A Broadcasting Phenomenon

Serbian director and musician Emir Kusturica has said in an article published by Serbian daily Politika that Russia Today (RT) poses a big propaganda threat to the US. He says that the RT network is destroying the “Hollywood-CNN stereotype of the good and bad guys, where blacks, Hispanics, Russians, Serbs are the villains, and white Americans, wherever you look, are OK!”

He also added;

“[US Secretary of State] Kerry and the congressmen are bothered by the fact that RT sends signals that the world is not determined by the inevitability of liberal capitalism, that the US is leading the world into chaos, that Monsanto is not producing healthy food, that Coca-Cola is ideal for cleaning automobile alloys and [is] not for the human stomach, that in Serbia the percentage of people who die from cancer has risen sharply due to the 1999 NATO bombings ... that the fingerprints of the CIA are on the Ukrainian crisis, and that Blackwater fired at the Ukrainian police, and not Maidan activists,” 

The Brutality Of The Israeli Army

The Labours Of Atlas

Grexit or Revolution

The way forward for the working class in Greece

Alex Lantier of WSWS

With the collapse of talks over the weekend between Greek and European Union officials, the crisis in Greece—and, indeed, Europe as a whole—has entered a critical stage.

Both the EU and Greece’s Syriza-led government have declared their desire to reach a deal that grants Athens access to credit in exchange for imposing more austerity measures. Prospects for reaching such a deal, however, are rapidly fading.

Yesterday’s stock market collapse in Athens and falls on European markets reflect rising uncertainty within the financial elite over the consequences of the situation in Greece. If a deal is not quickly reached, it could lead to Greek state bankruptcy, the failure of Greek and international banks, Greece’s exit from the euro zone and the reintroduction of a national currency, and even the dissolution of the EU itself.

Above all, as the Financial Times wrote, the ruling class fears “violent demonstrations” by “huge crowds”—that is, a challenge from the working class to the EU’s austerity agenda.

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The Greek working class can defend itself only by appealing for the building of a unified mass movement of the European working class in defence of Greek workers and in opposition to the EU. Workers across Europe must refuse all sacrifices the ruling class calls upon them to make in the name of preserving the euro or the EU. As they mobilise in struggle against austerity policies in their own countries, their watchword will be: Defend the Greek workers!

The fight for such a program requires a political break with Syriza and all of the instruments of bourgeois rule in Greece and throughout Europe. The urgent question remains one of revolutionary leadership and political perspective.

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Feudal Capitalism

The Magna Carta and democratic rights

By Richard Hoffman and Mike Head of WSWS

Today marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, a major historical event in the social and political development of England and in the emergence of the rule of law against arbitrary power.

In 1215, English noblemen, rebelling against the abuses of power by King John, forced the king to agree to the Magna Carta (the “Great Charter”) at Runnymede. Their struggle was rooted in profound economic processes, which were undermining the foundations of feudal society and the political power of the monarch.

The development of agriculture and land productivity was more advanced in England than elsewhere. While still very much in their infancy, capitalist relations were emerging out of the constraints of feudalism, which were in any event less restrictive in England than on the Continent.

The Magna Carta enumerated, in fairly comprehensive terms, the rights of “freemen”—essentially, landowners. Its 63 clauses set out the restraints on the king’s absolute powers, especially over economic life, property and legal procedure. The Charter (as set out in the translation available on the British Library website) proclaimed: “To all free men of our kingdom we have also granted, for us and our heirs forever, all the liberties written out below, to have and to keep for them and their heirs, of us and our heirs.”

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Today, 800 years after the Magna Carta, the working class confronts the reversal of the social gains of centuries of struggle for political and democratic rights. No constituency remains within the bourgeoisie anywhere for the defence of even the most fundamental rights. The only progressive alternative is the independent political mobilisation of the working class, on the basis of a socialist program, to conquer state power. New forms of genuine democracy—arising in the course of revolutionary mass struggles by the working class, the vast majority of the population—will become the foundations for workers’ governments, committed to world socialism, that is, to peace, justice and social equality for all.

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A Woman Who Wears The Trousers

A New Round Of Lies

Tony Blair has been shooting his mouth off again and telling yet another load of lies, which is par for the course with him.

He honestly expects us to believe that if Labour doesn't turn more sharply to the right and become a Tory Party mark two then the party will experience yet another shattering election defeat the next time round.

I suggest the man is losing his marbles. People have deserted Labour precisely because it has become indistinguishable from the Tories. I know because I'm one of those deserters.

Ukraine - A Fascist Enclave

“Human rights” imperialism in Ukraine

By WSWS

In remarks delivered Wednesday and Thursday, representatives of the Obama administration and the Ukrainian government have sought to stoke up a new Cold War atmosphere against Russia, while proclaiming the right-wing regime in Kiev, brought to power by US and European imperialism in a coup spearheaded by neo-fascist groups, as the front line of the “free world.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk set the tone in meetings Wednesday in Washington with Vice President Biden at the White House, and with the editorial board of the Washington Post, where he denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and alleged Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.

“Putin is playing with the far-right nationalistic sentiment that still exists in Russia,” Yatsenyuk declared—this from a representative of a government that is the distillation of “far-right nationalistic sentiment” in Ukraine. Only last month, the Kiev regime banned the display of Soviet-era military decorations and awards for those who fought in the Red Army against Hitler’s invasion of the USSR, while declaring that the Ukrainian anti-communists who collaborated with the Nazis and slaughtered Jews and Poles were the true national heroes.

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World War III Looms

Poll finds mass opposition in Europe to war drive vs. Russia over Ukraine

By Alex Lantier of WSWS 

The findings of a poll published yesterday by the Washington, DC-based Pew Research Center, showing broad opposition in Europe to a NATO war with Russia, underscore the anti-democratic character of the US-led war drive against Russia over Ukraine.

The poll was formulated to elicit answers as favorable as possible to US and NATO policy, particularly in regard to a possible war with Russia. The poll questionnaire did not once raise that Russia and NATO both have nuclear weapons, or inquire about the respondents’ willingness to risk nuclear war. As a result, the poll vastly underestimates public opposition to war.

The main question on war was whether NATO member states should fight a defensive war against Russia, if Russia “got into a serious military conflict with one of its neighboring countries that is our NATO ally.” In such a situation, Article 5 of the NATO Charter on collective self-defense would require all NATO member states to declare war on Russia.

Despite having framed the question in a manner intended to elicit support for such a supposedly defensive war, the Pew poll found broad opposition among Europeans. Fifty-eight percent of Germans, 53 percent of the French population and 51 percent of Italians opposed fighting even a defensive war with Russia to protect a NATO member.

This is not, however, the character of the war that now threatens to erupt. NATO is not playing a defensive role in Ukraine, which is not a NATO member state. The Ukrainian crisis erupted after the US and the European powers backed a fascist-led putsch against a pro-Russian government in Kiev in February 2014, bringing to power an ultra-right regime that launched a civil war against pro-Russian areas of eastern Ukraine. With US and Russian missile forces on heightened alert and NATO land, air and naval forces engaged in continuous exercises on Russia’s borders, the world stands on the verge of a catastrophic war provoked by Washington and its European allies.

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The Nazi King

From RT

Edward VIII wanted Britain to be bombed into an alliance with the Third Reich and blamed “Jews and Reds” for World War II, according to a prominent academic.

The research, carried out by UK-based German historian Karina Urbach, delved into the historical archives of 30 nations, including Germany, Spain and Russia, revealing the fascist sympathies of many European aristocrats.

Writing for The Conversation website ahead of the release of her new book, Go-Betweens for Hitler, Urbach said Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936 and became the Duke of Windsor, “has always been known for his pro-Nazi sympathies.”

A Revolution Required

Protests mount against US-backed regime in Ukraine

By Thomas Gaist of WSWS 

In the latest eruption of mass protests against the US puppet government of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, thousands of demonstrators swept through the streets of Kiev this weekend. Marchers demanded cancellation of martial law decrees, the repeal of subsidy cuts that have driven up the price of energy and foodstuffs, and the reversal of cuts to wages and pensions imposed by the government.

Demonstrators held placards demanding an end to cuts in pensions and denouncing the spiking prices of basic commodities. Slogans included “Raise pensions,” “We are hungry,” “Out with Yatsenyuk and his reforms,” and “Impeach Poroshenko!”

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A Shrinking Violet

Speaking before the G7 summit in Germany, Cameron criticised recent claims made by senior US figures that Britain was a diminishing power.

His comments come after it was reported on Monday that US diplomats had started referring to the country as “Great Shrinking Britain.”

With the UK's armed forces set to become even smaller there is a lot more shrinking to be done.

A Ripping Yarn

Inspired by the brave Bahraini dissident, Zainab al-Khawaja, banged up in prison for tearing up a picture of the king, I present below a collection of some of the photographs I would enjoy ripping to pieces.

British to host US nuclear weapons once again

G7 leaders escalate war threats against Russia

By Thomas Gaist of WSWS

During their second day of discussions in the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the German Alps on Monday, the leaders of the major imperialist powers affirmed their commitment to a policy of escalating strategic and military pressure against Russia.

“We need to keep pushing Russia,” Obama said. “Russian forces continue to operate in eastern Ukraine, violating Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

“The G7 is making it clear that if necessary we stand ready to impose additional significant sanctions against Russia,” Obama declared.

An official communiqué released by the G7 powers—the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada—reaffirmed Obama’s anti-Russia comments. It warned that the assembled powers would devise “further restrictive measures in order to increase cost on Russia.”

The hypocrisy and recklessness of Obama and his G7 counterparts is breathtaking. They are denouncing Russian “aggression” in Ukraine, which they plunged into civil war by backing a fascist-led putsch last year that toppled a pro-Russian government. Now, US and NATO armed forces are conducting air, sea and ground exercises all along Russia’s borders. In Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea, the US and its allies are rehearsing the opening stages of an all-out war with Russia.

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Jail For Tearing Up A Photo

A Bahraini human-rights activist, Zainab al-Khawaja, was sentenced to three years in prison for tearing up a photo of the Gulf state's King.

The photo must have looked something like this after she'd finished with it:-

Taking my cue from her I couldn't resist the temptation to do the following:-

Don't Trust The Trade Union Bureaucracy

Stop Netanyahu

Tories Back The Israelis

The Bournemouth East MP, Tobias Ellwood, who is also the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, sent a Twitter message to Israeli National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen on Wednesday saying that the British government was committed to opposing any and every Israel boycott.

Elwood said he had a “useful” meeting with Cohen, before reaffirming the UK’s opposition to the student led boycott after the National Union of Students passed a motion urging everyone to stop buying Israeli goods.

More Israeli Stuff To Avoid

Boycott Israeli Goods

Below are a few of the businesses you ought to be boycotting

Boycott Israel

From RT

A British Foreign Office minister has said the UK is committed to opposing a boycott of Israel. The statement comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned a vote by the National Union of Students (NUS) to boycott goods from Israel.

      

Dr. Strangelove

Ashton Carter, the US Defence Secretary is having a meeting today with US military chiefs in Stuttgart. Their purpose in getting together is to discuss how better they can escalate their economic and military campaign against the Russian Federation.

A report published yesterday by the Associated Press divulged that the Pentagon has been actively considering the use of nuclear missiles against military targets inside Russia. 

Together with Carter's visit to Stuttgart, it is clear that Obama is trying hard to ratchet up tensions.

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Embrace Labour

Fellow blogger John Hilley identifies three immediate tasks for those wishing to embrace true democracy:-

1. Abandon Labour. The bulk of Scotland already has. Urge all other leftists, unions and civil institutions to do likewise.

2. Dispense with the left/liberal establishment media. Only a radically, corporate-free new media can speak with a truly independent street voice.

3. Reject parliament's stacked system and do everything possible to help break-up the UK state, in pursuit of independence for Scotland and other regional parliaments.

Al-Sisi in Berlin: Red carpet for the hangman of Cairo

From the World Socialist Web Site

No other event could have better exposed the human rights pretences of the German ruling class than the official reception of Egyptian dictator Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Berlin. If the term “mass murderer” can be applied to any international head of state, it certainly applies to him.

The Egyptian despot is not (yet) a murderer on a par with the Nazis. But he is without a doubt comparable to General Augusto Pinochet, the former leader of the Chilean military junta, under whose rule (1973-1990) tens of thousands of regime opponents were imprisoned, tortured and killed.

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Falsehoods From Fallon

The gullible in Britain - i.e. anyone who reads the corporate press or listens to the BBC - will probably accept at face value the incredible claim made by the Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon that the UK is contributing more to the fight against Islamic State than any other EU member state.

He seems to forget that most of us weren't born yesterday and that Britain and the US connived with the fanatical islamists to overthrow Assad in Syria supplying them with all the weapons they needed to do the job.

Hence the current nightmare!

Does Blair Know What The Truth Is?

Always chasing the big money Tony Blair has secured himself a profitable job with the European Council. He is to take up the position of chairman of 'Truth and Reconciliation', a very grandiose title indeed.

The council’s aim is to tackle prevailing anti-Semitism in European countries, ultimately making Holocaust denial a criminal offence, defining racism and anti-Semitism and paying for security at Jewish schools and synagogues.

The Moslems can go and stuff themselves.

The US arming of ISIS

From the World Socialist Web Site

Ministers from 20 countries assembled in Paris June 2 in what was billed as a meeting of the coalition to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). This alliance, cobbled together by Washington, consists largely of NATO allies together with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf oil monarchies

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Notably absent from the proceedings were three countries that have been heavily involved in the fight against ISIS: Syria, Iran and Russia. This was by US design.

At the outset of the Paris meeting, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi accused the world of having “failed” Iraq, calling attention to the recent advances of ISIS in both Iraq and Syria as well as the uninterrupted flow of Islamist foreign fighters into both countries.

For his part, US Deputy Under Secretary of State Anthony Blinken insisted that Washington and its allies are pursuing a “winning strategy,” and that it would succeed “if we remain united, determined and focused.”

Over the past several weeks, this “winning strategy” has seen ISIS capture Ramadi, the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province, as well as the historic city of Palmyra in Syria. In the past few days, ISIS forces have advanced into Aleppo province in Syria, overrunning rival Islamist militias and Syrian government troops as well. This offensive has proceeded without any interference from US and allied warplanes supposedly waging an air war against ISIS.

“Focused” is scarcely a word that any objective observer would use to describe US policy in the region. While claiming to be committed to a war against ISIS, Washington and its regional allies have time and again proven themselves to be its principal sources of strength.

This movement did not exist until the US launched its criminal war of aggression against Iraq in 2003, killing hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and stoking sectarian tensions as part of a strategy of divide-and-conquer that deliberately pitted Shiites and Sunnis against each other.

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Milking Britain

The watchdog responsible for monitoring MPs’ pay has said it has found no “material” reason to change the proposal to hand members of parliament a generous 10 percent rise – at a time of pay restraint for civil servants and deep cuts in public services. In other words, there's one rule for them and another for the rest of us.

Despite facing heavy criticism from anti-austerity campaigners the 'Independent' Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) said they could find no reason to stop the planned pay rise from £67,000 to £74,000.

Nice work if you can get it.

Blobby

The Puppeteer

Cost of living unbearable for millions of Londoners

Below an extract of an article published today on the World Socialist Web Site

By Allison Smith

A recent report published by Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Social Policy reveals that it is much harder to make ends meet in London than anywhere else in the country.

London is home to around 12 percent of Britain’s population.

The report found that just over one third do not have enough money for a decent standard of living in the UK’s capital city, compared with 27 percent elsewhere. This rises to a staggering 43 percent of families with children, because housing, transport and childcare costs are so much higher than in the rest of the country.

Only the rich and very well-paid can afford to live in London. It is leading to “social cleansing”, with London becoming the playground of tourists and the financial elite while young people and workers on low incomes are forced to share homes, move out to the fringes or out of the capital altogether. Those that remain have to eke out an existence, making the class disparities between rich and poor more visible than ever before.

Read More Here