21st Century Looney Toons - courtesy of Disneyland Europe

The influx of refugees into Europe from North Africa and the Middle East seems to be taking its toll on Governments in the European Union. Back and forth blaming for the crises is the order of the day, and no-one seems eager to take responsibility for the situation.  The European Union leaders are blaming its individual EU members and conveniently passing the buck without any shame.

The refugee crisis is a direct result of the endless wars the Western leaders perpetrated on these ravaged countries. Rewind back to 2003 when the first wave of attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq by the US and its NATO allies, who claimed to free the people from dictatorship and tyranny and bring democracy to their countries. Twelve years and several wars later these and other ME countries are now in total chaos with no sign of democracy or freedom but utter destruction, misery, death and poverty bestowed on the citizens. The result?  People are fleeing their devastated lands in droves and seeking shelter in the nearest place of safety, namely Europe and Britain.

With the predicament ever becoming worse and unmanageable, the free-flowing borderless countries of the EU are considering closing their borders as a result of the situation. The irony of the circumstances, is nothing but laughable in the eyes of the world.  Before plundering and pillaging those countries for their own selfish and Imperial interests, the EU leaders had only good things to sell in their quest bomb these lands into oblivion. Example, see David Cameron’s plea to bomb Syria (for a good cause) here: ”http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-23884550”. Subsequent to the crisis and realising the refugees are becoming a European problem, he does an about turn and wants “stability in that part of the world” and to stop people fleeing their countries, see here "http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/02/david-cameron-says-taking_n_8076646.html"

These so-called leaders of the free world, with all their power, imperialism and exceptionalism, could not foresee the current situation occurring back then when they were salivating to bomb every ME and North African country into extinction. At least they did get one thing right; the people DID find a country and a land with democracy, i.e. the closest European country that they could settle in!

There will be more blood.

History has proven that the demise of an empire is preceded by various issues internal and external to its domain. The downfall of the Roman Empire was a result of a combination of factors, namely political disintegration, civil revolt, failing economic policies, soaring debt, global military expansion, numerous failed wars, and corruption in government. Similarly, the Ottoman and British empires crumbled as a result of some or all of the above factors. In the case of all three, the unique miscalculation of overexpansion is blatant. To have complete hegemony and absolute power over all and sundry, the question of maintaining sovereignty and autonomy is lost to mismanagement, loss of control, misguidance and ultimately a failure of the state.

The Empire of Chaos (appropriately named by those in the know), is evidently no different to the empires of centuries past. The US government is tainted by a series of failed military campaigns, think Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. The nation is beset by internal strife in the form of civil disorder as a result of incessant police brutality against minorities; maintaining a foreign policy that is aggressive and hostile towards 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe and an ever increasing total national debt to the tune of approximately 20 trillion dollars. Suffice it to say, a debt that is impossible to repay, and is exacerbated by incorrigible corruption throughout the US Government. The trend in relation to past Empires is clearly significant.

The one and only reason why the US (Empire) is surviving, is the fact that the US dollar is the global reserve currency and all international transactions are negotiated with it. The Federal Reserve Bank in the US can therefore print US dollars ad infinitum, as long as the dollar is the preferred currency of trade, and has substantial value. When various leaders from the Middle East, i.e. Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi,  Bashar al Assad made plans to move away from trading their natural resources in dollars, they were targeted and removed through military campaigns, citing dubious reasoning. The latest target to be subdued is the government of Iran.  For years the Iranians were planning to establish their own Bourse (Stock Exchange) to trade their natural gas and oil in a currency other than the US dollar, and as such have been targeted as a threat to world peace; hence, the accusations of the Iranians building a nuclear bomb to destroy Israel. Although literature suggests that Iran is the most peaceful nation in the Middle East.

The US is well aware that taking the fight to the Iranians, will stir up the Russian bear and the Chinese Dragon, which is something they cannot afford. The demonising of President Putin and Xi Xinping, is a direct result of these leaders insisting on protecting their sovereignty, national and international interests (re: Iran, Syria), and therefore not following US dictates. The establishment of various financial institutions by the BRIC countries, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank (NDB), to counter the might and power of the ECB (European Central Bank), the IMF, and the World Bank, is enough cause for alarm from the Empire of Chaos, who inadvertently owns the IMF, World Bank and ECB.  With numerous Asian, Latin American, African, Eastern European and various Western European countries having joined or considering to join these institutions, the US government is feeling left out in the cold, and therefore will fight for the survival of their banking minions and ultimately their own survival.

All international transactions between corporates and countries, uses the SWIFT transactional system to conduct trade in US dollars. The formulation by Russia and China of an alternative system of trade in currencies other than the US dollar is gaining traction and will be implemented in 2016/2017. With successful implementation of this system, the dollar as the preferred trading currency will be exchanged for currencies of the trading partners’ choice, mainly in their own currencies. This poses a huge threat to the US economy should the value of the dollar fall as a result of this development. As countries and corporates successfully switch from the SWIFT system to the new system of trade, the dollar becomes worthless, and the printing of dollars will have little significance or importance.

Therefore the fight to retain the Eurasian landmass and East Asian countries as economic trading partners is imperative for the US in their survival. Should this not be realised or sustained, the collapse of the US economy and as a state would be inevitable. Knowing the arrogance and egotism of the US administration and its war mongering neocons, they will not go down without taking the rest of the world with them. A military confrontation between the US and Russia/China may be globally catastrophic. There will be more blood to spill. God save us all.

The Cauldron of fire that is the Middle East

The Middle East is a far off destination from the shores of South Africa, yet many South African’s lives are somehow intertwined with the developments and chaos emanating from it. We have South African muslims advocating their support of various factions and religious groups in that part of the world. We have South Africans from Jewish descent similarly exercising their right to show solidarity with their affiliation to the Middle East.  South African Christians also share an affinity with their religious counterparts from the region. The same goes for descendants of Middle Eastern origin, in other distant lands far removed from the Middle East.

Powerful governments around the world likewise have an economic and geostrategic interest in any events that shape developments in the Middle East. Their reasons are more capitalistic, economic and power driven than the groups mentioned above. It’s a known fact that most countries in this region are rich in natural resources, i.e. black gold (oil) and natural gas are the main resources found there.  The quantity of these resources around the Persian Gulf and Caspian sea is unknown, with global corporate companies fighting for a piece of this bounty. Contrary to popular opinion (being democracy for the people), this is the main reason why the Western powers are continually declaring war on governments in the region. (I’ll probably be castigated, vilified and branded a traitor to Western allegiance for making a statement like that).

There are various opinions and views of the war/s and faction fighting taking place in the Middle East. Below, is my view of the chaos happening between ethnic groups and external powers trying to shape the region to their benefit. Your comments and contributions are welcome.

In the countries stretching from North Africa, that is, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia through to Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey, there are hundreds of different ethnic groups and religious sects cohabiting this region.  The predominant religious groups from the Middle East are Sunni and Shi’íte Muslims. The other groups are Kurds, Jews (Sephardic and Ashkenazi ), Christians and various smaller ones who are partly affiliated with the major groups. The ruling governments from the various countries are either Sunni or Shiíte muslims.  Sunni muslims rule the countries of Saudi Arabia (Wahabbis), Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and others. Shi’ite muslims rule the countries of Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Syria (Alawites), and Lebanon. As can be seen, the majority of Arab nations are ruled by Sunni muslims, although the majority of the population in some are Shiíte muslims. The history of the region is littered with factual literature of Sunni dictatorships and oppression of the minority groups.

At the time of the rise of the “Ärab Spring” in 2011, the resistance of shiíte muslims against their Sunni dictators and oppressors had reached fever pitch. The Arab Spring was sparked off by one individual’s act of self-immolation, due to his street wares being confiscated by a deliberate act of vindictiveness.  This simple event sparked off the Arab revolution from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, etc. As a result of the revolution in these countries, all the smaller ethnic groups and tribes wanted to be recognised by representation in their new governments. The trend of the revolution was marked by a relentless coup repeated in all the countries affected. In tandem with the revolution, Western powers realised a golden opportunity to rid themselves of any government who stood in the way of their Imperial objectives for the Middle East.

One of the leaders who would not play along to the Imperial agenda was Libya’s Muammar Gadaffi. Gadaffi had an intention of trading the country’s wealth of hydrocarbons in a currency other than the US dollar. Naturally this infuriated the US Imperialists, who sought to demonise and brand Gadaffi a terrorist who murders his own people. What followed was the familiar exercise of regime change and democracy for the people. Prior to the fall and killing of Gadaffi, Libya was the most prosperous nation in Africa, with a healthy, growing economy and a thriving population. Subsequent to his demise in 2011, the country has been torn apart by fundamentalist groups and US sponsored rebels. To this day, there is turmoil and disaster in Libya, with half the population fleeing for their lives.

The same happened to Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in 2003, when he similarly had ambitious plans to dump the dollar as the primary trade currency for his hydrocarbon production. As in Libya, there is still chaos and mayhem in Iraq as a result of this US intervention. There never was any WMD, and the only WMD that Saddam Hussein had, was the intention of dumping the dollar, which to the Imperialists, was equivalent to a crime of premeditated murder. Prior to the fall of Gadaffi, Iraq was a thriving nation with a stable and growing economy.

So, bringing the brand of Western democracy to the people of the Middle East, in conjunction with the Arab spring revolution, resulted in chaos, anarchy, and mayhem in every country. In Iraq the new Shiite government propped up by the Western powers, was unable to contain the uprising of Sunni extremists who organised themselves in various groups with a distinct agenda to unsettle the new government and cause as much terror in the country to make it ungovernable. With the country being ungovernable, an influx of foreign rebel fighters allegedly funded and armed by the Western powers and the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) flowed freely. The Gulf Cooperation Council is made up of the governments of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Oman. Suffice it to say, they are all Sunni dominated governments. One might say the standoff between the Sunni and Shiite muslim factions in the Middle East, started in Iraq after the Hussein regime was ousted.

This scenario was repeated in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen (where the Shiite uprising was brutally contained by Saudi and Bahraini military forces through an illegal war in that country). The fighting between factions in Iraq conveniently spilled over the border to Syria, with the subsequent rise and dominance of the ISIS/ISIL (Sunni ) movement in the region. The government of Syria is controlled by the Alawites, which is a religious ethnic group that follows the Shia religion. Naturally, with their Shia allegiance, and their refusal to bow to Western dictates, the Syrian government was next in line for regime change by the Western powers and the GCC. After 4 years of intensive fighting between ISIS/ISIL, the Syrian army, Syrian rebels, and other militant islamist groups, like Al-Qaeda, the Al-Nusra Front, Ansar Al-Islam, the country of Syria and parts of Iraq has been gradually demarcated through seizure by ISIS/ISIL.

To the North of Syria, the Sunni government of Turkey pretentiously supported the ouster of ISIS/ISIL in the region by providing military aid to the Western sponsored rebels. The Turkish government conveniently used this as a pretext to enforce their dominance and authority over another group, the Kurds who make up 25% of the Turkish population. The Kurds are the third largest ethnic group in the Middle East and includes a significant portion of the populations in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The majority of the Kurdish population are Sunni muslims with a minority of Shia Kurds located along the borders of Iraq and Iran.  

The situation in Israel/Palestine/Lebanon remains tense, with daily skirmishes between the IDF(Israeli Defence Force)/Israeli settlers and the Palestinian people. In Gaza (identified as the largest open air prison in the world) the ruling party (Hamas) is predominantly Sunni muslims.  Because of their refusal to acknowledge the Zionist government of Israel, they are deemed a terrorist organization, and supported by the people of Gaza who are collectively intent on the destruction of the State of Israel. Incidentally, Hamas was voted into power in a 2006 referendum in Gaza. The result was not what the Zionists wanted, hence the demonization of the people of Gaza and their ruling party Hamas. Although being of Sunni ethnicity, the Hamas government do not enjoy the support of their Sunni counterparts in the GCC, for similar reasons that Israel sees them, i.e. as terrorists. They do however receive support from the Syrian and Iranian governments, for geostrategic purposes, i.e. to contain the Zionist government from wiping out all of Palestine and gradually carving out more land for themselves into the greater Middle East.

Together, the Gaza strip and the West Bank forms the regions identified as the Palestinian territories. It’s ruled by the PA (Palestinian Authority, formerly PLO), who is also predominantly Sunni muslim. As an alliance with Hamas in Gaza, they form the basis of their people’s fight for a Palestinian state.

Lebanon, the land north of Israel, is ruled by the Shiite dominated Hezbollah political party. They are funded and supported predominantly by the Syrian and Iranian governments. Their main political objective is resistance to Israeli occupation in Lebanon.

Although the various political parties in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon have similar dispensations and objectives, i.e. the resistance to Israeli occupation and the formation of a Palestinian state, the rivalry and factionalism resulting from the groups has caused confusion, division, and ultimately alienation from each other. This is mainly due to the dissimilar support and influences the various parties receives from their regional benefactors who share the same disunity, i.e. the GCC (Sunni) opposing the governments of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon (Shiite). The ultimate goal of these governments is for regional dominance in the Middle East. Throw in the agenda of the Western powers and Israel, and you have the current scenario of perpetual war and endless fighting. Whoever controls the region controls the resources…

The Mafiosi and the European Troika

I’m not a specialist in economics or political economics, especially so when it comes to European economics. But what I do know is that the Greek people and their state, is being looted in broad daylight. The referendum which took place a few weeks ago (to vote no to more austerity and bailouts) meant nothing to the Troika and was an exercise of futile, meaningless protest from the Greek people. The so-called far left radical Syriza Party turned out to be nothing more than a bunch of hard talking, action-less sell outs`. They caved and bent when it was their moment to shine and rescue their compatriots from the European banking Mafiosi. The subsequent deal entered into by the Greek government is said to be worse than the initial deal offered by the European bankers, prior to the referendum. Essentially, this means that the bankers gave the Greek people the big MIDDLE FINGER for voting no to more austerity measures and decided to tighten the already strangling noose on them.

To put the deal into perspective, the Troika offers the Greek Government €86B in loans, and in return (or as collateral) they take at least €50B in state assets and privatises these assets through private companies connected to either the ECB (European Central Bank), the IMF, the World Bank, or other German and French Banks. Furthermore, the Troika demands a reduction of spending in Social Programs and other economic vehicles which can improve Greece’s current economic situation and improve GDP. What these measures and demands inversely creates is more unemployment, an increase in goods and services, further tax increases (not for the Greek rich Oligarchs), and an increase in the debt ratio to GDP. With the privatisation of state assets, the new “owners” can hike prices (of services provided by these assets) or suspend trading of those assets as it deems economically necessary. The Troika in effect owns the state of Greece and its government.

The shenanigans and behaviour of the European bankers are eerily similar to those of the Mafia muscling in on local businessmen in their community enforcing their “protections services” and demanding a fee for same services. In comparing the Troika to the Mafia, this is exactly what they are telling the Greek Government……”Your unemployment rate has increased? Fuck you, pay me. Your banks are running low on cash? Fuck you, pay me. You don’t have money for Social Programs? Fuck you, pay me! Your people can’t afford basic services? Fuck you, pay me!”

‘ICC faces credibility test over Israeli war crimes investigation in Gaza’ - RT.com

The ICC's biggest test yet!  We shall wait with bated breath......will the IDF be tried for war crimes or will the ICC brush this one under the carpet......

*************************************************************

http://rt.com/op-edge/269899-icc-palestine-israel-war-crimes/

ICC faces credibility test over Israeli war crimes investigation in Gaza’

                                                                                            

If the International Criminal Court fails to open an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Palestine the UN court may collapse, warns John Dugard, former special rapporteur to the UN Human Rights Council concerning Palestinian affairs.

Palestinian officials have presented evidence of alleged Israeli atrocities committed during last year's war in Gaza to the International Criminal Court. This follows the publication of a damning UN report on the conflict. Israel denies all the allegations of war crimes against its soldiers.

RT: Is the Palestinian submission and the UN findings enough for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a full investigation?

John Dugard: Certainly there is enough information. The Palestinian Authority has provided much information today, but in addition of course, one must have regard to the Human Rights Council recent fact-finding report. And then there is also the publication of a document by Israeli soldiers, called “Breaking the Silence,” in which they described the manner in which the Gaza War was conducted. There is also the report prepared by the UN Secretary General in respect to attacks on UN premises. So in my view, there is clearly sufficient evidence to enable the prosecutor to open an investigation into war crimes committed in Palestine both in respect of the Gaza War and the construction of settlements.

RT: The Palestinians risk losing out on $400 million of annual aid from the US which opposes an investigation of Israel. How much pressure does this prospect put on Gaza?

JD: The US is not a member of the ICC, but that doesn’t deter it from exercising influence behind the scenes and there is no doubt that it does bring pressure to bear on member states, particularly in the EU. And it’s an open secret that some member states of the EU are not very enthusiastic about investigating Israel’s crimes. But I think one must bear in mind that the ICC at this stage faces a real credibility test. You know that recently there was an attempt to arrest Sudan President Omar al-Bashir in South Africa and the government allowed President al-Bashir to leave the country despite a court order prohibiting him from leaving South Africa. But that has given rise to a debate in South Africa and in Africa about the question of whether African states should remain in the ICC. And I have no doubt that they are looking to the Palestinian issue to see whether it’s worth their while to remain in the ICC. I think that if the prosecutor of the ICC fails to open an investigation into crimes committed in Palestine, then there is a very real danger that the ICC will fall apart because African states will decide to leave it.

RT: The UN report also accused Hamas of war crimes. Do the Palestinians accept these findings?

​'

JD: The Palestinians have been quite clear that they have accepted membership of the ICC in the understanding that their own citizens - members of Hamas and other militant groups - are also exposed to prosecutions. So Palestinians are quite prepared to see an even-handed prosecution of both Israelis and Palestinians and I think that speaks well for the Palestinians in this case.

RT: How will you sum up Israel’s response?

JD: Israel takes the view that it has the most moral army in the world, and that of course its soldiers could not commit war crimes, which of course is disproved by the fact-finding missions to which I have referred. Israel has set up its own investigation, but that has simply whitewashed the whole Israeli involvement in Gaza and it’s quite clear that the Israelis are determined not to prosecute its own soldiers for crimes committed in the Gaza war.

The Pentagon goes nuclear on Russia - By Pepe Escobar (RT.com)

Hold onto your hats everyone.....Cold War 2.0 has just warmed up!

http://rt.com/op-edge/269176-pentagon-nato-russia-nuclear-missiles/

Human Rights and the ICC

What constitutes crimes against humanity? Which body decides who is guilty of crimes against humanity and human rights violations?  The only International body founded to determine and try war crimes or crimes against humanity is supposedly the ICC (International Criminal Court). Another victim (dare I say African) targeted by the ICC is Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir, allegedly wanted for genocide and war crimes against his own people. While there is no doubt that there have been a few African heads of state guilty of similar crimes, e.g. DRC’s Thomas Lubanga, Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo, Libya’s Seif Islam Gadaffi, and numerous others, much less is said about other leaders around the world, specifically from the West, who have committed similar crimes and worse, but with no consequences for their actions.

Wars by western countries against countries like Afganistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen has killed thousands of innocent victims, including women, children and the elderly.  There have been endless examples of atrocities committed by these military invasions, but no action is taken against the perpetrators. The wars in Libya, Yemen and Syria are illegal, and as such makes the violence against the country’s inhabitants a case for war crimes. The illegal drone attacks by the US military in Pakistan has also caused untold suffering of Pakistani families, yet the ICC and the UN turns a blind eye to these atrocities. The constant Israeli blockade and attacks on the people of Gaza and Lebanon is a classic case, but the Israeli government persists in their behaviour with scant regard or respect for humanity or the sovereignty of the people of Palestine. The attacks by Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on the poorest nation in the world, Yemen, is a totally illegal invasion, and unspeakable atrocities are committed by these governments on the people of Yemen, yet the ICC and the UN pretends there is nothing untoward in this flagrant abuse of international law. The illegal war by NATO on the Libyan people has killed thousands and displaced close to a million others, and no uproar from the UN or the ICC.

Western leaders like George W Bush (Dubya), Tony Blair, Barrack Obama, David Cameron and several others are continually declaring war on weaker nations with flimsy excuses for their invasions, yet nothing or no-one can touch them for the war crimes they brought upon the nations they invaded.  The AU (although they are just another elitist club with the same agenda as the G7) is correct in alleging the ICC is more Africa focussed when it came to the prosecution of war crimes.  And they have every reason to conclude this, given that the 8 cases the ICC is busy investigating is all from African countries. From an ICC point of view, International law must be applied to some but others are exempt from the same prosecutorial processes. In this case, all third world countries are fair game to be tried for war crimes, and Western or first world nations and their leaders are exempt. For once I agree with the ANC when they claimed that the ICC is no longer the useful legal entity for which it was intended!