FILTHY NEOCONS

PHILIP A. FARRUGGIO—On this Memorial Day weekend all Amerikans should look back to the great essay written in 1935 by Marine General Smedley Butler. He named it ‘ War is a Racket’ and it still resonates nowadays perhaps even more powerfully. His essay should be required reading for all high school American History students. General Butler acknowledged that he became a ‘Gangster ‘ for the US corporate interests internationally. Realizing that what we call ‘ War’ is many times just an excuse for private business interests to A) make mega bucks from our tax dollars and B) to control the resources and markets of overseas nations, all under the protection of our flag. Has anything changed?

PHILIP GIRALDI—Israel works hard to influence the United States at all levels. Its tentacles dig deep, now extending to local and state government levels where candidates for office can expect to be grilled by Jewish constituents regarding their views on the Middle East. The constituents often insist that the responses be provided in writing. The candidates being grilled understand perfectly well that their answers will determine what kind of press coverage and level of donations they will receive in return.One of the most blatant propaganda programs is the sponsorship of free “educational” trips to Israel for all newly elected congressmen and spouses. The trips are normally led by Israel boosters in Congress like Democratic House Speaker Steny Hoyer, who recently boasted at an AIPAC gathering how he has done 15 trips to Israel and is now preparing to do another with 30 Democratic congressmen, including nearly all of those who are newly elected.

THE VOICE OF THE GILETS JAUNES is being heard: “Deputies of France, we inform you of the directives of the people for you to convert them into law (…). Obey the will of the people. Enforce these directives,” write the “yellow vests”. Spokesmen for the delegation are to be received by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and French Minister for the Ecological Transition François de Rugy at 2 pm on Friday.

ALAN MACLEOD—Studying the financial press’ coverage of Brazil reveals a great deal about its priorities and ideology. Faced with the choice of center-left reformers who may tax business slightly more, and outright fascist candidates, the financial press once again made its decision clear, proving that democracy and the health of the stock market often do not mix.