Countercurrents is back online

Countercurrents is back online

Dear Friend,

After a frustrating outage Countercurrents is back online. Thank you all for your patience and support. Here is the new news letter with all  the backlog.


 In Solidarity
 Binu Mathew
 Editor
 www.countercurrents.org


The Time To Act Is Now: IPCC Issues 'Final Word' On Climate Change
 By Lauren McCauley

http://www.countercurrents.org/mccauley031114.htm

We must reduce global carbon emissions and we must do it now, concludes a landmark report released in Copenhagen on Sunday by the United Nations climate science body, the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change


What Will It Take To Go Beyond Extractivism?
 By Federico Fuentes

http://www.countercurrents.org/fuentes031114.htm

The debate has led to the coining of the term "extractivism". While almost non-existent in leftist discourse only a few years ago, extractivism has become a central focus for many progressives


A History Lesson: What ISIS Learned From IRGUN
 By William A. Cook

http://www.countercurrents.org/cook031114.htm

 There is an irony growing out of this conundrum: ISIS in Syria borders the Israeli state; the Islamic State as envisioned by ISIS includes areas designated for Eretz Israel. A battle of beliefs looms in the mid-East with both sides committed to their respective god given lands, both driven by fanatical believers in the righteousness of their cause, both determined to prevent the other from succeeding


Upheaval In WANA: Who Is Responsible?
 By Chandra Muzaffar

http://www.countercurrents.org/muzaffar031114.htm

WANA (West Asia and North Africa) has been engulfed in turmoil and upheaval for decades. What are the root causes of instability in this vital region of the world? An objective analysis would reveal that the elite interests of two states in WANA, Israel and Saudi Arabia, and the drive for dominance and control over the region by the United States and its allies lie at the root of the perpetual conflict and violence that has brought so much death and destruction to WANA


On The List
 By Kathy Kelly

http://www.countercurrents.org/kelly031114.htm

Later that afternoon, when I returned from running an errand, two more women wearing burkas were sitting downstairs; several more were upstairs. They will come, constantly, persistently, desperately. I wish they could knock on the gates of the Pentagon, and refuse to go away. Actually, they have something in common with U.S. military generals who won't go away either. The Pentagon has requested $58.6 billion, for Fiscal Year 2015 , to fund U.S. troops in Afghanistan


Extremists Execute Up To 30,000 Surrendered Soldiers And Civilians
 By Robert Barsocchini

http://www.countercurrents.org/barsocchini031114.htm

Militant extremists executed up to thirty-thousand surrendered soldiers and civilians along a single stretch of desolate highway between Iraq and Kuwait. The extremist group calls itself USA – United States of America. The year was 1991, and this massacre came to be know as the "Highway of Death"…


The Subjugation Of India By The US Rests On Monsanto's Control Of Agriculture
 By Colin Todhunter

http://www.countercurrents.org/todhunter031114.htm

After a study of GMOs over a four-year plus period, India's multi-party Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture recommended a ban on GM food crops stating they had no role in a country of small farmers. The Supreme Court appointed a technical expert committee (TEC), which recommended an indefinite moratorium on the field trials of GM crops until the government devised a proper regulatory and safety mechanism. As yet, no such mechanism exists, but open field trials are being given the go ahead. GMO crops approved for field trials include rice, maize, chickpea, sugarcane, and brinjal


Koodankulam: Corruption To Impending Disaster – The Missing Link?
 By Dr. V. Prakash

http://www.countercurrents.org/prakash031114.htm

Now it is an agreed fact by NPCIL, Rosatom and Russian Embassy, that there is certain problem in the turbine. The plant, which faced an unplanned shut down on September 16, 2014 may resume operation by end of November or end of December


What Speaks The Speaking Tree? Koodankulam Nuclear Reactor
 During Its One Year Of Grid Connection
 By VT Padmanabhan, R Ramesh, V Pugazhendi, & Joseph Makkoli

http://www.countercurrents.org/padmanabhan031114.htm

The first unit of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP-1) attained criticality on 15 Jul 2013 and was grid connected on 22 Oct 2013. During the 365 days since grid connection, the reactor was under outage for 106 days and on maintenance shut-down for 64 days. It generated 2825 million units (MU) of electricity and consumed 538 MU for house-load (own consumption). The original plan to start commercial generation on 22nd April 2014, six months after its grid connection was postponed twice to 22nd Jul 14 and 22nd Oct 14. Now that the reactor has been shudt down on 25 Sep 14 for repair/replacement of turbo-generator, there is no burden of any deadline


Unclear Nuclear Issues
 By S.G.Vombatkere

http://www.countercurrents.org/vombatkere031114.htm

In the background of the adage that there are more questions that a fool can ask than a wise man can answer, this fool asks some questions of nuclear scientists and engineers


As Irom Sharmila's Fast Reaches 15 Years Where Do We Stand On AFSPA
 By Pankaj Pathak

http://www.countercurrents.org/pathak031114.htm

On the eve of 5th November when iron lady Irom Sharmila started her fast 15 years back for revocation of AFSPA from Manipur, 'SAVE SHARMILA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIN' (SSSC) is writing letters to each parliamentarian to express his views on this issue and raise this issue in winter session of parliament. We are also ensuring to meet or convey our message to chief of state leaders of all the parties contesting polls in J&K. Our demand is to include the promise of removal of the AFSPA in time bound manner from J&K in their manifesto in upcoming elections


Human Trafficking In India
 By Jaffer Latief Najar

http://www.countercurrents.org/najar031114.pdf

Human trafficking is one of the major concern of twenty first century that has taken a rapid pace with the advent of the free movement and free trade under the shadow of globalisation. One should not be confuse about Human Trafficking as a form of human smuggling and migration. On the one side, smuggling involves illicit crossing of nation-state border with proper intention and concensus of the indiviual and migration is nothing, but voluntary movement of indiviuals. On the other side, Human-trafficking has been subjected to the act without the wishes of the indiviuals leading to vulnerability and exploitation


Statement On The Recent Communal Disturbances In Trilokpuri
 By People's Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (P.A.D.S)

http://www.countercurrents.org/pads031114.htm

Members of P.A.D.S. have been interacting with and visiting residents of Trilokpuri ever since the communal disturbances started on Oct 23. Along with many other citizens we are involved in efforts to re-establish peace and in providing legal aid to those wrongfully arrested. This statement is based on our experiences


Kandizal Breach: Victim Of Political Compulsions
 By Abdul Majid Zargar

http://www.countercurrents.org/zargar031114.htm

The admission by Chief Minster Omar Abdullah , in an interview published in Khaleej Times of 19th October 2014, about the brazen role of MLA Chadoora, Javaid Mustafa Mir in obstructing the breach of Kandizal area as per the standard operating procedure ,raises some pertinent questions

31 October, 2014


Pentagon Claims "Russian Aggression" Against NATO
 By Patrick Martin

http://www.countercurrents.org/martin311014.htm

The Obama administration and the Pentagon are stoking up military tensions with Russia in the wake of the October 26 Ukrainian parliamentary elections, claiming that flights by small numbers of warplanes over international waters Wednesdayconstituted "political saber-rattling" and even "Russian aggression."


War Resumes In Ukraine
 By Eric Zuesse

http://www.countercurrents.org/zuesse311014.htm

Ukraine's President Says All Ukrainians Who Reject His Government Should Die. Ukraine Violates Ceasefire Agreement w. Russia and OSCE, Re-Invades Its East


The Nazi-CIA Connection
 By Mickey Z.

http://www.countercurrents.org/mickeyz311014.htm

In what constitutes a corporate media "scoop," the New York Times recently reported on how "newly disclosed records and interviews" broke [sic] this story: "In the decades after World War II, the CIA and other United States agencies employed at least a thousand Nazis as Cold War spies and informants and, as recently as the 1990s, concealed the government's ties to some still living in America."


Interrelated Threats To Humans And To The Biosphere
 By John Scales Avery

http://www.countercurrents.org/avery311014.htm

We live in a time of crisis. We did not ask to be born at such a time, but history has given to our generation an enormous responsibility towards future generations. We must achieve a new kind of economy, a steady-state economy. We must stabilize global population. We must replace fossil fuels by renewable energy. We must abolish the institution of war. We must act with dedication and fearlessness to save the future of the earth for human civilization and for the plants and animals with which we share the gift of life


Preserve The 'Kiss Of Love'
 By Kandathil Sebastian

http://www.countercurrents.org/sebastian311014.htm

On 2nd November, some youngsters from Kochi in the state of Kerala, India plan to organize a different kind of protest which they call 'kiss of love'. These youngsters are protesting against the growing intolerance towards the Public Display of Affection in the state and they call likeminded couples to come out in large numbers to join them by hugging and kissing each other


The Colombian Peace Negotiations: Prospects And Continuing Horrors
 By Justin Podur

http://www.countercurrents.org/podur311014.htm

It is now about four years since the unofficial initiation of the ongoing peace process between the FARC and the Colombian government (secret approaches were made starting in October 2010), and over two years since the official opening of talks based on a "General Agreement" signed on August 26, 2012. There have been thirty rounds of negotiations to date, which have brought negotiators from the government and the FARC to Havana


Are We Hard-Wired To Think We Can Grow Forever?
 By James Magnus-Johnston

http://www.countercurrents.org/johnston311014.htm

Humanity is an irrational lot, prone to denial and short-termism. If rational arguments were primary catalysts for social change, perhaps a steady state economy would already be a reality. Research in behavioural economics and cognitive psychology is beginning to help us understand why human beings don't always make decisions that are in their best interests. Can we overcome our irrational, maladapted mental hard-wiring to thrive in a post-growth future?


Poetry And Politics: The Tough Relations
 By V.I. Postnikov

http://www.countercurrents.org/postnikov311014.htm

The relations between poetry and politics have always been strained. Many great poets have deliberately stood outside politics, or even disdained it. Others subconsciously avoided the "mundane" topics. Yet, there are some that wholly embraced politics and fed upon it. The latest poet's talk between Gary Corseri and Charles Orlovski has spurred my long-standing desire to try to probe these relations


Building Political Capital On Hate Propaganda
 By Vidya Bhushan Rawat

http://www.countercurrents.org/rawat311014.htm

It is a reminder bell that rings every year which has not changed us to the core. The horrific crimes against humanity perpetrated by the political goons in the dark night of October 31st till a couple of days of November 1984 after the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was declared officially 'dead' and which remain unpunished till date is not just a matter of shame but absolute failure of our democracy


Jan Dhan Yojana: Ambitious But Ambiguous Plan
 By Kavaljit Singh

http://www.countercurrents.org/ksingh311014.htm

Jan Dhan Yojana (People's Wealth Plan) – an ambitious financial inclusion program – was launched amid much fanfare in India on 28th August, 2014. The initial target of Jan Dhan Yojana is to cover 75 million unbanked households by26th January, 2015. The government claims that on the inaugural day, a record 15 million bank accounts were opened across the country under this initiative. Nowhere else in the world, such a large number of bank accounts have been opened on a single day. In less than a month, nearly 40 million accounts have been opened under this initiative


Safe Nuclear Power: Fact And Myth
 By S.G.Vombatkere

http://www.countercurrents.org/vombatkere311014.htm

The nuclear energy programs of many countries are either at a standstill or are actually declining. Prominent among these are USA, Sweden and Denmark, and most recently Germany. The reasons for this are to be found solely in public awareness of the dangers of catastrophic accidents and of long-term risks of continued low-level radiation from normal operation of nuclear installations


Trilokpuri Riots: Police have Targeted Muslims: Shabnam Hashmi
 An Interview with Social Activist Shabnam Hashmi by Mishab Irikkur and Abhay Kumar

http://www.countercurrents.org/akumar311014.htm

Shabnam Hashmi believes that the rise of Modi poses an ever bigger challenge to secular forces as the incidents of communal violence have increased many times in the last few months, including the latest one in Delhi's Trilokpuri area and tension in Bawana earlier. Against the background of this, Mishab Irikkur and Abhay Kumar interacted with Hashmi at ANHAD's office in Nizamuddin, Delhi, on Tuesday afternoon, October 28 on a wide range of issues. The excerpts of the interview are as follows


Trilokpuri Ritot: Fact-Finding Report
 By Concerned Citizens

http://www.countercurrents.org/cc311014.htm

A brief fact-finding report of communally instigated tension at Trilokpuri, Delhi


"Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" And The Filth Of Democracy
 By Samar

http://www.countercurrents.org/smar311014.htm

No, the man pictured here has not entered the gutter as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much hyped Swachh Bharat Abhiyan , or "clean India campaign". Unlike the ad rush that shows posing with the broom, he could not have entered the gutter to preach the country about the virtues of cleanliness. He is, in fact, indulging in a practice outlawed time and again by both the legislature and the judiciary of the country, most recently on March 27 this year