CounterCurrents: US 2015 Oil Production And Future Oil Prices, Breaking Free From Corporate Shackled Democracy

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In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org


US-Russia Tensions Flare In Baltic Sea 
By Jordan Shilton 

http://www.countercurrents.org/shilton190416.htm

The Pentagon announced Saturday that it was filing a formal complaint with the Russian Defense Ministry and US Secretary of State John Kerry threatened retaliatory action after two incidents involving US and Russian forces in the Baltic Sea. The Pentagon alleged that a Russian SU-27 fighter jet flew within 50 feet of a US reconnaissance plane in international airspace on April 14, and that a Russian jet and helicopter “buzzed” the Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook as it was conducting military exercises with Poland in the Baltic two days earlier. The two incidents demonstrate once again that Washington’s aggressive military build-up throughout Eastern Europe, in close collaboration with its NATO allies, has brought the entire region to the brink of war between nuclear powers


The Lid’s Off The Petri Dish (Includes A Packaged Meal) 
By Priti Gulati Cox

http://www.countercurrents.org/cox190416.htm

Back in 2014, Narendra Modi’s slogan in his ultimately successful campaign for the prime ministership of India was Achhe Din Aane Wale Hain (Good Days Are Coming.) His party—the right-wing BJP—somehow won a majority on its own with an unprecedentedly low vote share of only 31%. That victory has ejaculated blobs of orange rage with RSS (BJP’s parent organization) and its hindutva-heavies at the core. They’re hurriedly quashing any voices or actions of assertion and inclusion that might raise their heads anywhere along the spectrum of students, Dalits, Muslims and other minority communities, across the country and in occupied Kashmir. At the same time and closer to home, Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again” is making its rounds and mobilizing a previously non-organized political support base


Breaking Free From Corporate Shackled Democracy 
By Nozomi Hayase

http://www.countercurrents.org/hayase190416.htm

Relationships with psychopaths are like castles made of sand. Over time, they become unsustainable as their parasitic nature eventually begin to kill the host. In the end, the façade crumbles and truth reveals itself. The illusion of American democracy inevitably will dissolve, it is just a matter of when. Meanwhile, the destruction continues. Will we allow this pathological pursuit of power to destroy our world and all that we cherish and hold dear? The power to break free from this shackled democracy is in our hands. We simply have to claim it.


US 2015 Oil Production And Future Oil Prices 
By Gail Tverberg

http://www.countercurrents.org/tverberg190416.htm

US oil production flattened out in 2015. If we look at changes relative to the same month, one-year prior, we see that as of December 2014, growth was very high, increasing by 18.0% relative to the prior year. Today, there is a great deal of faith that oil prices will rise, if someone, somewhere, will reduce oil production. In fact, in order to bring oil demand back up to a level that commands a price over $100 per barrel, we need consumers who can afford to buy a growing quantity of goods made with oil products. To do this, we need to fix three related problems:- Low wages of many consumers ,World debt that is no longer rising (especially for consumers) ,A high dollar relative to other currencies. These problems are likely to be difficult to fix, so we should expect low oil prices, more or less indefinitely. Lack of oil supply may bring a temporary spike in oil prices, but it cannot fix a permanent problem with consumer spending around the world


What Really Stands In The Way Of Closing Guantánamo  
By Karen J. Greenberg

http://www.countercurrents.org/greenberg190416.htm

Can you believe it? We're in the last year of the presidency of the man who, on his first day in the Oval Office, swore that he would close Guantánamo, and yet it and everything it represents remains part of our all-American world. So many years later, you can still read news reports on the ongoing nightmares of that grim prison, ranging from detention without charge to hunger strikes and force feeding. Its name still echoes through the halls of Congress in bitter debate over what should or shouldn't be done with it. It remains a global symbol of the worst America has to offer


Truth Is The First Casualty Of War: Nagorno-Karabakh And Media Misinformation 
By Jirair Tutunjian

http://www.countercurrents.org/tutunjian190416.htm

Considering the deteriorating condition of the profession, it’s no surprise that many of its practitioners did a shabby job in reporting on the early April fighting between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh). As usual, East vs. West friction, national and corporate interests (Azeri oil more precious than Armenian blood), carelessness and sheer ignorance played a part in their coverage. And as on other occasions, the conflict was often covered in Manichean terms


Transformation: A Student-Led Mass Political Movement 
By William John Cox

http://www.countercurrents.org/jcox190416.htm

If in fact the USVRA has the inherent potential to unify a national, nonpartisan, political movement, and if the People of the United States are prepared to bring about a transformation of their own government, all that is required is a catalyst to bring these elements together. Will the students of America be the spark that ignites the evolution? Answering that question is the most important test the current generation of students will ever have to take, and the grade they earn will be forever marked in the annals of human civilization


My Last Thoughts On The 2016 Election (as if it actually matters) 
By Mickey Z.

http://www.countercurrents.org/mickeyz190416.htm

For the past two decades, my presidential election-related writing could be summed up in one of my favorite phrases: The primary difference between Democrats and Republicans is that they tell different lies to get elected. I had that line polished and ready to shine again… but along came Donald Trump. This time around, there finally is a greater evil component


Obscured American: Shane The Fighter, Heroin Chipper And Ghetto Teacher 
By Linh Dinh

http://www.countercurrents.org/dinh190416.htm

In his late 30’s, Shane got a degree in education from Arcadia College. He graduated with honors and hasn’t been in a fight in years. Shane also quit heroin. This is how it happened


Ajit Doval Briefing Against Principle Of Natural Justice And Equality Before The Law 
By Anurag Modi

http://www.countercurrents.org/modi190416.htm

Chhattisgarh state has been turned into exclusive war-zone; where: adivasi are either killed or implicated in false cases; women are raped; lawyers, journalists and activists helping them are either jailed or hounded out. At this juncture, your briefing with National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, would further worsen the situation. The briefing would set a wrong precedent; as it is against the principle natural justice and equality before the law


Cholesterol Ghost Everywhere 
By Dr. B. M. Hegde

http://www.countercurrents.org/hegde190416.htm

Cholesterol should be checked only if there are sound clinical indications. * A mixed diet low in calories and saturated fat should be recommended along with some physical exercise. * It is irresponsible to force public into a costly cholesterol reducing programme without firm scientific evidence. * Do not rely on one reading of the fat profile, check at least five to six times from different laboratories, if the original result was high. * Indian vegetarian diet without much fried foods and other saturated fats and low salt is the ideal one for most people. * Avoiding alcohol and tobacco is as important if not more important than worrying about cholesterol


No Water For Cricket! 
By Suraj Kumar Thube

http://www.countercurrents.org/thube190416.htm

The Indian Premier League jamboree is back and the familiar sight of a sea of blue at the Wankhede stadium was evident in its inaugural match. However, this time around, the most popular image wasn't really about the jam packed stadium or the ever passionate crowd of Mumbai. It was about a few workers watering the outfield days before the match. Water had become the main bone of contention even before the start of the IPL as a PIL had been filed at the Bombay High court against the shifting of all the remaining matches outside the drought hit state of Maharashtra. It becomes imperative at this backdrop to view the merits of this move by the court now that the decision has to be implemented from next month


Kashmir Resistance At A Crossroads 
By Adil Beig

http://www.countercurrents.org/beig190416.htm

Over the past 27 years of resistance, Kashmir has witnessed massacres, rapes, tortures, disappearances, and yet it has stood strong to resist. In the hindsight, though, we know this won’t be the last killing and Kashmir has to prepare to shoulder many more coffins in future; but let not the barbarians snatch us of our beloved ones so mercilessly


Kashmir: ‘More Things Change, More They Remain The Same’ 
By Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation

http://www.countercurrents.org/cdro190416.htm

Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisation is alarmed at how a demand for justice results again in killing of civilians by a trigger happy Government force in Kashmir. The alleged molestation of a 16 year old girl on April 12th by a personnel of 21 RR posted in Handwara, and resultant protests saw abduction and illegal incarceration by Police of the girl, her aunt and father, the killing of five persons in three days of protests, including a woman working in her kitchen garden, followed by strict imposition of S 144 of RPC , and are a grim reminder that ‘more things change more they remain the same’ in Kashmir. Killings are a direct outcome of treating Kashmiris, as people devoid of any rights, including the Right to live in dignity and freedom


Cricket Catharsis 
By Imran Khan

http://www.countercurrents.org/khan190416.htm

If Kashmiries don’t celebrate India’s win, then the smart Indian should give his thought processes a kick and at least try to understand “why?” and “what does it mean?”


Understanding Freedom: The Perspectives From The Oppressed Margins 
By Goldy M. George

http://www.countercurrents.org/george190416.htm

Recently the Chhattisgarh Nagrik Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti has been organising an event namely ‘Freedom Festival’ in the state capital Raipur. It wasorganised to commemorate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar from 8-14 April 2016. The question is why the question of ‘Freedom’ has been raised in the so-called ‘free-India. The week-long celebration was attended by many scholars, writers, intellectuals, students, youths and activists across the state and neighbouring states too. It consisted of public lectures, panel discussions, debates, performing arts, film shows, and bookstalls


Beyond Constitutional Realm: Article 356
By Afroz Alam

http://www.countercurrents.org/alam190416.htm

While following the Congress footsteps, BJP government has imposed President’s rule in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Historically, instead of being used only in times of grave constitutional crises, Article 356 has been randomly invoked to suit the purpose of ruling party at the Centre. This randomness not only creates a deep crisis of constitutionalism but also lead us to a situation rightly called ‘undemocratic’ and ‘authoritarian’


Muslim Women's Rights Movement In India 
By Suman Quazi

http://www.countercurrents.org/quazi190416.htm

As long as women are economically independent, much of the injustices of the society and their respective religions can be kept at abeyance. This does not mean that reformation of the Muslim Personal Law is not needed. However plainly reforming laws cannot ever be a comprehensive solution to the plethora of issues that Indian Muslim women are faced with. It is also necessary to embody within these efforts the perspectives of the new class of Muslim women that are educated, conscious and have in them the knowledge to approach these issues more empirically and they represent the class of economically independent and self-sufficient women that I am talking of


Ending The War On Terriers: Pistol, Boo And Judging Hollywood 
By Dr. Binoy Kampmark

http://www.countercurrents.org/kampmark190416.htm

Some get the accommodation of a cruel detention centre, or a savagely punitive fine; wealthy actors, playing on innocence and a lack of malice, fare better. This is exactly what Heard and Depp found: feign and dissimulate in recording a video of apology for their actions, and get off virtually scot-free