Patrick Buchanan “US interests colliding with Israel’s” 3-31-2010

31, March 2010          Patrick Buchanan “US interests colliding with Israel’s”        

Israel continues to defy US concerns over its belligerent settlement expansion policies. While prime minister, Netanyahu’s defiant speech at AIPAC (American Public Affairs Committee) was greeted with thunderous applause, syndicated broadcaster and columnist, Patrick J. Buchanan, described it as a ‘hollow victory” commenting “that the vital interests of Israel now collide with vital U.S. interests in the Middle East. America cannot back down without eviscerating her credibility in the Arab and Muslim world.” Buchanan further commented that the “West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is occupied territory.

Building there violates international law. Peace requires a sharing of Jerusalem, return of almost all of the West Bank and withdrawal of the Jewish settlers. Any land annexed by Israel must be compensated for with Israeli land ceded to the Palestinians.” In a heated exchange Vice-President Biden told Netanyahu. “What you’re doing undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.” It is disappointing that the Obama Administration continues to reward Israel for its ‘bad behavior.’ Israeli newspaper Haaretz recently reported the US will donate three new Hercules-J transport aircraft to Israel, at a cost of $250 million. Israel is also negotiating a possible $3 billion deal to purchase Lockheed F-35 war planes. Buchanan final comment “U.S.-Israeli relations are approaching a - whose side are you on?  Either Netanyahu backs down this time — or Obama loses his soldiers.”

The Maoist ‘threat’ in India 3-30-2010

30, March 2010                The Maoist ‘threat’ in India

While India is aggressively embracing capitalism with all its attendant benefits, it is simultaneously waging an unholy war against its poor, indigenous people in the country’s tribal belt. This large swath of land known as the Red Corridor, stretches from West Bengal, Jharkhand through Orissa to Chhattisgarh.

The land is coveted by local governments who have sold mineral mining rights for crores of rupees to corporations. The indigenous people are on an unholy collision course with paramilitary forces who have been given ‘007’ licenses to kill with complete impunity.

The local inhabitants, known as Maoist rebels, or Naxalites, are battling with government and paramilitary forces and have been castigated as India’s “gravest internal security threat.” In a staggering level of brutality over 640 villages have been burned and hundreds of villagers killed. This military action closely resembles the strategy of hamletting – forcing people to move off their ancestral lands for profit corporations – first devised by the British in Malaya. It was subsequently ‘refined’ by the US who forced Vietcom peasants off their land and burned their huts. It is unconscionable that India, which boasts to be a burgeoning democracy, should use such harsh, brutal measures to lay siege to a very vulnerable population. Once again corporate money interests triumph social justice.  

Banish Vulture Funds 3-10-2010

10, March 2010                     Banish Vulture Funds

In a world of sinking morality, a group of vulture funds have successfully diverted millions of dollars of write-off loans to third world countries, into their pockets. These funds purchase third world debt for pennies on the dollar and sue debtor countries for massive profits.

For example, an impoverished Liberia, where 80% of the people survive on an average of one dollar a day, recently lost over $20 million of aid money to two vulture funds. This outraged British lawmakers who have recently crafted a bill – the Debt Relief Bill – which would prohibit unscrupulous investors from robbing debtor countries. The US should follow Britain’s example by outlawing such funds. We should heed the words of the President of Liberia - the first woman president of Africa, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that vulture funds “are so unfair to poor countries, have a conscience, and give this country a break.” Please write to your lawmakers and urge them to support Representative Maxine Waters’s bill to outlaw these funds.