By Ken Leslie for the Saker Blog The Poglavnik of the East[1] “I know no way of judging the future but the past.” Patrick Henry, 1765 “This time, it’s different” Any gambler bleeding thousands of dollars at a table in Las Vegas These days we all seem preoccupied with daily events which are taking a turn for the worse. No, not everything is “bad” but only those who are sound
By Ramin Mazaheri for the Saker Blog If you had said back in May that the CARES Act would be the only fiscal stimulus in the world’s richest country surely you would have responded, “But then by October America will certainly be in pandemonium?” Well… where’s the pandemonium? I can best explain this American exceptionalism – that they go postal only when they should not, instead of when they should
From : http://middleeastobserver.net/naqqash-i-predict-us-civil-war-after-2020-presidential-election/ Description: In a recent interview with Syrian television, senior Lebanese political analyst Anees Naqqash says that he predicts that an American ‘civil war’ will ensue from the 2020 US presidential election on November 3, regardless of whether Donald Trump wins or loses the election. Source: Syrian Al-Akhbariya, via the ‘Kalam Siyasi’ YouTube channel Date: October 11, 2020 (Important Note: Please help us keep producing independent translations for you by contributing
Mr Lavrov speaks at the Valdai Club on October 13th, 2020. Note that the video does not include the question and answer session, which is included in the transcript below. Complete English transcript including questions and answers. Mr Lukyanov, Colleagues, There is no need to say that you are flattered by my participation – this is in our interests: you cannot be left on your own, since otherwise you will
South Front As of October 13, clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continue in the southern part of the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region, while on the other parts of the frontline Baku and Yerevan limited their military activity to exchange of artillery and aerial strikes. The humanitarian ceasefire signed by the sides in Moscow formally remains in force, but the terms of the ceasefire are not fulfilled by both sides. The
by Mansoureh Tajik for the Saker Blog “In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. In Part I of this topic (See here), the inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran under the leadership of Imam Khomeini was referenced as a specific example of a system in governance based on Imamat and Wilayat as interpreted, implemented, and practiced in Shi’a Islam. Iran was a nation pegged
By Francis Lee for the Saker Blog Globalization – i.e., neo-liberalism writ large – is essentially a negative phenomenon destroying the sovereignty and cohesion of nation states and thereby depriving markets of the social and political guidance without which they cannot function effectively…The result will be a socially divisive, politically destructive, ethically abhorrent and even economically inefficient structure.(1) JOINED AT THE HIP Transnational Corporations (TNCs) can be compared to a
South Front The Armenian-Azerbaijani war in the Nagorno-Karabakh region does not show signs of nearing its end despite the humanitarian ceasefire launched in the region. The ceasefire started in the Nagorno-Karabakh region at 12:00 local time on October 10. The ceasefire deal was reached by the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides following long talks in Moscow a day ago. Russia played a key role in forcing the sides to make steps
by Ramin Mazaheri and cross posted with PressTV With both parties unwilling to agree on a desperately-needed 2nd Stimulus package amid Great Depression-levels of economic suffering, it should be crystal clear that both Democrats and Republicans are happy to destroy the average American in their lust for power. It’s incredibly devilish, but just to achieve their short-term goal of winning the November elections both parties have proven that the ruin
By Pepe Escobar, posted with permission and first posted at Asia Times Chinese scholar Lanxin Xiang has written a book, The Quest for Legitimacy in Chinese Politics, that is arguably the most extraordinary effort in decades trying to bridge the East-West politico-historical divide. It’s impossible in a brief column to do justice to the relevance of the discussions this book inspires. Here we will highlight some of the key issues –
By Pepe Escobar, posted with permission and first posted at Asia Times Everything about US-China hinges on the result of the upcoming US presidential election. Trump 2.0 essentially would turbo-charge its bet on decoupling, aiming to squeeze “malign” China on a multiple Hybrid War front, undermine the Chinese trade surplus, co-opt large swathes of Asia, while always insisting on characterizing China as evil incarnate. Team Biden, even as it professes
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mr Vanderplaetse, Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues, Thank you for the opportunity to address once again the members of the Association of European Businesses in the Russian Federation. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the 25th anniversary of your association. We appreciate your efforts to promote our economic, investment and trade ties, laying a solid foundation for building
South Front The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan supported by Turkey continue their large-scale offensive to capture the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region from Armenian forces. Following the gains of the previous days, when Azerbaijani forces captured the towns of Talish, Jabrayil and Mataghis, they developed momentum in the Jabrayil district capturing the villages of Shikhali Agali, Sari jali, and Mezre, and several other hill tops, according to the country’s president Ilham Aliyev.
South Front Azerbaijan is slowly but steadily gaining an upper hand in the war with Armenia for the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. As of October 5, the Azerbaijani military, supported by Turkish military advisers, specialists and intelligence, captured the towns of Jabrayil, Mataghis and Talysh after heavy clashes with Armenian forces. Azerbaijani sources also report the control over multiple villages including Ashagi Abdulrahmanli, Mehdili, Chakhirli, Ashagi Maralyan, Sheybey and Kuyjagh. On
By Peter Koenig for the Saker Blog Palestine under siege for 72 years. A UK-prompted UN decision in 1947 allowed David Ben-Gurion, then the head of the Jewish Agency, to proclaim on May 14, 1948, the establishment of the State of Israel. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, a UN proposal, recommended a partition of “Mandatory Palestine” at the end of the British Mandate. “Mandatory Palestine” (picture to the left depicting Mandatory Palestine
By Ramin Mazaheri for the Saker Blog Since 1996 Americans have proven that they know their own country: polls show they have correctly picked the winner of the popular vote every time. Even though Trump’s approval rating is under 50% and poll aggregates show he trails by 8%, Gallup just asked who they think will win and 56% of Americans picked Trump, including 24% of Democrats, while just 40% picked
by Jimmie Moglia for the Saker Blog It takes strength, endurance, resignation and stomach to like Donald Trump. Not for what he actually is. Under the pen of Alexandre Dumas, for example, Trump may even appear as a not-dislikable Yankee D’Artagnan of sorts. Maybe with less finesse than the original musketeer, whose contained yet French swaggering captivated millions of readers, when reading was still ‘cool’. Rather for some infamous things
South Front On October 2, the Armenian-Azerbaijani war entered its 5th day. Forces of the Azerbaijani military, supported by Turkey, continued their attempts to capture the contested Nagorno-Karabakh Region and to dismantle the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is overwhelmingly populated by Armenians. Intense artillery duels and Azerbaijani airstrikes are being reported across the entire frontline in Karabakh, and even near some parts of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border. Nonetheless, the main clashes
by Ramin Mazaheri and cross posted with PressTV Politics is life or death (for the barest illustration of this reality just look at medicine sanctions on Iran, Cuba, etc.), so it’s hard for many of us to get too worked up over Joe Biden telling Donald Trump that he was a “clown” who should “shut up” at their first presidential debate, which is now known as the worst debate ever.
by Mansoureh Tajik for the Saker Blog Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim, “In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Who is qualified to be in the position of governing and based on what rules are two of the most essential questions with which human societies continue to wrestle. We are currently witnessing at the global stage how the fate and wellbeing of nations are tightly linked to the quality of,
