politics for the 99%

Published on Richard Falk’s Blog (also on ZNet), by blog owner, March 17, 2015.

We can only wonder about the stability and future prospects of the United States if 47 Republican senators can irresponsibly further jeopardize the peace of the Middle East and the world by writing an outrageous Open Letter to the leadership of Iran.

In this reckless political maneuver the government of Iran is provocatively reminded that whatever agreement may be reached by the two governments will in all likelihood be disowned if a Republican is elected president in 2016, or short of that, by nullifying actions taken by a Republican-controlled Congress. Mr. Netanyahu must be smiling whenever he looks at a mirror, astonished by his own ability to get the better of reason and self-interest in America, by his pyrotechnic display of ill-informed belligerence in his March 2nd address to Congress. Surely, political theater of sorts, but unlike a performance artist, Netanyahu is a political player whose past antics have brought death and destruction and now mindlessly and bombastically risk far worse in the future.

What interests and disturbs me even more than the fallout from Netanyahu’s partisan speech, are several unexamined presuppositions that falsely and misleadingly frame the wider debate on Iran policy. Even the most respected news sites in the West, including such influential outlets as the NY Times or The Economist, frame the discourse by taking three propositions for granted in ways that severely bias our understanding:

that punitive sanctions on Iran remain an appropriate way to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, and enjoyed the backing of the United Nations;

that Iran must not only renounce the intention to acquire nuclear weapons, but their renunciation must be frequently monitored and verified, while nothing at all is done about Israel’s arsenal of nuclear weapons;

that there is nothing intrinsically wrong about Irael’s threats to attack Iran if it believes that this would strengthen its security either in relation to a possible nuclear attack or in relation to Iran’s support for Hezbollah and Hamas.

Sanctions: … //

… Nuclear Weapons Option: … //

… Military Threats: … //

… Conclusion:

Overall, this opportunistic treatment of Iran’s nuclear program is less indicative of a commitment to nonproliferation than it is a shortsighted expression of geopolitical priorities. If peace and stability were the true motivations of the international community, then we would at least expect to hear strident calls for a nuclear free Middle East tied to a regional security framework. Until such a call is made, there is a cynical game being played with the complicity of the mainstream media. To expose this game we need to realize how greatly the three presuppositions discussed above misshape perceptions and discourse.

(full Text and links to related articles).

(Richard Falk is an international law and international relations scholar who taught at Princeton University for forty years. Since 2002 he has lived in Santa Barbara, California, and taught at the local campus of the University of California in Global and International Studies and since 2005 chaired the Board of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. He initiated this blog partly in celebration of his 80th birthday).

Links:

Monsanto settles 7 lawsuits after 2013 GMO-wheat scare, on Russia Today RT, March 19, 2015;

China-U.S. Rivalry Front and Center of IMF Reform Debate, 5.34 min, on The Real News, March 18, 2015: Treasury Secretary Jack Lew pushes Congress to implement IMF reforms as European countries join IMF’s rival Chinese-backed investment bank AIIB;

If Damascus falls, Europe won’t be far behind – US senator, on Russia Today RT, March 18, 2015;

Royal Navy base sacrifices Bahraini human rights at the altar of trade, military deals – activist, on Russia Today RT, March 18, 2015;

Dramatic findings of new Syria report include plummeting life expectancy and LOOMING ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, on UNRWA.org, March 10, 2015;

Swiss Avalanche – Complete Burial and Rescue, 5.15 min, uploaded by The JayMort, …, March 5, 2015: It is important to learn from the mistakes of others as well as yourself. I have uploaded this video to act as a learning tool to demonstrate what ill preparedness looks like in an avalanche rescue situation. As the buried skier, I am incredibly lucky to be alive. A full write up of the incident is available here: This video documents an avalanche accident that occurred in the Swiss Alps on the 30/01/2015. The accident happened within the resort boundary on a slope not known for slides. Please be careful and never take safety for granted. Decision making is paramount whenever off piste and always carry a beacon, probe and shovel. Most importantly get educated. Stay safe.
Footage courtesy of Daniel O’Sullivan … and other videos in autoplay;

Erik Gottwald – auffordernde Rede vor Schlachthof, 9.09 min, von LuxariusIlluminator am 12. Februar 2013 hochgeladen;

Dirk Müller im ORF - immer noch gültig … das ganze Interview, 66.55 min, von LuxariusIlluminator am 23. Januar 2013 hochgeladen;

Hydropower Struggle – Dams Threaten Europe’s Last Wild Rivers, on Spiegel Online International, by Philip Bethge, January 17, 2014 (15 Photo in the Gallery): Europe’s last remaining wild rivers flow through the Balkans, providing stunning scenery and habitat to myriad plants and animals. But hundreds of dam projects threaten to do irreparable harm to the region’s unique biospheres – to provide much needed electricity to the people who live there …;

Xenophobic Stain – Hoyerswerda Gets Second Chance with Refugee Hostel, on Spiegel Online International, by Lisa Erdmann, January 17, 2014 (Photo Gallery): The city of Hoyerswerda made international headlines during a wave of attacks against foreigners in 1991. Twenty-three years later, a new hostel for asylum-seekers is opening. The far-right is campaigning against it, but many locals are fighting for tolerance …;

on en.wikipedia:

• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB is an international financial institution proposed by China. The purpose of the multilateral development bank is to provide finance to infrastructure projects in the Asia region.[1] AIIB is regarded by some as a rival for the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB),[2] which are regarded as dominated by developed countries like the United States …;
• International Financial Institutions IFIs are financial institutions that have been established (or chartered) by more than one country, and hence are subjects of international law …;