politics for the 99%

Published on Dissident Voice, by Paul Craig Roberts, Nov 24, 2015.

… Turkey’s unprovoked shoot-down of a Russian military aircraft over Syria raises interesting questions. It seems unlikely that the Turkish government would commit an act of war against a much more powerful neighbor unless Washington had cleared the attack. Turkey’s government is not very competent, but even the incompetent know better than to put themselves into a position of facing Russia alone.

If the attack was cleared with Washington, was Obama bypassed by the neocons who control his government, or is Obama himself complicit? Clearly the neoconservatives are disturbed by the French president’s call for unity with Russia against ISIL and easily could have used their connections to Turkey to stage an event that Washington can use to prevent cooperation with Russia … //

… I will be surprised if the Russian government any longer places any trust in the words of the West and any hope in diplomacy with the West. By now the Russian government and the Russian people will have learned that the Wolfowitz doctrine means what it says and is in force against Russia.

From the Ukrainian attack on Crimea’s power supply and the blackout that is affecting Crimea, the Russian government has also learned that Washington’s puppet government in Kiev intends further conflict with Russia.

Washington has made it clear from the beginning that Washington’s focus is on overthrowing Assad, not ISIL. Despite the alleged attack on France by ISIL, the US State Department press spokesperson, Admiral John Kirby, said that Russia cannot be a member of the coalition against ISIL until Russia stops propping up Assad.

To the extent that the shoot-down of the Russian military aircraft has a silver lining, the incident has likely saved the Russian government from a coalition in which Russia would have lost control of its war against ISIL and would have had to accept the defeat of Assad’s removal.

Each step along the way the Russian government has held strong cards that it did not play, trusting instead to diplomacy. Diplomacy has now proven to be a deadend. If Russia does not join the real game and begin to play its strong cards, Russia will be defeated.

(full text).

(Paul Craig Roberts is an American economist, author, columnist, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, and former editor and columnist for corporate media publications. He is the author of The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul’s website).
(Find him also on World People’s Blog).

Links:

Ankara defends ISIS, Turkish officials have financial interest in oil trade with group – PM Medvedev, on Russia Today RT, Nov 25, 2015;

Bad Policy, Bad Ethics: U.S. Military Bases Abroad, on Dissident Voice, by Matt Peppe, Nov 24, 2015; The thesis of anthropologist David Vine’s latest book, Base Nation: How U.S. Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World, is taboo in American political discourse. It is a radical notion to suggest that foreign bases don’t protect American interests but actively harm them …;

Turkey Did Not Act on Its Own. Was Washington Complicit in Downing Russia’s Aircraft? on Global Research.ca, by Stephen Lendman, Nov 24, 2015;

Why Be a Food Farmer? on Dissident Voice, by Shepherd Bliss, Nov 23, 2015;

La Turquie expulse des réfugiés vers la Syrie en guerre - accuse HRW, dans La Presse.ca, le 23 nov 2015;

US: What Life Will Look Like After the Robots Steal All Our Jobs, on VICE, by Arielle Pardes, Nov 18, 2015: … work isn’t just what we do; it’s who we are …;

Ireland: Willie O’Dea told us about his radical plan to abolish all social welfare, on The Journal.ie, Nov 18, 2015: The Fianna Fáil TD has proposed that a basic income replace all current state supports;

Bishop of Durham issues dire warning over benefit changes, on Chronicle Live, by Hugh Macknight, Nov 18, 2015: the Rt Revd Paul Butler said welfare changes would create more poverty and put already vulnerable children at risk;

UK: Bishops criticise government’s deeply problematic welfare reform, on Premier.org.uk, by Antony Bushfield, Nov 18, 2015;

Une trentaine de Syriens sont arrivés à l’aéroport Montréal-Trudeau, dans La Presse.ca, par LOUIS-SAMUEL PERRON, le 18 nov 2015: «Dieu merci, ils sont sains et saufs!», s’émeut Salpi Zoboyan, la voix se brisant sous le coup de l’émotion. Autour d’elle, les larmes coulent sur tous les visages. Des larmes de bonheur. Des larmes d’espoir. Une trentaine de survivants de la Syrie sont arrivés hier soir à l’aéroport Montréal-Trudeau. Pour leurs proches, il ne s’agit pas de migrants syriens. Ce sont des frères, des cousins, des filles séparés par une guerre interminable. Hier soir, leur cauchemar a enfin pris fin;

Forget About Your Net Worth – In Retirement, It’s All About Cash Flow, on Fox Business, by Helen Simon, Nov 18, 2015;

CRISE MIGRATOIRE – dossier spécial de La Presse.ca;

Food Banks Canada wants to put itself out of business, on The Provnce, Nov 17, 2015;

Food bank a blessing for injured Winnipeg woman, on CBCnews, Nov 17, 2015;

ITALY: Public Gatherings in 200 Squares Across Italy, on BIEN, by Sandro Gobetti, Nov 17, 2015;

Canada: Food bank use in Alberta soars, year-over-year – HungerCount report, on CTVnews, Nov 17, 2015;

La demande aux banques alimentaires du Manitoba est à la hausse, dans Ici Radio Canada.ca, le 17 nov 2015;

Suisse: L’élection du Conseil fédéral occupera la session d’hiver, dans Le Matin, le 16 nov 2015: … le 9 décembre, les chambres éliront les sept sages;

Canada: 70 personnes à la conférence sur le revenu de base, dans l’Avantage, par Alexandre D’Astous, le 16 nov: Le député de Rimouski, Harold LeBel et le Regroupement contre l’appauvrissement Rimouski-Neigette et Action Populaire Rimouski-Neigette sont satisfaits de la participation de la population rimouskoise à la conférence « Avoir suffisamment d’argent pour vivre? Constats et pistes de réflexion à travers l’exemple du revenu minimum garanti et du rapport Godbout » qui a été prononcée par Bertrand Schepper de l’Institut de recherche socioéconomique (IRIS), lundi au Grand salon du Cégep de Rimouski;

The Case For Universal Prosperity (Part 4), on Ethical Technology IEET.org, by Michael Hrenka, Nov 16, 2015;

Daniel Häni, Philip Kovce: Was fehlt, wenn alles da ist? [What’s missing if everything is there?], auf BIEN, von Albert Joerimann, 15. Nov 2015;

Laying the Groundwork for More Efficient Retirement Savings Incentives, on Center for American Progress.org, by Christian E. Weller and Teresa Ghilarducci, Nov 8, 2015.