US Imperism spearheaded, by Trump, is in a direct assault/violation of the electorial rights of Venezuelan Citizens, to choose the President of Venezuela and Venezuela’s right to Self-Determination:
Imperialism’s Direct Intervention in Venezuela The US imperialist power, it seems, is determining issues like legitimacy and people’s representation in another country while it is passing through a government shutdown, observes Farooque Chowdhury. The first phase of imperialism’s direct intervention in Venezuela has started. The US has “officially” recognized a self-proclaimed president of Venezuela as the country’s president while the rightists are trying to create chaos on Caracas streets. Guaidó, the self-proclaimed president, have been recognized by Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru, the countries collaborating with the US imperialism, which followed the imperialist power within two hours of the US move. The Organization of American States (OAS) has also recognized Guaidó as president. Canada and France have extended its support to Guaidó. European Council President Donald Tusk expressed hoped the EU would “unite in support of democratic forces.” The imperial alliance is active.
During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three Point Political Program: 1. Austerity, 2. Scapegoating Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal Immigrants’ for Unemployment, and 3. The Iron Heel.
Democracy?: As the Capitalist Robber Barons Steal from the 99% — Only the 1%Voted For Austerity — The 99% Should Decide On Austerity — Not Just The 1%Who Profit From Austerity! Under Austerity, All of the World Will Eventually Be Pauperized, Humbled, and Desecrated Like Greece and Puerto Rico.
Images of the Day:
Book Review: NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL:NO HUMAN IS ILLEGALThe perfect author on one of today’s hottest topics – an immigration reform lawyer’s journalistic memoir of being on the front lines of deportation. NO HUMAN IS ILLEGAL is a powerful document of one lawyer’s fight for those seeking a better life in America against its ever-tightening borders. For author Mulligan Sepúlveda, the son and husband of Spanish-speaking immigrants, the battle for immigration reform is personal. Mulligan Sepúlveda writes of visiting border detention centers, defending undocumented immigrants in court, and taking his services to JFK to represent people being turned away at the gates during Trump’s infamous travel ban.
What Shutdown The Government Sutdown: “The Federal Aviation Administration has begun to limit flights to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport along with Newark and Philadelphia, citing staff shortages for air traffic controllers. Why it matters: TSA and air traffic control workers are calling out sick at higher numbers than usual, since they’re not being paid as a result of the partial government shutdown. Friday’s delays are the first time air traffic control staffing has affected flights. Per Axios’ Jonathan Swan, Republican members of leadership have been privately speculating that it would take an airport crisis to break the shutdown impasse. — FAA limits flights to 3 major airports over shutdown staff shortage”
Approximately one year ago, Donald Trump said that he was con-sidering a ‘military option’ in Venezuela. At the time, virtually no one in Washington thought this was a good idea…. What has changed, alarmingly, is that now there are some people in Washington who have actually come around to the idea. Last month, Senator Marco Rubio said that… there is now a ‘very strong argument’ that the situation… could very well necessitate U.S. military involvement. Bloomberg notes that ‘security hawks with an interest in Latin America are taking positions in the administration, adding to a sense that Washington may be warming to intervention. — Is a Foreign Military Intervention in Venezuela Imminent?
[Video] Oppose the imperialist coup d’état in Venezuela! Jorge Martín explains that what is really happening in Venezuela is an ongoing imperialist coup attempt organized by Trump, Bolsonaro and Almagro; and why and how we should fight it.
The Federal Aviation Administration has begun to limit flights to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport along with Newark and Philadelphia, citing staff shortages for air traffic controllers. Why it matters:TSA and air traffic control workers are calling out sick at higher numbers than usual, since they’re not being paid as a result of the partial government shutdown. Friday’s delays are the first time air traffic control staffing has affected flights. Per Axios’ Jonathan Swan, Republican members of leadership have been privately speculating that it would take an airport crisis to break the shutdown impasse. — FAA limits flights to 3 major airports over shutdown staff shortage
U.S.:
In Defense of Venezuela’s Sovereignty: Statements of Solidarity from the International Community! The Trump Administration’s decision to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as “Interim President” is a dangerous escalation and a threat to Venezuela’s sovereignty. Some countries have followed suit while many organizations around the world call for respect to the Caribbean nation’s self‐determination. Here we bring you some solidarity statements.
Venezuela Is In US Cross-hairs Again Essentially, the Obama administration—like the Bush administration, which was involved in the short-lived 2002 coup against Hugo Chávez—had a policy of promoting ‘regime change’ in Venezuela. That policy has taken a more aggressive, overt, and dangerous direction under Trump…The majority of the political and media establishment appears to believe that Trump has the right policy agenda for Venezuela, with many liberals pointing to cases of corruption, human rights violations and other crimes allegedly involving Venezuelan officials as justification for harsh measures.”The United States Hand in Undermining Democracy in Venezuela, Alexander Main. The incessant 24/7/365 media circus surrounding Donald Trump serves as a intentional distraction preventing us from seeing the mischief the US government is fomenting around the world and brainwashing us to see, think and believe the world is as the corporate media says it is. The news about Trump’s latest cabinet member’s resignation, arrest or indictment obfuscates and obscures the shenanigans the US is engaged in around the globe. Despite the constant distractions, we know the US is ramping up its attempts at regime change in Venezuela to control their oil, other natural resources, reestablish US hegemony to prevent Russia and China from establishing a toehold in the region.… By Junious Ricardo Stanton
Time to Break the Silence on Palestine Martin Luther King Jr. courageously spoke out about the Vietnam War. We must do the same when it comes to this grave injustice of our time.On April 4, 1967, exactly one year before his assassination, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up to the lectern at the Riverside Church in Manhattan. The United States had been in active combat in Vietnam for two years and tens of thousands of people had been killed, including some 10,000 American troops. The political establishment — from left to right — backed the war, and more than 400,000 American service members were in Vietnam, their lives on the line. Many of King’s strongest allies urged him to remain silent about the war or at least to soft-pedal any criticism. They knew that if he told the whole truth about the unjust and disastrous war he would be falsely labeled a Communist, suffer retaliation and severe backlash, alienate supporters and threaten the fragile progress of the civil rights movement. King rejected all the well-meaning advice and said, “I come to this magnificent house of worship tonight because my conscience leaves me no other choice.” Quoting a statement by the Clergy and Laymen Concerned About Vietnam, he said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal” and added, “that time has come for us in relation to Vietnam.” ByMichelle Alexander
Workers ended the shutdown. Let’s give them the power to do it even sooner next time Friday morning at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, the traveling public felt the full bite of a federal government shutdown. Perhaps that’s why the shutdown is coming to an end — for now, at least. President Trump announced Friday that he would sign a bill to fund the shuttered departments and agencies for three weeks while he continues to tussle with congressional Democrats over funding to build a bigger, longer wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. As a result, about 800,000 federal workers who’ve missed two paychecks — more than half of whom have been required to work during the shutdown — should soon be collecting back pay. Democrats won this round. They had insisted throughout the shutdown that they would negotiate over the wall only after the government reopened, and that’s what the new agreement calls for. Trump, by contrast, had sought to use the shutdown as a way to force Democrats to bargain over a project that many of them strongly oppose. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute »The two sides had been at an impasse until Thursday, when the Senate voted on two proposals — one by Republicans, one by Democrats — to end the shutdown. Negotiations resumed after that, and then Friday brought the most dramatic development yet: The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily stopped flights from landing at LaGuardia because of a shortage of air traffic controllers, resulting in major delays that rippled to other East Coast airports. By Jon Healey
The air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport is seen Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily barred incoming flights in response to a shortage of air traffic controllers. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
Official convicted over Iran-Contra scandal appointed to help ‘restore democracy’in Venezuela. The Trump administration has announced that Elliott Abrams, who was convicted over the Iran-Contra scandal in which the Ronald Reagan administration secretly funded paramilitary groups in Nicaragua, will lead the US’s efforts to press for democracy in Venezuela. Secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the 71-year-old would oversee Washington’s outreach, after Donald Trump declared he would recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and not elected president Nicolas Maduro, as the nation’s legitimate ruler. “Elliott will be a true asset to our mission to help the Venezuelan people fully restore democracy and prosperity to their country,” Mr Pompeo said, according to Reuters. By Andrew Buncombe
Confirming US Orchestration, Report Details Pence’s Key Phone Call to Venezuelan Opposition Leader“The U.S. had been planning this coup in Venezuela. It was the Trump administration that told the little-known opposition leader Juan Guaidó to declare himself (unelected) ‘president.'” As U.S. lawmakers, civil society leaders, and Latin America experts continue to warn against American intervention in Venezuela’s internal political affairs, the Wall Street Journal on Friday confirmed suspicions that opposition leader Juan Guaido’s move to declare himself “interim president” of Venezuela this week was highly coordinated with the Trump White House and Republican lawmakers. By Jake Johnson
Don’t Build the Wall, Build Affordable Housing Trump’s vanity wall is a solution in search of a problem. The only emergency is the one created by Trump and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with their brutal repression and moves to deny migrants fleeing violence their legal right to seek asylum. Research shows that immigrants are actually an economic boon, so this manufactured crisis aimed at repressing asylum seekers literally costs us all. Meanwhile, everyone agrees that we are facing an epic crisis in housing in the United States. Instead of building a wall, the US should build more public housing. By Alexis Goldstein
On a cold Martin Luther King Day, Lower East Side residents join housing rights activists outside the first of the “Two Bridges” luxury towers to be built on January 21, 2019, in New York City
Commentary: OAS Dangerously in Disarray vis‐a‐vis Venezuela In this opinion piece, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS reflects on Almagro’s moves to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s “Interim President” and its impact in the region. Over the last few days there has been a serious overreach by Luis Almagro of the authority he has as secretary-general of the Organisation of American States (OAS).If Mr Almagro continues to exceed his authority, plainly set out in the Charter of the OAS, the already fragmented organisation will be headed for grave fracture.The job of the secretary-general of any multi-national or international organisation is to represent the positions of the collective membership of the organisation either after direction by the appropriate governing bodies or after discussion with them that establishes a consensus. Almost from the day of his installation, Mr Almagro has steadfastly ignored any such requirements.In his latest overreach, Mr Almagro has taken upon himself to unilaterally and publicly anoint an “Interim President” of Venezuela. Almagro’s selection is Juan Guaidó who was elected by the National Assembly — made up of only opposition party representatives — as its president “for a year”. He made this spontaneous statement at a meeting on January 15 at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US think-tank based in Washington, DC.By Ronald Sanders – Caribbean News Now!
Over 70 Experts Call for US to Stop Interfering in Venezuela Noam Chomsky, Alfred de Zayas, Sujatha Fernandes, Boots Riley, John Pilger and many others oppose US interventionism in Venezuela. The statement is worth the read.By Collective – Center for Economic and Policy ResearchThe United States government must cease interfering in Venezuela’s internal politics, especially for the purpose of overthrowing the country’s government. Actions by the Trump administration and its allies in the hemisphere are almost certain to make the situation in Venezuela worse, leading to unnecessary human suffering, violence, and instability.
Environment:
‘Worrying’ rise in global CO2 forecast for 2019Levels of the climate-warming gas are set to rise by near-record amounts, Met Office predicts The level of climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is forecast to rise by a near-record amount in 2019, according to the Met Office. The increase is being fuelled by the continued burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests, and will be particularly high in 2019 due to an expected return towards El Niño-like conditions. This natural climate variation causes warm and dry conditions in the tropics, meaning the plant growth that removes CO2 from the air is restricted. Levels of the greenhouse gas have not been as high as today for 3-5m years, when the global temperature was 2-3C warmer and the sea level was 10-20 metres higher. Climate action must be increased fivefold to limit warming to the 1.5C rise above pre-industrial levels that scientists advise, according to the UN. But the past four years have been the hottest on record and global emissions are rising again after a brief pause. By Damian Carrington
US off track to reach climate goals as oil and gas production expandUS will become increasingly reliant on natural gas and could become a net energy exporter by next yea The US could become a net energy exporter by next year as oil and gas production expands, according to new projections from the Energy Information Administration. America is becoming increasingly reliant on natural gas – a fossil fuel that contributes to climate change but less so than coal. Solar power will grow rapidly too. Both will replace nuclear and coal power plants that are more expensive. By The US could become a net energy exporter by next year as oil and gas production expands, according to new projections from the Energy Information Administration. By Emily Holden
Ongoing Big Energy Crisis:
Extreme Wealth is a Planet Killer We either keep fossil fuels in the ground, or we fry. That’s the conclusion of another new blockbuster study on climate change, this one from the National Academy of Sciences. Our fossil-fuel industrial economy, the study details, has made for the fastest climate changes our Earth has ever seen. By Sam Pizzigati
Global Economy on the Brink as Davos Crowd Parties On “At Davos, Switzerland every year the global capitalist elite gather to party…and to prepare for the year ahead. This year more than 1500 private jets will reportedly fly in. Thousands more of their underling staff will travel via business class to handle their personal, and corporate, logistics. Shielded from the media and the pubic, the big capitalists share views in back rooms and listen to experts on finance, government policy, technology, and the economy. The experts are especially probed to identify and explain the next ‘black swan’ or ‘gray rhino’ event about to erupt. Wealthy celebrities are invited to entertain them as well after evening dinner and cocktails. But the real networking goes on privately afterwards, in small groups or one on one, among the big capitalists themselves or in private meetings with heads of state, finance ministers, and central bank chairmen. By Jack Rasmus
World:
Granma: Revolutionary Government Declaration: Aggression against Venezuela must ceaseThe Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Cuba condemns and energetically rejects the attempt to impose a coup d’etat, a puppet government at the service of the United States in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and expresses its unwavering solidarity with the government of Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro Moros The Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Cuba condemns and energetically rejects the attempt to impose a coup d’etat, a puppet government at the service of the United States, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and expresses its unwavering solidarity with the government of Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro Moros. The true objectives of actions against Venezuela are to control the vast resources of this sister nation and destroy the value of its example, as an emancipatory process defending the dignity and independence of Our America. As President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez said: “The sovereignty of our peoples is expressed today in one’s attitude toward Venezuela. To support the legitimate right of the sister nation to define its own destiny is to defend the dignity of all.” Other coup attempts should not be forgotten, such as the military coup of 2002 and the 2003 oil lockout; the aggressive U.S. Executive Order describing Venezuela as “an unusual and extraordinary threat to national security and foreign policy” of the superpower; unilateral coercive measures; the call for a military coup against the constitutional government of Venezuela; the President of the United States’ threat to use “a possible military option” and the August 4 assassination attempt against President Maduro. The acts of a group of countries and the shameful role of the OAS constitute a new, desperate attempt to implement an unsuccessful policy of regime change, which has not been imposed due to the unwavering resistance of the Venezuelan people and their determination to defend national sovereignty.
The Yellow Vests, the Crisis of the Welfare State and Socialism Far from dying down after the holidays, France’s yellow vest movement is continuing to blaze throughout the country. Every Saturday for eleven weeks, protesters have been disrupting or blocking roads, traffic circles and freeway toll plazas, gathering in the squares of villages, taking to the streets of towns, marching in massive numbers through city boulevards, and confronting violent police repression. Ten people have died in the protests, mainly due to accidents at road blocks, and over 2000 have been injured by the police, around 100 seriously. 17 people have lost an eye due to rubber bullets, according to an independent association and an investigative journalist, while the interior minister recently said there were 4. Thousands have been arrested By Michèle Brand
How the Organization of American States Became an Agent of Regime Change With a Venezuelan opposition leader declaring himself the country’s president and the Trump administration appearing to back a coup, Venezuela is lurching toward a new phase of crisis. And that crisis could be worsened by hardline leadership at the Organization of American States (OAS), the world’s oldest and most influential regional organization. Luis Almagro, the OAS Secretary General, recently announced his bid for another 5-year term at the helm of the organization. That would be a major setback for good governance in the region. By Laura Carlsen
End Times, Dead Ahead “It is time we consider the implications of it being too late to avert a global environmental catastrophe in the lifetimes of people alive today.” (Jem Bendell) In other words, the world is coming to an end. Of course it is… but when? Professor Jem Bendell’s brilliant seminal work, Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedyclaims the time is now, within a decade, not sometime in the distant future. Not only that, he suggests embracing this transcendental experience that’s colloquially known as “End Times.” By Robert Hunziker
Health, Science, Education, and Welfare:
The Illegal CIA Operation That Brought Us 9/11 Was it conspiracy or idiocy that led to the failure of U.S. intelligence agencies to detect and prevent the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon headquarters? That’s one of the questions at the heart of “The Watchdogs Didn’t Bark: The CIA, NSA, and the Crimes of the War on Terror,” by John Duffy and Ray Nowosielski. In their careful and thorough investigation of the events leading up to the attacks, the authors uncover a story about the Central Intelligence Agency’s neglect, possible criminal activities and a cover-up that may have allowed al-Qaida to carry out its plans uninhibited by government officials.In the latest installment of “Scheer Intelligence,” the journalists tell Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer how an interview with Richard Clarke, the counterterror adviser to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, led them to a jaw-dropping revelation regarding two hijackers involved in the infamous attacks. As it turns out, Khalid Muhammad Abdallah al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, two men linked to al-Qaida, were staying at an FBI informant’s home in San Diego in 2000, and they were being tracked by the National Security Agency. Despite knowledge of the men’s ties to the terrorist organization responsible for 9/11, neither was investigated by the FBI. Clarke and others believe that this may have had to do with a CIA attempt to turn the two men into agency informants. By Robert Scheer
