2013.03.19 CNN.com ‘…both American and foreign companies have profited from the conflict — with the top 10 contractors securing business worth at least $72bn between them.
None has benefited more than KBR, once known as Kellogg Brown and Root. The controversial former subsidiary of Halliburton, which was once run by Dick Cheney, vice-president to George W. Bush, was awarded at least $39.5bn in federal contracts related to the Iraq war over the past decade.
Two Kuwaiti companies — Agility Logistics and the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation — are the second and third-biggest winners, securing contracts worth $7.2bn and $6.3bn respectively.
The US hired more private companies in Iraq than in any previous war, and at times there were more contractors than military personnel on the ground….’
via Contractors reap $138B from Iraq war – CNN.com.
Author: jd
Treason by any other name — the Israeli edition
…But there is a real scandal here, and that’s Israel using stolen intelligence as part of a deliberate campaign of messing around with American partisan politics. That’s why the White House is angry: "It is one thing for the U.S. and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal U.S. secrets and play them back to U.S. legislators to undermine U.S. diplomacy," a senior US official told Entous.
If Entous’ reporting is correct, the Israeli government used the leaked information to help Republicans build support for new sanctions among Democrats, which would be necessary to overcome Obama’s veto. Israel was using stolen information to help Mitch McConnell and John Boehner foment a Democratic rebellion against the president….’
via Israel stole classified US information and used it to help congressional Republicans – Vox.
Johann Hari writes about addiction
‘…In Rat Park, all the rats obviously tried both water bottles, because they didn’t know what was in them. But what happened next was startling.
The rats with good lives didn’t like the drugged water. They mostly shunned it, consuming less than a quarter of the drugs the isolated rats used. None of them died. While all the rats who were alone and unhappy became heavy users, none of the rats who had a happy environment did.
At first, I thought this was merely a quirk of rats, until I discovered that there was — at the same time as the Rat Park experiment — a helpful human equivalent taking place. It was called the Vietnam War. Time magazine reported using heroin was “as common as chewing gum” among U.S. soldiers, and there is solid evidence to back this up: some 20 percent of U.S. soldiers had become addicted to heroin there, according to a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Many people were understandably terrified; they believed a huge number of addicts were about to head home when the war ended.
But in fact some 95 percent of the addicted soldiers — according to the same study — simply stopped. Very few had rehab. They shifted from a terrifying cage back to a pleasant one, so didn’t want the drug any more…’
via The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think | Johann Hari.
Noam Chomsky explains the US Republican Party
Hamdi Aburahma Photos – After Netanyahu was reelected, Palestinians fight back (non-violently)
After Netanyahu was reelected, Palestinians continue the resistance against the Israeli occupation
Palestine, West Bank, 20.3.15,
A group of Palestinian activists joined Bil’in their non violent weekly demonstration carrying posters with messages against the new Israeli government. The Palestinians courageously stood up for the rights of the Palestinian people against the new Zionist government elected earlier this week. They will continue their struggle against the occupation and some of the protesters referred to the elected government as fascist.
As usual, the Israeli army used unnecessary violence against the protesters by using rubber bullets and tear gas.
via Hamdi Aburahma – After Netanyahu was reelected, Palestinians….
Peace with Iran could mean less profits
‘…The possibility of an Iran nuclear deal depressing weapons sales was raised by Myles Walton, an analyst from Germany’s Deutsche Bank, during a Lockheed earnings call this past January 27th. Walton asked Marillyn Hewson, the chief executive of Lockheed Martin, if an Iran agreement could “impede what you see as progress in foreign military sales.” Financial industry analysts such as Walton use earnings calls as an opportunity to ask publicly-traded corporations like Lockheed about issues that might harm profitability.
Hewson replied that “that really isn’t coming up,” but stressed that “volatility all around the region” should continue to bring in new business. According to Hewson, “A lot of volatility, a lot of instability, a lot of things that are happening” in both the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region means both are “growth areas” for Lockheed Martin…’
via Big Bank’s Analyst Worries That Iran Deal Could Depress Weapons Sales – The Intercept.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2gR6SZC2M
‘…Sister Rosetta Tharpe is celebrated as gospel music’s first superstar, the godmother of rock and roll, “the original soul sister.” No better way to celebrate her spirit and legacy than with her legendary, electrifying 1964 live performance of “Didn’t It Rain” at the Manchester UK train station, complete with her iconic white coat and electric guitar….’
via The Godmother of Rock & Roll: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Live in Manchester, 1964
US money paid for Bibi Netanyahu’s reelection
JERUSALEM (JTA) — More than 90 percent of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection funds have come from the United States.
Of the total contributions of nearly $259,000 — slightly over 1 million shekels — about $237,000 came from American donors, according to records made public by Israel’s State Comptroller and first published by BuzzFeed. Three wealthy families donated about half the amount from the Americans. Israeli politicians may accept a maximum donation of about $11,500.
The three families are the Falics of Florida, owners of the Duty Free Americas stores found in airports; the Books of New Jersey, owners of Jet Support Services, Inc.; and the Schottensteins of Ohio, owners of the American Eagle clothing chain.
via US donors providing most of Netanyahu’s reelection funds – Israel News – Jerusalem Post.
The American middle class since 2000, the wars come first
‘…A new analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Stateline blog, shows that the percentage of middle-class households — defined as those earning between 67 and 200 percent of a state’s median income — dropped in every U.S. state between 2000 and 2013. Median income also fell in most states during that period.
[….] The decline of the American middle class is unsurprising by now. The middle class has seen its wages change little since the turn of the millennium, while high-earning individuals keep making more and more each year. And middle-class wages are a long way from catching up to the rising costs of child care, tuition, and hospital visits…’
via The Middle Class Has Gotten Smaller In Every State Since 2000.
2,320 US Airstrikes and $2 Billion later — The Empire eats its own tail.
Both Jeb and Hillary support this new new war in Iraq.
March 19, 2015 — The Pentagon has issued a statement regarding it’s ongoing air war against ISIS today, reporting 2,320 airstrikes, and claiming the direct costs of the attacks so far were $1.83 billion.
The statement attempts to focus on big “successes” in the attack, including 73 tanks destroyed, many of them US-made M1A1 tanks, and 282 Humvees, all of them US-made.
via 2,320 US Airstrikes, $2 Billion, And Not Much to Show for It — News from Antiwar.com.
Media Activist Danny Schechter, RIP
Don Hazen writes about Danny Schechter (June 27, 1942 – March 19, 2015)
‘…One of the great original multi-taskers, Schechter was an independent filmmaker, author of a number of books, a blogger, and media critic whose insights about the failures of the global media system were incisive and widely appreciated. Later in his career he embraced new technology, creating the Media Channel where he called himself “blogger-in-chief.” A brilliant speaker and strategist, Schechter was a true a global leader, traveling to dozens of countries, making connections, shooting footage and giving rousing speeches. Schechter was the special kind of leader-activist who had deep cultural roots, weaving music into his quest to improve human rights globally. He will be missed.’
via Danny Schechter, the News Dissector, Dies in NYC at 72 | Alternet.
in the direction of exclusion
An interview with Nadav Eya
‘You know, I have a friend in India who’s a journalist. A Hindi nationalist party is now in power in India. Like us, they have a neighboring country, Pakistan, with whom they are locked in a territorial dispute, except that they have nuclear weapons. I asked my friend about the nationality clause in the Indian constitution, and it turns out that there isn’t one. India was founded on the ancient Indian idea of unity in diversity. My friend was very surprised that we are allowing the nation-state legislation to go forward. I asked him what would happen in similar circumstances in India, and he didn’t even want to think about it. Laws like that only weaken us.
The societies that are moving in the direction of exclusion are shrinking into religiosity, into ethnicity. They are closed to external influence, rigid and inflexible in their thought, and the end result of that inflexibility is extremism or implosion. We know the examples.
via The lesson SodaStream taught Israel – Features – Israel News | Haaretz. [archived text]
David Harvey Interview: Syriza and Podemos
Sounds like Hungary.
il manifesto: In the book you predict a new cycle of revolts. Yet an appraisal of the last few years would have to say that the Arab Spring has proven a disaster, while Occupy has not been able to transform itself into an effective political force. Do you think the answer is something like Podemos, which has been able to give political expression to the 15-M movement?
David Harvey: Syriza and Podemos have opened up a political space, because something new is happening. What is it? I can’t say. Of course there will be those on the anti-capitalist left who accuse them of ‘reformism’. That may well be true, but they have also been the first forces to put forward some policies, and once we’ve started down that road then that will open up new possibilities. Finally breaking with the mantra of austerity and smashing the power of the Troika would, I believe, create the space for new perspectives, which could then further develop. I think that at this stage, this kind of parties we are seeing in Europe is the best thing that we can hope for, beginning to define the Left alternatives that we are currently lacking. They will probably be populist – with all the limits and dangers that populism entails – but as I have said, this is a movement: it opens up spaces, and what we can use these spaces for depends on our capacity to ask, ‘OK, now that we’ve got this far, what should we do now?’
via VersoBooks.com.
Video: Iceland’s Pirates to rule?
‘…[Birgitta Jónsdóttir, MP for the Pirate Party] says that she does not want to become Prime Minister and if the Pirates were to receive this number of votes in the next general elections the party would not be likely to form a coalition government with the ruling parties, the Independence Party and the Progressive Party…’
via Pirate captain as Prime Minister? – mbl.is.
Dr. Cornel West Interview on the Late Show with David Letterman
Dr. Cornel West Interview on the Late Show with David Letterman
Part one…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyn-W4W6bHQ
Part two…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz6MtrfKvRw
The enemies of the USA are now allies, and therefore not terrorists
Iran and Hezbollah have troops fighting ISIL, therefore the enemy of the US’s enemy is no longer an enemy, but now a friend – plus, this is the day after the Israeli election!
‘An annual security report submitted recently to the US Senate by James Clapper, director of National Intelligence, removed both Iran and Hezbollah from the list of terrorism threats to the United States for the first time in years…’
via US removes Iran and Hezbollah from list of terror threats.
350 Blockupy Protestors arrested at ECB HQ in Frankfurt
Dozens of police officers have been injured and hundreds of people detained after anti-austerity protesters clashed with riot police near the new headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt. At least seven police cars were set on fire as streets were barricaded at the “Blockupy” demonstration to mark the opening of the billion-euro building on Wednesday morning.
via At least 350 people arrested in protest at ECB HQ in Frankfurt
Ali Abunimah: Why I’m relieved Netanyahu won
Ali Abunimah writes about the Bibi victory in the Israeli elections…
But what has distinguished Netanyahu is that he strips away the opportunities for the so-called “international community” to hide its complicity with Israel’s ugly crimes behind a charade of a “peace process.”
Moreover Netanyahu’s open alliance with the most racist, white supremacist, Islamophobic and bigoted elements of the North American and European right – his speech to Congress earlier this month was a manifestation of this – place Israel in the correct ideological camp. Israel can no longer practice apartheid at home, while falsely presenting itself as a beacon of liberalism around the world.
In short, Netanyahu’s re-election is like the “Nutrition Facts” label on a box of junk food: it tells you about the toxic ingredients inside.
via Why I’m relieved Netanyahu won | The Electronic Intifada.
And furthermore, now that Bibi displayed his real face in saying that there will never be a Palestinian state as long as he is Prime Minister, at last!, the Palestinians will no longer feel required to take part in fake ‘peace talks.’ — At least until Bibi leaves office.
German WWII war reparations for Greece?
‘In an op-ed for Spiegel Online, Gesine Schwan, a former presidential candidate, said Germany "needs to clean before its own door" when it comes to its Nazi past, noting that victims and descendants have longer memories than perpetrators and descendents.
"It looks awkward when well-off Germany demands the repayment of debts from poor Greece but is itself not prepared to even speak about the repayment of a forced loan by Nazi Germany on Greece," she wrote.
[….] Greece is seeking compensation on three accounts – general war reparations, a claim resulting from a massacre of 214 people in the Greek village of Distomo in 1944 and the repayment of the forced loan that the Nazis got from the Greek central bank in 1943. The total amounts to hundreds of billions of euros.
Germany, for its part, says it has honoured its obligations, having paid Greece 115m Deutchmarks in 1960. It also argues that the matter was closed by the 1990 ‘two plus four treaty’ signed by West and East Germany, as well as the Soviet Union, Britain, France and the US.
But this has been disputed in a 2013 report by the German parliament’s research service which argued that these agreements do not necessarily fully close the matter…’
via Prominent German politicians side with Greece on war reparations.
European Commission tells Greece not to pass anti-poverty law
‘Declan Costello, director at the EC’s directorate for economic and financial affairs, has ordered the radical left-led coalition governemnt in Greece to stop. A planned law to allow tax arrears to be paid in instalments, set before the Greek parliament on Thursday, has also been vetoed [….] Mr Costello’s letter effectively says that if the Greek parliament votes on the new law tomorrow, it is a violation of the compromise deal signed by finance minister Yanis Varoufakis on 20 February in Brussels…
via Don’t pass new anti-poverty law, commission tells Greece | Paul Mason | Paul Mason.
Jodi.org lives!
Ten or fifteen plus years back there was jodi.org – a very confusing and artsy website, back in the day when ‘net.art’ seemed like a new idea. Now everyone and everything is somehow internet art.
The artist pushed the limits of browsers of that time – which frequently crashed if too much was happening on-screen at one time.
I had forgotten about jodi.org. But I now noticed that it still exists!….
Gideon Levy: The only democracy in the Middle East, isn’t a democracy
Gideon Levy writes
‘There’s no such thing as half pregnant, and there’s no such thing as half democracy, and what will take place here today is barely half democracy. The occupying people will go to the polls. On a good day, the occupied people can only dream about the polls. Their fate will be determined in their masters’ elections. Their masters will determine their future; they have no right to participate in that process. In the meantime, their prime minister is to all intents and purposes an Israeli general who determines most of their daily lives.
The real hole in the ozone of Israeli democracy is the ongoing lives of over four million people living under a brutal, violent rule, all the while having not even the slightest amount of participation or involvement. There is no other country in the world in which millions of its subjects are denied the right to vote – while that country is labeled a democracy, and not just any democracy, but the only (!) democracy in the region…’
via Israeli occupiers, go to the polls – Israel election 2015 – Israel News | Haaretz.
New Zealand needs the USA to target Whistleblowers
And, what did the NZ government have to do to receive this kind of info this info from the USA? This is probably the real scandal. How many other government need the USA to target whistleblowers in their own countries?
‘New Zealand’s eavesdropping agency used an Internet mass surveillance system to target government officials and an anti-corruption campaigner on a neighboring Pacific island, according to a top-secret document.
Analysts from Government Communications Security Bureau, or GCSB, programmed the Internet spy system XKEYSCORE to intercept documents authored by the closest aides and confidants of the prime minister on the tiny Solomon Islands. The agency also entered keywords into the system so that it would intercept documents containing references to the Solomons’ leading anti-corruption activist, who is known for publishing government leaks on his website….’
via New Zealand Used NSA System to Target Officials, Anti-Corruption Campaigner – The Intercept.
The 12th Anniversary Of Rachel Corrie’s Stand In Gaza
The Corrie Family writes:
‘…Our family’s legal options in Israel are nearly exhausted, but our search for justice for Rachel goes forward. Back in Washington DC, we have come full circle. We ask again that U.S. officials address their responsibility to U.S. citizens and to all civilians whose lives are impacted and cut short by military actions supported with U.S. taxpayer funding. We ask that they determine what to do when a promise from a key ally’s head of state to our own goes unfulfilled. March 16, 2003, was the very worst day of our lives. Our family deserves a clear and truthful explanation for how what happened to Rachel that day could occur, and to know there is some consequence to those responsible. Rachel deserves this…’
via THE 12th ANNIVERSARY OF RACHEL CORRIE’S STAND IN GAZA – FAMILY STATEMENT | The Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice.
EU: ‘privacy is not a luxury right’
‘…Condemns in the strongest possible terms the vast, systemic, blanket collection of the personal data of innocent people, often comprising intimate personal information; emphasises that the systems of mass, indiscriminate surveillance by intelligence services constitute a serious interference with the fundamental rights of citizens; stresses that privacy is not a luxury right, but that it is the foundation stone of a free and democratic society; points out, furthermore, that mass surveillance has potentially severe effects on the freedom of the press, thought and speech, as well as a significant potential for abuse of the information gathered against political adversaries; emphasises that these mass surveillance activities appear also to entail illegal actions by intelligence services and raise questions regarding the extra-territoriality of national laws;…’
via European Parliament: Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs .