(2021-10-15). Discontent by Design: The Lost World of the West. counterpunch.org A cursory glance at the 'State of the World' reveals what a mess things are: from the environmental emergency and war to injustice and poverty, a tightly woven man-made mess of interconnected issues, unprecedented in scale. The greatest crisis of all, however, is humanity, and the culture that we, specifically 'The West', have built and
(2021-10-15). Endless Enemies and the Permanent War Economy. counterpunch.org President Biden took a predictable hit on the Afghan crisis, but the war's flawed beginnings and mis-guided execution were caused by many of his current critics who were pitchmen for deepening our involvement. This fiasco lasted twenty years because all presidents and power players were vested in this atrocity, willing to cover up its failure with deceptions and bureaucratic lies, insulating Americans from casualties in order to continue the war indefinitely.
(2021-10-15). America's Instinctive Fascism Creeps On. counterpunch.org Recently Norman Ornstein told Salon's Chauncy de Vega that the United States is mired in a crisis of democracy that shows parallels with Germany's descent into Nazism during the 1930s. Ornstein is right to worry about the nation's ongoing lethal rightward drift beyond "normal" bourgeois democracy. That is how the United States' political life is
(2021-10-15). Progressive Dems Offer Simple, Brilliant Path Forward for Build Back Better Act. zcomm.org Enter the Congressional Progressive Caucus with a wondrously simple solution: Chop the thing in half…
(2021-10-15). Peace activists say 'No' to nuclear-powered submarines. greenleft.org.au Activists challenge the federal government's embrace of nuclear-submarine technology and the new AUKUS agreement. Bevan Ramsden reports.
(2021-10-15). What Kind of a Threat is Russia? counterpunch.org In his latest book, The Stupidity of War: American Foreign Policy and the Case for Complacency, American political scientist John Mueller demonstrates that since the end of World War II, American policymakers have developed a kind of addiction to threat inflation by "routinely elevating the problematic to the dire… focused on problems, or monsters, that
(2021-10-15). The United States Must Rejoin the Global Biodiversity Conservation Community. counterpunch.org After a long stretch of public inattention, biodiversity conservation is a hot topic again, as if we had suddenly been jolted into awareness that our survival as a species, too, depends on the flourishing of all the other nonhuman beings who inhabit this Earth. Articles and op-eds are now filling print and online spaces. This,
(2021-10-15). Washington strangles Afghanistan's economy as millions face starvation. wsws.org In an act of raw revenge for the debacle of its 20-year war, the US is denying Afghanistan access to its own financial reserves, threatening an economic and social collapse.
(2021-10-15). Funeral Rites for COVID Zero. dissidentvoice.org It was such a noble public health dream, even if rather hazy to begin with. Run down SARS-CoV-2. Suppress it. Crush it. Or just "flatten the curve", which could have meant versions of all the above. This created a climate of numerical sensitivity: a few case infections here, a few cases there, would warrant immediate, …
(2021-10-15). Waking up to Climate Change Dinosaurs. counterpunch.org Morning listening on October 13. Australia's Radio National. Members of the Morrison government are doing their interview rounds with the host, Fran Kelly. We enter a time warp, speeding away into another dimension where planet Earth, and Australia, look different. The first interview, with Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie, is filled with the sort of rejigged
(2021-10-15). Consumer Health: What is mental health? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org World Mental Health Day will be observed on Sunday, Oct. 10, to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. This is a good time to consider the differences between normal mental health and mental health disorders. Mental health is the overall wellness of how you think, regulate your feelings and behave. Sometimes the difference between normal mental health and mental disorders is clear, but often the…
(2021-10-15). Against all reason and The Afghan Debacle. indybay.org Like the chaotic flight of the U.S. Army from Vietnam in 1975, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 highlights the failure of the geopolitically based "war and nation-building concept" of the U.S. and NATO countries. The assumption, questionable from the outset, that it would be possible to impose the so-called "Western value system" on a country in which 50 languages are spoken.
(2021-10-15). ISIS Terrorists Killed Eight Syrian Soldiers In Large-Scale Attack On Key Southern Raqqa Town. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. | Early on October 15, ISIS terrorists launched a large-scale operation on positions located around the town of Resafa in the southern countryside of Raqqa. | The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies were able to repel the attack after clashing with the terrorists for a few hours. Warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) provided the army with close air support. | According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, eight SAA soldiers and Syrian pro-government fighter…
(2021-10-15). The Italian government confronts a new test: fascism in the streets. mronline.org 
Here is the "eternal fascism" that Umberto Eco warned us against, when he explicated the symptoms of the virus that made Italy the incubator, and then the European model, of an anti-parliamentary regime, violent, anti-freedom, anti-Semitic and warmongering.
(2021-10-15). Massive Subsidies to Big Oil are Ongoing. indybay.org Welfare to fossil fuel industry costs taxpayers $20 billion a year and is a major contributor to global warming.
(2021-10-15). Detachment of Power Lines Caused Blackouts in Caracas Today, Sabotage Not Ruled Out. orinocotribune.com Venezuela's Minister of Electric Energy, Néstor Reverol, reported this Thursday, October 14, that "a new attack on the National Electric System" occurred at approximately 10: 50 in the morning, when "a detachment occurred on lines 1 and 2 of the 69 KV line from Papelón-Convento in the Capital District (Caracas), affecting the Convento substation, which is a nodal substation of the National Electric System." | In a statement made by telephone to the public television network Venezolana de Televisión, Reverol indicated that this "detachment" produced "the de-energization of the Cota Mil, Santa Rosa, Chacao and Magal…
(2021-10-15). Venezuela investiga causas de interrupción eléctrica. telesurtv.net Ministro Néstor Reverol aseveró que no descartan que tras lo ocurrido haya otro ataque al sistema eléctrico nacional.
(2021-10-15). Pdte. Maduro envía carta de protesta al rey de España. telesurtv.net "Es inaceptable que en pleno siglo XXI una nación que se precia de ser civilizada rinda culto a lo peor de su pasado", expresó el mandatario.
(2021-10-15). Asamblea Nacional repudia asesinato de adolescentes venezolanos en Colombia. telesurtv.net Los diputados se adhirieron a la demanda que el Gobierno de Venezuela presentará contra Colombia ante la Corte Penal Internacional…
(2021-10-14). WATCH: Troops fire from armored vehicles as Beirut descends into chaos, resembling warzone. rt.com 
Armored vehicles have rolled into Beirut as the Lebanese capital descended into chaos, with crowds led by Hezbollah and Amal groups demonstrating against Tarek Bitar, the lead judge of the port blast investigation. | Beirut resembled a warzone on Thursday as the army deployed armored vehicles to a divided area of the city where deadly skirmishes erupted following an attack on a protest. The army declared that the troops would fire at any armed individuals on the capital's streets. | The Lebanese army deployed a range of armored vehicles, including tanks and trucks with mounted machine guns. Sources on the grou…
(2021-10-14). Hezbollah, Amal warn against sedition after Beirut shooting. en.mehrnews.com Following a shooting in Beirut at a protest against judicial probe into last year's explosion, Hezbollah and Amal Movement warned against a plot to drag Lebanon into a 'malicious sedition'.
(2021-10-14). As Protesters Killed in Beirut, What is Going On in Lebanon and Why is There a Fear of Civil War? sputniknews.com At least six people were killed by gunfire in Beirut on Thursday as protesters demanded the removal of the lead investigator into last year's blast at the docks. The rally was organised by two Shia Muslim groups, Hezbollah and Amal.
(2021-10-14). Raúl Isaías Baduel Dies of COVID-19 Complications—Venezuela Rejects Bachelet's Statements. orinocotribune.com After suffering complications associated with a COVID-19 infection, Raúl Isaías Baduel, former Venezuelan defense minister and military officer, died this Tuesday, October 12, in Caracas. A top commander, Baduel deserted from the ranks of Chavismo and faced charges for acts of corruption that led to his arrest in 2009. | Baduel's death was reported via Twitter by the Attorney General of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab, who sent condolences to the family and friends of the general, who served as commander-in-chief of Venezuela's Army from 2004 to 2006, and minister of defense from 2006 to…
(2021-10-14). Solidarity with longtime antiwar activist Joe Lombardo! workers.org 
Antiwar Activist Joe Lombardo is a consistent, unequivocal and vocal opponent of all forms of U.S. imperialism. The following is a lightly edited statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression issued Oct. 2. On the heels of its defeat in Afghanistan, the U.S. government has made it clear it . . . |
(2021-10-14). Eyes Are Always on You: Life in the Post-9/11 Military. counterpunch.org I know what it means to be watched all too carefully, a phenomenon that's only grown worse in the war-on-terror years. I'm a strange combination, I suspect, being both a military spouse and an anti-war-on-terror activist. As I've discovered, the two sit uncomfortably in what still passes for one life. In this country in these
(2021-10-14). Climate and Militarism Event Planned for 4 November in Glasgow, Scotland. warisacrime.org 
By World BEYOND War, October 14, 2021 A broad and growing coalition of peace and environmental organizations has announced plans for an event on Thursday, 4 November, in Glasgow. WHAT: Announcement of a Petition to COP26 Demanding that Militaries Be Included in Climate Agreement; colorful banners and light projection. WHEN: 4 November 2021, 4: 00 p.m. …
(2021-10-14). Death of Indigenous Human Rights Activist Sparks Outrage in Chile. orinocotribune.com Denisse Cortés was killed amid police repression against a peaceful march of Mapuche Indigenous people in Santiago, Chile. Eyewitnesses said that she was hit in the neck by a tear gas canister fired by the police agents, the police maintain it was a "firework" launched by the protesters themselves | The death of Indigenous human rights activist, Denisse Cortés, has sparked indignation across Chile. 43-year-old Cortés died on October 10 after officials of the national police force, the Carabineros, brutally repressed a peaceful march by Mapuche Indigenous people in the capital Santiago. | On Sunday, over a thousan…
(2021-10-14). Ukraine's first lady: women more eager than men to kill and die in Donbass war. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com President's wife: More than 31,000 defendresses safeguarding peace in Ukraine "Today we celebrate the Day of Defenders and Defendresses of Ukraine for the first time! We have all long been accustomed to the fact that the role of defender is always confidently performed by men. Women get the roles of those who need to be …
(2021-10-14). Zelensky urges frontline military cadets to hasten day when "Donbas and Crimea are with us again" antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Zelensky: war in Donbas is a challenge that must be overcome for sake of future peace The war in Donbas is a challenge that Ukraine needs to overcome for the sake of peace in the future, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said addressing the cadets of the Luhansk military lyceum on the day of taking the …
(2021-10-14). Free Leonard Peltier and all Native prisoners! workers.org 
Leonard Peltier During the era of colonial theft and conquest, North America became a proving ground for European imperialists. This was where strategies of biological warfare and genocide were honed, as well as the industry that has become a pillar of modern global capitalism: mass incarceration. One cannot talk about . . . |
(2021-10-14). Analysis Warns Global Biodiversity Is Below 'Safe Limit' Ahead of COP 15. globalresearch.ca …
(2021-10-14). Why Taiwan could Trigger A War with China. liberationnews.org 
As the U.S. government makes a series of aggressive moves, could moves by the Taiwanese government towards a declaration of independence spark a war with China?
(2021-10-14). The Climate Bomb: Failures to Confront the Unspeakable, and The Way Ahead. globalresearch.ca Scientists now believe it is "likely that the world will blow past the 2 degree C warming threshold that expoerts and international negotiators agree is needed to avoid catastrophic consequences."
(2021-10-14). Behind NATO's 'Cognitive Warfare': 'Battle for Your Brain' Waged by Western Militaries. globalresearch.ca
(2021-10-14). Global Warming and the Ideology of Anthropogenic (Human Caused) Climate Change. globalresearch.ca The purpose of this work is to provide an investigation into the ideology of anthropogenic (human caused) climate change. | It has been written with the confidence that further research within the public, as well as the academic realm is required. …
(2021-10-14). Propaganda War Against China To Eradicate Socialism. popularresistance.org Friends of Socialist China formed out of what we saw as a dire need to gather all information, original and otherwise, to counter the misinformation being spread about China. We didn't include the word "socialist" in our title for gimmick or display but rather to send a firm message of respect and admiration to the Chinese people's socialist path. In many ways, the propaganda war against China possesses a dual mission: the ramping up of a dangerous U.S.-led New Cold War against China and the demonization of the socialist mode of development. | We at Friends of Socialist China have identified an immense gap in the…
(2021-10-14). National Security Alert: Thousands of U.S. Special Forces and Combat Troops Discharged as Total Force 'Vaccination' Decimates Military Readiness. globalresearch.ca
(2021-10-14). Climate Change versus the Dangers of Nuclear War. "Three Minutes to Midnight" globalresearch.ca While a World War III scenario implying the preemptive use of nuclear weapons has been on the drawing board of the Pentagon for more than ten years, military planners are now involved in the formulation of concrete attack plans directed against Russia.
(2021-10-14). Howard University sit-in: A struggle for democracy at an HBCU. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—On late Tuesday, Oct. 12, Howard University students began staging a sit-in demonstration at the Blackburn building in front of the historic Yard. Students brought sleeping bags and food and began demonstrating and making demands that the university protect their health on campus. In the past month, as students returned to the school after more …
(2021-10-14). Military Situation In Yemen On October 14, 2021 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | The Liaison and Coordination Officers' Operations Room (loyal to Ansar Allah) reported 219 ceasefire violations in al-Hudaydah during the past 24 hours | On October 13, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 18 airstrikes on the Abdiyah district | On October 13, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 11 airstrikes on the Jubah district | On October 13, Saudi-led coalition warplanes conducted 3 airstrikes on the Khab and Shaaf district | On October 14, clashes between Ans…
(2021-10-14). Is "Progress" at a Standstill? counterpunch.org In 1788, Thomas Jefferson wrote to Edward Carrington, a fellow Virginian soldier and statesman, "The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) and Karl Marx (1818-1883) offered different but complementary, if less critical, notions of progress. "Truth, in the great practical concerns of life, is
(2021-10-14). Thorny Experience Of US Uneasy Attitude Towards Some Of Their European Allies. southfront.org 
Illustrative ImageThe US has a long history of betrayals, when we recall the Middle-East, Afghanistan, or the Kurds in Syria, but the fact is that it betrayed its European allies as well. | Written by Sonja van den Ende, independent journalist. | To understand the immense scale of the betrayal by the US, I have to mention a very important case which happened a long time ago, to the Netherlands, the Netherlands are part of the so-called British Empire (like the US), the Netherlands always and still are the most loyal European ally of the US, the Dutch behave like a bad sect, loyal till the end, even if the master…
(2021-10-14). US-EU rift over relations with China widens after AUKUS pact. wsws.org Historically rooted conflicts between the world's wealthiest and most powerful countries, that twice in the 20th century led to world war, again threaten to erupt.
(2021-10-14). Turkish, Azerbaijani land force commanders meet at NATO warfare center to plot "brotherly" war games. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Azerbaijan's Land Forces Commander meets his Turkish counterpart Commander of the Land Forces of Azerbaijan, Major General Enver Efendiyev, who is on a visit to Ankara, met with the Commander of the Land Forces of Turkey, General of the Army Musa Avsever at the "Day of High-Level Observers" event, organized within the framework of the …
(2021-10-14). Republicans' war on vaccines. zcomm.org GOP pushes strategy to prolong the pandemic…
(2021-10-14). Tomgram: Michael Klare, The Burning Future of U.S.-China Relations. warisacrime.org This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here. Hey, these days the world really is a barrel of cheery news, isn't it? Take the U.S. and China. How much more swimmingly could relations between them go on this planet of sickness and heat? Just in case …
(2021-10-14). Kosovo: NATO's first full-fledged war, first military garrison state 22 years later. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Ten Serbs, 10 policemen injured in Kosovo clashes Kosovo police said officers met resistance with firearms and grenades in Mitrovica…. Serbian state TV showed people in northern Mitrovica running away from tear gas and a car on fire. Similar clashes were reported in the nearby town of Zvecan. **** At an urgent meeting in Serbia's …
(2021-10-14). Mysterious Airstrike Hit Northeastern Syria Following Turkish Threats To SDF. southfront.org 
Illustrative image. source: sdf-press.com | On October 14, an unidentified warplane, possibly a combat drone, carried out an airstrike on an area controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northeastern Syria. | According to local sources, the airstrike hit a house located in the town of Hitash in the northern Raqqa countryside. No casualties were reported. | The airstrikes may have been carried…
(2021-10-14). Indian Women on an Arduous Road to Equality. orinocotribune.com 
By Tricontinental — Oct 11, 2021 | This dossier features portraits of the daily struggles of Indian women, primarily drawn by women artists from India and across the Global South based on photographs by Indian photographers. These are scenes of life in the fuller sense of the word — of joy, labour, anger, and resistance — along the arduous path towards women's emancipation. They are images of a fuller humanity that is owed to all workers, peasants, women, mothers, and daughters. | Brick work, locally known as 'pakka me kaam'. Illustration: Karuna Pious P (India) / Young Socialist Artists Referenc…
(2021-10-14). NATO PA: Bosnia, Georgia Ukraine in NATO, Russia out of Caucasus, Crimea, Donbass. antibellum679354512.wordpress.com Which is to say, reducing the demands to essential terms, war with Russia on multiple fronts. ==== Georgia in NATO Parliamentary Assembly Resolutions NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted on October 11 two resolutions that, among others, reaffirmed support to Georgia's territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations. Resolution 471, adopted during the Assembly's 67th Annual Session …