How the War Party did an end run around the American people - and got its way in Syria

In the run-up to World War II, Franklin Roosevelt played the role of the reluctant warmonger. Rather than initiating the action, he took care to be always responding to the war cries of his hopped up left-wing supporters - who were demanding US intervention on behalf of the beleaguered Soviet Union. The American people wanted to stay out of the European war, and the President had to ever-so-cautiously lead them down the primrose path, deceiving them every step of the way while he and Winston Churchill plotted behind their backs to get us into the war.

As the 1940 campaign came down to the wire, Roosevelt intoned: "I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars."

A year later, in alliance with "Uncle" Joe Stalin, we were at war on two fronts.

Back then, it took the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the death of 2,400 service members and civilians to get us into a world war. Today it takes a video of the horrific deaths of two American journalists traveling in a war zone, played over and over in an infinite loop of orchestrated hysteria. If they'd only had YouTube in Roosevelt's day he would've succeeded in lying us into war much sooner.

In an age where imagery takes the place of text - and of rational thought - the ISIS public relations department certainly knows its business. If the whole point of using social media to transmit horrific images of their deeds is to lure us into re-invading Iraq, then they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. While it seems like only yesterday that the President disdained ISIS as "junior varsity," today he is mobilizing a mighty worldwide "coalition" to wipe out a group he claims is capable of attacking the United States.

Since the beginning of the Western-engineered crisis in Ukraine, the world has been bombarded with propaganda about how Evil Russia is. Yet, despite what we're all being asked to believe, there was no "Russian invasion", MH17 was not shot down by Russia, and Ukraine has de facto split in two. While these manipulated events on Russia's borders grab the headlines, let's take a look at what is going on behind the scenes in "America's backyard", as John Kerry shamelessly described Latin America in April this year.

The century-long pretense upheld by American leaders that their country is a Republic is betrayed by Kerry's imperious language, and he obviously needs diplomacy (not to mention geography) lessons. Besides, he was clearly referring to Latin America, even though, technically, the US is also part of the "Western Hemisphere".

Anyway, you've also probably heard about President Putin's visit to Latin America and the BRICS's Summit in Brazil. The existential danger that BRICS presents for the Western 'elite' is obvious; the alliance between Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa represents a serious political and economic alternative to the current US system of global hegemony. And it's growing, with countries like Argentina, Venezuela, Iran, Mongolia, Malaysia and others interested in joining. Currently, BRICS represents almost half of the world population and close to a third of the global GDP.

Prime Minister uses speech to encourage people not to stand idle as Scots debate independence before their referendum

English, Welsh and Northern Irish nationals should all urge Scottish voters to reject independence, David Cameron will say on Friday, exhorting people throughout the UK to join together to "save the most extraordinary country in history".

The Prime Minister will use a speech to encourage people not to stand idle as the Scots debate independence before their referendum, beseeching them to "do whatever it takes" to maintain the Union.

Before the vote later this year, the rest of the UK should send the message: "We want you to stay".

Unless the Scots can be persuaded to remain part of the UK, everyone will "wake up in a different country" after the referendum, the Prime Minister will warn.

The Scots will vote in September, and while polls show a majority oppose breaking away, campaigners on all sides say opinion could still tilt in favour of independence.

The next volunteers who want to fight with the 'Global oligarchy' came to Donbas. This time they are French. People from Serbia, Spain, Germany, France, Polish, Israel, the United Kingdom and Greece already fought with Kiev junta. Recently, volunteers look younger: people over forty went earlier to the militia, now the average age wanting to join the army DRL ranges from 18 to 30. More and more people do not trust the corporate media and they see what's going on in the world. If I did not speak English, unfortunately I would never learn from the media in my country (Poland) what is really the situation in Gaza, Ukraine and the Middle East. 'One of the French volunteers who fought in Donbas quite bluntly puts it:

"We are French volunteers and the first wave of the whole group, which either prepares to leave or is on the way. We support the geopolitical idea of ​​European unity. We are both revolutionaries and traditionalists. We arrived to Donbas, where civilians are murdered by the people from Kiev. Those who carry out this terrorist operation in the Donbas are minions of the international mafia oligarchs. You must understand that we are dealing with the third world war. It began in Libya, then moved to Syria and now to Donbas. We can see that Russia is one of the few countries that have challenged and personally fight globalism. It's kind of the Reconquista. We're here to help Russia in this fight. We're not here to earn money, we do not take any money from anyone . In fact, we spent a lot to get here. "

The world, despite the American propaganda and huge expenditures on promotion of 'democracy' by the United States as in the case of $ 5 trillion to NGOs in Ukraine, begins to stand on the side with Russia. How this is happening, despite the fact that the media do not publish reliable information on Russia and Ukraine, people around the world are beginning to turn their sympathy towards Russia. Paradoxically, after collapse of communism and reversal Russia from its Stalinist history around the world and in Russia, 'cult of strong leader' is emerging. Although some people would see 'democracy' more in Dmitry Medvedev.

What 'democracy' a la Brzezinski looks like we know fairly well (Syria, Libya, Iraq etc.), but more on that soon. I must add at this point that I have never been a sympathizer of the United States or Russia. When I thought about trips abroad last thing I would choose would be Russia. That has always reminded me of the KGB, poverty, corruption, banditry, dirt, cold and hopelessness. Books written by the Polish reporters that I read just stressed it more. Russia was presented in my country as a large country which is so backward that you need to see it a bit like some rare animal in the zoo. This image of Russia functions in Poland today. Especially in the Kaliningrad region in which I grew up. Americans also never attracted me. Maybe that's why I got it now only to 'end of America' - this crypto pro-fascist country with the NSA, The National Endowment for Democracy and sponsorship of coups in other countries, wars and extremists. Maybe if I lived in the era of the deep communism in Poland, it would be probably harder to convince me now to the 'Russians' and I would sing paeans about the United States and NATO support for Europe being 'at risk' a la Radoslaw Sikorski - Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The leader of the Donbass volunteer battalion, who actively fought in eastern Ukraine, has arrived in Washington with ambitious plans to talk with American politicians, ask for material support and even secure training at West Point for his commanders.

Semyon Semyonchenko outlined his plans in a Facebook post, informing that had just landed in the US capitol.

Semyonchenko wrote that he arrived to the US as a member of a 'Ukrainian delegation' - presumably an unofficial group of activists - seeking material and technical support for the military operation in southeastern Ukraine.

He intends to talk with members of the US Congress on the situation in Ukraine andmeet with representatives of the military to reach an agreement to send Ukrainian volunteer commanders for training at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

The state is the archenemy of the individual, as has been demonstrated by libertarian state analysts from Herbert Spencer (Man Vs. State) to Albert Jay Nock (Our Enemy, the State) to Murray Rothbard (Anatomy of the State). However, it is not only our chief enemy, it is also our chief maker of enemies. The parasitic state is not only perpetually at odds with us, but it is constantly setting us at odds with others. It is not only a millstone around our necks, but a target.

States make enemies on behalf of its subjects, primarily because threats make it easier to marshall support from the frightened and indignant public for expansions of its power, both home and abroad. This is agreed upon both by opponents and practitioners of this policy. Rothbard wrote that:

...the State has for centuries used the "foreign threat" to aggrandize its power over its deluded subjects.

and that...

"...war and a phony "external threat" have long been the chief means by which the state wins back the loyalty of its subjects."

And the leading Nazi Hermann Göring stated at the Nuremburg Trials that:

"...it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship.(...) ...voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked..."

This aspect of the state has been especially important in recent news. The bourgeoning Islamic State, or ISIS, seems straight out of super villain central casting. And when the political class isn't panicking over ISIS, it is scaremongering over the "imperial designs" of Vladimir Putin.

Talking heads like former General Jack Keane are all over the news media fanning fears of ISIS. Shouldn't the public know about their links to Pentagon contractors?

If you read enough news and watch enough cable television about the threat of the Islamic State, the radical Sunni Muslim militia group better known simply as ISIS, you will inevitably encounter a parade of retired generals demanding an increased US military presence in the region. They will say that our government should deploy, as retired General Anthony Zinni demanded, up to 10,000 American boots on the ground to battle ISIS. Or as in retired General Jack Keane's case, they will make more vague demands, such as for "offensive" air strikes and the deployment of more military advisers to the region.

But what you won't learn from media coverage of ISIS is that many of these former Pentagon officials have skin in the game as paid directors and advisers to some of the largest military contractors in the world. Ramping up America's military presence in Iraq and directly entering the war in Syria, along with greater military spending more broadly, is a debatable solution to a complex political and sectarian conflict. But those goals do unquestionably benefit one player in this saga: America's defense industry.

On 26 August a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was agreed, bringing a fragile end to a war that killed 2150 Palestinians (mostly civilians) and 73 Israelis (mostly soldiers). Since then Hamas has not fired a single rocket, attacked an Israeli target, or done anything to break the terms of the ceasefire. Israel has done the following:

1. Annexed another 1500 acres of West Bank land

2. Seized $56 million of PA tax revenue

3. Not lifted the illegal blockade (as required by the ceasefire)

4. Broken the ceasefire by firing at fishermen on four separate occasions

5. Detained six fishermen

6. Killed a 22-year-old, Issa al Qatari, a week before his wedding

7. Killed 16-year-old Mohammed Sinokrot with a rubber bullet to the head

8. Tortured a prisoner to the point of hospitalisation

9. Refused 13 members of the European Parliament entry into Gaza

10. Detained at least 127 people across the West Bank, including a seven-year-old boy in Hebron and two children, aged seven and eight, taken from the courtyard of their house in Silwad - and tear-gassed their mother

US President Barack Obama has threatened to wipe out Syria's air defense system and topple the Syrian government if President Bashar al-Assad ordered his forces to shoot American planes entering Syrian airspace.

He made the remarks during a meeting in the White House before his speech about Washington's strategy about the ISIL terrorist group, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Obama ordered the US military on Wednesday to expand its bombing campaign against ISIL terrorists and launch airstrikes in Syria.

"If he [Assad] dared to do that, Mr. Obama said he would order American forces to wipe out Syria's air defense system, which he noted would be easier than striking ISIS (or ISIL) because its locations are better known," the newspaper said.

"He went on to say that such an action by Mr. Assad would lead to his overthrow, according to one account," the Times said.

The Amcha Initiative, the Zionist organization that has repeatedly intimidated, spied on and harassed students and faculty, appears to be escalating its campaign by publishing what amounts to a target list of "anti-Israel" professors.

Amcha says that the list is made up of "218 professors identifying themselves as Middle East scholars, who recently called for the academic boycott of Israel in a petition."

It links to an item at Jadaliyya titled "Over 100 Middle East Studies Scholars and Librarians Call for the Boycott of Israeli Academic Institutions."

"Students who wish to become better educated on the Middle East without subjecting themselves to anti-Israel bias, or possibly even antisemitic rhetoric, may want to check which faculty members from their university are signatories before registering," Amcha says.

It urges people to "Share this list with your family, friends, and associates via email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, or word-of-mouth."