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'New war in Europe? Not in our name!' Germans fed-up with anti-Russian stance file petition


RT
Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:27 UTC
Merkel and Putin
© AFP Photo / Yuri Kadobnov
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin
A group of prominent Germans are urging their country and the West to open dialogue with Russia. They believe this is essential to ensure peace in Europe, rather than further isolate Moscow, which they say would be "dangerous for the world."

The petition named 'New war in Europe? Not in our name!' was signed by 60 people from Germany's politics, economy, culture and media sectors - among them former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and film director Wim Wenders.

The group, led by former Chancellor advisor Horst Teltschik, former Defense Secretary Walter Stutzle and the former Vice President of the Bunderstag, Antje Vollmer, said that just because Russia and the West are experiencing differences at the moment, it "does not mean that the progress that we have achieved over the last 25 years with Russia should be terminated," Telschik said.

Comment: As the German economy continues to suffer from sanctions imposed on Russia, and Russia is successfully countering the Western moves to isolate her, it seems more people are waking up to reality and daring to speak out. Let's hope this trend continues.

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Gem

Venezuela 'seizing' diamonds, precious metals to boost reserves


RT
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00 UTC
venezuela_daimond
© Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
The Central Bank of Venezuela is adding diamonds, gold and other precious stones and metals to its foreign reserves which have fallen to an 11-year low.

The bank said in a statement issued Thursday it intends to use a broader range of assets to increase international reserves, it will also include freely convertible foreign currencies.

Venezuela may also use Chinese loans in yuan to bolster its international reserves. Finance Minister Rodolfo Marco traveled this week to China to discuss potential deals.

The country's reserves are now at about $21.7 billion, after falling 28 percent in the last three years, that's despite a previous $4 billion loan from China.

Comment: Venezuela is one of the countries that is acquiring precious metals to bolster its reserves after Russia, China, Netherlands, France.

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Bad Guys

Illegal pro-GMO observers accused of disrupting Oregon labeling law vote recount


RT
Sat, 06 Dec 2014 02:00 UTC
GMO_labelling
© Reuters/Jason Redmond
Amid a recount of Oregon's ballot initiative over labeling of genetically-modified foods, the pro-agribusiness contingent, known as the "No on 92 Coalition" tried to illegally place out-of-state election observers in at least four counties, opponents say.

The statewide vote on Measure 92 - which, if passed, would demand genetically-engineered ingredients to be labeled as such - is subject to a hand recount given the original, computerized tally showed that the initiative failed by just 812 votes, within the mandatory-recount margin. The recount began on Tuesday and will continue through Dec. 9.

Comment: Criminal rigging of the elections became a norm in Western democracies. Corporatocracy is not democracy.

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Headphones

The Truth Perspective: South-Stream slap-down and the art of political assassination

Sott Editors
Sott.net
Sat, 06 Dec 2014 19:00 UTC
south stream
© AFP / Bulphoto
In the first episode of The Truth Perspective, Harrison Koehli and fellow Sott.net editors discussed the breakdown of the South Stream deal between Russia and Europe. This came as a stun to EU leaders, who were expecting to make Russia submit. But Putin turned it around with a strategic move to Turkey.

Then, Chechnya experienced a terror attack, a day before Putin's annual address. Were the events connected in some way? The Truth Perspective looks into it.

Running Time: 01:09:00

Download: MP3

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Heart - Black

Sick world! Rolling Stone apologizes for telling the truth in University of Virginia rape story


Raw Story
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 00:00 UTC
Sad woman
© Shutterstock
Rolling Stone magazine on Friday apologized for its November story about an alleged 2012 gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity.

Rolling Stone Managing Editor Will Dana said there were "discrepancies" in the account given by a woman identified as "Jackie" of an assault by seven men at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.

"In the face of new information, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie's account, and we have come to the conclusion that our trust in her was misplaced," Dana said in a note to readers.

Comment: This is proof of fraternities' influence over the corporations.

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Bad Guys

Obama's defense nominee: Here comes trouble

Pepe Escobar
Russia Insider
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:57 UTC
Image
© Alex Wong/Getty Images
Ashton Carter is bad news.

Ashton Carter is the typical Beltway apparatchik - profiting from the revolving door between the military, heavy industry and academia.

He advised Goldman Sachs on military technology.

He was an actor in the dismantling of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, signed by Bill Clinton, which allowed a collection of Dr. Strangeloves to go rampant on computer simulated lab tests of nuclear weapons coupled with underground tests in the Nevada desert (plutonium blown up with explosives, for instance).

He was and remains a key actor in the ever evolving "policy" of demonization of Russia.

He advised Bubba Clinton on missile technology - and how the Empire of Chaos could deploy a missile shield in Alaska while claiming it was not violating the 1972 ABM treaty with Russia.

Clinton violated the ABM treaty; Dubya Bush went one up and LEFT the ABM treaty. A new missile race started - which, by the way, Russia is winning.

Way back in 1996, he was totally paranoid about both Iraq and Iran non-existent WMDs.

Then, in 2006, he even upstaged the Cheney regime calling for a strike on axis of evil member North Korea if they did a ballistic missile test (they did; no strike).

And here's the icing on the weaponized cake: he advised Obama on the "pivoting to Asia".

Run for cover, everybody.

Comment: Well, it is no surprise really. Par for the "American Exceptionalism" course. "We must have war!"

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Gold Seal

The World according to Putin

Peter Lavelle
Sputnik
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 22:27 UTC
putin
© Sputnik. Alexey Druzhinin
Russia's President Vladimir Putin's incredible poll numbers tell him he has the support of the public for the policy agenda he chooses. This makes both Putin and Russia feel confident.

For years Putin has made it abundantly clear in his speeches Russia is not happy with the global status quo. His address to the Federation Council this week is evidence of this. As far as Putin is concerned, the entire international system is rigged to Washington's advantage. The very existence of the U.S. dollar ensures Washington and its closest allies will never allow a fair playing field. That said, Putin is not eager to see the current global system collapse. He wants more political equality, but he also knows Russia and other emerging powers face punishment for challenging and breaking with the Washington designed global consensus.
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Rocket

The implications of the Russian-Turkish gas deal for the future of NATO

Guest Columnist Filip Kovacevic
Sott.net
Fri, 05 Dec 2014 20:49 UTC
Image
On December 2, the same day that the Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a surprising gas deal during a press conference with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, the foreign ministers of NATO countries met in Brussels. The main points of their discussion included the working-out of the so-called 'Readiness Action Plan', which concerns the formation of a NATO rapid intervention force by 2016 and the transformation of NATO mission in Afghanistan. A video conference with the newly appointed foreign minister of Ukraine, Pavlo Klimkin, was also conducted.1
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Colosseum

SOTT EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Congress votes overwhelmingly in favor of hysterical anti-Russia bill

William Barbe
Sott.net
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 18:06 UTC
Image
House Resolution 758 passed yesterday by an overwhelming 411-10 votes. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, the resolution's sponsor, said:
"The US, Europe and our allies must aggressively keep the pressure on Mr. Putin to encourage him to change his behavior."
Right. Putin did change his behavior - much to the glee of the US: he tore up trade deals with the US/NATO/EU and sought out other countries willing to trade. But the shock of Russia closing the Southstream Pipeline project and redirecting resources towards the Bluestream pipeline to Turkey must have really ruffled some feathers.

To counter Russia, the great minds in Washington came up with another plan. Let's take a look:
Introduced in House (11/18/2014)

Supports the efforts by President Poroshenko and the people of Ukraine to establish a lasting peace for Ukraine that includes:
  • full withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory,
  • full control of its international borders,
  • disarming of separatist and paramilitary forces in eastern Ukraine,
  • adoption of policies to reduce the Russian Federation's ability to use energy exports and trade barriers as weapons to apply economic and political pressure, and
  • an end to interference by the Russian Federation in Ukraine's internal affairs.
Five bullet points - and all based on false premises. The first point makes one wonder if they are aware of NATO's reports on the supposed Russian invasion of Ukraine, or if they are upset with Russia's humanitarian missions? The second point seems to be alluding to Crimea's referendum on secession and return to Russia. On the third point, let's review who started arming the "rebels", shall we (hint: Poroshenko)? The fourth point reveals they are upset Russia didn't provide Ukraine with free energy. On the last point, it's okay for the US/NATO/EU to interfere in Ukraine, but apparently forbidden to anyone else.
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Megaphone

Assad speaks out: "Terrorism exported to Middle East from Europe"


RT
Thu, 04 Dec 2014 17:36 UTC
Assad
© Reuters / SANA
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.
Terrorism is being exported to the Middle East from Europe, especially from France, said Syria's President Bashar Assad in an interview to French media. He also criticized Western states for politically supporting terrorists in the region.

In the ongoing civil war in Syria government forces have been fighting terrorists since the very beginning of the conflict in its third year, said Assad in an interview with Paris Match news magazine given in late November and published on Wednesday.

"Even in the first days of the events, there were martyrs from the army and the police; so, since the first days of this crisis we have been facing terrorism," he said answering a question whether the conflict could have been managed differently with the appearance of the first signs of the March 2011 revolution.

Comment: It's good to finally hear from Assad on what's been going in Syria these last months. Syria's silence has given rise to talk suggesting that the Syrian leadership had given tacit support to the illegal airstrikes, seeing any help in the fight against ISIS as a plus. But Lavrov's meeting with Mu'Allim a week or so ago may have changed that. Now, it looks like Assad is hitting on all the right points and calling out the West for their shameless and psychopathic meddling with Syria's sovereignty.

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