Putin and Catalonia

Thomas Riggins

Anything that weakens NATO and the UE and splits the unity of the ruling capitalist group in the West -- such as secessionist movements, rogue political parties on the left (not the fascist groups) should be encouraged because it discomforts the number one imperialist world alliance headed by the U.S. Turnabout is fair play and Russia is still smarting from the US/NATO break up of Yugoslavia and Serbia and its coup in Ukraine against the legally elected president because he wouldn't break friendly relations with Russia and become a EU puppet. The Russian bourgeoisie is infinitely weaker than the transnational monopoly capitalist bourgeoisie which controls the globalized world economy and is headed by the US financial capitalists and their allies and can be used as an unwitting Trojan Horse by the left. El País, by the way, is a mouthpiece for the monopoly capitalists and no friend of the real left as are most Social Democrats and Center or Center/Left alliances: "The paper has criticized figures such as Che Guevara and his idea of armed struggle.More recently, it has also shown its clear opposition to the popular leftist movement in Spain Podemos.El País has also been critical of the so-called "populist left" in Latin America. In April 2002, it termed the failed coup in Venezuela as a "coup against a tyrant", accusing Hugo Chávez of authoritarianism and of eliminating the separation of powers.[46] The paper criticized Chávez again regarding the Venezuelan constitutional referendum of 2007, accusing him of holding the referendum without the least "minimal guarantees", of restricting the actions of the National Electoral Council, and of tampering with the electoral roll.[47] The Venezuelan government, through the Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information, considers El País to be one of the Spanish newspapers most critical of the left-wing governments of Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia."-Wikepedia

Putin encourages independence movement via envoy to Catalonia

Dimitri Medoyev, from partially recognized republic of South Ossetia, arrived this week in Barcelona for meetings with business figures

ELPAIS.COM

Bugs' Fate is Our Fate

Thomas riggins

"Bugs" may not be our favorite animals but we are part of the same web of life and the bugs are telling us something about our fate as well. Birds eat bugs and so we have another article: "Global BIRD POPULATIONS Face Dramatic Decline In Coming ...
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/..." and" World's OCEANS in 'shocking' decline - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13796479
Jun 19, 2011 · World's oceans in 'shocking' decline. ... they warn that ocean life is "at ... the environmental changes are much more rapid," Professor Rogers told BBC News." "And World WILDLIFE populations halved in 40 years - told BBC News
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29418983
World wildlife populations halved in 40 ... of FISH populations if we are to have an accurate picture of the rate of population decline for species in that ..." And Decline of Earth's PLANT LIFE threatens human life
www.peoplesworld.org/article/decline-of-earth-s-plant...
A recent scientific study comparing the role of plants in the sustainability of life on Earth and the current rapid destruction of such life has convinced many ..." ECT., etc. 

Planet Earth is suffering a sickness unto death and we humans (specifically our capitalist world order) is responsible for this environmental disaster due to human caused climate change. Our response? We install a President who is a climate denier and who puts climate deniers in charge of every agency and department of government designed to protect the environment -- Trump is an existential threat to the existence of the entire human race -- but not as an individual but as a representative of the economic and political forces of U.S. and ultimately trans national financial (monopoly) capitalism. Our solution -- to fritter around trying to figure out which corporate Democrat with which to replace him (smell the coffee: all the Democrats are corporate since, whatever their domestic views, they all support the military industrial complex, military expansion and NATO [even Bernie!] and fighting the fossil fuel industry and international capital is all sound and fury, signifying nothing: our last best hope is the new rebirth of the international Communist and workers movement, the leftward change going on in China, and the growth, small as it is -- but growing -- of socialist consciousness in the U.S. -- and this should be the major thrust of the CP since the DSA will only lead people down a blind alley -- it's do or die folks.

More than 75 percent decrease in total flying insect biomass over 27 years across Germany: Changes in weather, land use, habitat do not explain overall decline

SCIENCEDAILY.COM

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Ex Oriente Lux?

Thomas Riggins

"In his speech, Mr. Xi referred repeatedly to social tensions unleashed by economic inequality, pollution and inadequate access to health care, schools and housing." The real test for President Xi is how he solves these problems -- the solution to which is the true test of a committment to socialism. We have been told socialism is good in theory but doesn't work in practice, well China may be the last chance to make it work in practice so let's root for him. The West had ended up with Trump and the future of humanity appears to be doom and gloom -- it's time once again for ex Oriente lux.

Xi Jinping Opens China’s Party Congress, His Hold Tighter Than Ever

Warning of deep and complicated changes but describing the outlook as “extremely bright,” the president is set to make himself the indispensable man.

NYTIMES.COM

Inside the DPRK via The New York Times

"The North Koreans insist that the U.S. make the first move and drop its sanctions and “hostile attitude” — which won’t happen." Well, this is what should happen. The world's greatest military power and most aggressive country, which doesn't hesitate to overthrow governments and invade countries to further its own interests, is threatening to wipe out a small country with a population smaller than Texas, has caused this crisis by constantly threatening and provoking the North Koreans with joint military games with South Korea, publicly announcing a first strike nuclear policy, and stationing its armed forces in adjacent countries for the purpose of imperialist control of the Pacific region under the guise of "defense." War or peace is our hands and we should make the first moves and drop our hostile attitude and work to have normal diplomatic relations with the DPRK. (Mr. Kristof's first two recommendations for solving the crisis are good but the four additional recommendations are part and parcel of the hostile and unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of another country which the U.S. thinks it has the right to do. Let the U.S. mind its own business and let the North Koreans deal with their internal affairs themselves.)

Opinion | Inside North Korea, and Feeling the Drums of War

A visit to the reclusive country reveals the perilous moment we’re in.

NYTIMES.COM

Who is Provoking Whom: Donald Trump vs Kim Jong-un?

Why does the Times say "North Korea has provoked a conflict with the United States and its Asian allies in recent weeks with its sixth test of a nuclear bomb and its first successful tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially deliver a warhead to the United States mainland." Why not "the United States has provoked North Korea by refusing to agree to a no nuclear first strike policy, by stationing nuclear weapons in the seas and islands around North Korea, in staging joint war games with South Korea practicing how to invade North Korea." It's obvious who is the bully and who wants a war. Pogo got it right all those years ago.

Trump Says Tillerson Is ‘Wasting His Time’ on North Korea

Undercutting his secretary of state, the president told him not to bother with negotiations. “Save your energy Rex,” he wrote on Twitter.

NYTIMES.COM|BY DAVID SANGER