GLENN GREENWALD—If the surveillance powers of the NSA, FBI or other agencies were used to obtain incriminating information about Bezos due to their view of him as a political enemy – and, again, there is no evidence this has happened – it certainly would not be the first time. Those agencies have a long and shameful history of doing exactly that, which is why the Democratic adoration for those agencies, and the recent bipartisan further empowerment of them, was so disturbing.
US MILITARY
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A fugitive Venezuelan colonel captured last month after slipping back into the country was shown on video Thursday confessing to ties with the Central Intelligence Agency and Colombian officials. Colonel Oswaldo Garcia Palomo, 54, who’d publicly professed plans for rebellion and whose welfare was the focus of international attention, is shown looking reasonably fit in a dress shirt standing against a neutral background. He described logistical support and freedom to enter and exit Colombia as he worked last year to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government.
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US media trying to drum up a new ‘Cold War’
10 minutes readDAVE LINDORFF—So far, most Americans seem unfazed by the war-mongering of the US media and the increasingly aggressive national security team around President Trump. Polls show, in fact, that a majority of Americans do not agree with the Trump decision to pull out of the long-standing Reagan-era INF Treaty between the US and Russia banning the stationing of intermediate-range nuclear missiles near each other’s borders, which by definition would pose a threat of a rapid first strike.
Never mentioned by the main US corporate media is the reality that Russia’s military budget, currently $66 billion, is a drop in the bucket compared to the US budget of $717 billion, or that Russia’s military budget actually fell 20% last year, while the US military budget continues to grow even bigger. Also not mentioned is that China, the world’s number two military spender, has a budget of only $174 billion, which is smaller than just the budget for the US Veterans Administration, which is currently $198 billion.
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Caleb Maupin: Is America The New Rome? A Socialist View
4 minutes readCaleb Maupin is a widely acclaimed speaker, writer, journalist, and political analyst. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and in Latin America. He was involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement from its early planning stages, and has been involved many struggles for social justice. He is an outspoken advocate of international friendship and cooperation, as well 21st Century Socialism.
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PHILIP A. FARRUGGIO—Davis interviewed pilot Randy Floyd, who felt so ashamed of the murder and terror he caused innocent civilians that he broke down continually during the interview. After he composed himself Floyd made this key observation: “Americans have worked extremely hard NOT to see the criminality that their officials and their policymakers have exhibited.” How intuitive for not only 1974 Amerika, but for 2016 Amerika as well. Ever wonder how many fine and decent friends and neighbors of ours still hold this “My country right or wrong” attitude? This empire is so adept at stirring up deep seated patriotic passions in many of us… to the detriment of our moral compass!