War Is A Crime .org - Europe

Making Jeremy Corbyn the Prime Minister of the U.K. would do more for the world and everyone in it than either of the two available outcomes of any recent U.S. election could have done. Here in the U.S. I always protest that I am not against elections, I think we should have one some day. Well, now we have one — only it’s across the pond.

Corbyn’s record is no secret, and you don’t need me to tell you, but I have met him and spoken at events with him, and can assure you he’s legitimate. He’s been a dedicated leader of the peace movement right through his career. He had the decency last week to point out yet again that invading and bombing countries and overthrowing governments produces terrorism; it doesn’t somehow reduce it or eliminate it or “fight” it.

Britain is the key co-conspirator in U.S. wars. One real-life Love Actually refusal to bow before Emperor Donald, and the facade of super-hero law enforcement will begin to crumble, revealing a rogue serial killer standing naked in his golden hotel suite.

The world needs an actual popular elected response to U.S. aggression against the world’s poor and the earth’s climate. A ho-hum housebroken Frenchman who’s not a fascist isn’t the same thing. Corbyn supports successful Scandinavian socialism, demilitarization, environmental action, and aid to those in need. He works within the government and is held back by his party. But he doesn’t lie. He doesn’t sell out. He makes the case for wise and popular policies as powerfully as he’s able.

Want people to believe representative government is compatible with capitalism? Want well-behaved voters the world over to imagine that the corporate media can actually be overcome? Stop grasping at Congressional candidate gun-nuts who happen to be Democrats. Stop telling vicious lies about Russia in an attempt to travel back in time and cause a corporate militarist hack to win the White House. We actually have an election between an actually good candidate and one of the usual monstrosities we’ve become so used to.

Contact every young person you can who can vote in this election. Contact every possible organization and entertainer who might help spread the word. Get every Hollywood star who ever tried to rock the vote but didn’t have anyone to promote who people actually wanted to vote for to notice this golden opportunity. Telling young Brits to get out and vote for Jeremy will do more to spread democracy than destroying Syria, starving a million children in Yemen, or occupying Afghanistan for another 50 years.

Young people, sadly, have seen through our scams. They’ve heard us cry wolf too many times. Yet if you ask them who they would have voted for, they tell you the better candidate. Now here’s an actually great candidate, and their televisions are telling them that they are powerless to do anything. And they refuse to see through that scam. You have to help them see through it! You have to find somebody hip enough to help them! Young British people are our last hope, and it’s your job to encourage them.

We could have a world in which a leading wealthy “democracy” has a government that responds to majority opinion. We could have a world in which London says to Washington: “You want another war, we won’t help you pretend it’s legal. In fact, we’re drafting a brief for the prosecution and will see you in court.” The people of the United States need that fig leaf torn away, need the pretense that mass murder is legal and necessary ended in our own minds. The peace, prosperity, sustainability, and friendship awaiting us is too much for us to even imagine. What might help us do it, what might make us believe that “hope” and “change” and other concepts we’ve almost come to despise could actually be possible would be making Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister.

Hey Ireland, Your Ambassador Just Told Me You’ll Do Anything Trump Wants

davidswanson — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:38:31 +0000

Dear brothers and sisters of Ireland, your ambassador to the United States Anne Anderson spoke at the University of Virginia Tuesday afternoon.

After consulting one of your fine citizens named Barry Sweeney, I asked her this: “Since the U.S. government assures the Irish government that all U.S. military aircraft being refueled at Shannon are not on military operations and are not carrying weapons or munitions, and since the Irish government insists on this in order to comply with Ireland’s traditional policy of neutrality, why does the Irish department of transportation almost daily approve civilian aircraft on contract to the U.S. military to carry armed U.S. troops on military operations, weapons, and munitions through Shannon Airport in clear breach of international laws on neutrality?”

Ambassador Anderson replied that the U.S. government at the “highest levels” had informed Ireland that it was in compliance with the law, and Ireland accepted that.

Truth defenders: Two Men Who Made Their Mark on History

dlindorff — Tue, 18 Apr 2017 15:48:56 +0000

By Linn Washington, Jr.

One man enhanced the legacy of a legend revered around the world.

Accomplishments of the other man include his involvement in a seminal court battle where the trial judge issued a pivotal ruling about racism that sparked enraged denials among authorities in that nation.

Stop Government Repression Against Anti-Fascists in Odessa!

davidswanson — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 15:13:35 +0000

ACTION ALERT from the ODESSA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN:

Stop Government Repression Against Anti-Fascists in Odessa!

Free Alexander Kushnarev!

It’s been nearly three years since the brutal massacre of 46 mostly young progressives by a neo-Nazi-led mob in the Ukrainian city of Odessa. Government repression and right-wing attacks against Odessans demanding justice for that atrocity have been constant, but now have entered a new and much more dangerous stage.

On Feb. 23, Alexander Kushnarev, the father of one of the young people murdered on May 2, 2014, was arrested by agents of the federal Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Oleg Zhuchenko, chief prosecutor for the Odessan region, claims Kushnarev had been planning to kidnap and torture a member of the country’s Rada, or parliament.

Democratic hysteria: Liberal Democrats Claiming a Russian Hack of the Election and Putin Control Over Trump are the New ‘Birthe

dlindorff — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 19:22:07 +0000

By Dave Lindorff

The Yanks Are Coming -- Unwanted

davidswanson — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 17:17:53 +0000

By Victor Grossman

Hit that old song again, loud and clear! “Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word, That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming…”

Yes, sirree! Shades of 1918 and the Battle of the Marne! Shades of 1944 and the beaches of Normandy! But no, not just shades and not just words have already been sent.

2017 had hardly begun in Germany’s port of Bremerhaven when 4000 lads and lasses in Yankee uniform disembarked and unloaded three shiploads, over 2,500 tanks, trucks and other combat vehicles, and sent them on by rail, on ferries through the Baltic or clanking along those Autobahn highways through North Germany. So many memories!

Focus: The European Union - Dec 15, 2016

bartolo — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 00:37:01 +0000

Note: I am a believer in the European Union. I think that it is an historical development, a political experiment to be replicated regionally in other parts of the world. Nowadays it is suffering difficulties like any emerging reality but it will ultimately succeed. As the 2016 has been a crisis year for the EU, the 2017 may set a relaunch of the initiative with new elections and changes looming.

EU agrees to extend Russia sanctions until mid-2017 over the turmoil in Ukraine - Reuters

EU fatigue over Russia sanctions shows as Putin reset looms - Bloomberg

Why the EU sanctions against Russia won’t last - Sputnik

Medvedev says EU food embargo remains in response to anti-Russian sanctions - RT Business

Federica Mogherini, top EU diplomat, says bloc is prepared for Trump - WSJ

EU foreign policy chief Mogherini speaks on Trump, Russia, Iran deal, Syria - WSJ

Kremlin: Russia not interested in ‘friendship’ with EU against U.S., In WSJ interview foreign policy chief Mogherini said the EU could 'line up with Russia’ to counter some policies of Trump - TASS

Ukraine will not join EU, Dutch are promised: Association deal not conferring to Ukraine candidate status, guarantees for military or financial assistance, or a right for its citizens work within EU - The Guardian

European Council conclusions on Ukraine, 15 December 2016 - EU Consilium

European Parliament votes for mechanism suspending visa-free travels for third countries, brings Georgia and Ukraine closer to visa-free EU travel - rferl.org

Visa-free regime for Ukraine? 'Another kind of danger Europe will have to face': The inflow of Ukrainian migrants to Europe will be a serious challenge to the European labor market - Sputnik

Kiev continues policy of economic and cultural detachment of Donbass from Ukraine: Russian envoy - TASS