CounterCurrents: Nazi Zombies Ate Gloria Steinem's Brain! (or Why US Politics Turns Ordinary People Into Drooling Morons), Paz Colombia: The Latest US Attempt To Control Colombia?, Next Onslaught In Gaza: Why The Status Quo Is A Precursor For War,

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In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org

Welcome To The United States Of Flint
By David Rosner & Gerald Markowitz

http://www.countercurrents.org/rosner100216.htm

“I know if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself if my kids' health could be at risk,” said President Obama on a recent trip to Michigan. “Up there” was Flint, a rusting industrial city in the grip of a “water crisis” brought on by a government austerity scheme. To save a couple of million dollars, that city switched its source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, a long-time industrial dumping ground for the toxic industries. Now, the city is enveloped in a public health emergency, with elevated levels of lead in its water supply and in the blood of its children. The price tag for replacing the lead pipes that contaminated its drinking water, thanks to the corrosive toxins found in the Flint River, is nowestimated at up to $1.5 billion. No one knows where that money will come from or when it will arrive. In the meantime, the cost to the children of Flint has been and will be incalculable


The Flint River Lead Poisoning Catastrophe In Historical Perspective
By Tom Stephens

http://www.countercurrents.org/stephens100216.htm

By now the main facts of the Flint River lead poisoning are pretty well known and essentially undisputed. A spectacular regulatory failure by all levels of government - enabled by Michigan Governor Snyder’s unprecedented “emergency management” policies for African-American majority cities. The big remaining question is why this disaster happened? The Snyder administration and investigators have focused on gross incompetence of many officials, especially state and federal environmental regulators. That is clearly part of what happened, but why?


Cities And Towns Across The US Suffer Lead Poisoning Rates Worse Than Flint
By Carlos Delgado

http://www.countercurrents.org/delgado100216.htm

While the Flint water crisis has drawn international attention due to the magnitude of the disaster and the callous criminality of government officials involved, the high rates of lead poisoning in the Flint population are not unique. Countless cities and towns across the United States suffer from lead levels that are as high as what has been reported in Flint—and in many cases, far worse. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s 2014 figures, 18 Pennsylvania cities had a higher percentage of children with elevated blood lead levels than Flint


Farmers From Narmada Valley Occupy Collectorate
By National Alliance of People’s Movements

http://www.countercurrents.org/napm100216.htm

Hundreds of farmers today from tens of villages of Narmada Valley, Badwani and Dhar Districts, occupied the office of District Collector, Badwani and compelled him to stand upright in front of the agitating Adivasis and other farmers, farm labourers and fishers


Nazi Zombies Ate Gloria Steinem's Brain! (or Why US Politics 
Turns Ordinary People Into Drooling Morons)
By Kieran Kelly

http://www.countercurrents.org/kk100216.htm

Be smart. Do not put your faith in elected leaders. Vote 3rd party, then continue to fight for democracy in other ways. The current electoral process is not real democracy, it is the dance of the dead – the Nazi Zombie Shuffle


Obama Intensifies Wars And Threats
By Jack A. Smith

http://www.countercurrents.org/smith100216.htm

The Obama Administration is expanding its military power and threats against Russia and China as well as increasing its war efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria while preparing to restart Washington's old war in Libya


Next Onslaught In Gaza: Why The Status Quo Is A Precursor For War 
By Ramzy Baroud

http://www.countercurrents.org/baroud100216.htm

it is difficult to imagine that another war is not looming. Israel’s strategic, political and military tactics, as it stands today, will not allow Gaza to live with a minimal degree of dignity. On the other hand, the history of Gaza’s resistance makes it impossible to imagine a scenario in which the Strip raises a white flag and awaits its allotted punishment


Paz Colombia: The Latest US Attempt To Control Colombia? 
By Justin Podur

http://www.countercurrents.org/podur100216.htm

It is not accurate to say that the US is standing with Colombia in peace as it did in war. It might be more accurate to say that the US is trying to control the peace as it controlled the war. If the history of Plan Colombia is a guide, an independent path might yield a better peace


Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant In India: Virtual Grid Connection 
On 30 January And Eventual Fall In February 2016
By VT Padmanabhan

http://www.countercurrents.org/vtp100216.htm

The first reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP-1), built jointly by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Russia’s Atomstroyexport (ASE) is the only operating Generation-III pressurized water reactor (VVER-1000) in the world. During the 840 days of its grid connection since 22 October 2013, the reactor worked for 372 days, tripped (forced outage) for 20 times and was off-grid for 468 days and its capacity factor has been less than 25%


The Privileges Of Being A Hindu, Upper Caste And Elite Class, Male In India
By Advocate Dr Shalu Nigam

http://www.countercurrents.org/nigam100216.htm

In the present Indian society, these systematic structured unearned privileges of being a Hindu, a male, hailing from an upper caste and an elite class operate unjustifiably, invisibly and visibly, knowingly or unknowingly, where those privileged are neither taught to recognize the plight of `others’ nor the prerogatives conferred to them. These matrixes of privileges are inter-related, interconnected, intersecting, interlocked and operates together in a manner to reiterates, and strengthens the structures of oppression. Thus, patriarchy, religious hegemony, casteism and wealth inequalities, all operate together to reinforce the culture of domination in an unconscious and invisible manner though the Constitution of India as well as the legal system is premised on the principles of equality, substantive equality and social justice. This essay looks at these systemic oppressions or the set of privileges which are structural, inbuilt, institutional and often remain hidden or u
nnoticed
and unrecognized in social, political or legal debates relating to marginalization of subaltern groups


An Instance Of Discrimination With Adivasi Scholars
By Concerned TISS Students

http://www.countercurrents.org/tiss100216.pdf

An appeal for seeking the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes’ intervention in enabling TISS students to avail of the National Fellowship for Higher Education of ST Students


We Shall Fight, Comrade By music video by Majma

http://www.countercurrents.org/majma100216.htm