Conn Hallinan (2019-10-01). How the Saudi Oil Field Attack Overturned America\'s Apple Cart. counterpunch.org In many ways it doesn\'t really matter who — Houthis in Yemen? Iranians? Shiites in Iraq? — launched those missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. Whoever did it changed the rules of the game, and not just in the Middle East. \"It\'s a moment when offense laps defense, when the strong have reason to fear the weak,\" observes military historian Jack Radey. More

Anthony DiMaggio (2019-10-01). Who\'s Afraid of Impeachment? On Presidential Investigation and a 2020 Backlash. counterpunch.org There has been quite a bit of prophesizing among pundits in the news media, on the right and elsewhere, and even among some on the left with which I\'ve spoken, in which critics confidently maintain that impeachment is a \"gift\" to Trump, dividing the nation, but mobilizing and energizing Trump\'s base, thereby handing the election to Trump. These claims are almost entirely based on fear and conjecture, not on actual evidence. If we look back to the limited history of this country\'s use of impeachment against presidents in modern times, there is little evidence to draw from one way or another, and certainly no cases…

Natasha Lennard (2019-10-01). Trump Attacked the Women of Color Who Led the Push for Impeachment. Then CNN Erased Them. theintercept.com From left, Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, conduct a news conference in Washington, D.C. responding to negative comments by President Trump that were directed the freshmen House Democrats on July 15, 2019. | Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP | There is a growing double narrative about who deserves credit for the effort to impeach President Donald Trump. One side of the narrative, coming primarily from the media, lauds late-coming figures to impeachment as saviors, and the other, coming from Trump, tears down impeachment\'s early adopters as malicious traito…

Paul Street (2019-10-01). Beyond Impeachment: Remove This Regime from Below. counterpunch.org The impeachment of Donald J. Trump is coming. What to make of it? It\'s hard not to enjoy watching the Malignant One (Trump) squirm and lash out like a wounded animal. There is no public humiliation too great for this sorry excuse for a human being, this racist, sexist, eco-cidal and fascist bastard who endangers the world with his presence in its most powerful office. Trump\'s noxiously racist, sexist, Nativist, plutocratic, corrupt, and environmentally disastrous regime has done great damage to basic democratic and human norms, civilizational decency, social justice, and prospects for a decent future. All of that…

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers (2019-10-01). \"Ukrainegate\" Teaches Us More about Ourselves Than Trump or Biden. dissidentvoice.org Anti-Imperialism protest in the Phillippines. Photo: Carlo Manalansan by Bulatlat \'Ukrainegate\' has opened the floodgates of impeachment in Washington, DC. President Trump\'s phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky provided such an opportunity that Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who resisted pressure for impeachment, is now on board along with a majority of the party. Democrats are …

Kenn Orphan (2019-10-01). One Warm Day in September: the Climate Strike and Its Meaning for Activism. counterpunch.org Last Friday was a beautiful fall day. The air was crisp and the sun was hot as I marched with friends and around 10,000 Nova Scotians who understand that we, as a species, are in deep trouble. Catastrophic climate change, which I have been writing about for years, stands to threaten our species, as well More

Doug Johnson Hatlem (2019-10-01). Ten Recent Democratic Primary Polls Good for Bernie Sanders Ignored by the Conventional Wisdom. counterpunch.org The conventional wisdom for the Democratic Primary right now is that Senator Bernie Sanders is fading while Senator Elizabeth Warren is rising into a two-way race with former Vice-President Joe Biden. Nate Silver made the case after Debate 3 (September 12) in article form and has continued, via Twitter, to cherry-pick polls to fit this beatified narrative. | I am a bit loathe to engage in the exercise that follows — that is to highlight the evidence that runs counter to this narrative. While it feels a bit like cherry-picking in the opposite direction, it also just is a necessary counter-weight to a herding…

Mike Bader (2019-10-01). Time for Personal Responsibility in Bear Country. counterpunch.org Hunters are afield in the quest for winter meat and it\'s time for self-reflection and responsibility. The connection between hunting and grizzly bear-human conflicts is well documented. Many occur when hunters retrieve a carcass, only to find it has been appropriated by a grizzly bear. An alarming number of human injury incidents have occurred to More

RT (2019-10-01). NothingGate? Australian PM undercuts MSM narrative on Trump \'pressure\' in phone call. rt.com US President Donald Trump has again come under a media barrage after reports that he \"pressed\" Australia\'s prime minister to assist in an investigation into the origins of Russiagate, which Canberra disputes. | In a report on Monday, the New York Times said the president \"pushed\" Austrialian Prime Minister Scott Morrison into cooperating with a Department of Justice (DOJ) probe tasked with looking into the origins of the \'Russiagate\' investigation. While the Times itself acknowledges there was nothing \"illegal [or] untoward\" about the president\'s request, the story posits similarities to Trump\'s July call with…

Eds. (2019-10-01). New research warns severe climate-related droughts could threaten 60% of Global wheat crop by 2100. mronline.org Even with ambitious global efforts to limit emissions, the study warns, \"the increase in the frequency and extent of adverse weather extremes and related shocks on the production side would be unprecedented.\" | Source

Staff (2019-10-01). Israel\'s Benny Gantz Faces Dutch War Crimes Case. therealnews.com Ismail Ziada, a Dutch Palestinian who lost six family members when Israel bombarded his home in Gaza, is taking Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel\'s Blue and White Party, to court for killing his family. Prof. Hilla Dayan, who observed the proceedings, discusses the case and its impact on Israeli politics.

Christopher Soto (2019-10-01). Undocumented Poets and Writers Are Vital to the Struggle for Migrant Justice. thenation.com Undocumented Poets and Writers Are Vital to the Struggle for Migrant Justice…

Norman Solomon (2019-10-01). MoveOn\'s Phony New Campaign for \'Protecting Whistleblowers\'. counterpunch.org All of a sudden, MoveOn wants to help \"national security\" whistleblowers. Well, some of them, anyway. After many years of carefully refusing to launch a single campaign in support of brave whistleblowers who faced vicious prosecution during the Obama administration — including Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, NSA whistleblowers Thomas Drake and Edward Snowden, and CIA whistleblowers John More

WSWS (2019-10-01). Capitalism and the climate disaster: The issues posed by the worldwide protests. wsws.org Efforts to save the natural environment while preserving the capitalist system have proven to be a blind alley for half a century.

WSWS (2019-10-01). Austrian far-right FPàñ loses massively in parliamentary elections. wsws.org Yesterday\'s parliamentary elections in Austria resulted in considerable losses for the right-wing extremist Freedom Party (FPàñ) and the social-democratic SPàñ.

Curt Wechsler (2019-10-01). That Impeachment Inquiry? Now is the time to take to the streets. indybay.org 1590 Bryant (at 15th Street), San Francisco…

WSWS (2019-10-01). Trump threatens \"civil war\" as Democrats escalate impeachment campaign. wsws.org President Donald Trump, in an implicit threat of violence against his political opponents, suggested late Sunday that the Democrats\' efforts to remove him from office could precipitate a \"civil war.\"

Victor Grossman (2019-10-01). Playing the Trump Card in Ukraine. counterpunch.org Yes, we all detest Trump and would be gladdened and relieved to see the last of those orange-yellow tresses now defiling the pure White House! Therefore: impeachment — olé! But does all such current enthusiasm have the same motivation? The reasons stressed by most of the media are Trump\'s attempts to buy Ukrainian assistance for More

AutumnSun (2019-10-01). Climate Strike Santa Cruz 9-27-2019. indybay.org This last week has been Climate Strike Week with the youth demonstrating and striking around our country and all around the world!

Climate Strike Now (2019-10-01). Young and Old Rise Up for Climate Action in Palo Alto. indybay.org Grassroots action with a local face–young and old rose for Climate Action in Palo Alto on September 20. | [photos: Teri Vershel, Pro Bono Photo, please credit the photographer]…

Binoy Kampmark (2019-10-01). Jacques Chirac and the Art of Being Vague. counterpunch.org The tributes have been dripping in heavy praise: former French president Jacques Chirac and mayor of Paris, the great statesman; the man who said no to the US-led war juggernaut into Iraq; the man loved for being loved. Many of these should have raised the odd eyebrow here and there. \"We French have lost a More

Elliot Sperber (2019-10-01). Sublation of Banks. counterpunch.org Sublation of Banks If I were the mayor I\'d be the best mayor My moon bridges over the wild East River Dear reader, do you understand Just how lovely those would be And fun to traverse, and healthy And my plans for the bridges existing already Salutary gardens hanging No cars ranging and banging But More

Nelson Valdes (2019-10-01). Pop Social Darwinism in Contemporary American Capitalist Society: the Marketization of Che as Individualist Symbol. counterpunch.org I. INTRODUCTION In what way is the selling of Che Guevara a negation of Che and an assertion of the Hobbesian ideology of rugged individualism and Social Darwinism in US society? This is the central question that this essay will discuss. II. NEO CONSERVATISM AT HOME, GLOBALIZATION ABROAD AND THE NECESSITY OF POP SOCIAL DARWINIST IDEOLOGY More

Max Moran (2019-10-01). Why are Key House Democrats Giving Betsy DeVos a Free Ride? counterpunch.org Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testified before the House Education and Labor Committee five months ago. She sat down, cleared her throat, and proceded to dodge basic yes-or-no questions about everything from transgender rights to literacy programs to arming teachers for several hours. Through her evasiveness, and the many issues Democrats wanted to bring up, there More

Evo Morales (2019-10-01). The Root Problem is the Capitalist System. counterpunch.org Text of Bolivian President Evo Morales\' speech to the United Nations General Assembly, September 24, 2019. Brother President of the United Nations General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad Bande. Brother Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres. Sisters and brothers Presidents, Chancellors and Delegates Sisters and brothers of the International Organizations and all the peoples of the More

Daniel Warner (2019-10-01). Richard Holbrooke: Present at the Demise of U.S. Foreign Policy. counterpunch.org President Barack Obama and the Guardian described him as \"a true giant of American foreign policy.\" Others, including the Economist, described him as the most influential and effective American diplomat of his generation. Richard Holbrooke was certainly present at most of the hot spots of his era: a young diplomat serving in Vietnam during the More

reposted by Virginia B (2019-10-01). It\'s Not Free Speech Radio Anymore. indybay.org Hypocritical attempt to dislodge vigilant Pacifica board member. I do hope you can get through this, and especially the last 3 or 4 paragraphs – then go back and read about the sausage-making if that\'s easier. Please forward to any you think care about Pacifica. I don\'t agree with this newsletter always, but I think this is important. I hope others will write to the board as article suggests – if nothing else, for the record. They may not be able to ignore thousands of emails.

WSWS (2019-10-01). Peterloo and Shelley. wsws.org Shelley\'s commitment to revolutionary change was \"more than the vague striving after freedom in the abstract,\" as Eleanor Marx and Edward Aveling wrote in 1888.

WSWS (2019-10-01). Germany: Bus drivers strike in Hesse and Saarland. wsws.org 1,500 bus drivers in Frankfurt, Giessen, Darmstadt, Kassel, Offenbach, Hanau and Fulda took part in a 24-hour warning strike Friday for significant wage increases and better holiday arrangements.

On the Move (2019-10-01). San Jose Students Demonstrate, Ready to Act for Climate Justice. indybay.org An estimated 1,000 students expressed their commitment to a clean climate and a more just world…not only that, they have plans to make that happen. | [Photos: Chris Cassell, Pro Bono Photo. Please credit the photographer]…

Julia O\'Malley (2019-10-01). The Strange, Uncertain Fate of One of the World\'s Most Valuable Salmon Habitats. thenation.com The Strange, Uncertain Fate of One of the World\'s Most Valuable Salmon Habitats…

Party for Socialism and Liberation (2019-10-01). Socialist Analysis & Discussion \"Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism\" indybay.org 2969 Mission St., near 26th St.

Media Lens (2019-10-01). \"How Dare You!\" The Climate Crisis and the Public Demand for Real Action. dissidentvoice.org Reality clashed with the BBC version of false consensus in a remarkable edition of HardTalk last month. Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion, was starkly honest about humanity\'s extreme predicament in the face of climate breakdown and refused to buckle under host Stephen Sackur\'s incredulous questioning. Sackur\'s inability to grasp that we are already in …

commondreams (2019-10-01). U.S. Military Shows Appalling Disregard For Civilians Killed in Somalia Air Strike. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Eds. (2019-10-01). Sanders rips \'casual cruelty that motivates Trump and his billionaire friends\' as White House moves to strip free school lunches from 500,000 kids. mronline.org Trump is depriving 500,000 kids of their school lunches for no damn reason—even after 139 members of Congress warned him not to. | Source

Cira Pascual Marquina (2019-10-01). Cultural production in Revolutionary Venezuela: A conversation with Kael Abello. mronline.org A key member of the \'Comando Creativo\' artists\' collective reflects on how to make relevant art during a revolution. | Source

Eds. (2019-10-01). \"World at a Crossroads and a System of International Relations for the Future\" by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for \"Russia in Global Affairs\" magazine, September 20, 2019. mronline.org These days, the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly opens up. So does a new international \"political season\". | Source

Jake Johnson, staff writer (2019-10-01). \"It\'s a Criminal Enterprise\": Calls to Impeach Barr Intensify After Reports AG Pressured Foreign Officials to Help Discredit Mueller Probe. commondreams.org \"Barr decided a long time ago that he was going to be a fixer for Donald Trump. Donald Trump's personal lawyer.\" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/william_barr.png …

The Canary (2019-09-30). Japan\'s prosecutors appeal against \'negligence\' acquittals in Fukushima case. thecanary.co Prosecutors in the only criminal trial involving the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown have appealed against the acquittal of three former Tokyo Electric Power Co executives.On 19 September, the Tokyo District Court found ex-Tepco chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata and two others not guilty of professional negligence in the disaster and the death of 44 elderly patients who were forcibly evacuated from local hospitals.(From left) Tsunehisa Katsumata and vice presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro were all acquitted (Satoru Yonemaru/AP)The court said a tsunami of the size that hit the plant after an earthquake was…

Patrick Cockburn (2019-09-30). Just as Iraq Begins to Find Peace, It Once Again Becomes the Battleground for an American Proxy War. counterpunch.org People in Baghdad are fearful that the next war between the US and Iran will take place in Iraq, which is only just returning to peace after the defeat of Isis. Alarm that Iraq will be sucked into such a conflict has increased here because of recent Israeli drone attacks on the bases of the Iraqi paramilitary group known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, which is accused by the US and Israel of acting as a proxy of Iran. More

Conn Hallinan (2019-09-30). Total U.S. control of Middle East may be slipping. peoplesworld.org In many ways, it doesn\'t really matter who—Houthis in Yemen? Iranians? Shiites in Iraq?—launched those missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. Whoever did it changed the rules of the game, and not just in the Middle East. \"It\'s a moment when offense laps defense, when the strong have reason to fear the weak,\" observes military …

Victor Grossman (2019-09-30). Impeachment is the first, not final, move to defeat Trumpism. peoplesworld.org BERLIN—Yes, we all detest Trump and will be gladdened and relieved to see the last of him in the White House. In the United States, growing numbers of the people\'s forces back impeachment and do so for a host of good reasons. But does all such current enthusiasm for impeachment have the same good motivation? …

RT (2019-09-30). Trump tweets quote warning that impeachment will cause \'Civil War-like fracture\' in US. rt.com US President Donald Trump responded to the Democrats-led impeachment inquiry by posting an ominous quote from a church leader who warned that removing him from office would inflict \"Civil War-like\" wounds on the nation. | Known for regularly watching shows on Fox News, Trump apparently liked how the Southern Baptist minister and televangelist Robert Jeffress appeared on the channel on Sunday and blasted the Democrats for wanting to impeach him. | \"And I do want to make this prediction this morning: If the Democrats are successful in removing the president from office, I\'m afraid it will cause a Civil War-like…

Thomas Knapp (2019-09-30). Impeachment is on the Rails, But That\'s Not the Hard Part. counterpunch.org On September 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) elbowed her way to the front of a parade she\'d been trying to disperse since early 2017. \"Today,\" she said, \"I\'m announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry and directing our six committees to proceed with their investigation under that umbrella More

RT (2019-09-30). \'Coded racist rhetoric\'? CNN under fire for crediting group of white congresswomen with Trump impeachment inquiry. rt.com CNN has found new heroes of the unraveling Trump impeachment saga — a group of white congresswomen with security backgrounds — and got its woke image tarnished for forgetting Maxine Waters, Al Green and AOC\'s \"squad.\" | The story focuses on a group of \"moderate\" freshman congresswomen — Elissa Slotkin (D-Michigan), Abigail Spanberger (D-Virginia), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pennsylvania), Mikie Sherrill (D-New Jersey) and Elaine Luria (D-Virginia) — who all changed their minds and decided to back the House impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump last week. All of them have served ei…

RT (2019-09-30). Democratic establishment belatedly embraces \'whistleblowers\'…but only the \'safe\' kind. rt.com MoveOn, a major advocacy group fine-tuned to the needs of Democratic Party, has finally found a whistleblower it can support — the CIA agent whose complaint triggered an impeachment inquiry against US President Donald Trump. | MoveOn, which describes itself as the largest independent progressive advocacy group in the US, hailed the still-anonymous whistleblower for taking on \"great personal risk to defend our democracy\" by revealing Trump\'s call with Ukraine that this person only knew of second-hand. | The organization, sponsored by many Democratic donors including billionaire George Soros, implored its…

RT (2019-09-30). Bolton\'s WH-bashing private debut met with elated applause by impeachment-hungry #Resistance media. rt.com Uber-hawk ex-US national security advisor John Bolton\'s first public appearance after being fired by the White House saw him slam Trump\'s North Korea policy, call for regime change — and be embraced by the mainstream media. | Proving there is no former White House official too unpleasant for the anti-Trump #Resistance media to embrace, Bolton\'s reputational rehabilitation was evident in the headlines heralding his return to private-sector warmongering after he spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Monday. The no longer unemployed belligerent excoriated President Donald Trump for…

Miko Peled (2019-09-30). UK Labour\'s Annual Conference Reveals an Ongoing Struggle for the Party\'s Soul. mintpressnews.com If Jeremy Corbyn and his real supporters come out of this process unscathed and are able to lead and govern, it will have an enormous impact on the people of Britain and is almost certain to change the rules of the game regarding Palestine.

Vanessa Beeley (2019-09-30). The White Helmets, Hala Systems and the Grotesque Militarization of \"Humanitarianism\" in Syria. mintpressnews.com Syria, August 2019 — reports came in that Russian warplanes had destroyed two terrorist-manned early warning radar posts in the Northern Hama countryside, known as the 20th post and the Eagle post. | According to an article published by South Front, these early warning posts are \"tasked with monitoring flights of Russian and Syrian warplanes\" and warn armed groups throughout Hama and Idlib of incoming airstrikes on their positions. | South Front informed us that \"four militants, inc…

Jimmysllama (2019-09-30). How the Trump Admin Used a Secret Livestream to Spy on Julian Assange. mintpressnews.com Working directly with Ecuador\'s corrupt government, the U.S. government abandoned all sense of legality and moral decency by spying on Assange twenty-four hours a day via an illegal livestream surveillance operation set up by a private security firm and approved by Ecuador\'s president.