L'Avvocato d'ufficio
We welcome this article for its sagacity and probable realism’ “man who whispered to the powerful” (from the title of his latest book), recently to Verona (photo on the side, outside the Capitolare Library) for the presentation of Mauro Mazza's book “Bergoglio and prejudice”, where we were able to get to know him and collect some political anecdotes dating back to the Andreotti era. To understand each other, he is the one who wrote about the probable Lega-M5S government agreement three years ago
Of Luigi Bisignani
Prime Minister Conte accepts the assignment from Mattarella: "I will be the defender of the Italian people" But after a very long conversation at the Quirinale he bows to Europe and the list of ministers.
Dear director, Read More
The new Government will have many problems, but the new opposition will have many more
Report Linkiesta
The new Government will have many problems, but the new opposition will have many more
With the arrival of the Lega/M5S executive, there will be trouble first and foremost for the opposition, which will not be able to cling to the usual European alarms (increasingly counterproductive) and will have to develop plans – and dreams – alternatives. Not an easy task. (Of Flavia Perina, LAWS)
There will be no Conte Government: the real prime ministers will be Salvini and Di Maio
Report Linkiesta
There will be no Conte Government: the real prime ministers will be Salvini and Di Maio
The leaders of Five Star and the League did not miss the opportunity to speak bombastically. But Mattarella insists: wants to "constitutionalize" the Government. For better or for worse it is a new phase of the Republic. (Of Flavia Perina, LAWS)
1948 – 2018: the catastrophe of the Palestinian people
Reporting of Federici Studies Center
Life as refugees, the story of Hejar and his family
These days in the Holy Land, the Israelis celebrated their independence and the Palestinians their national tragedy, which we reread through the eyes of Hejar Zghari, refugee in Bethlehem.
A dumpster burns, filling the air with a sour smell. It's a Thursday morning and in the narrow streets of the Dheisha refugee camp, at the gates of Bethlehem, there is almost no one there. Hejar Zghari opens the doors of his home to us, surrounded by other concrete buildings in the camp, populated by 15 thousand Palestinian refugees.
Cheers ha 67 years («I am the first born in my family in the camp»), born in diaspora and raised as a refugee. She graduated here, she got married and became a nurse, mother and grandmother. She appears dressed in traditional clothes and a plate of fruit: Tells: «I am originally from Zakaria, between Ramle and Hebron: ours was a peasant village, there were olive trees, fields cultivated with cereals and orchards. My five brothers were born there. My mother and father had a beautiful house, many animals, rabbits, sheep, goats. When the Zionists arrived they were chased out of the village. Adolescents and young people up to 30-35 years they were taken prisoner. Many of them were killed, a pregnant woman was also murdered. The rest of the village, little more than 1.500 people, he was terrified: they all ran away".
THE EUROPEANS CALL FOR THE COUP – to save Democracy, obvious
Of Maurizio Blondet
From what I understand, Mattarella doesn't want the ministers that the government alliance proposes to him. They say he keeps calling Draghi to get it, let's say, instructions or opinions: “Conti is fine?”. Draghi: For goodness sake, and who knows him. It’s incompetent. He's a technician (the media repeats: incompetent, too technical, he falsified his CV)
Mattarella: “They propose Paolo Savona to me, accept it? Draghi: “From bad to worse, that is too competent. He is also one of the system, so we cannot attack him like a barbaric invader. Former general director of Confindustria and Minister of Industry in the Ciampi government, long years alongside Guido Carli, who as Treasury Minister signed the Treaty of Maastricht for Italy. Experienced. He knows too much. It would be able to pilot the agreed exit from the euro. He knows how to do it. It would put Merkel and Macron in difficulty in the negotiations. No no, really not".
I media strombazzano: Paolo Savona is anti-euro, it's not good. We need a minister who is not critical of the euro, otherwise Europe feels offended. Others explain: Paolo Savona is inside the System, therefore in contradiction with populism. Rejected.
Mattarella vetoes.
President Mattarella takes his time. He continues to receive messages from so-called Europe: “Italy respects its commitments”; “President, do not allow the barbarians to destroy the splendid work we have done in Brussels".
One hundred and fifty German economists sign a fiery document in which they demand that Italy leaves the euro. Which demonstrates the state of mental confusion in which we have plunged them: prima, when the option of exiting the euro appeared in the Lega-M5S draft, everyone screaming that it's a scandal! And they force you to cancel that option. Then the same option appears with the signature of 150 German economists, and that's fine.
And what does Mattarella do? Wait. He waits for Salvini and Di Maio to propose the right ministers to him. Right according to pro-Europeans and the media. It is clear that he would be happy if Salvini and Di Maio proposed to him: as chairman of the board, we absolutely want Gentiloni. As Minister of Economy, we choose on our own initiative, Padoan. To Foreign Affairs, Alfano. Faithful to Education… Read More
The United States is tearing us apart, but in Italy no one noticed
Of Fulvio Scaglione
Source: linkiesta
While bon ton Italy has a good time discussing populism and sovereignism, the Empire strikes again. Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state who came from the CIA (where it leaves, as new boss, tale Gina Haspel, at the time neocon very active in torture and now in fact confirmed in office with the decisive votes of the Democrats), announces "the harshest sanctions in history" against Iran, which could only be canceled if the ayatollahs took appropriate measures. Like disappearing off the face of the earth or converting to Buddhism. There is a basis for the disagreement with Iran, as is known, the Iranian nuclear deal signed in 2015 there USA, Ue, Russia in Onu. For almost the entire world the agreement works and, at a minimum, has blocked Iran's path to military nuclear power 15-20 years. For three countries, however, it is a dangerous disaster. Three against all, but in the three, alongside Israel and Saudi Arabia, there is the Empire, then the table jumps. Bad but that's how empires do it.
In the same speech, but, Pompeo, on behalf of the American administration, clearly explained the fate that awaits us: “We understand the financial and economic hardship this imposes on our friends, but you should know that we will hold accountable those who do prohibited business with Iran. I know that the Europeans want to preserve the nuclear agreement but now they know what our position is".
It's beautiful. Why Pompey, when he talks about “forbidden affairs”, means the businesses prohibited by the USA and the sanctions decided by them, not illicit or criminal business at all. 5 billions of actual trade, others 25 between protocols and agreements already signed and to be implemented. To give an idea: 30 billion was the value of the Italian Stability Law of 2018.
In the same speech, but, Pompeo, on behalf of the American administration, clearly explained the fate that awaits us: “We understand the financial and economic hardship this imposes on our friends, but you should know that we will hold accountable those who do prohibited business with Iran. I know that the Europeans want to preserve the nuclear agreement but now they know what our position is".
It's beautiful. Why Pompey, when he talks about “forbidden affairs”, means the businesses prohibited by the USA and the sanctions decided by them, not illicit or criminal business at all. 5 billions of actual trade, others 25 between protocols and agreements already signed and to be implemented. To give an idea: 30 billion was the value of the Italian Stability Law of 2018.
A remote-controlled Premier?
Of Marco Cedolin
Source: The corrosive
The new Di Maio-Salvini government has not yet been presented at the Quirinale and the clamor of the entire national and international piggery is already rising to the sky, indignant and worried about the bad turn that Italy would be taking towards her.
Sale lo spread, the stock markets go down, the leaders of the large EU countries are tearing their clothes, the entire mainstream press predicts unspeakable misfortunes, the Barnum circus of barnyard comedians spits venom, the parasites of non-profit organizations and cooperatives mutter, Both the center-right and the center-left now seem on the verge of a nervous breakdown....
Everyone has to say about everything, from the importance of the role of the future prime minister to the analysis of every single point of the sixty pages of the contract presented in recent days to the base of Lega and M5S voters. Even the controversial hypothesised blockade of the Turin-Lyon TAV manages to displease the rod and cement mafia greatly, fearful of seeing a cake that they already savored as much as NO TAV slip away before their eyes, not willing to "trade" the elimination of the work for the possibility of a crackdown on the business of wild immigration which evidently interests them at least as much as high speed.
In short, everyone is dissatisfied, everyone outraged and everyone worried, which unequivocally indicates that we are on the right path and it is desirable that we continue like this.
If Di Maio had built a government with the PD, by giving life to yet another petalous center-left executive, surely no one would have had anything to say. Just as no one would have had anything to say if the centre-right led by the impatient Berlusconi had created a government with the 5S.
Instead the Di Maio-Salvini combination is out, as well as by the will of the voters, even from the preconceived patterns of globalization and in a Western democracy this is unacceptable.
…
The entire mainstream press is currently working hard to mock and discredit the figure of Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister whom Di Maio and Salvini would have chosen as guide for the new M5S-Lega executive which every day is infuriating both the markets and the merchants of the future. The criticism that appears to be the most popular among all is that it is a remote-controlled prime minister, at the head of an executive that he did not choose, in simple words a “wooden head” placed there in plain sight to slavishly carry out someone else's orders and nothing more....
Not knowing MR personally. Giuseppe Conte and having never seen him at work it is honestly difficult for me to say whether or not he is a "wooden head", while I would like to say a few words about his predecessors and the orders mentioned above.
The Prime Ministers who have succeeded one another in recent years in Italy have been figures of the caliber of D'Alema, Berlusconi, Study Program, Monti, Read, Renzi and Gentiloni, It doesn't matter if they are wooden heads or something else, but all slavishly committed to carrying out every directive given by Brussels with meticulous care, without uttering a word that goes beyond yes sir and without caring in the slightest what the moods of their reference parties and much less their voters were, when they had them.
Mr. Giuseppe Conte was chosen to be the guarantor of a “government contract” and certainly if he becomes prime minister he will have to move among them 60 pages that have been discussed so much in recent days. Unlike its predecessors however, Brussels did not write the program it will have to guarantee, but the two parties that won the elections wrote it, attempting to create a synthesis between their respective programs and represents the will of the majority of Italian citizens who went to the polls, not that of Brussels, of markets and big finance.
Remote controlled or not, I think the salient point is the figure of the person or people holding the remote control
And in light of the facts, judge for yourself whether there are differences compared to the past.
Everyone has to say about everything, from the importance of the role of the future prime minister to the analysis of every single point of the sixty pages of the contract presented in recent days to the base of Lega and M5S voters. Even the controversial hypothesised blockade of the Turin-Lyon TAV manages to displease the rod and cement mafia greatly, fearful of seeing a cake that they already savored as much as NO TAV slip away before their eyes, not willing to "trade" the elimination of the work for the possibility of a crackdown on the business of wild immigration which evidently interests them at least as much as high speed.
In short, everyone is dissatisfied, everyone outraged and everyone worried, which unequivocally indicates that we are on the right path and it is desirable that we continue like this.
If Di Maio had built a government with the PD, by giving life to yet another petalous center-left executive, surely no one would have had anything to say. Just as no one would have had anything to say if the centre-right led by the impatient Berlusconi had created a government with the 5S.
Instead the Di Maio-Salvini combination is out, as well as by the will of the voters, even from the preconceived patterns of globalization and in a Western democracy this is unacceptable.
…
The entire mainstream press is currently working hard to mock and discredit the figure of Giuseppe Conte, the Prime Minister whom Di Maio and Salvini would have chosen as guide for the new M5S-Lega executive which every day is infuriating both the markets and the merchants of the future. The criticism that appears to be the most popular among all is that it is a remote-controlled prime minister, at the head of an executive that he did not choose, in simple words a “wooden head” placed there in plain sight to slavishly carry out someone else's orders and nothing more....
Not knowing MR personally. Giuseppe Conte and having never seen him at work it is honestly difficult for me to say whether or not he is a "wooden head", while I would like to say a few words about his predecessors and the orders mentioned above.
The Prime Ministers who have succeeded one another in recent years in Italy have been figures of the caliber of D'Alema, Berlusconi, Study Program, Monti, Read, Renzi and Gentiloni, It doesn't matter if they are wooden heads or something else, but all slavishly committed to carrying out every directive given by Brussels with meticulous care, without uttering a word that goes beyond yes sir and without caring in the slightest what the moods of their reference parties and much less their voters were, when they had them.
Mr. Giuseppe Conte was chosen to be the guarantor of a “government contract” and certainly if he becomes prime minister he will have to move among them 60 pages that have been discussed so much in recent days. Unlike its predecessors however, Brussels did not write the program it will have to guarantee, but the two parties that won the elections wrote it, attempting to create a synthesis between their respective programs and represents the will of the majority of Italian citizens who went to the polls, not that of Brussels, of markets and big finance.
Remote controlled or not, I think the salient point is the figure of the person or people holding the remote control
And in light of the facts, judge for yourself whether there are differences compared to the past.
Israel takes the bait, Syria does not
Of Tony Cartalucci
Source: Aurora site
Israel has repeatedly hit Syria with missiles and rockets, the most recent exchange took place after Israel declared that “Iranian rockets” had hit Israeli army positions in the Golan Heights which it illegally occupies. Titles, as ofIndependent, “Israel and Iran on the brink of war after the bombing of Syria in response to the alleged attack on the Golan Heights“, attempt to portray Israeli aggression as self-defense. L’Independent, However, it provided no evidence to confirm Israel's claims. For facade, with Iran inexplicably launching missiles against Israel, unprovoked and gaining no tactical advantage, strategic or political, the credibility of Israel's narrative is further eroded. But perhaps it is US public policy that designates Israel as a hostile provocateur charged with expanding Washington's proxy war against Damascus, to reveal the lethal and deceptive game that Israel and the Western media play. For years, US politicians have admitted in their newspapers that the US wants regime change in Iran and is trying to provoke a war to achieve it. Read More
Putin's strategy is finally starting to work?
Of Paul Craig Roberts
Source: Comedonchisciotte
I have already had the opportunity to explain that attitude, typically Christian, of Russian President Vladimir Putin to turn the other cheek to Western provocations is a strategy intended to convince Europe that Russia is reasonable while Washington is not, and that Russia is not a threat to the interests and sovereignty of Europe, while Washington is. Appeasing Israel and withdrawing from the Iranian multinational nuclear non-proliferation agreement, American President Donald Trump may have contributed to the success of Putin's strategy.
The three largest European vassal states of Washington, Great Britain, France and Germany opposed Trump's unilateral action. Trump believes that the multinational treaty depends only on Washington. If Washington were to renounce the agreement, this would represent the end of the agreement itself. The will of the other signatories does not matter. Consequentially, Trump wants to reintroduce pre-existing sanctions on trade with Iran and impose additional ones, new sanctions. If Great Britain, France and Germany continued to honor the commercial contracts stipulated with Iran, then Washington would also sanction its own vassal states and ban English companies, French and German to operate in the United States. Washington obviously believes that the profits that Europeans have in the United States exceed those that can be obtained in Iran and thinks that [the Europeans] they will adapt to Washington's decisions, as well as, from vassal states, they have already done so in the past. Read More