Imperialism

Wars & Protest: Opposition Matters

May 6, 2015 Debra Sweet, , www.worldcantwait.net Resist! Imperialism, Protest, Student Protests, Vietnam, Wars and Militarism

It's worth thinking about how imperialist wars start; how they can end up; how opposition develops externally and domestically. Sometimes waging wars make the aggressor less stable. Sometimes they lose legitimacy. A lot depends on what the opposition does. Nick Turse got an opinion into The New York Times last Friday, In Vietnam, Callous Use of Power Led to Years of Civilian Misery: “While to Henry Kissinger and many others, the war's lessons lay primarily in the painful realization of the limits to American power, the pain endured by millions of survivors in Vietnam who lost family, the pain of millions who were wounded, of millions who were killed, of millions driven from their homes into slums and camps reeking of squalor, seem to me to be so much greater.” How many more immoral, unjust, illegitimate wars in our name before we stop the crimes of our government?

The Tiny Italian Town Killing The U.S. Navy’s Surveillance Plans

May 1, 2015 Barbie Latza Nadeau, www.thedailybeast.com Resist! Imperialism, Italy, Resistance, Wars and Militarism

Ever since the Italian government under Silvio Berlusconi signed off on the U.S. Navy’s use of the land six years ago, the No MUOS activists of Niscemi have been doing everything they can to stop work at the site—with an astonishing level of success. Twice, they have won injunctions against the United States. At the moment, work at the site is at a standstill as a court in Palermo weighs the legality of the facility’s existence, based on a challenge stemming from the Region of Sicily’s decision to withdraw its authorization in 2013. On April 27, a Sicilian court rejected the United States’ appeal to release the sequestered site. There are still legal avenues for the U.S. military to pursue, including another court date July 8, and they could always ask for intervention from the Italian government. Meanwhile, the activists were able to notch one more victory in their David vs. Goliath battle: Two weeks ago, the activists went to the European Commission in Brussels to launch an appeal to stop MUOS at a European level as well.

Former Blackwater Guard Gets Life In Prison For Baghdad Shooting

April 14, 2015 Reuters, www.reuters.com Educate! Criminal Justice, Imperialism, Iraq, Wars and Militarism

A former Blackwater security guard was sentenced to life in prison and three others got 30-year terms on Monday in the massacre of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians at a Baghdad traffic circle in 2007, closing a case that had outraged Iraqis and inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment around the world. The Sept. 16 incident stood out for its brazenness and formed a tense backdrop to talks between the United States and Iraq over the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. It also sparked debate over private security contractors working for the U.S. government in war zones. The four guards opened fire with machine guns and grenade launchers on the Iraqis, including women and children, at Nisur Square. A heavily armed, four-truck Blackwater Worldwide convoy the men were in had been trying to clear a path for U.S. diplomats.

Obama Visits The Caribbean To Undermine Alternative Models

April 11, 2015 Kevin Edmonds, www.telesurtv.net Educate! Caribbean, Imperialism, Latin America, Obama, Social Change

Projects such as Venezuela's PetroCaribe are popular in the Caribbean, leading to the first visit of a U.S President to Jamaica since the Cold War. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama visited Jamaica with the heads of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), before heading over to Summit of the Americas which will be held in Panama from April 9 – 10. While Obama will try and cast himself as a “progressive” President that is charting a new path in the region, particularly in regards to the ongoing diplomatic thawing with Cuba, without a doubt it will be his March 9 Executive Order, in which he declared Venezuela “an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy” that will overshadow much of the Summit.

Voices & Images From The People’s Summit In Panama

April 10, 2015 Resist! Cuba, Ecuador, Imperialism, indigenous, Panama, Summit of the Americas, United States, Venezuela

The Summit of the Americas, beginning Friday in Panama City, has incorporated parallel meetings. The Youth forum, the Academic forum, the Business forum and the Civil Society and Social Actors forum were organized after a process of selection by the Organization of American States, which also organizes the presidential summit. However, more than 2,000 social movements and progressive organizations have organized the People's Summit, an event that seeks to express backing for the policies advanced in the region in recent years, following the election of numerous left-wing governments. The social movements that will participate in the parallel summit include small farmers, indigenous groups, human rights activists, political movements, worker unions and environmentalist organizations. With such a diverse array of different issues the organizations agreed on an extensive agenda to discuss the most important problems which they believe will not be present in the official presidential event. “We are not an anti-(Americas) Summit. We are a summit that aims at giving voice to the popular movements that are not part of the Summit of the Americas. Our objective is to raise the issue of fighting poverty, for social equality and the sovereignty and right to self determination of the people. We are discussing things completely different to the Americas Summit agenda,” explained Dr. Fernando Cebamanos, organizer of the People's Summit and President of the Broad Front for Democracy party in Panama.

How The US Became An Oligarchy

April 10, 2015 Ellen Brown, www.truth-out.org Educate! Democracy, Imperialism, oligarchy

According to a new study from Princeton University, American democracy no longer exists. Using data from over 1,800 policy initiatives from 1981 to 2002, researchers Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page concluded that rich, well-connected individuals on the political scene now steer the direction of the country, regardless of – or even against – the will of the majority of voters. America's political system has transformed from a democracy into an oligarchy, where power is wielded by wealthy elites. "Making the world safe for democracy" was President Woodrow Wilson's rationale for World War I, and it has been used to justify American military intervention ever since. Can we justify sending troops into other countries to spread a political system we cannot maintain at home?

Guatemalans Deliberately Infected With STDs Sue Johns Hopkins For $1bn

April 7, 2015 Oliver Laughland, www.theguardian.com Resist! Guatemala, Imperialism, Medicine, Murder, usa

Nearly 800 plaintiffs have launched a billion-dollar lawsuit against Johns Hopkins University over its alleged role in the deliberate infection of hundreds of vulnerable Guatemalans with sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and gonorrhoea, during a medical experiment programme in the 1940s and 1950s. The lawsuit, which also names the philanthropic Rockefeller Foundation, alleges that both institutions helped “design, support, encourage and finance” the experiments by employing scientists and physicians involved in the tests, which were designed to ascertain if penicillin could prevent the diseases.

New Chinese Development Bank, Crisis For US Dominance

April 5, 2015 Nick Beams, www.wsws.org Educate! China, Finance and the Economy, Imperialism, US Empire

Yesterday was the deadline for countries to sign up as founding members of the China-backed Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It will go down in history as marking a significant defeat for the global foreign policy and strategic objectives of United States imperialism. Against strenuous opposition from Washington, more than 40 countries have now indicated they want to be part of the AIIB. Major European powers including Britain, France and Germany, as well as Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, are on board. Almost all countries in the South East Asian region, which count China as their major trading partner, have also signed up. India is also a signatory, together with Taiwan. The most significant blow against the US was struck by Britain, its chief European ally, which announced its decision to join on March 12. It opened the floodgates for others to follow, including two key US allies in the Asia-Pacific—Australia and South Korea. Japan is also reported to be considering joining, possibly as early as June.

USAID, EU & Gates Foundation Back Agribusiness Takeover In Africa

April 3, 2015 Stephen Greenberg and Oliver Tickell, www.theecologist.org Educate! Africa, Food and Agriculture, GMOs, Imperialism

A battle is currently being waged over Africa's seed systems. After decades of neglect and weak investment in African agriculture, there is renewed interest in funding African agriculture. These new investments take the form of philanthropic and international development aid as well as private investment funds. They are based on the potentially huge profitability of African agriculture - and seed systems are a key target. Right now ministers are co-ordinating their next steps at the 34th COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) Intergovernmental Committee meeting that kicked off yesterday, 22nd March, in preparation for the main Summit that will follow on 30th and 31st March 2015.

U.S. Citizens Call For Obama to Retract Exec Order

April 3, 2015 Various, www.popularresistance.org Resist! Imperialism, Obama, usa, Venezuela

In an Open Letter addressed to President Barack Obama, over 119 U.S. academics, activists and NGOs called on their head of state to rescind his Executive Order declaring Venezuela “an unusual and extraordinary threat to U.S. national security”. On March 9, 2015, President Obama invoked his executive powers to decree a national emergency based on the alleged “threat” represented by Venezuela. The Executive Order also imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials with potentially far-reaching consequences. U.S. citizens and NGOs are joined by leaders from over 138 countries and prestigious multilateral organizations worldwide in their demand for President Obama to rescind his measures against Venezuela.

Democracy Behind Bars In Venezuela? Who Is Leopoldo Lopez?

April 2, 2015 Rachel Boothroyd and Jorge Martin, www.handsoffvenezuela.org Educate! Imperialism, usa, Venezuela

Facing death? Immediately below the headline “opposition leaders facing jail or death” there is a big picture of Leopoldo López. This gives the impression that he himself is potentially facing a death sentence. The writer probably is unaware that Venezuela was the first country in the world still in existence to abolish the death penalty, back in 1863! In contrast, in Britain it was not fully abolished until 1998 and of course in the US is still widely used. But, as they say, why let the facts get in the way of a striking headline. he section on Leopoldo López opens with a quote by himself regarding his political disqualification. This is unrelated to the reasons why he is currently in jail. López is disqualified from standing for public office for his role in two separate corruption scandals.

NY Times Joins Washington Post In Call To Bomb Iran

March 30, 2015 Robert Parry, www.consortiumnews.com Educate! Imperialism, Iran, Journalism, Wars and Militarism

If two major newspapers in, say, Russia published major articles openly advocating the unprovoked bombing of a country, say, Israel, the U.S. government and news media would be aflame with denunciations about “aggression,” “criminality,” “madness,” and “behavior not fitting the Twenty-first Century.” But when the newspapers are American – the New York Times and the Washington Post – and the target country is Iran, no one in the U.S. government and media bats an eye. These inflammatory articles – these incitements to murder and violation of international law – are considered just normal discussion in the Land of Exceptionalism.

Reinforcing Rather Than Ending The Mindset Of War

March 24, 2015 Nicholas J S Davies, www.consortiumnews.com Educate! History, Imperialism, Wars and Militarism

But this logic of violence is not so different from that of our own soldiers, generals and politicians. Once war is unleashed, the prescribed response to setbacks and defeats is to use even greater violence. America’s unrivaled military budget and endless investment in more advanced and more destructive weapons is predicated on that assumption. We must have “military superiority.” We must be able to militarily defeat any enemy. Anything less will leave us vulnerable. This is the same logic that draws young people to join the Islamic State, the strongest Islamist fighting force. It is easy to see that this logic leads only to total, endless war on all sides. This is the very nightmare that world leaders confronted in 1945 when they stepped back from the abyss and signed the United Nations Charter, prohibiting the use of military force except in self-defense or at the request of the UN Security Council.

OAS Election Indicates Waning US Influence In Latin America

March 19, 2015 Center for Economic and Policy Research, www.cepr.net Educate! Cuba, Imperialism, Latin America, Uruguay, Venezuela

Today’s election of Luis Almagro as the new Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) is “another indication of declining U.S. influence in Latin America,” Center for Economic and Policy Research Co-Director Mark Weisbrotsaid today. As foreign minister of Uruguay from 2010—2015, Almagro was involved in strengthening regional integration through organizations such as the Union of South American Nations and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. Almagro finished the race unopposed, but he previously had been running against the former foreign minister of Guatemala, Eduardo Stein. Stein received the backing of countries such as Honduras, Panama and the Dominican Republic prior to withdrawing his candidacy, while Almagro received strong support from South American nations, including Colombia.

‘U.S. Attempts To Destabilize Maduro’s Gov’t Will Backfire’

March 12, 2015 Paul Jay and Miguel Tinker Salas, www.therealnews.com Educate! Imperialism, Sanctions, usa, Venezuela

President Obama has issued an executive order placing sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials for alleged human rights violations and political prosecution of opposition protesters since February 2014. The statement, which opens by describing, quote, "the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by the situation in Venezuela." Obama will order the freezing of the officials' assets and block their entry to the U.S. It has been denounced by several Latin American leaders. Bolivian President Evo Morales said, "We condemn, we repudiate, in the 21st century we won't accept this kind of intervention by the United States". Well, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said, "It must be a bad joke, which reminds us of the darkest hours of our America, when we received invasions and dictatorships imposed by imperialism."

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