CC News Letter 17 August - The Threats And Costs Of War
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In Solidarity
Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org
The Threats And Costs Of War
By John Scales Avery
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery170815.htm
The costs of war, both direct and indirect, are so enormous that they are almost beyond comprehension. Globally, the institution of war interferes seriously with the use of tax money for constructive and peaceful purposes. Today, despite the end of the Cold War, the world spends roughly 1.7 trillion (i.e. 1.7 million million) US dollars each year on armaments. This colossal flood of money could have been used instead for education, famine relief, development of infrastructure, or on urgently needed public health measures
Adverse Effects Of Globalization
By John Scales Avery
http://www.countercurrents.org/avery170815A.htm
The present situation is that agriculture, trade and industry have become global, but the world still lacks adequate institutions at the global level to watch over what is happening and to ensure respect for human needs and respect for the natural environment. Today's global economic interdependence, instantaneous worldwide communication, and the need for peaceful resolution of international conflicts all call for strong governmental institutions at the global level, but the United Nations today lacks many things that would be necessary if it is to perform such a role: It lacks a legislature with the power to make laws binding on individuals and corporations. It lacks mechanisms for enforcing such laws. And it lacks a large and dependable source of income
Amnesty International: Protecting The 'Human Rights' Of
Johns, Pimps And Human Traffickers
By Chris Hedges
http://www.countercurrents.org/hedges170815.htm
The decision by Amnesty International's decision-making forum, the International Council Meeting, to call for the decriminalization of prostitution is another in a long line of triumphs for heartless neoliberal economics and the grotesque commodification of human beings that defines predatory capitalism
The Refugees Are Coming!!!
By Andre Vltchek
http://www.countercurrents.org/vltchek170815.htm
Almost no one in the West is wondering aloud: "How did the people on other continents manage to endure those long centuries of colonialism and neo-colonialism, of shameless plunder, of slavery, of constant locust-like onslaught of corporate and neoliberal cannibalistic hordes? Wouldn't a set of keys issued to each and every citizen of robbed, formerly or presently colonized country, be the tiniest, the most basic token of justice?" Is it morally acceptable that a thief, an arsonist, a rapist, a liar, a serial killer, all in one, would be allowed to live in a mansion, surrounded by slums housing his victims?
Entering The Mega-Drought Era In America
By William deBuys
http://www.countercurrents.org/debuys170815.htm
On the U.S. Drought Monitor's current map, a large purple bruise spreads across the core of California, covering almost half the state. Purple indicates "exceptional drought," the direst category, the one that tops both "severe" and "extreme." If you combine all three, 95% of the state is covered. In other words, California is hurting
Cleaning Your Teeth With White Phosphorus?
By Dr Vacy Vlazna
http://www.countercurrents.org/vlazna170815.htm
One year ago, on 15 August - 40 days into Israel's 51 day monstrous assault on Gaza that was clocking up 1800 innocent Palestinian deaths - Adrian Orr, the CEO of the New Zealand Superfund (NZSF) took a cheap shot, a morally cheap low shot, at concerned young protesters who chained themselves in the NZSF office demanding that the NZSF immediately divest from Israel Chemicals (ICL) - a supplier of lethal white phosphorus to the US army for the manufacture of munitions sold back to Israel to barrage fire and death on Gaza. In response to spokesperson Nadia Abu-Shanab's passionate urging for divestment, Adrian Orr's smug retort was, "Do you brush your teeth? ( Nadia: "Sorry?) "Do you brush your teeth? White phosphorus is used in many places"
Meet The 'Moderates' The U.S. Is Supporting In Syria: They're al-Qaeda
By Eric Zuesse
http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse170815.htm
Increasing evidence is coming in that the groups the U.S. is trying to install into power in Syria are actually contending groups of Sunni Islamic jihadists who seem to agree on only one thing: they want to replace the secular government of the Shiite Bashar al-Assad, who is supported by Russia and by Shiite Iran. They want to replace it with a Sunni Islamic government. Some of these groups have perpetrated terrorist attacks (some including beheadings) against Americans, and one such group is even al-Qaeda, the Sunni Islamic organization that, of course, perpetrated the 9/11, 2001, attacks and others
Materialism And Consumer Culture
By Jon Kofas
http://www.countercurrents.org/kofas170815.htm
Some scholars believe that the US is the most materialistic society in history. The Papacy under the current and previous pope has criticized the US for its devotion to material possessions and its general orientation toward wealth accumulation and hedonistic lifestyle. Despite public opinion polls indicating a large percentage of Americans believing God, there is an apparent absence toward spiritual matters in a society where wealth is the measure of all things and where collectivism and collectivist endeavors are absent from the social fabric
Establishing Peace In Conflict Zones: Need For A
Paradigm Shift In The Total Transaction Of Education
By Dr.Swaleha Sindhi
http://www.countercurrents.org/sindhi170815.htm
Schools are potential nurseries for peace as school education involves the formative years in a person's life, and help to build a strong foundation. Due to rising conflicts it is very important that there is a growing awareness today that propagating a culture of peace through education. Since education for peace is to be integrated into the curriculum, much depends on the availability of adequate instructional time to teachers to practice this integration. Education for peace calls for a vastly different approach to teaching as compared to what is in practice now
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