Democracy is in
the balance, and the fruits of austerity are bitter like bile. Democracy has been replaced with fascism and
the effects of privatization of government services for profit have wrought the
Ebola crisis. The “capitalist” world is
like a bulging dam ready to burst and all you can hear is the steady drip,
drip, drip.
According to the
Washington Post, austerity killed Ebola research:
Excerpt:
NIH director: Ebola vaccine
could be ready by now if not for budget austerity
Federal
budget austerity slowed the development of vaccines and therapies for the
deadly Ebola virus that has ravaged West Africa, killed one man in Dallas and
infected a health-care worker in Texas, according to the top National
Institutes of Health official.
NIH
Director Francis Collins told the Huffington Post on Friday that the agency has
been working on Ebola vaccines for more than a decade. But the NIH budget has
shrunk by about $5 billion over the same period, after adjusting for inflation.
“Frankly,
if we had not gone through our 10-year slide in research support, we probably
would have had a vaccine in time for this that would’ve gone through clinical
trials and would have been ready,” Collins said.
Yes, the
government has been shrunk to the size it can be drowned in a bathtub of
Ebola. Our politicians have sold a bill
of goods to the American people. The
bill of goods that government can’t do anything right, the private sector is
“god” and all social services should be done through charities like the Gates
Foundation. So, how is this privatized
national healthcare/research system working? From Margaret Kimberly at BAR:
Excerpt:
Freedom Rider: Privatized
Ebola by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
“The world of private dollars played a
role in consigning thousands of people to death.”
Sierra
Leone has waved the white flag in the face of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). Its
meager infrastructure has buckled under the onslaught of a disease which could
have been curtailed. The announcement that infected patients will be treated at
home because there is no longer the capacity to treat them in hospitals is a surrender
which did not have to happen. Not only did Europe and the United States turn a
blind eye to sick and dying Africans but they did so with the help of an
unlikely perpetrator.
The World Health
Organization is “the
directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations
system.” Its very name implies that it takes direction from and serves the
needs of people all over the world but the truth is quite different. The
largest contributor to the WHO budget is not a government. It is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
which provides more funding than either
the United States or the United Kingdom. WHO actions and priorities are no
longer the result of the consensus of the world’s people but top down decision making from wealthy
philanthropists.
Bill and Melina
Gates have more money than USA and the UK?
So, while scientists in the United States have lost their highly
technical research jobs due to funding cuts, research is left to the
benevolence of billionaires.
The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation may appear to be a savior when it provides
$300 million to the WHO budget, but those dollars come with strings attached.
WHO director general Dr. Margaret Chan admitted as much when she said, “My
budget [is] highly earmarked, so it is driven by what I call donor interests.” Instead of being on the front line when a
communicable disease crisis appears, it spends its time administering what
Gates and his team have determined is best.
“Health care should be a human right, not
a charity.”
Privatization
of public resources is a worldwide scourge. Education, pensions, water, and
transportation are being taken out of the hands of the public and given to rich
people and corporations. The Ebola crisis is symptomatic of so many others
which go unaddressed or improperly addressed because no one wants to bite the
hands that do the feeding.
“The
Gates foundation is the WHO boss, not governments.”
 |
| Ebola Lab |
Wow, the world’s
largest nations have sold their country’s riches and resources to billionaires
for magic beans. So our government must
stand down and allow the WHO/Gates Foundation to address the Ebola crisis? How do poor, socialist countries manage,
after all their governments are so inferior to our capitalist government? From Glen Ford at BAR:
 |
Cuban medical workers treating a cholera patient in Haiti
|
Excerpt:
Obama’s Cynical, Stilted
Response to Ebola vs. Cuba’s Magnificent Mobilization by BAR executive editor Glen Ford
“After
centuries of fattening the colonial bat, the Ebola-afflicted countries have
almost no structural defenses against even the tiniest invaders.”
The
World Health Organization is warning that the Ebola virus is now killing 70
percent of those infected in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, with new cases
projected to reach 10,000 per week by December…
Millions
of Africans are among the pre-dead – marked for extermination through disease,
hunger, war and the myriad other components of imperialism – the beast that,
like some species of bats, can only survive by gorging on the blood of others,
leaving its victims weak and pathogen-ridden.
Drip, drip,
drip.
NOT
the three nations’ health care systems, which do not exist in any meaningful
sense, but a global capitalist system
that forces developing nations to eliminate public services or face
economic strangulation and regime change…
Meanwhile, Cuba, a country
of 11 million people with a GDP of only $72.3 billion (compared with a U.S. GDP
of $17.3 trillion) fielded “the single biggest medical force on the Ebola
frontline...totally
showing up the United States,” according to Business Insider. 165 Cuban health workers arrived in Sierra Leone, a
contingent that will soon grow to 461 – part of the 50,000 health professionals
the island nation deploys in 66 countries.
The Cubans outnumber the African
Union’s 100-person health care contribution to Sierra Leone, the second
largest, and will exceed the regional total of the international aid charity
Doctors Without Frontiers (Médecins sans Frontières).
Yes, the evil, anti-capitalism
Satan that is Cuba to the rescue. You
know that reminds me, it wasn’t too long ago that Putin visited Cuba, from NBC News:
Putin Meets Fidel Castro,
Pledges Oil Exploration Aid
Russian
President Vladimir Putin pledged to help revive Cuba's struggling offshore oil
exploration on Friday at the start of a six-day tour of Latin America as Russia
aims to reassert its influence on the communist-ruled island. Putin was joined
in Havana by close ally and so-called Russian oil czar Igor Sechin, the
chairman of state oil company Rosneft, to finalize a deal to explore for oil
off Cuba's northern coast.
The Russian
president also promised to reinvest $3.5 billion of Cuban debt with Russia into
development projects on the island, part of a deal in which Russia forgave 90
percent of Cuba's debt, or almost $32 billion.
Yes, while U.S.
banks are squeezing Argentina into bankruptcy to save the insane profits of the
hedge fund vultures, Putin is offering real friendship and support to the Cuban
people.
Both
measures inject much-needed foreign investment into Cuba and demonstrate an act
of defiance against the United States, which maintains a 52-year-old economic
embargo with Cuba. "We will provide support to our Cuban friends to
overcome the illegal blockade of Cuba," Putin said.
Putin
also met with former President Fidel Castro before receiving the Medal of Jose
Marti, Cuba's highest decoration. Fidel Castro, 87, stepped down for health
reasons in 2008 after 49 years in power. For an hour he and Putin discussed
international affairs, the global economy and Russian-Cuban relations, the
Kremlin said.
And don’t
forget, Cuba and Russia just KO’d the U.N. like some kind of wrestling tag team.
UNITED
NATIONS -- The foreign ministers of Russia and Cuba Saturday delivered scathing
critiques of U.S. support for the Ukrainian government and U.S. military action
against radical Islamist terrorists in Syria.
"The
U.S.-led Western alliance that portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule
of law and human rights within individual countries, acts from directly the
opposite positions in the international arena," said Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov. The West rejects "the sovereign equality of
states" and is "trying to decide for everyone what is good or
evil."…
Cuban
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez depicted Western accounts of what's happening
in Ukraine and elsewhere as a result of corporate-controlled international
media that "manipulate facts."
Drip, drip,
drip.
But, while we’re in the
area let’s visit Haiti. Remember how the
U.S. State Department under Colin Powell overthrew the government in
Haiti? Counterpunch:
Excerpt:
MARCH
31, 2004
The
Illegal Coup in Haiti the Kidnapping of Aristide Violated US and International
Law
On
February 26, the rebel army threatened to enter Port-au-Prince, and threatened
President Aristide’s government and his life. The civil opposition that had
been calling for President Aristide’s resignation rejected the international
proposals. At this point, Colin Powell
stated that the U.S. would not send troops to protect the democratically
elected government until a political solution had been reached…
Later
that night, the U.S. Depute Charge de Mission (DCM) in Haiti, Luis Moreno,
accompanied by a contingent of U.S. Marines, met with the President. Moreno
told him that only if he left at that moment, the U.S. would provide aircraft
for him to leave, but that assistance
was contingent on the President providing the United States with a letter of
resignation…
Although
both George W. Bush and Colin Powell had said they would not send U.S. troops
to Haiti until there was a political solution, U.S. troops were ordered to
Haiti within one hour of President Aristide’s departure. Dick Cheney denied
that the United States arrested or forcibly ousted President Aristide, saying
that President Aristide, who had "worn out his welcome with the Haitian people,"
had "left of his own free will."…
Forcible
regime change violates international law.
Yes, so what’s
happening in Haiti now? Has the Obama
Administration undone to wrongs of the Bush Administration? Is the UN protecting Haiti and restoring the
elected president to power? Danny Glover
doesn’t think so.
Excerpt:
Haiti's
parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2011, are now three years
overdue and the UN and other foreign entities have repeatedly called for them
to take place before the end of the year. With
Aristide back in Haiti it would appear to be more difficult this time around
for the government to prevent FL from participating. This is perhaps why the
deposed president is once again under attack.
Last
month, a Haitian judge reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Aristide. The
case being mounted against him reeks of political persecution directly tied to
efforts to suppress a popular alternative to the current administration of
Michel Martelly, who is supported by conservative Haitian elites and the U.S.
The
charges against Aristide stem from an investigation conducted by the illegal
government established by the 2004 U.S.-backed coup. Under that government,
human rights researchers found that some 4,000 people were killed for political
reasons, while many others were imprisoned on bogus charges. Despite his
powerful enemies' best efforts, and a grand jury investigation in the U.S., no
evidence has been produced that could support criminal charges against
Aristide.
Sounds just like
Ukraine. Drip, drip, drip.
Well,
Haiti’s democracy is being stifled by the United States and the E.U. But, let’s head over to Bolivia. Another “enemy” of capitalism, Evo
Morales. Remember when the U.S. had the
president of Bolivia’s plane hijacked to check if Edward Snowden was on
board? From CNN:
.jpg)
Excerpt:
CNN)
-- Bolivian officials say their country's presidential plane had to land in
Austria on Tuesday after false rumors circulated that former U.S. National
Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden was aboard the aircraft.
Portuguese
authorities wouldn't let President Evo Morales' plane land for refueling in
Lisbon, Bolivian Defense Minister Ruben Saavedra told CNN en Español. French
authorities also wouldn't let the plane enter their airspace, he said.
"We
are told that there were some unfounded suspicions that Mr. Snowden was on the
plane," Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said. "We do not
know who has invented this lie. Someone who wants to harm our country. This
information that has been circulated is malicious information to harm this
country."
Yes, those assholes in the
Kerry State Department have absolutely no respect for any world leader that
they don’t like. Well, guess what, Evo
Morales has a list of accomplishments. Here’sa few:
Excerpt:
1. Since 2005 has Morales managed to help
facilitate the passing of a new constitution and implement a variety of state
funded social programs, which have reduced extreme poverty from 38.2 percent
in 2005, to 21.6 percent in 2012.
2. Morales’ government has adopted several
macro-economic policies, to increase state revenue from the country’s natural
resources in order to invest in social programs. Morales’ strategy helped
increase Investment in public spending by over 750 percent over the last nine
years.
3. Under the Bolivia Changes, Evo Comes
Through initiative, Morales’ government provided small-scale infrastructure
projects to many underprivileged communities, allocating over US$1 billion
for over 5,000 projects throughout the country including the construction of
medical clinics, schools and gymnasiums.
4. Since Morales came to power in 2005, the
Bolivian government has increased its hydrocarbon gas production from 33
million cubic meters to 56 million cubic meters in 2013. As a result, the
Bolivian government estimates that it will become completely self-reliant on
natural gas production by 2015.
Man, those are
all things that capitalists hate, but there’s more.
5. Another factor that has contributed to
the reduction in poverty is the increase to the real minimum wage.
According to International Labor Organization (ILO), the last two years Bolivia
has achieved the highest increase (104% from 2005-2013) in real minimum wage
than any other Latin American country.
6. A central component of the Morales
poverty reduction strategy was the creation and promotion of strong food
security policies. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization he report states that as a result of inclusive and pro-poor food
security policies, Bolivia saw a rapid decline of hunger by 7.4 percent during
2009-2011 and 2012-2014. The study also noted that Bolivia experienced a sharp
decrease in chronic undernourishment in children less than three years of age,
which fell from 41.7 percent in 1989 to 18.5 percent in 2012.
You know, here
in Wisconsin and America Republicans are fighting a raise in minimum wage and
slashed food for poor programs.
7. Another main political achievement under
Morales was the approval of a new constitution which incorporated many important
changes including, granting Bolivian investment priority over foreign
investment, and increased autonomy and political participation for the
country’s indigenous population.
8. In 2009, the Morales administration pushed
forward a new constitution, which recognized the traditional uses of the coca
leaf for the first time in Bolivian history. Bolivia then successfully
petitioned the United Nations for a reservation that legally permits coca
growing and its licit uses within its borders. In July 2014, the United Nations
issued a report, which found that that coca cultivation in Bolivia fell nine
percent last year, and a massive 26 percent in the past three years.
9. Since 2005, industrialization has become a
key aspect of Morales’ economic policy, particularly in the area of
transportation and energy production. The industrialization initiatives also
form part of a broad strategy to transform the South American nation into a
regional energy hub.
10. From a macroeconomic perspective, Morales’
government has made significant progress. From 2005-2013, its total GDP growth
tripled. Bolivia has also managed to increase its international reserves to 48
percent of its GDP.
Guess what,
Morales has won a third term. From
Truthdig:
Bolivian
President Evo Morales declared his re-election victory Sunday a triumph for
socialist reforms that have reduced poverty. He will begin a third term that
will last through 2018 with roughly 60 percent of the votes cast.
Reuters
reports:
Morales,
who became Bolivia’s first indigenous leader in 2006, will now be able to
extend his “indigenous socialism”, under which he has nationalized key
industries such as oil and gas to finance welfare programs and build new roads
and schools.
“This
was a debate on two models: nationalisation or privatisation. Nationalisation
won with more than 60 percent (support),” Morales told thousands of cheering
supporters from the balcony of the presidential palace.
A
prominent member of the bloc of socialist and anti-U.S. leaders in Latin
America, Morales dedicated his victory to Cuba’s former communist leader Fidel
Castro.
“This win is a triumph for
anti-imperialists and anti-colonialists,” Morales said.
Congratulations
to Evo Morales and best wishes to the people of Bolivia.
Drip, drip, drip. Looks like Serbia is preparing for a visit
from Putin. From ABC News:
Excerpt:
Serbia
Prepares Hero's Welcome for Putin
BELGRADE,
Serbia — Oct 14, 2014, 11:11 AM ET By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press
Soldiers
are marching, battle tanks are rumbling on the streets and fighter jets are
flying overhead. No, it's not another war in the Balkans. It's Serbia preparing
to stage a hero's welcome for Russian President Vladimir Putin with the
country's first military parade in 30 years.
The
red carpet reception for Putin, as he arrives in Belgrade on Thursday, comes as
Serbia finds itself caught in the middle of Moscow's row with the West over
Ukraine. The Balkan nation is increasingly confronted with a difficult choice:
to continue down its officially declared path toward European Union membership,
or give up that goal and forge even closer ties with its traditional Slavic
ally Russia.
I wonder when
Ukraine is going to have a “hero’s welcome" for Kerry, Biden and Nuland, or Iraq
have a “hero's welcome” for Bush, Cheney and the neocons.
Putin
will stop by Belgrade for only six hours to mark the 70th anniversary of the
liberation of the Serbian capital, Belgrade, from Nazi German occupation by the
Red Army and Yugoslav Communist Partisans. Here's
a look at what's at stake:
Some
Western officials have said that staging a military parade for the leader
accused of fomenting the war in eastern Ukraine by sending Russian troops to
help pro-Russian rebels doesn't help Serbia in its proclaimed goal to be part
of Western alliances.
Yeah, well fuck
them. Want to see what the E.U. and U.S.
have to offer? From NPR:
Excerpt:
Just
1 percent of the world's population controls nearly half of the planet's
wealth, according to a new study published by Oxfam ahead of the World Economic
Forum's annual meeting.
The
study says this tiny slice of humanity controls $110 trillion, or 65 times the
total wealth of the poorest 3.5 billion people.
Other
key findings in the report:
—
The world's 85 richest people own as much as the poorest 50 percent of
humanity.
—
70 percent of the world's people live in a country where income inequality has
increased in the past three decades.
—
In the U.S., where the gap between rich and poor has grown at a faster rate
than any other developed country, the top 1 percent captured 95 percent of
post-recession growth (since 2009), while 90 percent of Americans became poorer…
Last
month, the Pew Research Center published a study that found income inequality
in the U.S. was at its highest since 1928, the year before the start of the
Great Depression.
Yes, unbelievable
wealth for the few and nothing but crippling, deadly austerity for the rest. From CNN:
Excerpt:
Europe's
public health disaster: How austerity kills
(CNN)
-- If austerity had been a clinical trial, it would have been stopped. As
public health experts, we have watched aghast as a slow motion disaster arose
from austerity policies in Europe, while politicians continue to ignore the
evidence of their disastrous effects.
Austerity
was designed to shrink debts. Now, three years after Europe's budget-cutting
began, the evidence is in: severe, indiscriminate austerity is not part of the
solution, but part of the problem -- and its human costs are devastating.
In
the U.S., Greece, Italy, Spain, the UK and elsewhere in Europe there were more
than 10,000 additional suicides from 2007-2010, a figure that is over and above
historical trends, with the largest rises concentrated in the worst performing
economies.
Greece,
for example, is in the middle of a public health disaster. To meet
budget-deficit reduction targets set by the European Central Bank, European
Commission, and International Monetary Fund (the so-called troika), Greece's
public health budget has been cut by more than 40%....
Greece's
HIV, TB, and malaria epidemics will now cost more to control than they would
have been to prevent, our research indicates.
What
we have learned is that severe, indiscriminate cuts to vital social protection
programs are not only economically self-defeating, but fatal.
Drip, drip,
drip.
Democracy is in
the balance, from Hong Kong to Wisconsin.
The bulging dam of capitalist greed is ready to burst. Drip, drip, drip.
By Patricia
Baeten
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