Upward migration 7-30-2018

30, July 2018                                Upward migration

The court-imposed deadline of reuniting all migrant children with their parents has passed with 711 children remaining separated. More than 400 parents of these children have already been deported. It’s hard to imagine a more sadistic policy separating extremely vulnerable children from their parents. I wonder how Republicans will explain their silence in the wake of these grotesque lapses of morality and basic decency to their children and grandchildren.

Perhaps, a larger question to ask is why migrants are desperately fleeing from the Northern Triangle countries—Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador? According to the renowned historian Noam Chomsky, the upward migration is a direct impact of decades of gross interference by the US which helped to destabilize these countries. For example, back in 1954, the US sponsored a military coup in Guatemala overthrowing a reformist elected government plunging the country into spasms of violence. Hundreds of thousands were killed and many tortured. Genocide took place in the Mayan areas by General Ríos Montt described by President Reagan as “a stellar of democracy, a really good guy.” In El Salvador, about 70,000 people were killed during the 1980s, by security forces, armed and trained by the United States.

In Honduras, the refugee flow started to peak after a military coup overthrew the democratically elected Zelaya government, condemned by the entire hemisphere and the world with the exception of President Obama. Hillary Clinton refused to designate it a military coup, because that would have meant terminating military aid to the junta, which the U.S. continues to support. Honduras has now become the homicide capital of the world, and refugees started fleeing after sham elections which were mocked by the whole world with the exception of the US. The exception to this horror story is Costa Rico which resisted US interference. The other country that partially survived is Nicaragua which was assaulted by Reagan’s contras funded by elicit arms sales to Iran (an impeachable offence). In light of the blatant interference in the domestic affairs of these countries, the US has a moral obligation to make amends for past and current misdeeds. 

 

 

Trump’s trade Wars 7-28-2018

28, July 2018                               Trump’s trade Wars

Iowa farmers must be suffering from buyer’s remorse.  Trump’s initial foray into launching a trade war has been a big flop. The “man who can do no wrong” rushed to Iowa with a promised bailout of $12 billion to provide emergency relief to farmers caught in the trade crossfire, a problem that he created. If he was so sure of the wisdom of his trade policies he should have persuaded farmers to be patient not bail them out with taxpayer money. 

Senator Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, aptly described President Trump’s $12 billion as “gold crutches.”

Stung by Trump’s trade war, our former trading nations are seeking more reliable partners. Canada is negotiating an alliance with China Mexico and the European Union which in turn is enhancing its trade with Japan and Russia. Farmers should remember the old karma adage, “what you sow so shall you reap.”

Murder of a Saint in Gaza 7-26-2018

                                       Murder of a Saint in Gaza

An Israeli sniper killed 21-year-old Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar on June 1, as she ran toward the border fence to provide medical aid to a wounded protester. 

Unconcerned that Israel persistently violates international law, the U.S. dutifully protected Israel by vetoing a United Nations resolution that urged protection of Palestinians. Ironically, this occurred on the same day that Najjar was shot to death.

James Heenan, head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated there was no justification for the killing. “Razan posed no threat to heavily-armed, well-protected Israeli forces,” he said.

Najjar was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries. In total, the Israeli military has killed at least 132 Palestinians and wounded more than 13,000 as part of the brutal crackdown against the Gazans demanding an end to the Israeli siege. A volunteer ambulance worker told the Associated Press that he and Najjar were planning to announce their engagement at the end of Ramadan.

The morally challenged U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said the resolution was “one-sided.” It’s a pity Haley has abandoned her Sikh religious traditions of speaking truth to power to pander to the immoral behavior of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). By its actions, the U.S. is complicit in Razan al-Najjar’s murder.

Instead of expressing remorse for killing Najjar, the IDF attempted to smear the heroic medic’s image. Shortly after her murder, the IDF released a video purportedly showing Najjar saying that she serves as a “human shield” for Hamas. Unsurprisingly, the IDF selectively edited the video, in which Najjar actually expressed her commitment to protecting the vulnerable people of Gaza  from Israeli violence, not to providing cover for Hamas. Israel accusing a medic of being a terrorist is unsurprising, given that the country’s Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, recently remarked that there are “no innocent people” in Gaza. Militant or peaceful, the IDF views any Palestinians standing up for their rights as an existential threat to Israel.

Agent Orange threatens Iran with all CAPS 7-25-2018

25, July 2018              Agent Orange threatens Iran with all CAPS

Iranians must be shaking in their “chappels” after being threatened by “tough guy” Trump. It is the latest distraction and histrionic threats that the world has become all too familiar following the “treasonous” debacle in Helsinki. The wise diplomats in the state department have been sidelined by the broadside Tweets of a deeply insecure POTUS.

Foreign policy “du jour” is dictated by what nourishes his oversize ego.

The sordid history of US-UK interference in Iran’s domestic affairs is well documented by historians. Here is a short history.

In 1913 the British stole Iran’s oil and declared it a vital British asset. Six years later the British looted Iran’s treasury and commandeered its army. During the Second World War, the British diverted food from Iran (and India) to feed its troops leading to widespread famine and disease in both countries. Following the Second World War MI6-CIA orchestrated a covert operation to crush Iran’s burgeoning, nascent democracy under the leadership of Prime Minister Mosaddegh.  The British rebranded Iran’s oil as British Petroleum (BP). Mosaddegh was replaced by   Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, a US-British puppet, a despot deeply hated by his own people.

Israel sinks into an apartheid state 7-22-2018

22, July 2018                Israel sinks into an apartheid state

The sham that Israel is a democracy has once again been exposed with the announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that “his” country’s existence as the “nation-state of the Jewish people.” 

Israel cannot claim to be a nation of the Jewish people and a democracy, - the two are incompatible. A true democracy affords equal rights to ALL its citizens, Christians, Jews and Palestinians.

What about the rights of the indigenous people, the Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed by the Israeli terror groups Hagana, Irgun and the Stern Gang? This inconvenient truth was confirmed by Israeli Jewish historians  Ami Pedahzur, Arie Perliger, and Benny Morris.

The new law declares “Jewish settlements as a national value” and that the state will “encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation” – code language which will be used to further colonization of Palestinian lands throughout all the territories occupied or controlled by Israel.

The law’s endorsement of Jewish settlements removes any geographic limits, which means it encourages Israel’s ongoing colonization of the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.

There are currently more than 65 Israeli laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens in Israel and Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories.

Here are a few examples.

Israel forbids Palestinians from mourning the loss of their country, called the Nakba, when 700,000 Palestinians were driven from their homeland. 

The Israeli finance minister reduces funding to any institution that commemorates the Nakba .

Israel stipulates “Israeli lands” can only be leased or sold to Jews. 93% of the land belongs to the state and Palestinians are virtually locked out of any land purchase.

Ban on family unification plan prevents family unification when one spouse is an Israeli citizen and the other is a resident of the occupied territories.

The draconian Absentees' Property Law confiscates the land, homes and personal assets of Palestinian refugees who were driven from their homes in 1950. At the same time, the Law of Return (1950) gave Jews from anywhere in the world the right to automatically become Israeli citizens. 

According to the Interior Ministry. since 1967, nearly 15,000 Palestinians from East Jerusalem have had their residency rights revoked. The remaining Palestinians, can have their residency rights revoked if they leave Jerusalem for an extended period. According to Human Rights Watch revocation of residency rights is a clear violation of International law.

The Wild Boars Rescue 7-22-2018

22, July 2018                     The Wild Boars Rescue

I followed the story of the boys and their soccer coach trapped in the treacherous confines of a flooded cave in northern Thailand with rapt attention. This truly seemed to be a mission impossible. I prayed daily for their rescue and the safety of the courageous rescuers. I cannot imagine the horror of trying to survive for so many days without food and water being enveloped in total darkness. The monsoon rains were rapidly approaching expecting to totally flood the cave.
Navy SEAL commander said the oxygen level in the boys’ cavern had fallen to a precipitous 15 percent increasing the danger of hypoxia.
The boys aged 11 to 16 had never taken swimming lessons and had to be guided out by a pair of divers in a high-stakes operation. Oxygen canisters were positioned strategically to replenish their air supply.
Finally, after 18 grueling days that claimed the life of an experienced Thai diver, their ordeal ended.
Stories are now emerging of the critical role of their soccer coach who kept the boys grounded by encouraging them to meditate. The rescue drama has certainly brought out the best in the human spirit.
The boys certainly lived up their mascot name, the “Wild Boars.”
It would be a thrilling end to this rescue drama if one or more of the world soccer players could find the time to visit and embrace the rescued boys. Oh what a thrilling end that would be!

Trump’s bizarre performance 7-18-2018

  

18, July 2018                              Trump’s bizarre performance

Vladimir Putin seems to have cast a devastating spell on the gullible Trump following their one-one meeting in Helsinki.

The slavish and toadying performance of Trump drew derision and bipartisan outrage from lawmakers and media outlets.  Trump lashed out at his own intelligence agencies over the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and accepted Putin’s strong denial of such interference.  Stung by the worldwide condemnation of his “treasonous comments” he walked back on his earlier statement claiming he misspoke. A few Republicans spoke out but the majority chose to remain silent confirming what we already know that these Republicans have no morals, ethics or values only a commitment to their own preservation. 

The president found no safe harbor on his favorite network, Fox News, after his controversial press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin who described the Helsinki Performance as ‘Ridiculous’ and ‘Surreal.’

Trump’s Visit to Europe 7-16-2018

16, July 2018                         Trump’s Visit to Europe

Following his disastrous visit to Europe where he trashed NATO and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, the “human wrecking ball” arrived in England amidst widespread protests. He criticized the UK immigration policy with his racist rants, lamenting that the UK’s pure white race was being threatened and tarnished with those pesky nonwhite immigrants.

Trump and the pro-Brexit Brits seem to have forgotten or are blissful ignorant of the dark colonial history of Britain who plundered the wealth from their former colonies. Immigrants from these colonies and Europeans seeking a better life are now being integrated into a multi-cultural society that is, for the most part, contributing hugely to British society (doctors, engineers, technocrats, yes even MP’s and members of the House of Lords. .).

Ignoring protocol and basic decency, Trump presented Prime Minister Teresa May with a grenade wrapped up in a Sun newspaper trashing her for her Brexit policy.  Adding insult to injury he stated that her former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson would make an “excellent prime minister.” These comments have gone viral and people are beginning to wonder if Trump is completely untethered from Reality.

Undeterred Trump is off to confer with his boss, the sly and cunning Vladimir Putin who will play him like a fiddle. For more, go to http://callforsocialjustice.blogspot.com/

Trump’s war with GOD 7-11-2018

11, July 2018                                 Trump’s war with GOD

Breast milk is God’s great gift to mankind. It is the perfect cocktail to nourish newborn babies.

So why is Donald Trump trying to discourage women from breast feeding their children in the underdeveloped world? If we follow the money trail, the answer becomes self-evident.

The United States delegates to the World Health Organization are using their economic and military muscle to undermine a simple resolution encouraging breast-feeding. This is another sick example of a powerful country badgering weaker countries to serve the interests of powerful business interests. Breast feeding is a direct threat to the baby formula industry which is worth $70 billion.  Developed countries can easily deflect the Trump administration’s bullying tactics but developed countries are not so fortunate.

Trump’s contention that women need access to formula defies both science and nutrition. Not only is breast milk the best option for newborns it also contains anti-bodies that protect against a host of diseases.

A lot of US unethical arm twisting has contributed to an alarming decline in breast feeding in third world countries. Ecuador came close to buckling under intense US pressure but managed to resist. Colombia’s health officials alarmed at high pharmaceutical prices tried to cut prices but were “persuaded” from doing so by a host of US economic pressures.

Both the Obama and Clinton administrations also sought to keep drug prices high in low-income countries to maximize profits for US drug companies.

British Torture cover-up after 9/11 7-10-2018

10, July 2018                           British Torture cover-up after 9/11

It is often said that there is only a thin veneer of humanity separating us from barbarity. Britain and America are prime example of this maxim.  Both countries followed the “law of the jungle” following 9/11. 

Both countries often boast of their shared values.  But after two damning British parliamentary reports, criticism is mounting over the scale of the UK’s involvement over torture and rendition of terror suspects following 9/11.  British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is under fire for blocking key intelligence personnel from providing evidence to the parliamentary and security committee (ISC). British ministers and spy chiefs after 9/11 are facing new demands to explain their roles condoning such barbaric behavior.

The report finds the UK intelligence agencies complicit in hundreds of incidents of torture and rendition in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo.

Resisting efforts to thwart the investigation, the ISC produced a large amount of data that serves as a major indictment of the intelligence services who were in clear violation of the international prohibition on torture. The CIA and US military were guilty of similar offences but thus far have escaped indictment.  Jack Straw, the foreign secretary from 2001-06 and his boss, Tony Blair should be held responsible and face long prison terms. Perhaps, Tony Blair should be “encouraged” to compensate the torture victims with some of the millions he has amassed as a “good will ambassador."

Trapped boys in Thailand 9-7-2018

9 July 2018                                    Trapped boys in Thailand

I have been following the story of the boys and their soccer coach trapped in a Thailand flooded cave with rapt attention. This truly seems to be a mission impossible. I am praying daily for their rescue and the safety of the courageous rescuers. I cannot imagine the horror of trying to survive for so many days without food and water being enveloped in total darkness. 

Navy SEAL commander said the oxygen level in the boys’ cavern had fallen to a precipitous 15 percent increasing the danger of hypoxia.

Finally, after day 16, 4 of the weaker boys were rescued, 9 more to go with the monsoon rains rapidly approaching.  How they survived is a glowing tribute to their mental tenacity.

The rescue drama has certainly brought out the best in the human spirit.

British divers risked their lives in attempting to rescue the trapped boys. To add to the complexity of the operation, the rescuers were told the boys had never taken swimming lessons.  Sadly, one of the Thai divers drowned.

The rescued boys must have been gripped with terror as they made their long journey from the cavern to the cave entrance passing through slimy rushing water in total darkness.

The ten cave divers had to hug the boys beneath them while they were all wearing face masks through the long perilous journey.

The boys are certainly living up their mascot name, the “Wild Boars.”

It would be a thrilling end to this rescue drama if one or more of the world soccer players could find the time to visit and embrace the rescued boys. Oh what a thrilling end that would be!

With a perspective, this is Jagjit Singh, a retiree living in dry safe land in Los Altos, California

rump’s Tax Returns 7-9-2018

9, July 2018                               Trump’s Tax Returns

Donald Trump’s elusive tax returns might finally see the light of day if New York State Attorney General, Barbara Underwood has her way. On June 14 she filed a civil complaint against President Trump and his three oldest children accusing them of “persistently illegal conduct” using the Trump Foundation as their “checkbook for payments regardless of their purpose or legality.”

She also believes there is abundant evidence to bring criminal charges. Accordingly, she sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission in Washington recommending “further investigation and legal action.”

If violations of charity laws can be proved this could finally trigger an examination of Trump’s allusive tax returns.

Mr. Trump has reportedly dipped into his foundation funds to settle legal claims and purchase large portraits of himself to hang in his properties. If he failed to declare these foundation expenditures as income he could be charged with tax fraud.

Mr. Trump has been remarkably successful in cheating governments. When challenged by the City of New York Mr. Trump’s lawyers claimed a leaky water pipe destroyed the records and the ledger copies were no longer available. How convenient! Perhaps he used a similar excuse when he failed to submit his homework as a young boy claiming the dog ate his homework!

In his 1984 tax returns he reported zero income but claimed $600,000 in deductions offering no receipts to validate his claim. It is time to reign in this tax cheat before he pilfers the US Treasury.

Donald Trump 7-5-2018

5, July 2018                               Donald Trump

We live in dark times. President Trump’s lies, fabrications, and racist tweets are finally having an adverse impact on his popularity and support.

His coarse language and insults have alienated our allies. Our Canadians cousins are seething with anger and large demonstrations are planned in the UK during Trump’s visit.

He admires tyrannical rulers such as Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey who has jailed tens of thousands of dissidents including hundreds of reporters. He has expressed great affection for the “gun-toting” president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, whose vigilantes killed hundreds of “drug dealers.” Another of his favorites is the ruler of Saudi Arabia whose military has slaughtered tens of thousands of Yeminis with US-UK military support, including banned cluster bombs. Yes, the US and the UK are complicit in war crimes.

The people of Yemen are dying in large number victims of chronic food shortages controlled by the ultra-rich Saudi kingdom. A huge cholera epidemic has intensified the suffering of the Yeminis. One call from President Trump could end the suffering.

He courted the despot of North Korea, Kim Jong-un who manipulated him in halting the military exercises in South Korea much to the dismay of its president, Moon Jae-in and much to the delight of Kim.

Trump and his congressional allies are attempting to defang the FBI to weaken Mueller’s investigation. He still refuses to release his tax returns. His latest tirade against immigrants is intensifying anger across America and much of the world.