mintpressnews--2020-09-18--2,000 Days Since It Began, the War in Yemen Is Poised To Turn Even More Deadly

Another grim milestone has just passed in Yemen , where Saudi Arabia ’ s war against the poorest country in the Middle East reached its two-thousandth day .
Ostensibly , the war was launched to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power after he was ousted following Houthi-led popular protests amid the Arab Spring .
Realistically , the war has become little more than a pretext to control Yemen ’ s strategic sites and natural wealth .
Saudi Arabia and the UAE now occupy entire southern provinces from al-Mahara to the Bab al-Mandab Strait .
Somehow , though , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old guard to return .
The numbers are astonishing .
Since 2015 , Saudi-led coalition warplanes have pounded the country with over 250,000 airstrikes .
Seventy percent of those have hit civilian targets , killing more than 100,000 people since January 2016 , according to a report by the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data Project ( ACLED ) .
Those numbers do not include those who have died in the humanitarian disasters caused by the war , particularly starvation and thousands of tons of weapons , most often supplied by the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , schools , markets , mosques , farms , factories , bridges , and power and water treatment plants .
Unexploded ordnances have been left scattered across populated areas , particularly in the urban areas of Sana ’ a , Sadaa , Hodeida , Hajjah , Marib , and al-Jawf , and have left the country one of the most heavily contaminated in the world .
As the war officially passes its two-thousandth day , the Eye of Humanity Center for Rights and Development , a Yemeni advocacy group , issued a report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombs have landed .
According to the non-governmental organization , those attacks have destroyed more than 21 economically-vital facilities like factories , food storage facilities , fishing boats , markets , and food , and fuel tankers and have damaged 9,000 pieces of critical infrastructure , including 15 airports , 16 seaports , 304 electrical stations , 2,098 tanks and water pumps , and 4,200 roads and bridges .
At least 576,528 public service facilities , including more than 1,000 schools , 6,732 agricultural fields , and 1,375 mosques have been destroyed or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilian infrastructure , particularly hospitals , have also crippled Yemen ’ s health system , leaving it unable to deal with even the basic public health needs .
Eye of Humanity reports that the coalition has destroyed 389 hospitals and health centers while most of the country ’ s estimated 300 remaining facilities are either closed or barely functioning as COVID-19 spreads through the country like wildfire .
Household food insecurity now hovers at over 70 percent , with fifty percent of rural households and 20 percent of urban households now food insecure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have enough food to satisfy basic nutritional needs .
Underweight and stunted children have become a regular sight , especially among holdouts in rural areas .
This is Yemen after 2,000 days of war .
A dirty war and a brutal siege on a forgotten people subsisting in unlivable conditions .
If one is able to dodge death from war , starvation , and COVID-19 , they face unprecedented levels of disease .
Yemen ’ s average life expectancy now hovers at around 66 , one of the lowest in the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over all aspects of life , severely restricting not only the movement of aid and people but also of UN flights .
Last week , both the Ministry of Transportation and the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology announced that Sana ’ a International Airport was no longer equipped to receive the official airplane of UN Special Envoy to Yemen , Martin Griffith .
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is still preventing fuel tankers from delivering much-needed fuel to Yemen ’ s hospitals , water pumps , bakeries , cleaning trucks , and gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts , into a fuel crisis .
The blockade has not only forced thousands to wait for days in lines as far as the eye can see but has forced many facilities to shut down altogether .
All while Saudi Arabia and its local militias plunder crude oil in Marib , Shabwah , and Hadramout .
After normalization , the UAE steps up attacks For many Yemenis , there is little reason for optimism entering what feels like the third phase of the war against their country , as Israel ostensibly enters the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will escalate as a result of normalization between the UAE and Israel , and indeed , Tel Aviv ’ s entrance into the already convoluted theater appears to have already opened the door for further escalation .
Since normalization , UAE warplanes have intensified airstrikes against populated areas throughout the country ’ s northern provinces .
In Sana ’ a , approximately 20 aerial attacks hit densely populated neighborhoods and brazenly targeted the Sana ’ a Airport , a military engineering camp , and a poultry farm , among other targets .
UAE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving logistical support by Israel , although no evidence has yet surfaced yet to substantiate those fears .
In a stark departure from the UAE ’ s more conciliatory tone in Yemen over the past year , UAE aircraft have carried out more than 100 airstrikes since August 13 , when Trump announced the normalization between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv .
They also pounded the oil-rich province of Marib , located east the country , where UAE jets dropped more than 300 bombs targeting transport trucks , fuel stations , homes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Ansar Allah-led were also targeted .
Reinforcing the heir of hopelessness is that the United States continues to neglect Yemen ’ s suffering , despite its designation by the United Nations calling as the world ’ s worst humanitarian crisis .
Even with the 2020 election looming and President Donald Trump leaning heavily into his foreign policy accomplishments , the U.S. role in Yemen has been noticeably absent from the discussion .
Biden has been no better , leaving little hope that the December elections could bring an end to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring some semblance of peace to Yemen by parties in both Qatar and Oman .
Secret negotiations have been held in Sana ’ a , but they seem aimed at stopping the Houthi advance in Marib and not the war in general .
In reality , international voices are loudest when the war begins to affect Saudi Arabia , as they were last September when Saudi oil facilities were attacked , or when a Houthi advance threatens the Saudi border as it did in August of 2019 when an operation captured 4,000 square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qatari and Omani efforts are not the only ones on the ground .
The United Nations envoy to Yemen , Martin Griffiths , is leading other efforts aimed at stopping the Houthi advance in Marib .
Griffiths said during a recent Security Council session that , “ The situation in Marib is of concern .
Military shifts in Marib have ripple effects on conflict dynamics .
If Marib falls , it ’ d undermine prospects of convening an inclusive political process that brings about a transition based on partnership and plurality.
” Neither @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the UN even purport to be focused on bringing an end to the war or mitigating the blockade , instead , they seem only concerned with assuring the Coalition retains its competitive advantage .
2,000 days of war , in fact , have proven an insufficient term to bring peace to the war-torn country .
With the exception of a fragile ceasefire in Hodeida and a small number of prisoner releases , negotiations between the two sides , even on minor issues , often reach a dead end .
Numerous negotiations between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland last year .
When the war began over five years ago , Saudi leaders promised a decisive victory in a matter of weeks , one or two months at most .
Yet the Houthis remain steadfast in their resistance and , in fact , have grown even more powerful leading to consternation in the Kingdom , with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz dismissing the leader of the Coalition forces Fahd bin Turki and a number of senior officers following a series of recent Saudi battlefield failures .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ drone strikes against the al-Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia ’ s southwestern province of Asir .
The operation was the fifth against the airport and a sign that half of a decade of war has done little to bring security to the Kingdom .
In fact , the Houthis now seem intent on moving the frontline into Saudi Arabia and UAE territory and have even promised retaliatory action against Israel should they continue to escalate their involvement in the war .
According to Houthi spokesman Mohammed AbdulSalam , “ the Saudi-led war on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying for taking a firm stance against Israel , ” adding “ Israelis are involved in most of the conflicts plaguing the region , including the Riyadh-led aggression against Yemen.
” Feature photo | Tribesmen loyal to the Houthis hold their weapons as they ride in a vehicle during a gathering against the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates , in Sanaa , Yemen , Aug. 22 , 2020 .
Hani Mohammed | AP Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist .
He covers the war in Yemen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yemeni media .

Another grim milestone has just passed in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia’s war against the poorest country in the Middle East reached its two-thousandth day. Ostensibly, the war was launched to restore President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to power after he was ousted following Houthi-led popular protests amid the Arab Spring.
Realistically, the war has become little more than a pretext to control Yemen’s strategic sites and natural wealth. Saudi Arabia and the UAE now occupy entire southern provinces from al-Mahara to the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Somehow, though, they have not yet allowed Haddi and his old guard to return.
Grim statistics
The numbers are astonishing. Since 2015, Saudi-led coalition warplanes have pounded the country with over 250,000 airstrikes. Seventy percent of those have hit civilian targets, killing more than 100,000 people since January 2016, according to a report by the Armed Conflict and Location Event Data Project (ACLED). Those numbers do not include those who have died in the humanitarian disasters caused by the war, particularly starvation and thousands of tons of weapons, most often supplied by the United States, have been dropped on hospitals, schools, markets, mosques, farms, factories, bridges, and power and water treatment plants.
Unexploded ordnances have been left scattered across populated areas, particularly in the urban areas of Sana’a, Sadaa, Hodeida, Hajjah, Marib, and al-Jawf, and have left the country one of the most heavily contaminated in the world.
As the war officially passes its two-thousandth day, the Eye of Humanity Center for Rights and Development, a Yemeni advocacy group, issued a report on where some of the estimated 600,000 bombs have landed. According to the non-governmental organization, those attacks have destroyed more than 21 economically-vital facilities like factories, food storage facilities, fishing boats, markets, and food, and fuel tankers and have damaged 9,000 pieces of critical infrastructure, including 15 airports, 16 seaports, 304 electrical stations, 2,098 tanks and water pumps, and 4,200 roads and bridges. At least 576,528 public service facilities, including more than 1,000 schools, 6,732 agricultural fields, and 1,375 mosques have been destroyed or damaged.
The blockade and bombing of civilian infrastructure, particularly hospitals, have also crippled Yemen’s health system, leaving it unable to deal with even the basic public health needs. Eye of Humanity reports that the coalition has destroyed 389 hospitals and health centers while most of the country’s estimated 300 remaining facilities are either closed or barely functioning as COVID-19 spreads through the country like wildfire.
Household food insecurity now hovers at over 70 percent, with fifty percent of rural households and 20 percent of urban households now food insecure. Almost one-third of Yemenis do not have enough food to satisfy basic nutritional needs. Underweight and stunted children have become a regular sight, especially among holdouts in rural areas.
This is Yemen after 2,000 days of war. A dirty war and a brutal siege on a forgotten people subsisting in unlivable conditions. If one is able to dodge death from war, starvation, and COVID-19, they face unprecedented levels of disease. Yemen’s average life expectancy now hovers at around 66, one of the lowest in the world. The Saudi blockade has imposed tight control over all aspects of life, severely restricting not only the movement of aid and people but also of UN flights. Last week, both the Ministry of Transportation and the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Meteorology announced that Sana’a International Airport was no longer equipped to receive the official airplane of UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffith.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia is still preventing fuel tankers from delivering much-needed fuel to Yemen’s hospitals, water pumps, bakeries, cleaning trucks, and gas stations, plunging it, particularly northern districts, into a fuel crisis. The blockade has not only forced thousands to wait for days in lines as far as the eye can see but has forced many facilities to shut down altogether. All while Saudi Arabia and its local militias plunder crude oil in Marib, Shabwah, and Hadramout.
After normalization, the UAE steps up attacks
For many Yemenis, there is little reason for optimism entering what feels like the third phase of the war against their country, as Israel ostensibly enters the fray. They believe that the situation will escalate as a result of normalization between the UAE and Israel, and indeed, Tel Aviv’s entrance into the already convoluted theater appears to have already opened the door for further escalation.
Since normalization, UAE warplanes have intensified airstrikes against populated areas throughout the country’s northern provinces. In Sana’a, approximately 20 aerial attacks hit densely populated neighborhoods and brazenly targeted the Sana’a Airport, a military engineering camp, and a poultry farm, among other targets.
UAE warplanes are believed by locals to be receiving logistical support by Israel, although no evidence has yet surfaced yet to substantiate those fears. In a stark departure from the UAE’s more conciliatory tone in Yemen over the past year, UAE aircraft have carried out more than 100 airstrikes since August 13, when Trump announced the normalization between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv. They also pounded the oil-rich province of Marib, located east the country, where UAE jets dropped more than 300 bombs targeting transport trucks, fuel stations, homes, and farms. Advanced military sites belonging to the Ansar Allah-led were also targeted.
Reinforcing the heir of hopelessness is that the United States continues to neglect Yemen’s suffering, despite its designation by the United Nations calling as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Even with the 2020 election looming and President Donald Trump leaning heavily into his foreign policy accomplishments, the U.S. role in Yemen has been noticeably absent from the discussion. Biden has been no better, leaving little hope that the December elections could bring an end to the war.
Half-hearted attempts at peace
There are efforts underway to bring some semblance of peace to Yemen by parties in both Qatar and Oman. Secret negotiations have been held in Sana’a, but they seem aimed at stopping the Houthi advance in Marib and not the war in general.
In reality, international voices are loudest when the war begins to affect Saudi Arabia, as they were last September when Saudi oil facilities were attacked, or when a Houthi advance threatens the Saudi border as it did in August of 2019 when an operation captured 4,000 square kilometers of Saudi territory in Najran.
Qatari and Omani efforts are not the only ones on the ground. The United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is leading other efforts aimed at stopping the Houthi advance in Marib. Griffiths said during a recent Security Council session that, “The situation in Marib is of concern. Military shifts in Marib have ripple effects on conflict dynamics. If Marib falls, it’d undermine prospects of convening an inclusive political process that brings about a transition based on partnership and plurality.”
Neither the efforts in Qatar nor those by the UN even purport to be focused on bringing an end to the war or mitigating the blockade, instead, they seem only concerned with assuring the Coalition retains its competitive advantage.
2,000 days of war, in fact, have proven an insufficient term to bring peace to the war-torn country. With the exception of a fragile ceasefire in Hodeida and a small number of prisoner releases, negotiations between the two sides, even on minor issues, often reach a dead end. Numerous negotiations between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia have failed, including UN-brokered peace talks in Switzerland last year.
The Houthis grow stronger
When the war began over five years ago, Saudi leaders promised a decisive victory in a matter of weeks, one or two months at most. Yet the Houthis remain steadfast in their resistance and, in fact, have grown even more powerful leading to consternation in the Kingdom, with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz dismissing the leader of the Coalition forces Fahd bin Turki and a number of senior officers following a series of recent Saudi battlefield failures.
On Thursday, Houthi forces carried out drone strikes against the al-Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern province of Asir. The operation was the fifth against the airport and a sign that half of a decade of war has done little to bring security to the Kingdom.
In fact, the Houthis now seem intent on moving the frontline into Saudi Arabia and UAE territory and have even promised retaliatory action against Israel should they continue to escalate their involvement in the war. According to Houthi spokesman Mohammed AbdulSalam, “the Saudi-led war on Yemen the price the Arab nation is paying for taking a firm stance against Israel,” adding “Israelis are involved in most of the conflicts plaguing the region, including the Riyadh-led aggression against Yemen.”
Feature photo | Tribesmen loyal to the Houthis hold their weapons as they ride in a vehicle during a gathering against the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in Sanaa, Yemen, Aug. 22, 2020. Hani Mohammed | AP
Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media.


mintpressnews--2020-09-18--According to Oxfam, Rich Countries Have Already Hoarded Most Future COVID Vaccines

The world ’ s wealthiest nations have already quietly bought up more than half of the potential future supply of the most promising COVID-19 vaccine doses , leaving little for anyone else .
International charity Oxfam studied five leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates , currently under clinical trials , and found that rich countries had pumped billions of dollars into research , securing 51 percent of the promised doses .
This means that the United Kingdom will have 45 times more doses per head of population than a poor country such as Bangladesh .
Worryingly , the vaccines are being researched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have already announced they intend to make profits on any future sales .
Massachusetts-based Moderna , for example , has already sold options for all its supply to rich nations , for up to $ 35 per dose , effectively pricing out poorer countries who can not afford to pay such a high price .
More concerning still , however , is that the five companies surveyed have nothing like the capacity to produce enough vaccines for all .
Even if all five potential remedies succeed ( an extremely unlikely best-case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s population will not be able to be treated until at least 2022 , Oxfam warns .
Moderna , it notes , could only produce enough for around six percent of the world ’ s population on its own .
Without organized and committed popular pressure , big pharma has shown minimal interest in working together for the good of humanity , sharing knowledge and expertise , another example of the profit motive clashing with the public interest .
“ Governments will prolong this crisis in all of its human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pharmaceutical companies to protect their monopolies and profits , ” said Chema Vera , Interim Executive Director of Oxfam International , “ No single corporation will ever be able to meet the world ’ s need for a COVID-19 vaccine .
That ’ s why we are calling on them to share their knowledge free of patents and to get behind a quantum leap in production to keep everyone safe .
We need a people ’ s vaccine , not a profit vaccine.
” Pharmaceutical corporations are already engaged in serious pandemic profiteering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective in fighting COVID-19 .
California-based operation Gilead Sciences has been charging Americans over $ 3,000 for a full course of the drug , despite the fact that it costs them less than the price of a Subway sandwich to produce .
Indeed , so cheap is the antiviral that the syringes and equipment needed to administer it cost more to make .
Gilead ’ s price gouging was described as “ ethically unacceptable ” and “ a new low ” in pharmaceutical malpractice by medical researcher Dr. Andrew Hill .
While morally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long history of reprehensible actions .
Gilead itself is being sued in the U.S. and accused of deliberately holding back a lifesaving HIV drug for years to extend the profitability of its previous , inferior one .
It has been alleged that this caused 16,000 needless deaths over a nine-year period .
Gilead sells the drug for around $ 8 in Australia , but charges Americans $ 2,000 per month , thanks to U.S. laws preventing government price bargaining .
Dozens of pharmaceutical companies also took Nelson Mandela ’ s South African government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generic HIV medication over infinitely more expensive brand name drugs , claiming it was breaching trade laws .
They only dropped the case in 2001 after worldwide public pressure .
7.7 million South Africans live with HIV/AIDS , an official prevalence rate of over 20 percent , according to the U.N. , although actual numbers may be higher .
The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to a rise in highly questionable behavior from nation-states .
The U.S. under Trump has led the world in confiscating and stealing vital supplies bound for other nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks meant for Germany , and equipment Brazil , France , and Canada had already paid for .
It has also used the pandemic to push for harsher sanctions against Iran and Venezuela .
Nearly 7 million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus , and more than 200,000 have died , although some believe the official figure is too low .
The global pandemic presents an opportunity for worldwide solidarity and cooperation , with viruses not respecting international borders .
Unfortunately , the crisis seems to have brought out some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It appears the most powerful nations are treating lifesaving treatments as commodities to be bought and sold , rather than a pressing need for all of humanity .
Feature photo | Britain ’ s Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Jenner Institute in Oxford , England , Friday , Sept. 18 , 2020 .
The Prime Minister toured the laboratory and met scientists who are leading the COVID vaccine research .
Kirsty Wigglesworth | AP Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News .
After completing his PhD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

The world’s wealthiest nations have already quietly bought up more than half of the potential future supply of the most promising COVID-19 vaccine doses, leaving little for anyone else. International charity Oxfam studied five leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates, currently under clinical trials, and found that rich countries had pumped billions of dollars into research, securing 51 percent of the promised doses. This means that the United Kingdom will have 45 times more doses per head of population than a poor country such as Bangladesh.
Worryingly, the vaccines are being researched and produced by for-profit transnational pharmaceutical corporations, who have already announced they intend to make profits on any future sales. Massachusetts-based Moderna, for example, has already sold options for all its supply to rich nations, for up to $35 per dose, effectively pricing out poorer countries who cannot afford to pay such a high price.
More concerning still, however, is that the five companies surveyed have nothing like the capacity to produce enough vaccines for all. Even if all five potential remedies succeed (an extremely unlikely best-case scenario), the large majority of the world’s population will not be able to be treated until at least 2022, Oxfam warns. Moderna, it notes, could only produce enough for around six percent of the world’s population on its own.
Without organized and committed popular pressure, big pharma has shown minimal interest in working together for the good of humanity, sharing knowledge and expertise, another example of the profit motive clashing with the public interest. “Governments will prolong this crisis in all of its human tragedy and economic damage if they allow pharmaceutical companies to protect their monopolies and profits,” said Chema Vera, Interim Executive Director of Oxfam International, “No single corporation will ever be able to meet the world’s need for a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s why we are calling on them to share their knowledge free of patents and to get behind a quantum leap in production to keep everyone safe. We need a people’s vaccine, not a profit vaccine.”
Pharmaceutical corporations are already engaged in serious pandemic profiteering. Antiviral drug Remdesivir has proven relatively effective in fighting COVID-19. California-based operation Gilead Sciences has been charging Americans over $3,000 for a full course of the drug, despite the fact that it costs them less than the price of a Subway sandwich to produce. Indeed, so cheap is the antiviral that the syringes and equipment needed to administer it cost more to make. Gilead’s price gouging was described as “ethically unacceptable” and “a new low” in pharmaceutical malpractice by medical researcher Dr. Andrew Hill.
While morally questionable, the pharmaceutical industry has a long history of reprehensible actions. Gilead itself is being sued in the U.S. and accused of deliberately holding back a lifesaving HIV drug for years to extend the profitability of its previous, inferior one. It has been alleged that this caused 16,000 needless deaths over a nine-year period. Gilead sells the drug for around $8 in Australia, but charges Americans $2,000 per month, thanks to U.S. laws preventing government price bargaining.
Dozens of pharmaceutical companies also took Nelson Mandela’s South African government to court for its decision to use generic HIV medication over infinitely more expensive brand name drugs, claiming it was breaching trade laws. They only dropped the case in 2001 after worldwide public pressure. 7.7 million South Africans live with HIV/AIDS, an official prevalence rate of over 20 percent, according to the U.N., although actual numbers may be higher.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also led to a rise in highly questionable behavior from nation-states. The U.S. under Trump has led the world in confiscating and stealing vital supplies bound for other nations, seizing ventilators meant for Barbados, masks meant for Germany, and equipment Brazil, France, and Canada had already paid for. It has also used the pandemic to push for harsher sanctions against Iran and Venezuela. Nearly 7 million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 200,000 have died, although some believe the official figure is too low.
The global pandemic presents an opportunity for worldwide solidarity and cooperation, with viruses not respecting international borders. Unfortunately, the crisis seems to have brought out some of the worst behavior from corporations and governments alike. It appears the most powerful nations are treating lifesaving treatments as commodities to be bought and sold, rather than a pressing need for all of humanity.
Feature photo | Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. The Prime Minister toured the laboratory and met scientists who are leading the COVID vaccine research. Kirsty Wigglesworth | 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--2020-09-18--Austerity at Home and Imperialism Abroad: What a Joe Biden Win Would Mean for America

As is patently obvious , the U.S. is in trouble .
Climate-driven heat waves and fires grip the nation .
An already faltering economy with deep contradictions can only tank given the shock of a pandemic that has necessitated varying degrees of sequestering .
In fact , the downturn had already started before COVID-19 hit .
An already largely privatized healthcare system run for-profit and a social ethic that rejects “ socialized ” public health measures could only have proven inadequate .
Added to this mix , a historically racist nation was ripe for the righteous protests against overt injustices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency and predetermined the current calamity .
Trump is screwing up royally , but the root causes were unavoidable .
Rather than owning up to the inherent nature of capitalism , which puts profits before people as its operating principle , elite opinion needs to point a finger at an offending scapegoat .
Someone must take a fall and the designated chump is Trump .
Witness Republican establishment figures defecting to the Biden camp .
Trump , under normal circumstances , would have a formidable advantage as the incumbent president .
Of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ran for re-election with the exception of JFK , who tragically did not have that choice .
All but three won .
These exceptions prove the rule that bad economic times doom the incumbent : Ford and Bush the Elder were defeated by recessions , and Carter by “ stagflation.
” Today ’ s circumstances are not normal .
Trump ’ s incumbency may be a fatal flaw , with conditions worse , in many respects , than they were during the Great Depression .
Added to that a collapsing economy and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has not improved his prospects by mishandling the COVID-19 contagion .
A U.S. passport was once the most accepted in the world , now that the U.S. leads the world in total pandemic deaths and ranks a high eleventh in deaths by population , only eight countries in the world are fully open to U.S. tourists : Albania , Belarus , Brazil , Mexico , Serbia , Turkey , Zambia , and that most sought after destination of North Macedonia , whose national flower is the opium poppy .
The delusional fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in power begs the question of what army and security apparatus would back him .
Not the U.S. military , nor the security state agencies – FBI , NSA , CIA and other spooks .
Those institutions of the permanent state are no more in favor of Trump than most of the active U.S. electorate , who will likely give him a boot this fall .
In the midst of the pandemic , when health insurance claims would be expected to be out of control , health insurers have been garnering obscene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Amongst the superrich , Jeff Bezos of Amazon added $ 87.1 billion to his net worth since the beginning of the year and Elon Musk of Tesla accrued another $ 73.6 billion .
Thanks in large part to the habitual intervention by the Federal Reserve for the owners of finance capital , Market Insider predicts “ 2021 could be a boom year for stocks , ” while prospects for working people look grim and ever grimmer .
Yes , Bernie Sanders was right that the “ system is rigged ” for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November change any of this ?
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , the current highest-ranking Democrat , said it all : “ we ’ re capitalist and that ’ s just the way it is.
” Her net worth is $ 120 million .
Even major “ liberal ” Democrats , such as Elizabeth Warren , are doctrinaire “ capitalist to the bone.
” When asked to explain herself , the senator said : “ I believe in markets and the benefits they can produce… for people.
” True enough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ capitalism are the capitalists .
How about Democratic Party progressives like the “ The Squad , ” you ask ?
In the “ graveyard of social movements ” that is the Democratic Party , they are relegated to diversity window dressing with AOC getting only 90 seconds of fame at the Democratic National Convention .
Nominal independent Bernie Sanders tried an end-run for the presidential nomination but ran into the DNC ’ s “ no progressives rule.
” And if Biden wins in 2020 and Harris in 2024 and 2028 , 2032 would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat to even try to run .
Speaking of the Democratic National Convention , Bernie Sanders praised Uncle Joe for – of all things – his health care policies .
Michelle Obama carried chutzpah to new heights , criticizing Trump for immigration practices inherited from her husband .
Can ’ t the best speechwriters that money can buy come up with more convincing mendacities ?
The enduring neoliberal project will continue with a likely change of guard from one party of capital to the other in January , though with a kinder face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contend with Prince of Darkness Pence and his buddy anymore .
The new feel-good Democratic couple will be spreading the love .
And no one is feeling the “ good ” more than the capitalist class , rewarding the Democrats with donations of $ 48 million in the 48 hours after the announcement of Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate .
Just about every mainstream media article gushed about her amazing “ qualifications , ” the foremost being fund-raising .
In plain English , her biggest asset is she is understood as serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too soon to exhale with a Biden White House .
If past performance is any indicator of future outcomes , a brief look at recently past Democratic presidencies is advised .
Under the watch of New Democrat Bill Clinton , the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed , which was a factor leading to the Great Recession .
NAFTA exported U.S. union jobs while destroying small-scale Mexican agriculture .
He dismantled Yugoslavia and bombed Iraq , contributing to the now perpetual destabilization of that part of the world .
“ Welfare as we know it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Clinton was on a roll , with Social Security next on the chopping block , only to be stopped by the Monica Lewinski scandal .
While these were pet projects of the Republican wing of the U.S. two-party duopoly , it took a Democrat to foist it on the populace .
Notably , no major progressive legislation came out of Clinton ’ s watch .
He adroitly felt “ your pain ” while inflicting it on the Democrat ’ s captured working class and minority constituencies , much to the pleasure of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic president , Barack Obama , had not even completed a term in the Senate before his meteoric rise to the Oval Office .
Obama had the wiring , but part of his remarkable upward mobility came from being groomed and vetted by the ruling class to carry their water .
He came out of the Brookings Institute ’ s Hamilton Project , which successfully sought to make the Democrats the favored party of Wall Street .
After promising peace , Obama led the U.S. into wars in at least seven countries .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Obama presidency , his many handouts to the ruling elites include bailing out the banks with no one prosecuted for wrongdoing .
He gifted Obamacare to the insurance industry while killing single-payer .
He more than doubled fossil fuel production for which he proudly took credit .
The lesson is that it is often more difficult to mount an organized resistance to regressive policies when promoted by Democrats than Republicans .
Recall the massive resistance to Bush ’ s war in Iraq that instantly vanished the moment Obama inherited that war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Defense Robert Gates into his cabinet .
Similarly , we have seen Democrats sabotaging Medicare for All , with Biden already pledging to veto it if it came before him .
Campaign promises Biden will keep The only thing preventing Trump from self-destructing come November 3 is none other than the Democratic Party .
Of all the potential candidates that could have walked over Trump – particularly Sanders with universal healthcare in a time of pandemic or even Warren with taxing corporations in a time of record profits amidst a recession – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose .
The former senator from Mastercard has already assured Wall Street that their privileged position will be protected on his watch .
The warmongers have been assuaged with the promise that the military budget can only go up .
The insurance parasites know that government-imposed private health policies are set in stone .
The Zionists needn ’ t fret about the U.S. recognizing Palestinian rights or of reversing recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel .
Worse than the climate deniers , Biden believes in the science of global warming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do little about it and has already opposed a fracking ban .
Fossil fuel subsidies will continue under the Democrats .
Note that these dubious promises were made on the campaign trail while trying to attract votes .
Pelosi set the stage for a Biden presidency .
The first thing the Democrats pushed through after “ taking back ” the House in 2018 was the “ pay-go rule , ” a fiscally conservative measure virtually guaranteeing that no progressive legislation can be funded .
Then in March of this year the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped pass the CARES Act , the largest single transfer of wealth from workers to the wealthy in the history of the world .
Democrats , with the Obama-Biden administration and since , have leap-frogged Republicans to the right on foreign policy issues in important respects regarding Afghanistan , North Korea , Russia , Syria , Venezuela , etc .
Democrats even oppose drawing down U.S. troops abroad .
Trump has been all over the map , ineptly and inconsistently pursuing détente with Putin and while threatening Xi Jinping .
With a Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more consistent , skillful , and lethal U.S. imperialism , pursuing “ full spectrum dominance ” over the rest of the world .
Those who complain about Trump ’ s bungling should understand that the Biden alternative will be a more deadly and efficient rule of capital .
We should be careful about what we wish for .
Feature photo | Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden talks with reporters at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport , in Avoca , Pa. , after a CNN town hall , Sept. 17 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D. Harris is on the state central committee of the Peace and Freedom Party , the only ballot qualified socialist party in California .

As is patently obvious, the U.S. is in trouble. Climate-driven heat waves and fires grip the nation. An already faltering economy with deep contradictions can only tank given the shock of a pandemic that has necessitated varying degrees of sequestering. In fact, the downturn had already started before COVID-19 hit. An already largely privatized healthcare system run for-profit and a social ethic that rejects “socialized” public health measures could only have proven inadequate. Added to this mix, a historically racist nation was ripe for the righteous protests against overt injustices. These conditions predated Trump’s presidency and predetermined the current calamity.
The incumbent Trump card
Trump is screwing up royally, but the root causes were unavoidable. Rather than owning up to the inherent nature of capitalism, which puts profits before people as its operating principle, elite opinion needs to point a finger at an offending scapegoat. Someone must take a fall and the designated chump is Trump. Witness Republican establishment figures defecting to the Biden camp.
Trump, under normal circumstances, would have a formidable advantage as the incumbent president. Of the 13 U.S. presidents since 1933, all ran for re-election with the exception of JFK, who tragically did not have that choice. All but three won. These exceptions prove the rule that bad economic times doom the incumbent: Ford and Bush the Elder were defeated by recessions, and Carter by “stagflation.”
Today’s circumstances are not normal. Trump’s incumbency may be a fatal flaw, with conditions worse, in many respects, than they were during the Great Depression.
Added to that a collapsing economy and a nation aflame with racial justice protests, Trump has not improved his prospects by mishandling the COVID-19 contagion. A U.S. passport was once the most accepted in the world, now that the U.S. leads the world in total pandemic deaths and ranks a high eleventh in deaths by population, only eight countries in the world are fully open to U.S. tourists: Albania, Belarus, Brazil, Mexico, Serbia, Turkey, Zambia, and that most sought after destination of North Macedonia, whose national flower is the opium poppy.
The delusional fear that Trump will stage a coup to stay in power begs the question of what army and security apparatus would back him. Not the U.S. military, nor the security state agencies – FBI, NSA, CIA and other spooks. Those institutions of the permanent state are no more in favor of Trump than most of the active U.S. electorate, who will likely give him a boot this fall.
Enter the perilous next act
In the midst of the pandemic, when health insurance claims would be expected to be out of control, health insurers have been garnering obscene profits benefiting from the public health emergency. Amongst the superrich, Jeff Bezos of Amazon added $87.1 billion to his net worth since the beginning of the year and Elon Musk of Tesla accrued another $73.6 billion.
Thanks in large part to the habitual intervention by the Federal Reserve for the owners of finance capital, Market Insider predicts “2021 could be a boom year for stocks,” while prospects for working people look grim and ever grimmer. Yes, Bernie Sanders was right that the “system is rigged” for the capitalist class.
Will a Democratic victory in November change any of this? Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the current highest-ranking Democrat, said it all: “we’re capitalist and that’s just the way it is.” Her net worth is $120 million.
Even major “liberal” Democrats, such as Elizabeth Warren, are doctrinaire “capitalist to the bone.” When asked to explain herself, the senator said: “I believe in markets and the benefits they can produce… for people.” True enough. The “people” who benefit from capitalism are the capitalists.
How about Democratic Party progressives like the “The Squad,” you ask? In the “graveyard of social movements” that is the Democratic Party, they are relegated to diversity window dressing with AOC getting only 90 seconds of fame at the Democratic National Convention.
Nominal independent Bernie Sanders tried an end-run for the presidential nomination but ran into the DNC’s “no progressives rule.” And if Biden wins in 2020 and Harris in 2024 and 2028, 2032 would be the first chance for a progressive Democrat to even try to run.
Speaking of the Democratic National Convention, Bernie Sanders praised Uncle Joe for – of all things – his health care policies. Michelle Obama carried chutzpah to new heights, criticizing Trump for immigration practices inherited from her husband. Can’t the best speechwriters that money can buy come up with more convincing mendacities?
The enduring neoliberal project will continue with a likely change of guard from one party of capital to the other in January, though with a kinder face. We won’t have to contend with Prince of Darkness Pence and his buddy anymore.
The new feel-good Democratic couple will be spreading the love. And no one is feeling the “good” more than the capitalist class, rewarding the Democrats with donations of $48 million in the 48 hours after the announcement of Kamala Harris as the vice-presidential candidate. Just about every mainstream media article gushed about her amazing “qualifications,” the foremost being fund-raising. In plain English, her biggest asset is she is understood as serving the capitalist class.
The record of Democratic presidencies
It may be too soon to exhale with a Biden White House. If past performance is any indicator of future outcomes, a brief look at recently past Democratic presidencies is advised.
Under the watch of New Democrat Bill Clinton, the Glass-Steagall Act was repealed, which was a factor leading to the Great Recession. NAFTA exported U.S. union jobs while destroying small-scale Mexican agriculture. He dismantled Yugoslavia and bombed Iraq, contributing to the now perpetual destabilization of that part of the world. “Welfare as we know it” was abolished and mass incarceration instituted. Clinton was on a roll, with Social Security next on the chopping block, only to be stopped by the Monica Lewinski scandal.
While these were pet projects of the Republican wing of the U.S. two-party duopoly, it took a Democrat to foist it on the populace. Notably, no major progressive legislation came out of Clinton’s watch. He adroitly felt “your pain” while inflicting it on the Democrat’s captured working class and minority constituencies, much to the pleasure of the class he served.
The next Democratic president, Barack Obama, had not even completed a term in the Senate before his meteoric rise to the Oval Office. Obama had the wiring, but part of his remarkable upward mobility came from being groomed and vetted by the ruling class to carry their water. He came out of the Brookings Institute’s Hamilton Project, which successfully sought to make the Democrats the favored party of Wall Street.
After promising peace, Obama led the U.S. into wars in at least seven countries. Although no major progressive legislation came out of the Obama presidency, his many handouts to the ruling elites include bailing out the banks with no one prosecuted for wrongdoing. He gifted Obamacare to the insurance industry while killing single-payer. He more than doubled fossil fuel production for which he proudly took credit.
The lesson is that it is often more difficult to mount an organized resistance to regressive policies when promoted by Democrats than Republicans. Recall the massive resistance to Bush’s war in Iraq that instantly vanished the moment Obama inherited that war and brazenly took Bush’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates into his cabinet. Similarly, we have seen Democrats sabotaging Medicare for All, with Biden already pledging to veto it if it came before him.
Campaign promises Biden will keep
The only thing preventing Trump from self-destructing come November 3 is none other than the Democratic Party. Of all the potential candidates that could have walked over Trump – particularly Sanders with universal healthcare in a time of pandemic or even Warren with taxing corporations in a time of record profits amidst a recession – they chose the one candidate who could lose.
The former senator from Mastercard has already assured Wall Street that their privileged position will be protected on his watch. The warmongers have been assuaged with the promise that the military budget can only go up. The insurance parasites know that government-imposed private health policies are set in stone. The Zionists needn’t fret about the U.S. recognizing Palestinian rights or of reversing recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Worse than the climate deniers, Biden believes in the science of global warming and knows its catastrophic consequences. Yet he will do little about it and has already opposed a fracking ban. Fossil fuel subsidies will continue under the Democrats.
Note that these dubious promises were made on the campaign trail while trying to attract votes.
Enter the Biden presidency
Pelosi set the stage for a Biden presidency. The first thing the Democrats pushed through after “taking back” the House in 2018 was the “pay-go rule,” a fiscally conservative measure virtually guaranteeing that no progressive legislation can be funded. Then in March of this year the Democrats unanimously, and without any debate, helped pass the CARES Act, the largest single transfer of wealth from workers to the wealthy in the history of the world.
Democrats, with the Obama-Biden administration and since, have leap-frogged Republicans to the right on foreign policy issues in important respects regarding Afghanistan, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Venezuela, etc. Democrats even oppose drawing down U.S. troops abroad.
Trump has been all over the map, ineptly and inconsistently pursuing détente with Putin and while threatening Xi Jinping. With a Democratic administration, we can be assured of a more consistent, skillful, and lethal U.S. imperialism, pursuing “full spectrum dominance” over the rest of the world.
Those who complain about Trump’s bungling should understand that the Biden alternative will be a more deadly and efficient rule of capital. We should be careful about what we wish for.
Feature photo | Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden talks with reporters at Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, in Avoca, Pa., after a CNN town hall, Sept. 17, 2020. Carolyn Kaster | AP
Roger D. Harris is on the state central committee of the Peace and Freedom Party, the only ballot qualified socialist party in California.


mintpressnews--2020-09-18--No Socialist Paradise: Sweden’s COVID-19 Response Is Nothing to Envy

From Djurgården , I walk along the water on Strandvägen – a rising fall whips in a determined wind across the water , slicing at remnants of summer and carving pathways around centuries-old buildings .
Colors like Nordic interior design catalogs look like they ’ ve been stirred among clouds – a muted vibrance that evokes a calm and stoic resolve .
Albeit quieter than a typical early fall day , there ’ s a bustle .
People are out and their faces are bare .
Buses and trolleys roll by and not a mask can be seen inside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remind people to keep their distance yet they seem like relics from a time long gone when a global pandemic was something people needed to worry about .
The only time I could feel the ghostly press of the pandemic was in the Old Town .
Typically wall-to-cobbled-street-wall with tourists , it was surprisingly empty .
A few crinkled and hand-scribbled signs in shop windows announced limited hours or closures – no opening date , just closed .
But like a fleeting eerie patch in a lucid dream , as soon as I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Southern island of Stockholm , the bustle was back – and bigger .
On Götgatan , the main thoroughfare that runs the length of the island , streets and sidewalks were thick with pedestrians .
Bikes zipped to and fro , people sauntered , rushed and stopped to chat .
Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary .
Restaurants were open , barbershops , clothing stores , and even pharmacies were welcoming unmasked patrons in .
As I stepped tentatively into a shop I ’ d frequented many times – looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask was greeted as if I had strapped a giant dildo to my forehead .
By the register , a plexiglass shield sat uselessly as the woman ringing me up poked her head around it to speak to me .
I couldn ’ t help but laugh .
Into my mask .
Before this pandemic began , I had started writing an article about Sweden – about the shiny facade of democratic socialism that hides a decidedly capitalist reality shifting more and more towards the U.S. model on how to fuck people over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , when the pandemic hit , I was sure that Sweden would respond the way our neighbors did in Denmark and Norway .
After all , for all their faults , Sweden believes in things like climate change .
Sweden uplifts scientific research and surely , Sweden wouldn ’ t turn its back on clear cut epidemiological evidence .
Right ?
Enter Anders Tegnell , the controversial State Epidemiologist who has led Sweden ’ s COVID response – or lack thereof .
As nations around the globe locked down , mandated face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mass testing , Sweden implemented measures such as banning gatherings of more than 50 people , closing high schools and universities while keeping younger children in school ( homeschooling is not allowed except in “ extraordinary circumstances ” ) .
Shops stayed open as did most other businesses save big amusement parks , concert venues , and the like .
As I was headed back to the states in early September , a neighbor ’ s high school kids were on a three-day rotation : two days in school for at most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of remote learning .
None of these moves were spontaneous or without measured consideration .
Ask any Scandinavian – Swedes aren ’ t known for our carefree spontaneity .
No , at the start of the pandemic , the plan was clear .
Tegnell and friends said they ’ d be leaning heavily on “ folkvett , ” which basically translates to common sense .
Of course , the problem with common sense during a pandemic is twofold .
One , not everyone has it .
Two , common sense doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a government butt-scooting down the human decency curve on a neoliberal slip-n-slide .
Still , like any neoliberal endeavor , this one comes pre-packaged with all kinds of slick excuses and explanations .
In a recent interview with the Financial Times , Tegnell notes that the goal from the beginning was “ sustainability… to be resistant to quick fixes , to realize that this is not going to be easy… it ’ s not going to be fixed by one kind of measure.
” The fallacy here of course is to conflate stricter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore the fact that stricter measures on the front-end saves lives and allows for an easing of restrictions later on ( just look at New Zealand and South Korea ) .
But ignore this he does !
Tegnell taps an old Swedish saying “ is i magen ” which translates literally to ice in your belly – the idea that you should remain calm and not panic in stressful situations .
Here again , Tegnell falls into a false equivalency .
Panic is not the same thing as a calm but quick and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to act quickly , but should obviously not panic in the midst of stabilizing a patient for transport from the bloody scene of an accident .
Tegnell , however , is the EMT in the passenger seat smoking a cigarette .
He trusts that things will work out fine and in Tegnell ’ s case , he feels that they largely have .
Back in June , he conceded during an interview that “ If we would encounter the same disease , with exactly what we know about it today , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweden did and what the rest of the world did.
” Yet , come September he told the Financial Times that he ’ s actually not sure the response would have changed much .
This comes after an incident in mid-August where he again drew international ire for saying that wearing masks could actually be “ dangerous ” as it gives the wearer a false sense of security .
I couldn ’ t help but be reminded of Biden ’ s quip when asked if he feels bad about any of his policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sadly , Tegnell ’ s thinking is something you can hear echoing across the political spectrum in Sweden .
From my more conservative friends to anarchists , people are saying that wearing masks just promotes carelessness as opposed to safety .
There ’ s a surprising uniformity of support for the government ’ s COVID response .
The nearly 6,000 deaths of predominantly seniors are astonishingly shrugged off by the center and right while those to the left point a singular finger at the privatization and diminished quality of elder care in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leftist media outlet The Proletarian notes that some 21 percent of Swedish elder care is privatized , compared to 10 percent in Norway .
What this shakes out to in terms of quality of care is that private firms require lower levels of schooling , fewer employees overall , and a more rapidly revolving door of part-time and temp employees thanks to corporate attempts to side-step the benefits guaranteed to full-time , non-temp workers .
This also means that the workers have less power in the workplace , and there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quietly showing up to work with symptoms simply because they want to keep their jobs and not give the boss cause to fire them .
Sound familiar ?
Indeed , Sweden ’ s elder care is a neoliberal wet dream in many ways and provided a ready petri dish for COVID .
That being said , shitty elder care and a shitty COVID strategy are not mutually exclusive issues .
For instance , back in April , the Guardian reported on the fact that workers in Swedish elder care facilities weren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , workers said they were just following guidelines .
As of September 14 , according to the Public Health Authority , 41 percent of all the COVID deaths have been among those aged 80-89 years old , and an astonishing 88 percent of all deaths have been among those aged 70 and over .
That is both a failure of COVID policy and a failure of elder care policy .
It ’ s reminiscent of the legend of the ättestup which tells that in Viking times , the elderly were supposedly thrown off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accord so as not to be a burden to their communities .
While historians have debunked this legend , it would seem from recent events that Sweden is attempting a morbid modern-day re-enactment of this old legend .
To give some context to these numbers , with a population roughly that of North Carolina , Sweden has the fifth-highest mortality rate per capita in Europe – five times higher than Denmark , and ten times higher than Norway and Finland .
Still , Tegnell seems undeterred .
In a September interview with news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course something went wrong when 5,800 people died .
That ’ s definitely not something we expected .
Nothing we planned for , nothing we hoped for .
So that ’ s definitely gone wrong .
But that does not mean that the strategy itself has gone wrong.
” One might be inclined to wonder what it would take for Tegnell to admit that a strategy is wrong .
One might even be inclined to ask what that strategy is .
In that same interview , Tegnell denied ever suggesting that herd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy despite the fact that leaked emails from March of this year prove otherwise .
In the same email dump , Tegnell responds to his Finnish counterpart , Mika Salminen who expressed concern over Tegnell ’ s wish to keep schools open , pointing out that closing schools could stop the spread of COVID to vulnerable age groups by 10 percent .
Tegnell ’ s response : “ 10 % might be worth it ?
” Worth it how exactly ?
So you can eat at a restaurant ?
So third-year students can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested in another email to Tegnell ?
We may never know the answer to this question – or others – considering the fact that Tegnell deleted many emails that were requested by journalists in Sweden .
Maybe he should get some tips from Hillary Clinton on private servers .
Cast off the cliff of capitalism Ultimately , it doesn ’ t matter which of the many possible reasons Tegnell chose to sidestep scientifically-proven measures during a pandemic .
What matters is that almost 6,000 people were cast off the cliff of capitalism unnecessarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shelter Sweden ’ s capital , that didn ’ t work out either .
In an analysis of data by the Financial Times , Sweden ’ s economy is doing worse than the economies of both Finland and Norway , while again leading the way in COVID deaths for Scandinavia – by a long haul .
Unfortunately , the global capitalist market doesn ’ t really care whether or not Sweden stayed open for business .
In the midst of all this death and economic downturn , Sweden ’ s politicians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neoliberal double-speak .
They uplift the idea of common sense while failing to use any of their own .
They dare to quip about sustainability at a time when Sweden is seeking to expand their oil refineries .
They take credit for avoiding a current surge in European cases when the fact is that their policy has cost lives , not saved them .
If anyone can be thanked for avoiding all out disaster , it is ( some of ) the Swedish people themselves .
A recent analysis from researchers at Uppsala @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia School of Medicine show that nearly a third of Swedish residents voluntarily self-isolated .
Many people , particularly those in high-risk groups , ignored Tegnell and donned masks and face shields in order to go shopping , using creative hand signals to remind people to respect the time-honored Swedish tradition of social distancing .
Some families , including high-risk households , even tried to keep kids at home when schools reopened this fall , precipitating either fines or harassment from social services .
Experts and academics signed on to a letter demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of the school year , citing ongoing research that shows children do spread the virus , even if they are asymptomatic themselves .
And herein lies the crux of the whole shebang – a silver lining and indeed a silver thread that connects our struggles here in the U.S. with those in Sweden and across the globe : at best , the government does nothing , and more often than not they actively obstruct people ’ s ability to thrive or even survive .
Sweden still enjoys many socialized institutions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shitty city upon a hill – this most capitalist of all cut-throat capitalist goons that is the U.S .
But they are headed this way .
The siren call of neoliberalism can be heard in more places than just elder care centers .
The rise of fascism there learns and adapts from the rise of fascism here .
And so we too must adapt .
We must decouple our minds from the decrees of our politicians .
Again , the striking support for Tegnell ’ s dumbshittery across the political spectrum in Sweden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider and fight for something sustainable – but that should not be ( and in reality can not be ) a sustainable capitalism .
Indeed , what better current critique of capitalism is there than the fact that people must cheat death in order to financially survive ?
Or that our lowest paid workers are our most essential ?
It is beyond infuriating , and unacceptable to think that ( as I write this ) 5,877 people have died from COVID in Sweden .
But in the dark reality of government failures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common sense , of collectively using it .
We can see laid bare the deeper cancers eating away at our present and our future .
The French Revolutionary Maximillien Robespierre once wrote that “ Louis must die so that France may live.
” To repurpose that for our times : capitalism must die so that the world may live .
Eleanor Goldfield is a creative activist and journalist .
Her work has appeared on Free Speech TV where she produced and hosted the weekly radical news show , Act Out !
for five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via MintPress News , ROAR , Popular Resistance , RT , and more .
She is the host of the podcast Act Out !
and the co-host of the podcast Common Censored along with Lee Camp .
Her first long-form , deep-dive video piece , “ Hard Road of Hope , ” covers past and present radicalism in the resource colony known as West Virginia .
Besides touring , performing and media work , she assists in frontline action organizing and activist training .
Visit her website at artkillingapathy.com

From Djurgården, I walk along the water on Strandvägen – a rising fall whips in a determined wind across the water, slicing at remnants of summer and carving pathways around centuries-old buildings. Colors like Nordic interior design catalogs look like they’ve been stirred among clouds – a muted vibrance that evokes a calm and stoic resolve.
Albeit quieter than a typical early fall day, there’s a bustle. People are out and their faces are bare. Buses and trolleys roll by and not a mask can be seen inside. Scuffed and faded stickers on the street remind people to keep their distance yet they seem like relics from a time long gone when a global pandemic was something people needed to worry about. The only time I could feel the ghostly press of the pandemic was in the Old Town. Typically wall-to-cobbled-street-wall with tourists, it was surprisingly empty. A few crinkled and hand-scribbled signs in shop windows announced limited hours or closures – no opening date, just closed.
But like a fleeting eerie patch in a lucid dream, as soon as I wandered across the bridge to Söder, the Southern island of Stockholm, the bustle was back – and bigger. On Götgatan, the main thoroughfare that runs the length of the island, streets and sidewalks were thick with pedestrians. Bikes zipped to and fro, people sauntered, rushed and stopped to chat. Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary. Restaurants were open, barbershops, clothing stores, and even pharmacies were welcoming unmasked patrons in. As I stepped tentatively into a shop I’d frequented many times – looking for a special Swedish soap – my flowery mask was greeted as if I had strapped a giant dildo to my forehead. By the register, a plexiglass shield sat uselessly as the woman ringing me up poked her head around it to speak to me. I couldn’t help but laugh. Into my mask.
Before this pandemic began, I had started writing an article about Sweden – about the shiny facade of democratic socialism that hides a decidedly capitalist reality shifting more and more towards the U.S. model on how to fuck people over more efficiently and for more profit. Still, when the pandemic hit, I was sure that Sweden would respond the way our neighbors did in Denmark and Norway. After all, for all their faults, Sweden believes in things like climate change. Sweden uplifts scientific research and surely, Sweden wouldn’t turn its back on clear cut epidemiological evidence. Right?
Ice in your belly
Enter Anders Tegnell, the controversial State Epidemiologist who has led Sweden’s COVID response – or lack thereof. As nations around the globe locked down, mandated face masks, and engaged in contact tracing and mass testing, Sweden implemented measures such as banning gatherings of more than 50 people, closing high schools and universities while keeping younger children in school (homeschooling is not allowed except in “extraordinary circumstances”). Shops stayed open as did most other businesses save big amusement parks, concert venues, and the like. As I was headed back to the states in early September, a neighbor’s high school kids were on a three-day rotation: two days in school for at most a half-day, and then one day of remote learning.
None of these moves were spontaneous or without measured consideration. Ask any Scandinavian – Swedes aren’t known for our carefree spontaneity. No, at the start of the pandemic, the plan was clear. Tegnell and friends said they’d be leaning heavily on “folkvett,” which basically translates to common sense. Of course, the problem with common sense during a pandemic is twofold. One, not everyone has it. Two, common sense doesn’t help address the failures or shortcomings of a government butt-scooting down the human decency curve on a neoliberal slip-n-slide. Still, like any neoliberal endeavor, this one comes pre-packaged with all kinds of slick excuses and explanations.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Tegnell notes that the goal from the beginning was “sustainability… to be resistant to quick fixes, to realize that this is not going to be easy… it’s not going to be fixed by one kind of measure.” The fallacy here of course is to conflate stricter measures with a quick fix and to ignore the fact that stricter measures on the front-end saves lives and allows for an easing of restrictions later on (just look at New Zealand and South Korea). But ignore this he does! Tegnell taps an old Swedish saying “is i magen” which translates literally to ice in your belly – the idea that you should remain calm and not panic in stressful situations. Here again, Tegnell falls into a false equivalency. Panic is not the same thing as a calm but quick and logical response. An EMT for instance has to act quickly, but should obviously not panic in the midst of stabilizing a patient for transport from the bloody scene of an accident.
Tegnell, however, is the EMT in the passenger seat smoking a cigarette. He trusts that things will work out fine and in Tegnell’s case, he feels that they largely have. Back in June, he conceded during an interview that “If we would encounter the same disease, with exactly what we know about it today, I think we would land midway between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world did.” Yet, come September he told the Financial Times that he’s actually not sure the response would have changed much. This comes after an incident in mid-August where he again drew international ire for saying that wearing masks could actually be “dangerous” as it gives the wearer a false sense of security. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Biden’s quip when asked if he feels bad about any of his policy choices: “I regret nothing.”
Sadly, Tegnell’s thinking is something you can hear echoing across the political spectrum in Sweden. From my more conservative friends to anarchists, people are saying that wearing masks just promotes carelessness as opposed to safety. There’s a surprising uniformity of support for the government’s COVID response. The nearly 6,000 deaths of predominantly seniors are astonishingly shrugged off by the center and right while those to the left point a singular finger at the privatization and diminished quality of elder care in the country.
A neoliberal wet dream
An article from April in the leftist media outlet The Proletarian notes that some 21 percent of Swedish elder care is privatized, compared to 10 percent in Norway. What this shakes out to in terms of quality of care is that private firms require lower levels of schooling, fewer employees overall, and a more rapidly revolving door of part-time and temp employees thanks to corporate attempts to side-step the benefits guaranteed to full-time, non-temp workers. This also means that the workers have less power in the workplace, and there have been more than a few cases of workers quietly showing up to work with symptoms simply because they want to keep their jobs and not give the boss cause to fire them. Sound familiar?
Indeed, Sweden’s elder care is a neoliberal wet dream in many ways and provided a ready petri dish for COVID. That being said, shitty elder care and a shitty COVID strategy are not mutually exclusive issues. For instance, back in April, the Guardian reported on the fact that workers in Swedish elder care facilities weren’t wearing masks or gloves. When questioned, workers said they were just following guidelines.
As of September 14, according to the Public Health Authority, 41 percent of all the COVID deaths have been among those aged 80-89 years old, and an astonishing 88 percent of all deaths have been among those aged 70 and over. That is both a failure of COVID policy and a failure of elder care policy. It’s reminiscent of the legend of the ättestup which tells that in Viking times, the elderly were supposedly thrown off of cliffs or jump of their own accord so as not to be a burden to their communities. While historians have debunked this legend, it would seem from recent events that Sweden is attempting a morbid modern-day re-enactment of this old legend.
To give some context to these numbers, with a population roughly that of North Carolina, Sweden has the fifth-highest mortality rate per capita in Europe – five times higher than Denmark, and ten times higher than Norway and Finland.
Still, Tegnell seems undeterred. In a September interview with news outlet France24, he notes that “Of course something went wrong when 5,800 people died. That’s definitely not something we expected. Nothing we planned for, nothing we hoped for. So that’s definitely gone wrong. But that does not mean that the strategy itself has gone wrong.” One might be inclined to wonder what it would take for Tegnell to admit that a strategy is wrong.
One might even be inclined to ask what that strategy is. In that same interview, Tegnell denied ever suggesting that herd immunity was the goal of the Swedish strategy despite the fact that leaked emails from March of this year prove otherwise.
In the same email dump, Tegnell responds to his Finnish counterpart, Mika Salminen who expressed concern over Tegnell’s wish to keep schools open, pointing out that closing schools could stop the spread of COVID to vulnerable age groups by 10 percent. Tegnell’s response: “10% might be worth it?” Worth it how exactly? So you can eat at a restaurant? So third-year students can celebrate their final exams, as was suggested in another email to Tegnell? We may never know the answer to this question – or others – considering the fact that Tegnell deleted many emails that were requested by journalists in Sweden. Maybe he should get some tips from Hillary Clinton on private servers.
Cast off the cliff of capitalism
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter which of the many possible reasons Tegnell chose to sidestep scientifically-proven measures during a pandemic. What matters is that almost 6,000 people were cast off the cliff of capitalism unnecessarily. Indeed, if the hope was to shelter Sweden’s capital, that didn’t work out either. In an analysis of data by the Financial Times, Sweden’s economy is doing worse than the economies of both Finland and Norway, while again leading the way in COVID deaths for Scandinavia – by a long haul. Unfortunately, the global capitalist market doesn’t really care whether or not Sweden stayed open for business.
In the midst of all this death and economic downturn, Sweden’s politicians have tip-toed around truth and riffed on classic neoliberal double-speak. They uplift the idea of common sense while failing to use any of their own. They dare to quip about sustainability at a time when Sweden is seeking to expand their oil refineries. They take credit for avoiding a current surge in European cases when the fact is that their policy has cost lives, not saved them.
If anyone can be thanked for avoiding all out disaster, it is (some of) the Swedish people themselves. A recent analysis from researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden and the University of Virginia School of Medicine show that nearly a third of Swedish residents voluntarily self-isolated. Many people, particularly those in high-risk groups, ignored Tegnell and donned masks and face shields in order to go shopping, using creative hand signals to remind people to respect the time-honored Swedish tradition of social distancing. Some families, including high-risk households, even tried to keep kids at home when schools reopened this fall, precipitating either fines or harassment from social services. Experts and academics signed on to a letter demanding a “more responsible policy” at the start of the school year, citing ongoing research that shows children do spread the virus, even if they are asymptomatic themselves.
And herein lies the crux of the whole shebang – a silver lining and indeed a silver thread that connects our struggles here in the U.S. with those in Sweden and across the globe: at best, the government does nothing, and more often than not they actively obstruct people’s ability to thrive or even survive. Sweden still enjoys many socialized institutions and is admittedly a far cry from this shitty city upon a hill – this most capitalist of all cut-throat capitalist goons that is the U.S. But they are headed this way. The siren call of neoliberalism can be heard in more places than just elder care centers. The rise of fascism there learns and adapts from the rise of fascism here.
And so we too must adapt. We must decouple our minds from the decrees of our politicians. Again, the striking support for Tegnell’s dumbshittery across the political spectrum in Sweden is very worrisome. We must indeed consider and fight for something sustainable – but that should not be (and in reality can not be) a sustainable capitalism. Indeed, what better current critique of capitalism is there than the fact that people must cheat death in order to financially survive? Or that our lowest paid workers are our most essential?
It is beyond infuriating, and unacceptable to think that (as I write this) 5,877 people have died from COVID in Sweden. But in the dark reality of government failures, we can see the light of actual common sense, of collectively using it. We can see laid bare the deeper cancers eating away at our present and our future. The French Revolutionary Maximillien Robespierre once wrote that “Louis must die so that France may live.” To repurpose that for our times: capitalism must die so that the world may live.
Feature photo | A hair stylist works inside her shop in Stockholm, Sweden. Andres Kudacki | AP file photo
Eleanor Goldfield is a creative activist and journalist. Her work has appeared on Free Speech TV where she produced and hosted the weekly radical news show, Act Out! for five years. Her print work has appeared via MintPress News, ROAR, Popular Resistance, RT, and more. She is the host of the podcast Act Out! and the co-host of the podcast Common Censored along with Lee Camp. Her first long-form, deep-dive video piece, “Hard Road of Hope,” covers past and present radicalism in the resource colony known as West Virginia. Besides touring, performing and media work, she assists in frontline action organizing and activist training. Visit her website at artkillingapathy.com


mintpressnews--2020-09-21--Deutsche Bank Money Laundering Scandal Could Create Greatest Economic Crisis in History

Deutsche Bank , along with several of the world ’ s biggest commercial banks , are embroiled in a global money laundering scandal that spans over two decades , as documents leaked to BuzzFeed show the movement of $ 2 Trillion in illicit cash through the Western banking establishment .
The cache of Suspicious Activity Reports ( SARs ) detailing years of potentially illegal banking transactions were shared with 108 news organizations in 88 countries , according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ( ICIJ ) .
These records are a requirement for any financial institution that engages in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are filed with the Treasury Department ’ s intelligence unit , the Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network or FinCEN .
The more than 2,100 SARs released to the press are considered “ historical ” documents by the implicated banks , who responded with their usual Pontius Pilate routine when reached for comment by the media and washed their hands of the matter by claiming to have fulfilled their legal obligation before the U.S. Treasury “ as part of our partnership with regulators and law enforcement to protect the global financial system , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Trump-linked German bank is , by far , the most beset by the suspicious activity records totaling well over half of the $ 2 Trillion-dollar sum the FinCEN Files trace , with approximately $ 1.3 Trillion of it moving through the scandal-plagued financial institution .
Most of the press coverage in the U.S. , so far , has focused on the ties to Russian oligarchs and assorted narratives that are hovering over election-year American political discourse .
Deutsche Bank ’ s central role , nevertheless , betrays a far greater problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could send the financial world into a tailspin and result in the greatest economic crisis in history .
As European bank stocks tumble amid the revelations , FinCEN condemned the unlawful disclosure of the SARs to the press and warned that it could “ impact the national security of the United States.
” Meanwhile , the U.S. Justice Department is in the middle of the largest asset-recovery effort in U.S. history , filing its latest complaint regarding $ 300 Million the department is attempting to recover for an $ 11.7 Billion Malaysian sovereign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the major cases highlighted by ICIJ in its report on the leaked SARs .
Absent from most coverage of the FinCEN leaks , however , is how all of these banks and financial institutions are not only laundering trillions , but are doing so together and in consort with each other , as is plainly demonstrated in the 1MDB fraud case .
Most publications point the finger at JP Morgan Chase as the entity that moved more than $ 1 Billion for Jho Low , one of the 1MDB ’ s central figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role of Goldman Sachs , which orchestrated a significant part of the scheme that defrauded the Malaysian people and led to criminal charges against 17 of its current and former executives , including Goldman Sachs former vice-chairman and now president of Chinese mega eCommerce platform Alibaba , Michael Evans .
The Malaysian government recently agreed to drop charges against Goldman Sachs after a $ 2.5 Billion-dollar settlement was reached with the giant investment bank ; nearly a fourth of the $ 10.5 billion-dollar debt hole it created for Malaysia ’ s ruling coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure projects .
Deutsche Bank was also involved in the multi-pronged attack of the Western financial vultures on the Malay through the provision of hundreds of millions in stock-buy-back loans through the 1MDB fund for the former prime minister , who was convicted in July of graft .
The ostensible purpose of the 1MDB fund was to finance infrastructure projects , like the oil and gas pipeline projects shelved as a result .
But , according to a report by Business Insider , the money “ veered into lavish spending , ” such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fittingly , to the production of the “ The Wolf of Wall Street ” – a story about the unmitigated fraud and graft that the very same people and institutions ensnared in this scandal carry out day in and day out .
It is reported that former Goldman Sachs CEO , Lloyd Blankfein , met with the disgraced Malaysian PM and the fugitive businessman , Jho Low , before the fund ’ s debut in 2009 .
Another lawsuit brought against Goldman Sachs details the investment bank ’ s “ central role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of An Abu Dhabi wealth fund called International Petroleum Investment Corporation and its subsidiary , Aabar Investments , which partnered with the 1MDB , calling it “ a massive , international conspiracy to embezzle billions of dollars.
” Few can argue with that characterization , but as the chickens come home to roost , it is important to keep an eye on who gets exposed and who doesn ’ t ; who gets punished and who doesn ’ t .
The FinCEN Files are meant to draw most of the attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a premeditated hit on one of the lynchpins of the prevailing financial structure .
Much like Lehman Brothers and Bear Sterns were sacrificed for the subprime mortgage crisis and opened the door for even greater consolidation among the “ too-big-to-fail ” banks , a calculated take-down of Deutsch Bank will , no doubt , allow for a similar consolidation to occur at a far larger scale .
Feature photo | The towers of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt , Germany .
Michael Probst | AP

Deutsche Bank, along with several of the world’s biggest commercial banks, are embroiled in a global money laundering scandal that spans over two decades, as documents leaked to BuzzFeed show the movement of $2 Trillion in illicit cash through the Western banking establishment.
The cache of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) detailing years of potentially illegal banking transactions were shared with 108 news organizations in 88 countries, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). These records are a requirement for any financial institution that engages in dollar-denominated transactions anywhere in the world and are filed with the Treasury Department’s intelligence unit, the Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network or FinCEN.
The more than 2,100 SARs released to the press are considered “historical” documents by the implicated banks, who responded with their usual Pontius Pilate routine when reached for comment by the media and washed their hands of the matter by claiming to have fulfilled their legal obligation before the U.S. Treasury “as part of our partnership with regulators and law enforcement to protect the global financial system,” as a Deutsche Bank statement puts it.
The Trump-linked German bank is, by far, the most beset by the suspicious activity records totaling well over half of the $2 Trillion-dollar sum the FinCEN Files trace, with approximately $1.3 Trillion of it moving through the scandal-plagued financial institution. Most of the press coverage in the U.S., so far, has focused on the ties to Russian oligarchs and assorted narratives that are hovering over election-year American political discourse. Deutsche Bank’s central role, nevertheless, betrays a far greater problem as the bank’s potential collapse could send the financial world into a tailspin and result in the greatest economic crisis in history.
1MDB
As European bank stocks tumble amid the revelations, FinCEN condemned the unlawful disclosure of the SARs to the press and warned that it could “impact the national security of the United States.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department is in the middle of the largest asset-recovery effort in U.S. history, filing its latest complaint regarding $300 Million the department is attempting to recover for an $11.7 Billion Malaysian sovereign wealth fund called 1MDB, one of the major cases highlighted by ICIJ in its report on the leaked SARs.
Absent from most coverage of the FinCEN leaks, however, is how all of these banks and financial institutions are not only laundering trillions, but are doing so together and in consort with each other, as is plainly demonstrated in the 1MDB fraud case. Most publications point the finger at JP Morgan Chase as the entity that moved more than $1 Billion for Jho Low, one of the 1MDB’s central figures, but they fail to mention the role of Goldman Sachs, which orchestrated a significant part of the scheme that defrauded the Malaysian people and led to criminal charges against 17 of its current and former executives, including Goldman Sachs former vice-chairman and now president of Chinese mega eCommerce platform Alibaba, Michael Evans.
The Malaysian government recently agreed to drop charges against Goldman Sachs after a $2.5 Billion-dollar settlement was reached with the giant investment bank; nearly a fourth of the $10.5 billion-dollar debt hole it created for Malaysia’s ruling coalition, resulting in the cancelation of major infrastructure projects. Deutsche Bank was also involved in the multi-pronged attack of the Western financial vultures on the Malay through the provision of hundreds of millions in stock-buy-back loans through the 1MDB fund for the former prime minister, who was convicted in July of graft.
A Hit Job?
The ostensible purpose of the 1MDB fund was to finance infrastructure projects, like the oil and gas pipeline projects shelved as a result. But, according to a report by Business Insider, the money “veered into lavish spending,” such as art purchases, and, quite fittingly, to the production of the “The Wolf of Wall Street” – a story about the unmitigated fraud and graft that the very same people and institutions ensnared in this scandal carry out day in and day out.
It is reported that former Goldman Sachs CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, met with the disgraced Malaysian PM and the fugitive businessman, Jho Low, before the fund’s debut in 2009. Another lawsuit brought against Goldman Sachs details the investment bank’s “central role in a long-running effort to corrupt former executives” of An Abu Dhabi wealth fund called International Petroleum Investment Corporation and its subsidiary, Aabar Investments, which partnered with the 1MDB, calling it “a massive, international conspiracy to embezzle billions of dollars.”
Few can argue with that characterization, but as the chickens come home to roost, it is important to keep an eye on who gets exposed and who doesn’t; who gets punished and who doesn’t. The FinCEN Files are meant to draw most of the attention to Deutsche Bank and has all the hallmarks of a premeditated hit on one of the lynchpins of the prevailing financial structure. Much like Lehman Brothers and Bear Sterns were sacrificed for the subprime mortgage crisis and opened the door for even greater consolidation among the “too-big-to-fail” banks, a calculated take-down of Deutsch Bank will, no doubt, allow for a similar consolidation to occur at a far larger scale.
Feature photo | The towers of the Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. Michael Probst | AP
Raul Diego is a MintPress News Staff Writer, independent photojournalist, researcher, writer and documentary filmmaker.