International trade as a weapon of exploitation, chauvinism and war

Necessity for a new direction for international trade | K.C. ADAMS

In March, the U.S. government suddenly announced tariffs on $60 billion worth of Chinese exports to the U.S. and threatened even more. China has now retaliated with tariffs of its own against certain U.S. exports. Whatever the reasoning for these tariffs, the sudden imposition seriously disrupts the working lives of those involved in producing those goods in both China and the U.S. and those using the commodities either as a means of further production or articles of consumption. Modern industrial mass production cannot simply be turned on or off with the flick of a switch without causing widespread pain. This is no way to conduct economic relations among the peoples of the world.

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Obama’s secret deals with Saudi Arabia and Qatar: Behind lower gas prices and the bombing of Syria and Eastern Ukraine

By ERICH ZEUSSE*

The following report reconstructs U.S. President Barack Obama’s foreign policy, on the basis of what I have deemed to be reliable news accounts of his Administration’s actions, not of its mere words.

This reconstruction is grounded in the linked-to news-sources, all of which I have investigated and verified — and some of which I wrote. The ones that I wrote are themselves sourced to the links within those reports, all of which I have, likewise, personally checked and verified. Consequently, the chain of verifications back to this reconstruction’s primary sources is available to any online reader, and every reader is encouraged to track back to its ultimate source any allegation that might appear to be at all questionable to him or her in the present article.

Oil prices and energy wars: The US empire of ‘frack’ versus Russia

Energy prices started to move downward in late-2014, when Saudi oil began to flood energy markets. Variations of two main schools of thought about this emerged. One school explained things purely on the basis of business interests whereas the other school viewed the drop in oil prices geopolitically.

This day in history. The RCMP assault on the Mi’kmaq

APTN Photographer/reporter: Ossie Michelin – text added by Ronnie Dean Harris)

(Oct. 17) – The RCMP raid on a Mi’kmaq Warrior blockade against fracking [by a US corporation], went down a year ago today. I happened to be covering and camping at the blockade when the shit went down. What I witnessed there was how far the state will use force to protect the interests of corporations. But I also witnessed the huge hearts of the community of Elsipogtog and the uncompromising bravery of the warriors. Thanks to Linda Clair, Migitjo M Clair and Suzanne Patles for their hospitality while I was there. Big ups to Amanda S. Lickers of Reclaim Turtle Island for all the support work she during and after the raid. Finally, I also have to acknowledge that I would have never heard about the anti-fracking struggles in Elsipogtog, if it wasn’t for the persistent and solid journalistic work of Miles Howe of the Halifax Media Co-op. – Franklin López see video here: subMedia.tv

North American Energy Summit organized by Goldman Sachs

Strategy for control of energy resources

In June of this year, the major monopoly financier Goldman Sachs organized a North American Energy Summit at their New York City headquarters. According to their webpage, the summit “brought together the most thoughtful and influential public and private sector decision-makers – including leading CEO, public sector officials, and experts from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as key global investors and companies involved in the North American energy sector – to discuss how the region can achieve its energy potential.”

Vice President Joe Biden gave the keynote address. President Pena of Mexico participated, as did Canadian Ministers of Foreign Affairs John Baird, Joseph Oliver of Finance and Greg Rickford of Natural Resources and the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.

The Europeanization of Ukraine

KIEV/BERLIN (german-foreign-policy.com) March 24 – Last week’s signing of the political part of the EU Association Agreement began Ukraine’s transition into the German-European hegemonic system. That country, whose current government, which came to power through a putsch and lacks democratic legitimacy, will now have to align itself on EU standards at all levels.

Besides adopting Brussels’ system of norms, the country, first of all, will face its integration into the German-European foreign and military policy. Ukraine is already participating in EU Battle Groups and EU military missions. Western – including German – energy companies are seeking to take over the Ukrainian gas sector. This even includes the use of controversial “fracking” methods to weaken Russian influence on Kiev in the natural gas sector. As in Greece, the country will now face the glaring impoverishment of an “extreme austerity” policy, according to experts, which could “torpedo Ukraine’s recent political reorientation.”

Elsipogtog First Nation’s defence of rights met with state violence

RCMP pepper spray peaceful protestors, October 18, 2013.

TML Daily (Oct. 21) – THE Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick has been blockading a fracking operation by SWN Resources Canada, a subsidiary of Texas-based Southwestern Energy (SWN). This spring, SWN began preliminary testing for shale gas exploitation in the area without prior consultation with First Nations, as required by law.