Stephen Lendman's blog

  NATO'S Planned Bloodbath In Tripoli - by Stephen Lendman

NATO intends to get the bloodbath it wants through intensified terror bombing and low-level strafing of civilians and nonmilitary sites. 

No matter that it grossly violates international and constitutional law, what Washington-led member states long ago trashed.

  New York Times: Lying about Libya and Palestine - by Stephen Lendman

Note: A follow-up article will continue the narrative below. Currently, events in Tripoli are fluid.

Progressive Radio News Hour contributor Mahdi Nazemroaya's overnight email said:

  Palestinian Right of Self-Defense - by Stephen Lendman

Repeatedly, Israel preemptively bombs, shells, and inflicts other forms of lawless violence on Gazans, bogusly claiming self-defense. 

When they respond, Israel calls it terrorism, claiming justification for greater attacks in "self-defense," what international law prohibits.

  Another Israeli False Flag? - by Stephen Lendman

Mossad and Shin Bet (Israel's Security Agency) have  long, odious histories of committing them. More on that below. 

At issue now is whether the August 18 bus and other attacks inside Israel were committed by external elements or Israel, and if so, why?

  Bear Country - by Stephen Lendman

Financial markets provide early signals of future economic conditions, good or bad. Currently, they're flashing red.

On August 19, economist David Rosenberg reported the bad news about major world stock markets in bear territory, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, India, and others heading there, including Japan, China and America.

  Falsified New York Times Middle East Reports - by Stephen Lendman

They appear daily like weeds on all topics. As a result, Times reports aren't fit to read, let alone print. August 18 was no exception, publishing lies about Libyan insurgent victories. 

On August 18, headlining, "Libyan Rebels Gain Control of Oil Refinery as Qaddafi Forces Flee," Kareem Fahim's article was pure Pentagon propaganda, duplicitously lying to readers. 

  Eretz Yisrael: Lawless, Corrupt and Dysfunctional - by Stephen Lendman

What do you call a country that persecutes occupied people and one-fifth of its own population for not being Jewish? An illegal occupier for over 44 years, suffocating over 1.6 million Gazans under siege! A nation practicing torture, persecution, and racism as official policies! A modern day Sparta, glorifying wars and violence!

  RIP: America's Anti-War Movement - by Stephen Lendman

On August 8, the libertarian Reason Foundation (RF) asked about the absence of anti-war sentiment in America, saying:

"The Obama administration is on pace to have more American soldiers killed in" Iraq and Afghanistan than Bush did in his first term.

  Rick Perry: Extremist White America's Evangelical Hope - by Stephen Lendman

Consider the unpalatable 2012 options, a choice between:

-- a so far unopposed lawless/crime boss/militarist/pro-war/anti-populist president; and

  Daily Rogue State Israeli Lawlessness - by Stephen Lendman

It begs the question why Israelis put up with lawless governance harming them as well as Palestinians. When will weeks of social injustice outrage arouse them to embrace universal equity? 

Why haven't Martin Luther King's words hit home that, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In Israel and Occupied Palestine, Arabs and Jews both are harmed. Injustice to anyone denies it to all.

  Falsified Major Media Reports on Libya - by Stephen Lendman

Major media specialize in what they do best: truth inversion (aka bad fiction), not doing what journalists are supposed to do - their job, especially covering imperial wars for dominance and rich spoils.

With Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) falling apart and rebel forces in disarray, today's headlines belie the truth, reported by independent "un-in-bed-with" journalists and other sources.

  Economic End Times - by Stephen Lendman

Despite a deepening global depression, establishment economists are in denial. On June 9, the Wall Street Journal said those surveyed expected slow, steady growth through 2011, despite high US unemployment, a housing depression, European sovereign debt in crisis, and the unreported insolvency of major French and other banks.

  Netanyahu Spurns Social Justice Demands - by Stephen Lendman

Unaffordable housing prices ignited mass social justice protests in Israel. At issue is settlement developments at the expense of other construction, creating a supply/demand imbalance enough to cause prices to skyrocket. Israelis demand that issue be addressed responsibly.

  Israeli Social Justice Protests Continue - by Stephen Lendman

Ongoing since mid-July, America's media hardly notice, but indeed care as evidenced by their silence to suppress mass outrage over longstanding social injustice Israelis want changed.

  New York Times Disinformation, Denial and Suppressing Vital Truths - by Stephen Lendman

America's "newspaper of record" makes painful reading for alternative media consumers, knowledgeable about what Times correspondents, opinion contributors and editorial writers misreport, conceal, or lie outrageously about.

For example, writer CJ Chivers' August 12 "Notes From the Front Lines" piece practically lionized cutthroat rebels, embedded with them to present their point of view only, saying:

  Israeli Persecution of Palestinian Children - by Stephen Lendman

Repeatedly in many ways, the real Israel belies the myth of a free, open, democratic state. In fact, the very notion is ludicrous even to growing numbers of fed up Israelis, voting with their feet and leaving.

As a result, it's no exaggeration calling Israel a failed state, a topic Noam Chomsky addressed in one of his many books.

  Dire State of of America's Children - by Stephen Lendman

A new Children's Defense Fund (CDF) report shows the dire state of children in America today. Titled, "The State of America's Children: 2011," it can be accessed in full through the following link:

http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-of-americas-2011.pdf

  Congressional Junkets to Israel - by Stephen Lendman

Eighty-one House members, one fifth of the chamber, will visit Israel during the traditional summer recess, instead of addressing festering local issues at home during the nation's gravest economic crisis too serious to ignore.

Arriving first were 26 Democrats together, including Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (MD). Another 55 Republicans will follow in two groups, including 47 freshmen. 

  Riots Across Britain: Perhaps More than Meets the Eye - by Stephen Lendman

A previous article said the following:

On August 6, rioting began in Tottenham, North London after police shot and killed Mark Duggan, a 29-year old father of four. It triggered other outbreaks on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in Brixton, Enfield, Walthamstow, Islington, Hackney, Croydon, Lewisham, Peckham, Clapham, Ealing, central London, and Birmingham, Britain's second largest city.

  Repression in Israel and Bahrain - by Stephen Lendman

On August 8, London Guardian writer Ian Black headlined, "Bahrain protests: 'The repression is getting worse,' " saying:

Bahraini police grabbed Hassan Ali Salman. One "forc(ed) his T-shirt roughly up over his head as three or four others laid in with wooden batons, dragging and pushing him to a line of waiting Land Cruisers and more helmeted cops."

  New York Times Support for Imperial Wars - by Stephen Lendman

The Times never met a US imperial war it didn't endorse or designated enemy it didn't vilify. Nor are concerns ever raised about constitutional and international law issues, crimes of war and against humanity, or mass slaughter and destruction. 

  Imperial Plans for Libya Post-Gaddafi - by Stephen Lendman

A previous article suggested NATO's Libya war is unraveling, having misjudged the commitment of Libyans to resist, fight back, and support Gaddafi. Access it through the following link:

http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/08/natos-libya-war-unraveling.html

  Sustaining Protest Energy in Israel - by Stephen Lendman

Since mid-July, Israelis have protested in unprecedented numbers for long denied social justice. Succeeding depends on sustaining that energy disruptively for change. Though never easy, it's the only way.

Frances Fox Piven discussed it in her book titled, "Challenging Authority" about social movements becoming pivotal forces for change when ordinary people used their considerable clout, saying:

  Growing Israeli Tyranny - by Stephen Lendman

For years, America and Israel followed similar paths toward full-blown tyranny, threatening all their citizens. Believing either is democratic and egalitarian is ludicrous and nonsensical, especially now under right-wing neoliberal governments, cracking down hard against challenges to their authority. 

  The Greatest Depression - by Stephen Lendman

One sign is the enormous worldwide financial shock, erasing nearly $8 trillion of equity wealth since late July. Another is teetering global economies, notably across Europe and America. 

Still another is growing poverty, deprivation, and despair for millions without jobs, enough income, or futures. Combined they indicate Depression in its early stages and deepening.

  New York Times Opposition to Palestinian Self-Determination - by Stephen Lendman

In September, when the General Assembly meets (beginning 9/13), Palestinians will seek de jure UN membership. Unless current policy changes, it will ask for official recognition as an independent sovereign state. Currently, it has Observer State Status only, denying its right to vote.

Israel opposes recognition. So does Obama, both Houses of Congress, and The New York Times.

  No Joy in Mudville - by Stephen Lendman

Indeed not. The equity markets struck out, or as highly respected analyst Louise Yamada believes: "Clearly, this cyclical bull is over," but it's worse than that with Western and other economies cratering. 

Some hover close to collapse or may head there. The operative word is hard times, the beginning of leg two of the global Depression that begin in fall 2007, likely to exceed it in harshness and duration.

  Escalating Israeli Street Protest - by Stephen Lendman

Ongoing since mid-July, Israeli street protests are unprecedented in size, scope, and (so far) determination to stay the course for social justice.

Two previous articles discussed them, accessed through the following links:

  Destabilizing Syria - by Stephen Lendman

What began in January escalated to an uprising in March. Ever since, it's been violent, disruptive and widespread, killing hundreds, and injuring many more. 

The stakes are high. The entire region is affected. It's very similar to what began in Libya, pitting imperial powers against ruling governments for destabilization and control. 

  Vilifying Muslims in America - by Stephen Lendman

Judge nations by how they treat all people, whether equally, or advantaging some over others. Judge them harshly if they persecute some for political advantage. 

In America, people of color and Muslims are fair game. It's longstanding policy based on prejudicial attitudes, stereotypes, deep-seated racism, and notions of corrupted Western values, high-mindedness, and moral superiority.