In the 1980s, the U.S. imposed a 100% tariff on virtually all Japanese electronics and forced Tokyo to sign a one-sided trade deal that reserved much of its domestic semiconductor sector for American companies.
Author Archive | Alan MacLeod
Fingers point to U.S.-backed Gov’t in Colombia’s ninetieth massacre of the Year
“The Trump administration waged a full scale campaign to undermine Colombia’s peace accords. We must not waste our time hoping the Biden administration might reverse course, we must demand it.” — James Jordan, Alliance for Global Justice
‘Freedom is blossoming’: After dismembering a journalist, Saudi Arabia goes on a PR spree
“Freedom is blossoming.” That is how, without a shred of irony, CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson describes Saudi Arabia in his recent article.
U.S. Embassy caught scrubbing Tweets urging Venezuelans not to vote
It is not clear why the embassy decided to go back and delete its posting history, especially as undermining Venezuela’s elections continues to be the official line of the U.S. government.
U.S. media, pols rage after Venezuelans defy U.S. empire to re-elect socialists
Despite the fact that the election was overseen by 1,500 international observers, U.S. pols and media pundits alike labeled it a sham before it even took place.
“Superheroes” and “Nice” guys: Coverage of Biden’s hawkish cabinet picks is predictably lacking
Just as they failed to hold power to account in the run-up to the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, corporate media is refusing to ask the hard questions about Biden’s hawkish cabinet picks.
Crying wolf on election fraud is OK at NYT—if targets are official enemies
President Donald Trump’s categorical refusal to accept what seems like an inevitable and increasingly crushing election loss has many in media rightly worried about the political repercussions of such a move, with some sounding the alarm over a potential coup d’etat in the U.S. (e.g., Salon, 11/11/20; Washington Post, 11/12/20; Guardian, 11/13/20; New Republic, 11/13/20).
Meet the filthy rich war hawks that make up Biden’s new foreign policy team
“I expect the prevailing direction of U.S. foreign policy over these last decades to continue: more lawless bombing and killing multiple countries under the cover of “limited engagement,” – Biden Biographer Branko Marcetic
Media silence marks ongoing OPCW cover-up of Syria chemical weapons scandal
“Clearly the U.S. and its allies do not want transparency and open debate about the OPCW Douma investigation, and one can only conclude that this is the case because they know full well that their claims cannot be substantiated. Smears and censorship are the only tactics they have left.” – Propaganda Expert Piers Robinson
The knives come out as Greenwald splits from the Intercept citing censorship
Funded by a billionaire oligarch and increasingly seen as a mouthpiece for the neoliberal establishment, The Intercept suffered its biggest blow yet with the very public departure of Greenwald.
In stunning display of popular will, protests in Bolivia to Chile force public reckoning of “Chicago Boy” economics
Like in Bolivia, the strength of public opinion in Chile was so immense that the government, led by Chile’s richest man Sebastian Piñera, immediately conceded.
Media responds with apathy, disappointment as U.S.-backed coup Gov’t concedes defeat in Bolivia
Across the spectrum, corporate media has endorsed last year’s rightwing takeover of Bolivia, refusing to label it as a coup. Coverage of Sunday’s historical elections hasn’t been much better.
In Afghanistan, American Troops patrol the same routes their fathers did
Thousands of U.S. soldiers continue to pace and patrol exactly the same routes as their predecessors did in 2001, fighting a seemingly endless conflict that both the American and Afghan public have long since soured on.
Julian Assange: Press shows little interest in media ‘trial of century’
Yet the case has been met with indifference from the corporate press. Even as their house is burning down, media are insisting it is just the Northern Lights.
As his extradition trial drags on, media and rights groups are still ignoring Julian Assange
Many mainstream rights groups and media organizations have a mixed history when it comes to opposing Washington’s agenda. The case of Julian Assange has been no exception.
Media blame gender reveal parties, not climate change, for West Coast fires
The West is on fire, quite literally. A record-breaking heatwave has sparked unprecedented wildfires up and down the coast, turning the sky an apocalyptic, terrifying shade of red.
Oregon can’t fight wildfires because its helicopters were sent to Afghanistan
Many of Oregon’s largest firefighting aircraft are not available because the Department of Defense has sent them to Afghanistan to fight in the 20-year-old war.
DHS Head Chad Wolf adopts language of war in threats against Portland protesters
The phrase “all options on the table” is largely used in politics as a code phrase conveying the most extreme violence imaginable, without having to explicitly state it. Now it’s being used against American citizens.
New survey highlights effectiveness of anti-China COVID rhetoric
A new YouGov survey reveals the real effects that Anti-China rhetoric is having on shaping public perception and the reality of COVID-19’s impact on the world.
“A disturbing milestone”: America’s top 12 plutocrats now own $1 Trillion in wealth
New figures from the Institute for Policy Studies show that, despite a pandemic that has stunted the economy for months, America’s billionaire class is becoming richer than ever, adding nearly $700 billion to their fortune since the nationwide lockdown in March.
