First reactions for the German election results as a perfect example of how the establishment exploits the rise of the far-right

by system failure

First reactions for the results of the recent German elections showed how masterfully the neoliberal regime in Germany and Europe exploits the rise of the far-right.

We do not underestimate the dangerous rise of the far-right in Germany (and elsewhere), yet it would be useful to identify the main purpose behind the alarming headlines in most of the mainstream media about this fact around Europe.

The vast majority of the mainstream media (and even independent media), focused on the dangerous rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the right-wing populist and eurosceptic political party in Germany. Indeed, the rise is really impressive and cannot be underestimated considering that in previous elections AfD had gained zero seats with only 4.7%.

However, this is a perfect opportunity for the neoliberal establishment to exploit such a terrifying rise of the far-right at least in two ways:

• First, the far-right scary monster will be used to disorientate public from what is about to become the new establishment: a neofeudal federal Europe under the tight scrutiny of the Brussels-Berlin axis, dominated by banks and corporations where labor rights, welfare state, social justice, civil liberties will become memories of the past. All in the name of growth, competition and security. We've already seen Angela Merkel essentially announcing the end of the welfare state even inside Germany.

• Second, the far-right will be used by the neoliberal regime as a political weapon to launch a fierce counterattack against all who dare to criticize its brutally-imposed policies. From now on, anyone who will dare to protest against the neoliberal barbarism, not aligned with the establishment's new conditions based on the Greek experiment, will be considered responsible for 'feeding' the far-right. We've seen something similar in the latest US elections where the mainstream propaganda painted real progressives, who supported Bernie Sanders against Hillary Clinton, as being one of the main reasons for the rise of Donald Trump in power.

Indeed, some real progressives, coming from what the establishment calls 'far-left', even from various independent media, have already been dragged into this political trap. Some spoke about nightmares of the past, claiming that the political scenery in Germany right now dangerously resembles the situation in pre-WWII Germany.

It seems that the establishment mechanisms have studied thoroughly the 'psycho-synthesis' of modern left and therefore, know how to play the game. The worst nightmare of today's progressives, is to be accused of fueling the fire of the far-right across Europe. Inevitably, they were immediately aligned behind the headlines of the mainstream media, and therefore, didn't dare to mention what another term of a coalition government under Angela Merkel leadership would really mean for Germany and Europe.

Well, here is the ugly truth: Merkel is very close to implement all the neofeudal conditions in favor of the elites. As the experiment in Greece is almost completed, she will have all the time to implement it throughout Europe and even inside Germany. Then, her party will suffer an unprecedented defeat and she will leave because simply, her real mission will have been accomplished. And then, the new oligarchs of Europe will unleash the blood-thirsty dogs of the far-right as one of their most useful tools, in order to suppress any popular resistance.

Historically, in times of social upheaval, the big capital always uses the forces of the far-right to maintain its power and dominance over the majority. The left, once again, didn't dare to confront directly the establishment. The leftist political leaderships in Europe should realize at last that, as long as they don't dare to lead a real fight against the neoliberal regime, more and more impoverished citizens will be attracted by the far-right.

And when the far-right monster will become significantly strong, it will be extremely difficult to be confronted ...

France’s counterterrorism bill normalizes Police State

France’s draft counterterrorism bill is now in its final stretch before becoming law. The fast-tracked bill is widely expected to pass a vote in an extraordinary session of the National Assembly on October 3 – despite concerns that it encroaches on people’s rights.

The bill doesn’t prolong France’s two-year-long state of emergency, which will formally be over when it becomes law.

What it does is rather more unsettling. It takes elements of emergency practices – intrusive search powers, restrictions on individuals that have bordered on house arrest, closure of places of worship – that have been used abusively since November 2015, and makes them normal criminal and administrative practice. It does all this in a way that weakens the judiciary’s control over and ability to check against abuse in the way the new counterterrorism powers are used by prefects, the Interior Ministry’s appointed delegates in each region.

In July, the Senate approved important improvements to the bill: a sunset clause for the powers to stop existing in 2020, a requirement for annual reporting on their use to parliament, and technical changes mitigating the worst excesses of each proposed power.

But the current version of the bill, after the debate in France’s lower house, undoes many of these changes.

It re-inserts vague language allowing prefects to order a mosque closure on ill-defined grounds and sets out a harsher punishment if the mosque isn’t closed. People whose liberty is restricted to a specific area by a prefect’s order on national security grounds must report more frequently to police stations. Also, these orders can last much longer.

A prefect can order an area to be locked down for increased searches for up to a month – without an imminent threat. And it expands the areas within which police can search people without a warrant to a 20-kilometer radius of ports, airports, and international train stations – all this in a country where police have all too often engaged in ethnic profiling during such stops.

One analysis estimates that such extended powers could cover 28.6 percent of French territory and 67 percent of its population.

To some, these may seem like arcane technicalities or a small price to pay for the hope of greater security. But everyone in France should be worried about their rights when the executive branch of government rushes laws through without proper legislative scrutiny, to give itself greater powers without effective judicial control.

Source, links:

http://www.mintpressnews.com/france-counterterrorism-bill-normalizes-emergency-practices/232422/

Related:

Already confirmed: Civil liberties under attack!

Ξεπούλημα νερών: Όταν το Σίτι βγαίνει στον Τσίπρα από αριστερά

του Λεωνίδα Βατικιώτη

Όταν οι άλλοι γύριζαν ο Αλέξης και οι ΣΥΡΙΖΑίοι πήγαιναν… Όταν στην Μέκκα του νεοφιλελευθερισμού, τη βρετανική πρωτεύουσα λένε «ως εδώ» και «δεν πάει άλλο» με την ιδιωτικοποίηση του νερού, η κυβέρνηση ετοιμάζεται να ιδιωτικοποιήσει την ΕΥΔΑΠ και την ΕΥΑΘ και ο Τσίπρας, όπως και εκατοντάδες άλλοι ΣΥΡΙΖΑίοι, που έχτισαν πολιτική καριέρα ως λαθρεπιβάτες του κινήματος κατά του ξεπουλήματος των νερών, τώρα υποδέχεται εν χορδαίς και οργάνοις τον Μακρόν, συνοδευόμενο από στελέχη της Suez και της EDF, οι οποίοι ετοιμάζονται να εξαγοράσουν τις ελληνικές εταιρείες ύδατος.

Τα αλλεπάλληλα ρεπορτάζ των Financial Times για την ιδιωτικοποίηση που επιβλήθηκε το 1989 επί Θάτσερ σε Αγγλία και Ουαλία ήταν καταιγιστικά: «28 χρόνια μετά, τα αποτελέσματα από το πείραμα είναι ξεκάθαρα. Έχει αποτύχει», έγραφαν σε ανάλυση με τίτλο «Το καθεστώς του νερού κραυγάζει για αλλαγή».

Οι αιτίες που επιβεβαιώνουν την αποτυχία (για την κοινωνία) της ιδιωτικοποίησης των νερών είναι πολλές: Οι τιμές έχουν αυξηθεί ταχύτερα από τον πληθωρισμό κατά 40%, ενώ, σύμφωνα με το Πανεπιστήμιο του Γκρίνουιτς που εξειδικεύεται σε έρευνες κατά των ιδιωτικοποιήσεων, αν τα νερά ήταν ακόμη δημόσια οι καταναλωτές θα πλήρωναν 500 λίρες ετησίως λιγότερες στους λογαριασμούς τους.

Η μεγαλύτερη από τις ιδιωτικές εταιρείες η Thames Water μόλυνε τον Τάμεση ρίχνοντας στο ποτάμι (κρατηθείτε!) …4,2 δισ. λίτρα ακάθαρτων υδάτων! Μια άλλη, η Wakefield τα έριξε σε λίμνη, άλλη σε ποτάμι, κοκ. Εξαγγέλλονται θηριώδη έργα ύψους 4,2 δισ. λιρών αμφίβολης όμως αξίας που κάνουν τους περιβαλλοντολόγους – επιστήμονες να τραβούν τα μαλλιά τους. Το δε χρέος και των 9 ιδιωτικών εταιρειών φτάνει τα 42 δισ. λίρες, όταν τη στιγμή της ιδιωτικοποίησης δεν υπήρχε ούτε μισή λίρα χρέους. Κι όσο για τη ρυθμιστική αρχή, που με βάση το επίσημο παραμύθι θα επιβάλλει τον ανταγωνισμό, τιθασεύοντας υποτίθεται τις αχαλίνωτες δυνάμεις της αγοράς; Γράφει η εφημερίδα του Σίτι με την απαράμιλλη ειρωνεία της, ξεπερνώντας από τα αριστερά ακόμη και την Αυγή: «Είναι δύσκολο να αποφύγεις το συμπέρασμα ότι είναι πιο επικεντρωμένη στο να κρατάει τον κλάδο ευτυχή παρά τους καταναλωτές»…

Μπορεί όμως Άγγλοι και Ουαλοί να έχουν πει το νερό νεράκι (όπως θα γίνει και στην Ελλάδα αν αφεθεί ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ να εφαρμόσει τα σχέδια του) κάποιοι ωστόσο κερδίζουν δισ.! Είναι οι εταιρείες ιδιωτικού κεφαλαίου (private equity), υπεράκτιες κατά βάση, που έχουν αγοράσει τις 6 από τις 9 εταιρείες ύδατος, βγάζοντας τις από το χρηματιστήριο, με ένα και μοναδικό σκοπό: Εντελώς ιδιωτικά να νέμονται τα κέρδη τους. Συγκεκριμένα τα 18,1 δις. λίρες από τα 18,8 δις. κερδών, που διανεμήθηκαν ως μερίσματα. Κι όσο για τους διευθύνοντες συμβούλους τους; Οι αμοιβές τους αρχίζουν από 1,2 εκ. ετησίως και φτάνουν τα 2,8 εκ.! Να ποιοί ωφελούνται από τις ιδιωτικοποιήσεις… Και μαζί ορισμένοι παρακεντέδες πολιτικοί και δημοσιογράφοι που θα βρουν νέα πηγή ρευστού για να χτίσουν τις επόμενες πολιτικές καριέρες…

Πηγή:

http://prin.gr/?p=16518

Σχετικά:

Οι Γάλλοι νεοαποικιοκράτες επιστρέφουν στην Ελλάδα υπό 'ιδανικές' συνθήκες

US airstrikes in Syria have killed 2,617 civilians

While the official Pentagon reports on civilian deaths claim far fewer deaths, NGOs have been consistently documenting a massive number of civilian bystanders killed in America’s air war in Iraq and Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the total at 2,617 civilians killed in US-led strikes just in Syria. This included 615 children and 443 women. It also doesn’t include the much larger tolls believed to have been inflicted in Iraq.

The Pentagon has put the overall toll closer to 700 civilians killed across both countries, and they also reckon a large majority in Iraq. Within Syria, the largest number of civilians were killed in Raqqa, but it also includes civilians slain in Manbij, as well as elsewhere around the country.

Despite the US struggles with providing anything resembling accurate death tolls for their airstrikes, both the Syrian Observatory and Airwars have proven quite successful at offering estimates that are seen as closely in-line with what’s been reported by the media and by civilians on the ground.

The Pentagon, by contrast, tends to operate on wishful thinking, insisting any really large tolls are “not credible” and excluding them from the reports, despite many of those having substantial evidence of having occurred.

Source, links:

http://www.mintpressnews.com/monitors-us-airstrikes-syria-killed-2617-civilians/232419/

Dozens of civilians killed when US bombed a school and a market in Syria

U.S. military aircraft bombed a school and a crowded marketplace in attacks that killed dozens of civilians in Syria this March, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch. The report, titled “All Feasible Precautions?: Civilian Casualties in Anti-ISIS Coalition Airstrikes in Syria,” investigated two airstrikes conducted in and around the northern Syrian city of Tabqa. Investigators who visited the sites and interviewed locals and survivors found that the strikes had caused huge numbers of civilian deaths. The documentation adds to a drumbeat of criticism about a U.S. air campaign in Syria that has already been accused of inflicting massive civilian casualties in support of ground operations against Islamic State by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The attacks documented in the report include a March 20 airstrike that targeted a school housing displaced people in the suburban town of Mansourah, outside of Tabqa, as well as another strike that hit a packed marketplace in Tabqa City two days later. Investigators from Human Rights Watch visited the sites of both attacks this July and collected the names of at least 84 civilians who had died in the bombings, including 30 children. While witnesses who spoke to investigators acknowledged that ISIS members, along with their families, had been around the areas of the bombings, they also said many civilians were nearby who had no connection to the group.

In the case of the March 22 marketplace bombing, huge numbers of people who had been lining up to buy bread at a local bakery were killed by an airstrike in an attack that may have been targeting a few ISIS members sitting in a nearby internet cafe. While the U.S.-led coalition has acknowledged carrying out the March 20 attack against the school, which it claimed had targeted a suspected weapons storage facility, it has said that it is still assessing the circumstances surrounding the marketplace bombing.

Full report:

https://theintercept.com/2017/09/25/syria-us-airstrike-civilian-death-hrw-tabqa/