mintpressnews--2020-03-30--Chewed Up and Spit Out: What Happens to Veterans When They Retire?

The phrase “ military-industrial complex ” is thrown around a lot .
But the fact remains that the United States spends almost as much on war as the rest of the world combined .
American troops are stationed in around 150 countries in around foreign 800 military bases ; nobody seems to know the precise figure .
Depending on the definition used , the United States has been at war for up to 227 of its 244-year history .
Endless war , of course , requires an endless torrent of warriors , sacrificing their liberty , safety and blood in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are lauded as heroes , with constant parades and ceremonies across America to “ honor ” and “ salute ” servicemen .
But once enlisted , for many , the profession does not seem so heroic .
The brutality of the job – being sent around the world to kill – takes its toll .
Only 17 percent of active duty members of the military stick around long enough to earn any pension whatsoever .
And once they leave , often with terrible physical and emotional scars , they are frequently completely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A consequence of permanent war is an ongoing epidemic in veterans ’ suicides .
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs ( VA ) , 6-7,000 American veterans kill themselves every year – a rate of almost one every hour .
More soldiers die from their own hands than in combat .
Since its inception in 2007 , the Veterans Crisis Line has answered nearly 4.4 million calls on the topic .
To understand the phenomenon , MintPress spoke to David Swanson , Executive Director of World Beyond War .
“ Veterans disproportionately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injuries , and moral injury , PTSD , and lack of career prospects .
All of these factors contribute to homelessness in a heartless capitalist society .
All of them contribute to despair and misery .
And they especially lead to suicide when combined with another thing veterans disproportionately have : access to and familiarity with guns , ” he said .
Suicide with a firearm is far more likely to succeed than other methods like poisoning or suffocation .
Figures from the VA show that fewer than half of non-veteran suicides are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of veterans use a firearm to take their own life .
“ What the VA , and other studies and research has shown , is that there is a direct link between combat and suicide in veterans and that issues of guilt , regret , shame , etc .
occur over and over again in these studies of veterans .
Links certainly exist between traumatic brain injury , PTSD and other mental health issues in suicide in combat veterans , but the primary indicator of suicidality in war veterans seems to be moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and regret ” said Matthew Hoh , a veteran of both Afghanistan and Iraq .
In 2009 , he resigned his position with the State Department in protest over the escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan .
Hoh has been open about struggling with suicidal thoughts since leaving .
Killing does not come naturally to human beings .
Even working in a slaughterhouse , where employees kill endless lines of animals , takes an extreme psychological toll , the job is linked to far higher rates of PTSD , domestic abuse and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of military training can truly inoculate humans from the horror of killing other people .
Data suggests the longer you spend in the military and the more time in war zones , the higher the likelihood that you will eventually take your own life .
Like a virus , the longer you are exposed to battle , the more likely you are to succumb to the illness of depression , PTSD and suicide .
There appears to be no sure cure , only prevention in the first place .
While male veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own lives than men who have never served , female veterans are over five times more likely to commit suicide on average ( the disparities between veterans and non-veterans used to be greater , but a steep rise in suicides across America has reduced the ratios ) .
Hoh suggests a contributing factor could be the high rates of rape and sexual assault in the military .
The figures are indeed startling : a Pentagon study found that 10 percent of active-duty women were raped , and a further 13 percent were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Those figures are consistent with a 2012 Defense Department survey that found nearly a quarter of servicewomen had been sexually assaulted at least once on the job .
The homeless vet has been a staple character in American life and society for over a century .
Although the VA claim their numbers are decreasing , an estimated 37,085 veterans still experienced homelessness in January 2019 , the last time the figure was counted .
“ I think the same issues that give rise to suicide in veterans also contribute to homelessness , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thrive in a regimented , cohesive , team-driven environment like the military face huge problems to do with isolation and a lack of structure once demobilized .
And having to deal with often-undiagnosed trauma alone can be devastating .
Hoh was only diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and a neurological-cognitive disorder in 2016 , many years after leaving the armed forces .
“ The military glorifies alcohol use , which may lead to later substance abuse , and , despite its recruiting propaganda , does a poor job of providing many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or trade that can be utilized upon leaving the military , ” he told MintPress .
“ People who are mechanics or vehicle drivers in the military find that when they leave the military their qualifications and training in the military do not transition into civilian certifications , licenses or qualifications .
This can have an impact on finding or holding employment , ” he said , accusing the armed forces of intentionally making it difficult for former soldiers to transition into civilian professions to aid retention .
Disabilities also contribute to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the risk of homelessness .
Overall , Hoh says , the military does a great job of shaping and disciplining young people of all races , teaching them skills and responsibility .
“ But the end result of it all is to kill people.
” For that reason , he recommends young people with a thirst to prove themselves and a passion for adventure join the fire department or perhaps become a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard .
Where will the next American war take place ?
If you could bet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the favorite .
At a recent anti-war rally in Los Angeles , former U.S. army veteran Mike Prysner warned the crowd about his experiences : My generation went through the Iraq War .
What did they teach us that you need to know now ?
That number one : They will lie .
They will lie about why we need to go to war , just like they did then .
They will lie to you .
And guess what ?
When that war starts going bad for them , as it inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start dying , what are they going to do ?
They are going to keep lying and they are going to send more of you to die , because they don ’ t want to take responsibility .
But they ’ re not getting their legs blown off or have any kids on the battlefield , so they don ’ t care.
” He also cautioned those listening to what awaited veterans like him when they returned : On January 3 , Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian general and statesman Qassem Soleimani @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing a number of ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq .
Despite the Iraqi parliament passing a unanimous resolution demanding all American troops leave , backed by a demonstration of 2.5 million people in Baghdad , the U.S. announced it would send thousands of more troops to the region , building three new bases on the Iraq/Iran border .
In the midst of the COVID–19 pandemic racking the Islamic Republic , Trump has announced new sanctions that further block Iran procuring life-saving medicines and medical supplies .
“ The US , backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the other Gulf monarchies , will use any reason to launch attacks against Iran , ” Hoh said .
“ The best thing the Iranians can do is wait for November .
Don ’ t give Trump and the Republicans the war they can use to distract from COVID–19.
” Swanson was equally condemnatory of his government ’ s actions .
“ The United States is behaving as the worst neighbor in the global neighborhood , ” he said .
“ Perhaps the U.S. public , observing the Senatorial insider trading and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the true depths of the evil behind U.S. foreign policy.
” An enormous 22 million Americans have served in the armed forces .
While the military is constantly glamorized in public life , the reality for many is that , once they are of no use to the military-industrial-complex , they are dumped like trash on a curb .
With little support , once they leave , many , unable to deal with the realities of what they have had to endure , end up taking their own lives , chewed up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine , hungry for more blood , more war , and more profits .
Feature photo | Rain falls on statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington , March 25 , 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grayzone , Jacobin Magazine , Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary .

The phrase “military-industrial complex” is thrown around a lot. But the fact remains that the United States spends almost as much on war as the rest of the world combined. American troops are stationed in around 150 countries in around foreign 800 military bases; nobody seems to know the precise figure. Depending on the definition used, the United States has been at war for up to 227 of its 244-year history.
Endless war, of course, requires an endless torrent of warriors, sacrificing their liberty, safety and blood in the pursuit of empire. These soldiers are lauded as heroes, with constant parades and ceremonies across America to “honor” and “salute” servicemen. But once enlisted, for many, the profession does not seem so heroic. The brutality of the job – being sent around the world to kill – takes its toll. Only 17 percent of active duty members of the military stick around long enough to earn any pension whatsoever. And once they leave, often with terrible physical and emotional scars, they are frequently completely on their own to deal with it.
A consequence of permanent war is an ongoing epidemic in veterans’ suicides. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 6-7,000 American veterans kill themselves every year – a rate of almost one every hour. More soldiers die from their own hands than in combat. Since its inception in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered nearly 4.4 million calls on the topic.
To understand the phenomenon, MintPress spoke to David Swanson, Executive Director of World Beyond War.
“Veterans disproportionately suffer from physical injuries, including brain injuries, and moral injury, PTSD, and lack of career prospects. All of these factors contribute to homelessness in a heartless capitalist society. All of them contribute to despair and misery. And they especially lead to suicide when combined with another thing veterans disproportionately have: access to and familiarity with guns,” he said.
Suicide with a firearm is far more likely to succeed than other methods like poisoning or suffocation. Figures from the VA show that fewer than half of non-veteran suicides are with guns, but well over two-thirds of veterans use a firearm to take their own life.
“What the VA, and other studies and research has shown, is that there is a direct link between combat and suicide in veterans and that issues of guilt, regret, shame, etc. occur over and over again in these studies of veterans. Links certainly exist between traumatic brain injury, PTSD and other mental health issues in suicide in combat veterans, but the primary indicator of suicidality in war veterans seems to be moral injury, i.e. guilt, shame, and regret” said Matthew Hoh, a veteran of both Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2009, he resigned his position with the State Department in protest over the escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan. Hoh has been open about struggling with suicidal thoughts since leaving.
Killing does not come naturally to human beings. Even working in a slaughterhouse, where employees kill endless lines of animals, takes an extreme psychological toll, the job is linked to far higher rates of PTSD, domestic abuse and drug and alcohol issues. But no amount of military training can truly inoculate humans from the horror of killing other people. Data suggests the longer you spend in the military and the more time in war zones, the higher the likelihood that you will eventually take your own life. Like a virus, the longer you are exposed to battle, the more likely you are to succumb to the illness of depression, PTSD and suicide. There appears to be no sure cure, only prevention in the first place.
While male veterans are 50 percent more likely to take their own lives than men who have never served, female veterans are over five times more likely to commit suicide on average (the disparities between veterans and non-veterans used to be greater, but a steep rise in suicides across America has reduced the ratios). Hoh suggests a contributing factor could be the high rates of rape and sexual assault in the military. The figures are indeed startling: a Pentagon study found that 10 percent of active-duty women were raped, and a further 13 percent were subjected to other unwanted sexual contact. Those figures are consistent with a 2012 Defense Department survey that found nearly a quarter of servicewomen had been sexually assaulted at least once on the job.
The Walking Dead
The homeless vet has been a staple character in American life and society for over a century. Although the VA claim their numbers are decreasing, an estimated 37,085 veterans still experienced homelessness in January 2019, the last time the figure was counted. “I think the same issues that give rise to suicide in veterans also contribute to homelessness,” said Hoh, suggesting that many who thrive in a regimented, cohesive, team-driven environment like the military face huge problems to do with isolation and a lack of structure once demobilized. And having to deal with often-undiagnosed trauma alone can be devastating. Hoh was only diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and a neurological-cognitive disorder in 2016, many years after leaving the armed forces.
“The military glorifies alcohol use, which may lead to later substance abuse, and, despite its recruiting propaganda, does a poor job of providing many people who join the military with a skill or trade that can be utilized upon leaving the military,” he told MintPress. “People who are mechanics or vehicle drivers in the military find that when they leave the military their qualifications and training in the military do not transition into civilian certifications, licenses or qualifications. This can have an impact on finding or holding employment,” he said, accusing the armed forces of intentionally making it difficult for former soldiers to transition into civilian professions to aid retention.
Disabilities also contribute to a lack of employment opportunities, further adding to the risk of homelessness. Overall, Hoh says, the military does a great job of shaping and disciplining young people of all races, teaching them skills and responsibility. “But the end result of it all is to kill people.” For that reason, he recommends young people with a thirst to prove themselves and a passion for adventure join the fire department or perhaps become a rescue swimmer for the Coast Guard.
Future Wars
Where will the next American war take place? If you could bet on such things, Iran might be the favorite. At a recent anti-war rally in Los Angeles, former U.S. army veteran Mike Prysner warned the crowd about his experiences:
My generation went through the Iraq War. What did they teach us that you need to know now? That number one: They will lie. They will lie about why we need to go to war, just like they did then. They will lie to you. And guess what? When that war starts going bad for them, as it inevitably will, and a lot of us start dying, what are they going to do? They are going to keep lying and they are going to send more of you to die, because they don’t want to take responsibility. But they’re not getting their legs blown off or have any kids on the battlefield, so they don’t care.”
He also cautioned those listening to what awaited veterans like him when they returned:
When you come home wounded, injured, traumatized, what are they going to do, are they going to help you? No. They’re going to punish you, ridicule you, kick you to the curb. These politicians have shown they don’t care if you hang yourself in your closet when you get back. They don’t care if you go out to the woods and shoot yourself. They don’t care if you end up on the streets right here in Skid Row. They have proven they do not care about our lives and they have no right to dictate any control over our lives.”
On January 3, Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian general and statesman Qassem Soleimani via drone strike. Iran responded by firing a number of ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq. Despite the Iraqi parliament passing a unanimous resolution demanding all American troops leave, backed by a demonstration of 2.5 million people in Baghdad, the U.S. announced it would send thousands of more troops to the region, building three new bases on the Iraq/Iran border. In the midst of the COVID–19 pandemic racking the Islamic Republic, Trump has announced new sanctions that further block Iran procuring life-saving medicines and medical supplies.
“The US, backed by the UK, Israel, Saudis and the other Gulf monarchies, will use any reason to launch attacks against Iran,” Hoh said. “The best thing the Iranians can do is wait for November. Don’t give Trump and the Republicans the war they can use to distract from COVID–19.” Swanson was equally condemnatory of his government’s actions. “The United States is behaving as the worst neighbor in the global neighborhood,” he said. “Perhaps the U.S. public, observing the Senatorial insider trading and presidential sociopathy, will gain some inkling into the true depths of the evil behind U.S. foreign policy.”
An enormous 22 million Americans have served in the armed forces. While the military is constantly glamorized in public life, the reality for many is that, once they are of no use to the military-industrial-complex, they are dumped like trash on a curb. With little support, once they leave, many, unable to deal with the realities of what they have had to endure, end up taking their own lives, chewed up and spat out by a relentless war machine, hungry for more blood, more war, and more profits.
Feature photo | Rain falls on statues at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, March 25, 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--2020-03-30--Beyond Chutzpah: the Hypocrisy of US Nacroterrorism Charges Against Venezuela

According to the parable , the ungrateful son takes out a life insurance policy on his parents , murders them to collect , and is caught and found guilty .
At his sentencing , the judge asks if he has anything to say on his behalf .
The son replies : “ Have mercy upon me because I am an orphan.
” That ’ s chutzpah .
U.S. Attorney General Barr ’ s indictments on March 26 against the government of Venezuela for narcoterrorism go beyond chutzpah .
For starters , William P. Barr was chief counsel for the CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1980s for running illicit drugs and related narco-terrorism during Iran-Contra .
The U.S. charges of drug trafficking against Venezuela are the height of hypocrisy .
The world ’ s leading source of heroin is U.S.-occupied Afghanistan and the U.S. is the world ’ s largest cocaine market .
The president of Honduras , Juan Orlando Hernández ( JOH ) , is the latest in a line of corrupt presidents since the 2009 U.S.-backed coup there .
JOH was identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in October by a US federal court for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the U.S. Colombia is the chief regional U.S. client state , distinguished by being the largest recipient of U.S. military aid in the hemisphere .
Hillary Clinton called Plan Colombia a model for Latin America .
Yet this model is the planet ’ s largest supplier of illicit cocaine .
And that ’ s only scratching the surface of U.S. history of complicity in international narcotrafficking .
The false criminal charges by the U.S. government against fourteen high-ranking Venezuelan officials are for alleged involvement in international drug trafficking .
The U.S. government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 15 million bounty on Venezuelan President Maduro and bounties of $ 10 million each for the head of the National Constituent Assembly and other leading officials and former officials .
Thirty years ago , the U.S. posted a $ 1 million reward on the head of Manuel Noriega , then president of Panama , on charges of narcotrafficking .
Noriega had long been a U.S. security asset assisting in the CIA ’ s dirty Contra war against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua .
Noriega had also used his U.S. patronage to consolidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his ties with Colombian drug cartels .
However , toward the end of his tenure , Noriega did not demonstrate a sufficient level of servility to his U.S. handlers and was deposed in the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989 , taking the lives of many uncounted civilians .
As RT warns : “ The US indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his subordinates on narcotrafficking charges echoes the rationale used to invade Panama and kidnap its leader.
” Unlike the Noriega case , where the Panamanian president was convicted of massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection of the CIA and other security agencies , the U.S. lacks evidence against the Venezuelans .
The U.S. claims that Venezuelan officials are conspiring to “ flood the United States with cocaine ” are thoroughly groundless .
Even the Washington Office on Latin America ( WOLA ) , a Washington-based think tank that supports regime change in Venezuela , found in a recent detailed report using the U.S. government ’ s own data that the facts do not support such bogus claims .
The authoritative U.S. interagency Consolidated Counterdrug Database reports , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S.-bound cocaine is trafficked through western Caribbean and eastern Pacific routes , not through Venezuela ’ s eastern Caribbean coast .
Over six times as much cocaine flowed through the U.S.-allied Guatemala than Venezuela in 2018 .
Yes , some illicit drugs do flow through Venezuela – a minor amount compared to those emanating from U.S. client states – but the culprits are criminal gangs that the very indicted officials are fighting .
The coca is grown and manufactured into cocaine in neighboring Colombia , not Venezuela .
While supporting U.S. government actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizes : “ Venezuela ’ s state institutions have deteriorated…In this environment , armed groups and organized criminal structures , including drug trafficking groups , have thrived.
” Yet WOLA ’ s conclusion is : “ US government data suggests that , despite these challenges , Venezuela is not a primary transit country for US-bound cocaine .
US policy toward Venezuela should be predicated on a realistic understanding of the transnational drug trade.
” The indictments against the government of Venezuela are a ramping up of a policy of regime change .
Ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuela in 1998 and launched the Bolivarian Revolution , the hostile U.S. government has floated consistently unsubstantiated accusations of narcotrafficking .
More recently the Trump administration has sought to replace the democratically elected president of Venezuela with a U.S.-chosen and groomed security asset .
Juan Guaidó , the man anointed by Trump to be president of Venezuela , had never run for the presidency , nor served as president .
He was unknown to 81 percent of the Venezuelan population at the time of his self-declaration as president .
Besides these dubious qualifications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug cartel and paramilitary group known as Los Rastrojos and even posed for pictures with some of their operatives , which were posted on Twitter .
The ever-tightening unilateral coercive measures on Venezuela by the U.S. have created a blockade , costing Venezuela over 100,000 lives .
Sanctions are not an alternative to war but an economic form of warfare and just as deadly .
As such , unilateral economic sanctions are an explicit violation of international law under the charters of the United Nations and the Organization of American States and even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not alone .
The rogue empire ’ s sanctions now blight a third of the world ’ s population in 39 countries .
This latest escalation of the U.S. hybrid war against Venezuela takes place within the context of the global coronavirus pandemic , which the U.S. empire sees as an opportunity to further attack the Venezuelan people made more vulnerable by the health crisis .
Indeed , the State Department has declared “ Maximum-pressure March ” against Venezuela .
In service of the empire , Twitter has closed the accounts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , education , and housing .
Meanwhile , Cuba , Russia , and China are all materially supporting the Maduro government ’ s successful efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Venezuela .
In contrast to this internationalist solidarity , the U.S. is in the midst of the largest war games in 25 years , Defend Europe 20 , in contravention of World Health Organization quarantine protocols .
Words can not sufficiently describe the inhumane perfidy of the U.S. empire ’ s response to the pandemic .
This should be a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsupported indictments against President Maduro and other Venezuelan officials , to lift the inhumane and illegal sanctions on Venezuela so that Venezuela can purchase medicines and equipment to better fight the coronavirus pandemic and to restore normal relations with Venezuela based on respect for national sovereignty .
Feature photo | A man wearing a face mask as a precaution amid the spread of the new coronavirus passes a mural that in Spanish reads ” No more Trump ” in Caracas , Venezuela , March 27 , 2020 .
Ariana Cubillos | APm Roger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Americas , a human rights group working in solidarity with the social justice movements in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1985 .

According to the parable, the ungrateful son takes out a life insurance policy on his parents, murders them to collect, and is caught and found guilty. At his sentencing, the judge asks if he has anything to say on his behalf. The son replies: “Have mercy upon me because I am an orphan.” That’s chutzpah.
U.S. Attorney General Barr’s indictments on March 26 against the government of Venezuela for narcoterrorism go beyond chutzpah. For starters, William P. Barr was chief counsel for the CIA airline, Southern Air Transport, implicated in the 1980s for running illicit drugs and related narco-terrorism during Iran-Contra.
The U.S. charges of drug trafficking against Venezuela are the height of hypocrisy. The world’s leading source of heroin is U.S.-occupied Afghanistan and the U.S. is the world’s largest cocaine market.
The president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), is the latest in a line of corrupt presidents since the 2009 U.S.-backed coup there. JOH was identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in October by a US federal court for smuggling millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the U.S.
Colombia is the chief regional U.S. client state, distinguished by being the largest recipient of U.S. military aid in the hemisphere. Hillary Clinton called Plan Colombia a model for Latin America. Yet this model is the planet’s largest supplier of illicit cocaine. And that’s only scratching the surface of U.S. history of complicity in international narcotrafficking.
The false criminal charges by the U.S. government against fourteen high-ranking Venezuelan officials are for alleged involvement in international drug trafficking. The U.S. government has, in effect, put a $15 million bounty on Venezuelan President Maduro and bounties of $10 million each for the head of the National Constituent Assembly and other leading officials and former officials.
Thirty years ago, the U.S. posted a $1 million reward on the head of Manuel Noriega, then president of Panama, on charges of narcotrafficking. Noriega had long been a U.S. security asset assisting in the CIA’s dirty Contra war against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Noriega had also used his U.S. patronage to consolidate his rule in Panama as well as his ties with Colombian drug cartels. However, toward the end of his tenure, Noriega did not demonstrate a sufficient level of servility to his U.S. handlers and was deposed in the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, taking the lives of many uncounted civilians.
As RT warns: “The US indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his subordinates on narcotrafficking charges echoes the rationale used to invade Panama and kidnap its leader.” Unlike the Noriega case, where the Panamanian president was convicted of massive drug trafficking with the knowledge and full protection of the CIA and other security agencies, the U.S. lacks evidence against the Venezuelans.
The U.S. claims that Venezuelan officials are conspiring to “flood the United States with cocaine” are thoroughly groundless. Even the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a Washington-based think tank that supports regime change in Venezuela, found in a recent detailed report using the U.S. government’s own data that the facts do not support such bogus claims.
The authoritative U.S. interagency Consolidated Counterdrug Database reports, in fact, that 93 percent of U.S.-bound cocaine is trafficked through western Caribbean and eastern Pacific routes, not through Venezuela’s eastern Caribbean coast. Over six times as much cocaine flowed through the U.S.-allied Guatemala than Venezuela in 2018.
Yes, some illicit drugs do flow through Venezuela – a minor amount compared to those emanating from U.S. client states – but the culprits are criminal gangs that the very indicted officials are fighting. The coca is grown and manufactured into cocaine in neighboring Colombia, not Venezuela. While supporting U.S. government actions to undermine Venezuelan state institutions, WOLA recognizes: “Venezuela’s state institutions have deteriorated…In this environment, armed groups and organized criminal structures, including drug trafficking groups, have thrived.”
Yet WOLA’s conclusion is: “US government data suggests that, despite these challenges, Venezuela is not a primary transit country for US-bound cocaine. US policy toward Venezuela should be predicated on a realistic understanding of the transnational drug trade.”
The indictments against the government of Venezuela are a ramping up of a policy of regime change. Ever since Hugo Chávez was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 and launched the Bolivarian Revolution, the hostile U.S. government has floated consistently unsubstantiated accusations of narcotrafficking.
More recently the Trump administration has sought to replace the democratically elected president of Venezuela with a U.S.-chosen and groomed security asset. Juan Guaidó, the man anointed by Trump to be president of Venezuela, had never run for the presidency, nor served as president. He was unknown to 81 percent of the Venezuelan population at the time of his self-declaration as president. Besides these dubious qualifications, Guaidó collaborated with the right-wing Colombian drug cartel and paramilitary group known as Los Rastrojos and even posed for pictures with some of their operatives, which were posted on Twitter.
The ever-tightening unilateral coercive measures on Venezuela by the U.S. have created a blockade, costing Venezuela over 100,000 lives. Sanctions are not an alternative to war but an economic form of warfare and just as deadly. As such, unilateral economic sanctions are an explicit violation of international law under the charters of the United Nations and the Organization of American States and even under U.S. law.
Unfortunately, Venezuela is not alone. The rogue empire’s sanctions now blight a third of the world’s population in 39 countries.
This latest escalation of the U.S. hybrid war against Venezuela takes place within the context of the global coronavirus pandemic, which the U.S. empire sees as an opportunity to further attack the Venezuelan people made more vulnerable by the health crisis. Indeed, the State Department has declared “Maximum-pressure March” against Venezuela. In service of the empire, Twitter has closed the accounts of the Venezuelan ministries of health, science, education, and housing.
Meanwhile, Cuba, Russia, and China are all materially supporting the Maduro government’s successful efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in Venezuela. In contrast to this internationalist solidarity, the U.S. is in the midst of the largest war games in 25 years, Defend Europe 20, in contravention of World Health Organization quarantine protocols.
Words cannot sufficiently describe the inhumane perfidy of the U.S. empire’s response to the pandemic. This should be a time for the U.S. government to drop the unsupported indictments against President Maduro and other Venezuelan officials, to lift the inhumane and illegal sanctions on Venezuela so that Venezuela can purchase medicines and equipment to better fight the coronavirus pandemic and to restore normal relations with Venezuela based on respect for national sovereignty.
Feature photo | A man wearing a face mask as a precaution amid the spread of the new coronavirus passes a mural that in Spanish reads ” No more Trump” in Caracas, Venezuela, March 27, 2020. Ariana Cubillos | APm
Roger D. Harris is with the Task Force on the Americas, a human rights group working in solidarity with the social justice movements in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1985.


mintpressnews--2020-03-30--Lee Camp: Nationalism is Making the Coronavirus Outbreak Much Worse

Something every American takes for granted has made the coronavirus outbreak much worse .
That thing sits ingrained in our minds since we could barely take two steps without a face full of carpet .
But before I get to that , let ’ s set the scene .
I don ’ t have to tell you that things are bad .
We ’ re in the middle of a global pandemic , our economy ( based almost completely on everyone buying things they don ’ t need at prices they can ’ t afford ) has tanked , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment , and perhaps scariest of all – World Wrestling Entertainment has continued performing some of their events despite the lack of an audience .
If you thought watching emotionally stunted men with oily saran-wrap skin pulsing with steroids grab each other in bear hugs while whispering sweet nothings into each other ’ s ears was strange with a live audience of thousands screaming for blood , then you can ’ t imagine the level of bizarre it reaches without anyone there .
It seems oddly romantic now .
It feels like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tongue kiss at any moment .
And I ’ m not sure the world doesn ’ t need that kind of passion right about now .
Although there ’ s also something reassuring about the fact that even in these stark times sweaty angry hugging men persist .
I like to think that when the cockroaches reign supreme , weeds grow up through the remnants of the roads and playgrounds and shopping malls and hot stone massage parlors , the final humans live in underground bunkers dressed in gas-mask chic ( mainly grays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color in the glasses rims or the neck tattoos or the homemade battle axe sheaths ) , and the economy is based on Gross Domestic Protein Pellets ( the only remaining food source ) – even THEN , the professional bulky men will continue to perform stunning aerial traumatic brain injuries for the joy and excitement of whoever ’ s left .
( This would presuppose no one informed said men the TV cameras had been cannibalized for parts 10 years prior . )
Point is – things are bad right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last detail about Coronavirus , which is why I ’ m not going to give you those .
Instead , I want to focus on a hidden story , a taboo topic your mainstream media anchors would sooner eat their own neck ties than discuss .
This pandemic has been made worse and continues to be made worse by toxic nationalism , ironic considering the virus truly doesn ’ t give a shit about our borders .
It doesn ’ t care if you put up a fence or you speak a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from somewhere else or you got circumcised in a ceremony with a shaman and some bagpipes and a bucket of ripe mangoes .
Yet again we ’ re letting our human delusions dictate our response to a physical world completely unaware of and unyielding to such fairy tales .
Acting like nationalism matters when facing a killer disease is like trying to combat a phalanx of sword-wielding samurais with nothing but nostalgia .
When the coronavirus was first talked about in the U.S. , our government and media used it as a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the fuel for racism .
Our nation ’ s best propaganda outlet , The New York Times ( I mean that with all disrespect ) , put it this way – “ To Tame Coronavirus , Mao-style Social Control Blankets China.
” Oh , social control ?
They mean like – “ Everyone stays six feet away from everyone else .
No one go to a restaurant or bar or visit your grandparents or wave hi to an old person on a bus .
Don ’ t travel anywhere .
Thou shalt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covet thy neighbor ’ s ass.
” You mean like that kind of social control ?
You mean the restrictions we Americans now abide by ?
I ’ m sorry , fearless Times writers , but racism is not your best bet against a raging disease .
Very few “ -isms ” stop ultramicroscopic metabolically inert infectious agents .
I myself have tried using Buddhism , sadomasochism , feudalism , autoerotic asphyxiation , and antidisestablishmentarianism .
They ’ ve all let me down .
Although the feudalism did show some promise against a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a child .
Yet , our ruling elite continues to act as if this is an issue of nations .
In fact , our buffoon of a president continues to call it “ The Chinese Virus ” because he ’ s a very simple-minded man .
He can only think in terms of “ bad ” and “ good.
” He thinks “ China bad.
” So telling him that a virus doesn ’ t care about anyone ’ s nationality fails to compute for him .
The two sickly hamsters neglecting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cranium look at each other for a brief moment and then go back to licking their asses .
Our Salamander-in-Chief can not comprehend that China has actually succeeded in slowing down this virus and their actions helped buy America valuable extra time before it spread to our shores .
Even The New York Times , our Propaganda-in-Chief , finally admitted “ China Bought the West Time .
The West Squandered It.
” This is one of the Times ’ patented come-to-Jesus moments when they suddenly pull a 180 , tires squealing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks if not months if not years before .
They ’ ve performed this same maneuver with WMD in Iraq , the harms of climate change , the lack of harms of marijuana , police brutality , sexual harassment in the workplace , whether women must ride horses “ side saddle , ” and whether the “ Matrix ” is any good .
This latest about-face on China will not last , just as none of their various awakenings actually change the intent of the corporate media .
It ’ s more of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that racist shit we printed a month ago .
We ’ ve completely changed our ways… until a week from now when we ’ ll go back to pushing for white supremacist wars in which the American military excitedly blows up Arab people.
” I think the point I ’ m trying to make is that talking about how one country is better or worse or weaker or whatever during this pandemic is like if a herd of angry rhinos was stampeding toward you and you just kept yelling that you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to you .
Right now – this moment – is a horrible and also crucial time .
It ’ s showing us not just the incredibly ridiculous flaws in capitalism , but it ’ s also demonstrating our shared humanity .
We must join together , fight this thing , and shed our toxic nationalism .
But our sociopathic leaders won ’ t dare do that .
MintPress News , along with other outlets , is reporting that in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak America has actually cranked up the heat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leonardo Flores wrote , “ US sanctions on Venezuela have already forced the country to spend three times as much for testing kits as non-sanctioned countries.
” On top of that , the Justice Department just put a $ 15 million bounty on President Nicolas Maduro ’ s head .
Iran has also suffered tremendously because of our sanctions on them .
They can ’ t deal with the virus appropriately without the medical supplies – and two weeks ago Google pulled Iran ’ s official app meant to help their people deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ specifically to harm Iranians ; perhaps they were jealous Iran has an app to help fight the virus while all we seem to have is a squirt gun filled with Purell and a strict order against high-fives .
Basically , our government officials and the tech company execs lying sticky and prone in bed with them want to make sure as many people die from coronavirus as possible – in Iran and Venezuela and North Korea and any other countries we don ’ t like because those countries refuse to freely cough up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metals or independence .
But I can ’ t stress this enough : The virus doesn ’ t care where the fuck you ’ re from .
Some countries have figured this out , turning to other nations for help .
A couple of weeks ago Cuban and Chinese doctors showed up in Italy to aid their health officials .
As Telesur reported , Cuba has the interferon Alpha-2B , which is a powerful treatment for the virus , and China has shown the ability to overcome the infections .
But here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on your mainstream outlets and all your corporate assholets .
Here ’ s something that ’ s forbidden : Maybe – just maybe – this pandemic shows us it ’ s time to evolve past the idea of NATIONS .
We act like nations are a given – as if there ’ s no other way to organize our species , no other way to behave except to have your flag ’ s colors tattooed across your nipples and your national anthem burned into your soft mushy brain matter .
But in fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way we humans have divided ourselves .
The idea of nations isn ’ t even particularly old .
When we think of ideas or manners of behaving that have withstood the test of time so much so they seem to be common sense , we think of actions and beliefs that are thousands of years old .
That list includes walking on two legs , carrying your infant around , having sex , defending yourself , building shelter , cooking food , and yanking excess hair off your body ( mainly out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the previously mentioned sex .
All of these things have been done by our species for eons .
But dividing ourselves into nations most certainly has not .
Nation states didn ’ t really exist until the late eighteenth century .
John Breuilly of the London School of Economics says , “ Far from timeless , the nation-state is a recent phenomenon… Before the late 18th century , there were no real nation-states… neither passports nor borders as we know them existed.
” And even as nations began developing , they weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
He continues , “ Many eastern European immigrants arriving in the US in the 19th century could say what village they came from , but not what country : it didn ’ t matter to them .
…Ancient empires are coloured on modern maps as if they had firm borders , but they didn ’ t. ” So only a little over 200 years ago human categorization changed and nations became the hot new thing .
“ In 1800 almost nobody in France thought of themselves as French .
By 1900 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took hold 200 years ago has come to rule all of our minds , like a parasite .
We can ’ t imagine being separated , delineated or categorized in other ways even as we acknowledge that internally we ’ re very fractured .
Many African Americans may feel quite different from certain white Americans , yet we won ’ t hear media reports stating that globally black people are dealing with Coronavirus like this and white people like that .
In some cases separating us differently than by nation would make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more likely to survive Coronavirus than poor people .
Wealthy people the world over are more likely to have access to testing , treatment , good doctors , ventilators , etc .
Poor people all over the planet are more likely to try to “ tough it out ” at home because they don ’ t have a doctor or can ’ t afford one .
What if we decided there were no nations but instead the working people of the world were one group and the corporate owners of the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divvied up that way instead , the working people of China would be able to help the working people of Italy or America and vice versa without nationalistic propaganda .
( Of course this raises other problems such as that the corporate owners would certainly hoard all the ventilators since they are generally sociopaths . )
But we are subliminally told by our mainstream media never to side with the people of another nation .
First and foremost care about America .
Yet in reality , if we free our minds beyond the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any of us have anything against a shoe salesman in China or a garbage man in Cuba ?
I seriously doubt it .
You ’ re not at war with that shoe salesman .
You don ’ t have any reason to hate him or even wish him ill will .
So truthfully the extremely rich of the world are at war with each other while 99 % of the various populations are along for the ride – some knowingly and some blissfully unaware .
As we continue to do everything we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind – our world is evolving .
And that can be a good thing .
The authors of the book “ The Universe Next Door ” from NewScientist state , “ Most hierarchical systems tend to become top-heavy , expensive and incapable of responding to change.
” Our current America fits all of these characteristics and then some .
The American empire is exceedingly top heavy , expensive , and incapable of responding to change .
In fact , the Democratic establishment have spent billions in these primaries to make absolutely sure they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represents to infiltrate the system .
Much like a massive battleship or Chris Christie , the American empire takes an overwhelmingly long time to change course even slightly .
The current inertia is just too great .
When you end up with a top-heavy , expensive hierarchy that can ’ t adapt , it creates a lot of tension .
Back to NewScientist – “ The resulting tension may be released through partial collapse .
…Collapse , say some , is the creative destruction that allows new structures to emerge.
” Well , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are definitely in the middle of a partial collapse .
For Christ ’ s sake – Kentucky Fried Chicken is closed !
KFC would stay open during a nuclear meltdown while charging extra for the green-tinted mashed potatoes .
During this partial collapse , new structures could emerge if we break out of our antiquated thought prisons .
Right now is not about nations or fences or political parties .
It ’ s about you , and me , and our neighbors , and our friends , and our shared humanity .
Feature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask to protect against coronavirus , passes in front of graffiti painted on the shutter of a closed restaurant during a lockdown order by the Greek government to control the spread of the virus , in Athens , March 30 , 2020 .
Thanassis Stavrakis | AP Lee Camp is the host and head writer of the hit comedy news show “ Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp.
” His new book “ Bullet Points and Punch Lines ” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his standup comedy special can be streamed at LeeCampAmerican.com This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the author .
It originally appeared at Consortium News .

Something every American takes for granted has made the coronavirus outbreak much worse. That thing sits ingrained in our minds since we could barely take two steps without a face full of carpet. But before I get to that, let’s set the scene.
I don’t have to tell you that things are bad. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, our economy (based almost completely on everyone buying things they don’t need at prices they can’t afford) has tanked, a record 3.3 million Americans just filed for unemployment, and perhaps scariest of all – World Wrestling Entertainment has continued performing some of their events despite the lack of an audience.
If you thought watching emotionally stunted men with oily saran-wrap skin pulsing with steroids grab each other in bear hugs while whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears was strange with a live audience of thousands screaming for blood, then you can’t imagine the level of bizarre it reaches without anyone there. It seems oddly romantic now. It feels like they’re about to share a deep tongue kiss at any moment. And I’m not sure the world doesn’t need that kind of passion right about now.
Although there’s also something reassuring about the fact that even in these stark times sweaty angry hugging men persist. I like to think that when the cockroaches reign supreme, weeds grow up through the remnants of the roads and playgrounds and shopping malls and hot stone massage parlors, the final humans live in underground bunkers dressed in gas-mask chic (mainly grays and blacks but still sporting a hint of color in the glasses rims or the neck tattoos or the homemade battle axe sheaths), and the economy is based on Gross Domestic Protein Pellets (the only remaining food source) – even THEN, the professional bulky men will continue to perform stunning aerial traumatic brain injuries for the joy and excitement of whoever’s left. (This would presuppose no one informed said men the TV cameras had been cannibalized for parts 10 years prior.)
Point is – things are bad right now. But you probably already know every last detail about Coronavirus, which is why I’m not going to give you those. Instead, I want to focus on a hidden story, a taboo topic your mainstream media anchors would sooner eat their own neck ties than discuss.
Toxic Notion
This pandemic has been made worse and continues to be made worse by toxic nationalism, ironic considering the virus truly doesn’t give a shit about our borders. It doesn’t care if you put up a fence or you speak a different language or you’re an immigrant from somewhere else or you got circumcised in a ceremony with a shaman and some bagpipes and a bucket of ripe mangoes.
The virus doesn’t care.
Yet again we’re letting our human delusions dictate our response to a physical world completely unaware of and unyielding to such fairy tales. Acting like nationalism matters when facing a killer disease is like trying to combat a phalanx of sword-wielding samurais with nothing but nostalgia.
When the coronavirus was first talked about in the U.S., our government and media used it as a chance to disseminate anti-China rhetoric, widely known as the fuel for racism. Our nation’s best propaganda outlet, The New York Times (I mean that with all disrespect), put it this way – “To Tame Coronavirus, Mao-style Social Control Blankets China.”
Oh, social control? They mean like – “Everyone stays six feet away from everyone else. No one go to a restaurant or bar or visit your grandparents or wave hi to an old person on a bus. Don’t travel anywhere. Thou shalt not interact with thy fellow human nor covet thy neighbor’s ass.” You mean like that kind of social control? You mean the restrictions we Americans now abide by?
I’m sorry, fearless Times writers, but racism is not your best bet against a raging disease. Very few “-isms” stop ultramicroscopic metabolically inert infectious agents. I myself have tried using Buddhism, sadomasochism, feudalism, autoerotic asphyxiation, and antidisestablishmentarianism. They’ve all let me down. Although the feudalism did show some promise against a slight case of rickets I had as a child.
Yet, our ruling elite continues to act as if this is an issue of nations. In fact, our buffoon of a president continues to call it “The Chinese Virus” because he’s a very simple-minded man. He can only think in terms of “bad” and “good.” He thinks “China bad.” So telling him that a virus doesn’t care about anyone’s nationality fails to compute for him. The two sickly hamsters neglecting to run around the wobbly wheels inside his cranium look at each other for a brief moment and then go back to licking their asses.
A Times 180
Our Salamander-in-Chief cannot comprehend that China has actually succeeded in slowing down this virus and their actions helped buy America valuable extra time before it spread to our shores. Even The New York Times, our Propaganda-in-Chief, finally admitted “China Bought the West Time. The West Squandered It.”
This is one of the Times’ patented come-to-Jesus moments when they suddenly pull a 180, tires squealing, and realize the truth that most people understood weeks if not months if not years before. They’ve performed this same maneuver with WMD in Iraq, the harms of climate change, the lack of harms of marijuana, police brutality, sexual harassment in the workplace, whether women must ride horses “side saddle,” and whether the “Matrix” is any good.
This latest about-face on China will not last, just as none of their various awakenings actually change the intent of the corporate media. It’s more of a, “Yeah, sorry about all that racist shit we printed a month ago. We’ve completely changed our ways… until a week from now when we’ll go back to pushing for white supremacist wars in which the American military excitedly blows up Arab people.”
I think the point I’m trying to make is that talking about how one country is better or worse or weaker or whatever during this pandemic is like if a herd of angry rhinos was stampeding toward you and you just kept yelling that you have on nicer shoes than the guy next to you.
Rhinos. Don’t. Care.
Right now – this moment – is a horrible and also crucial time. It’s showing us not just the incredibly ridiculous flaws in capitalism, but it’s also demonstrating our shared humanity. We must join together, fight this thing, and shed our toxic nationalism. But our sociopathic leaders won’t dare do that.
Pulled App
MintPress News , along with other outlets, is reporting that in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak America has actually cranked up the heat on its hybrid war against Venezuela. Reporter Leonardo Flores wrote, “US sanctions on Venezuela have already forced the country to spend three times as much for testing kits as non-sanctioned countries.” On top of that, the Justice Department just put a $15 million bounty on President Nicolas Maduro’s head.
Iran has also suffered tremendously because of our sanctions on them. They can’t deal with the virus appropriately without the medical supplies – and two weeks ago Google pulled Iran’s official app meant to help their people deal with Coronavirus. Perhaps they did this specifically to harm Iranians; perhaps they were jealous Iran has an app to help fight the virus while all we seem to have is a squirt gun filled with Purell and a strict order against high-fives.
Basically, our government officials and the tech company execs lying sticky and prone in bed with them want to make sure as many people die from coronavirus as possible – in Iran and Venezuela and North Korea and any other countries we don’t like because those countries refuse to freely cough up their oil or lithium or rare earth metals or independence.
But I can’t stress this enough: The virus doesn’t care where the fuck you’re from.
Some countries have figured this out, turning to other nations for help. A couple of weeks ago Cuban and Chinese doctors showed up in Italy to aid their health officials. As Telesur reported, Cuba has the interferon Alpha-2B, which is a powerful treatment for the virus, and China has shown the ability to overcome the infections.
But here’s something you won’t hear on your mainstream outlets and all your corporate assholets. Here’s something that’s forbidden: Maybe – just maybe – this pandemic shows us it’s time to evolve past the idea of NATIONS.
(I’ll give you a moment while your mind reels at the thought crime this author has committed. …Then, if you’re brave enough, please read on.)
We act like nations are a given – as if there’s no other way to organize our species, no other way to behave except to have your flag’s colors tattooed across your nipples and your national anthem burned into your soft mushy brain matter. But in fact, nations have not always been the way we humans have divided ourselves. The idea of nations isn’t even particularly old.
When we think of ideas or manners of behaving that have withstood the test of time so much so they seem to be common sense, we think of actions and beliefs that are thousands of years old. That list includes walking on two legs, carrying your infant around, having sex, defending yourself, building shelter, cooking food, and yanking excess hair off your body (mainly out of the nostrils) in order to score the previously mentioned sex. All of these things have been done by our species for eons.
But dividing ourselves into nations most certainly has not. Nation states didn’t really exist until the late eighteenth century. John Breuilly of the London School of Economics says, “Far from timeless, the nation-state is a recent phenomenon… Before the late 18th century, there were no real nation-states… neither passports nor borders as we know them existed.”
And even as nations began developing, they weren’t that important to a lot of people. He continues, “Many eastern European immigrants arriving in the US in the 19th century could say what village they came from, but not what country: it didn’t matter to them. …Ancient empires are coloured on modern maps as if they had firm borders, but they didn’t.”
So only a little over 200 years ago human categorization changed and nations became the hot new thing. “In 1800 almost nobody in France thought of themselves as French. By 1900 they all did.”
An idea that took hold 200 years ago has come to rule all of our minds, like a parasite. We can’t imagine being separated, delineated or categorized in other ways even as we acknowledge that internally we’re very fractured. Many African Americans may feel quite different from certain white Americans, yet we won’t hear media reports stating that globally black people are dealing with Coronavirus like this and white people like that.
In some cases separating us differently than by nation would make a lot of sense. Rich people are far more likely to survive Coronavirus than poor people. Wealthy people the world over are more likely to have access to testing, treatment, good doctors, ventilators, etc. Poor people all over the planet are more likely to try to “tough it out” at home because they don’t have a doctor or can’t afford one.
Freeing Our Minds
What if we decided there were no nations but instead the working people of the world were one group and the corporate owners of the world were another group. If humans were divvied up that way instead, the working people of China would be able to help the working people of Italy or America and vice versa without nationalistic propaganda. (Of course this raises other problems such as that the corporate owners would certainly hoard all the ventilators since they are generally sociopaths.)
But we are subliminally told by our mainstream media never to side with the people of another nation. First and foremost care about America. Yet in reality, if we free our minds beyond the mental prison of toxic nationalism, do any of us have anything against a shoe salesman in China or a garbage man in Cuba? I seriously doubt it. You’re not at war with that shoe salesman. You don’t have any reason to hate him or even wish him ill will. So truthfully the extremely rich of the world are at war with each other while 99% of the various populations are along for the ride – some knowingly and some blissfully unaware.
As we continue to do everything we must to stop this virus, keep in mind – our world is evolving. And that can be a good thing. The authors of the book “The Universe Next Door” from NewScientist state, “Most hierarchical systems tend to become top-heavy, expensive and incapable of responding to change.” Our current America fits all of these characteristics and then some. The American empire is exceedingly top heavy, expensive, and incapable of responding to change. In fact, the Democratic establishment have spent billions in these primaries to make absolutely sure they do not allow the change Bernie Sanders represents to infiltrate the system. Much like a massive battleship or Chris Christie, the American empire takes an overwhelmingly long time to change course even slightly. The current inertia is just too great.
When you end up with a top-heavy, expensive hierarchy that can’t adapt, it creates a lot of tension. Back to NewScientist – “The resulting tension may be released through partial collapse. …Collapse, say some, is the creative destruction that allows new structures to emerge.”
Well, I have news for you. We are definitely in the middle of a partial collapse. For Christ’s sake – Kentucky Fried Chicken is closed! KFC would stay open during a nuclear meltdown while charging extra for the green-tinted mashed potatoes.
During this partial collapse, new structures could emerge if we break out of our antiquated thought prisons. Right now is not about nations or fences or political parties. It’s about you, and me, and our neighbors, and our friends, and our shared humanity.
Feature photo | A woman wearing a face mask to protect against coronavirus, passes in front of graffiti painted on the shutter of a closed restaurant during a lockdown order by the Greek government to control the spread of the virus, in Athens, March 30, 2020. Thanassis Stavrakis | AP
Lee Camp is the host and head writer of the hit comedy news show “Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp.” His new book “Bullet Points and Punch Lines” is available at LeeCampBook.com and his standup comedy special can be streamed at LeeCampAmerican.com
This article was published with special permission from the author. It originally appeared at Consortium News.


mintpressnews--2020-03-27--Coronavirus: After the EU Failed to Deliver, Italy Looks to Russia for Help

ROME ( Mideast Discourse ) — More than 15 military transport planes flew from Russia to Italy delivering disinfection units , 180 doctors , 100 personnel which include specialists in biological protection , nurses , ventilators , and masks .
The experts sent to Italy have worked on international epidemics including African Swine Fever and in developing an Ebola vaccine .
Italy ’ s Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte had requested help from Russia , and the government commissioner for the coronavirus emergency , Domenico Arcuri , confirmed the help had arrived .
Luigi Di Maio , Italy ’ s Foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane to arrive on Sunday .
Videos emerged online of the trucks on their way to northern Bergamo near Milan , the hardest hit by the virus .
Lombardy regional councilor for health services , Giulio Gallera , announced the arrival of Russian doctors at Papa Giovanni Hospital in Bergamo .
Moscow has a tradition of international solidarity that dates back to the Soviet era .
“ Never had so many Russian planes and personnel landed before in a NATO country , ” reported the Italian daily ‘ La Repubblica ’ .
Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Rome has previously called on the EU sanctions against Russia to be relaxed , even though the plea has not been heeded , and sanctions have been repeatedly renewed .
Italy ’ s Civil Protection Agency Facebook page was full of grateful comments , and some anger at the US , which was seen as not forthcoming with aid in the darkest hours of Italy ’ s need .
The current global political scene is changing rapidly as a result of the coronavirus .
We are seeing new super-powers emerging , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former power-houses weakening , such as the US and NATO .
The shifting sands of alliances remind us of a similar situation before WW2 .
Italy , and several other EU members , may find themselves forging new alliances that are headed east .
The current US domestic political chaos gave Russia and China the chance to offer an alternative to nations who may be ready to wrest-free of the former US domination .
This situation leads to a new version of the old ‘ Cold War ’ era , in which the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps of influence .
The saying “ don ’ t look a gift horse in the mouth ” means that you shouldn ’ t criticize a gift , but that didn ’ t stop the Italian daily ‘ La Stampa ’ from reporting an unnamed high-level political source that most of the Russian supplies sent to Italy were ‘ useless ’ .
Russia ’ s Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov dismissed the report as perverse .
“ Such assertions are the product of a perverse mind .
A selfless desire to help friendly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Razov told Russian media .
When asked if Russia expected Italy to return the favor by trying to get EU sanctions lifted , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the notion as absurd .
“ We ’ re not talking about any conditions or calculations or hopes here , ” he said on Monday .
“ Italy is really in need of much more wide-scale help and what Russia does is manageable.
” Besides the desire to help a neighbor in need , there is the fact that the majority of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have recently flown back from western Europe , making the case for Russian self-protection as well as Italian friendship .
Russian administration is well-organized and able to impose strong measures in such a crisis , as compared to other countries that have been slow to institute strict measures and precautions .
European Union countries have been slow to help their fellow members .
Italy , France , and Spain have urged a massive response ; however , the EU is divided on a potential rescue plan for the region ’ s economy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Finland opposed to what they see as unreasonable expectations .
Nine EU countries including France , Italy , and Spain have called for a common debt plan administered by a European institution to raise funds on the market ; but , Germany and the other tight-fisted members stress that all EU countries can finance themselves .
Matteo Salvini , former deputy prime minister , speaking to the Italian Senate , said “ In Brussels , it is clear they are yet to understand the situation .
If the German Government keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ESM ) without conditions which provides that funds are given to Italy but have to be paid back in the future , Berlin and Brussels got it wrong , ” clearly furious at the German and EU stance .
The origins of the Italian crisis Mario Di Vito is a correspondent for the Italian daily , “ Il Manifesto.
” He compares the coronavirus crisis in Italy to that of a world war .
In explaining how the virus moved rapidly he points to Confindustria , the association of Italian industrialists , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ production , and the Mayor of Milan , Beppe Sala , continued to tell people to leave their houses and to live a normal life ; however , once the number of dead and infected spiked it was apparent those early decisions were deadly .
The stay-at-home order from PM Conte came much too late , and the weakness of the Italian healthcare system was exposed as the sick and dying rose into the thousands .
Two weeks of military-enforced stay-at-home orders have paid off with signs of the slowing down of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first positive test on February 20 .
Italy has by far the most virus deaths of any nation in the world , numbering 8,165 .
While the official count of positive cases is 80,539 , experts assume the actual number may be much higher .
At least 33 doctors have died and 6,414 medical personnel have tested positive in Italy .
“ We know it before we go into battle , and we accept it , ” Dr. Luca Lorini , head of intensive care in a hospital in Bergamo told the Associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truck with stickers reading “ From Russia with love ” loads Russian aid bound for Italy on a board of an Il-76 cargo plane in Chkalovsky military airport outside Moscow , Russia , March 22 , 2020 .
Photo | Alexei Yereshko via Russian Defense Ministry

ROME (Mideast Discourse) — More than 15 military transport planes flew from Russia to Italy delivering disinfection units, 180 doctors, 100 personnel which include specialists in biological protection, nurses, ventilators, and masks. The experts sent to Italy have worked on international epidemics including African Swine Fever and in developing an Ebola vaccine. Italy’s Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte had requested help from Russia, and the government commissioner for the coronavirus emergency, Domenico Arcuri, confirmed the help had arrived. Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s Foreign Minister, personally welcomed the first Russian plane to arrive on Sunday. Videos emerged online of the trucks on their way to northern Bergamo near Milan, the hardest hit by the virus.
Lombardy regional councilor for health services, Giulio Gallera, announced the arrival of Russian doctors at Papa Giovanni Hospital in Bergamo. Moscow has a tradition of international solidarity that dates back to the Soviet era. “Never had so many Russian planes and personnel landed before in a NATO country,” reported the Italian daily ‘La Repubblica’.
Italy imports gas to fuel their power plants, and Rome has previously called on the EU sanctions against Russia to be relaxed, even though the plea has not been heeded, and sanctions have been repeatedly renewed.
Italy’s Civil Protection Agency Facebook page was full of grateful comments, and some anger at the US, which was seen as not forthcoming with aid in the darkest hours of Italy’s need.
New alliances emerging
The current global political scene is changing rapidly as a result of the coronavirus. We are seeing new super-powers emerging, such as China and Russia, and former power-houses weakening, such as the US and NATO.
The shifting sands of alliances remind us of a similar situation before WW2. Italy, and several other EU members, may find themselves forging new alliances that are headed east. The current US domestic political chaos gave Russia and China the chance to offer an alternative to nations who may be ready to wrest-free of the former US domination. This situation leads to a new version of the old ‘Cold War’ era, in which the world was split into West and East camps of influence.
The critics
The saying “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” means that you shouldn’t criticize a gift, but that didn’t stop the Italian daily ‘La Stampa’ from reporting an unnamed high-level political source that most of the Russian supplies sent to Italy were ‘useless’.
Russia’s Ambassador to Italy Sergei Razov dismissed the report as perverse. “Such assertions are the product of a perverse mind. A selfless desire to help friendly people in trouble is seen as insidious,” Razov told Russian media.
When asked if Russia expected Italy to return the favor by trying to get EU sanctions lifted, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the notion as absurd. “We’re not talking about any conditions or calculations or hopes here,” he said on Monday. “Italy is really in need of much more wide-scale help and what Russia does is manageable.”
Besides the desire to help a neighbor in need, there is the fact that the majority of the 658 people with confirmed cases in Russia have recently flown back from western Europe, making the case for Russian self-protection as well as Italian friendship.
Russian administration is well-organized and able to impose strong measures in such a crisis, as compared to other countries that have been slow to institute strict measures and precautions.
The EU response
European Union countries have been slow to help their fellow members. Italy, France, and Spain have urged a massive response; however, the EU is divided on a potential rescue plan for the region’s economy, with Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Finland opposed to what they see as unreasonable expectations. Nine EU countries including France, Italy, and Spain have called for a common debt plan administered by a European institution to raise funds on the market; but, Germany and the other tight-fisted members stress that all EU countries can finance themselves.
Matteo Salvini, former deputy prime minister, speaking to the Italian Senate, said “In Brussels, it is clear they are yet to understand the situation. If the German Government keeps talking about the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) without conditions which provides that funds are given to Italy but have to be paid back in the future, Berlin and Brussels got it wrong,” clearly furious at the German and EU stance.
The origins of the Italian crisis
Mario Di Vito is a correspondent for the Italian daily, “Il Manifesto.” He compares the coronavirus crisis in Italy to that of a world war. In explaining how the virus moved rapidly he points to Confindustria, the association of Italian industrialists, who pressured the government to not shut down production, and the Mayor of Milan, Beppe Sala, continued to tell people to leave their houses and to live a normal life; however, once the number of dead and infected spiked it was apparent those early decisions were deadly. The stay-at-home order from PM Conte came much too late, and the weakness of the Italian healthcare system was exposed as the sick and dying rose into the thousands.
Two weeks of military-enforced stay-at-home orders have paid off with signs of the slowing down of new infections and deaths since Italy’s first positive test on February 20. Italy has by far the most virus deaths of any nation in the world, numbering 8,165. While the official count of positive cases is 80,539, experts assume the actual number may be much higher. At least 33 doctors have died and 6,414 medical personnel have tested positive in Italy.
“We know it before we go into battle, and we accept it,” Dr. Luca Lorini, head of intensive care in a hospital in Bergamo told the Associated Press.
Feature photo | A military truck with stickers reading “From Russia with love” loads Russian aid bound for Italy on a board of an Il-76 cargo plane in Chkalovsky military airport outside Moscow, Russia, March 22, 2020. Photo | Alexei Yereshko via Russian Defense Ministry
Steven Sahiounie is an award-winning Syrian American journalist.


mintpressnews--2020-03-27--Doctors “Strongly Condemn” UK Decision to Keep Assange Imprisoned During COVID-19 Pandemic

Doctors4Assange , a group of 195 medical professionals from 30 countries , released a statement today “ strongly condemning ” a British court decision to keep Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange incarcerated , despite a possible outbreak of COVID-19 at Belmarsh Prison in London where Assange is being held .
The group argued that , due to his history of medical neglect , extremely fragile health , and his chronic lung condition , he was at particular risk of both contracting and dying from the virus .
Despite acknowledging he was at increased risk , District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .
“ There are substantial grounds to believe if I released him today he would not return to face his extradition hearing , ” Baraitser said .
Assange previously sought refuge in the embassy of Ecuador in London .
The Australian publisher ’ s hearing played out in bizarre circumstances on Wednesday .
The court , like the rest of the United Kingdom , was on lockdown , meaning only 15 people were in attendance .
One of his lawyers , Edward Fitzgerald QC , wore a large facemask , while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotely via audio , as did the American government attorneys seeking his extradition .
Not only was Assange not physically present , but his video connection was also terminated early meaning he was not even able to follow proceedings , let alone participate in them .
He was also unable to communicate with his legal team .
Baraitser also claimed that Belmarsh Prison was a safe place for Assange to be kept , as no one had yet tested positive for COVID-19 .
But testing kits are notoriously hard to come by in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people tested across the entire country by Friday ( less than 0.2 percent of the population ) .
Worse still , over 100 Belmarsh employees are currently off work after self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms or coming into contact with a confirmed case .
Two British prisoners have already died from the virus , with 19 more testing positive .
Thus , Doctors4Assange argues , it is more a question of when , rather than if , Belmarsh is infected .
“ Julian Assange is just such an unsentenced prisoner with significant health vulnerability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with no custodial sentence or UK charge in place , let alone conviction , ” they wrote , pointing to the United Nations Human Rights Council ’ s pronouncement on prison clemency .
“ With outbreaks of the disease , and an increasing number of deaths , already reported in prisons and other institutions in an expanding number of countries , authorities should act now to prevent further loss of life among detainees and staff , ” UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said .
“ Now , more than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without sufficient legal basis , including political prisoners and others detained simply for expressing critical or dissenting views , ” she added .
All prisons in England are now indefinitely closed to visitors .
Iran , in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus , has released tens of thousands of prisoners from its jails .
Poland is expected to follow suit and send up 12,000 prisoners home early .
Yet the United Kingdom has yet to follow suit , despite the pleas , even from its own prison governors .
Andrea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governors Association , warned of an “ unprecedented risk ” to the overcrowded prison system , recommending the immediate release of many inmates .
Meanwhile , in the U.S. , there is growing concern that “ a storm is coming ” – that prisons will be hotbeds of contagion .
Disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein has already contracted COVID–19 while in Rikers Island jail .
Assange ’ s extradition trial began in late February .
He faces 18 U.S. charges of hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act , specifically for the publication @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manning that detailed evidence of American war crimes in the Middle East .
If found guilty , he faces up to 175 years in prison .
He had been granted asylum by the progressive Ecuadorian administration of Rafael Correa .
However , after Correa was replaced by the pro-American administration of Lenin Moreno in 2017 , his welcome in the Ecuadorian embassy in London waned .
Since his removal from the building in 2019 he has been held at Belmarsh Prison , a high-security penitentiary , often in solitary confinement .
His treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other high-security inmates staged a mass protest , managing to secure his transfer to the hospital wing .
Current Wikileaks boss Kristinn Hrafnsson also “ condemned in the strongest possible terms ” Judge Baraitser ’ s decision .
“ COVID-19 is bringing forth the best in people and the worst in people .
Today ’ s decision by the judge was an example of the latter , ” he said .
Feature photo | Demonstrators gather outside Australia House to protest against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange , in London , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ | 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 .

Doctors4Assange, a group of 195 medical professionals from 30 countries, released a statement today “strongly condemning” a British court decision to keep Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange incarcerated, despite a possible outbreak of COVID-19 at Belmarsh Prison in London where Assange is being held. The group argued that, due to his history of medical neglect, extremely fragile health, and his chronic lung condition, he was at particular risk of both contracting and dying from the virus.
Despite acknowledging he was at increased risk, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied him bail because she considered him a flight risk. “There are substantial grounds to believe if I released him today he would not return to face his extradition hearing,” Baraitser said. Assange previously sought refuge in the embassy of Ecuador in London.
The Australian publisher’s hearing played out in bizarre circumstances on Wednesday. The court, like the rest of the United Kingdom, was on lockdown, meaning only 15 people were in attendance. One of his lawyers, Edward Fitzgerald QC, wore a large facemask, while the other, Mark Summers QC, participated remotely via audio, as did the American government attorneys seeking his extradition. Not only was Assange not physically present, but his video connection was also terminated early meaning he was not even able to follow proceedings, let alone participate in them. He was also unable to communicate with his legal team.
ASSANGE DEATH RISK RISES in US/UK political persecution *2 UK prisoners now dead from #Covid19 *19 inmates/4 prison officers/3 staff test positive *100 staff/ Belmarsh Prison in isolation My ill son detained w/out charge in Belmarsh Doctors warn he'll die #ReleaseJulian https://t.co/KCz9fLUmcS — Mrs Christine Assange (@MrsC_Assange) March 27, 2020
Baraitser also claimed that Belmarsh Prison was a safe place for Assange to be kept, as no one had yet tested positive for COVID-19. But testing kits are notoriously hard to come by in the United Kingdom, with only 113,777 people tested across the entire country by Friday (less than 0.2 percent of the population). Worse still, over 100 Belmarsh employees are currently off work after self-isolating with coronavirus symptoms or coming into contact with a confirmed case. Two British prisoners have already died from the virus, with 19 more testing positive.
Thus, Doctors4Assange argues, it is more a question of when, rather than if, Belmarsh is infected. “Julian Assange is just such an unsentenced prisoner with significant health vulnerability. He is being held on remand, with no custodial sentence or UK charge in place, let alone conviction,” they wrote, pointing to the United Nations Human Rights Council’s pronouncement on prison clemency.
“With outbreaks of the disease, and an increasing number of deaths, already reported in prisons and other institutions in an expanding number of countries, authorities should act now to prevent further loss of life among detainees and staff,” UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said. “Now, more than ever, governments should release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners and others detained simply for expressing critical or dissenting views,” she added.
All prisons in England are now indefinitely closed to visitors. Iran, in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus, has released tens of thousands of prisoners from its jails. Poland is expected to follow suit and send up 12,000 prisoners home early. Yet the United Kingdom has yet to follow suit, despite the pleas, even from its own prison governors. Andrea Albutt, the head of the Prison Governors Association, warned of an “unprecedented risk” to the overcrowded prison system, recommending the immediate release of many inmates. Meanwhile, in the U.S., there is growing concern that “a storm is coming” – that prisons will be hotbeds of contagion. Disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein has already contracted COVID–19 while in Rikers Island jail.
Assange’s extradition trial began in late February. He faces 18 U.S. charges of hacking and breaches of the Espionage Act, specifically for the publication of evidence leaked by Pvt. Chelsea Manning that detailed evidence of American war crimes in the Middle East. If found guilty, he faces up to 175 years in prison. He had been granted asylum by the progressive Ecuadorian administration of Rafael Correa. However, after Correa was replaced by the pro-American administration of Lenin Moreno in 2017, his welcome in the Ecuadorian embassy in London waned. Since his removal from the building in 2019 he has been held at Belmarsh Prison, a high-security penitentiary, often in solitary confinement. His treatment was so poor that convicted murderers and other high-security inmates staged a mass protest, managing to secure his transfer to the hospital wing.
Current Wikileaks boss Kristinn Hrafnsson also “condemned in the strongest possible terms” Judge Baraitser’s decision. “COVID-19 is bringing forth the best in people and the worst in people. Today’s decision by the judge was an example of the latter,” he said.
Feature photo | Demonstrators gather outside Australia House to protest against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, in London, Feb. 22, 2020. Alberto Pezzali | 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--2020-03-27--With a Quarter of the World’s Population Under US Sanctions, Countries Appeal to UN to Intervene

The governments of China , Cuba , Iran , Nicaragua , North Korea , Russia , Syria , and Venezuela – all under sanctions from the United States – sent a joint statement to the United Nations Secretary-General , the UN ’ s High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Director-General of the World Health Organization calling for an end to the unilateral American economic blockade , as they are , “ illegal and blatantly violate international law and the charter of the United Nations.
” The eight countries , representing around one-quarter of humanity , say that Washington ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID–19 pandemic sweeping the planet .
“ The destructive impact of said measures at the national level , plus their extraterritorial implication , together with the phenomenon of over-compliance and the fear for ‘ secondary sanctions , ’ hinder the ability of national governments ” in procuring even basic medical equipment and supplies , including coronavirus test kits and medicine .
It is a “ hard if not impossible deed for those countries who are currently facing the application of unilateral coercive measures , ” to cope , they conclude .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perez , Venezuela ’ s Permanent Ambassador to the UN .
That U.S. sanctions are “ blatant violations of international law , ” the letter states , is not in doubt .
As the American Special Rapporteur to the UN , Alfred de Zayas , notes , only sanctions expressly verified and imposed collectively by the UN Security Council can be considered legal ; any unilateral punishment is , by definition , illegal .
De Zayas , a legal scholar , notes that sanctions are tantamount to a “ collective punishment ” against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple articles of the UN Charter , the foundation of international law .
De Zayas traveled to Venezuela last year , describing the U.S. sanctions as akin to a medieval siege and accusing the Trump administration of “ crimes against humanity.
” The United Nations Human Rights Council formally condemned the U.S. , called on all member states to break the sanctions , and even began discussing the reparations Washington should pay to Venezuela , noting that Trump ’ s sanctions were designed to “ disproportionately affect the poor and most vulnerable.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major American media outlet at the time .
The sanctions meant that Venezuela was unable to import key medicines for conditions like cancer and diabetes , leading to scores of deaths .
A 2019 report from the Washington-based Center for Economic Policy Research conservatively estimated the sanctions killed 40,000 Venezuelans between mid-2017 and 2018 .
Yesterday , the Trump administration turned the screw tighter , putting out a bizarre hit on President Nicolas Maduro , offering $ 15 million to anybody who could bring him to them in chains .
Other key figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Head of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello also had bounties placed on their heads , supposedly because they were part of a drug trafficking ring .
The U.S. is also turning up the heat on COVID-19 plagued Iran .
Senior Washington insiders like Newt Gingrich are dreaming that their sanctions will finally bring about regime change in the Islamic Republic .
Sanctions led to the Iranian rial losing 80 percent of its value , with both food prices and unemployment doubling .
While medicine is technically exempt from sanctions , in reality , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporation from doing business with Tehran .
Even as coronavirus was raging through the country , no nation was willing to donate even basic supplies to Iran .
Eventually , the World Health Organization stepped in and directly supplied it with provisions .
An October report from Human Rights Watch noted that “ the overbroad and burdensome nature of the US sanctions has led banks and companies around the world to pull back from humanitarian trade with Iran , leaving Iranians who have rare or complicated diseases unable to get the medicine and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranians have died of COVID-19 , many of them needlessly .
Despite the embargoes they are under , many countries on the sanctioned list have contributed greatly to the world ’ s fight against COVID-19 .
Despite facing a shortage of basic supplies like soap , Cuba continues to export doctors and other medical staff around the world , often to the worst affected areas .
Meanwhile , China , the original epicenter of the outbreak , appears to have come to grips with the pandemic and is now exporting its battle-hardened medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crucial supplies .
This has been presented in the U.S. as a dastardly plot to “ curry favor ” and shift blame away from their supposed mishandling of the virus in the first place .
The United States has long had a fractious relationship with the UN , constantly using its veto power to sink progressive legislation that would weaken its military , cultural or economic hegemony .
In 2017 , the U.S. formally pulled out of the UN ’ s scientific and cultural organization , UNESCO , in response to the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popular at all in the world ; in November , for instance , the UN voted 187-3 ( U.S. , Israel , Brazil ) to condemn Washington ’ s embargo on Cuba .
It was the twenty-eighth consecutive year with vote totals varying little from year to year .
The sanctioned countries warn that Trump ’ s actions are killing not only Americans at home but people all over the world .
“ We can not allow for political calculations to get in the way of saving human lives , ” they conclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has so much power on the world stage , it is unlikely their protestations will get them very far .
Feature photo | A person in protective clothing walks through a temporary 2,000-bed field hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran , Iran , March 26 , 2020 .
Ebrahim Noroozi | 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 governments of China, Cuba, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela – all under sanctions from the United States – sent a joint statement to the United Nations Secretary-General, the UN’s High Commissioner on Human Rights and the Director-General of the World Health Organization calling for an end to the unilateral American economic blockade, as they are, “illegal and blatantly violate international law and the charter of the United Nations.”
The eight countries, representing around one-quarter of humanity, say that Washington’s actions are undermining their response to the COVID–19 pandemic sweeping the planet. “The destructive impact of said measures at the national level, plus their extraterritorial implication, together with the phenomenon of over-compliance and the fear for ‘secondary sanctions,’ hinder the ability of national governments” in procuring even basic medical equipment and supplies, including coronavirus test kits and medicine. It is a “hard if not impossible deed for those countries who are currently facing the application of unilateral coercive measures,” to cope, they conclude.
The letter was shared on Twitter by Joaquin Perez, Venezuela’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN.
https://twitter.com/japerezve/status/1242996630065942529
That U.S. sanctions are “blatant violations of international law,” the letter states, is not in doubt. As the American Special Rapporteur to the UN, Alfred de Zayas, notes, only sanctions expressly verified and imposed collectively by the UN Security Council can be considered legal; any unilateral punishment is, by definition, illegal. De Zayas, a legal scholar, notes that sanctions are tantamount to a “collective punishment” against a population, an explicit violation of multiple articles of the UN Charter, the foundation of international law.
De Zayas traveled to Venezuela last year, describing the U.S. sanctions as akin to a medieval siege and accusing the Trump administration of “crimes against humanity.” The United Nations Human Rights Council formally condemned the U.S., called on all member states to break the sanctions, and even began discussing the reparations Washington should pay to Venezuela, noting that Trump’s sanctions were designed to “disproportionately affect the poor and most vulnerable.” None of this was reported in any major American media outlet at the time.
The sanctions meant that Venezuela was unable to import key medicines for conditions like cancer and diabetes, leading to scores of deaths. A 2019 report from the Washington-based Center for Economic Policy Research conservatively estimated the sanctions killed 40,000 Venezuelans between mid-2017 and 2018.
Yesterday, the Trump administration turned the screw tighter, putting out a bizarre hit on President Nicolas Maduro, offering $15 million to anybody who could bring him to them in chains. Other key figures like Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino and Head of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello also had bounties placed on their heads, supposedly because they were part of a drug trafficking ring.
The U.S. is also turning up the heat on COVID-19 plagued Iran. Senior Washington insiders like Newt Gingrich are dreaming that their sanctions will finally bring about regime change in the Islamic Republic. Sanctions led to the Iranian rial losing 80 percent of its value, with both food prices and unemployment doubling. While medicine is technically exempt from sanctions, in reality, Washington has frightened away any nation or corporation from doing business with Tehran. Even as coronavirus was raging through the country, no nation was willing to donate even basic supplies to Iran. Eventually, the World Health Organization stepped in and directly supplied it with provisions. An October report from Human Rights Watch noted that “the overbroad and burdensome nature of the US sanctions has led banks and companies around the world to pull back from humanitarian trade with Iran, leaving Iranians who have rare or complicated diseases unable to get the medicine and treatment they require.” At least 2,378 Iranians have died of COVID-19, many of them needlessly.
Despite the embargoes they are under, many countries on the sanctioned list have contributed greatly to the world’s fight against COVID-19. Despite facing a shortage of basic supplies like soap, Cuba continues to export doctors and other medical staff around the world, often to the worst affected areas. Meanwhile, China, the original epicenter of the outbreak, appears to have come to grips with the pandemic and is now exporting its battle-hardened medical staff as well as huge quantities of crucial supplies. This has been presented in the U.S. as a dastardly plot to “curry favor” and shift blame away from their supposed mishandling of the virus in the first place.
The United States has long had a fractious relationship with the UN, constantly using its veto power to sink progressive legislation that would weaken its military, cultural or economic hegemony. In 2017, the U.S. formally pulled out of the UN’s scientific and cultural organization, UNESCO, in response to the group admitting Palestine. American sanctions are not popular at all in the world; in November, for instance, the UN voted 187-3 (U.S., Israel, Brazil) to condemn Washington’s embargo on Cuba. It was the twenty-eighth consecutive year with vote totals varying little from year to year.
The sanctioned countries warn that Trump’s actions are killing not only Americans at home but people all over the world. “We cannot allow for political calculations to get in the way of saving human lives,” they conclude. However, precisely because the U.S. has so much power on the world stage, it is unlikely their protestations will get them very far.
Feature photo | A person in protective clothing walks through a temporary 2,000-bed field hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran, March 26, 2020. Ebrahim Noroozi | 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.