Tag Archives: pussy riot

Color Revolutions & Financial Warfare against Russia

Beware the Color Revolution!

I-Am-Ukrainian-Protest-Video   I am a Ukrainian… foundation-funded dupe!

It’s too late for Ukraine to take this advice, but not too late for Russia. Maybe it’s not too late for Americans and Europeans to wise up?

Head of Stratfor, ‘Private CIA,’ Says Overthrow of Yanukovych Was ‘The Most Blatant Coup in History’

George Friedman, who is the Founder and CEO of Stratfor, the ‘Shadow CIA’ firm, says of the overthrow of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych that occurred on February 22nd of 2014: “It really was the most blatant coup in history.” Friedman further says that “The Russian authorities can not tolerate a situation in which western armed forces will be [in Ukraine] a hundred kilometers from Kursk or Voronezh [in Russia]”, and that the goal of the U.S. is to “maintain the balance of power in Europe, helping the weaker party,” which he says is Europe. He furthermore says, “The United States considers the most dangerous potential alliance to be between Russia and Germany. This would be an alliance of German technology and capital with Russian natural and human resources.”

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/head-stratfor-private-cia-says-overthrow-yanukovych-blatant-coup-history.html

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2636177

Stratfor – Ukraine Coup Plotted by US Over Russian Stance on Syria:

The head of Stratfor… insisted that Russia’s involvement in Syria was not the only reason for the Ukrainian crisis. However, many in Washington started to perceive Russia as a problem, the expert told the newspaper, adding that at that time the US decided to divert Russia’s attention away from the Middle East.

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20141219/1016024377.html

For those among us who are still confused about recent events in Ukraine, it is absolutely essential to read up on Zbigniew Brzezinski.

zbigniew_web

Brzezinski Mapped Out the Battle for Ukraine in 1997

Zbigniew Brzezinski: “Ukraine, a new and important space on the Eurasian chessboard, is a geopolitical pivot because its very existence as an independent country helps to transform Russia. Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire.”

“However, if Moscow regains control over Ukraine, with its 52 million people and major resources as well as access to the Black Sea, Russia automatically again regains the wherewithal to become a powerful imperial state, spanning Europe and Asia.” The former national security advisor to Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981 and top foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama, Brzezinski wrote that US policy should be “unapologetic” in perpetuating “America’s own dominant position for at least a generation and preferably longer still.” Brzezinski delved into the importance of little known Ukraine by explaining in his 1997 book, “Geopolitical pivots are the states whose importance is derived not from their power and motivation but rather from their sensitive location… which in some cases gives them a special role in either defining access to important areas or in denying resources to a significant player.” “Ukraine, Azerbaijan, South Korea, Turkey and Iran play the role of critically important geopolitical pivots,” he wrote in The Grand Chessboard, a book viewed by many as a blueprint for US world domination.

http://original.antiwar.com/chris_ernesto/2014/03/14/brzezinski-mapped-out-the-battle-for-ukraine-in-1997/

Brzezinski Clan Color Revolution vs Diebold Vote Fraud In New Hampshire, by Webster G. Tarpley:

It is widely recognized that Zbig has provided the playbook for Obama. David Ignatius made this relationship clear enough in his review of Second Chance in the Washington Post when he wrote: “The most intriguing part of Brzezinski’s book is what I would describe as the Obama manifesto. (He doesn’t call it that, but I don’t think he would quarrel with that characterization, either.) Brzezinski argues that the world is undergoing a “global political awakening,” which is apparent in radically different forms from Iraq to Indonesia, from Bolivia to Tibet. Though America has focused on its notion of what people want (democracy and the wealth created by free trade and open markets), Brzezinski points in a different direction: It’s about dignity.” (March 14, 2007) Zbig’s brand of dignity is the kind attained through secession, balkanization, and the creation of a weak petty state for each ethnic minority ­ starting with Kosovo and Chechenia. This is the mine of neo-Wilsonian demagogy that an Obama administration will exploit ­in the service not of peace but of US world domination and encirclement of Russia.

http://www.rense.com/general80/die.htm

http://www.rense.com/general81/demise.htm

http://www.rense.com/general82/grand.htm

US-NATO Encirclement of Russia:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-nato-encirclement-of-russia-america-launched-the-cold-war-before-the-end-of-world-war-ii/5381447

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-backstory-to-the-russia-ukraine-confrontation-the-us-nato-encirclement-of-russia/5371776

http://www.globalresearch.ca/natos-military-encirclement-of-russia-obama-escalates-nato-confrontation-with-russia/5385455

The US/NATO Enlargement Project

What would the United States do if a hypothetical Russian Empire were to incorporate Mexico or Canada into a military alliance? To ask the question is to answer it. Why is it so difficult to understand that the best way to start a war is to threaten a country’s vital interests?

US Policy of Isolating Russia and Expanding NATO Is a Dismal Failure

http://sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/2013_12_11/NATO-engaged-in-wars-aggression-against-small-countries-Rick-Rozoff-0170/

NATO: Who? Us? Encircle Russia? Never! We’re harmless little bunny rabbits of freedom!

See this link for NATO’s own “debunking” of the encirclement “myths”:

http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2014/Russia-Ukraine-Nato-crisis/Nato-enlargement-Russia/EN/index.htm

russia-wants-war

Is US-NATO Preparing to Wage War on Russia?:

The endgame is to weaken the Russian Federation, undermine its institutions, impoverish its population. Meanwhile, the US Congress has passed enabling legislation which provides a de facto green light to president Obama to declare war on Russia. Reports have also confirmed that Washington is contemplating “regime change” in the Russian Federation with a view to installing a more compliant government in the Kremlin.

According to President Vladimir Putin: “We see the tragic consequences of the so-called color revolutions and ordeals survived by the peoples of the states that faced these irresponsible experiments of covert and sometimes even… overt interference into their lives… This is a lesson and warning for us and we will do everything possible to prevent this from happening in Russia.”

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/us-nato-preparing-wage-war-russia.html

The outrageous strategy to destroy Russia:

The whole thing is quite clear: the deployment of NATO’s forces around Russia was a preventive measure. If Russia’s reaction is to be defensive, it means that it is planning to restore its empire and totalitarianism.

http://www.voltairenet.org/article30038.html

Ukraine And Its Position on Brzezinski’s Grand Chessboard:

The choices provided to Russia by Brzezinski’s philosophy are between total fealty to the European Soviet and total irrelevance. No self-respecting nation would choose either of these two options for its future and this is a fact that Brzezinski is undoubtedly aware of. Thus, it is clear that the Russians are being faced with the non-choice that is the Brzezinski doctrine, a philosophy that, when put into practice, makes conflict virtually inevitable.

http://www.activistpost.com/2014/05/ukraine-and-its-position-on-brzezinskis.html

Should Russia accept Brzezinski’s plan?

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2011/11/04/should-russia-accept-brzezinski-plan-ii.html

Could we even see a Siberian Spring in the next year or two? That would fit in very well with the Brzezinski Plan, so don’t be surprised.

US Attempted Color Revolution in Russia?:

Russia is mindful of America’s intentions. Putin blamed illegal sanctions and manipulated oil prices for Russia’s economic woes. “They will always try to chain the bear,” he said. “And once it’s chained, they’ll rip out its teeth and claws.” “They’ll stuff it. And start to put their hands on its Taiga (Siberian forest belt). We’ve heard statements from Western officials that Russia owning Siberia (isn’t) fair.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-attempted-color-revolution-in-russia/5421120


Color Revolution – coming soon to a theater near you in Moscow?

How will the color revolution come to Moscow? It’s probably already underway in the form of Alexei Navalny’s Tea Party-style anti-corruption campaign, targeting yuppies, hipsters, neo-libs, techies, and “office plankton”:

Kremlin critic Navalny: To Moscow via Yale

The 37-year old blogger is the first Russian opposition figure who was partly educated in the US. Running for mayor is the high point of his political career thus far. “The Yale World Fellows Program is extremely proud” to have Navalny as one of their alumni, Cappello told DW. The US university supports Navalny’s hopes to foster democracy in Russia.

Incubator for future leaders

In August 2010, Navalny went for four months from Moscow to New Haven, Connecticut. At that time, he already was a famous Internet activist. The scholarship for Yale was a stroke of luck, he wrote in his blog. “There are said to have been around 1000 applicants for 15 places.” But it’s not only luck – his Yale grant also came thanks to recommendations from former chess world champion and turned opposition activist Gari Kasparov.

The Yale World Fellows Program has existed since 2001 and offers courses in philosophy, world politics and economy. It sees itself as an incubator for global leaders. The candidates are selected from a pool of successful politicians, businessmen and journalists around the world – people “whose biggest achievements are yet to come,” explains Cappello. Former Yale graduates like Berlin politician Sergei Lagodinsky confirm that Navalny fits that description. “You had the immediate feeling that he could become a leader of the opposition,” Lagodinsky told DW.

While others would try to brag about their stint at an Ivy League university, Navalny doesn’t make much of a fuss about it. In the CV he’s handing out as part of the Moscow campaign, the time in the US isn’t even mentioned. Navalny wants to avoid being branded as a pro-Western candidate.

http://www.dw.de/kremlin-critic-navalny-to-moscow-via-yale/a-17021240

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Alexei Navalny – the next hero of democracy? “He’d make an excellent Fox News pundit if he added flamboyancy to his abrasiveness.”

Exploring the possibility of a ‘Russian Maidan’

The political front that will take to Russia’s streets has already long been identified. It includes the same brand of extreme “nationalists” and ultra-right groups seen overrunning Ukraine’s political order. This includes literal Neo-Nazis. One of the prevailing figures among Russia’s ultra-right is US-backed Alexey Navalny – billed by the West as an “anti-corruption activist,” who is in all reality a neo-fascist operating openly in the service of Wall Street.

Alexey Navalny was a Yale World Fellow, and in his profile it states: Navalny spearheads legal challenges on behalf of minority shareholders in large Russian companies, including Gazprom, Bank VTB, Sberbank, Rosneft, Transneft, and Surgutneftegaz, through the Union of Minority Shareholders… Navalny is also co-founder of the Democratic Alternative movement…

The Democratic Alternative, also written DA!, is a US State Department National Endowment for Democracy (NED) fund recipient, implicating Alexey Navalny as an agent of US-funded sedition. The US State Department itself reveals this as they list DA! among many of the “youth movements” they support operating in Russia…

That this funding is nowhere on NED’s official website indicates that full disclosures are not being made and that NED is engaged in clandestine funding.

http://www.sott.net/article/290362-Exploring-the-possibility-of-a-Russian-Maidan

http://journal-neo.org/2014/12/20/the-impending-russian-maidan/

Western Media Still Hiding Its Russian Darling Is a Racist:

http://russia-insider.com/en/2015/01/03/2207?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Ethnic Slurs Haunt Alexey Navalny:

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2013/07/25/ethnic-slurs-haunt-alexey-navalny/

Navalny and Neoliberalism:

Navalny is a right-wing populist. No doubt. But I would submit he’s more of an American variety than a European facsimile. His xenophobia comes with an anti-elitist élan tinged with a libertarian distrust of big government. If Navalny ran in a US election, he’d find common cause with the Tea Party. He’d make an excellent Fox News pundit if he added flamboyancy to his abrasiveness.

http://seansrussiablog.org/2013/08/01/navalny-and-neoliberalism/

See this intriguing article for a great (critical but realistic) breakdown of Putin’s Nixon-like turn from the “Petersburg liberals” to the Russian “silent majority”:

Sorry America, Ukraine isn’t all about you:

http://pando.com/2014/05/14/sorry-america-the-ukraine-isnt-all-about-you/

National Endowment for Democracy – “Ukraine: The Maidan and Beyond”

Ukraine: The Maidan and Beyond

Ukrainian ‘Protesters’ Backed by KONY 2012-style Scam:

The video, entitled I am a Ukrainian, already has over 3 million views. It features an attractive woman insistently claiming that the Ukrainian uprising is solely about freedom and democracy.

The origins of the video are not quite as ‘grass roots’ as is portrayed. The clip was produced by the team behind A Whisper to a Roar, a documentary about the “fight for democracy” all over the world, which was funded by Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco. The “inspiration” behind the documentary was none other than Larry Diamond, a Council on Foreign Relations member. The Council on Foreign Relations is considered to be America’s “most influential foreign-policy think tank” and has deep connections with the U.S. State Department. Diamond has also worked closely with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The National Endowment for Democracy is considered to be the CIA’s “civilian arm” and has been deeply embroiled in innumerable instigated uprisings, attempted coups and acts of neo-colonial regime change since its creation in 1983, including the contrived 2004 “Orange Revolution” that brought US puppet Viktor Yushchenko to power in Ukraine. Larry Diamond also played an instrumental role in the Arab Spring under the auspices of the NED, a series of supposedly grass roots revolts that were in fact organized and managed by some of the most powerful western institutions on the planet.

http://www.infowars.com/exposed-ukrainian-protesters-backed-by-kony-2012-style-scam/

Russia Expects a Color Revolution to Follow the Destruction of Its Economy – Putin Warned of Threat in November:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/russia-expects-a-color-revolution-to-follow-the-destruction-of-its-economy-putin-warned-of-threat-in-november/5420586

Who pulls the strings of Femen and Pussy Riot?:

http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2014/12/who-pulls-the-strings-of-femen-and-pussy-riot/

Webster Tarpley Breaks Down Arab Spring, Ukraine, & other Color Revolutions on Pittsburg Radio:

The Cold War Has Never Ended for the CIA:

The Cold War is over. It’s time to ditch all the Cold War agencies, departments, and entities. A good place to start would be with the CIA and USAID.

http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2014/december/17/the-cold-war-has-never-ended-for-the-cia/

Lavrov says he has reasons to believe US sanctions aim at Russia regime change:

December 16, 2014 – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday he has serious reasons to believe that the United States is attempting to change the regime and destabilize the situation in Russia with the help of sanctions. “Some politicians don’t even hide it,” Lavrov said. “Of course sanctions hurt, but I don’t believe the sanctions will help the European Union. The United States ordered the EU to impose sanctions and frankly we have overestimated the independence of the European Union (from the US),” the minister said. Lavrov said sanctions could not be considered an “instrument of serious policies.” “Sanctions are a sign of irritation,” he said. Russia will overcome the West’s sanctions, which will only make the country stronger, Lavrov said on Tuesday. “Russia will not only survive but will come out much stronger,” Lavrov said in an interview with France 24 TV channel. “We have been in much worse situations in our history and every time we have got out of our fix much stronger,” he said.

Sergey Lavrov interview with France 24:

Regime Change: NPR is National Public Radio, or National Pentagon Radio?

NPR Propagandizes Against Putin, for Regime-Change in Russia:

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/npr-propagandizes-putin-regime-change-russia.html

If not Navalny, then who?

Mikhail Khodorkovsky breaks political silence, saying he would lead Russia:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/21/mikhail-khodorkovsky-breaks-political-silence-prepared-lead-russia

What is Open Russia?

Open Russia was launched by Mikhail Khodorkovsky during an online conference held on September 20, 2014.

Open Russia today is about bringing together citizens living both inside and outside of Russia, who share the European values of a strong, dynamic, and forward-looking state founded upon effective democratic institutions and the rule of law. Open Russia will enable these citizens to communicate and work together, to make their voices heard, and to mobilise effectively in the cause of common interests and goals.

What is Open Russia?

Citizens “who share European values”? That sounds a little like Euromaidan – they talk about change, democracy, European values, working together and making your voice heard, and fighting corruption, but have no real program for economic prosperity.

But Open Russia also sounds like something else: the Open Society of George Soros!

George Soros is the founder and chairman of Open Society—a network of foundations, partners, and projects in more than 100 countries.

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/people/george-soros

The Real Crime of M. Khodorkovsky:

With his new billions in effect stolen from the Russian people, he made some powerful friends. He set up a foundation modeled on US billionaire George Soros’ Open Society, calling it the Open Russia Foundation. He invited two powerful Westerners to its board—Henry Kissinger and Jacob Lord Rothschild.

http://www.voltairenet.org/article168007.html

George Soros – Running to Head National Bank of Ukraine?:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ead_1418967540

http://rusvesna.su/news/1418939190

http://en.apa.az/xeber_george_soros_may_be_appointed_head_of_na_220617.html

http://www.infowars.com/soros-may-become-top-ukraine-bankster/

Gegen Russland – Soros & Brzezinski fordern ein Schlachtfeld Europa:

http://www.contra-magazin.com/2015/01/gegen-russland-soros-brzezinski-fordern-ein-schlachtfeld-europa/

Here’s Conchita Wurst, another would-be color revolution operative, who has asked to meet with Vladimir Putin. It probably won’t help that she’s holding up a “Euro-Manezhka” sign! Manege Square is adjacent to Red Square in Moscow.

10898009_759823497419640_5869904376379065717_n

But notice the location of the Euro-Manezhka Twitter account! Hint: it’s not in Russia:

10888979_759823504086306_1657903170926519740_n

Ukrainians could get visa-free regime for EU Schengen zone by May 2015:

Success at last! That’s all the Maidan kids wanted anyway, right? To flush Ukraine down the IMF toilet, get the hell out and never come back? Sorry about your pension, grandma, but I’ve got a job interview at Starbucks in Berlin!

http://uatoday.tv/society/ukrainians-could-get-visa-free-regime-for-eu-schengen-zone-by-may-2015-398484.html


The Ruble Crisis of December 2014 and Gloating Hyenas:

As the ruble slides, many pundits point to Western sanctions as the cause. This is pure fantasy! The main reason is the falling price of oil. And where should we look for the cause of this? Let’s go back to last year and look at Putin’s support of Assad in the face of Western plans for invasion of Syria on the ridiculous pretext that Assad gassed his own people in a chemical weapon attack. Many Western leaders, especially in London and in the US State Department, were annoyed with Putin and his support of Assad, but only one person actually visited Moscow to threaten Putin in person if he wouldn’t back down: Saudi intelligence chief Prince Bandar! At the time, he issued thinly veiled threats of terrorist attacks at the upcoming Sochi Olympics, but are we now seeing Prince Bandar’s threats manifesting themselves in the form of plunging oil prices?

See World Crisis Radio for a discussion of this issue among others:

McCain – Saudis troubled Russia not Obama:

“It has nothing to do with any action taken by the President of the United States,” [the] Arizona senator said…

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/12/22/391312/mccain-saudis-troubled-russia-not-obama/

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/saudis-us-collude-dropping-oil-prices.html

Prince Bandar threatens Putin with Chechen terror attacks:

According to a diplomatic leak detailing the Bandar-Putin meeting in Moscow on July 31, Bandar suggested that Putin’s agreement to abandon the government of Bashar al-Assad would lead Saudi Arabia to restrain its Chechen terrorist clients who have been attacking Russia targets for years. Putin reportedly grew furious, interpreting Bandar’s offer as a warning that the Sochi games would be threatened by terrorism if Putin didn’t comply, according to opednews.com website.

http://en.alalam.ir/news/1551009

http://www.infowars.com/saudis-threaten-russia-with-olympic-terrorist-attacks-unless-it-abandons-syria-support/

The Russian-Saudi Showdown at Sochi:

The Russian-Saudi Showdown at Sochi

Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria:

Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, allegedly confronted the Kremlin with a mix of inducements and threats in a bid to break the deadlock over Syria. “Let us examine how to put together a unified Russian-Saudi strategy on the subject of oil. The aim is to agree on the price of oil and production quantities that keep the price stable in global oil markets,” he said at the four-hour meeting with Mr Putin. “We understand Russia’s great interest in the oil and gas in the Mediterranean from Israel to Cyprus. And we understand the importance of the Russian gas pipeline to Europe. We are not interested in competing with that. We can cooperate in this area,” he said, purporting to speak with the full backing of the US.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/10266957/Saudis-offer-Russia-secret-oil-deal-if-it-drops-Syria.html

Did Assad gas his own people, or is this a false flag attack by the opposition?

The Christmas Spirit of the Gloating Hyenas:

The Washington Post did not waste a second in gloating over the impending misery of the Russian people:

Sorry, Putin. Russia’s economy is doomed:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/12/15/russias-economy-is-doomed-its-that-simple/

Paul Krugman:

The sneering hatred among the Russophobe fanatics at the Washington Post and the New York Times is shamefully apparent.

Russian Ruble Plummets Losing More Than 20% in a Day, Hitting New Dollar and Euro Lows:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/russian-ruble-plummets-losing-more-than-20-in-a-day-hitting-new-dollar-and-euro-lows/5420296

Free Fall of the Ruble: Who’s Behind it? A Ploy of Russia’s Economic Wizards? Whose Chess Game?

http://www.globalresearch.ca/free-fall-of-the-ruble-whos-behind-it-a-ploy-of-russias-economic-wizards-whose-chess-game/5420796

Keep in mind – so far, actual prices within Russia haven’t gone up so much (certainly not matching the plunge in the ruble-dollar rate) which reminds me of the obviously manipulated price of silver and gold right now. $17 for an ounce of silver? Sure! Too bad nobody’s dumb enough to sell at that price. The other thing – the ruble has already stabilized somewhat. Now if Russia can put a stop to any new hot money attacks from abroad (ahem, George “I didn’t even know what a credit-default swap was” Soros) then I think this will pass and the big Washington Post “gloat-over-Russian-misery” party will have to be postponed.

Washington Post: Russians are doomed this time, don’t you think, Lee Corso?

lee-corso

Panchi Belaunde: It looks like a massacre. If you listen to conventional financial news, they’ll all tell you that you’d have to be insane to own anything in Russia right now—stocks, bonds, currency, etc. They’ll tell you that the ruble is in freefall, and that the dollar is the place to be. Appearances are deceiving but the numbers [are] not. As with any bank, one of the most important metrics in determining a central bank’s financial health is its level of solvency. Specifically we look at the bank’s capital (i.e. net assets) as a percentage of its total balance sheet. The US Federal Reserve only has a basic capital ratio of 1.26%. Talk about razor thin. (This is down from 4.5% just a few years ago). That means if the value of the Fed’s assets declines by only 1.26%, the issuer of the world’s dominant reserve currency becomes insolvent. On the other hand, the Russian central bank’s ratio is 12.5%—literally almost ten times greater than the Fed. Capital cushion is crucial because when the unsuspected happens, this is what can help keep you afloat. Another important metric is gold. It’s important to see the amount of REAL ASSETS that a central bank holds in reserve. We look at a central bank’s GOLD reserves as a percentage of the money supply, i.e. how much gold backs the money supply. In Russia, it’s 6.2%. And rising. Last year it was 5.5%, and the central bank is continuing to heavily stockpile more. How much gold backs the dollar? Precisely zero point zero percent: Nothing. With no gold and pitifully razor thin solvency levels, it really wouldn’t take much of a shock to topple the dollar. By comparison, the ruble is much better capitalized and actually has something backing it.

10893818_899380836759397_383151177_n

The Real Reason the U.S. is Targeting Russia:

http://investmentwatchblog.com/the-real-reason-the-u-s-is-targeting-russia/#xu3hDyVdKXd1mDzr.01

Pepe Escobar: What else is new? Stupidity galore all across Western corporate media on Putin’s annual press conference. Example:

http://fortune.com/2014/12/18/putin-shows-stick-to-west-carrot-to-oligarchs-and-heart-to-someone/?utm_content=buffer04564&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

What Putin is not telling us:

Russia is not “losing their savings”, as Western corporate media gloats. Russia can always require foreign companies to relocate to Russia. Apple, for instance, may open a manufacturing plant in Russia. The recent Russia-China deals include the Chinese building factories in Russia. With a depreciated ruble, Russia is able to force manufacturing that might have been located in the EU to be located in Russia; otherwise these companies lose the market. Putin somewhat admitted that Russia should have been demanding this much earlier. The – positive – process is now inevitable. And then there’s a “nuclear” option – which Putin didn’t even have to mention. If Russia decides to impose capital controls and/or imposes a “holiday” on repayment of larger debt tranches coming due in early 2015, the European financial system will be bombed – Shock and Awe-style; after all, much of the Russian bank and corporate funding was underwritten in Europe.

http://rt.com/op-edge/215675-putin-economic-sanctions-us-oil/

http://us.sputniknews.com/world/20141218/1013338247.html

Paul Craig Roberts – Russia To Unleash Ultimate Black Swan Against The West:

Paul Craig Roberts – Russia To Unleash Ultimate Black Swan Against The West

http://b4intest.blogspot.ru/2014/12/bix-weir-alert-russia-lights-financial.html

Russian Roulette – Taxpayers Could Be on the Hook for Trillions in Oil Derivatives:

The sudden dramatic collapse in the price of oil appears to be an act of geopolitical warfare against Russia. The result could be trillions of dollars in oil derivative losses; and the FDIC could be liable, following repeal of key portions of the Dodd-Frank Act last weekend.

Whatever happened behind closed doors, we the people could again be stuck with the tab.

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2014/12/russian-roulette-taxpayers-hook-trillions-oil-derivatives.html

We Are Headed For A Major Dis-location And It Revolves Around The Dollar:

“How should the U.S. deal with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine? We should do to Russia what Ronald Reagan did to its predecessor, the old Soviet Union. We should drive them into bankruptcy by stabilizing the U.S. dollar.”

Simple question… who is we?

https://www.bullionstar.com/blog/koos-jansen/guest-post-we-are-headed-for-a-major-dis-location-and-it-revolves-around-the-dollar/

Forget ‘evil’ Putin – we are the bloodthirsty warmongers:

Stupid, ill-informed people nowadays like to compare Mr Putin with Hitler. I warn them and you that, if we succeed in overthrowing Mr Putin by unleashing hyper-inflation in Russia, we may find out what a Russian Hitler is really like. And that a war in Europe is anything but fun. So, as it’s almost Christmas, let us sing with some attention that bleakest and yet loveliest of carols, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, stressing the lines that run ‘Man at war with man hears not the love song which they bring. Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing’.

Or gloat at your peril over the scenes of panic in Moscow.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2882208/PETER-HITCHENS-Forget-evil-Putin-bloodthirsty-warmongers.html#ixzz3MWFzAXbu


Beware false flags to dupe you into war!

“This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.” – Plato

11 Signs of a False Flag

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/11/11-signs-of-false-flag.html

A Brief History of False Flag Terror

A Brief History of False Flag Terror

Americans Are Finally Learning About False Flag Terror

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/11/false-flag.html

Did Assad gas his own people, or is this a false flag attack by the opposition?

Did Assad gas his own people, or is this a false flag attack by the opposition?

Crashes of Convenience: MH17 Fully Exposed – The Shocking Truth About the Ukraine False Flag

http://www.globalresearch.ca/crashes-of-convenience-mh17-fully-exposed-the-shocking-truth-about-the-ukraine-false-flag/5397934

Evidence Is Now Conclusive: Two Ukrainian Government Fighter-Jets Shot Down Malaysian Airlines MH17. It was Not a ‘Buk’ Surface to Air Missile

http://www.globalresearch.ca/evidence-is-now-conclusive-two-ukrainian-government-fighter-jets-shot-down-malaysian-airlines-mh17-it-was-not-a-buk-surface-to-air-missile/5394814

MH17 Verdict: Real Evidence Points to US-Kiev Cover-up of Failed “False Flag”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/mh17-verdict-real-evidence-points-to-us-kiev-cover-up-of-failed-false-flag/5393317

Framing Russia? Fabricating a Pretext to Wage War: Flight MH-17 and “Operation Northwoods”

http://www.globalresearch.ca/framing-russia-fabricating-a-pretext-to-wage-war-flight-mh-17-and-operation-northwoods/5393113

US-NATO “Fast-Track War Plans”. After Failed MH17 False Flag, Washington Attempts Bold New Moves to Frame Russia

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-nato-fast-track-war-plans-after-failed-mh17-false-flag-washington-attempts-bold-new-moves-to-frame-russia/5393925

Russia’s Defense Ministry ridicules NATO’s photo-proof of invasion in Ukraine

http://rt.com/news/183536-nato-images-ridiculed-russia/

Ukrainian Soldier Confirms: Ukraine’s Military Shot Down Malaysian MH17 Plane

http://www.globalresearch.ca/ukrainian-soldier-confirms-ukraines-military-shot-down-malaysian-mh17-plane/5420559

Deleted BBC Report. “Ukrainian Fighter Jet Shot Down MHI7″, Donetsk Eyewitnesses

http://www.globalresearch.ca/deleted-bbc-report-ukrainian-fighter-jet-shot-down-mhi7-donetsk-eyewitnesses/5393631

MH17: Nations Conspire To Keep Investigations Classified – Leaked Document Reveals

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/564116/20140827/mh17-investigation-update-conspiracy.htm#.VJPRlV4gCA


Your Anti-War Toolbox

Keep Saying No to War Against Russia!

Condemning Russia and torturing prisoners? Contact Congress NOW – THIS MEANS YOU!

http://antiwar.com/

http://www.activistpost.com/

http://www.globalresearch.ca/

http://tarpley.net/

http://againstausterity.org/

http://www.handsoffsyria.org/

Home

http://www.zerohedge.com/

http://www.warresisters.org/

http://couragetoresist.org/

http://www.vvaw.org/

http://www.codepink.org/

Home

http://www.mfso.org/

http://www.opensecrets.org/

http://www.shadowstats.com/

Contact the White House:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call

Find Your Representative:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Contacting Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/general/one_item_and_teasers/contacting.htm

Keep Saying No to War Against Russia!

no war ukraine

No matter how many times the American people say no to regime change in Syria through “limited military action with no boots on the ground” (in other words – WAR) the warmongers in both parties never give up.

The same applies to war against Russia (in other words – World War III). The American people do not under any circumstances want to declare war on Russia for the benefit of an ethno-Nazi Lvov-Kiev statelet run by a CIA-installed junta.

But is that what Congress is actually doing as we speak?

Behind the White House’s political smokescreen in Ferguson and New York, US lawmakers were busy sliding through a pre-declaration of war against Russia.

Former Congressman Dennis Kucinich warns about the House’s reckless adoption of the HR 758: “NATO encirclement, the US-backed coup in Ukraine, an attempt to use an agreement with the European Union to bring NATO into Ukraine at the Russian border, a US nuclear first-strike policy, are all policies which attempt to substitute force for diplomacy.”

US Declares War on Russia, from 21st Century Wire:

http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/12/04/us-declares-war-on-russia-step-one/

H.Res.758 – Strongly condemning the actions of the Russian Federation, under President Vladimir Putin, which has carried out a policy of aggression against neighboring countries aimed at political and economic domination:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-resolution/758

Pepe Escobar: THE US CONGRESS HAS DECLARED WAR ON RUSSIA. I can’t emphasize enough how terrifying – and stupid – this is. And now it’s official. House Resolution 758 was approved yesterday by an overwhelming, bipartisan 411-10 score at the US Congress.

This resolution, rushed to a vote only two weeks after it was introduced, depicts Russia as an “Aggressor Nation” which has invaded Ukraine and was behind the downing of MH-17. The resolution virtually calls for war on Russia.
Take a very good look at the language:
The President of the United States, in consultation with the US Congress, must “conduct a review of the force posture, readiness, and responsibilities of the United States Armed Forces and the forces of other members of NATO to determine if the contributions and actions of each is sufficient to meet the obligations of collective self defense under article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and to specify the measures needed to remedy any deficiencies.”
Translation: the US Congress wants the Empire of Chaos to use NATO’s collective security doctrine under article 5 (an attack on one member is an attack on all members) to advance a war on Russia, even though Ukraine is not a member (but will soon become a major non-NATO ally).
The resolution now goes to the Senate. If it becomes law, the resolution allows the President of the United States to declare war on Russia bypassing the formal permission of Capitol Hill.

See the vote breakdown here:

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/113-2014/h548

Only 10 Members of Congress Opposed Bill Pushing for War with Russia:

http://www.voicesofliberty.com/article/only-10-members-of-congress-opposed-bill-pushing-for-war-with-russia/

The worst part is, many of them don’t even bother reading bills like this:

http://rt.com/usa/211879-ndaa-congress-read-bills/


Call or email Congress. Let them know that we the people do not agree to fight a war against Russia (a country which has shown no hostility towards the United States) nor do we agree to support the Kiev fascist clique!

Find Your Representative:

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Contacting Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/general/one_item_and_teasers/contacting.htm


Freedom Fries are never free! Tell Congress that instead of declaring war on Russia, we could try the old trick of renaming food again. Here are some suggestions:

Borscht could be renamed freedom soup, vodka could become spirits of libertycaviar could be Pussy Riot eggsand Beef Stroganoff could be Beef Bandera!


Also let them know that we do not buy into the propaganda myths used by the government and the media to bring us back into a Cold War based solely on Russophobia.

These anti-Russia myths include:

Myth #1 – It is in America’s national security interests to weaken Russia. Russia is our enemy and always has been.

Stephen Cohen: “So for saying this, I’m called a Putin apologist. These people have no understanding. They don’t care about real national security. So I’m the patriot. I’m the one who cares about American national security. And all they’re doing is the old kind of McCarthy-ite red baiting.”

The American Who Dared Make Putin’s Case:

http://www.newsweek.com/american-who-dared-make-putins-case-231388

No, Russia has not always been America’s enemy. More often than not, we have been friends. Let’s take one example from history that very few people know about.

Tarpley’s 2013 CSPAN Lecture on Russian Fleets of 1863:

CrossTalk – Russophobia:

Modern Russophobia

Russophobia II: a vague and confused sense of paranoia


Myth #2 – Putin is an evil dictator who wants to invade Europe and establish a new USSR.

We’ve all heard politicians and media talking heads tossing around the quote from Putin that he wants to restore the USSR, but here is the actual quote:

“Anyone who doesn’t regret the passing of the Soviet Union has no heart. Anyone who wants it restored has no brains.” – Vladimir Putin.

Abysmal War Propaganda. Falsehoods in the New York Times – Mr. Putin Tests the West in Ukraine:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/abysmal-war-propaganda-falsehoods-in-the-new-york-times-mr-putin-tests-the-west-in-ukraine/5399592

Vox Populi – Readers Comments Show anti-Putin Propaganda Not Working:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/vox-populi-readers-comments-show-anti-putin-propaganda-not-working/5416022

The Crimea Referendum – Why You Probably Shouldn’t Care:

The Crimea referendum: why you probably shouldn’t care

Here’s a balanced and informed analysis of Vladimir Putin which claims that he is “neither the defiant counterweight” to Anglo-American dominance, nor the “Putler” of Euromaidan fantasy. I don’t completely agree with this analysis / critique, but it’s definitely worth a read:

Sorry America, Ukraine isn’t all about you:

You can see it in the aftermath of the Odessa fire massacre that killed over 40 pro-Russian separatists: It shut up even Navalny. The liberal-yuppie elites’ momentum is over. Putin’s popularity among the rest of the country has never been higher. So if Putin is neither the defiant counterweight hero or the neo-Stalinist imperialist, but rather playing a Russian version of vicious Nixon politics, what should the West do? That’s easy: Stay the Hell out of Russia’s way for a while…

http://pando.com/2014/05/14/sorry-america-the-ukraine-isnt-all-about-you/

Putin ‘like Hitler’? How did Prince Charles get it so wrong?:

A more pro-active Russian ruler would have sent troops to Kiev a long time ago. Thus did Czar Alexis when the Poles, Cossacks and Tatars argued for it in 17th century. So also did Czar Peter the Great, when the Swedes occupied it in the 18th century. So did Lenin, when the Germans set up the Protectorate of Ukraine (he called its establishment “the obscene peace”). So did Stalin, when the Germans occupied the Ukraine in 1941.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/putin-like-hitler-how-did-prince-charles-get-it-so-wrong/5383160

How I know that V. V. Putin isn’t Hitler:

Hitler grabbed territory and made war and committed genocide in order to grab territory. Putin has grabbed territory in order to keep what he has. Putin has fought to hold on to South Ossetia, Dagestan and the Russian naval port of Sevastopol because neither he nor anyone else in Russia can see where the continuous slicing away of Russian influence will end. Russia thinks this way in no small part because they were on the receiving end of Hitler’s Drang nach Osten.

Putin may treat gay people as badly as they’re treated in Alabama, and he may be an autocratic White Tsar. He’s no Yeltsin, but he surely isn’t Hitler.

http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/how-i-know-that-v-v-putin-isnt-hitler/


Myth #3 – There are no Nazis in Ukraine. The Maidan coup was a popular, grassroots movement.

Brzezinski Mapped Out the Battle for Ukraine in 1997:

Understanding Brzezinski’s long-term view of Ukraine makes it easier to comprehend why the US has given $5 billion to Ukraine since 1991, and why today it is hyper-concerned about having Ukraine remain in its sphere of influence. It may also help explain why in the past year the US and many of its media outlets have feverishly demonized Vladimir Putin.

Brzezinski: “Ukraine, a new and important space on the Eurasian chessboard, is a geopolitical pivot because its very existence as an independent country helps to transform Russia. Without Ukraine, Russia ceases to be a Eurasian empire.”

Brzezinski wrote that US policy should be “unapologetic” in perpetuating “America’s own dominant position for at least a generation and preferably longer still.”

http://original.antiwar.com/chris_ernesto/2014/03/14/brzezinski-mapped-out-the-battle-for-ukraine-in-1997/

USAID Exposed in Cuba – What it Tells Us About US Subversion Worldwide:

Not only has Ukraine suffered because of this admitted US-backed political destabilization over the years, but as revealed by the Guardian and other sources, all of Eastern Europe has fallen prey to this brand of foreign-backed subversion, manipulation, and regime change.

http://nsnbc.me/2014/12/13/usaid-exposed-cuba-tells-us-us-subversion-worldwide/

There are No Neo-Nazis in Ukraine. And the Obama Administration does not support Fascists:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/there-are-no-neo-nazis-in-the-ukraine-and-the-obama-administration-does-not-support-fascists/5370269

Washington Fuels Rise of Neo-Nazism and Anti-Semitism in Ukraine. The Role of John McCain:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/washington-fuels-rise-of-neo-nazism-and-anti-semitism-in-ukraine-the-role-of-john-mccain/5373569

The Odessa Massacre – May 2, 2014:

The Odessa Massacre

Ukraine Crisis Today – Democracy caught on camera:

Ukraine Crisis – What You’re Not Being Told:

The ground will burn under their feet!


Myth #4 – Kiev is trying to free eastern Ukraine from the Russian invaders.

Death and destruction in Eastern Ukraine – in their own words:

In the Words of the Eastern Ukrainians

Watch this video and hear the voices of Ukrainian people, both from the east and the west:

Ukraine Crisis – Death and destruction continues in Eastern Ukraine / Хунта убивает людей. [ENG SUB]:

Former Ukrainian PM Elena Bondarenko’s Open Letter to the Citizens of the World:

Alexander Turchinov the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, deprived me of the right to speak from the podium as a member of the opposition Party of Regions, only for this: I declared “Any power that commissions its army to bomb its peaceful cities, is criminal.” After which, he magnanimously gave the radical parliamentarians the option to call for shooting the opposition.

The everyday life of an opposition deputy is this: constant threats, unofficial ban from the airwaves, targeted persecution. Everyone who calls for peace is immediately branded as an enemy of the people, just as in 1930’s Germany, or in McCarthyite US.

http://fortruss.blogspot.ru/2014/12/former-ukrainian-pm-elena-bondarenkos.html

Ten ways you can tell if Russia has invaded Ukraine or not:

http://stopwar.org.uk/news/ten-ways-you-can-tell-if-russia-has-invaded-ukraine-or-not#.VAZNRvl_uYt


Myth #5 – Joining the EU and accepting IMF loans is Ukraine’s best chance to develop into a free, democratic and prosperous nation.

If you really believe this, well… think Greece!

What is the “European way of life”? For the working class, not just in Greece but across the continent, it means social misery—drastic cuts in jobs, wages, public services and living conditions—to satisfy the demands of the same banks, financial institutions and corporate giants that were responsible for the economic meltdown that erupted in 2008.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/eu-ukraine-trade-deal-paves-the-way-for-brutal-economic-austerity-imf-to-apply-the-greek-model/5374802

Will the IMF Bailout Turn Ukraine Into Another Greece?:

http://www.thenation.com/article/179212/will-imf-bailout-turn-ukraine-another-greece

Ukraine Can’t Afford the IMF’s Shock Therapy:

Ukraine Can’t Afford the IMF’s ‘Shock Therapy’

Crimean leaders blame Kiev for selling Ukraine off for IMF loans:

…the country’s entire gas pipeline system will be handed over for free in the American company Chevron’s ownership the moment the basic agreement is signed, while the owners of the Mariupol, Zaporizhzhya and Dnipropetrovsk steel mills will be obliged to surrender their 50% stakes to Germany’s Ruhr. The Donbass coal industry will be handed over to Ruhr’s subsidiary in Finland…

Gas prices for municipal companies will have to be increased by 50% and for private will double. Electricity tariffs will be raised by 40%, housing utility tariffs will be raised, too, gasoline excises will go up 60% and transportation tariffs 50%, while state support for childbirth will be cancelled, the free distribution of textbooks will be annulled at schools and the VAT relief will be scrapped in rural regions…

“VAT will be introduced on medications, which will push up prices and bring citizens’ living standards down,” Kovitidi said.

“The planned annulment of the moratorium on the sale of farmland looks appalling. The selloff of Ukraine’s black soil zone, including to foreign countries, may have disastrous economic and social consequences,” she said.

http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_09/Crimean-leaders-blame-Kiev-for-selling-Ukraine-off-for-IMF-loans-1082/

With friends like the IMF and EU, Ukraine doesn’t need enemies:

You can’t destroy an economy in order to save it.

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/5/ukraine-economy-imfeuropeanunionrussia.html

Medicine and Meat Out of Reach Amid Ukrainian Price Shock:

The plight of Zhytomyr’s 270,000 residents shows how bailout-mandated austerity and the strains of an eight-month insurgency are playing out in everyday life.

“Glory to Ukraine?” said Valya, 76, referring to a slogan of the street uprising. “Glory for what? Higher prices? The war? We’re just tolerating the authorities.”

http://en.ukraina.ru/analytics/20141124/1011261086.html

Ukraine’s healthcare system in crisis:

http://en.ukraina.ru/opinions/20141213/1011483434.html

About 100,000 teachers in Ukraine may lose jobs due to new government’s austerity program:

http://tass.ru/en/world/766330


Here is the reality:

– Ukraine is none of our business. It’s very far away and the US has no national interests connected with Ukraine.

– Ukraine is Russia’s business. It borders Russia.

– Ukraine is the victim of a fascist coup. America and Russia agree (and have always agreed) on the topic of fascism: it’s bad.

– Ukraine is not worth risking a military confrontation with Russia (a nuclear power) over. It’s called World War III: it’s a bad idea.

– Ukraine is not worth the blood of even a single American soldier.

– If anything, we should be supporting Russia as an ally against fascism!

https://bperet.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/ukrainian-uprising-coup-some-things-you-may-have-missed/

Ukraine – Fascist Dictatorship Masquerading As Democracy:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/ukraine-fascist-dictatorship-masquerading-as-democracy/5418412

Why Everything You’ve Read about Ukraine is Wrong, from Forbes:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2014/05/19/why-everything-youve-read-about-ukraine-is-wrong/

25 Recent Events in Ukraine the U.S. Wants You To Forget:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/25-recent-events-in-ukraine-the-u-s-wants-you-to-forget/5393572


Chances are, if you’re reading this and it’s the year 2014, the economy of your own country is in serious trouble. Contact your elected representatives and tell them to butt out of Russia’s business and get to work on an economic recovery plan for your country.

http://againstausterity.org/

http://tarpley.net/docs/five-point-program.pdf

Meanwhile in Michigan – The Rev. Pinkney Case:

Meanwhile in Michigan… a Human Rights Violation You May Have Missed!

GET ACTIVE… OR GET RADIOACTIVE!


Petitions

No to War, Hot or Cold, with Russia:

http://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/no-to-war-hot-or-cold-with-russia

Petition to Keep Ukraine out of NATO:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/keep-ukraine-out-of-nato

Act Now to Avoid War over Ukraine! To President Obama:

http://diy.rootsaction.org/petitions/president-obama-act-now-to-avoid-war-over-ukraine?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1400200702

Halt Momentum Toward War in Ukraine:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/halt-momentum-toward-war-in-ukraine?source=direct_link

Tell the White House and Congress: No support for neo-Nazis in Ukraine!

https://secure2.convio.net/pep/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=4841FB3B6BA4FE09B43C89AD99C89530.app252a?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=505


Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy.

“Whenever the standard of freedom and independence has been or shall be unfurled, there will be America’s heart, her benedictions and her prayers. But she does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the wellwisher to freedom and independence for all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. She well knows that by once enlisting other banners of foreign independence, she would involve herself beyond the power of extridition, in all wars of interest and intrigue, of individual avarice, envy and ambition which assume the colors and usurp the standard of freedom….She might become the dictress of the world but would no longer be ruler of her own spirit… Americans should not go abroad to slay dragons they do not understand in the name of spreading democracy.”
– John Quincy Adams

A Russian Grandma’s Advice to Obama:

CIA’s Chechen Terrorists AKA “ISIS” Attack in Grozny as Putin Gives Key Address in Kremlin:

CIA’s Chechen Terrorists AKA “ISIS” Attack in Grozny as Putin Gives Key Address in Kremlin; Allen-Petraeus Clique Demands Attack on Assad; Obama Names Utopian Ashton Carter to Head Pentagon; “No Jobs, No Peace”: US Needs 10 Million WPA-Style Youth Jobs as Exemplified by Marion Barry; Corrupt Officials in Benton Harbor, Michigan Face Jail Time as Pinkney Sentencing Nears

Meanwhile in Michigan… a Human Rights Violation You May Have Missed!

Featured image

In 2012, three members of the Russian protest group known as Pussy Riot were arrested and convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” after staging a punk rock protest of sorts in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Each member was given a two-year prison sentence. The relative severity of the sentence drew harsh criticism from organizations such as Amnesty International, and popular music stars, including Madonna, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, and Björk.

Meanwhile in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the well-known black civil rights activist Reverend Edward Pinkney was charged with vote fraud in his attempt to gather signatures for a petition to have a recall election of Benton Harbor Mayor James Hightower. In spite of a conspicuous lack of evidence that Reverend Pinkney had tampered with the petitions in any way, he was accused of changing the dates next to some of the signatures on the petition, and in the words of Bob Dylan, “the all-white jury agreed!” Yes, literally – an all-white jury convicted Pinkney of vote fraud in a town whose population is over 90% black, in a case in which absolutely no evidence was presented. Unlike the girls from Pussy Riot, however, Pinkney faces more than two or three years in prison. He faces life in prison for supposedly changing some dates on a recall petition, after being found guilty by an all-white jury after a trial in which no evidence of fraud on his part was found.

While we all wait for Bob Dylan to do a rewrite of his classic “Hurricane” in honor of Reverend Pinkney, perhaps we’ll hear a little outrage and protest from Madonna and Sir Paul. But I’m a realist – I’m not going to hold my breath too long!

Perhaps if Reverend Pinkney’s case could be spun to make Vladimir Putin or Bashar al-Assad look bad, there would already be an Occupy Benton Harbor movement well underway. As things stand, however, support is growing, but time is running out.

Sentencing is set for December 15, 2014. Pinkney was found guilty on five felony counts of forgery, even though the prosecution could not produce any witnesses to testify that they saw Pinkney changing any dates or signatures on the recall petitions or otherwise engaging in any type of fraud.

According to Pinkney, “there is no evidence, period. The only thing they possibly had was that the petitions belong to me, but it was through several hands. They only had one target and that was me.”

One of the witnesses for the prosecution, Bridgett Gilmore, circulated recall petitions herself, while having no contact with Pinkney. She stated that two different pens with two different types of ink were used for some signatures because it was winter and the pens would sometimes freeze. Another witness for the prosecution, Majorie Carter, said that she “collected signatures for the recall from my apartment complex for seniors. One signer corrected a date on the petition.”

Mable Louise Avant testified that “Reverend Pinkney had nothing to do with the mistakes.”

I could not believe they could find me guilty without evidence,” said Pinkney. “This case is about more than an all-white jury. It is a class situation. They attacked me because of my class. Now everybody in Benton Harbor is in jeopardy. They are saying they do not need evidence to send someone to prison. We have to say enough is enough. It’s time to take a stand.”

See: Legacy of Racism and National Oppression in Michigan, by Abayomi Azikiwe. http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/11/11/legacy-of-racism-and-national-oppression-in-berrien-county/

According to historian and political analyst Dr. Webster G. Tarpley, this case, which amounts to little more than a frame-up of an innocent man, is a violation of the Helsinki Accords.

See: TARPLEY.net – Website of Webster Griffin Tarpley. http://tarpley.net/

Questions remain regarding the reasons for charging Pinkney with a felony in the first place. Under Michigan state law, violations such as these are misdemeanors, not felonies.

According to Reverend Pinkney, Mayor Hightower is “a puppet of the Whirlpool Corporation.”

Many of the town’s inhabitants once worked for Whirlpool, but those jobs have left the state, while Whirlpool has helped bring a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course to town. At the same time, Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan has sent an emergency manager to Benton Harbor to exercise near-dictatorial power over the local government, ensuring budget cuts, “asset stripping, union busting, and repeated fleecing of the taxpayer,” according to Brandon Turbeville of Activist Post.

Essentially, what happens in the Emergency Management process is, after the budget deficit balloons out of control and Emergency Managers are sent in, the elected officials (whether responsible for the deficits or not) are reduced to mere formalities for the policies being dictated to them by their Emergency Manager who is, in turn, merely an agent for those in higher places. When this occurs, elected officials may remain in order to placate and fool the public, but in other cases, such as with the School Board, elected officials may be removed altogether along with any pretense of representative government.”

Drastic spending cuts are imposed on essential services while taxes are raised on the already strapped citizenry. Privatization runs rampant, allowing services and infrastructure that were once developed, maintained, and paid for by taxpayer money to be turned over to private companies…

See: State Emergency Managers Usher in IMF-style Austerity and Soviet-style Governance, by Brandon Turbeville. http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/state-emergency-managers-usher-in-imf.html

Over the years, we’ve witnessed a systematic remaking of the city around the class interests of the corporations. This effort has been led by.. Whirlpool,” said Pinkney.

In place of industry, Benton Harbor has become a Disneyland of Harbor Shores with the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course surrounded by expensive condominiums, hotels, playhouses and whatever toys the rich need. It has been a complete assault on the poor… This could not have happened without the help of Benton Harbor’s corporate puppets.”

The Whirlpool Corporation believes every person, Blacks included, can be bought and sold for a price. And, some can… This includes Mayor James Hightower.

See: Now That the Factories Are Closed, It’s Tee Time in Benton Harbor, Mich., by Jonathan Mahler. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/magazine/benton-harbor.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Also see: Whirlpool rules a town through its corporate puppets, by Rev. Edward Pinkney. http://peoplestribune.org/pt-news/2014/09/whirlpool-rules-town-corporate-puppets/

Whether or not Pinkney ends up serving a long prison sentence, he has no plans to quit the fight against the corporate control of the local government:

We want them to understand this fight is going to continue with or without me (and) in that sense, I am happy today, because people can take a good look at this system. It’s a class war. It’s us against them. Rich against poor, that’s what it adds up to. The point is we have to take a stand. It’s about you, your children and your grandchildren. I never thought for a minute that the system could be broken and would go to this extreme.

Reverend Edward Pinkney can be contacted at: banco9342@sbcglobal.net

Send letters to the judge ASAP. Sentencing is Dec. 15, and your letter needs to arrive before that date:

https://freepinkney.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/sample-letter-to-judge-sterling-schrock/

How you can help #FreePinkney:

https://freepinkney.wordpress.com/about/

Please print and distribute this flyer:

6282_864080810311353_2537120208245659152_n

On the significance of the Rev. Edward Pinkney trial:

http://www.bhbanco.org/2014/11/on-significance-of-rev-edward-pinkney.html?m=1

Truth on the Tracks with Brandon Turbeville, guest Rev. Pinkney disussing his case 12-1-2014:

GCAS interview with Rev. Pinkney:

#FreePinkney – Tools for Activists:

Guest Rev. Pinkney Discussing Detroit Bankruptcy, Benton Harbor & US Austerity – End the Lie Ep. 65:

Whirlpool Corporation – Neglect pays off:

http://rt.com/news/whirlpool-neglect-outsourcing-benton-417/

Read More:

http://www.bhbanco.org/

Rev. Pinkney & Supporters Fight Lynch Mob Mentality In Benton Harbor, MI; Mobilizing To Pack Sentencing Hearing December 15

http://worldausterityreport.net/activism/pinkney/pinkney.html

The connection between Michigan’s EFM power grab, Rep. Fred Upton and Big Oil/Gas

FREE REV. PINKNEY! BENTON HARBOR FRAME-UP TRIAL TARGETS NATIONALLY-KNOWN FREEDOM FIGHTER!

http://www.blackagendareport.com/node/14501

http://www.solidarity-us.org/node/525

http://freespeakblog.blogspot.ru/2011/08/rev-edward-pinkney-in-los-angeles-first.html

Rev. Edward Pinkney: A champion of the people

http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2007/Reverend-Edward-Pinkney20dec07.htm

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2014/11/05/civil-rights-activist-rev-edward-pinkney-convicted-of-five-counts-of-felony-forgery-by-berrien-county-jury/

http://www.blackcommentator.com/280/280_kir_rev_pinkney_important_to_america_printer_friendly.html

http://www.refusingtokill.net/PrisonUS/Pinkney%20WoC%20mailing%20Nov14.htm

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