Daily News Digest October 19, 2017

Daily News Digest Archives

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 Those  Who Profit From Austerity! Under Austerity, All of the World Will Eventually Be Pauperized, Humbled, and Desecrated Like Greece and Puerto Rico!

Daily News Digest October 19, 2017

 Images of the Day:

 Weed Killer for Breakfast.Climate change and prevention of natural disasters Quotes of the Day:

In the language of the markets, a “correction” is when overvalued stocks suffer a sudden drop in price, reflecting their real value. In effect, Brexit represents a very similar process but on a much greater scale: that of British capitalism as a whole. Over the best part of a century, the UK has been in an interminable state of decline economically, diplomatically and militarily. The key to this is a long-term crisis in productivity caused by a chronic lack in investment. A 2015 report from the Office of National Statistics showed the extent of the rot: a worker in France now produces more in four days than a British workers would in five, despite working shorter hours. — Brexit: a picture of Europe’s future

Just 8 men own same wealth as half the world: Eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity, according to a new report published by Oxfam today to mark the annual meeting of political and business leaders in Davos. Oxfam’s report, ‘An economy for the 99 percent’, shows that the gap between rich and poor is far greater than had been feared. It details how big business and the super-rich are fuelling the inequality crisis by dodging taxes, driving down wages and using their power to influence politics. It calls for a fundamental change in the way we manage our economies so that they work for all people, and not just a fortunate few. New and better data on the distribution of global wealth – particularly in India and China – indicates that the poorest half of the world has less wealth than had been previously thought.  Had this new data been available last year, it would have shown that nine billionaires owned the same wealth as the poorest half of the planet, and not 62, as Oxfam calculated at the time. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day.  Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy. “Across the world, people are being left behind. Their wages are stagnating yet corporate bosses take home million dollar bonuses; their health and education services are cut while corporations and the super-rich dodge their taxes; their voices are ignored as governments sing to the tune of big business and a wealthy elite.”Oxfam’s report shows how our broken economies are funnelling wealth to a rich elite at the expense of the poorest in society, the majority of whom are women. The richest are accumulating wealth at such an astonishing rate that the world could see its first trillionaire in just 25 years.  To put this figure in perspective – you would need to spend $1 million every day for 2738 years to spend $1 trillion. Public anger with inequality is already creating political shockwaves across the globe. Inequality has been cited as a significant factor in the election of Donald Trump in the US, the election of President Duterte in the Philippines, and Brexit in the UK.  Seven out of 10 people live in a country that has seen a rise in inequality in the last 30 years.  Between 1988 and 2011 the incomes of the poorest 10 percent increased by just $65 per person, while the incomes of the richest 1 percent grew by $11,800 per person — 182 times as much. Women, who are often employed in low pay sectors, face high levels of discrimination in the work place, and who take on a disproportionate amount of unpaid care work often find themselves at the bottom of the pile.  On current trends it will take 170 years for women to be paid the same as men. ‘An Economy for the 99 percent’ also reveals how big business and the super-rich are fuelling the inequality crisis.  It shows how, in order to maximize returns to their wealthy shareholders, big corporations are dodging taxes, driving down wages for their workers and the prices paid to producers, and investing less in their business. . . .

Videos of the Day:

Climate Change Has Doubled Area Hit By Forest Fires in US (Part 2/2)  Dr. John Abatzoglou and Dr. LeRoy Westerling talk about how climate action, public awareness, and adaptation planning could lessen the impact of California forest fires

Somalia Bombing an Outgrowth of Foreign Meddling Unless the U.S. and African Union change their failed strategy, Somalia faces many more deadly bombings like the killing of over 300 in Mogadishu, says Professor Abdi Samatar of the University of Minnesota

U.S.:

Funding for War vs. Natural Disasters If the US allocated disaster relief funds to its own citizens as religiously as it allocated tax payer dollars to US wars abroad, everyone in affected areas could easily be provided the help they need to get back on their feet. by Chris Ernesto

Washington, Not China, is the Biggest Threat to American Power by Paul Craig Roberts

The Real Destabilizer in the Middle East is Not Iran But Trump by Patrick Cockburn

Environment:

Ongoing Big Energy Crisis:

 Black Liberation/Civil Rights:

Freedom Rider: Russiagate Brings Black Caucus to a New Low “The worst fascism in decades is underway under the auspices of Democrats.” The so-called Russiagate scandal is a fiction. The hapless Democrats see it as a means of doing what they failed to do on election day in 2016, defeat Donald Trump. The fear mongering also makes the case for waging war by other means against Russia and supporting American imperialism. But this worst of all fake news stories fell apart. The only way to continue the dubious cause was to ratchet it up with more lies. Enter the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). ByMargaret Kimberley, BAR editor and senior columnist Ingabire Day: We Are All Victoire and Victoire Is All of Us  “Ingabire wants the surviving Hutu refugees to be able to return home safely to join a real reconciliation process in Rwanda.” October 14th marked the seventh anniversary of Rwandan political prisoner Victoire Ingabire’s arrest, shortly after she attempted to run for president against Rwanda’s military dictator, President Paul Kagame. I still remember my last conversation with her for the KPFA Evening News on October 10. The UN Mapping Report on Human Rights Abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1993-2003 had been officially released on October 1, and she said that the mandate of the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda (ICTR) should be expanded to include Rwandan crimes in Congo. By Ann Garrison, BAR contributor Malcolm’s Chickens Have Roosted in Shootings Across the United States “Pentagon weapons flow to local police departments in the billions to lynch Black Americans at a near daily rate and prepare for counterinsurgency war operations against the entire population.” The ruling circle has every interest in dampening the ability of the masses to formulate an independent lens to understand “mass shootings.” The shootings reveal the fault lines of a deeply unstable domestic situation in the heartland of empire. They are a modern-day example of Malcolm X’s “chickens coming home to roost.” When Malcolm made the controversial statement after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, he was claiming that the violence white supremacy and empire had imposed on Black America and the people of Vietnam would eventually come back to afflict those in power. From this lens, what does the long list of mass shootings reveal about the United States? By Danny Haiphong, BAR contributorOn the Move: Rastafari, Tanzania, and the Lessons of Pan-African Action “Tanzania’s government and Rastafari asserted a different way of ordering the world through the repatriation: pan-Africanism.” In July 2017, the Ethiopian government announced its plans to finally grant identity cards to Rastafarians who had petitioned for such legal status since the mid-twentieth century. This represented a stunning reminder of the capacity of marginalized people and movements to bring about state action. This was not the only time that Rastafari accomplished such a feat. By Monique Bedasse U.S. Troop Deaths in Niger: AFRICOM’s Chickens Come Home to Roost “The Trump administration is talking about a potential imminent U.S. military action to hit back.” From the outset, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has incorrectly presumed the stupidity of Africans and others who are concerned about the continent. To answer accusations that the U.S. uses its military to ensure continuing imperialist domination of Africa, AFRICOM has stubbornly insisted that its sole objectives are to advise and support the armies of African government “partners” and to provide humanitarian assistance. But we know the truth to be otherwise. By Mark P. Fancher Relocated Puerto Rican Families Are Florida’s Latest Class War Targets “Trump’s treatment of Puerto Ricans as “third world class” citizens will also be reflected in the school and housing conditions available to Puerto Ricans arriving in Florida.” As the Puerto Rico disaster unfolds before our horrified eyes, shortages of water, food, housing, medicine, and healthcare threaten countless lives. As of October 13, 2017, 30,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived at the Orlando International Airport — which has established a disaster relief center to aid incoming islanders who are hungry, thirsty, and need essential living assistance.  By Michelle MatisonsSecret Trials of Thousands of Boko Haram Suspects to Start in Nigeria  “Many of the detainees had been held in custody for years without access to a lawyer or ever having appeared before a judge.”More than 2,300 suspected Islamist militants are expected to appear in court in Nigeria in an unprecedented series of mass trials that local authorities hope will be seen as evidence of progress in the fight against Boko Haram , one of Africa’s most resilient insurgencies.  By Jason Burke Ethiopia, the Day After: The Firestorm  “The people of Ethiopia are showing their defiant resistance.”The handwriting is on the wall. It is the same message the courageous young people chanted at the 2016 Irreecha festival before they were cut down by T-TPLF machine guns, “Down, down, woyane!” The rats are abandoning the Ship of State T-TPLF (SS T-TPLF).  By Alemayehu G. Mariam Labor:

Economy: Weinstein Company Loans: Banks Have Egg on their Face Over Effusive Praise In 2013, when a division of CIT served as a joint lead arranger for a $370 million senior secured credit facility to the Weinstein Company, an executive of the lender, Kevin Khanna, issued a statement effusively praising the management of the Weinstein Company, stating: “The Weinstein Co. is one of the premier Hollywood studios in the world and we are pleased to further expand our relationship with them through this recent financing. As a key player in the film financing sector, we pride ourselves in putting our knowledge to work on behalf of our clients to help them achieve their goals.” By Pam Martens and Russ Martens World:

Brexit: a picture of Europe’s future   As Josh Holroyd discusses, the future for both the UK and EU under capitalism is one of stagnation, slump, and austerity. The chaos of Brexit is a precursor to further crises in Europe as the system continues to unravel. By Josh Holroyd

Health, Science, Education, and Welfare: