Israeli plot was imminent , why did Abbas wait this long to call for a common strategy ?
National unity among Palestinians should never be used as a bargaining chip as a scare tactic , or as a last resort option aimed at validating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
The PA is now facing an existential crisis .
Its very formation in 1994 was meant to marginalize the more democratically-encompassing Palestine Liberation Organization ( PLO ) .
According to the new American diktats , the PA has already outlasted its usefulness .
As for Israel , the PA is only needed to maintain ‘ security coordination ’ with the Israeli army , which essentially means ensuring the safety of the illegal and armed Jewish settlers in occupied Palestine .
While unity among Palestinian parties is an overriding demand , Abbas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ridiculous balancing act : expecting true and lasting national unity while still diligently serving the role expected of him by Israel and its allies .
While Trump ’ s sham ‘ plan ’ does not fundamentally alter US foreign policy in Israel and Palestine – as US bias towards Israel preceded Trump by decades – it has definitely ended the so-called ‘ peace process ’ charade , which divided the Palestinians into ‘ moderate ’ and ‘ extremist ’ camps .
Now , all Palestinians have become ‘ extremists ’ from Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and marginalized .
Abbas would be terribly mistaken if he thinks that the old political discourse can be saved , which was , oddly enough , written in Washington .
The problem with the Palestinian leadership is that , despite its frequent protestations and angry condemnations , it is yet to take independent initiatives or operate outside the American-Israeli paradigm .
And this is the Palestinian leadership ’ s greatest challenge at this stage .
Will it move forward with a Palestinian-centric strategy or persist in the same place , regurgitating old language @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Feature photo | A protester climbs Israel ’ s apartheid wall to hang Palestinian flags during a protest against Trump ’ s so-called Deal of the Century in the West Bank village of Bil ’ in , near Ramallah , Jan. 31 , 2020 .
Nasser Nasser | AP Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle .
He is the author of five books .
His latest is “ These Chains Will Be Broken : Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons ” ( Clarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs ( CIGA ) , Istanbul Zaim University ( IZU ) .
His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

After several postponements, US President, Donald Trump, has finally revealed the details of his Middle East plan, dubbed ‘Deal of the Century’, in a press conference in Washington on January 28.
Standing triumphantly beside Trump, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, must have surely understood that the timing of the announcement, only a few weeks before Israel’s third general elections in one year, was tailored especially to fit the embattled Israeli leader’s domestic agenda.
Consisting of 80 pages, 50 of which are entirely dedicated to the plan’s economic component, the document was a rehash of previous Israeli proposals that have been rejected by Palestinians and Arab governments for failing to meet the minimum standards of justice, equality and human rights.
Former Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, contended in an interview that the plan is not even American, but an Israeli one.
“What you heard last night from Trump is what I heard from Netanyahu and his negotiating team in 2011-2012,” Erekat said. “I can assure you that the US team did not make a single word or comma in this program. I have the protocols and I am willing to reveal to you what we have been offered. This is the plan of Netanyahu and the settler council.”
It was no surprise, then, to read the reaction of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who assigned Trump’s plan to the “dustbin of history”.
As expected, Trump has granted Netanyahu everything that he and Israel ever wanted. The American vision for Middle East ‘peace’ does not demand the uprooting of a single illegal Jewish settlement and recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘undivided’ capital. It speaks of a conditioned and disfigured Palestinian state that can only be achieved based on vague expectations; it wholly rejects the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees and fails to mention the word ‘occupation’ even once.
Obviously, only Israel benefits from the US plan; the Zionist discourse, predicated on maximum territorial gains with minimal Palestinian presence, has finally prevailed. Every Israeli request has been met, to the last one. Meanwhile, Palestinians received nothing, aside from the promise of chasing another mirage of a Palestinian state that has no territorial continuity and no true sovereignty.
Palestinian concerns continue to be ignored, as Palestinian rights have been ignored for many years, even during the heyday of the ‘peace process’, in the early and mid-1990s. At the time, all fundamental issues had been relegated to the ‘final status negotiations’, which have never taken place.
The ‘Deal of the Century’ merely validated the status quo ante as envisioned and unilaterally carried out by Israel.
That said, Trump’s plan will fail to resolve the conflict. Worse, it will exacerbate it even further, for Israel now has a blank check to speed up its colonial venture, to entrench its military occupation and to further oppress Palestinians, who will certainly continue to resist.
As for the economic component of the plan, history has proven that there can be no economic prosperity under military occupation. Netanyahu, and others before him, tried such dubious methods, of ‘economic peace’ and such, and all have miserably failed.
Time and again, the UN has made it clear that it follows a different political trajectory than that followed by Washington, and that all US decisions regarding the status of Jerusalem, the illegal settlements and the Golan Heights, are null and void. Only international law matters, as none of Trump’s actions in recent years have succeeded in significantly altering Arab and international consensus on the rights of the Palestinians.
As for the status of – and Palestinian rights in their occupied city – East Jerusalem, rebranding a few neighborhoods – Kafr Aqab, the eastern part of Shuafat and Abu Dis – as al-Quds, or East Jerusalem, is an old Israeli plan that has already failed in the past. The late Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, had enough political sagacity to reject it, and neither Abbas nor any other Palestinian official would dare compromise on the historic and legal Palestinian rights in the city.
The problem with Palestinian leadership
The Palestinian leadership cannot be absolved from its responsibility towards the Palestinian people, and its unmitigated failure to develop a comprehensive national strategy.
Immediately after Trump announced his plan, Abbas called on all Palestinian factions, including his rivals in the Hamas movement, to unite and to develop a common strategy to counter the ‘Deal of the Century’.
Knowing that the US-Israeli plot was imminent, why did Abbas wait this long to call for a common strategy?
National unity among Palestinians should never be used as a bargaining chip as a scare tactic, or as a last resort option aimed at validating ineffectual Abbas in the eyes of his people.
The PA is now facing an existential crisis. Its very formation in 1994 was meant to marginalize the more democratically-encompassing Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
According to the new American diktats, the PA has already outlasted its usefulness.
As for Israel, the PA is only needed to maintain ‘security coordination’ with the Israeli army, which essentially means ensuring the safety of the illegal and armed Jewish settlers in occupied Palestine.
While unity among Palestinian parties is an overriding demand, Abbas’ PA cannot expect to maintain this ridiculous balancing act: expecting true and lasting national unity while still diligently serving the role expected of him by Israel and its allies.
While Trump’s sham ‘plan’ does not fundamentally alter US foreign policy in Israel and Palestine – as US bias towards Israel preceded Trump by decades – it has definitely ended the so-called ‘peace process’ charade, which divided the Palestinians into ‘moderate’ and ‘extremist’ camps.
Now, all Palestinians have become ‘extremists’ from Washington’s viewpoint, all equally shunned and marginalized.
Abbas would be terribly mistaken if he thinks that the old political discourse can be saved, which was, oddly enough, written in Washington.
The problem with the Palestinian leadership is that, despite its frequent protestations and angry condemnations, it is yet to take independent initiatives or operate outside the American-Israeli paradigm.
And this is the Palestinian leadership’s greatest challenge at this stage. Will it move forward with a Palestinian-centric strategy or persist in the same place, regurgitating old language and reminiscing of the good old days?
Feature photo | A protester climbs Israel’s apartheid wall to hang Palestinian flags during a protest against Trump’s so-called Deal of the Century in the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah, Jan. 31, 2020. Nasser Nasser | AP
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These Chains Will Be Broken: Palestinian Stories of Struggle and Defiance in Israeli Prisons” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Dr. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA), Istanbul Zaim University (IZU). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net


mintpressnews--2020-02-06--A Neoliberal Legacy: America’s Fascism Problem Runs Much Deeper Than Trump

After the supposedly post-racial presidency of Barack Obama , what passes for the liberal punditry discovered that racism had arisen in the homeland .
They never felt so good feeling bad about racism , denouncing what they identified as its primal cause – Mr. Trump , who was sullying that “ shining example ” of the United States of America .
Obscured were those historical antecedents of this “ exceptional ” republic , founded on the expropriation of indigenous land and extermination of its inhabitants and built , in part , by African slave labor .
Trump has been reprehensible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republicans have no monopoly on this franchise .
We should remember the legacy of Jim Crow and Dixiecrat Democrats in high office , including six U.S. senators and two Supreme Court justices who were members of the Ku Klux Klan .
FDR , arguably the most liberal U.S. president and a Democrat , force relocated and incarcerated in concentration camps 120,000 Japanese Americans , including orphaned children and people with as little as one-sixteenth Japanese ancestry .
Unfortunately , Trump ’ s performance has had precedents such as Bill “ the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mountain photo op at the birthplace of the modern KKK with a group of mostly African American prisoners used as props .
Clinton followed with the mass incarceration 1994 crime bill and “ ending welfare as we know it.
” Trump is on the same continuum as past presidents , only more vulgar , more overt , and more virulent .
Racism is institutionalized in the “ land of the free ; ” it is not simply a personality disorder .
Institutional racism pervades current politics .
Trump ’ s Protect and Serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal hate crime , placed killer cops in a protected class .
The heinous act passed with a near-unanimous 382-35 vote , including three-quarters of the Black Caucus and a bipartisan f**k you to the Black Lives Matter movement .
Surely racism is endemic in the DNA of the U.S. polity .
The peculiar institution of U.S. racialized politics does not stop at the border .
Wherever there are flashpoints of racial or ethnic conflict , the U.S. government can be found fanning the flames to the advantage of the empire , be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East or indigenous versus European ancestry in Latin America .
Jeanine Añez , the self-proclaimed president of Bolivia after the recent U.S.-backed coup , had announced it was time to take the indigenous out of not only the government but out of the capital city .
Institutional racism is particularly lethal because it intersects with , and is reinforced by , class .
Police brutality , mass incarceration , welfare assistance , quality public education , and so forth are called “ black issues , ” but are of concern to all working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
White racism is used to obscure the common interests of working folks by creating the illusion that somehow a white Amazon warehouse worker has common cause with Jeff Bezos .
In recent years , the press reports of racist young whites attracted to far-right persuasions including flirting with fascism .
Were a significant fascist movement to arise in the U.S. , these dispossessed youth – called “ deplorable ” by Hillary Clinton – could serve as its base .
But are they the cause or the consequence ?
Central casting could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finding a picture-perfect caricature of a blonde , bullying fascist .
But tacky cosmetics and bad table manners , which Trump has in abundance , do not alone qualify him for the Aryan brotherhood .
Now three years into the reign of Trump and despite dire predictions to the contrary , the republic has not yet goose-stepped into fascism .
Racism and narrow nationalism have been historically associated with fascism .
Yet Trump ’ s Muslim ban , however odious , pales in magnitude to the perfidy of Roosevelt ’ s Japanese internment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than white nativism .
Fascism takes political form as a specific form of governance .
As a form of governance , fascism “ arises when , in face of working class challenge , finance capital can no longer rule in the old way , ” as Greg Godels explains .
Yes , there was Trump ’ s Charlottesville comment about “ some very fine people ” regarding angry young men with shaved heads and swastika tattoos .
But these marginalized , barely post-adolescents are not the ruling class .
The resentful dispossessed are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential recruits for a fascist movement .
They are the tinder , but not the match .
The danger of fascism comes from the ruling circles and not from the popular classes .
In the 1930s , capital was initially forced by a militant trade union movement in the U.S. to include labor as a junior partner with the New Deal , which was a diluted form of social democracy .
New Deal liberalism was eclipsed around the time of Jimmy Carter ’ s one-term presidency , when he first espoused deregulation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social welfare function of the state .
The gospel of neoliberalism got legs with the Reagan revolution .
Liberalism ’ s coffin was nailed shut with the Bill Clinton ’ s New Democrats as labor was demoted to a special interest group even though it constitutes a vast majority of the citizenry .
Not since Nixon ’ s presidency has any major liberal legislation been enacted , while the “ new liberals ” – that is , the neoliberals – are the orthodoxy of both parties of capital .
The trajectory of neoliberalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing austerity for working people , a more aggressive imperialist extension of U.S. hegemony abroad , and a deepening of the national security state .
This downward trajectory of neoliberalism is tied to the concentration of economic power .
An ever more authoritarian state serves the interests of ever more concentrated capital .
The increasingly coercive state is obscured behind the electoral charade , where spending obscene amounts of money to buy politicians is protected as free speech and corporations are given the constitutional rights of persons .
While nearly half the populace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world in incarceration and military spending .
Given the death of liberalism in mainstream U.S. politics , why would the owners of capital and their bought politicians ( the 2016 elections cost $ 6.6 billion ) want to change to brand “ fascism ” ?
Brand “ bourgeois democracy ” has been so terrifically successful in sheep-dogging the people into accepting elite rule and believing they are enjoying real democracy .
Under bourgeois democracy , electoral candidates are allowed to compete to prove who can best serve the ruling elites .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge that agenda and to seriously contest for political power would the ruling circles consider fascism and do away with the façade of elections .
Bernie Sanders is not a Marxist revolutionary , but a remnant New Dealer who is soft on imperialism .
Sanders , in the context of today ’ s politics , nevertheless represents a welcome challenge to neoliberal austerity .
For now , the establishment is betting that a rigged electoral process ( e.g.
, super delegates ) , dirty tricks ( e.g.
, the spat with Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – all of whom might risk four more years of Trump rather than running a putative progressive against him – will keep Sanders out of serious contention .
But if , say , the Sanders-inspired Our Revolution really became revolutionary and mounted a third-party challenge with prospects of winning , a section of the ruling elites could consider fascism .
Neither side of the class barricade is there now .
Because maintaining a fascist dictatorship is costly and the elites themselves have to give up some of their privileges , the option for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made by a just faction of the ruling elites , rather than a unified class .
For the moment , the “ f ” card is held in distant reserve by those in power in case the insurgency evidenced by the Sanders phenomenon truly ignited , were able to break out of the institutional constraints of the Democratic Party apparatus , and the Resistance ceased being the assistance .
Then the struggle could develop in the direction of a choice between socialism and its barbaric alternative .
A critical harbinger of fascism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , which is now seen by the DNC Democrats as a bulwark of democracy rather than the precursor of fascism .
The Democrats helped renew the Patriot Act by a landslide , handing President Trump wartime authority to suspend constitutional civil liberties .
( Ironically , around the same time , the partisan wargames known as the House impeachment hearings were raging . )
Meanwhile , the internet is being weaponized against the left .
Elizabeth Warren has proposed censorship of the web overseen by the government in cooperation with big tech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ubiquity of the surveillance state , are the “ preparatory stages ” of fascism .
The FBI is currently trusted “ a great deal ” by a 3:1 margin by Democrats compared to Republicans .
The saintly visage of former FBI director Robert Mueller and not the snarly appearance of Trump may prove to the face of fascism in the U.S .
But at least for now , the “ f ” word is still correctly understood to refer to procreation .
Feature photo | Bill Clinton stands in front of black prisoners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to get tough on crime , March 3 , 1992 .
Greg Gibson | AP Roger D. Harris is on the state central committee of the Peace and Freedom Party , the only ballot-qualified socialist party in California .

After the supposedly post-racial presidency of Barack Obama, what passes for the liberal punditry discovered that racism had arisen in the homeland. They never felt so good feeling bad about racism, denouncing what they identified as its primal cause – Mr. Trump, who was sullying that “shining example” of the United States of America. Obscured were those historical antecedents of this “exceptional” republic, founded on the expropriation of indigenous land and extermination of its inhabitants and built, in part, by African slave labor.
Peculiar institution of US racism
Trump has been reprehensible in pandering to white racism. But the Republicans have no monopoly on this franchise. We should remember the legacy of Jim Crow and Dixiecrat Democrats in high office, including six U.S. senators and two Supreme Court justices who were members of the Ku Klux Klan. FDR, arguably the most liberal U.S. president and a Democrat, force relocated and incarcerated in concentration camps 120,000 Japanese Americans, including orphaned children and people with as little as one-sixteenth Japanese ancestry.
Unfortunately, Trump’s performance has had precedents such as Bill “the first black president” Clinton’s Stone Mountain photo op at the birthplace of the modern KKK with a group of mostly African American prisoners used as props. Clinton followed with the mass incarceration 1994 crime bill and “ending welfare as we know it.” Trump is on the same continuum as past presidents, only more vulgar, more overt, and more virulent.
Racism is institutionalized in the “land of the free;” it is not simply a personality disorder. Institutional racism pervades current politics. Trump’s Protect and Serve Act, making attacks on police a federal hate crime, placed killer cops in a protected class. The heinous act passed with a near-unanimous 382-35 vote, including three-quarters of the Black Caucus and a bipartisan f**k you to the Black Lives Matter movement. Surely racism is endemic in the DNA of the U.S. polity.
The peculiar institution of U.S. racialized politics does not stop at the border. Wherever there are flashpoints of racial or ethnic conflict, the U.S. government can be found fanning the flames to the advantage of the empire, be it Sunni versus Shia in the Middle East or indigenous versus European ancestry in Latin America. Jeanine Añez, the self-proclaimed president of Bolivia after the recent U.S.-backed coup, had announced it was time to take the indigenous out of not only the government but out of the capital city.
Institutional racism is particularly lethal because it intersects with, and is reinforced by, class. Police brutality, mass incarceration, welfare assistance, quality public education, and so forth are called “black issues,” but are of concern to all working people and not just working African Americans. White racism is used to obscure the common interests of working folks by creating the illusion that somehow a white Amazon warehouse worker has common cause with Jeff Bezos.
Specter of fascism
In recent years, the press reports of racist young whites attracted to far-right persuasions including flirting with fascism. Were a significant fascist movement to arise in the U.S., these dispossessed youth – called “deplorable” by Hillary Clinton – could serve as its base. But are they the cause or the consequence?
Central casting could not have done better than Donald Trump in finding a picture-perfect caricature of a blonde, bullying fascist. But tacky cosmetics and bad table manners, which Trump has in abundance, do not alone qualify him for the Aryan brotherhood. Now three years into the reign of Trump and despite dire predictions to the contrary, the republic has not yet goose-stepped into fascism.
Racism and narrow nationalism have been historically associated with fascism. Yet Trump’s Muslim ban, however odious, pales in magnitude to the perfidy of Roosevelt’s Japanese internment.
The specter of fascism entails more than white nativism. Fascism takes political form as a specific form of governance. As a form of governance, fascism “arises when, in face of working class challenge, finance capital can no longer rule in the old way,” as Greg Godels explains.
Yes, there was Trump’s Charlottesville comment about “some very fine people” regarding angry young men with shaved heads and swastika tattoos. But these marginalized, barely post-adolescents are not the ruling class. The resentful dispossessed are the byproduct of neoliberal policies and the potential recruits for a fascist movement. They are the tinder, but not the match. The danger of fascism comes from the ruling circles and not from the popular classes.
The downward trajectory of neoliberalism
In the 1930s, capital was initially forced by a militant trade union movement in the U.S. to include labor as a junior partner with the New Deal, which was a diluted form of social democracy. New Deal liberalism was eclipsed around the time of Jimmy Carter’s one-term presidency, when he first espoused deregulation and small government, meaning abandonment of the social welfare function of the state. The gospel of neoliberalism got legs with the Reagan revolution. Liberalism’s coffin was nailed shut with the Bill Clinton’s New Democrats as labor was demoted to a special interest group even though it constitutes a vast majority of the citizenry.
Not since Nixon’s presidency has any major liberal legislation been enacted, while the “new liberals” – that is, the neoliberals – are the orthodoxy of both parties of capital. The trajectory of neoliberalism has been ever downward as evidenced by increasing austerity for working people, a more aggressive imperialist extension of U.S. hegemony abroad, and a deepening of the national security state.
This downward trajectory of neoliberalism is tied to the concentration of economic power. An ever more authoritarian state serves the interests of ever more concentrated capital.
The increasingly coercive state is obscured behind the electoral charade, where spending obscene amounts of money to buy politicians is protected as free speech and corporations are given the constitutional rights of persons. While nearly half the populace does not vote, the U.S. leads the world in incarceration and military spending.
Given the death of liberalism in mainstream U.S. politics, why would the owners of capital and their bought politicians (the 2016 elections cost $6.6 billion) want to change to brand “fascism”? Brand “bourgeois democracy” has been so terrifically successful in sheep-dogging the people into accepting elite rule and believing they are enjoying real democracy.
Under bourgeois democracy, electoral candidates are allowed to compete to prove who can best serve the ruling elites. Only if the left is strong enough to challenge that agenda and to seriously contest for political power would the ruling circles consider fascism and do away with the façade of elections.
The Sanders Insurgency
Bernie Sanders is not a Marxist revolutionary, but a remnant New Dealer who is soft on imperialism. Sanders, in the context of today’s politics, nevertheless represents a welcome challenge to neoliberal austerity. For now, the establishment is betting that a rigged electoral process (e.g., super delegates), dirty tricks (e.g., the spat with Elizabeth Warren), and a gatekeeper corporate press – all of whom might risk four more years of Trump rather than running a putative progressive against him – will keep Sanders out of serious contention.
But if, say, the Sanders-inspired Our Revolution really became revolutionary and mounted a third-party challenge with prospects of winning, a section of the ruling elites could consider fascism. Neither side of the class barricade is there now. Because maintaining a fascist dictatorship is costly and the elites themselves have to give up some of their privileges, the option for trying to impose fascism would likely be made by a just faction of the ruling elites, rather than a unified class.
For the moment, the “f” card is held in distant reserve by those in power in case the insurgency evidenced by the Sanders phenomenon truly ignited, were able to break out of the institutional constraints of the Democratic Party apparatus, and the Resistance ceased being the assistance. Then the struggle could develop in the direction of a choice between socialism and its barbaric alternative.
Preparatory stages of fascism
A critical harbinger of fascism is the growing preeminence of the national security state, which is now seen by the DNC Democrats as a bulwark of democracy rather than the precursor of fascism. The Democrats helped renew the Patriot Act by a landslide, handing President Trump wartime authority to suspend constitutional civil liberties. (Ironically, around the same time, the partisan wargames known as the House impeachment hearings were raging.)
Meanwhile, the internet is being weaponized against the left. Elizabeth Warren has proposed censorship of the web overseen by the government in cooperation with big tech companies. These developments, extending the ubiquity of the surveillance state, are the “preparatory stages” of fascism.
The FBI is currently trusted “a great deal” by a 3:1 margin by Democrats compared to Republicans. The saintly visage of former FBI director Robert Mueller and not the snarly appearance of Trump may prove to the face of fascism in the U.S. But at least for now, the “f” word is still correctly understood to refer to procreation.
Feature photo | Bill Clinton stands in front of black prisoners in Stone Mountain, GA. to preach the need to get tough on crime, March 3, 1992. Greg Gibson | AP
Roger D. Harris is on the state central committee of the Peace and Freedom Party, the only ballot-qualified socialist party in California.