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Post by Entendance on Jul 20, 2023 5:55:39 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jul 22, 2023 12:03:25 GMT -5
Sputnik Journalist Dies From Cluster Bomb Wounds During Evacuation
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Post by Entendance on Jul 25, 2023 3:28:46 GMT -5
Putin’s “limited military operation” is turning out to be a disaster for Putin, for Russia, and for the world as it seems to be leading to a major war.
Recently I listed some of the serious consequences for Russia of the limited operation: www.paulcraigroberts.org/2023/07/18/does-putin-understand-that-russia-is-at-war/ and www.paulcraigroberts.org/2023/07/22/another-consequence-of-putins-never-ending-war/
Another is Putin’s failure to take Odessa and close Ukraine from the Black Sea. As long as Ukraine has Odessa, attacks can be mounted from sea on Crimea, such as the recent attack by 28 drones. What is the value of a limited military operation that leaves the enemy every opportunity to continue its attacks on Russian territory?
Putin’s failure to quickly knock Ukraine out of the war gives the US and NATO the opportunity to establish Black Sea bases in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, and possibly Turkey. In other words, Putin is allowing the possibility of the US and NATO to challenge Russia’s natural dominance of the Black Sea. It is difficult to imagine a more fatal error.
The US 101st Airborne Division is sitting in Romania. Why? Is it to cut off Russian forces in Transnistria and achieve the victory of a Russian surrender, or is it to provide “trip-wire” protection for US/NATO to complete the encirclement of the Russian Navy that has been achieved in the North and Baltic Seas as the result of Putin’s limited operation that sent Sweden and Finland into NATO?
What Putin and his pro-Western Atlanticist Integrationist advisors thought would be a reassuring-to-the- West “limited operation” confined to Donbass in fact gave the anti-Russian West the opportunity to turn the tables against Putin. He is now in a war for which he hasn’t sufficient conventional forces as he has not committed the necessary funds for a real army.
And he still refuses to abandon his goody two shoes posture that places the lives of Ukrainian civilians and their water, electric power, public transportation and every day convenience, all of which facilitates the fighting ability of Ukraine, above the survival of Russia and her troops in the trenches.
Putin after waiting eight years while Washington built up a Ukrainian Army that was about to slaughter the inhabitants of rebellious Russian provinces in Ukraine, people put into the Ukrainian Republic of the Soviet Union without their consent by Communist officials. This forced Putin’s reluctant hand, but he remained reluctant and limited his intervention to ineffectiveness that encouraged Washington’s neoconservatives who hate Russia to involve the West against Russia in a conflict that Washington cannot afford to lose. The two American presidential candidates capable of ending the conflict with Russia–Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., are both under fierce attack from the Democrat Party, the military/security complex, the US media, and fake prosecutorial charges. In my opinion, there is no prospect of either being permitted to become President of the United States.
Putin, the Kremlin, and the Chinese leadership do not understand that the West is no longer the West. 20th century Western principles possibly never existed in practice, but they did in principle. In Soviet Russia the propaganda of a free West played well. In the minds of the Russian intelligentsia, America became a potential liberator. When the Soviet Union collapsed when hardline Communists arrested Gorbavhev, Russians suffered loss of self-belief because of the economic hardships and political humiliations that followed. America’s shining light became a sign of liberation. The success of American propaganda in Russia might seal Russia’s doom.
Here is analysis from an Indian. www.indianpunchline.com/storm-clouds-gathering-in-the-black-sea/
Notice that it is not from an American or a Russian. India is a key determinant of how the future develops. Is India going to align with Russia and China, stay out of the conflict, or align with the West? India’s decision will have much to do with the stability of the world.
Do Putin and China understand the importance of India? Will we witness another Putin goody two shoes role in which the decision is left to Indian democracy, which means, of course, Washington’s money, or will China and Russia make the accommodations with India to avoid a CIA agent within the Silk Road?
In my view, perhaps mistaken, Russia and China are babes in the woods. Both governments think they are dealing with democracies whose governments are responsible to the people. Therefore, Russia and China defend themselves against accusations and act to show that they only want peaceful economic engagement.
But this is not what American Hegemony wants. The neoconservatives who have controlled US foreign policy for 30 years want the destruction of Russia and China, because both countries serve as constraints on US unilateralism.
It is extraordinary that neither the Russian nor the Chinese governments can comprehend this. -Paul Craig Roberts
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Post by Entendance on Jul 26, 2023 5:08:51 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Jul 27, 2023 1:38:54 GMT -5
Su Majestad el Rey hace el entre del World Peace & Liberty Award a la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Úrsula Von Der Leyen.
🇸🇨 🇧🇯 🇦🇴 🇨🇩 🇳🇦 🇹🇿 🇧🇫 🇬🇲 🇬🇼 🇬🇳 🇩🇯 🇰🇲 🇧🇮 🇲🇬 🇸🇴 🇹🇩 🇬🇶 🇿🇼 🇪🇹 🇸🇩 🇸🇸 🇪🇬 🇲🇱 🇿🇦 🇪🇷 🇨🇬 🇳🇬 🇨🇫 🇺🇬 🇩🇿 🇸🇳 🇬🇭 🇿🇲 🇷🇼 🇲🇿 🇨🇲 🇹🇬 🇲🇷 🇹🇳 🇸🇿 🇱🇾 🇲🇼 🇨🇮 🇬🇦 🇲🇦
Standard of Living Collapse! The collapse of the standard of living in Europe is a breathtakingly important issue that has received little attention in the media. Europe’s standard of living is declining due to an aging population, preference for free time and job security, high taxes, and regulated welfare state, while consumption spending is falling and government’s creation of money for consumption is causing a collapse.
Unions and government regulations are not the solution to the standard of living collapse in Europe, as they limit productivity and increase costs, while people’s lack of understanding exacerbates the problem, and the implementation of 15-minute cities further restricts mobility.
The cause of the standard of living collapse is not being properly identified, with blame being placed on individuals rather than the government or Central Bank, and the growth of unions in Europe is not a solution as they limit membership and result in higher wages. Unions in Europe are not going to save the people, as they make labor less productive and cost money, leading to a lower standard of living, and people’s lack of understanding of the government’s role in inflating money and imposing regulations further contributes to the problem.
European governments are expected to increase defense spending, which will lead to higher taxes and put pressure on consumers, despite the fact that the quality standard of the falling GDP of Europe is still about 50 times larger.
The standard of living is collapsing due to subsidy obligations and inflation, with Europe experiencing a worse situation than the US.
Europeans are becoming poorer due to inflation eroding their standard of living, and it would be better if there was disinflation to encourage saving and reduce frivolous consumption.
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Post by Entendance on Jul 29, 2023 1:17:52 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 1, 2023 5:11:51 GMT -5
Chilean-American reporter Gonzalo Lira, who claimed he would attempt to flee Ukraine after being subjected to physical abuse and extortion in custody, has gone missing, a source has confirmed to RT. Lira, a vocal critic of the Ukrainian government, resurfaced this week, months after being arrested by the nation’s security service, the SBU. In a series of posts on Twitter and YouTube, he stated his intention to cross the border into Hungary and apply for political asylum. In a series of tweets yesterday he claimed he had been kept incommunicado in pre-trial detention since early May. He also claimed he had been deprived of sleep, beaten and tortured by other inmates, on instructions from prison authorities. Lira apparently never made it across the border. Mark Sleboda, a political analyst and frequent guest on RT, confirmed to the channel that Lira was stopped by Ukrainian border guards and has not been heard from since. Lira had previously claimed that he had been released on bail after months in detention and ordered not to leave the city of Kharkov. However he added that he had his passport and was not wearing an electronic shackle, contrary to the terms of his release. “Maybe I’m being set up by them so they can justify putting me away in a labor camp – so no one will ever know about their sordid extortion scheme,” he said. “I simply don’t know.” In the event that he would cross the border in to Hungary, Lira expected Ukraine to issue an international arrest warrant for him for skipping bail. He added that he hoped Hungary would be willing to defy Kiev and not hand him over, unlike other EU nations. “If you don’t hear from me in the next 12 hours—whelp! I’m on my way to a labor camp!” he concluded. There have been no further updates on his social media since. Lira has been accused by Ukraine of “publicly justifying” the Russian military operation and “disseminating fakes [false stories] about the war in Ukraine”.He claims the charges were bogus and that he did nothing but explain his opinions about Kiev’s policies and report what was happening in the country.
Gonzalo Lira Was 'Stopped On The Ukrainian Side of The Border From Crossing And Has Since Disappeared,' Friend Says
Chilean-American blogger Gonzalo Lira, arrested by the Ukrainian intelligence in May on charges of pro-Russian sympathies, reappeared online on Monday and told a sordid tale of beatings and extortion while awaiting a show trial. “I was tortured in two of the four cells I was in—by the other prisoners,” Lira posted in a 25-tweet thread on Monday evening, noting that all the torture in the pre-trial detention center (SIZO) was outsourced to the inmates. “I got a cracked rib in my first cell, but it wasn’t too bad. The worst stretch was in my fourth cell. From 1pm on June 21 until 7pm the next day—30 hours” two inmates tortured him and at one point “used a toothpick to scratch the whites of my left eye, while asking me if I could still read if I had just one,” Lira wrote.
One of the torturers was allegedly reprimanded for bruising the 55-year-old blogger’s chest, because the instructions were to leave no marks. Lira posted photographs of the documents laying out the charges against him, suggesting that he was being imprisoned over social media posts and YouTube videos. He said the one video in particular that got the authorities’ attention was “Ukraine: A Primer,” his explanation of the background of the current conflict with Russia, which blamed Kiev for provoking it. According to Lira, he was beaten and tortured because the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) figured it could extort him for all his savings – amounting to some $100,000 when factoring in the confiscated computers and phones.
Told he would be found guilty and sentenced to 5-8 years in a labor camp at his upcoming trial, Lira decided to flee Ukraine and seek asylum in Hungary. “I’m posting this thread just as I’m getting to the border checkpoint,”he tweeted. “If you don’t hear from me in the next 12 hours—whelp! I’m on my way to a labor camp! Wish me luck.” He credited the Chilean embassy for any care he received in jail, noting that the US embassy “called me three times, but gave me nothing but ‘support’—empty bromides.” He also suggested that the US would extradite him back to Ukraine, because Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland “hates my guts, or so I’m told.”
The SBU detained Lira on May 1, accusing him of “producing and distributing materials justifying the armed aggression” of Russia. A judge ordered him to stay in jail pending trial. The first time the SBU detained Lira, in April 2022, he was released without charges after a week, presumably due to public pressure.
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Post by Entendance on Aug 2, 2023 16:42:24 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 3, 2023 2:53:47 GMT -5
...Despite the fact that the Azov battalion has been recognized by the United States as a neo-Nazi organization, NATO forces were directly involved in training of nationalist armed formations, they noted. "This is evidence of Kiev's intensive preparations for active combat operations under NATO's supervision," the law enforcement officer concluded...
August 6, 2023 The Ever Widening War
For 17 months I have warned that the Kremlin’s unwillingness to use sufficient force to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a conclusion is widening the war. Now we hear from Col. Douglas Macgregor that a Polish division is being readied for deployment in Ukraine. “Warsaw, whose leadership of NATO’s anti-Russian crusade is prized in Washington, finds comfort in the Beltway’s belief in Russian military weakness. So much so, that Warsaw seems willing to risk direct confrontation with Moscow. According to French sources in Warsaw, if Ukrainian forces are driven back, ‘the Poles may introduce the first division this year, which will include the Poles, the Balts, and a certain number of Ukrainians.’ “Now, Washington is misjudging Moscow. The Russian national command authorities may well think that Warsaw’s actions align with Washington’s intentions. President Biden’s executive order to extend hazard pay to American soldiers currently serving in Ukraine (who are not supposed to be there) no doubt reinforces this opinion. “But it is far more likely that the Polish tail wants to wag the American dog. The Poles know their military intervention in historic Galician Ukraine will provoke a military response from both Belarus and Russia, but Warsaw also reasons that Washington’s air and ground forces in Europe are unlikely to sit quietly in Ukraine, Romania, and the Baltic littoral while Polish forces fight a losing battle.” Col. Magregor agrees with me that a wider war is in the cards unless Moscow closes down the conflict. “America’s proxy war with Russia has transformed Ukraine into a graveyard. Indulging Poland’s passion for war with Russia encourages Poland to follow the Ukrainian example. The very idea must leave Moscow no choice but to bring all of Russia’s military power to bear simultaneously against Ukraine, before the collective West stumbles into regional war. Make peace, you fools, before it’s too late.” I find it disturbing, or should I say frightening, that the Kremlin is incapable of reading Washington and thinks by holding Russian intervention to the Russian parts of Ukraine that the Kremlin is sending the West reassuring signals. The West’s intentions against Russia are immune to Russian reassurances. -Paul Craig Roberts
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Post by Entendance on Aug 9, 2023 17:09:13 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 12, 2023 3:47:49 GMT -5
September 30, 2022
Ukraine's capitulation to pave way to peace, but Washington, Kiev blocking path — Medvedev
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Post by Entendance on Aug 14, 2023 10:56:49 GMT -5
'European natural gas prices soared almost 40 percent on the risk of a global liquefied natural gas shortage. European wholesale power prices remain below the record highs of the energy crisis but have steadily climbed as the volatility in the international commodity spectrum underscores the fragility of the European energy system. Unfortunately, the European Union bureaucrats declared the end of the energy crisis as if it were the result of decisive policy action, but the reality is that the energy problem in the EU was only diminished by purely external factors: a very mild winter and the decline in global commodity prices due to the central bank rate hikes. Thus, the energy crisis remains, and the problems of security of supply and affordability of the system persist. The European Union’s dependency on Russian gas has not been solved; it has only been disguised by a massive increase in dependency on coal (lignite) in the case of Germany and expensive liquefied natural gas imported from the rest of the world. At the end of 2022, Germany’s energy mix was the clearest example of its energy policy failure. Hard coal and lignite accounted for 31.2%, natural gas 13.8%, and mineral oil 0.8%, with nuclear at 6.0%. After almost 200 billion euros in renewable subsidies, Germany needs more coal and imported natural gas. What did the government decide after facing the mistake of shutting down almost all its nuclear fleet? You guessed it. Double down and continue with the process of closing the remaining ones. No wonder Germany is in recession. Its industrial model requires abundant and affordable energy, and the different governments have made the cost of energy uncompetitive...'
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Post by Entendance on Aug 17, 2023 10:39:19 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 23, 2023 4:22:41 GMT -5
In 2008, the EU’s economy was somewhat larger than America’s: $16.2tn versus $14.7tn. By 2022, the US economy had grown to $25tn, whereas the EU and the UK together had only reached $19.8tn.
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Post by Entendance on Aug 26, 2023 2:03:16 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Aug 30, 2023 3:37:14 GMT -5
Stagflation Threat Looms
'Censorship of the Internet has been getting worse for years, but we just crossed a threshold which is going to take things to a whole new level. On August 25th, a new law known as the “Digital Services Act” went into effect in the European Union. Under this new law, European bureaucrats will be able to order big tech companies to censor any content that is considered to be “illegal”, “disinformation” or “hate speech”...' Direct Government Censorship Of The Internet Is Here
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Post by Entendance on Sept 2, 2023 4:41:25 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Sept 16, 2023 2:37:44 GMT -5
The de-industrialization of Germany has become a mainstream issue, with Eurozone growth falling to 0.6 percent this year, indicating a stagnation and stagflation situation. Germany faces a challenge in finding solutions to its de-industrialization, as cheap energy from Russia is no longer available and reopening nuclear power stations is not an option. The contrasting reactions of booing and cheering towards Schultz indicate a divided opinion among the public, highlighting the controversy surrounding his actions and the perception of his leadership. The architect of Germany’s deindustrialization is seen as the ultimate true leader by the speaker, overshadowing other figures in the government. Germany’s decision to escalate the conflict with Russia is seen as a terrible decision, with Austria’s approach of working with Russia being seen as a better alternative. “Germany will go into a long decline like Britain has done, and people are already talking about Germany as the sick man of Europe.” The German economy has become overconcentrated in motor vehicles, which has contributed to its deindustrialization. The missed opportunity for Germany to collaborate with Russia in scientific, technological, and industrial sectors could have potentially helped Germany reverse its deindustrialization trend.
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Post by Entendance on Sept 21, 2023 5:49:10 GMT -5
'...This is where all the previously unseen elephants in the room begin mounting a combined charge against the status quo. The common element of their attack will be fiat currencies, led by the dollar. Foreign holders of US securities will face massive losses on their $32 trillion invested, including $7.5 trillion in deposits and short-term bills. To this must be added the accumulated Eurodollars, a further $15 trillion of bank liabilities, a further $78 trillion of mostly short-term off balance sheet positions., and the $10 trillion of long-term eurobonds. That’s $135 trillion asking to be liquidated.' Russia said it is temporarily banning exports of diesel to “stabilize domestic supplies,” driving European prices higher in already tight global fuel markets.
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Post by Entendance on Sept 23, 2023 3:09:00 GMT -5
The QT show started less than a year ago. German home prices -11%, ECB assets -19%.
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Post by Entendance on Sept 24, 2023 8:14:20 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Sept 25, 2023 12:48:16 GMT -5
Attack on Sevastopol Carried Out in Close Coordination With US, UK Specialists - Moscow
'...Ukraine has lost 53.7% of its population since 2014...'
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Post by Entendance on Oct 1, 2023 8:04:59 GMT -5
Slovakia’s leftist former Prime Minister Robert Fico beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine, but he will need to win over allies to form the next government, nearly complete results showed on Sunday. With 98% of voting districts reporting in the Saturday election, Fico’s SMER-SSD party led with 23.37% of the vote. The liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) followed with 16.86% and the HLAS (Voice) party, which could become the kingmaker for forming the next government, was third with 15.03%. Former Fico colleague and leftist HLAS leader Peter Pellegrini kept his options open on future coalitions. A government led by Fico and his SMER-SSD party would see NATO member Slovakia joining Hungary in challenging the European Union’s consensus on support for Ukraine, just as the bloc looks to maintain unity in opposing Russia’s invasion. It would also signal a further shift in the region against political liberalism, which may be reinforced if conservative PiS wins an election in Poland later this month.
UK PM Sunak Says Remarks on British Soldiers in Ukraine 'Misreporting'
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Post by Entendance on Oct 2, 2023 0:42:57 GMT -5
'...The US has after all been the single most aggressive government on the world stage for generations now. It has repeatedly invaded and staged regime change operations against its neighbors in Latin America, to say nothing of its military aggressions and proxy warfare in nations like Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Yemen. No other government has spent the 21st century killing people by the millions in wars of aggression. No other government has been surrounding the planet with hundreds of military bases, deliberately targeting civilian populations with deadly force around the world via starvation sanctions, and working continuously to topple any government on earth which disobeys its dictates. Only the US has...' In Support Of The Policy Of Deterrence
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Post by Entendance on Oct 4, 2023 4:36:59 GMT -5
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Post by Entendance on Oct 7, 2023 18:21:40 GMT -5
Scholz’s Party Reels From ‘Disastrous’ Results in German State Elections
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Post by Entendance on Oct 11, 2023 9:29:43 GMT -5
US Officials Actively Promoting Idea of Sending
Russia's Frozen Funds to Ukraine - Reports
'The danger of Europe’s unelected Queen Ursula...'
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Post by Entendance on Oct 13, 2023 3:47:13 GMT -5
Germany’s economy is at risk of collapse due to its reliance on Russia and China for trade, declining demographics, and insufficient alternative energy sources. Key insights The end of Germany as a modern economy is imminent. The Germans are starting to inject morality, ethics, and strategic thinking into their trade relationship with China, which is a significant shift. The success of Germany’s trade in the past 20 years is at risk due to the inevitable decline of the Russian and Chinese systems, which will impact their ability to maintain their own infrastructure and sustain their economies. The demographics in Germany, with an aging workforce and declining skilled laborers, will lead to a decrease in workmanship quality and a collapse in the capacity to raise funds for industrial buildup and consumption. Germany’s industrial base is at risk of collapsing within a decade due to its aging population and lack of time to adapt, as its industrial plants are primarily located in Germany and neighboring countries with similar demographics. The current energy system in Germany is not sustainable due to its heavy reliance on non-renewable energy sources. The end of Germany as an ethnicity and industrial power is imminent due to demographics, unresolved European debt crisis, and energy crisis. The Germans chose to prioritize morals and ethics over convenience and wealth by refusing to stab Ukraine in the back and de-industrialize during the energy crisis caused by the shutdown of the Nordstrom pipeline.
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Post by Entendance on Oct 13, 2023 10:33:42 GMT -5
'...The European Union has also given a green light to the Israeli mass killing. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen flew to Israel this week in a show of solidarity, along with the U.S. officials. In all the hypocritical expressions of horror and grief for Israel, Biden, Von Der Leyen and other Western leaders have not offered even token words of concern about Palestinian civilians being slaughtered. That silence speaks volumes about the callous, bloodthirsty and criminal attitude of Western leaders. Appallingly, the scene is being set for a genocidal onslaught by the Israeli state against the Palestinians with full Western state complicity. Even the ghoulish rhetoric is a grim warning of what is to come. Israeli officials are openly disparaging the Palestinian “animals” and American politicians are calling for Palestinian territory to be razed to the ground. This disgusting rhetoric even while Palestinian children are being ripped apart by 1-tonne bombs. As usual, the nauseating justification for Israeli state terrorism invokes the Nazi holocaust against European Jews. The obscene perversion of such rationale is that the 75-year oppression of Palestinians is in a similar category to Nazi crimes. The United States and its European allies have sponsored the nearly eight decades of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland by the brutal colonizing state of Israel. Palestinians have been dispossessed, murdered and imprisoned with impunity. Western governments and their media have turned a blind eye to this appalling genocide which includes incarcerating children and shooting of peaceful protesters.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out this week, the United States and its Western partners have propagated a charade of peace mediation for decades which has been nothing but a cover for continued annexation of Palestinian lands and violation of their fundamental human rights. Putin rightly concluded that Washington is fully culpable for the disaster in the Middle East. The uprisings by Palestinians over the decades stem from the inalienable right to resist against an oppressor. And every resistance has habitually been annihilated by the Israeli state with American military power and political countenance at the United Nations...'
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Post by Entendance on Oct 15, 2023 2:43:03 GMT -5
Chris Hedges: Washington and European governments are cheerleading Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza. The failure to intervene to halt the carnage threatens to ignite violence throughout the region... This Way for the Genocide, Ladies and Gentlemen
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