Survival of the Richest

Link: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/02/27/survival-of-the-richest/

By Nomi Prins

Like a gilded coating that makes the dullest things glitter, today’s thin veneer of political populism covers a grotesque underbelly of growing inequality that’s hiding in plain sight. And this phenomenon of ever more concentrated wealth and power has both Newtonian and Darwinian components to it.

In terms of Newton’s first law of motion: those in power will remain in power unless acted upon by an external force. Those who are wealthy will only gain in wealth as long as nothing deflects them from their present course. As for Darwin, in the world of financial evolution, those with wealth or power will do what’s in their best interest to protect that wealth, even if it’s in no one else’s interest at all.

Venezuela Gets 'Ukrained'

By Finian Cunningham

February 01, 2019

US national security advisor John Bolton tweeted cynically this week that he “wishes” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to take “retirement on a nice beach somewhere far away”.

Meanwhile, in nastier tone, Washington and its Western allies have denigrated the Venezuelan government as a “mafia regime” and a “kleptocracy”.

These are all attempts to blackmail, intimidate and vandalize Venezuela into submitting to a criminal regime-change plan for the South American country.

شخصیت صادق هدایت

به جرات می‌توان گفت که هیچ داستان نویسی در ایران به قدرت و شجاعت صادق هدایت نتوانست نقاط مثبت و منفی‌ فرهنگ ایرانیان را به قلم بیاورد. هدایت که برای رشته ریاضیات به بلژیک و دندان پزشکی‌ به فرانسه، همراه گروهی از ایرانیانی که دولت برای تحصیل به اروپا میفرستاد عازم این دو کشور شده بود، پس از آنکه درک کرد که علاقه او صرفا به ادبیات است، بدون هیچ گونه عذر و بهانه و نگرانی از فشار دولت و خانواده ترک تحصیل کرد و به نویسندگی پرداخت. او انسان آزاده‌ای بود که زیر بار هیچ فشاری نمیرفت و سخنان خود را شجاعانه بیان میکرد. این البته با فرهنگ سالوسی و همرنگ جماعت شدن اکثر ایرانیانِ دور و برش تفاوت داشت، و بدین جهت دوستان او کسانی‌ بودند که او را به درستی‌ میشناختند و برای افکارش احترام قائل بودند، حتی اگر مانند او نبودند. شخصی‌ حاضر جواب بود و طنزی برخورنده، و به مذاق عده‌ای زننده، داشت. گرچه بسیاری از دوستانش به دلیل این طنزش بدور او جمع شده بودند. پیش از آنکه به فرانسه برود این زبان را در دبیرستان فرا گرفته بود و نوشته‌های فرانسه را به فارسی ترجمه میکرد. قرآن و بسیاری از کتب مذهبی‌ را خوانده بود و بدین دلیل مذهب اسلام را بخوبی میشناخت. انتقاد او از اسلام، و مذهب بطور عموم، در هر نوشته‌اش مشخص است. از آنجائی که به فرهنگ ایران پیش از اسلام عشق میورزید سفری به هند کرد و زبان پهلوی را آموخت. نتیجه‌اش چند ترجمه از پهلوی به پارسیِ امروزه است. به دانش علمی‌، که به انگلیسی‌ به آن ساینس می‌گویند، علاقه داشت و گزارشات علمی‌ را دنبال میکرد. آنچنان به زندگی‌ دلبسته بود که به هر چه علاقمند میشد در فراگیری آن کوشش میکرد. در اواخر عمر، در پی یادگیری زبان روسی بود، که در نوشته‌های آخرین او منعکس است. ولی‌ شیفتگی‌ او به فرهنگِ پیش از اسلام بود، و این تنفرِ او را از اسلام و تظاهرات مذهبی‌ و آخوندبازی بیش از بیش میکرد. به قضا و قدر اعتقادی نداشت و حتی مرگ خود را با تصمیم‌گیری قبلی‌ و هوشیاری کامل انجام داد. اینکه او از زندگی‌ مایوس بود و یا از نظر مالی در مضیقه بود و به این دلیل خودکشی‌ کرد، با توجه به توان و شخصیت هدایت مورد قبول به نظر نمیاید، و مشخصاً زمانی‌ به مرگ خود دست زد که به این نتیجه رسیده بود که زندگی‌ پُربارش را به اتمام رسانده بود. به این دلیل، پیش از مرگ تمام یادداشتهایش را سوزاند، چرا که آنها را قابل خواندن توسط دیگران نمی‌دید، و ماموریتش را در جهان تمام شده می‌انگاشت.

عباس ميلانى، حسين مُهرى «خمينى، شاه، آمريکا، بريتانيا »، راديو صداى ايران؛

Before Venezuela, US had long involvement in Latin America

By The AP
January 25, 2019
Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50966.htm


Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accuses the United States of trying to orchestrate a coup against him, and that allegation has resonance among many in a region where Washington has a long history of interventions — military and otherwise.
Ever since President James Monroe announced a sort of protectorate over the hemisphere in the early 19th century known as the Monroe Doctrine, the United States has involved itself in the daily affairs of nations across Latin America, often on behalf of North American commercial interests or to support right-leaning forces against leftist leaders.
That military involvement petered out after the end of the Cold War, although the U.S. has been accused of granting at least tacit backing to coups in Venezuela in 2002 and Honduras in 2009.
The Trump's administration leading role in recognizing Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela returns the U.S. to a more assertive role in Latin America than it has had for years.
Some of the most notable U.S. interventions in Latin America:

Venezuela - The U.S. Game Plan For 'Regime Change' And How To Respond To It

By Moon Of Alabama

January 25, 2019
Link: https://www.moonofalabama.org/2019/01/venezuela-the-us-game-plan-and-how-to-respond-to-it.html

 Yesterday the U.S. recognized a right-wing 'leader of the opposition' in Venezuela Juan Guaido as the president of the country. A number of right-wing led countries in South America joined in that move. Cuba, Bolivia and Mexico rejected it. Russia, China, Iran and Turkey continue to support the the government of the elected President Nicolas Maduro and spoke out against the coup attempt. The European Union has no united opinion with the neo-liberal led France being pro-coup and Spain standing against it. Venezuela must prepare for a multi year conflict while doing everything to keep it as short as possible.

Testing Theories of American Politics

Note: This is a copy of the online PDF version of the princeton printed copy of this article, which is not presented properly here. For reading original version of this interesting article, please refer to the following link:
https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf


Testing Theories of American Politics:
Elites, Interest Groups, and Average
Citizens
Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page Each of four theoretical traditions in the study of American politics—which can be characterized as theories of Majoritarian Electoral Democracy, Economic-Elite Domination, and two types of interest-group pluralism, Majoritarian Pluralism and Biased Pluralism—offers different predictions about which sets of actors have how much influence over public policy: average citizens;
economic elites; and organized interest groups, mass-based or business-oriented.
A great deal of empirical research speaks to the policy influence of one or another set of actors, but until recently it has not been possible to test these contrasting theoretical predictions against each other within a single statistical model. We report on an effort to do so, using a unique data set that includes measures of the key variables for 1,779 policy issues.

The United States is First in War, But Trailing in Crucial Aspects of Modern Civilization

By Lawrence S. WittnerJanuary 01, 2019

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50860.htm

Maybe those delirious crowds chanting “USA, USA” have got something. When it comes to military power, the United States reigns supreme. Newsweek reported in March 2018: “The United States has the strongest military in the world,” with more than two million military personnel and vast numbers of the most advanced nuclear missiles, military aircraft, warships, tanks, and other modern weapons of war. Furthermore, as the New York Times noted, “the United States also has a global presence unlike any other nation, with about 200,000 active duty troops deployed in more than 170 countries.” This presence includes some 800 overseas U.S. military bases.

In 2017 (the last year for which global figures are available), the U.S. government accounted for more than a third of the world’s military expenditures, more than the next seven highest-spending countries combined. Not satisfied, however, President Trump and Congress pushed through a mammoth increase in the annual U.S. military budget in August 2018, raising it to $717 billion. Maintaining the U.S. status as “No. 1” in war and war preparations comes at a very high price.

Has Trump Been Outmaneuvered on Syria Troop Withdrawal?

By Senator Dick Black
January 3, 2019

Link: https://consortiumnews.com/2019/01/03/has-trump-been-outmaneuvered-on-syria-troop-withdrawal/

Trump’s possible backtracking on withdrawal from Syria means he may have been once again outmaneuvered by the Deep State, says Virginia State Senator Dick Black.

Following the outcry after President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was pulling U.S. troops from Syria, it appears that Trump may be succumbing to political pressure. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) visited the White House on Dec. 30 and afterward told reporters:  “We talked about Syria. He told me some things I didn’t know that made me feel a lot better about where we’re headed in Syria,” Graham said.  Trump’s withdrawal plans are “slowing down in a smart way,” Graham said, according to NBC News.

The Washington Post added: ” ‘Graham described Trump’s decision as ‘a pause situation’ rather than a withdrawal, telling reporters, “I think the president’s taking this really seriously.”  Graham said: “He promised to destroy ISIS. He’s going to keep that promise. We’re not there yet. But as I said today, we’re inside the 10-yard line, and the president understands the need to finish the job.” 

Climate Change For Beginners

There have been many publications about climate change, each from a different point of view and for different audience. Some discuss it through an evolutionary process; and how the environment is different from what it would have been if it was not for the rapid effect of the global warming. Some others begin the discussion with the damage caused by fossil fuel and other forms of energy that increases CO2 level. And there are some who research and report changes on the earth as a result of mining. A small and short book that provides a basic knowledge about climate change and the roots of it bears the same title. It is in fact a disclosed document or an evidence for those who deny climate change and consider it a natural phenomenon that would not be affected by human’s negligence. The book is written for non-scientist readers, whether they acquire any knowledge of the subject or not, with simple an easy passages to understand and to follow the reasons for this phenomenon, as well as the future outcome. Each page contains some animations which emphasizes the point on that page, in addition to lightening up the serious subject matter. As it was mentioned, the book is called “Climate Change For Beginners” by Dean Goodwin, Ph.D. and illustrated by Joe Lee. It was first published in 2016.

چگونگی پیدایش قران

نوآوری‌های کیهانی

تحقیقات جدید نشان میدهند که جریان نامنظم مواد در درون خورشید میتوانند دلیل لکه‌های خوشه‌ای باشند که بطور تصادفی در سطح خورشید دیده میشوند. به منظور مطالعهٔ گسترده‌تر در مورد خورشید، سازمان ناسا در ۱۲ اوت سفینه "پارکر سولار پروب" را پرتاب کرد. این کشتی فضائی تا چهار میلیون مایلز به خورشید نزدیک خواهد شد، که البته این کوتاه‌ترین فاصله‌ای است که تا کنون انسان توانسته است به این ستارهٔ آتشبار نزدیک شود.

A Short History in Economy: By Professor Richard Wolfe

Economic Update: The Great American Purge

The Inequality Gap on a Planet Growing More Extreme

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50761.htm

By Nomi Prins

December 13, 2018

As we head into 2019, leaving the chaos of this year behind, a major question remains unanswered when it comes to the state of Main Street, not just here but across the planet. If the global economy really is booming, as many politicians claim, why are leaders and their parties around the world continuing to get booted out of office in such a sweeping fashion?

One obvious answer: the post-Great Recession economic “recovery” was largely reserved for the few who could participate in the rising financial markets of those years, not the majority who continued to work longer hours, sometimes at multiple jobs, to stay afloat. In other words, the good times have left out so many people, like those struggling to keep even a few hundred dollars in their bank accounts to cover an emergency or the 80% of American workers who live paycheck to paycheck.

Vladimir Pozner

This clip is about two hours long. If you do not want to view all of it, watch from minute 20 to 25, for 5 minutes.



Our Spring 2017 group met with Vladimir Pozner in Moscow. Pozner has been Russia’s #1 TV Icon for over four decades. He is an independent thinker who is not a supporter of Putin, but at the same time he appreciates the role Putin has played in stabilizing the country since assuming Russia’s presidency in the year 2000. Pozner observes the ways in which Russia’s media is controlled, as well as the ways America’s media is controlled. For a totally honest appraisal of the politics and media of both countries, take the time to watch this piece.

Wealth Inequality in America

هموطنِ مومن

تو که هیچوقت نماز و عبادت خود را ترک نکرده‌ای حتما به بهشت خواهی رفت. در ملاقات با خداوند، که طاعتش موجب قربت است و به شکر اندرش مزید نعمت،  لطفا از او بپرس که به چه منظور این جهان را آفریده است. جای من البته در قعر جهنم است و همنشین دوزخیان خواهم بود، و هیچگاه به دیدار پروردگار این جهان و جهان ابدی نازل نخواهم شد. خداوند که روی تخت عاجش در بهشت نشسته است، البته که امور جهنمیان را به نمایندگان خود وشکنجه‌گران دوزخ می‌سپرد و حتی سری هم به مردگان جهنمی نخواهد زد. هیچکس از رهبر یک سازمان سری انتظار ندارد که به شکنجه‌گاه‌های خود سر بزند.  بنابراین او را نخواهم دید که پرسشهای خود را با او در میان بگذارم، و من فقط کنجکاوم بدانم هدف او از به وجود آوردن این دنیا چه بوده است. در واقع پرسش بزرگتر آنکه قبل اینکه او این جهان را آرایش دهد و به آن نظم فعلی‌ را ببخشد، به چه کاری اشتغال میداشت. آیا پیش از این دنیائی که ما میشناسیم دنیای دیگری به عنوان آزمایش ساخته بود، و اگر پاسخش مثبت است، چه بر سر آن دنیا آمده است؟ البته از اشخاص نزدیک به خدا مثل ملایان و کشیشان و سایر مفتخوران این پرسش را کرده‌ام و آنها همواره این پاسخ تاریخی‌‌ را میدهند که "اسراری در کاینات است که ما از آن واقف نیستیم و خداوند رموزی دارد که بر بندگانش پوشیده است،" که این جمله طولانی‌ بجای "من نمیدانم" استفاده میشود. البته کسی‌ که این جملات را ردیف می‌کند، اعوان و انصار پیشینِ خودش داستان بهشت و جهنم و آدم و حوا و مار و غیره را سر هم کرده بودند. ولی‌ اینکه قبل از این داستانها خدا چه میکرد و چه کسی‌ او را آفرید پرسشی است که باید از خود او کرد. ما کاملا بر این واقف هستیم که این جهانِ هستی‌ پُر است از اسرار و شگفتیها، مانند شب و روز و طوفان و زلزله و بلایای آسمانی، که دانشمندان هر از گاهی‌ یکی‌ از رموز آنرا کشف و آشکار میسازند، و پس از افشا شدن البته دیگر رمزی در آن نیست. بشر همواره از این جهان در شگفتی بوده است و گروهی با استفاده از انگاشت و پندار خود داستانهائی بافته‌اند، ولی‌ پاره‌ای دیگر به تحقیق پرداخته و دلیل آن عجائب را کشف کرده‌اند. روزی از سایر شگفتیها پرده برداشته شده، دیگر مشکلاتی که پیش پای بشر قرار گرفته‌اند گشوده خواهند شد. ولی‌ خدائی که مکمل، بی‌عیب، و سرآمد و خالق همه موجودات است، به چه دلیل چنین دنیائی را که تا حدی به دست و با نبوغ انسانها صورت بهتری می‌گیرد، و مخلوقی که اگر دکترها و داروها به دادش نرسند یک شبه تب می‌کند و میمیرد، به وجود میاورد.

Questions from the Old Mighty

You believe in God and you may worship him in order to arrive in heaven after you die, and if you do, when in heaven please ask him why he created this world. Since I don’t believe in God, I will go to hell and will be in the company of Lucifer. However, God will be sitting on his throne in the heaven and would never check to see what is happening in hell, as he loves those who worship him, and sends the rest to the lower department managed by Satan. In fact, no one expects the head of a secret service to walk into its torture chamber. But the question that has been perplexing me is why God would create this world, and what purpose he originally had behind it. As a matter of curiosity, the more thought-provoking question is what he was doing before he created the world. Of course the usual answer to such questions has been “God works in mysterious ways and no one can and should try to delve into his mysteries.” However, whoever came up with such notion, also came up with Genesis and several such stories describing how it was at the beginning and how God created man. None of these stories go further back to disclose what was before the beginning, and how God kept himself busy, since there was no man on earth, and heaven and hell had no purpose to be built, and there was nothing. What were God doing then, and who and how He Himself, was created? We know there are wonders in the world, with the vast and almost unlimited universe and black holes and other mysteries our scientists have discovered. But these are mysteries as long as we have not solved them. Human beings have been puzzled by what we take for granted, such as day and night and flood and tornado and other natural elements. Some who were curious about all of these and other mysteries of the world used their imagination and created fairytales. But some investigated and found answers to many of these puzzles. More mysteries will be discovered as well, and the weaknesses of the society will be alleviated someday. However, if God is perfect, why did He make such a creation full of holes!

حشرات‌الارض

از آنجائی که ما همیشه در جنگ با حشرات هستیم، شناسایی بسیاری از حشرات برای ما حاصل نشده است. امروزه این جنگ از طریق داروهای شیمیائی انجام میشود. البته طرفین این جنگ نیروهای همگون و مساوی ندارند. در واقع یک طرف این جنگ از طرف دیگر کاملا ضعیف‌تر است. شاید باعث شگفتی باشد، ولی‌ انسانها همواره در این جنگ مغلوب هستند. دلیلش آن چیزی است که داروین آنرا “تکامل از طریق انتخاب طبیعی” لقب داد. هر داروی شیمیائی که ما برای کشتن این موجودات بکار می‌بریم، باعث میشود که حشرهٔ مورد حمله از طریق انتخاب طبیعی تکامل یافته، از آن ماده شیمیائی مصون بماند. هر چه آن ماده شیمیائی با شدت بیشتری اِعمال شود، امکان تکامل یافتن حشره تشدید میابد. آنها با چنان شدتی‌ تکامل میابند که ما زمان آنرا نداریم که  به سیستم آن پی ببریم، تا بتوانیم با آن مبارزه کنیم. سوسک آلمانی‌ یکی‌ از نمونه‌های آن است (ژرمنیک کاکرُچ‌ یا بلاتِلا جرمانیکا).

Saudis Close to Crown Prince Discussed Killing Other Enemies a Year Before Khashoggi’s Death

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/11/world/middleeast/saudi-iran-assassinations-mohammed-bin-salman.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmark-mazzetti&action=click&contentCollection=undefined&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

By Mark Mazzetti, Ronen Bergman and David D. Kirkpatrick

Nov. 11, 2018

WASHINGTON — Top Saudi intelligence officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked a small group of businessmen last year about using private companies to assassinate Iranian enemies of the kingdom, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

The Saudis inquired at a time when Prince Mohammed, then the deputy crown prince and defense minister, was consolidating power and directing his advisers to escalate military and intelligence operations outside the kingdom. Their discussions, more than a year before the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, indicate that top Saudi officials have considered assassinations since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s ascent.

Saudi officials have portrayed Mr. Khashoggi’s death as a rogue killing ordered by an official who has since been fired. But that official, Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, was present for a meeting in March 2017 in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, where the businessmen pitched a $2 billion plan to use private intelligence operatives to try to sabotage the Iranian economy.

During the discussion, part of a series of meetings where the men tried to win Saudi funding for their plan, General Assiri’s top aides inquired about killing Qassim Suleimani, the leader of the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and a man considered a determined enemy of Saudi Arabia.