Israel, US Block International Force for Gaza Strip Defense
"The US and Israel are insisting that not only were the killings legally permissible, but that any questioning of the deaths is tantamount to terrorism itself."
EU Hardens Against Trump With United Stand on Trade and Iran
"European Union leaders presented a determined front to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to penalize EU businesses and scupper the Iran nuclear deal."
Roger Waters Exposes How White Helmets Recruit Celebs With Saudi Money
"The White Helmets were founded in Turkey by a former British MI5 officer named James Le Mesurier. The group has received at least $55 million from the UK government and an additional $23 million from the U.S. government, both of whom have regime change interests in the region."
Pentagon Unveils Pivot From War On Terror To New Cold War
"The strategy, the first such document to be issued by the Pentagon in roughly a decade, represented an historic shift from the ostensible justification for US global militarism for nearly two decades: the so-called war on terrorism. 'Great power competition—not terrorism—is now the primary focus of US national security,' Mattis said in his speech, which accompanied the release of an 11-page declassified document outlining the National Defense Strategy in broad terms. A lengthier classified version was submitted to the US Congress, which includes the Pentagon’s detailed proposals for a massive increase in military spending."
Alfred McCoy: Tweeting While Rome Burns
"In just one extraordinary year, Trump has destabilized the delicate duality that has long been the foundation for U.S. foreign policy: favoring war over diplomacy, the Pentagon over the State Department, and narrow national interest over international leadership. But in a globalizing world interconnected by trade, the Internet, and the rapid proliferation of nuclear-armed missiles, walls won’t work. There can be no Fortress America."
Chicago Commissioner Pleads With UN To Deploy Foreign Troops In US
"Under the guise of stopping violent crime, a County Commissioner in Cook County, Illinois, went to New York City late last week to request that the United Nations deploy foreign troops in Chicago to tackle the city’s 'quiet genocide.'"
Here’s What the World’s Central Banks Really Think About Bitcoin
"The guardians of the global economy have two sets of issues to address. First is what to do, if anything, about the emergence and growth of the private cryptocurrencies that are grabbing more and more attention -- with bitcoin climbing above $10,000. The second question is whether to issue official versions."
This Trade Treaty Got Better when the US Bailed
"Though the treaty is still imperfect, it does raise hope for more trade and therefore higher living standards. What is downright humiliating for Americans is that the treaty became better only after the US withdrew from it."
Spain issues European Arrest Warrant for ‘fugitive’ Catalan leaders
"The five are being sought for five different crimes, including rebellion, sedition and embezzlement in a Spanish investigation into their roles in pushing for secession for Catalonia. In jailing the former regional Government officials the judge said that the suspects' actions were 'premeditated and perfectly prepared and organised.' Judge Carmen Lamela said for the past two years they had systematically ignored decisions issued by the Constitutional Court in their push for independence."
FAA Proposes Worldwide Laptop Ban For Checked Bags On Int’l Flights
"The proposal, which will no doubt upset some frequent travelers, will be considered by the United Nations in the coming weeks. The FAA is concerned about the lithium-ion batteries that are common in electronic devices like laptops. Tests conducted by the agency have concluded that when large electronics overheat in luggage they run the risk of combustion when packed with aerosol canisters like hairspray and dry shampoo."