"What about us?

"What about us? "I will permit no man to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him."  - Booker T. Washington "I believe that despite the enormous odds which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination, as citizens, to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all. It is in fact mandatory. If such a determination is not embodied in our political vision we have no hope of restoring what is so nearly lost to us - the dignity of man." -  Harold Pinter, English playwright, poet, activist, 2005 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature (1930-2008) "What about us? Can we not get up from our armchairs and do what we can to insist that those liberties be protected? How have we reached such a pass? Have we grown so inured to the repetition from our leaders, including both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, that keeping us 'safe' is their first priority, that we have forgotten that the Founders risked everything for liberty, not for 'safety'"? - Ray McGovern    "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". - Mahatma Gandhi  ==== U.S. Retreats From Al-Tanf - Gives Up On Occupying South East Syria By Moon Of Alabama The U.S. mission to occupy the whole Iraqi-Syrian border and all of east Syria is lost. - Continue ===== Make No Mistake, We Are Already at War in Syria By Philip Giraldi Trump's anti-war promises were just glib campaign rhetoric.  - Continue ===== U.S. Lawmakers Approves Language Revoking War Authority By Ellen Mitchell It has been used to justify the Iraq War and the invasion of Syria. - Continue ===== Washington Has Been At War For 16 Years: Why? By Paul Craig Roberts For Washington to continue to provoke Russia and China is a sign of insanity. -- Continue ===== U.S. War As Foreign Policy By Lois Danks Trump has authorized his war generals to bomb whomever, wherever, and however they please. - Continue ===== Trump Competes With Hillary in U.S. War of Lies and Terror Against Syria By Glen Ford The War Party and its media have created a perfect storm of mayhem. - Continue ===== Another Splendid Little Coup By Greg Maybury The Rise and Rise of the Regime Renovators. - Continue ===== The Growing Danger of War With Iran By Paul R. Pillar Citizens need to be fully aware of the possibilities and the associated dangers.  - Continue ===== Netanyahu Fostering Extremism And Fascistization; Former Defense Minister Watch - BBC HardTalk How fragile is Israeli unity? - Continue ===== President El-Sisi: Egypt’s Antihero and the Broader Regional Implications By Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich It has been used to justify the Iraq War and the invasion of Syria. - Continue ===== Deposed Saudi Crown Prince Confined To Palace By Martin Chulov “There is too much risk in letting a disgruntled figure talk at a time like this.” - Continue ===== NYT Finally Retracts Russia-gate Canard By Robert Parry NYT retracts a myth that all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies agreed that Russia hacked into and distributed Democratic emails. - Continue ===== China Tech: Interesting Bits and Pieces By Fred Reed In much of America, the Chinese are dismissed as being “unable to innovate,” . - Continue ===== Latest Venezuelan Opposition Coup Attempt Against Maduro Linked to DEA, CIA By Whitney Webb The attack was intended to be part of an attempted coup, with full U.S. government support said to be behind them.  - Continue ===== U.S. Should Ratify Convention on Children’s Rights By Cesar Chelala The U.S. government often brutal detention of migrant children may conflict with this agreement. - Continue ==== Iraq; 600 militants killed, 900 families liberated as Mosul’s Old City freed from IS Daesh attack kills 10 Iraqi troops near Syria border IS admits Mosul defeat, preacher’s sermon suggests Baghdadi’s death Congress Threatens to Cut Iraqi Kurds’ Funding If They Secede 20 Islamic State militants killed in Syria bombing Syrian refugees return home in the hundreds of thousands, UN says IS quits Aleppo and launches counter-attack in Raqqa U.S. troops "just getting started good" in Raqqa; Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend Syrian Civilians Exposed To Sarin In April Attack, International Watchdog Says Putin and Erdogan discuss Syrian crisis ahead of Astana talks Media’s propaganda war on Syria in full flow 20 killed as Yemen troops, rebels battle for central province Yemeni missile hits Saudi base, kills six soldiers U.S. Judge in Yemen drone case: Congressional oversight of the military is 'a joke', our democracy is broken.” Hacked Email Shows UAE Ambassador Lobbying the Obama White House on Yemen War Lebanon refugee camps hit by five suicide bombers Escalation against Qatar and Iran may follow Muhammad Bin-Salman’s appointment as crown prince Qatar condemns Saudi refusal to negotiate over demands Jury finds Iran-linked office tower can be seized by US govt Apartheid Israeli Jets Attack Syrian Troops in Golan Heights for the 4th Time in a Week Germany okays deal to sell nuke-capable submarines to Israel At Least 22 Killed in Central African Republic Clashes U.S., NATO allies wrangle over troop levels in Afghanistan War criminal - Trump: 'Patience is over' with North Korea Options Prepared for Trump to Attack North Korea China furious at Trump’s $1.4bn Taiwan arms deal Trump overrules cabinet, plots global trade war US threatens war with North as South Korean president arrives in Washington Ex-nuke commanders: Talk to North Korea, open NATO-Russia dialogue Risks of nuclear weapons use are unnecessarily high and require urgent leadership and global action. Putin Receives Former US Diplomat Henry Kissinger in Kremlin Trump to Meet With Putin at G-20 Gathering Next Week Acting FBI Director McCabe Referred to DOJ Watchdog Over Potential Conflict of Interest in Russia Probe Brazilian president under pressure as union protests bring country to a standstill (PHOTOS, VIDEOS) U.S.students admitted to colleges without ever having read a book from start to finish Key House committee approves curbing Trump's war authorization powers War in Space: House panel votes to split Air Force, create new U.S. Space Corps WATCH: Morning Joe panel slams ‘dear leader’ Trump with horrifying 2-minute mashup of his Iowa lies Trump's Twitter tirade against journalist Mika Brzezinski draws strong criticism from Republicans Mika Brzezinski defended herself, says Trump’s tweets targeting her betrayed “a fragile, childlike ego” The Doctors on Morning Joe Have Diagnosed Donald Trump as a Sociopath Mika Brzezinski Goes Off on Trump and His 'Lobotomized' Staffers After Disturbing Tillerson Report A message to all Illinoisans about the budget crisis. June 28, 2017 Syria: U.S. Buildup All About Iran By Sharmine Narwani There is still talk of an escalation that may pit the United States against Russia. Continue ===== Are There any Limits to U.S. Hypocrisy? By Anna Jaunger If this political drama were playing out in some other country, we would be talking about a “soft coup” Continue ===== Presstitutes, Not Russia, Interfered in the US Presidential Election By Paul Craig Roberts Americans' feeling of freedom is declining. Continue ===== Russia-gate Is No Watergate or Iran-Contra By Robert Parry If this political drama were playing out in some other country, we would be talking about a “soft coup” Continue ===== UAE Asked US to Bomb Al Jazeera, Says 2003 Cable By Alex MacDonald Cable, published by Wikileaks, refers to UAE asking for Qatari channel to be targeted - Continue ===== Gonna’ Have to Face It, You’re Addicted to War By Ron Jacobs It’s time for rehab. It’s time to kick the habit. End the wars. Continue ===== Robert Parry Wins Prize For Journalism By John Pilger What he does is make sense of the news. - Continue ===== Land of the Free?By Jon Clifton Americans' feeling of freedom is declining. Continue ===== Watch: A Dose Of Reality By George Carlin America Is One Big Lie And You Are A Fool For Believing In It. Continue ===== Is American Childhood Creating an Authoritarian Society? By Pratik Chougule Overprotective parenting is a threat to democracy. Continue ===== Air Force attacks Syrian Army in Golan Heights Entire ISIS leadership in Daraa pocket wiped out by mysterious assassination US military threatens to bomb the Syrian Army again Moscow warns Washington against ‘incendiary, provocative action’ in Syria Mattis: US arms for Syrian Kurds will continue after Raqqa Watch; Battle For Mosul: ISIS Launches Surprise Counter-Attack Saudi bombers hit southwest Yemen, kill 10 Yemen soldiers killed in suspected Al-Qaeda attack Saudi demolition of Shiite homes stokes violence Saudi Arabia says its demands from Qatar 'non-negotiable' Why Al Jazeera is under threat How Israel gains from Egypt-Saudi Red Sea islands deal EU Pledges to Help Israel Suppress Criticism Thousands in Jerusalem protest abduction of Yemenite babies Iran says will act on U.S. court ruling on Trump's travel ban Afghanistan: Airstrike in Helmand leaves 6 militants dead and 4 others wounded Protesters Burn Flag in Protest at US Sanctions on Kashmir Militant Philippines says beheaded civilians found in rebel-held town China launches new generation 10,000-ton missile destroyer in Shanghai NATO planned to split Russia into several smaller parts NATO States to Raise Defense Spending by 4.3 Percent U.N. states agree $7.3 bln "peacekeeping" budget, U.S. share cut 7.5 pct UK minister accepted more than £45,000 for Middle East trips President Trump to attend Paris July 14 celebrations NSA tool behind another global ransomware attack CIA tool can track users of WiFi-capable Windows devices Venezuela: Soldier Killed, Three More Burned Alive Venezuela’s Maduro Condemns Helicopter Attack on Supreme Court, Justice Ministry Venezuela Slams OAS, Opposition Silence After Helicopter Attack Brazil's Temer Won't Resign and Says Nothing Will Destroy Him Trump Considers Trade Actions Against China: Officials U.S. image plummets under Trump 3 Police Indicted in Alleged Cover-Up of Fatal Shooting Two in three U.S. patients can't pay off their hospital bills Pay to play: Former Clinton Foundation Donors Flocking To The McCain Institute EPA chief met with Dow CEO before deciding on pesticide ban: Dow spent more than $13.6 million on lobbying in 2016