CounterCurrents: America Trashes NATO Founding Act; Rushes Weapons To Russia’s Borders, Warmongering And Necromancy: The US State Department Dissent On Syria

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The Great Seed Piracy
by Vandana Shiva 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/the-great-seed-piracy/

A great seed and biodiversity piracy is underway and it must be stopped. The privateers of today include not just the corporations — which are becoming fewer and larger through mergers — but also individuals like Bill Gates, the “richest man in the world”.

Warmongering And Necromancy: The US State Department Dissent On Syria
by Dr Binoy Kampmark 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/warmongering-and-necromancy-the-us-state-department-dissent-on-syria/

On Friday, the Obama administration was attempting to do some tidying up in the aftermath of a leaked internal memorandum cable critical of its position on Syria.[1]  In the past, this has usually involved castigating the leaker, or whistleblower, and banging the person up for a few decades.  On this occasion, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal got the spoils, and no one is set for the chop.

The Political Rationale Behind Terrorist Activities
by Suraj Kumar Thube 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/the-political-rationale-behind-terrorist-activities/

The recent “lone wolf” attack at a gay night club in Orlando which saw 50 people being brutally killed  has sent shock waves across the globe. Nothing can be a more perfunctory way to describe terror activities than by equating it with the fanatic message purportedly sanctioned by  religious scriptures. The religious explanation is riddled with problems on a range of issues.

Stop Victim Shaming: No Tolerance To Misogyny At SRFTI
by Nisha Biswas

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/stop-victim-shaming-no-tolerance-to-misogyny-at-srfti/

This deeply entrenched concept that woman is the property of the (male-headed) family and anything she does or says that does not conform to tradition, or any injury that is done to her, will post a ‘bad image of the family’ or, in extension, of her religion, culture, workplace or nation, has always been a powerful excuse for not addressing the violence perpetrated on women by the members of family, of colleagues, of the larger society and of course by the state and its agencies. It is in this context we need to look at the recent episodes of sexual harassment at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata.

Norway And The US Sign An Agreement In Violation Of The Rio Declaration
by Anandi Sharan 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/norway-and-the-us-sign-an-agreement-in-violation-of-the-rio-declaration/

The United States and Norway this week announced (1) they would offset the greenhouse gas emissions from their aviation industry by buying voluntary emission reduction credits from reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in tropical forests. The plan would violate the Rio Declaration in two ways.

America Trashes NATO Founding Act; Rushes Weapons To Russia’s Borders
by Eric Zuesse 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/america-trashes-nato-founding-act-rushes-weapons-to-russias-borders/

On 13 June 2016, the U.S. threw into history’s trash bin the NATO Founding Act, and did it unilaterally, leaving Russia totally out in the cold. NATO quietly announced that it would command a large force on Russia’s periphery and that “NATO will command the units both in peacetime and moment of crisis”. 

NATO Provocation Of Russia: The Political Establishment’s Hubris
by Ron Forthofer

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/nato-provocation-of-russia-the-political-establishments-hubris/

There are dangerous provocations along Russia’s western border that have received little or incredibly one-sided coverage by the U.S. media. Thus the U.S. public is not aware of the possibility of a major conflict between two nuclear-armed powers occurring due to an accident or misinterpretation. The genesis of this current situation goes back in ancient history to 1989 and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

U.S. Study Finds Immigrants Imprisoned To Boost Prison-Corporation Profits
by Eric Zuesse 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/u-s-study-finds-immigrants-imprisoned-to-boost-prison-corporation-profits/

93% of the people who are locked up in the U.S. in order to meet the minimum legal requirements for the number of people who must be locked up on possible violations of U.S. immigration laws, are locked in for-profit prisons, which are owned by corporations that heavily fund a few politicians, including Hillary Clinton.

Thoughts About The Sham Cold War
by Gaither Stewart 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/thoughts-about-the-sham-cold-war/

A bit of bit of real European history not in the books yet: in the 1960s and extending into the 1980s there was widespread concern, preoccupation and discontent in Germany, in Europe, unease and a sensation of insecurity. The Communist East appeared to many people as an ominous threat, though it is now common knowledge that it was to a great extent a propaganda bugaboo created artificially by CIA. The Cold War raged to be sure, though    today something about it seems false and unreal, albeit a romantic period. It is as if it never took place.

Veterans Talk Pathologies of Hate and Violence After Orlando Nightclub Tragedy
by Brian Trautman 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/06/21/veterans-talk-pathologies-of-hate-and-violence-after-orlando-nightclub-tragedy/

Those who spew hate, especially in the wake of a national tragedy, only reveal their bigotry, cowardice and bad character, and, whether they intend to or not, incite further hostility against vulnerable minority groups. Practitioners of such reactionary thinking tend to use the red herring of immigration and foreign “terrorism” to advance their own xenophobic and jingoistic agendas. This careless and irresponsible behavior only fuels Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims.