Even as Global Trade Dropped, US Arms Sales Boomed in 2015

by Nadia Prupis, staff writer

Common Dreams | 27 December, 2016

The weapons included Apache attack helicopters, pictured. (Photo: Defense Images/flickr/cc)

The U.S. sold more weapons than any other country in 2015 despite a drop in the global arms trade, according to a new congressional report.

At $40 billion, the U.S. signed more than half of all arms agreements last year, and more than double the next-highest seller, which was France at $15 billion. American weapons sales included bombs, missiles, armored tanks, Apache attack helicopters, F-15 fighter jets, and other items.

Most Russians Prefer Return of Soviet Union and Socialism: Poll

Telesur | 24 December, 2016

Demonstrator holds picture of Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Photo: EFE

The majority of Russians polled in a recent study would prefer living under the old Soviet Union and would like to see the socialist system and the Soviet state restored.

According to the latest poll conducted by the Levada Center, over 50 percent of Russian citizens believe the collapse of the Soviet Union was bad and could have been avoided. Only 28 percent of the population surveyed felt positive about its collapse, while 16 percent were unable to answer such a complex question.

A little more than half of respondents stated that the demise of the Soviet Union could have been prevented, while 33 percent said it was inevitable.

A Slow CLAP for Buzzfeed for Getting Venezuela Wrong

by Ryan Mallett-Outtrim

Venezuelanalysis | 23 December, 2016

Buzzfeed recently had a crack at drawing attention to Venezuela’s food scarcity problem. Unfortunately most of its claims were wildly off the mark.

The video by Buzzfeed’s Pero Like channel starts with their hugely popular formula consisting of a bunch of people sitting down to try something – normally a strange food, or something fun. However, the twist quickly kicks in when the participants are handed bags of basic food products like rice, beans and cooking oil. These bags are food deliveries from the CLAPs, which are community groups that distribute basic goods in Venezuela. The idea behind the CLAPs is to provide ordinary Venezuelans with basic goods that are often unavailable in supermarkets – or so expensive as to be pretty much unaffordable.

Raúl: We are not going back, nor will we go back, to capitalism, this is totally ruled out

Granma | 28 December, 2016

Photo: Juvenal Balán

The historic leader of the Cuban Revolution has bequeathed to us his example, his optimism, and confidence in victory. The best monument to his ideas and work is to make a reality of the postulates he outlined in his concept of Revolution, which he announced May 1, 2000, and to which millions of Cubans expressed their commitment.

The virtues of the Cuban people

Granma | 26 December, 2016

Fidel Castro Photo: Archive

The majority of the Cuban people awoke this past November 26 to face a tremendous blow, the country’s heart and soul was in mourning. Fidel had gone the night before, quietly in the late hours, to avoid causing us more pain.