RSN: As Wars Around the World Rage, Both Republicans and Democrats Speak of Muscle, Power, and Violence, Bernie Sanders Slams Hillary Clinton Over Wall Street Policies,

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Oliver Stone | As Wars Around the World Rage, Both Republicans and Democrats Speak of Muscle, Power, and Violence 
 
Oliver Stone, Oliver Stone's Facebook Page 
Stone writes: "In this dangerous election cycle, Republicans and Democrats continue to talk loudly – of muscle, power, and the exercise thereof. But since Vietnam, it’s equally clear we’re scared of putting boots on the ground in any significant way, as casualties are anathema to the electorate, who prefer the Empire’s use of proxy armies, covert operations, and soft power." 
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s the wars of the world rage on into 2016, the powder keg now appears to be ‘Syraq’ and not Ukraine. One day, perhaps too late, we as a country will recognize that some of our ‘friends’ are our ‘enemies,’ and some of our ‘enemies’ are really our allies. But as long as we pursue the politics of Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies, we’re squandering our life force in the creation of more and more chaos.

In this dangerous election cycle, Republicans and Democrats continue to talk loudly -- of muscle, power, and the exercise thereof. But since Vietnam, it’s equally clear we’re scared of putting boots on the ground in any significant way (500,000 went to Vietnam), as casualties are anathema to the electorate, who prefer the Empire’s use of proxy armies, and covert/soft power.

But as long as Russia continues to maintain and refine its nuclear capabilities (at about 1/5th our cost), those who actually think must understand we can’t force them into submission where their national interests are concerned, i.e., Eastern Ukraine, their borders with Europe, and terrorism against Russia, etc. Without that nuclear capacity, there is no doubt Russia would’ve rendered Edward Snowden to the United States long ago.

Having suffered through two Chechen wars, the mass execution of schoolchildren at Beslan, the Moscow theatre attack, etc., and with the largest Muslim population in Europe, terrorism is a huge issue to Russia. How much closer is ‘Syraq’ to their borders than ours? Russia well knows the US has been supporting several of these terrorist groups against them, starting with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan back in the 1980s, and that we’re now supporting Turkey and Saudi Arabia and their proxy groups, including ISIS, as well as several other organizations. Throw in mercenary Chechens in several countries, fascist groups in Ukraine; as well as NATO-aided, right-wing groups in Poland, the Baltic Republics, etc. While we continue to play Red Riding Hood’s grandma-in-wolf’s-clothing, our media consistently denies we’re the Big Bad Wolf in this affair -- ‘who me?’ In response, Russia, despite sanctions against it and a withering propaganda onslaught, has only hardened its muscle back to 1941 levels. They’re ready for the worst. This is so dangerous. Why?

Below are 5 excellent analyses showing us the details of a US strategy that allows us to understand the frightening stakes of USA/EU/NATO against Russia/Iran/Syria, reaching a tipping point in a gigantic battle for energy resources -- the 21st century Mid-East resembling the 1914 Balkans; this could bloom, like a Ponzi scheme, into a war that ultimately engulfs the rest of the world.

The most unstable particle in this fury is this damned 2016 circus of an American election. Emotions are most easily excited, dumb things about our weaknesses and strengths are said and believed by the electorate. Nor has our media really given us insight into what the Russian point of view really is, although Putin has stated it on several occasions. We keep insisting it’s the restoration of the Cold War Russian Empire -- which Putin has repeatedly condemned, saying it didn’t work THEN and it won’t work NOW. He’s deplored the fallacy of Communism. Meanwhile, we don’t seem to understand or empathize with the true size of the terrorist threat against Russia.

We should be remembering in a time of possible all-out war, when most people seem to have forgotten what war is like, that it’s not Russia, the EU, the Mid-East, or Ukraine which have the most to lose. It’s the USA -- us. Most of us would lose our lives, and we’d certainly lose our economy, and generally a way of life that’s spoiled us since WW2. I keep wondering WHY do we keep pushing for “regime change” and dominion over other lands? We never back down, it seems. There’s no end to the zombie hunger for more control. Nothing changes in our system of ill will towards any resisters, going back to the Philippines in the early 1900s.

But am I naïve to think, as bad as our rhetoric and propaganda have gotten, that the military-industrial complex in our country is not so NUTS as to set off a real hot war -- when we have the most to lose? Remember the senselessness of World War I. Will we be asking ourselves the same question about ‘Syraq’ one day? How did this start? Why?

In closing, I pray that I turn out to be as wrong as I was about Ukraine at the end of 2014, and that we’ll all still be communicating at this time next year. Let's hope so... Let's hope sanity prevails in 2016.

Pepe Escobar, “You Want War? Russia is Ready for War,” Counterpunch. http://bit.ly/1TAiOAb

Pepe Escobar, “NATO’s got a brand-new (Syrian) bag,” RT. http://bit.ly/1JpXgFX

Mike Whitney, “Putin Throws Down the Gauntlet,” Counterpunch. http://bit.ly/225osQw

Robert Parry, “A Blind Eye Toward Turkey’s Crimes,” Consortium News. http://bit.ly/1Ypk5jR

Ira Chernus, “Six Mistakes on the Road to Permanent War,” TomDispatch. http://bit.ly/1Ur5LB3

Bernie Sanders Slams Hillary Clinton Over Wall Street Policies 
Yamiche Alcindor and Alan Rappeport, The New York Times 
Excerpt: "Mr. Sanders said that Mrs. Clinton was 'wrong' to oppose his plan to reinstitute the Glass-Steagall Act, which would legally separate commercial banking, investment banking and insurances services. The senator also criticized Mrs. Clinton for being a patron of bankers." 
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Bernie Sanders outlined his proposals for regulating Wall Street at Town Hall in Manhattan on 

Tuesday. (photo: Damon Winter/NYT)

enator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in a fiery speech on Tuesday laid out his plan to break up “too big to fail” commercial banks and pointedly attacked Hillary Clinton for taking speaking fees from the financial industry and, in his view, not going far enough in her plan to regulate Wall Street.

The criticism of Mrs. Clinton was some of Mr. Sanders’s strongest to date, and came after he had frequently refrained from such direct attacks.

“My opponent says that as a senator, she told bankers to ‘cut it out’ and end their destructive behavior,” Mr. Sanders said of Mrs. Clinton. “But, in my view, establishment politicians are the ones who need to cut it out. The reality is that Congress doesn’t regulate Wall Street. Wall Street and their lobbyists regulate Congress. We must change that reality, and as president, I will.”

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http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/34459-bernie-sanders-slams-hillary-clinton-over-wall-street-policies

Over 10 Years, Two Filmmakers Documented the 'Making' of a Murderer 
NPR 
Excerpt: "The new Netflix series Making a Murderer is about a man named Steven Avery. In 2003, after 18 years in prison, DNA evidence proved Avery didn't commit the brutal sexual assault he'd been accused of." 
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These Aren't the First Armed Whites to Take Over That Oregon Land: Just Ask the Native Paiute People 
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! 
Goodman writes: "The armed militia members occupying a federally owned wildlife outpost in eastern Oregon have demanded that the land be 'returned' to them. But who really has claim to this forest?" 
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Obama Administration Begins Large-Scale Deportations 
Esther Yy-Hsi Lee, Think Progress 
Lee writes: "Over the weekend, at least 121 Central American individuals primarily from Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina were taken into custody and are now in the process of being repatriated to their countries of origin." 
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ISIS Executes First Female Journalist in Syria 
Kate Ng, The Independent 
Ng writes: "Isis has executed what is believed to be the first female citizen journalist for reporting inside its territory, Syrian media has reported." 
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Feds Sue Volkswagen in Diesel Emissions Scandal 
Lauren McCauley, EcoWatch 
McCauley writes: "The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday filed suit against Volkswagen charging that the German auto-maker deliberately rigged cars to cheat emissions tests resulting in potentially millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions and untold damage to the atmosphere." 
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