CounterCurrents: Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will!, Trump Declares War On Russia

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Dear Friend,

What do we do with the Trump phenomenon? Many commentators have put forward their opinions here on how to deal with Trumpism. Richard Heinberg quotes Antonio Gramsci “Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.” When our intellect says that everything is going to go haywire, we should muster up our will to say everything is going to be OK. If it has to be OK, we have to put our foot forward with the right strategies. 

David Korten writes, "My hope is that the transparency of Trump’s attempted coup against democracy and our national security can bring us together as a nation unified in our dedication to our founding ideals that, though always more aspiration than reality, are now at risk of being entirely swept aside."

Everybody who hoped that Trump will bring new rapproachment with Russia, possibly avoiding a cataclysmic war would be despondent now with the recent Trump administration posturing on Russia.    Russia must “RETURN CRIMEA” & END THE UKRAINE-v.-DONBASS WAR, two conditions that would not only be humiliating to Russia and to the vast majority of its citizens.

The Times of India reported from the Uttar Pradesh election campaign trail a story that should put all Indians to shame. A low caste candidate from the BJP, son of a former M.P, was seen sitting on the floor of upper caste voters and carrying his own glass to drink water. The story did not create any ripples in the Indian media, or the larger society. Shamsul Islam points out that it is shocking. We should ask ourselves why it didn't shock the Indian psyche?


Also many stories from around the world on a variety of topics. 


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In Solidarity

Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org





Trump Declares War On Russia
by Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/trump-declares-war-on-russia/

U.S. President Donald Trump made unequivocally clear, on February 14th, that the new Cold War between the U.S. and Russia will continue until Russia complies with two conditions that would not only be humiliating to Russia and to the vast majority of its citizens, namely,  “RETURN CRIMEA” & END THE UKRAINE-v.-DONBASS WAR 





Nationalist Propaganda Has Many Progressives Demonizing ‘The Russians’
by Robert J Barsocchini 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/nationalist-propaganda-has-many-progressives-demonizing-the-russians/

Neocon and neoliberal war propaganda, as exhibited in the Washington Post, New York Times, etc., “has turned much of the liberal/progressive community” in the US “into a pro-New Cold War constituency willing to engage in a new breed of McCarthyism”, Robert Parry notes today





Trump’s Coup Attempt Requires Us To Rise Above Position And Party
by David Korten 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/trumps-coup-attempt-requires-us-to-rise-above-position-and-party/

My hope is that the transparency of Trump’s attempted coup against democracy and our national security can bring us together as a nation unified in our dedication to our founding ideals that, though always more aspiration than reality, are now at risk of being entirely swept aside.





A Hard-Nosed Optimism
by Richard Heinberg 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/a-hard-nosed-optimism/

Unless we are able to build human cultures that truly deserve to survive, what’s the point of survival? And such cultures must be comprised of, and sustained by, people who hold quality of character as the highest good. If it takes a Donald Trump to remind us of this ancient truth, then at least he will have done us that service.





The Resignation Of Michael Flynn
by Dr Binoy Kampmark

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/the-resignation-of-michael-flynn/

The Flynn incident will also make matters difficult for Trump’s attempts to revise Washington’s firm stance towards Moscow. For one, his more sympathetic approach to sanctions and Moscow will be fettered, if not boxed altogether. GOP representatives and senators are hardly going to mellow.






Science Doesn’t Have To Be Elitist—We Can Take It Back
by Madeline Ostrander  

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/science-doesnt-have-to-be-elitist-we-can-take-it-back/

The internet and new technology are reviving the role citizens can play in documenting the world around us.






FoodCycle Prevents Food Waste And Builds Community, One Meal At A Time
by Kristine Wong 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/foodcycle-prevents-food-waste-and-builds-community-one-meal-at-a-time/

One-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted, according to the United Nations. The U.K. is no exception, with 15 million tons squandered each year. But while a proliferation of food waste apps hope to combat the problem through technology, FoodCycle is tackling it by serving up hot meals to those who need it — along with providing a place for diners to build community and face-to-face friendships.






Pro-GMO Scientists Blinded By Technology And Wedded To Ideology
by Colin Todhunter 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/pro-gmo-scientists-blinded-by-technology-and-wedded-to-ideology/

The Oxford Martin School is based at Oxford University in the UK and has set up the ‘Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations’ (OMC). Bringing together international leaders from government, business and civil society, the OMC aims to address the growing short-term preoccupations of modern politics and business and identify ways of overcoming today’s gridlock in key international negotiations.






Instructive Incarceration Inquiry
by Rachel Olivia O'Connor 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/instructive-incarceration-inquiry/

I am posting this to invite the reader to not only discuss the various rubrics of meaning and determiners of reality which go unquestioned in most academic circles and throughout mainstream media outlets nationwide, our primary sources of information. That would be reason enough to write this, but I’d like to also address what we can do about all that in solidarity.





Return Of Untouchability
by Shamsul Islam

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/02/15/return-of-untouchability/


It is terribly sad, in fact, shattering that a shocking report in a prominent English daily of Delhi (The Times of India, ‘Dalit nominee sits on floor, carries own cup’, February 9, 2017 by Alok Sharma)[i] about practising of Untouchability, what to talk of creating ripples, did not even become a news for more than a day. It did not shake conscience of the judiciary, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and administrators. It was missing in print media, the paper which published this story from the ground zero disabled the link within 8 hours. Electronic media which is generally fond of exposing the anti-nationalist agenda went into hibernation or some yoga posture which required ‘maun varat’ on this issue