CounterCurrents: What Does It Mean When War Hawks Say, “Never Trump”?, Shifting Alliances: Turkey, Russia And The Kurds

Dear Friend,

A suicide bombing at a wedding party kills 51 people in Turkey. It seems Turkey is drawn more and more into the Middle East conundrum. Shortly before the Gaziantep bombing  Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said that his government is going to allow Moscow to use Incirlik air base to bomb ISIS in Syria. Remember, US had the sole use of this base since the Syrian civil war began. Remember also that around fifty American B-61 hydrogen bombs are also deployed in the Incirlik airbase! 

Nauman Sadiq sheds further light in the geo-political shift in the Middle East in his article "Shifting Alliances: Turkey, Russia And The Kurds". US having lost control of the Frankenstein monster it created, the ISIS, is using Kurdish militia against the ISIS. It would be interesting to note that the Gaziantep bombing was at the wedding of a pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party member. President Erdoğan also said “Initial evidence suggests it was an ISIS attack”. Well, well, well, Turkey pandering up to Russia and China, showing a cold shoulder to USA, turning against ISIS.... things are getting interesting in Turkey and Syria. I hope 'interesting'  not in the Chinese way!

Day 45. Kashmir is still under shutdown and curfew.  What's the way out? Nobody knows. Major General (Retd) S.G. Vombatkere  writes  that playing a passing the parcel game is not going to take us anywhere.  

In our Commons series Antonio Tricarico warns of a financial enclosure of the Commons. Whatever commons remaining is going to financialized and traded, creating new financial enclosures. He conludes the article,  "In part, this is already happening. It is therefore urgent that civil society movements understand the financial industry’s ambitions and act to stop them before it is too late."

Long time CC writer Lionel Anet steps into the Commons debate. Anet analyses the whole history of civlization and comes to the conclusion that we've to become part of the Commons once again to avoid a catastrophic collapse. 

And many more stories from around the world. 

Hey, are you doing this?

If you think the content of this news letter is critical for the dignified living and survival of humanity and other species on earth, please forward it to your friends and spread the word. It's time for humanity to come together as one family! You can subscribe to our news letter here http://www.countercurrents.org/news-letter/. 

In Solidarity

Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org



Suicide Bombing Kills 51 At Wedding In Turkey
by Alex Lantier 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/suicide-bombing-kills-51-at-wedding-in-turkey/

Fifty-one people died and 69 were injured Saturday when a horrific suicide bombing hit a Kurdish wedding in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, near the border with Syria. At least 17 of the wounded are severely injured and clinging to life.




Shifting Alliances: Turkey, Russia And The Kurds
by Nauman Sadiq 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/shifting-alliances-turkey-russia-and-the-kurds/

After the United States’ reversal of regime change policy in Syria in August 2014 when Islamic State overran Mosul in Iraq in June 2014 and threatened the capital of another steadfast American ally, Masoud Barzani’s Erbil in the oil-rich Iraqi Kurdistan, the Obama Administration has made the Kurds the centerpiece of its policy in Syria and Iraq.




Kashmir: Passing The Parcel
by S G Vombatkere 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/kashmir-passing-the-parcel/

Viewing stone-throwing protestors as Pakistan-instigated “aggressors out to divide the country” appears at odds with ground realities. Whatever other political purpose it may serve, it is unlikely to mitigate the current crisis, leave alone solve the problem.





The Undoing Of Kashmir
by Ravi Nitesh 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/the-undoing-of-kashmir/

There is a need to undo hartals and curfew, militarization and militancy, religious extremism and human rights violations. Let people breathe normal air and let our minds open. Demands for Pro Freedom, Pro India or Pro Pakistan, all are political dialogues and need to be dealt through political tools of dialogues, negotiations, meetings and continuous engagements of mutual prosperity to bring a positive output. Kashmir has all the capability to be known as ‘ray of hope’ that Gandhi said once.





The Coming Financial Enclosure Of The Commons
by Antonio Tricarico 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/the-coming-financial-enclosure-of-the-commons/

What will happen in the very next years will be crucial. The financial industry will seek to build the consensus and legal and physical infrastructure to achieve a finance-driven enclosure of the commons. To make all of this possible, states will be asked by corporate interests to enact new legislation and authorize new financial infrastructures through ad hoc regulations. In part, this is already happening. It is therefore urgent that civil society movements understand the financial industry’s ambitions and act to stop them before it is too late.




Let’s Become A Part Of The Commons Once Again
by Lionel Anet 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/lets-become-a-part-of-the-common-again/

We have gone as far as we can in our dominant superior mode as it’s possible while still being able to save our children. The Common is nature combine wide variety of life on the planet with its elements; their combination gives the planet its uniqueness within the solar system. That varied common is an exciting, interesting and should be a pleasant experience to pass one’s life in, if that was our purpose.





Labouring Hours: Sweden’s Six-Hour Working Day
by Dr Binoy Kampmark 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/labouring-hours-swedens-six-hour-working-day/

Sweden has been in the news of late for attempting to take the Marxist spirit to heart, with employers seeking to maximise the value of labour from the shorter work time offered.  The latest reduction will take the form of a six-hour working day, though trials were already taking place last year.





What Does It Mean When War Hawks Say, “Never Trump”? 
by Rebecca Gordon 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/what-does-it-mean-when-war-hawks-say-never-trump/

It’s not every day that Republicans publish an open letter announcing that their presidential candidate is unfit for office. But lately this sort of thing has been happening more and more frequently. The most recent example: we just heard from 50 representatives of the national security apparatus, men — and a few women — who served under Republican presidents from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush. All of them are very worried about Donald Trump. They think we should be alerted to the fact that the Republican standard-bearer “lacks the character, values, and experience to be president.”





Developmental Challenges In Northeast India: Perceptible Reflections On Mizoram
by Prof K V Reddy 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/developmental-challenges-in-northeast-india-perceptible-reflections-on-mizoram/

Development still took a heavy toll even though several programmes were undertaken by various governments in the state. Ultimately, the problem lies in the political and administrative systems that need to ensure good governance in bringing out the appropriate developmental works efficiently.





Remembering Legendary Humanist Ramswroop Verma
by Vidya Bhushan Rawat 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/remembering-legendary-humanist-ramswroop-verma/

It is time to speak of Mahamana Ramswroop Verma, one of the tallest leaders of socialist movement in Uttar Pradesh and founder of Arjak Sangh which was constantly working to eradicate social evils, bring social change and demolish the brahmanical structure





Sri Lanka: Dear Mr. President! — ( An Open Letter)
by Nilantha Ilangamuwa 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2016/08/22/sri-lanka-dear-mr-president-an-open-letter/

As the leader of this nation, you have a greater degree of responsibility to drive this nation and change the cunning destructive culture of control and administration by force. The most fundamental problem is not that we don’t have a system to run but those with knowledge are cynically manipulating the system for petty personal desires. The concept of oversight has thus turned into a trick of overlooking.