CounterCurrents: HuffPo Goes Haywire Against Russia, For Hillary, Growing Disquiet In Washington Over Russian-Iranian Actions In Syria, The Obama Doctrine Is Ravaging The Middle East

Dear Friend,

Russian bombers used an air base in the northwest of Iran to bomb targets inside Syria, a first time in the history of the Syrian imbroglio. Chinese are showing interest in Syria, and Turkey may be wavering. Enough signs to make the US policy makers nervous. Where are we heading? Enough signs to make us all nervous.

Lalita Ramdas writes on the recent sedition charges slapped upon Amnesty International India and senior journalist Seema Mustafa for conducting a hearing on Kashmir issue. In todays issue there are two important stories on Kashmir as well. Bilal Hussain asks the question "Is Independent Kashmir Possible?" Mohammad Ashraf  asks to send negotiators and not soldiers to Kashmir. Prof Shah Alam Khan analyses the healthcare system in India which is being rapidly privatised. He tells the story of 9 year old Seema who according to was murdered by the healthcare system in India. 

And in our Commons series Franz Nahrada writes about using pattern language in building resilient communities.

And many more stories from around the world. 

And of course the usual request note,

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Binu Mathew
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www.countercurrents.org



Growing Disquiet In Washington Over Russian-Iranian Actions In Syria
by Bill Van Auken 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/growing-disquiet-in-washington-over-russian-iranian-actions-in-syria/

Russian bombers used an air base in the northwest of Iran for a second day Wednesday to attack targets inside Syria described by Moscow as arms depots and command centers used to support jihadist militias fighting Syrian government forces for control of the city of Aleppo. This marks the first time that Russia  used a base inside a third country  to execute its bombing campaign in Syria



And Then They Came For Amnesty And Seema Mustafa
by Lalita Ramdas 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/and-then-they-came-for-amnesty-and-seema-mustafa/

It is a time for unity of action, for solidarity and strategic thoughtful response. But is no longer a time for silence, or for sitting on the fence. Action like the PIL filed in the Supreme Court against the anti deluvian law of sedition by Prashant Bhushan and Uday Kumar – is a fine example of legal action





Health Impoverishment: Has India’s Healthcare System Privatised Enough?
by Prof Shah Alam Khan 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/health-impoverishment-has-indias-healthcare-system-privatised-enough/

The story of nine year old daughter Seema is a symbolic represenation of healthcare system in India





National Fish Workers Forum Passes Resolution Against New Commercial Ports And Demands Scheduled Tribe Status For Fisher People

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/national-fish-workers-forum-passes-resolution-against-new-commercial-ports-and-demands-scheduled-tribe-status-for-fisher-people/

The Annual Executive Committee meeting of National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) was held on August 11th and 12th in Pondicherry and passed a resolution demanding an end to building new commercial ports on the Indian coast




The Commoning Of Patterns And The Patterns Of Commoning: A Short Sketch
by Franz Nahrada 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/the-commoning-of-patterns-and-the-patterns-of-commoning-a-short-sketch/

Pattern languages will help us to avoid schematic thinking and grasp the deeper complexity and the degrees of freedom involved in a world that is evolving into true togetherness – because the ways of command and control, of money and power, and conventional economic thinking, have proven to be way too primitive to solve the problems they have created





The Obama Doctrine Is Ravaging The Middle East 
by Dr Ramzy Baroud 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/the-obama-doctrine-is-ravaging-the-middle-east/

Everyone seems to have a theory on how to obliterate ISIS, or ‘Daesh’. However, two points are rarely raised: one, concerning the origins of the group and the second, on whether there are genuine intentions to defeat it, in the first place.




The Hypocrisies Of Commemoration: Dispute At Long Tan
by Dr Binoy Kampmark 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/the-hypocrisies-of-commemoration-dispute-at-long-tan/

One of the stranger sights in international relations is that of a defeated State seeking to commemorate its fallen in a country whose affairs it sought to disrupt.  Australia is particularly adept at this, having obtained near exclusive entitlements to commemorate the landings at Gallipoli in Turkey on an annual basis, thereby inculcating successive generations with the notion that the wasteful engagement in April 1915 was in the name of “freedom.”




Interview With Gary Corseri On US Foreign Policy

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/interview-with-gary-corseri-on-us-foreign-policy/

Muslim Press  conducted an interview with poet, writer, and columnist Gary Corseri to discuss the foreign policy of the United States.





HuffPo Goes Haywire Against Russia, For Hillary
by Eric Zuesse 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/huffpo-goes-haywire-against-russia-for-hillary/

As part of their campaign for Hillary Clinton to become President, Huffington Post bannered their home-page on the night of Tuesday August 16th, “TRUMP BRINGS KREMLIN APOLOGIST TO INTEL BRIEFING!”, and linked to their news story that’s headlined against Trump, “Donald Trump To Bring Adviser With Russia Ties To Classified Briefing: Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn will join Trump at Wednesday’s top-secret session.”




The real Reasons Behind Dilma Rousseff’s Impeachment
by Abdus Sattar Ghazali 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/the-real-reasons-behind-dilma-rousseffs-impeachment/

During the U.S. presidency of Barack Obama, Latin America was overshadowed by the Arab Spring, problems in Afghanistan and Ukraine, Travkin says. During that time, Brazil became an active member of the BRICS, and established long-term relationships, including economic and political ones, with Russia and China. The BRICS had become a new platform for discussions, which was an alternative to the current financial system based on the U.S. dollar. According Travkin, this seems to have caused great irritation in Washington.




Kashmir: Negotiators, Not Soldiers!
by Mohammad Ashraf 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/kashmir-negotiators-not-soldiers/

Kashmir can be pacified by sincere and honest efforts for sorting out the basic political problem through dialogue and not by sending more and more soldiers to brutalize the people!




Is Independent Kashmir Possible?
by Bilal Hussain 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/18/is-independent-kashmir-possible/

With a positive score on almost every front, I will end the write-up by saying that Kashmir can be independent for the greater good of the whole region.