Stephen Lendman's blog

Venezuela's Maduro Inaugurated

by Stephen Lendman

Latin American and other heads of state attended Maduro's inaugural ceremony. Earlier he accused opposition forces of triggering post-election violence.

"We have stopped a coup in its first stage," he said. "They are beaten, but they are coming back with a new attack." On Thursday, he flew to Lima. 

Boston Black Ops: Manufacturing Terror

by Stephen Lendman

Mounting evidence suggests state-sponsored terrorism. Expect more later to confirm it. Cui bono matters most. Powerful interests benefit hugely. Ordinary people lose out. 

The Bloom Is Off Gold

by Stephen Lendman

It is for now. Don't bet against it longer term. Value eventually wins out. Gold's secular bull market continues. Experts believe it has a long way to go. 

Market manipulation bears full responsibility for recent market action. A previous article explained. It called gold a global thermometer. It reflects monetary, geopolitical and economic conditions. It's driven by supply and demand considerations.

Bush and Obama: Dangerous Narcissists

by Stephen Lendman

Canadian psychiatrist Robert Hare analyzes psychopathic behavior. He does so clinically. He believes about 1% of the general population is insane. So are 10% of Wall Street employees, he says.

Palestinian Prisoners Day

by Stephen Lendman

On April 17, Palestinians commemorate Prisoners Day. They do so annually. They've done it since 1979. It marks Mahmoud Hijazi's release. Israel freed him in its first ever prisoner swap.

Post-Boston Bombings Fear-Mongering

by Stephen Lendman

On April 17, major media reported Obama and Senator Roger Wicker (R. MI) receiving letters containing suspicious substances. 

FBI testing continues. Initial evaluations confirmed ricin. A subsequent statement reported "inconsistent results." Further analysis is being conducted. 

Washington v. Venezuela

by Stephen Lendman

Longstanding US plans prioritize regime change. It's the oil, stupid! Venezuela has the world's largest reserves. It's a prize Washington covets. More on that below.

Post-election US-orchestrated destabilization continues. Venezuelans elected Nicolas Maduro president. The electoral process was scrupulously open, free and fair. The result is indisputable.

Anti-Zionism Not Anti-Semitism

by Stephen Lendman

Ronnie Fraser heads The Academic Friends of Israel (AFI). According to its mission statement, it was established to "fight the academic boycott of Israel and all other forms of anti-Semitism in the UK and the International academic and scientific arenas."

Marathon Terror: Homegrown or State-Sponsored?

by Stephen Lendman

Boston's marathon is the modern world's oldest. It's the best known. It's an annual tradition. It's been held since 1897. It's one of six World Marathon Majors.

Thousands of runners participate. Professionals and amateurs compete. Hundreds of thousands of spectators watch it. They do so throughout its 26.2 mile route.

Destabilizing Venezuela

by Stephen Lendman

On April 14, Venezuelans elected Nicolas Maduro president. He won fair and square. It's official. A nationally televised Monday ceremony announced it. 

Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles cried foul. He called Maduro "illegitimate." He refuses to recognize election results. He demands a recount. He wants "every vote" counted. National Electoral Council (CNE) president Tibisay Lucena responded.

Hunger Striking for Liberation, Justice and Dignity

by Stephen Lendman

Samer Issawi's a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine activist. In April 2004, he was wrongfully arrested. He committed no crime.

He was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. In October 2011, he was released. He and over 1,000 other Palestinian political prisoners were freed. Israel did so in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Gold Drops Most in 30 Years

by Stephen Lendman

It's getting hammered. In August 2011, it rose above $1,900 an ounce. It was an all-time high. At midday April 15, it was $1,364. It's a 28%+ decline.

Silver's also hit hard. In 2011, it exceeded $48 an ounce. It plunged to its midday April 15 $23.45 level. It's more than a 50% decline.

Venezuela: Post-Election Sour Grapes

by Stephen Lendman

Throughout his tenure, America's scoundrel media vilified Chavez relentlessly. They did so straightaway. 

After his December 1998 election, New York Times Latin American correspondent Larry Roher, called him a "populist demagogue, an authoritarian….caudillo (strongman)." He lied saying so.

Chavismo Wins

by Stephen Lendman

Venezuela's spirit of democracy lives. Celebratory fireworks followed Maduro's win. They were more subdued than last October. Chavez won then by 11 points.

Sunday's results were much closer than expected. Polls had Maduro way ahead. With 99.2% of the vote counted, his victory margin was 1.6%. 

New York Times v. North Korea

by Stephen Lendman

The Times is America's unofficial ministry of information and propaganda. Daily managed news misinformation is featured. 

Articles, commentaries and editorials are brazenly one-sided. Readers are systematically lied to. Fiction substitutes for facts. Information is carefully filtered. Dissent is marginalized.

Imperial Partners Showcase Their Ruthlessness

by Stephen Lendman

America and Israel partner in injustice. They prioritize it. Imperial lawlessness is policy. So is state terror. Many examples explain. They're commonplace daily.

New York Times Anti-Palestinian Bias

by Stephen Lendman

On April 4, The New York Times headlined "Palestinian Defiance on Display at West Bank Funerals." 

Venezuelans Vote

by Stephen Lendman

On Sunday, April 14, PSUV's Nicolas Maduro (United Socialist Party of Venezuela) faces opposition Rountable of Democratic Unity (MUD) candidate Henrique Capriles Radonski.  

Most Venezuelans deplore him. They do so for good reason. He represents oligarch power, ties to Washington, and returning Venezuela to its ugly past.

Creating a North Korean Threat

by Stephen Lendman

Washington needs enemies. When none exist, they're invented. A previous article said North Korea's straight from central casting. 

Pyongyang threatens no one. Media scoundrels say otherwise. So does Obama. On the one hand, he claims no one wants war on the Korean peninsula. He urges Pyongyang "to pursue peace."

Globalized Torture

by Stephen Lendman

America's the world's leading human rights abuser. State terror is official policy. So is waging war on humanity. 

Guantanamo operates lawlessly. It's America's public face. It's the tip of the iceberg. More on that below.

Greater Grand Theft Cyprus

by Stephen Lendman

Hit 'em again harder is policy. Cyprus is Exhibit A. It's pound of flesh demanded got greater. "Could it possibly get any worse," headlined Cyprus Mail?"

Obama's Neoliberal Budget

by Stephen Lendman

Main Street America's in protracted Depression. Conditions go from bad to worse. More than ever, vital stimulus is needed. Lots of it. 

Obama's solution is force-fed austerity. In term one, he prioritized it. His FY 2014 budget offers more of the same. 

Attacking Venezuela's Democratic Process

by Stephen Lendman

Jimmy Carter calls Venezuelan elections the world's best. He does so for good reason. They shame America's sham process. Duopoly power controls things. People have no say. 

Mistreating Palestinian Children

by Stephen Lendman

Societies perhaps are best judged by how they treat prisoners, their most disadvantaged and children.

On March 20, Israeli soldiers mass arrested about 30 children. Obama arrived the same day. Every child passing Tareq Bin Zeyad street was seized. They were heading for school in Hebron. 

Force-Fed UK Austerity

by Stephen Lendman

Since 2008, America, Britain and other European nations force-fed austerity harshness. Neoliberal and imperial priorities take precedence. 

Bankers, war profiteers, other corporate favorites, and privileged elites alone benefit. Ordinary people lose out entirely. Public needs go begging. Human misery grows. Things go from bad to worse. Nothing ahead looks promising.

Deplorable Bahraini Human Rights Abuses Continue

by Stephen Lendman

In summer 2010, sporadic protests began. In mid-February 2011, major ones erupted. Bahrainis want democracy. They want King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalif's repressive regime replaced.

Thatcherism

by Stephen Lendman

Thatcherism represents Chicago School fundamentalism writ large. She’s gone. She won’t be missed. 

She launched a corporatist revolution. She headed Britain down a slippery slope toward unfettered predatory capitalism. 

Obama's War on Social America

by Stephen Lendman

Obama, Republicans and most democrats are in lockstep. They claim Medicare and Social Security are going broke. They lie saying so. When properly administered, both programs are sound. Modest adjustments only are needed to assure it.

They're federally mandated. They're not entitlements. They're contractual obligations. They're for eligible recipients who qualify. Payroll taxes fund them. 

Secret FDIC Plan to Loot Bank Accounts

by Stephen Lendman

It shouldn't surprise. It's already policy. Market analyst Graham Summers explained. Depositor theft is coming. Europe is banker occupied territory. So is America. 

Exploiting Holocaust Remembrance Day

by Stephen Lendman

Yom HaShoah/Holocaust Remembrance Day is commemorated annually. It runs from sundown April 7 to sunset April 8. This year's theme is "Defiance and Rebellion during the Holocaust: 70 years Since the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising."

Sunday night Warsaw and Jerusalem ceremonies included government officials, dignitaries and holocaust survivors.