(2021-07-02). Where is Socialism in Venezuela? Lessons from the Cultural Revolution. counterpunch.org The Cultural Revolution in China raised a number of key questions about the construction of socialism and attempted (albeit with limited success) to solve them. For that reason, its legacy remains relevant to the present. Alain Badiou has claimed that we are still contemporaries of 1968. In effect, the questions raised at that time about how to build an egalitarian society
(2021-07-02). Anti-Capitalist Chronicles: The Urbanization of China. roarmag.org Season 3, Episode 16 — The Urbanization of China: | In this episode of ACC, Prof. Harvey argues that the circulation of interest-bearing capital and financialization, both necessary for the disposal of surplus capital and surplus value, are implicated in the acceleration of turnover time, especially in areas like tourism that have become dependent on "mindless urbanization." He points to China as a leading example. | You can support this podcast on
(2021-07-02). China confirms IAEA invitation over Japan's nuclear wastewater disposal. ecns.cn The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief has sent a letter inviting Chinese experts to participate in a working group pertaining to Japan's disposal of nuclear wastewater, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.
(2021-07-02). Why I'm Still (Kind of) Rooting for China in the New Cold War. counterpunch.org Surfing through the news, it seems like every other motherfucker and his brother is flipping their proverbial wig over the supposedly literal threat China poses to the future of western civilization. Over on the center-right of what passes for the left in this country, we have our very own dear leader, Old Man Biden, hitting
(2021-07-02). The PCR at 100: Where Does China Go From Here? counterpunch.org Beijing. Even the weather seemed to be obeying the script. At 9am on Thursday morning a brief thunderstorm hit northern Beijing. Nothing unusual in that, it is after all the height of summer and the rainy season. But about 20 km away in central Tiananmen Square where President Xi Jinping was leading celebrations to mark
(2021-07-02). Uproar Over Japan's Decision to Disperse Radioactive Fukushima Waste Water. counterpunch.org Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's Cabinet on April 13 "gave permission" to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) to release over 1.25 million metric tons (1.38 million US tons) of Fukushima's radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. Harsh rejection of the decision was immediate and widespread, coming from Russia, China, North and South Korea, the Philippines,
(2021-07-02). Planting 'consultants,' blocking vaccine approval, threatening officials — Australia sabotages China-PNG cooperation by all means. ecns.cn By planting Australian consultants in Papua New Guinea to manipulate local epidemic prevention policies targeting China, obstructing the authorizing of Chinese vaccines' emergency use, threatening senior officials from welcoming Chinese vaccines, Australia has been found sabotaging and disturbing Pacific Island nations' cooperation with China on vaccines and anti-virus measures, with experts criticizing Australia's actions as hurting people's interest in the Pacific Island countries out of a pure Cold War mentality.
(2021-07-02). China has provided over 480 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to world. ecns.cn China has provided more than 480 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the world, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Friday.
(2021-07-02). Congratulations to China on Centennial Success and Inspirational Future. strategic-culture.org The next century will vindicate China and other nations that believe in a world of cooperation and peaceful prosperity. | China's lavish celebrations this week on the centennial of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were not only a great national event but also a reminder to the rest of the world of huge historic achievement. That achievement will undoubtedly change the course of world history over the next century. | Founded on July 1, 1921, the CPC was the driving force that led to the formation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Since its earliest founding father Mao Zedong (1893-1976), there…
(2021-07-02). US Corporate Media Fixin for a Cold War Fight With China. commondreams.org Will the Democratic president reverse the vicious anti-union trend sparked by Ronald Reagan 40 years ago?
(2021-07-02). US Corporate Media Fixin for a Cold War Fight With China. commondreams.org Our planet hasn't seen temperatures this hot in fifteen million years, when the sea level was forty meters higher than it is today.
(2021-07-02). Fiddler on the sidewalks of New York: What became of Tevye. peoplesworld.org 
BEVERLY HILLS—The last we saw renowned Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem's touching character Tevye the Milkman, he was exiting the stage escaping an anti-Semitic pogrom in Russia headed for parts unknown. People like him wound up in France, England, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia. Many found themselves in New York and other American cities …
(2021-07-02). Scheer Intelligence: The Public And Personal Urgency Of Assange's Case. popularresistance.org The saga of Julian Assange's persecution has been defined by leading human rights organizations as one of the most significant threats to press freedom in our time. The WikiLeaks founder published, among other devastating leaks, the "Collateral Damage" video obtained by Chelsea Manning that revealed war crimes being committed in Iraq by U.S. soldiers. As U.S. authorities attempted to extradite Assange for alleged violations of the Espionage Act of 1917, he took refuge for several years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in the U.K. until he was imprisoned in a high-security London facility in 2019. The WikiLeaks founder h…
(2021-07-02). Julian Assange's Father and Brother on the Public and Personal Urgency of His Case. scheerpost.com Click to subscribe on: Apple / Spotify / Google Play The saga of Julian Assange's persecution has been defined by leading human rights organizations as one of the most significant threats to press freedom in our time. The WikiLeaks founder published, among other devastating leaks, the " Collateral Damage" video obtained by Chelsea Manning that revealed war crimes being committed in Iraq by U.S. |
(2021-07-02). Media Blackout After Key Witness Against Assange Admits Lying. popularresistance.org "not one major western media outlet outside of Iceland has reported on this massive and entirely legitimate news story. A search brings up coverage by Icelandic media, by Russian media, and by smaller western outlets like Democracy Now, World Socialist Website, Consortium News, Zero Hedge and some others, but as of this writing this story has been completely ignored by all major outlets who are ostensibly responsible for informing the public in the western world."
(2021-07-02). Julian Assange is a 'Journalist of Distinction' & has to be Set Free, Jeremy Corbyn Tells RT Outside UK's Belmarsh Prison. orinocotribune.com Julian Assange's case should've ended as soon as a UK judge denied his extradition to the US, Jeremy Corbyn, former Labour leader, told RT as he joined other MPs to demand a meeting with the WikiLeaks founder in a London prison. | A group of British members of parliament have come to the walls of Belmarsh maximum-security prison in south-east London on Tuesday to protest the lack of transparency in Assange's case. | The MPs said their requests to meet with the founder of the WikiLeaks whistleblower website, who is wanted by Washington on espionage charges over the publication of classified documents on Iraq, Afgh…
(2021-07-02). Rehabilitating Rumsfeld, Erasing Empire: On All Those U.S. War Crimes in Iraq. counterpunch.org Former Bush Administration Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's death was accompanied by many of the apologies for state crimes that we've come to expect from the worshippers of U.S. militarism. This includes those emanating from journalistic elites — The New York Times being the most obvious case in point. The paper's profile on Rumsfeld's life
(2021-07-02). Rumsfeld Was Not "Controversial." He Played A Leading Role In Mass Murder. popularresistance.org The TV people can call Rumsfeld "controversial" as they please — many of them are complicit in supercharging his lies into the national zeitgeist, so it's little wonder they're disinterested in the truth — but all I see is another war criminal who got away with mass murder, torture and grand theft. His war was a smash-and-grab robbery writ large, and we will likely never fully recover from it. Neither will Iraq.
(2021-07-02). How Donald Rumsfeld Micromanaged Torture. counterpunch.org When Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld boasted, as he did frequently, of his unrelenting focus on the war on terror, his audience would have been startled, maybe even shocked, to discover the activities that Rumsfeld found it necessary to supervise in minute detail. Close command and control of far away events from the Pentagon were
(2021-07-02). Should We Celebrate Rumsfeld's Death? strategic-culture.org By Daniel MCADAMS | Career neocon and warmongering monster Donald Rumsfeld is dead at the age of 88, the news media has reported. Rumsfeld was kind of the Fauci of the early 2000's, a relatively faceless bureaucrat who circumstance selected to serve in a glamorous role as a symbol of the zeitgeist of his time. Rumsfeld became the rock star of George W. Bush's 2003 Iraq war. | He warmed to the camera, after spending many years in relative obscurity in the revolving-door world between highly-paid positions in the "private sector" and battery-recharges back in senior government positions. | To keep your value to the…
(2021-07-02). Donald Rumsfeld, Torturer, Serial Liar, Butcher of Baghdad, dies at 88. juancole.com Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) — Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's death at 88 is an occasion for me to recall some of my own writing on his sinister role in the Iraq War. Rumsfeld wanted to invade Iraq so badly he just made up shit to justify that action. In a Salon article I …
(2021-07-02). US asks Afghanistan's neighbors to shelter its ex-employees who fear Taliban retaliation after troop pullout – media. rt.com 
Thousands of Afghan citizens eligible for US visas after working for the US government may soon move to a different Central Asian country, where they will presumably be safe from retaliation while their applications are processed. | Afghanistan's neighbors Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Kazakhstan, may shelter as many as 9,000 Afghans qualified for the so-called Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. It is
(2021-07-02). US asks Afghanistan's neighbors to shelter its ex-employees who fear Taliban retaliation after troop pullout – media. rt.com Thousands of Afghan citizens eligible for US visas after working for the US government may soon move to a different Central Asian country, where they will presumably be safe from retaliation while their applications are processed. | Afghanistan's neighbors Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Kazakhstan, may shelter as many as 9,000 Afghans qualified for the so-called Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. It is
(2021-07-02). China Pulls Itself Out of Poverty 100 Years Into Its Revolution. counterpunch.org On February 25, 2021, China's President Xi Jinping announced that his country of 1.4 billion people had pulled its people out of poverty as it is defined internationally. Since 1981, 853 million Chinese people have lifted themselves out of poverty thanks to large-scale interventions from both the Chinese state and the Communist Party of China
(2021-07-02). You Ordered Healthcare, You Got Airstrikes. strategic-culture.org 
By Caitlin JOHNSTONE | Biden: Sorry, did you say airstrikes on Iraq and Syria? | Americans: no, healthcare | Biden: Alright, you drive a hard bargain, but here are your airstrikes on Iraq and Syria. | ‚ùñ | It is journalistic malpractice to parrot US government claims about acts of military mass murder on the other side of the planet being "defensive". The only strikes near the Iraq-Syria border that could accurately be called "defensive" are those launched by the inhabitants of those nations upon the invading western military occupation. The only actual defensive action that the US could legi…
(2021-07-02). 5 Key Medical Law Updates on Law Pod UK. ukhumanrightsblog.com 
In Episode 146 Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Richard Mumford and Rajkiran Barhey about recent developments in medical law. All of the cases discussed during this episode are covered in the most recent issue of the QMLR, available here. We highly recommend the new QMLR website to our listeners, who we hope will find the archive …
(2021-07-02). Mainstream Democrats Try to Crush Left Frontrunners in Buffalo and Cleveland. truthout.org 
The two biggest cities on the shores of Lake Erie are now centers of political upheaval. For decades, Buffalo and Cleveland have suffered from widespread poverty and despair in the midst of urban decay. Today, the second-largest cities in New York and Ohio are battlegrounds between activists fighting for progressive change and establishment forces determined to prevent it. | For Buffalo's entrenched leaders, a shocking crisis arrived out of the blue on June 22 when socialist India Walton won…
(2021-07-02). India's official Covid death toll climbs past 400,000, but real figure could be drastically higher. rt.com 
India has become the third country to have surpassed the 400,000 coronavirus death mark, but there is speculation that the number of fatalities is actually significantly higher. | On Friday India announced that it had doubled its official Covid-19 death toll since April. It's estimated that around half of India's 400,000 fatalities were amassed during the second wave of the virus. | However, questions have been raised about whether the official death toll is a true reflection of the dire situation in the country. Two notable studies from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the Economist h…
(2021-07-02). India's official Covid death toll climbs past 400,000, but real figure could be drastically higher. rt.com India has become the third country to have surpassed the 400,000 coronavirus death mark, but there is speculation that the number of fatalities is actually significantly higher. | On Friday India announced that it had doubled its official Covid-19 death toll since April. It's estimated that around half of India's 400,000 fatalities were amassed during the second wave of the virus. | However, questions have been raised about whether the official death toll is a true reflection of the dire situation in the country. Two notable studies from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) and the Economist h…
(2021-07-02). 'Clothing police': Leftist Melenchon denounces Macron for opposing crop tops in French schools, likens him to 'Iranian Ayatollahs'. rt.com 
The leader of a French leftist party has compared President Emmanuel Macron to Iranian ayatollahs or the "clothing police," after Macron disapproved of teenagers wearing crop tops in school. | In an interview with Elle magazine, Macron was asked what he thinks about teenagers sporting the midriff-revealing crop tops outside of or in schools. "I'm all for freedom," the president replied. "But freedom is only valid when there are rules for living in a community." | At home or with friends, it's one thing. At school, I'm a more of a 'proper attire required' kind of person, for both girls and boys. | "I'm not an a…
(2021-07-02). 'Clothing police': Leftist Melenchon denounces Macron for opposing crop tops in French schools, likens him to 'Iranian Ayatollahs'. rt.com The leader of a French leftist party has compared President Emmanuel Macron to Iranian ayatollahs or the "clothing police," after Macron disapproved of teenagers wearing crop tops in school. | In an interview with Elle magazine, Macron was asked what he thinks about teenagers sporting the midriff-revealing crop tops outside of or in schools. "I'm all for freedom," the president replied. "But freedom is only valid when there are rules for living in a community." | At home or with friends, it's one thing. At school, I'm a more of a 'proper attire required' kind of person, for both girls and boys. | "I'm not an a…
(2021-07-02). Fighting rages near New York as government forces battle breakaway militia… but US thanks Ukraine for naming town in its honor. rt.com 
With its decaying industrial landscape and ever-present risk of violence, New York isn't a place many people would choose to live. But this is Eastern Europe, not the Upper East Side, in a newly renamed town on the front line. | On Thursday, Ukrainian MPs voted through proposals to rename the Donbass region village of Novogorodskoye in honor of the East Coast American metropolis. It is located just seven kilometers from the fractious frontier where Kiev's forces are facing off against troops loyal to the self-proclaimed breakaway Donetsk People's Republic. Shelling, drone strikes, and gunfire have been escalat…
(2021-07-02). Fighting rages near New York as government forces battle breakaway militia… but US thanks Ukraine for naming town in its honor. rt.com With its decaying industrial landscape and ever-present risk of violence, New York isn't a place many people would choose to live. But this is Eastern Europe, not the Upper East Side, in a newly renamed town on the front line. | On Thursday, Ukrainian MPs voted through proposals to rename the Donbass region village of Novogorodskoye in honor of the East Coast American metropolis. It is located just seven kilometers from the fractious frontier where Kiev's forces are facing off against troops loyal to the self-proclaimed breakaway Donetsk People's Republic. Shelling, drone strikes, and gunfire have been escalat…
(2021-07-02). Cyberhack dispute: Russian diplomats say Moscow not behind attacks on US targets, but is itself constantly bombarded by Americans. rt.com 
One day after the US accused Moscow of being behind cyberattacks on both government bodies and private business, the Russian Embassy in Washington has pointed the finger at the Americans, accusing them of hacking Russian targets. | "We strictly deny the involvement of Russian government agencies in attacks 'on government and private facilities in…
(2021-07-02). Cyberhack dispute: Russian diplomats say Moscow not behind attacks on US targets, but is itself constantly bombarded by Americans. rt.com One day after the US accused Moscow of being behind cyberattacks on both government bodies and private business, the Russian Embassy in Washington has pointed the finger at the Americans, accusing them of hacking Russian targets. | "We strictly deny the involvement of Russian government agencies in attacks 'on government and private facilities in…
(2021-07-02). As Russia breaks Covid-19 death record for fourth day, poll reports economic concerns mean most oppose new lockdown as solution. rt.com 
Almost 80% of Russians surveyed are against the introduction of a new lockdown to fight against the country's increasing number of Covid-19 cases, a survey has revealed, with over a half saying it would endanger the economy. | According to the research, conducted by Otkritie Bank, 51% of respondents are against a repeat of the kind of punitive measures seen in 2020 because of the negative consequences for the economy. This is despite rising infection figures. | A further 28% believe there is no epidemiological reason for a lockdown. | The results were reported by news agency RIA Novosti. | New restrictions are…
(2021-07-02). Russian court takes bankrupt man's only home to pay off debt for first time in history; he is given small flat as replacement. rt.com 
For the first time in the history of Russia, a court has ruled that a citizen who declared bankruptcy should have his only housing seized and auctioned in order to pay back a debt. The unprecedented decision was upheld on appeal.
(2021-07-02). As Russia breaks Covid-19 death record for fourth day, poll reports economic concerns mean most oppose new lockdown as solution. rt.com Almost 80% of Russians surveyed are against the introduction of a new lockdown to fight against the country's increasing number of Covid-19 cases, a survey has revealed, with over a half saying it would endanger the economy. | According to the research, conducted by Otkritie Bank, 51% of respondents are against a repeat of the kind of punitive measures seen in 2020 because of the negative consequences for the economy. This is despite rising infection figures. | A further 28% believe there is no epidemiological reason for a lockdown. | The results were reported by news agency RIA Novosti. | New restrictions are…
(2021-07-02). Russian court takes bankrupt man's only home to pay off debt for first time in history; he is given small flat as replacement. rt.com For the first time in the history of Russia, a court has ruled that a citizen who declared bankruptcy should have his only housing seized and auctioned in order to pay back a debt. The unprecedented decision was upheld on appeal.
(2021-07-02). Syrian Army Bracing For New Ground Operation In Greater Idlib (Video). southfront.org 
ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: Sputnik/Mikhail Alaeddin | The Syrian Arab Army (SAA) is preparing to launch a new ground operation in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib where many terrorist groups are present, Syrian pro-government journalist Mazen Ibrahim reported on July 1. | Ibrahim shared a video showing a gathering of SAA troops who will supposedly take part in the upcoming operation in Greater Idlib. | In the last few months, Greater Idlib militants, led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), carried out doze…
(2021-07-02). Iraqi "Resistance" Groups Blew Up Two US Supply Convoys (Video). southfront.org 
File image. | On July 2, two convoys moving logistic supplies and equipment for the US-led coalition came under attack in central and northern Iraq. | The first convoy was targeted near the city of Hillah in the central province of Babylon with an improvised explosive device (IED). No casualties were reported. The pro-Iranian Islamic Resistance in Iraq — 'Ashab al-Kahf claimed responsibility for the attack. | The second convoy was attacked in an unspecified part of the northern province of Saladin. Several…
(2021-07-02). Central Syria: Chief Of ISIS Oil Smuggling Operations Killed In Recent Russian Airstrikes. southfront.org 
File image. | The chief of ISIS oil smuggling operations has been reportedly killed in a Russian airstrike that hit his hideout in Syria's central region. | Iraqi sources affiliated with the group mourned the terrorist leader who is commonly known as "Sami al-Ajouz" on July 1. It remains unclear if al-Ajouz was killed on the very same day or in an earlier date. | Al-Ajouz was reportedly responsible for ISIS oil smuggling operations in both Iraq and Syria. The terrorists leader is originally…
(2021-07-02). Syrian Authorities, Turkish-Backed Militants Swap Prisoners Under Russian-Brokered Deal (Video, Photos). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image. Source: RT. | On July 2, Syrian authorities and Turkish-backed militants swapped prisoners as a part of a deal that was brokered by the Ministry of Defense of Russia and backed by Turkey. | The prisoners swap took place on the Abu al-Zandin crossing which links Turkish-occupied areas in northern Aleppo with areas held by Syrian government forces. The United Nations and the Red Crescent oversaw the deal. | Turkish-backed militants released five soldiers and officers of the Syri…
(2021-07-02). Israel Bombs Gaza In Response To Incendiary Balloons Lighting Open Fields On Fire. southfront.org 
Illustrative image, click to see full-size. A fireball lights up the night sky above buildings near Khan Younis in southern Gaza, as IDF planes hit a Hamas site in the Palestinian enclave, on June 17, 2021. | In the early hours of July 2nd, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck an alleged Hamas 'weapons manufacturing site' in Gaza, in response to alleged incendiary balloons being launched toward Israeli territory. | In response to the arson balloons launched from Gaza toward…
(2021-07-02). Russia To Begin Exporting Orion Attack UAVs In 2022. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | Russia will start selling serially-produced attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to foreign buyers starting from 2022, sources in the military-industrial complex and the administration of the Moscow region told RIA Novosti. | This is so that production at Russia's first plant for drone production can start operating fully, under the management of the Kronsdadt group of companies. | As previously reported, Russia has begun promoting Orion drones in a strike version on the international arms…
(2021-07-02). Russia's Black Sea Fleet Carries Out Live Fire Drills, Tests Crimea Defenses Alongside NATO's Sea Breeze Exercise. southfront.org 
On July 1st, Russian warships carried out a live fire training exercise in the Black Sea, as Ukraine and NATO…
(2021-07-02). Bennett's Political Theater: the Decisive Israeli-Palestinian Fight Ahead. counterpunch.org Many Palestinians believe that the May 10-21 military confrontation between Israel and the Gaza Resistance, along with the simultaneous popular revolt across Palestine, was a game-changer. Israel is doing everything in its power to prove them wrong. Palestinians are justified to hold this viewpoint; after all, their minuscule military capabilities in a besieged and impoverished
(2021-07-02). Bennett's political theatre: The decisive Israeli-Palestinian fight ahead. juancole.com ( Middle East Monitor ) — Many Palestinians believe that the 10-21 May military confrontation between Israel and the Gaza Resistance, along with the simultaneous popular revolt across Palestine, was a game-changer. Israel is doing everything in its power to prove them wrong. Palestinians are justified to hold this viewpoint; after all, their minuscule military …
(2021-07-02). Revolutionizing the narrative: Building a principled Pakistani solidarity movement for Palestine. mronline.org As part of the ongoing Nakba, Israel has once again unleashed its latest reign of terror on Palestine, in response to resistance by Palestinians against ethnic cleansing of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem (meant to eviscerate both Palestinian social and cultural life from the city). | July 2, 2021…
(2021-07-02). Bennett's Political Theater: The Decisive Israeli-Palestinian Fight Ahead. zcomm.org Many Palestinians believe that the May 10-21 military confrontation between Israel and the Gaza Resistance, along with the simultaneous popular revolt across Palestine, was a game-changer…