A selection of 'Canadian' and International News

Another Israeli War Criminal of the Year Award

America represents the worst of rogue governance. So does Israel. They menace humanity. They persecute their best. They honor their worst.

General Wesley Clark: Whistleblower, Warrior

Once a warrior, always one. Clark hasn't forgotten. His credentials are notorious. He's a war criminal. He's also a whistle-blower.

Obama's Berlin Moment

Obama's unwelcome in Berlin. He's not wanted. Many Berliners aren't pleased he came. His rhetoric fell short. Doublespeak duplicity is hollow. It doesn't sell well.

Obama's Nuclear Arms Reduction Hoax

On April 5, 2009, Obama spoke in Prague's Hradcany Square. He did so duplicitously. He lied saying "clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons."

Bono: Sacred Cow or Sad Clown?

By HARRY BROWNE - Counterpunch Weekend Edition

[Bono's] significance...is as a front-man...for those who want to maintain and extend their dominion over the earth, and to make that dominion less and less accountable to the assembled riff-raff. That’s why it’s so important that he is not allowed to take ownership of the protest song in the same way he has previously seized, say, the color red or the idea of making poverty history.

The Naked Imperialism of Humanitarian Intervention

By AMAJU BARAKA - June 19, 2013

...[T]he recent decision by the Obama Administration to “up the ante” in Syria with more direct military involvement only confirmed my original thesis that humanitarian intervention has nothing to do with humanitarian concern, and instead is a propaganda tool that affords “the U.S. State the perfect ideological cover and internal rationalization to continue as the global 'gendarme' of the capitalist order.”

Big Racists vs Little Racists: How Israeli Apartheid is Coming Unstuck

By Jonathan Cook - June 21st, 2013

One incident of racism...has triggered an uncharacteristic bout of Israeli soul-searching...Superland, a large amusement park near Tel Aviv, refused to accept a booking from an Arab school on its preferred date in late May. When a staff member called back impersonating a Jew, Superland approved the booking immediately.

Excess of Luxury Housing is Suffocating Vancouver: An Open Letter to Donald Trump

By Garth Mullins - June 21, 2013

It has come to my attention that you were in Vancouver this week to announce your new high-end hotel/condo tower in Coal Harbour, near where I work. My fellow citizens and I decided not to picket your event. Instead, I opt for polite correspondence, to respectfully inform you that we are sufficiently supplied with luxury condominiums at present and require no further units. We'll call if we're running low.

Washington Funds Secret Israeli Ballistic Missile Base

Washington and Israel are longstanding partners. Both prioritize state-of-the-art WMDs and intercontinental delivery systems capability. Doing so threatens humanity.

Reflections on the First Day of Occupation at Swamp Line 9 Camp

Twenty-four hours after taking over Enbridge’s North Westover pumping station, we’re still here, construction is stopped for a second day, and we’re confident we can hold the space for a while still. We’re confident that energy will continue to build through the weekend, and we invite anyone interested in helping us stop construction to drop by the site.

U.S.-Backed "Rebels" Carry Out Sectarian Massacre in Syria

By Bill Van Auken - June 21, 2013

At least 60 people, including women, children and the elderly, were killed in a massacre of Shia Muslims by US-backed “rebels” in eastern Syria Tuesday...A video posted online showed Islamist gunmen bragging about killing Shias and burning and looting their homes.

Actor James Gandolfini, Lead Actor in The Sopranos, Dies at 51

By David Walsh - WSWS

Sadly, American actor James Gandolfini died June 19 while on holiday in Rome. Best known for his role on the HBO television series The Sopranos (1999-2007), Gandolfini was only 51 years old. A very fine performer, who often played gruff or thuggish characters, by all accounts, off-screen he was a shy and unpretentious man.

Corporations Think Protesters Are Terrorists

By Thom Hartmann - June 20, 2013

...TransCanada Corp., the Canadian owned energy conglomerate that is the backer of the Keystone XL pipeline extension...is encouraging American law enforcement agencies to treat anti-pipeline protestors like terrorists. Yes, terrorists...And what are the “terrorist” activities that TransCanada is so concerned about? They include things like monkey-wrenching, tree-sitting, and tying yourself to a construction vehicle with a device called a “dragon-lock.”

Fast-Tracking Toward War on Syria

America's run by sociopaths. They're out-of-control criminals. They're traitors. They menace humanity. They violate their sacred oaths of office.

Bureaucrats Find Secret Trial Process "Too Protective of Rights"

By Matthew Behrens - rabble.ca

While the use of security certificates appears to have stalled, their most pernicious attributes are being used in a widening net that entraps refugees and permanent resident applicants. For years, secret trials opponents have argued that security certificates were a thin edge of the wedge for a broader attack on fundamental freedoms...That argument...continues to be confirmed, as witnessed these past few weeks by revelations of mass spying on global citizens by the National Security Agency as well as the Communications Security Establishment Canada.