(2020-06-20). It Will Take More Than One B-1 Bomber Run From South Dakota to Faze Russia's Black Sea Fleet. anti-empire.com 
Related:
| It has become clear that the U.S. Air Force now regards itself as an implement of sea power. Its metamorphosis is a beautiful thing to behold for any Western-leaning nautical enthusiast. In recent years, land-based warbirds have trained to
(2020-06-20). US Navy Decides Against Reinstating the Crybaby Who Took a $6 Billion Carrier Out of Commission Over a Cold. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: The ship has a crew of 5,680. Pretty much everyone was exposed, of whom 1,273 were susceptible and became infected. Of these, the vast majority developed only mild symptoms. 10 were hospitalized and 1 died. One death is a tragedy but you don't succumb to a hysteria over a coronavirus with a 1 in 5680 exposure lethality. |
| The captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt will not be reinstated following an investigation into a massive outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) aboard the ship that sickened 1,273 sailors and ultimately led to the acting Navy secretary to resign, a Congressional aid…
(2020-06-20). Every Brand Under the Sun Supports Black Lives Matter. Why? anti-empire.com 
It can't have escaped people's notice that the Social media were awash with black squares as every brand under the sun took part in #BlackOutTuesday in favour of the protests. Apple — the
(2020-06-20). Americans in Vietnam — Tax Collectors for the Landlord Class. anti-empire.com 
Another big difference between My Lai and other atrocities is that it was perpetrated on the ground and not from the air. The testimony at Chapel Hill and at Detroit came largely from conscience-stricken soldiers—mainly enlisted men—who saw their victims, often face to face. The
(2020-06-20). The Fed's Casino Is in Flames, but Please Continue Gambling. anti-empire.com 
Those taking seats at the gaming tables in the Federal Reserve's casino believe that they can't lose. Or more precisely, any losses they suffer will quickly be made good by the house, i.e. the Fed, which can digitally print as much currency as needed to restore order to the gambling. | The punters crowding around the tables have forgotten that gambling is inherently risky. The Fed can digitally print currency, but it can't force punters to play. | Unfortunately for all the punters crowding around the tables, the casino is on fire. The Fed's rigged games are in flames, and Head Tout/Fixer Jay Powell is telling all…
(2020-06-20). China's Economic Rebound Continues, but Slower Than Expected. Might Hit 2% Growth for 2020. anti-empire.com 
China's economy continued its gradual recovery from the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic in May, as major indicators released Monday showed investment, consumption and industrial output all improved from the previous month. But the recovery wasn't as fast as economists expected, as the surveyed unemployment rate in big cities hit a record high. | More economic activity resumed last month as China brought its domestic outbreak under control. The economy also got a boost from government policies that expanded infrastructure investment and measures that offered relief to hard-hit businesses. The central governmen…
(2020-06-20). Anguillans Demand Extradition of US Citizen in Worker's Murder. telesurenglish.net "Let… me… speak." These were the last-known words of a hotel worker, Kenny Mitchel. They have become the rallying cry of activists in the Caribbean island of Anguilla, who gathered to demand justice in Mitchel's April 2019 killing. | RELATED: | UN Calls for Urgent Debate on Racism and Police Violence | Mitchel died after he was put in a chokehold while on the job at a tourist resort. The U.S. citizen Gavin Scott Hapgood, who is facing manslaughter charges in connection with Mitchel's killing, is currently in the U.S. after being released from the custody of Anguillan authorities on a US$74,000 bond.
(2020-06-20). A Giant Plastics Company Tried to Halt a Juneteenth Ceremony for Buried Slaves. truthout.org St. James Parish, Louisiana — Death Alley activists gathered near the hamlet of Welcome on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth, which observes the date when news of the end of slavery reached enslaved Black people in Texas. About 40 people danced, prayed and sang gospel songs at a cemetery of unmarked graves on the grounds of a former plantation where nearby residents firmly believe their Black ancestors were buried after working the land as slaves. The celebration paid homage to those who…
(2020-06-19). European Court of Human Rights Upholds Right to Boycott Israel. ahtribune.com 
"Criminal conviction of activists involved in the BDS campaign boycotting products imported from Israel had no relevant and sufficient grounds and violated their freedom of expression" | That is the heading on the 11 June 2020 press statement from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), announcing that it had overturned the conviction by a French court of eleven individuals for engaging in BDS activity. | The Court ruled that their conviction violated Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights — the right to freedom of expression — which states: | "Everyone has the right to freedom o…
(2020-06-19). Struggle Theater: Don't let theatrics shroud the reality of systemic oppression. mronline.org 
America's power brokers are hoping murals, kente cloth, and a series of half-baked legislative reforms will appease activists into giving up the fight for real change.
(2020-06-19). San Antonio activists seek justice, demand reopening of police killings. liberationnews.org 
Like in other places around the country, thousands are in the streets in San Antonio demanding justice for victims of national significance like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, but also for local victims of police terror.
(2020-06-19). PANDERMONIUM: Snapchat yanks cringeworthy Juneteenth filter that asked users to 'smile to break chains'. rt.com 
Snapchat has removed a Juneteenth-themed that encouraged users to "smile" to break the chains of slavery, something that was quickly flagged by social media users as an offensive attempt to pander to Black Lives Matter activists. | If users chose to use the filter, they could photograph themselves in front of an African flag with the words "Juneteenth" and "Freedom Day" captioned. The user was then told to smile as chains appear and then suddenly break, a clear nod to the day being a celebration of the end of slavery in the US. | The filter was disabled after numerous complaints and removed from the service in…
(2020-06-19). US Navy Lacks 'Clear Theory of Victory' Needed to Build New Fleet. anti-empire.com 
The Navy and the Department of Defense haven't finished their homework needed to inform how the Navy builds its future fleet, a panel of naval experts told a House panel on Thursday. | The debate in Congress and in the Pentagon on naval power has been pegged on the last assessment of the number of hulls the Navy needs to meet the future requirements — 355. However, the underlying mission of what a newly structured fleet would do is unclear, said the panel addressing the House Armed Service subcommittee on seapower and projection forces. | The Navy never released an unclassified maritime strategy in conjunct…
(2020-06-19). Russian Deputies Introduce Bill to Un-Ban the Excellent Telegram Messaging App. anti-empire.com 
Russian Duma deputies from the minority fraction Fair Russia have conceded defeat to reality and have introduced a bill to un-ban the popular messaging service Telegram that belongs to Russian tech whizz-kid Pavel Durov. | Three deputies — Fedot Tumusov, Dmitry Ionin and Alexander Terentyev — have submitted a draft bill to the Duma to terminate the attempts to outlaw Telegram. | The company and the Kremlin clashed after the widely used service refused a request by the Federal Security Service (FSB) to hand over digital keys so the security forces could eavesdrop on conversations on the service. | Tele…
(2020-06-19). PANDER-MONIUM: Snapchat yanks cringeworthy Juneteenth filter that asked users to 'smile to break chains'. rt.com Snapchat has removed a Juneteenth-themed that encouraged users to "smile" to break the chains of slavery, something that was quickly flagged by social media users as an offensive attempt to pander to Black Lives Matter activists. | If users chose to use the filter, they could photograph themselves in front of a Pan-African flag with the words "Juneteenth" and "Freedom Day" captioned. The user was then told to smile as chains appear and then suddenly break, a clear nod to the day being a celebration of the end of slavery in the US. | The filter was disabled after numerous complaints and removed from the service…
(2020-06-19). WATCH: Portland protesters tear down statue of George Washington, drape it with burning US flag. rt.com 
Activists in Portland have torn down a statue of George Washington after covering its head with a flaming US flag during the latest night of protests sweeping the city. | At roughly 11pm local time on Thursday, a group of some 30 to 40 protesters initially vandalized the statue, located on the lawn of the German American Society in Northeast Portland, with graffiti which read: "You're on native land." They called the first president of the US a "genocidal colonist." The group later brought the statue down with ropes. | The nearly 100-year-old statue of George Washington in NE Portland has been pulled down. The…
(2020-06-19). WATCH Portland police tear down 'Autonomous Zone' in front of mayor's house. rt.com 
Videos show Portland police removing barricades and disbanding a nascent 'Autonomous Zone' set up by protesters in front of the mayor's home after activists' demands were not met at a city hall meeting. | Demonstrators PPB is declaring a civil disturbance and unlawful assem…
(2020-06-19). Biden VP Front Runner Susan Rice Has a History of Criticizing Israel…While Also Letting Its Government Do Whatever It Wants. anti-empire.com 
The Associated Press
(2020-06-19). Floundering NATO Tries to Surface by Confronting China. anti-empire.com 
On June 8 Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the U.S.-NATO military alliance, gave a speech at NATO's new New on the Stoltenberg list is China, which is a long way from the North…
(2020-06-19). How the Saudis and the Qataris Duked It out in Washington, and Took Over the Imperial City in the Process. anti-empire.com 
It was a bare-knuckle brawl of the first order. It took place in Washington, D.C., and it resulted in a KO. The winners? Lobbyists and the defense industry. The losers? Us. And odds on, you didn't even know that it happened. Few Americans did, which is why it's worth telling the story of how Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari money flooded the nation's capital and, in the process, American policy went down for the count. | The fight began three years ago this month. Sure, the pugilists hadn't really liked each other that much before then, but what happened in 2017 was the foreign-policy equivalent of a sucker punch. On t…
(2020-06-19). After Spending $1 Billion Japan Gives Up on Installing a Costly (and Unproven) US Missile Shield. anti-empire.com 
Japan is backing away from installing two Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems in the country over technical concerns, Minster of Defense Taro Kono told reporters on Monday. | "In view of the cost and time [necessary] for the deployment, we will halt the process," Kono told reporters, according to In particular, Kono said there were concer…
(2020-06-19). Economic Ministry Forecasts Russia Won't Climb Back to Pre-Lockdown Levels Until Late 2022. anti-empire.com 
Russia's Ministry of Economy has released a fresh forecast for 2019-2022. The ministry said there will be no V-shaped recovery: after a 5% plunge in 2020, real GDP will only recover starting in mid-2022. The Ministry of Economy predicts GDP growth of 2.8% in 2021 and 3% in 2022. | The Urals price stays below the base budget price of $42, at which point the Russian budget breaks even. Urals will average $31.1 per barrel this year, rising to $35.4 in 2021 and only in 2022 will it return to the breakeven price of $42.2 when Russia Inc. goes back into profit. | That means the Ministry of Finance will rely on the Nati…
(2020-06-19). Trump Says Should Have Fired Bolton for Botching NK Talks, but Bolton Had Already Sabotaged Talks Under Bush. anti-empire.com 
Trump now He also blames Bolton for setting him back on the North Korea process so much so the consequences are still felt to this day: | twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/12736… | twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/12736… | Trump says he should have fired…
(2020-06-19). US Wants to Surround China With Missiles, but Its Asian Clients Don't Want to Host Them. anti-empire.com 
The governor of a Japanese territory where the Pentagon is thinking about basing missiles capable of threatening China has a message for the United States: Not on my island. | "I firmly oppose the idea," said Gov. Denny Tamaki, the governor of Okinawa, in an email to The Times. | Officials in other Asian countries are also signaling they don't want them. | But Pentagon planners aren't backing down after the Trump administration withdrew last year from a 33-year-old arms control treaty that barred U.S. land-based intermediate-range missiles in Asia. | Senior officials now say that putting hundreds of American miss…
(2020-06-19). Australia: Are the "Chooks Coming Home to Roost" for the British Empire, and Their Treatment of Slaves Around the World? asia-pacificresearch.com …
(2020-06-19). The End of the American Century. thenation.com The End of the American Century…
(2020-06-18). Warren, Harris, Rice? Which Horrible Woman Will Be Empire's Helmsman If Democrats Win? anti-empire.com 
Joe Biden's search for a running mate is entering a second round of vetting for a dwindling list of potential vice presidential nominees, with several black women in strong contention. | Democrats with knowledge of the process said Biden's search committee has narrowed the choices to as few as six serious contenders after initial interviews. Among the group still in contention: Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama's national security adviser. | Those with knowledge declined to name other contenders and said the process…
(2020-06-18). America: Too Weak to Rein in Its Own Empire. anti-empire.com 
A grievous blow to international security has just been dealt. President Donald Trump has announced that American troops are to be withdrawn from…Germany. Yes, Germany. Why are American troops in Germany? Because we have to fight them over there so we don't fight them here, you see, and there are few generators of terrorism and chaos in the world today quite like the Berlin club circuit. | The real surprise isn't that we're pulling troops out of Germany; it's that they're still there 75 years after World War II ended. And according to the White House, they aren't even all being withdrawn, just a quarter of them…
(2020-06-18). The Empire Declares a "Maximum Pressure" War of Economic Strangulation on Devastated Syria. anti-empire.com 
The United States has imposed a sweeping set of new sanctions against any country, individual or entity that provides support to the Syrian government – a campaign that experts warn may devastate the lives of ordinary Syrians trying to survive and rebuild after nine years of war. | The Caesar Act, passed in Congress
(2020-06-18). Military COIN Experts Claim They Can End US Unrest in Just 17 Years. anti-empire.com 
Military experts in counterinsurgency and nation-building claim they can bring nationwide protests against police brutality under control in just 17 years, sources report. | "The unrest in our country is something we can fix, no problem," Bob Egon, CEO of the Center for Perpetual War, said today. "We have a civilian population upset at their government. They're overwhelmingly peaceful, and they have a positive view of the US Military. This is a situation we've dealt with many times before." | "If we send in the troops now, we can have these protesters making IEDs inside a week." | "We had some random guy in the o…
(2020-06-18). "Movements Work": As Activists Occupy Seattle's Capitol Hill, City Bans Tear Gas, Expels Police Union. democracynow.org 
In Seattle, the fight to demilitarize and defund the police continues as the King County Labor Council voted to expel the Seattle police union Wednesday, following weeks of protest. Seattle police sparked outrage for responding to massive protests against police brutality by using pepper spray, tear gas and flashbangs on demonstrators and reporters. Activists then formed an autonomous zone in response to the police department's abandonment of a precinct building. On Wednesday, President Trump threatened to send troops into Seattle to dismantle the community-run Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, which extends over se…
(2020-06-18). Foreign Correspondent: Police Lessons From Cuba. progressive.org Contrary to the image of brutal and repressive communists, police in Cuba offer an instructive example for activists in the United States.
(2020-06-18). Rebellions against racism continue in Atlanta after police killing of Rayshard Brooks. liberationnews.org 
On June 13, protests assembled across Atlanta in response to the police killing of Rayshard Brooks and in solidarity with all victims of racism and police violence. The night before, community members and local activists had mobilized immediately after learning that another Black man, Brooks, had been killed by the police outside of a Wendy's …
(2020-06-18). Justin Trudeau Continues the Conservatives Pro-Corporate/Empire International Policies. dissidentvoice.org 
The international community's rejection of Canada's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council isn't a surprise. In the below introduction to my recently published House of Mirrors: Justin Trudeau's Foreign Policy I detail how Liberal foreign policy has largely mimicked that of Stephen Harper who lost a bid for the Security Council …
(2020-06-18). Portland protesters barricade streets and declare new 'autonomous zone' outside mayor's residence (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Anarchists, protesters and activists have taken to the streets of Portland once again, this time establishing an "autonomous zone" outside the mayor's home, after their demands were not met at a city hall meeting. | Portland City Council voted to cut $15 million from the Portland Police Bureau budget, eliminating some 107 full-time positions, though mostly via vacancies and retirements, according to local media reports. | PKAZ Northside
(2020-06-18). Lloyd's of London and Greene King to pay over slave links. thecanary.co 
Two of Britain's largest companies have vowed to pay money benefiting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities after their roles in the slave trade were revealed.Insurance giant Lloyd's of London and pub chain Greene King said they will devote large sums to projects assisting BAME communities, after they were named in a database of companies connected to slavery compiled by University College London.Greene King was founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene, who became one of 47,000 people who benefited from compensation paid to slave owners when slavery was abolished in the British empire in 1833.Greene surre…
(2020-06-18). Yeah, the Russians Have Carrier-Killing Missiles, but Can They Actually Hit the Ships? (Answer: Yes). anti-empire.com 
Anti-ship cruise missiles of operational-tactical purpose (RCC OTN) 3M55, 3M45 and 3M70 missile systems "Onyx", "Granite" and "Volcano" are rightfully considered the pride of the Russian Navy. However, there is an opinion that their outstanding flight range (500—700 km) is not provided by reliable target designation, and therefore is useless in practice. | In other words, it is generally accepted that the means of destruction available to Russia (which the media refer to only as "killer aircraft carriers") are almost meaningless in modern conditions. And all due to the fact that the Navy does not have the t…
(2020-06-18). Walking on Thin Ice: Can America's "Exorbitant Privilege" and King Dollar Survive a 17.9% Budget Deficit? anti-empire.com 
The era of the U.S. dollar's "exorbitant privilege" as the world's primary reserve currency is coming to an end. Then French Finance Minister Valery Giscard d'Estaing coined that phrase in the 1960s largely out of frustration, bemoaning a U.S. that drew freely on the rest of the world to support its over-extended standard of living. For almost 60 years, the world complained but did nothing about it. Those days are over. | Already stressed by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. living standards are about to be squeezed as never before. At the same time, the world is having serious doubts about the once widel…
(2020-06-18). Kim Jong Un's Well-Timed 'Surprise' Portends Another Nuke Crisis. anti-empire.com 
If there is one thing I have learned about making a career out of studying North Korea it is this: the Kim regime loves to tell those who pay attention to its unique propaganda many times what it is going to do before it does it—sometimes even telegraphing for us in clear language the next crisis it intends to start. | If that holds constant now, then Pyongyang seems once again hellbent on sparking
(2020-06-18). Amazonian Indigenous Chief Paulinho Paiakan Dies of COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Chief Paulinho Paiakan, one of the most internationally recognized defenders of the Amazon rainforest died Wednesday of COVID-19, activists informed. | RELATED: | The founder of Amazon Planet Gert-Peter Bruch said the leader died at a hospital in the northern locality of Redenàßao, in the state of Para, Brazil after 19 days of having caught the coronavirus, adding that he "worked all his life to build worldwide a…
(2020-06-18). 'Vatican's Call for Divestment Is a Breath of Hope in Times When Faith Is More Needed Than Ever'. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-06-18). Local Officials: Pledge to Divest from Police and Reinvest in Black Communities. aclu.org In the wake of the killings by police of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, we are seeing a massive popular political realignment around the role and scope of policing in the United States, led by Black organizers and Black-led movement groups. More than ever before, this movement is calling for divestment from police departments, and reinvestment into the life-affirming services that help communities thrive., , It's not enough for local governments to make small cuts, to invest in yet another set of flawed training programs, or to paint the streets with slogans. Cities, towns and local leaders mus…
(2020-06-18). The Pre-History of the Decline and Fall of the American Empire: A Rant. commondreams.org Think of Donald Trump as the American imperial establishment's ultimate gift to humanity. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-06-18). Cecil Rhodes' Project for a Renewed Single Anglo-Saxon Empire. Submission of the "Uncivilized World". "We are the Finest Race" globalresearch.ca In 1877, while laying out his agenda for the formation of a secret society to recapture Britain's lost colony of America and the submission of "inferior" races (ie. non anglo-saxon) under the control of a renewed British Empire, Cecil Rhodes,…
(2020-06-18). COVID-19: A Polygraph For These Times. popularresistance.org Like a lie detector, COVID-19 has made obvious at least two phenomena that have been taking place already over the past few years: the decline of the U.S. empire and the failure of capitalism. For a number of years now, the U.S. has been losing this super-power status, its economy has lost range, and the dollar has hit the skids. Its international reserves do not cover even 2% of the exorbitant external debt and it is not sufficient for even 2 months of imports (hence the desperation to re-open the economy in the midst of the pandemic.) for decades, the U.S. has imported more than it has exported, and its commerc…
(2020-06-18). From Dodgy Dossiers to the Sacking of Whitlam: The British Empire Stands Exposed. strategic-culture.org I used to believe as many do, in a story called "the American Empire". Over the last decade of research, that belief has changed a bit. The more I looked at the top down levers of world influence shaping past and pre…
(2020-06-18). New Vatican Document Urges Fossil Fuel Divestment to Serve Planet and the Common Good. commondreams.org "The Vatican's call for divestment is a breath of hope in times when faith is more needed than ever," said 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben. "It is a powerful statement that attempting to profit off the destruction of the planet is plainly and simply immoral and unethical." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-06-17). Housing activists: 'End evictions and provide rent relief'. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-06-17). Vaccine Developers Have a Problem: the Virus Is Going Away Too Quickly on Its Own. anti-empire.com 
Related:
| The top teams rushing to develop coronavirus vaccines are alerting governments, health officials and shareholders that they may have a big problem: The outbreaks in their countries may be getting too small to quickly determine whether vaccines work. | A leader of the Oxford University group, one of the furthest ahead with human trials, admits the reality is paradoxical, even "bizarre," but said the declining numbers…
(2020-06-17). North Korea Blows Up Joint Liaison Office Building With South Korea After Announcing End of Interest in US Relations. anti-empire.com 
Andrei Lankov: "Pyongyang has long resented Seoul's failure to live up to its grandiose promises. The North scoffs at mere symbolic exchange, but the South risks angering the U.S. by pursuing anything more substantial." |
| North Korea blew up a liaison office building it operates with South Korea, officials in Seoul said Tuesday, as