Daily News Digest October 2, 2024
Images of the Day:
The Drums of World War are Beating!: Israel Invasion Of Lebanon Starts: Fight War, Fight Imperialism! In the early hours of 1 October, the Israeli army crossed the border of Lebanon and started a land invasion of the country, following two weeks of heavy air strikes. This is a thoroughly reactionary war, backed and funded by US and western imperialism, which threatens to engulf the whole of the Middle East into open war, which could last for years and leave harrowing suffering in its wake. Predictably, the United States gave full support to the Israeli invasion. Despite its protestations that it wanted a ceasefire, Israel knew that Washington would side with it. A White House National Security Council spokesperson said that the invasion was “in line with Israel’s right to defend its citizens and safely return civilians to their homes. We support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah and all Iranian-backed terror groups.”
Ted Rall: Accessory to Murder: Freelance vs. Official A father whose son shot up a Georgia high school has been charged with giving him an AR-15 assault rifle. When the President gives Israel tons of weapons to kill more than 40,000 Palestinians, however, there are no consequences.
Since World War I, ‘the war to end all wars’, there have been perpetual wars for perpetual peace, this Laura Gray’s cartoon from the front page of The Militant August 18, 1945, Under the Banner Headline: “There Is No Peace”There is No Democracy! When Less Than 1% Control the Wealth, Production, and Price of Everything Produced and Consumed in the World! In the present period of unfettered Capitalism, the pretense of democratic rule does not exist, except in the minds of ‘socialists’ like Bernie Sanders and the Labor Bureaucracy! Capitalists view all struggles as struggles against capitalist rule! Transition demands immediately become revolutionary demands! Therefore, any resistence to the attack of capitalists has to be organized by those that understand this! 
Today, the United States Capitalists are Consolidating Themselves as the Supreme Capitalists! Capitalism’s Gluttony is Demonstrated by It’s Quest for More and More Profits at the Expense of Humanity! The Rise of Capitalism was Under the Banner of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity! Now There is Less Liberty, More Inequality, and Less Fraternity of Humanity! Every Day, From Global Warming to Global War There is a New Example of Capitalism in Imperialist Decay!
Capitalism as a Failed System: World Capitalism Has Been Aware of the Comming Catastrophe of Global Warming Over 6 Decades Ago and Did Nothing!: Under Capitalism — Human Lives Don’t Matter Capitalism Does Not, and Never Has, Worked for the Masses! In Its Death Agony, Capitalism Is Traveling About The World Like The Five Horsemen of the the Apocalypse, Spreading Racism, War, Famine, Pestilence, Death, and Misinformation! The very future of Humanity Is Now At stake!
During This Economic Crisis, Capitalism’s Three-Point Political Program: Austerity, Scapegoat Blacks, Minorities, and ‘Illegal’ Immigrants for Unemployment, and The Iron Heel! For Decades, Blacks Have Been Subjected to The Iron Heel! Currently, the US Capitalist Class is Divided Over When — Not If, to Apply It to Everyone! Globaly, With the Current Gaza War, The Right of Assembly is Under Attack! Due to Years of Austerity, Cuts to Public Health Care, And An Anti-Science and Profiteering President, The United States Still Leads the World In Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in the World!
The Majority of the World, Despite the Media Monopoly’s Lies, are Opposed to the Palestinian Genocide and Global Warming — The 1% Minority Funds Them! At, this Time in History, Capitalism is Exposing the Fact That it is Opposed to Majority Rule/Democracy!
Always Remember: That President Obama, With a Majority Democrat Legislature Supported the Wall Street Bailout and Remember, That he Established, in writing, the United States Capitalist Austerity Program. — The Race to the Bottom/Pauperization of the 99%!
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.! Socialism Means True Democracy, that the 99% Will Rule, Not the Few!
Quotes of the Day:
The Capitalist System is the Cause of Climate Change, Which is a Threat to Life, Itself. Climate Change is a Form of Genocide Called Ecocide! To Capitalists and Their Politicians, Environmental Science Doesn’t Matter! Under Capitalism, Science Only Matters to Make More Profits and More Wars!: I’ve been sounding the alarm since 2006. Other scientists have been sounding it for far longer, Dr. James Hansen in the ’80s, even back before that. And we’ve been completely ignored. You get politicians, even like President Biden, even Democrats, saying things that, like, “We listen to the scientists.” And then, you know, the last presidential debate, we had Trump saying this is a hoax and giving word salad with China, and then Vice President Harris saying, “Climate change is real, but we’re going to expand fracking,” right? And that’s the cause of climate change. So, we’re living in this strange dystopia where scientists are being completely ignored. — Climate Scientist Peter Kalmus, Media Fails to Link Hurricane Helene to Fossil-Fueled Climate Change
Violently messing around in other weak countries’ backyards, and backing dictators and coups are the touchstones of Empire. Eventually, all Empires devour themselves. In the meantime, are you surprised that the CIA and Department of Defense have teams studying what they call “Blowback” —a term they coined before 9/11? You know how that attack convulsed our country, deprived our domestic needs and intensified Bush/Cheney’s fury into even more countries (e.g., invading Iraq) pushing ever bigger, draining military budgets? U.S. blowback analysts are apprehensive about the spread of Israeli-style “red button” explosives and the ingenious, and ever-cheaper armed drones. They see such technologies as potential threats within the U.S. Such is the peril of nations whose leaders wage constant profitable, preventable wars and decline to wage muscular peace with comparable determination. — Netanyahu – “Nothing Can Stop Us” – Not Even the Majority of Israelis
Podcasts/Vide0s of the Day:
Australian Officials Push Authoritarian Crackdown On Pro-Hezbollah Speech As Israel begins another invasion of Lebanon, Australian officials from both sides of the imaginary partisan divide have been falling all over themselves to get Australians punished for speech crimes about the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah.
Good Westerners Don’t Start Off Hating Israel, But Truth Eventually Leads Them There A sincere dedication to truth, justice and kindness can only lead one to view the Zionist project with complete revulsion after learning the facts about what it really is, what it really does, and why our western governments really support it.
US Law Breakers — The Biden Adminstration!: U.S. Gov’t Agencies Found Israel Was Blocking Gaza Aid. Blinken Ignored Them to Keep Weapons Flowing
United States:
The United States is not a Democracy (A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly)! Only the 1%, through their ownership of the Republicrats and who profit from war and the war budget, vote for War and the war budget — A policy, which Gore Vidal called a Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace. — The 99% Should Decide On War — Not Just The 1% Who Profit From War! Under a Democracy, The 99% would have the right to vote on the policy of Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace! The United States takes from the poor and gives to the Rich. Tax the Rich! — They Can Afford ford To Pay! Both Parties Support U.S. Capitalism’s Wars! (The Only War the Democrats Opposed was the Civil War!)
We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both. — Louis D. Brandeis Quotes/
The greatest purveyor of violence in the world : My own Government, I cannot be Silent. ― Martin Luther King Jr.
To this day, we have a government and state apparatus that is designed to “protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.” Democracy for white and wealthy men only! — Roland Sheppard, My Forefathers and The 1%’s Forefathers.
US has Been Planning War in the Middle East Background Article: US Bolsters Forces in Middle East, Issues Warning to Iran Pentagon Press Secretary U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder conducts a press briefing at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., March 8, 2024. The Pentagon on Sunday announced steps to bolster its forces in the Middle East amid Israel’s non-stop bombardment of Lebanon. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the US will reinforce its “air-support capabilities” in the coming days and said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies.” Ryder said Austin also ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group to stay in the region. The USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group / Marine Expeditionary Unit will also continue to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ryder also issued a warning to Iran in the statement. “Secretary Austin stressed that the United States is determined to prevent Iran and Iranian-backed partners and proxies from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” he said. “Secretary Austin made clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every necessary measure to defend our people,” Ryder added. The US has been vowing to defend Israel from any potential Iranian attack, and the Pentagon said last week that was one purpose of maintaining an increased force posture in the region.
Democrats’ Unquestioning Support of Israeli War Crimes Puts 2024 at Increasing Risk In our 30 years of polling Arab American voters, we haven’t witnessed anything like the role that the war on Gaza is having on voter behavior.
United States Armed and Funded Middle East War/Palestinan Genocide:
Israel Confirms Its Ground Invasion of Lebanon Has Begun The Israeli military announced early Tuesday morning that its ground invasion of Lebanon has started, confirming earlier reports that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were operating on the ground inside Lebanon. The IDF said its troops are conducting “limited, localized, and targeted ground raids” against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes continue across the country. The ground raid comes after a week of heavy Israeli airstrikes that have killed over 1,000 people, including many civilians. While the Biden administration has claimed it wants a ceasefire in Lebanon, it is supportive of the Israeli invasion and said it was informed of the plan. A US official told The Times of Israel that the administration has accepted Israel’s goal of removing Hezbollah positions from near its northern border but is concerned Israeli forces could get bogged down in Lebanon
Depleted Urainium Buster Bombs: IDF Reportedly Used 2,000-Pound Bombs Supplied by US in Attack That Killed Nasrallah The American-made bombs leveled several apartment buildings and killed dozens of people, with others still believed to be trapped under rubble. Video footage analyzed by weapons experts indicates that Israeli forces used U.S.-supplied 2,000-pound bombs in their massive attack on Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and flattened several residential buildings
Environment:
Fund Climate! — Not Genocide! One of Many Ways to Begin to End Global Warming: Expose ‘Greenwashing’ — Tax the Polluters 100%! After World War II Rosa Luxenburg Coined the Slogan: ‘S0cialism or Barbaism’! Now the Slogan Should Be: ‘Ecosocialism or Ecocide’!
We Must Hold These Monsters to Account!
United Nations Climate Action: Water – At the Center of the Climate Crisis Water-Related Hazards
- Climate change has made extreme weather events such as floods and droughts more likely and more severe (IPCC).
- Rising global temperatures increase the moisture the atmosphere can hold, resulting in more storms and heavy rains, but paradoxically also more intense dry spells as more water evaporates from the land and global weather patterns change. (World Bank)
- Drought and flood risks, and associated societal damages, are projected to further increase with every degree of global warming (IPCC).
- The frequency of heavy precipitation events will very likely increase over most areas during the 21st century, with more rain-generated floods. At the same time, the proportion of land in extreme drought at any one time is also projected to increase (IPCC).
- Water-related disasters have dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters (World Bank).
- ·Since 2000, flood-related disasters have risen by 134 per cent compared with the two previous decades. Most of the flood-related deaths and economic losses were recorded in Asia (WMO). The number and duration of droughts also increased by 29 per cent over this same period. Most drought-related deaths occurred in Africa (WMO)
Media Fails to Link Hurricane Helene to Fossil-Fueled Climate ChangeThe storm devastated large swaths of the southeastern US after making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. Hurricane Helene tears through the southeastern United States as scientists say climate change rapidly intensifies hurricanes. The storm devastated large swaths of the southeastern United States after making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. Officials say the death toll is likely to rise, as many are still missing. Helene is expected to be one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history and was fueled by abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, but most of the media coverage has failed to connect the devastation to the climate crisis. “The planet’s overheating. It’s irreversible. It’s caused by the fossil fuel industry,” says climate activist and climate scientist Peter Kalmus in Raleigh, North Carolina. “This will get worse as the planet continues to get hotter.”
The Law is Not Enforced for Polluters! The EPA Must Do Its Job and Regulate Factory Farms Under the Clean Water Act, the agency should protect our water from harmful factory farm pollution, but the agency’s regulations have been failing for decades to achieve the act’s most basic requirements. By design, factory farms generate stunning amounts of waste from the thousands or even millions of animals they confine. And while the industry swears it treats that waste “responsibly,” neighboring communities know otherwise. Under the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should protect our water from harmful factory farm pollution. But the agency’s regulations have been failing for decades to achieve the act’s most basic requirements, a fact that EPA admits.According to the agency’s own data, roughly 10,000 of the nation’s largest factory farms, also known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), are illegally discharging dangerous pollution to waterways without the required federal permit. As a result, we’re facing a pollution crisis of epic proportions, threatening our drinking water, health, and environment. Related Article: Agribusiness/Factory Farms — Environmental Hazards!
Atlanta Issues Warnings After Chemical Plant Fire With Smoke Visible Miles Away Interstate highway shut down in both directions in the area, as residents urged to evacuate or shelter in placeSome residents east of Atlanta were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place on Sunday to avoid contaminants from a chemical plant fire that sent a huge tower of dark smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away. Interstate 20 was shut down in both directions in the area, the Georgia department of transportation said in a post on X. Reports said traffic was snarled as vehicles backed up.
Half of All Deaths from Hurricane Helene Occurred 485 Miles North of Where It Made Landfall As an unprecedented humanitarian crisis was happening in real time yesterday morning in Western North Carolina, we turned on the Sunday News programs: CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper and, later in the morning, Face the nation on CBS. We were stunned that the focus of both programs was the war in the Middle East and the presidential election.
Black Liberation/Civil Rights:
Fundraising Appeal: Threatened Israeli (SLAPP?) Lawsuit Attempts to Bankrupt Informed Comment Running a small independent publication on controversial issues is fraught with problems. One of them is that people threaten to sue you. It happens time to time. For some reason the Israelis are particularly trigger-happy about threatening lawsuits. Many years ago the notorious MEMRI campaign to translate only the worst things in the Arabic press, founded by an Israeli ex-military intelligence officer, threatened to sue me. They did not have a leg to stand on, since political speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment. I made their threats public, and never heard anything more from them.
Labor:
US Ports Brace for Disruption ss 45,000 Workers Strike for First Time in Decades Strike – first by port workers on US east coast since 1977 – threatens to shut down ports from Maine to Texas Some of the busiest ports in the US were braced for crippling disruption after about 45,000 port workers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) began walking off the job after their contracts expired at midnight. Workers began striking at 12.01am ET on Tuesday, with 36 ports along the east and Gulf coasts affected. They typically handle about half of the nation’s ocean shipping
Economy:
World:
Education, Health, and Welfare:
The government of the United States can pass laws in a few days to spend tens of trillions of dollars for war and the bailout of Wall Street and the bankers. Yet, those who, pass universal healthcare for themselves, but cannot spend even one trillion dollars for universal health for those who are ‘governed’! This is what is considered, by the powers to be, a democracy and part of the democratic way. — Roland Sheppard, Let the People Vote on Healthcare