Daily Archives: 13. März 2018


13.03.2018 - 22:15 [ marcuse.org ]

Herbert Marcuse: „Repressive Toleranz“

Die Kräfte der Emanzipation lassen sich nicht mit einer gesellschaftlichen Klasse gleichsetzen, die aufgrund ihrer materiellen Lage von falschem Bewußtsein frei ist. Heute sind sie hoffnungslos über die Gesellschaft zerstreut, und die kämpfenden Minderheiten und isolierten Gruppen stehen oft in Opposition zu ihrer eigenen Führung. In der Gesamtgesellschaft muß der geistige Raum für Verneinung und Reflexion erst wiederhergestellt werden. Zurückgeworfen durch die verwaltete Gesellschaft, wird die Anstrengung zur Emanzipation »abstrakt«; sie wird darauf reduziert, die Anerkennung dessen zu erleichtern, was geschieht, die Sprache von der Tyrannei der Orwellschen Syntax und Logik zu befreien, die Begriffe zu entwickeln, welche die Realität erfassen. Mehr denn je gilt der Satz, daß Fortschritt in der Freiheit Fortschritt im Bewußtsein der Freiheit erfordert. Wo der Geist zum Subjekt-Objekt der Politik und ihrer Praktiken gemacht worden ist, ist geistige Autonomie, die Anstrengung des reinen Denkens, eine Sache politischer Erziehung (oder vielmehr: Gegenerziehung) geworden.

13.03.2018 - 21:47 [ The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity ]

What is Driving New Drive for AUMF?

After years of sitting back and letting Congressional authority to declare war transfer to the Executive Branch, it appears that some leading Members of the House and Senate are finally waking up to the consequences of their failure. On February 27, the House Progressive Caucus and the House Liberty Caucus joined forces to hold a hearing on the illegal wars raging in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and Iraq, demanding that Congress take back the war powers authority. The succession of regime change wars of the post 9/11 period have all been justified by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that was passed in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.

13.03.2018 - 20:00 [ David Rothkopf / Haaretz ]

Trump‘s Abrupt New Romance With Kim Leaves Netanyahu Hurting, and Stranded

It was very nearly 50 years ago that Stephen Sills released his hit single containing the immortal line, „If you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with.“

That song could have been the sound-track for U.S.- Israel relations last week.

Because shortly after star-crossed bromancers Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu parted after their cozy interlude at the White House, Trump quickly turned his affections in another direction.

13.03.2018 - 19:36 [ WSWS ]

Großmachtpolitik, Militäreinsätze, konsequente Abschiebungen – das rechte Programm der Großen Koalition

Die neue Bundesregierung wird erst am Mittwoch vereidigt, aber die Medien haben bereits begonnen, die Öffentlichkeit auf ihren Kurs einzustimmen. Dabei bestätigen sie, was die WSWS von Anfang an über den Koalitionsvertrag geschrieben hat: Die Politik der Großen Koalition wird von Großmachtstreben, Militarismus und heftigen Angriffen auf soziale und demokratische Rechte geprägt sein.

13.03.2018 - 19:29 [ German Foreign Policy ]

Der Blitzaufstieg des Generalsekretärs

Verteidigt wird Selmayr von anderen Deutschen in Brüssel wie etwa von Haushaltskommissar Günther Oettinger, dessen Vorgängerin im Streit mit Selmayr aus dem Amt schied, und von seinem langjährigen Förderer Elmar Brok, der zur Zeit als „Brexit-Sherpa“ des Europaparlaments tätig ist. Der Parlamentsausschuss, der Selmayrs Blitzaufstieg durchleuchten wird, wird von einer CDU-Politikerin geleitet. Deutsche arbeiten in hoher Zahl auch an der Spitze anderer EU-Behörden, beispielsweise der EU-Finanzapparate. Kritiker warnen mittlerweile vor einer „Germanisierung“ des Europaparlaments.

13.03.2018 - 19:17 [ antikrieg.com ]

USA fordern „Dringlichkeitstreffen“ in Jordanien, nachdem Syrien Rebellen im Süden des Landes angegriffen hat

US-Regierungsvertreter gaben eine Erklärung heraus, in der sie alle Seiten warnten, die Deeskalationszone zu respektieren und den Waffenstillstand nicht zu gefährden. Es ist nicht klar, wie ernsthaft dieser Aufruf genommen wird, nachdem Regierungsvertreter der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika offen damit drohen, Syrien auf jeden Fall bald anzugreifen.

13.03.2018 - 16:19 [ Palestine News & Info Agency ]

Presidency condemns attack on prime minister’s convoy in Gaza

The Palestinian presidency condemned on Tuesday the attack on the convoy of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah after entering the Gaza Strip and held Hamas responsible for what it described as “the premeditated aggression against the convoy of the prime minister and the head of intelligence.”

It said in a statement that “this attack against the convoy of the prime minister aimed at efforts and steps by President Mahmoud Abbas to end division and achieve reconciliation.”

It said “whoever carried out this act directly serves the interest of the Israeli occupation, the main beneficiary from the division.”

13.03.2018 - 15:34 [ Wikipedia ]

Gina Haspel

(last edited on 13 March 2018, at 15:26)
Haspel joined the CIA in 1985 and has held several top positions in the agency including deputy director of the National Clandestine Service.[5] Haspel ran a „black site“ CIA prison located in Thailand in 2002.[6][7] The site was codenamed „Cat’s Eye“ and held suspected al Qaeda members Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri and Abu Zubaydah for a time. The Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture specifies that during their detention at the site they were waterboarded and interrogated using no-longer-authorized methods.[5][8] Declassified CIA cables specify that Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times in a month, was sleep deprived, kept in a „large box“, had his head slammed against a wall, and he lost his left eye. Zubaydah was deemed, by the CIA interrogators, to not be in possession of any useful intelligence (Interrogation of Abu Zubaydah).[9]

Haspel later was the chief of staff to Jose Rodriguez, who headed the CIA‘s Counterterrorism Center. In his memoir, Rodriguez wrote that Haspel had „drafted a cable“ in 2005 ordering the destruction of dozens of videotapes made at the black site in Thailand.[8]

13.03.2018 - 14:09 [ Sofia Globe ]

Bulgarian president, prosecutor-general challenge private security law

In his statement, Radev said that “the state does not have the right to abdicate the duty to ensure the security and peace of people in populated areas, including so-called urbanised territories. The opportunity, which the Private Security Act gives private enterprises to carry out guarding activities in urbanised territories are a de facto refusal by state, through its executive branch, to carry out its duties to secure public order.”

13.03.2018 - 13:58 [ Middle East Monitor ]

Israel uses drones to drop tear gas on Gazans for first time

Some 200 Gazans had gathered at the border fence with Israel as part of a weekly protest against the ten-year blockade when an unmanned aerial vehicle approached the scene. Footage from the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen news agency shows the drone dropping canisters of tear gas on the protesters who can then be seen running blindly from the scene.

13.03.2018 - 13:45 [ Washington Post ]

The Latest: Italian businessman detained in Slovakia

Prosecutor general spokeswoman Andreja Predajnova says Antonino Vadala was detained on Tuesday morning in the eastern town of Michalovce. She says the move comes at the request of an Italian court that issued a European warrant for Vadala’s arrest due to a drugs-related crime. Italy seeks his extradition.(…)
In his last unfinished story, Kuciak was writing about the ties between Vadala, alleged to be a member of an Italian crime syndicate, and people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico.

13.03.2018 - 13:40 [ Middle East Monitor ]

YPG to be withdrawn from Manbij as Turkish forces encircle Afrin

Speaking to reporters during a flight to Moscow, Cavusoglu said Turkey and the US would decide on a detailed plan for the region in the coming week, vowing that Turkish forces would go ahead with a military operation if those talks fail.
The foreign minister added that Ankara would “monitor” the return of weapons given to the YPG by Washington, an issue that has strained ties between the NATO allies.

13.03.2018 - 09:38 [ Korea Broadcasting System ]

Präsident Moon ruft zu Kräftebündelung für Wandel in Korea auf

Das Land sollte die wichtige Gelegenheit nicht verpassen, bei den möglichen dramatischen Veränderungen in der Weltgeschichte die Hauptrolle zu spielen, betonte er.

Mit der Einschätzung, dass das Ende eines unbekannten Wegs hin zu einer großen Wende unberechenbar sei, rief der Staatschef die Bürger auf, über ideologische Grenzen und Lagerdenken hinaus ihre Kräfte zu bündeln.

13.03.2018 - 09:34 [ Korea Broadcasting System ]

Chinas Präsident hofft auf verstärkte Kommunikation mit Südkorea

Chung übermittelte auch eine Einladung an Xi Jinping für einen Staatsbesuch in Südkorea.

Xi sagte, dass Präsidentin Moon Jae-in seine Rücksichtnahme auf die Beziehungen mit Peking demonstriert habe, indem er einen Sondergesandten nach China schickte. Er habe eine hohe Meinung von dem Schritt.

China nehme die bilaterale Partnerschaft mit Seoul wichtig.

13.03.2018 - 09:32 [ Weißes Haus ]

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders

MS. SANDERS: Jon.

Q Thanks a lot, Sarah. Since Kim Jong-un’s overture to meet with President Trump last Thursday and his proposal to denuclearize, the North Korean media has mentioned nothing. They haven’t referenced the overture; they haven’t referenced this idea that North Korea would get rid of its nuclear weapons. I heard what you said a little bit earlier about how you believe that a meeting will still take place. What makes you think that, based upon the fact that Kim Jong-un hasn’t even mentioned this to his own people, that anything of substance will come out at such a meeting?

MS. SANDERS: Look, we know that the maximum pressure campaign is working. We know that they have responded due to that, and they have pushed this message through the South Koreans to us. We have accepted their invitation on the three promises that they made, and we’re going to move forward in this process.

Q Being nuclearized is a point on pride, we are told —

MS. SANDERS: I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear the first part of what you said.

Q Being a nuclear country is a point of pride, we are told, for North Koreans. To just simply get rid of their own nuclear weapons, it seems, would be something that would undercut what that country and what Kim Jong-un stands for. Again, why would he get rid of his nuclear weapons?

MS. SANDERS: I think that shows the effectiveness of the maximum pressure campaign. And that’s one of the reasons that we’re not letting up on the maximum pressure campaign, and we’re going to continue pushing forward on it.

John.

Q Thank you, Sarah. Two questions. First, following up on what Jon asked, we know that Kim Jong-un has been using a special envoy to Seoul to send messages. Has he sent any special messages through any special envoy to the President?

MS. SANDERS: I’m not going to get ahead of or go beyond any of the things that we’ve already put out publicly.

13.03.2018 - 09:08 [ Weißes Haus ]

Presidential Order Regarding the Proposed Takeover of Qualcomm Incorporated by Broadcom Limited

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (section 721), 50 U.S.C. 4565, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Findings. (a) There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that Broadcom Limited, a limited company organized under the laws of Singapore (Broadcom), along with its partners, subsidiaries, or affiliates, including Broadcom Corporation, a California corporation, and Broadcom Cayman L.P., a Cayman Islands limited partnership, and their partners, subsidiaries, or affiliates (together, the Purchaser), through exercising control of Qualcomm Incorporated (Qualcomm), a Delaware corporation, might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States;

13.03.2018 - 09:02 [ Junge Welt ]

Merkel-Versteher des Tages: Martin Selmayr

Berlin regiert in Brüssel. Drei von vier EU-Behörden hören demnächst auf Merkels Kommando. Die Generalsekretäre des Parlaments und des Auswärtigen Dienstes verfügen bereits über einen deutschen Pass. Nach dem Willen des EU-Kommissionspräsidenten Jean-Claude Juncker soll künftig sein früherer Mitarbeiter Martin Selmayr die 32.000 Beamten der Kommission dirigieren.

13.03.2018 - 01:38 [ Guardian ]

Spanish anti-terror law has ‚chilling effect‘ on satire, says Amnesty International

Amnesty International has warned that an “exponential increase” in prosecutions under a controversial Spanish anti-terrorism law is having a chilling effect on satire and dissent and is pushing social media users, musicians and journalists towards self-censorship.
The charity is calling for the law to be repealed, arguing that recent high-profile cases brought under article 578 of Spain’s criminal code have highlighted the danger the legislation poses to freedom of speech and international human rights law.

13.03.2018 - 00:35 [ Defense One ]

US shrinks ops at Incirlik; Mattis warns Russia about Syrian gas attacks; Conditions set on N.Korea summit; US now has 15,000 troops in Afghanistan; and just a bit more…

Another contributing factor, of course, is the “overall decline in the tempo of U.S. military operations against Islamic State. The decline reduces the need to base U.S. jet fighters and logistics aircraft at Incirlik… But the challenge of the U.S.-Turkish relationship has spurred the pointed discussion about the American military’s posture at Incirlik, according to U.S. military officials.”