Jagdish Tirodkar: The departure of a gentle socialist

Dr Prem Singh

Countercurrents | November 28, 2022

As a consequence of my fledgling activism in my student life to my dedicated commitment towards socialism till now, I found umpteen occasions to meet and interact with many people active in this stream. I constantly learned and picked up something from verily everyone during my work and interactions with them. Of them some became the source of intellectual inspiration, a few helped me in grasping the situations better while others taught me to keep the struggle on even keel in adverse circumstances. As with all other movements, in the socialist fold as well, there were some committed few who selflessly played their part in enriching the movement.

Who is winning, who is losing, the Ukraine war?

Eric Zuesse

Speculation is rife that U.S/NATO are winning the military war in Ukraine (by arming and commanding Ukraine’s armed forces — it’s a proxy-war on the U.S. side), and also is rife that Russia is winning the military war in Ukraine (using its own forces), but “the fog of war” and propagandistic agendas dominate the military war on both sides (both the U.S.-and-allied side that gets its ‘information’ from Ukraine’s Government) and the Russian side that gets its ‘information’ from Russia’s Government).

It’s a two-front war: the military front, and the economic front. And that “fog of war” pertains ONLY to the military aspect of the war. It does NOT pertain to the economic front.

The ‘fog of war’ is almost 100% uncertainty on the military front, and nobody yet really knows which side is is actually winning this war militarily.

The US faces increasing resistance from Europe over escalating the Ukraine conflict

A Morning Star Editorial | November 06, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan shake hands during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, November 4, 2022

THE People’s Assembly demonstration this weekend was a welcome return to the mass politics of the streets and a valuable first challenge to the austerity programme that the Tories are carefully constructing.

We must guard the flame of revolt — the convergence of anti-war sentiment and outright rejection of austerity — that drove the extraordinary 2017 election result and the mass movement associated with it.

We are in a different situation today. The crisis, revealed by the 2008 financial crash, has no long-term resolution and the war in Ukraine is reaching a stalemate.

Let’s Be Clear: If WW3 Happens It Will Be The Result Of Choices Made By The US Empire

Caitlin Johnstone

The commander of the US nuclear arsenal has stated unequivocally that the war in Ukraine is just a warmup exercise for a much larger conflict that’s already in the mail.

Antiwar’s Dave DeCamp reports:

The commander that oversees US nuclear forces delivered an ominous warning at a naval conference last week by calling the war in Ukraine a “warmup” for the “big one” that is to come.

“This Ukraine crisis that we’re in right now, this is just the warmup,” said Navy Adm. Charles Richard, the commander of US Strategic command. “The big one is coming. And it isn’t going to be very long before we’re going to get tested in ways that we haven’t been tested [in] a long time.”

Richard’s warning came after the US released its new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which reaffirms that the US doctrine allows for the first use of nuclear weapons. The review says that the purpose of the US nuclear arsenal is to “deter strategic attacks, assure allies and partners, and achieve US objectives if deterrence fails.”

CIA Agent Reveals How They Plant Lies In News Media

The Jimmy Dore Show

Why does the Western Narrative sound so stupid and unrealistic?

Detlef Romatzki

The Saker Blog | November 08, 2022

The question of why the Western Punters seem to make such ridiculous statements, and seem to be totally misinformed, has come up in numerous discussion about the Western Leaders and commentators.

Let me try to present a theory in order to make some sense.

In a recent article by Larry Johnson, dated 23 November, “De-Constructing Western Delusions on Ukraine and Russia”, Larry quotes the comments of an unknown Western Commentator. However, Larry refuses to mention who it was for the sake of not embarrassing that person any more than necessary.

You can read the article here

Well, he should have, but that is not the point. But some context would have helped a lot. The rest of the article is basically on how Larry debunks this narrative and I am not going to discuss it.

One has to asks oneself why are these commentators spewing this nonsense when we in the more “enlightened group”, being more open minded and alleged to know the truth, know so much better and claim we live in the real world?

A possible answer is presented in the following arguments made.

Climate crisis: Exploitation and justice

Farooque Chowdhury

Countercurrents | November 10, 2022

The climate crisis question today has turned into the question of exploitation and justice – exploitation by a few, and justice for the entire humanity.

The recently released Oxfam report – Carbon billionaires, The investment emissions of the world’s richest people (Nov. 22, 2022, https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/bitstream/handle/10546/621446/bn-carbon-billlionaires-071122-en.pdf?sequence=14) – says a lot about this reality of exploitation by a few rich, and of the rest of the humanity. The first group is the exploiters while the other is the exploited.

The study by Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) calculates the annual carbon footprint of the investments of just 125 of the world’s richest billionaires. The study findings include:

No end in view for Ukraine war

M. K. Bhadrakumar

Indian Punchline | November 10, 2022

The US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s meetings with Ukrainian leaders, including President Vladimir Zelensky, in Kiev has created a lot of confusion and misperceptions. One one side, the White House maintains that the trip aimed “to underscore the United States’ steadfast support to Ukraine and its people.” The readout stated that Sullivan also affirmed “the continued provision of economic and humanitarian assistance, as well as ongoing efforts with partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.” 

However, unnamed US officials gave the spin that Sullivan’s real mission was to “nudge” Zelensky to negotiate with Moscow and urge that “Kyiv must show its willingness to end the war reasonably and peacefully.” Politico later reported that Zelensky indeed heeded Sullivan’s “soft nudging”. The US media also reported that the US officials have been nudging the Ukrainians for sometime. 

India: Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra upholds 105th anniversary of Russian Revolution

Harsh Thakor

Countercurrents | November 09, 2022

The Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra and fraternal organisations conducted a series of programmes in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, commemorating the 105^th anniversary of The Russian Revolution. In the qualitative sense most positive, in resurrecting the message of the Russian Revolution towards liberation of the toiling workers. Tribute to the painstaking mass work conducted by the Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra in recent times in politically educating working class in organised and unorganised labour. It struck the striking relationship between the Russian Revolution with the Indian and world proletariat. It distinguished from the revisionist trends within the Communist movement and should inspire brethren of workers all over.

At Domdar Swaroop park in Bareali district, Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra launched a public meeting, jointly with student organisation Parivartankama Sanghatana  and Autorickshaw Welfare Association, The history of the Russian Revolution was summarised in detail, methods of constructing socialism, and significance of Russian Revolution in today’s times. A demand was placed to scrap 44 labour laws and speakers revealed how historically labour overpowered economic oppression to plant the flag of the proletariat. It was recounted how capitalism was engulfing the entire globe to enslave the working class. The nature of the offensive of capitalist penetration in relation to neo-fascism was narrated. It resolved for the labour to stand up to illuminate spirit of proletarian resistance to make the government retreat.

Climate change is costing trillions — and low-income countries are paying the price

Analysis of the effects of extreme heat shows that low-income, tropical countries have suffered the greatest financial losses.

Miryam Naddaf

Nature | November 07, 2022

A dried-up lagoon in Colombia, which is in a part of the world disproportionately affected by the cost of heatwaves.Credit: Juan David Moreno Gallego/Anadolu Agency/Getty

Climate change has so far cost the global economy trillions of dollars, but low-income countries in tropical regions have borne the brunt of these losses, finds a study that analysed the economic consequences of heatwaves worldwide over a 20-year period.

The research, published on 28 October in Science Advances¹, estimates that the global economy lost between US$5 trillion and $29 trillion from 1992 to 2013, as a result of human-driven global warming. But the effect was worst in low-income tropical nations, leading to a 6.7% reduction in their national income on average, whereas high-income countries experienced only a 1.5% average decrease.