mercoledì 27 giugno 2018
What's next for Turkey after vote grants Erdogan vast powers
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/06/25/whats-next-for-turkey-after-vote-grants-erdogan-vast-powers.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fworld+%28Internal+-+World+Latest+-+Text%29
ISTANBUL – President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ushering in a new era for Turkey after weekend elections saw him win a presidency granting him the vastly expanded executive powers he has long sought. But his governing party saw its parliamentary majority slip, leaving him reliant on the support of a small nationalist party.
Critics have reacted with alarm to Erdogan's victory, saying the results usher in what will effectively be one-man rule, putting someone with increasingly autocratic and intolerant tendencies at the helm of a strategically significant NATO country.
Here is a look at what's at stake, and what the election results mean for Turkey and its international relations.
___
ECONOMY
The fate of Turkey's increasingly shaky economy is critical, and much will depend on how Erdogan handles it. In his victory speech, he said his goal was to make his country one of the world's top 10 economies by 2023, the centenary of the Turkish Republic. But how he will achieve that is unclear.
Turkey has been hit by rising inflation and a struggling currency, which has lost about 20 percent of its value against the dollar since the start of the year. Although the country's economy grew by about 7 percent last year, analysts warn this was largely fueled by unsustainable grandiose construction projects.
"There are lots of fragilities. When we look at the overall macro picture, the inflation is high, exchange rate is high, interest rates are high, fiscal deficit is high, current account deficit is high," said economic analyst Ozlem Derici Sengul.
Fadi Hakura of the London-based Chatham House think tank predicted that Turkey is heading toward an economic crisis in the next five years, but noted there were no signs Erdogan would change course on the economy.
"He will continue pursuing the very populist economic policies that are leading Turkey to economic ruin," Hakura said. "There are no indications that Erdogan will reverse course in terms of his economic populist agenda."
"That means loosening the purse strings, restraining interest rates, and boosting construction and mega infrastructure projects, as well as supplying cheap credit to consumers and Turkish business. The very policies that are now degrading the value of the lira vis-a-vis the dollar and the euro," he said.
Erdogan, Hakura noted, is "obsessed with a super-high growth rate, way beyond the capacity of the Turkish economy. And that's what will lead to economic ruin in Turkey."
"He's pursuing Ferrari growth rates while being a ... mid-sized car," Hakura said.
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DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
The new system abolishes the prime minister's position, and grants the president power to appoint ministers, vice presidents and high-level bureaucrats, issue decrees, prepare the budget and decide on security policies. Erdogan, who set the changes in motion with a 2017 referendum, insists this will lead to greater stability and prosperity.
But many fear it puts too much power in the hands of the president in a country lacking the checks and balances of other presidential democracies, such as the United States or France.
"Turkey has cut off its ties with democratic values," said Muharrem Ince of the secular opposition Republican People's Party, who came in second in Sunday's presidential race. "It has transitioned to a one-man regime in the fullest sense."
France and the U.S. have independent judiciaries, a free press, independent institutions and party-based politics, noted Hakura of Chatham House.
"Those kinds of institutional checks and balances are non-existent ... or at least are very weak in Turkey," Hakura said. "One cannot say that the legal system in Turkey is independent. The national media is completely under government (control) or is loyal to Erdogan."
Sunday's elections took place under a state of emergency imposed by Erdogan's government after a failed 2016 coup. About 50,000 people have been jailed and more than 110,000 civil servants fired in the massive government crackdown. In the run-up to Sunday's vote, Erdogan had said he would lift the state of emergency if re-elected — something long called for by opposition figures and rights groups.
The candidate who came in third in the presidential election, Selahattin Demirtas, ran his entire campaign from a maximum security prison, where he is being held pending trial on terrorism charges he says are trumped up and politically motivated. The pro-Kurdish HDP party he ran for managed to win enough votes to enter parliament despite nine of its lawmakers, including Demirtas, and thousands of its party members being jailed.
"I think it's quite clear that human rights conditions in Turkey will probably worsen," given that the small nationalist party Erdogan has allied with, Devlet Bahceli's Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, is even more to the right than Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, Hakura said. "There's no indication that Erdogan will relax the tightening environment that Turkey is now laboring under in terms of media freedoms, human rights and civil liberties."
___
FOREIGN POLICY
How the election results will affect Turkey's foreign policy will also be a closely watched topic. The country of 81 million people is a significant player on the regional stage, with often tricky, frequently changing relations with neighbors and allies.
The "elections haven't changed anything" regarding the country's international relations, said Kerem Oktem, a professor at the University of Graz in Austria, predicting a "continuation of not strategic but tactical foreign policy" in which Ankara veers toward Russia but doesn't distance itself completely from the West.
Erdogan has frequently taken a combative stance in recent years, particularly against the European Union and the United States following their criticism of his crackdown in the aftermath of the failed 2016 coup. Turkey's bid to join the EU has come to a stumbling halt, with no indication of renewed efforts to jump-start the process.
Relations with the U.S. have also faltered. Washington has been backing and arming a Kurdish militia in northern Syria to combat the Islamic State group, enraging the Erdogan government, which considers it a terror organization linked to a Kurdish insurgency in southeastern Turkey. More recently, the U.S. Congress raised objections to Turkey's purchase of F-35 fighter jets after Ankara said it was buying the Russian S-400 missile air defense system.
Ankara is also furious Washington has not extradited Fetullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric who Erdogan has accused of orchestrating the failed coup. Gulen denies involvement.
Turkey's relations with Russia have seen dramatic fluctuations, with ties recently warming following a long frosty period after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane taking part in the campaign to support Syrian President Bashar Assad's government in 2015. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Erdogan on his election win Sunday.
Turkey also has a significant stake in neighboring Syria, where it mounted a military operation in the north and now controls about 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles) of Syrian territory.
Analysts Oktem and Hakura predicted a continuation of operations against Kurdish fighters in Syria and northern Iraq, with the latter noting that Erdogan's alliance with the nationalist MHP party would solidify the government's stance.
"If anything, the MHP is skeptical of the relations with the U.S. and would support a more robust military adventure" against Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq, Hakura said. "It's lukewarm towards Russia."
The alliance with the MHP will not bring about "any dramatic changes in Turkish foreign policy, except the bilateral relations with Europe and the United States will continue to be testy and challenging," he said.
____
Associated Press writers Zeynep Bilginsoy and Bram Janssen in Istanbul contributed to this report.
GOVERNO ITALIANO AMICO DELLA RUSSIA? INTANTO L’UNIONE EUROPEA RINNOVA IL PRIMO “SET” DI SANZIONI
http://press.russianews.it/press/governo-italiano-amico-della-russia-intanto-lunione-europea-rinnova-primo-set-sanzioni/
Bruxelles – Il Consiglio dell’Unione Europea ha rinnovato formalmente il 18 giugno 2018, fino al 23 giugno 2019, le sanzioni europee contro la Russia per la sua annessione della Crimea e di Sebastopoli in violazione delle leggi internazionali.
Le sanzioni prorogate oggi, che proibiscono alcuni tipi di importazioni ed esportazioni, investimenti e servizi turistici nel territorio della Crimea da parte di società con sede nei Paesi Ue, erano state già approvate senza problemi il 29 maggio dal comitato tecnico dei rappresentanti permanenti degli Stati membri (Coreper), che prepara le riunioni del Consiglio.
Oltre a quelle di oggi, ci sono altri due “set” di sanzioni che l’UE rinnova periodicamente contro Mosca, sempre legate alla situazione in Ucraina. Il più importante economicamente, quello che ha il maggiore impatto sull’Italia, è il set delle sanzioni “settoriali” semestrali che riguardano energia, banche e investimenti, sono legate al mancato rispetto degli Accordi di Minsk da parte della Russia, e devono essere rinnovate entro il 31 luglio prossimo. L’impatto sull’Italia è dovuto alle contromisure che Mosca ha deciso come ritorsione contro l’UE per queste specifiche sanzioni, che colpiscono in particolare le sue esportazioni nel settore agroalimentare.
Negli ultimi anni, il governo italiano è riuscito a evitare che queste sanzioni venissero rinnovate “in automatico” a livello tecnico dal Coreper – dopo la valutazione d’impatto che la Commissione europea compie ogni semestre – senza il passaggio “politico” dell’approvazione da parte dei capi di Stato e di governo in Consiglio europeo. E’ ancora
da vedere se anche questa volta la decisione sarà messa in agenda per il prossimo vertice Ue, il 28 e 29 giugno a Bruxelles.
Il terzo “set” di sanzioni, infine, riguarda il “congelamento” degli asset e il divieto di viaggiare nell’Ue che colpiscono alcune personalità implicate nella violazione della sovranità ucraina. Queste sanzioni scadono e devono essere rinnovate entro il 15 settembre.
Bruxelles – Il Consiglio dell’Unione Europea ha rinnovato formalmente il 18 giugno 2018, fino al 23 giugno 2019, le sanzioni europee contro la Russia per la sua annessione della Crimea e di Sebastopoli in violazione delle leggi internazionali.
Le sanzioni prorogate oggi, che proibiscono alcuni tipi di importazioni ed esportazioni, investimenti e servizi turistici nel territorio della Crimea da parte di società con sede nei Paesi Ue, erano state già approvate senza problemi il 29 maggio dal comitato tecnico dei rappresentanti permanenti degli Stati membri (Coreper), che prepara le riunioni del Consiglio.
Oltre a quelle di oggi, ci sono altri due “set” di sanzioni che l’UE rinnova periodicamente contro Mosca, sempre legate alla situazione in Ucraina. Il più importante economicamente, quello che ha il maggiore impatto sull’Italia, è il set delle sanzioni “settoriali” semestrali che riguardano energia, banche e investimenti, sono legate al mancato rispetto degli Accordi di Minsk da parte della Russia, e devono essere rinnovate entro il 31 luglio prossimo. L’impatto sull’Italia è dovuto alle contromisure che Mosca ha deciso come ritorsione contro l’UE per queste specifiche sanzioni, che colpiscono in particolare le sue esportazioni nel settore agroalimentare.
Negli ultimi anni, il governo italiano è riuscito a evitare che queste sanzioni venissero rinnovate “in automatico” a livello tecnico dal Coreper – dopo la valutazione d’impatto che la Commissione europea compie ogni semestre – senza il passaggio “politico” dell’approvazione da parte dei capi di Stato e di governo in Consiglio europeo. E’ ancora
da vedere se anche questa volta la decisione sarà messa in agenda per il prossimo vertice Ue, il 28 e 29 giugno a Bruxelles.
Il terzo “set” di sanzioni, infine, riguarda il “congelamento” degli asset e il divieto di viaggiare nell’Ue che colpiscono alcune personalità implicate nella violazione della sovranità ucraina. Queste sanzioni scadono e devono essere rinnovate entro il 15 settembre.
Russia Attacked US Debt, Because Trump Attacked Its Aluminium
https://russia-insider.com/en/politics/russia-attacked-us-debt-because-trump-attacked-its-aluminium/ri23833
Also of note, U.S. ally Japan continues to shed Treasuries at around 8-10 billion per month. Ireland dumped $17 billion and Luxembourg nearly $8 billion.
No Dip in Russia’s Foreign Exchange Reserves During Rusal Crisis
In times past we may have not seen such a massive dump of U.S. debt by Russia. They may have simply sold dollars directly or swapped euros or yuan for them. But, these are different times. Trump has taken the use of sanctions to a level that hasn’t been seen before.
But, don’t think this isn’t working to Putin’s advantage as Deripaska is not one of his supposed favored oligarchs. This report from Bloomberg spelled out the situation well back in April.
Why do you think they did that?
The net result will be more of the aluminum market will flow through the Yuan rather than the dollar, neatly avoiding sanctions and any future threats. Because with the insanity caused by the overnight chaos in April, any aluminum supplier/consumer will be wary of another such edict from the naked Emperor in D.C.
Remember, even the U.S. has limits. It cannot sanction people for refusing to trade in dollars. Even the U.S. doesn’t have that power. It can try but it will fail. New systems, new banks, new institutions can always be created.
"Putin is the master of parallel aggression. You take an action against Russia, he will generally hit you back along some other vector."
Looking at the unfolding trade war between Donald Trump and the world the phrase that should come to mind is “One good turn deserves another.”
In the case of the insane sanctions on Oleg Deripaska and Russian Aluminum giant, Rusal, back in April, we finally got some clarity as to how Russia can and will respond to future events.
In yesterday’s Treasury International Capital (TIC) report, we saw clearly that Russia activated its nearly $100 billion in U.S. Treasury debt to buy dollars in April.
More than $47 billion in U.S. debt was dumped into the market to cover the chaos engendered by Trump’s overnight diktat for the world to stop doing business with Rusal.
Also of note, U.S. ally Japan continues to shed Treasuries at around 8-10 billion per month. Ireland dumped $17 billion and Luxembourg nearly $8 billion.
While China dropped $5 billion this is noise, ultimately as its holdings of U.S. debt have been stable for over a year now. What is interesting is Belgium, the home of Euroclear, seeing a $12 billion inflow. Likely that’s where some of the Russian-held debt was traded to.
The Russians likely sold from their balance on reserve with the Federal Reserve. Here’s the latest iteration of the chart I keep for just such an occasion.
Rusal’s shares and bonds went bidless but the damage wasn’t contained there as major Russian banks like VTB and Sberbank were hit hard as well. So, while Rusal didn’t have much in the way of dollar-denominated debt. It did have major dollar-related obligations as accounts receivable on its balance sheet because of the sheer size of its trade conducted in dollars.
And that’s why there was such an outflow from Russia’s stock of Treasuries. But, here’s the thing. It didn’t matter one whit. Why? It didn’t undermine Russia’s Foreign Exchange Reserves.
No Dip in Russia’s Foreign Exchange Reserves During Rusal Crisis
Russia just sold Treasuries into the market, raised dollars and swapped out Rusal’s bonds, holding them as collateral for a Repo.
The Bank of Russia Intervened to keep Rusal and Other Banks Solvent by Dumping U.S. Treasuries
This went on for most of the month and into May. Zerohedge’s reporting on this leads the way.
This mass dumping of U.S. debt caused the long end of the U.S. yield curve to blow out past significant resistance points, like the 10 year pushing above 3.05% in sympathy with the Fed’s policy to dry up dollar liquidity. If this first-order analysis by Zerohedge is correct, then we can assume Russia has been holding a lot of long-dated Treasuries versus say China which we know has shortened up the average maturity of their massive bond portfolio.
In times past we may have not seen such a massive dump of U.S. debt by Russia. They may have simply sold dollars directly or swapped euros or yuan for them. But, these are different times. Trump has taken the use of sanctions to a level that hasn’t been seen before.
Putin is the master of parallel aggression. You take an action against Russia, he will generally hit you back along some other vector.
In this case it was a direct confrontation to Trump’s bringing the full weight of U.S. financial dominance down on its rivals and allies, who are all heavily exposed to Rusal’s market position.
Russia is not out of the water with this situation which is why Oleg Deripaska, the majority owner of Rusal and the one targeted by the Trump administration, is looking still to find ways to satisfy the U.S.’s demands on this issue.
Putin’s Pivot
But, don’t think this isn’t working to Putin’s advantage as Deripaska is not one of his supposed favored oligarchs. This report from Bloomberg spelled out the situation well back in April.
As for Deripaska, he will get help from the Russian government again. {which he did, see above} Rusal has warned that the sanctions might mean a default on a portion of its debt. That’s most likely to happen to its more than $1 billion in dollar-denominated debt. But, as ever, the company’s biggest creditors are Russian state banks, and the Kremlin will keep Rusal solvent one way or another as it reorients toward Asian markets. It won’t be a huge headache for Putin: He’s seen worse, including with Rusal during the financial crisis.
And that’s the most important part.
Once the current positions are wound down and the aluminum market adjusts to the new reality of U.S. hyper-aggression to restart an industry we really don’t need (smelting aluminum? really?) just to satisfy Trump’s outdated views on trade (which they are MAGA-pedes) Rusal’s business will not be so U.S.-centric.
And therefore the world will become less exposed, over time, to the depredations of U.S. financial attack. I told you before that China has responded to this by issuing new yuan-denominated futures contracts for industrial metals.
Why do you think they did that?
Will it create pain in the short-term? Yes. Europe will experience even more of this as will Asia.
Will a lot of companies fear being sanctioned and fined by the U.S. for doing business with Rusal? Yes. It’s happening now. Will this exacerbate underlying economic conditions in Europe? Of course.
But, if Deripaska submits, like it looks like he will, then the aluminum market will calm down and Trump’s sanctions will look silly.
Sanctions Bite Both Ways
And, as such, they will diversify the currencies they buy and sell aluminum in. It won’t be a sea change overnight. Those least exposed will jump ship first. Rusal will be one of the main beneficiaries since Russian banks are already sanctioned.
But it will be a trend, that once started will gain steam.
China can and will tie convertibility of its futures contracts to gold through the Shanghai exchange to allay worries about getting money out of the country.
Abusing your customers is never a winning marketplace strategy and that’s exactly what Trump’s sanctions policy is doing, abusing customers of the dollar. Trust has been the dollar’s strongest attribute for a long time now and it is the primary reason why it has dominated trade and reserves.
But there is a limit to how much your customers will take. And Trump is pushing well beyond that limit. And when the benefits of using the dollar are eclipsed by the liabilities, people will naturally shift away from it.
Look at the TIC chart above and note the total. This is a $6.3 trillion synthetic short position against the dollar. He’s inviting countries to dump treasuries to defend their currencies as the dollar strengthens while shifting their primary materials buying to the biggest rival’s currency.
This is why Russia continues to run a very tight financial ship while it leads the charge away from the dollar. It’s inviting customers into the ruble with both a strong national balance sheet and relatively higher interest rates. This has the U.S. fuming.
Putin has and will use future mini-crises like this to further clean up the rot left over from the Yeltsin years, like Deripaska, while building a Russia insulated from future attacks like this.
Remember, even the U.S. has limits. It cannot sanction people for refusing to trade in dollars. Even the U.S. doesn’t have that power. It can try but it will fail. New systems, new banks, new institutions can always be created.
Trump Is Bought and Paid for by Zionists Who DEMAND War with Iran - Time For America to Say NO!
https://russia-insider.com/en/politics/trump-bought-and-paid-zionists-who-demand-war-iran-time-america-say-no/ri23656?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
"Never forget that the global elite control both sides of the political aisle—and both sides of the political debate. You have to keep your eye on the main goal of the globalists: perpetual war."
The author is a prominent American Christian conservative who was a presidential candidate for the paleoconservative Constitution Party in 2008, when he was endorsed by Ron Paul.
He is the pastor of Liberty Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Montana, and a popular radio host and columnist. His weekly sermons are available on his YouTube channel.
"Never forget that the global elite control both sides of the political aisle—and both sides of the political debate. You have to keep your eye on the main goal of the globalists: perpetual war."
The author is a prominent American Christian conservative who was a presidential candidate for the paleoconservative Constitution Party in 2008, when he was endorsed by Ron Paul.
He is the pastor of Liberty Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Montana, and a popular radio host and columnist. His weekly sermons are available on his YouTube channel.
He is a relentless foe of neoconservatism and frequently criticizes the neocon hostility towards Russia. His views are representative of an influential and substantial part of Trump's popular support.
Here is an archive of his excellent articles which we have published on Russia Insider, when they were relevant to the debate over Russia.
Following up on my column last week, Perpetual War: A Racket For Politicians, Bankers, And War Profiteers, I wrote this on my Facebook page on Monday, Memorial Day:
If we truly want to support our troops and honor our men and women in uniform, we would stop requiring them to have their limbs blown off, their bodies paralyzed, their eyes blinded, their minds destroyed and their lives lost for wars that have NOTHING to do with protecting America and EVERYTHING to do with enriching globalists, bankers, politicians, and war profiteers.We would stop using them for political nation-building, regime change and drug dealing. We would stop using them as global cops. And we would especially stop using them to fight perpetual wars of aggression for Zionist Israel.Short of the above, all of the hype about "supporting our troops" is just so much hot air. No! It's even worse than that: It's pure propaganda for the sake of benefiting the merciless, murderous war merchants and heads of state who profit off of the sacrifices of their country's sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters and husbands and wives.The best way to "support our troops" is to BRING THEM HOME.
Sadly, since World War II and the advent of the United Nations and Zionist State of Israel, the United States has turned into a militaristic, warmongering, arms-running, New World Order-building piranha state. The United States spends more money on its military than at least the next eight countries combined.
We have become the world’s policeman who is charged with 1) enforcing the dictates of the United Nations, 2) enforcing the globalist agenda of the New World Order elite, and 3) enforcing the demands of Rothschild’s Zionist bankers. Furthermore, the United States is the single largest weapons and munitions dealer in the world.
Over one hundred countries (along with a host of subversive anti-government terror groups) are given or sold the most sophisticated weaponry in the U.S. arsenal. (Yet, many congressmen who see absolutely nothing wrong with supplying some of the most extremist and violent terror groups in the world with modern U.S.-made weapons—including machine guns, shoulder-fired rocket launchers, high-grade explosives, etc.—are trying to prohibit U.S. citizens from owning a simple semi-automatic rifle here at home.)
In last week’s column, I said this:
Much like Woodrow Wilson, who won re-election on the promise to keep America out of war, so, too, did Donald Trump. And just like Wilson, no sooner had Trump won the election than he began beating the drums of war. Wilson took the U.S. into the First World War. Trump is making all of the overtures of taking us into the Third World War.
It is more than obvious that Trump is itching for a war with Iran and Syria. And Defense Secretary James Mattis knows it. Why else would he tell the graduates of the Air Force Academy that “they will see battle soon.”
I am personally convinced the reason for Trump’s maniacal lust for war with Iran is due to the fact that more than any President before him, Trump is totally and thoroughly bought and paid for by Rothschild’s Talmudic Zionists. This one fact alone is probably why the globalist elite put Trump in office. Don’t be fooled by the far left’s rabid opposition to Trump.
Never forget that the global elite control both sides of the political aisle—and both sides of the political debate. You have to keep your eye on the main goal of the globalists: perpetual war for the Rothschild bankers. As long as a U.S. president stays true to THAT course, it matters not to the globalists how much bellicose rhetoric a president might bloviate on a host of other—and to the Rothschilds, lesser—issues.
I’ll say it straight out: Donald Trump is a puppet for the Zionist Rothschild banking syndicate, and everything Trump is doing economically and militarily (especially in the Middle East) is in direct submission to the Rothschild Zionists. (Please watch that video from the Blackstone Intelligence Network. 37 minutes in length.)
Much like G.W. Bush, Donald Trump has filled his inner circle with warmongers such as Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, James Mattis, John Bolton, Nikki Haley, and “Bloody” Gina Haspel, et al. This is a WAR CABINET if ever there was one.
Trump’s withdrawal of the Iranian treaty (which Iran had KEPT its promises to) was the first step to an attack against Tehran. Israel has been attacking Iranian positions in Syria almost non-stop from the moment Trump withdrew from the treaty as a preliminary military staging strategy ahead of the main event: a full-scale attack by the United States on Iran.
Please remember that the Iranians are in Syria legally, as they were invited by the Syrian government to help rid the country of U.S.-backed ISIS terrorists. America, on the other hand, has built several military bases in Syria illegally, as the government in Damascus has given NO authorization for the U.S. to bring troops into its country.
The Syrian government considers the presence of U.S. troops and military bases an act of invasion. And indeed it is. Can one imagine what would happen if Syria started sending military troops to and building military bases in the United States?
But presidents have absolutely no constitutional authority to go to war with countries without the authorization of Congress. And the authorization given President G.W. Bush by Congress following the 9/11 attacks does NOT apply to the way presidents of both parties have been waging wars against a variety of Middle Eastern countries in the seventeen years following that 2001 authorization. In other words, all of these bombings, military incursions, missile launches, drone attacks, etc., that both Barack Obama and Donald Trump have ordered are blatantly illegal, immoral and unconstitutional.
Sadly, however, the cowardly, spineless, jellyfish congressmen in Washington, D.C., of both parties have shown almost zero interest in regaining their constitutional authority over America’s war efforts—until NOW.
With almost no announcement or media attention, the U.S. Congress a week ago Tuesday voted unanimously to pass the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that included an amendment prohibiting President Trump from attacking Iran.
Here is the Facebook post announcing this amazing development from Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN):
This act of Congress is a welcome, much-needed and long-overdue first step in curbing the unconstitutional acts of war that have been conducted by the executive branch of government (regardless of who sits in the Oval Office) for far, far too long. This was a MAJOR amendment approved unanimously by the U.S. Congress, and, what do you know, there was not a peep from the national news media about it.
However, I do not hold out much hope for the U.S. Senate following suit as long as Zionist-controlled warmongers like Lindsey Graham are still there. And I certainly do not hold out any hope for Donald Trump to sign it, or if he does sign it, to bother submitting to it.
Any President who would say that America’s police agencies should ignore constitutional due process when it comes to confiscating the firearms of U.S. citizens that Trump considers “dangerous” (as Trump said TWICE) would have no qualms about ignoring constitutional due process when it comes to dropping bombs on foreign countries he considered “dangerous.” (Now, talk about grounds for impeachment: If Trump ignored the Constitution and attacked a country after Congress specifically told him not to, it would absolutely be grounds for impeachment.) But everyone in government needs the defense authorization bill to pass in order to keep funding America’s NWO army; so, we’ll see how this pans out.
The important thing at this point is the fact that the Congress of the United States did, in fact, specifically and officially prohibit President Trump from waging war against Iran. This might be the very first time since 2001 and 2003, that Congress has shown the guts to start reclaiming its constitutional authority regarding the dissemination of war. HOORAY!
The American people for far too long have allowed our presidents (of both parties) to ignore their oaths to the Constitution by sending our military forces to wage war on dozens of countries for the benefit of political gain, the execution of a globalist NWO agenda, and the enrichment of the military/industrial complex and multinational bankers. It’s time for it to STOP.
It’s time for the Congress of the United States to do what it did a week ago Tuesday and start putting an end to the reckless warmongering, nation-building, regime-changing machinations of the White House—regardless of the President who occupies it.
America is a constitutional republic, not a monarchy. It’s past time that the American people started reminding their congressmen and senators of that fact before more of our brave young men and women in uniform are brought back in flag-draped coffins, having died for the parochial agendas of ignominious people who are using that flag not for the cause of liberty and protection of America but for their own financial fortunes.
DAGONEWS
http://www.dagospia.com/rubrica-2/media_e_tv/silvio-berlusconi-mondiali-tifa-hellip-ria-antoniou-quella-vecchia-volpe-177195.htm
1. BERLUSCONI AI MONDIALI TIFA…RIA ANTONIOU! QUELLA VECCHIA VOLPE DEL BANANA NON SI È LASCIATO SFUGGIRE LA CURVACEA MODELLA GRECA CHE TURBA I SONNI DEI TIFOSI (VIDEO)
1. BERLUSCONI AI MONDIALI TIFA…RIA ANTONIOU! QUELLA VECCHIA VOLPE DEL BANANA NON SI È LASCIATO SFUGGIRE LA CURVACEA MODELLA GRECA CHE TURBA I SONNI DEI TIFOSI (VIDEO)
2. GIRA UN ANEDDOTO A COLOGNO: L'ANNO SCORSO BERLUSCONI VEDE RIA A ''TIKI TAKA'' A NOTTE FONDA, E SUBITO CHIAMA GLI STUDI TELEVISIVI. SOLO CHE IL CUSTODE RISPONDE…
3. VENITE ALLA SCOPERTA DEL SUO PROFILO INSTAGRAM: ACCANTO AL SEDERE TORNITO (SENZA MUTANDE), L'IRONICA CHIOSA: ''OGGI HO PROPRIO UNA FACCIA TRISTE! COSA NE PENSATE?''
Sapete chi tifa Silvio Berlusconi ai Mondiali? Ria Antoniou! Gira infatti un aneddoto per i corridoi di Cologno Monzese, che in questi giorni di sovraesposizione della bombastica modella greca è arrivato all'orecchio di questo disgraziato sito.
Pare che l'anno scorso, mentre nella terza serata di Italia1 andava in onda ''Tiki Taka'' con ospite la curvacea Ria, i telefoni degli studi televisivi abbiano iniziato a suonare insistentemente.
Un custode assonnato risponde: ''Pronto?''. ''Buonasera, sono Silvio Berlusconi, mi passi il responsabile di studio di 'Tiki Taka', vorrei parlare con la signorina Antoniou''. ''Ma…dottore…il programma è registrato prima, ora se ne sono andati tutti''.
Da quel momento, una stella ateniese ha iniziato a brillare nel cuore del Cavaliere. Ria, diminutivo di Grigoria, alle soglie dei 30 anni può dire di aver conquistato un traguardo cui molte sue colleghe aspirano: essere apprezzata dal Signore di Arcore.
E' solo un caso, ma dimostra il legame che continua a unire Silvio e Urbano Cairo: ''For Men Magazine'' dell'editore piemontese ha scelto lei per il bollente calendario 2018, poi distillato sul suo imperdibile profilo Instagram.
Da incorniciare le didascalie alle foto: accanto al suo sedere tornito (in primo piano e senza mutande), l'ironica Ria chiosa: ''Oggi ho proprio una faccia triste! Cosa ne pensate?''.
E quando dagli Studi Rai di Napoli dove si gira ''Sbandati'' chiede ai suoi fan: ''Cosa indosso stasera?'', all'assalto dei morti di figa che sbavano tra i commenti e le ululano di uscire nuda, lei, ammiccante, replica con un'altra foto, stavolta senza vestiti: ''Ma ragazzi com'è possibile stare solo nuda?'', aggiungendo l'emoji di una lingua.
E avanti con altre foto e altre domande retoriche: ''Chi viene a salvarmi?'', ''Che ne pensate di questo vestito'', e altre immaginarie (…) reazioni maschili, scorrendo indietro fino alle sue partecipazioni a ''Matrix Chiambretti'', ''Colorado'', il film di Natale di Carlo Vanzina ''Non si ruba a casa dei ladri'', il red carpet del Festival di Roma, dove la immortalò anche il nostro fotografo Luciano Di Bacco, fino all'edizione 2012 di ''Ballando con le Stelle'', in cui fece il suo debutto nel nostro Paese, a tre anni dall'operazione che le donò un seno nuovo di zecca (lo raccontò in un'intervista a ''Dipiù'').
Scrive oggi Dipollina su ''Repubblica'' che la ragazza ha anche una telecamera posteriore dedicata per quando si alza e va a leggere la gag che le hanno scritto gli autori. Un vero segno del successo.
Mondiale, Berlusconi stregato da Ria Antoniou gli telefona e lei…
http://www.itasportpress.it/video/mondiale-berlusconi-stregato-da-ria-antoniou-gli-telefona-e-lei/
Il Cavaliere ha alzato la cornetta per Ria ma una risposta inaspettata è arrivata
La bombastica Ria Antoniou ha raggiunto un traguardo che pochissime altre sue colleghe possono vantare. Silvio Berlusconi sarebbe diventato in un attimo il suo primo fan, secondo un’indiscrezione di Dagospia, almeno da quell’attimo in cui il Cav l’ha vista ospite di Tiki Taka. La showgirl greca può godere oggi di un’enorme esposizione mediatica, a giusta ragione. Lo scorso anno Berlusconi, riporta liberoquotidiano.it, avrebbe assistito a una puntata dello show di Pierluigi Pardo con la Antoniou in studio. Si è quindi precipitato al telefono con l’intenzione di parlare direttamente con lei, così ha chiamato gli studi di Italia1. Dall’altro capo della cornetta ha risposto un assonnato custode: “Pronto?”, “Buonasera, sono Silvio Berlusconi, mi passi il responsabile di studio di Tiki Taka, vorrei parlare con la signorina Antoniou”, “Ma dottore – ha risposto il malcapitato – il programma è registrato prima, ora se ne sono andati tutti”. Insomma, per il Cav aveva bucato lo schermo: promossa a pieni voti. E infatti, da quel momento, la stella di Ria continua a illuminare Mediaset.
Mondiale, Berlusconi stregato da Ria Antoniou gli telefona e lei…
Il Cavaliere ha alzato la cornetta per Ria ma una risposta inaspettata è arrivata
La bombastica Ria Antoniou ha raggiunto un traguardo che pochissime altre sue colleghe possono vantare. Silvio Berlusconi sarebbe diventato in un attimo il suo primo fan, secondo un’indiscrezione di Dagospia, almeno da quell’attimo in cui il Cav l’ha vista ospite di Tiki Taka. La showgirl greca può godere oggi di un’enorme esposizione mediatica, a giusta ragione. Lo scorso anno Berlusconi, riporta liberoquotidiano.it, avrebbe assistito a una puntata dello show di Pierluigi Pardo con la Antoniou in studio. Si è quindi precipitato al telefono con l’intenzione di parlare direttamente con lei, così ha chiamato gli studi di Italia1. Dall’altro capo della cornetta ha risposto un assonnato custode: “Pronto?”, “Buonasera, sono Silvio Berlusconi, mi passi il responsabile di studio di Tiki Taka, vorrei parlare con la signorina Antoniou”, “Ma dottore – ha risposto il malcapitato – il programma è registrato prima, ora se ne sono andati tutti”. Insomma, per il Cav aveva bucato lo schermo: promossa a pieni voti. E infatti, da quel momento, la stella di Ria continua a illuminare Mediaset.
martedì 26 giugno 2018
Russia: infezioni Hiv in aumento, oltre 1 mln di persone contagiate
https://www.corriere.it/salute/malattie_infettive/18_giugno_17/russia-infezioni-hiv-aumento-oltre-1-mln-persone-contagiate-97d4aa68-7229-11e8-845f-3f4efe05492d.shtml
Non ci sono campagne di prevenzione e per alcuni, come i gay, sono vietate per legge. Non ci sono controlli obbligatori (come in stato di gravidanza) e nemmeno farmaci
In un momento in cui in Europa occidentale le epidemie da Hiv sembrano ridursi, in Russia ogni anno crescono circa del 10%. Lo riporta Jon Cohen in un recente articolo apparso sulla rivista Science. Ad avere accesso ai farmaci solo un terzo del milione di persone che convive con il virus. In uno studio pubblicato l’anno scorso, Michel Kazatchkine, consigliere speciale di UNAIDS nell’Europa orientale e Asia centrale, insieme ad alcuni colleghi evidenzia la possibilità che il numero di persone infette possa raggiungere in realtà i due milioni.
I numeri dell’infezione
Secondo le stime di UNAIDS, tra il 2010 e il 2015 la Russia ha rappresentato oltre l’80% delle nuove infezioni da Hiv di tutta l’Europa dell’Est e Asia centrale, respingendo l’assistenza del Fondo globale per la lotta all’AIDS, alla tubercolosi e alla malaria, e rifiutando di adottare strategie scientificamente provate per rallentare la diffusione del virus tra le persone che assumono droghe. All’incirca nello stesso periodo, le nuove infezioni nel resto dell’Europa e nel Nord America sono diminuite del 9%. «Negli ultimi anni sono emersi diversi articoli scientifici che evidenziano la situazione nell’Est Europa. Discorso a sé resta invece la Russia, a causa della scarsità dei dati a disposizione. Sono pochi e quelli presenti arrivano soprattutto da zone considerate oasi felici per la pratica clinica, come San Pietroburgo», commenta Silvia Nozza, infettivologa dell’Ospedale San Raffaele di Milano. «Il problema della mancanza di prevenzione è molto sentito. L’Hiv viene ancora considerata un’infezione confinata a gruppi di persone, gay e tossicodipendenti, benché si diffonda in tutta la popolazione. Non ci sono campagne di prevenzione e per alcuni, come i gay, sono vietate per legge dal 2013».
Le cause dell’epidemia
Molti sono i fattori di rischio che stanno contribuendo alla diffusione dell’epidemia in Russia. «C’è un notevole consumo di sostanze stupefacenti per via endovenosa e nelle categorie a rischio è aumentata anche la presenza di depressione, a seguito del clima di isolamento sociale: questo, a cascata, facilita ulteriori comportamenti a rischio», spiega la dott.ssa Nozza. Non solo. Molti soggetti contagiati dall’Hiv sono inconsapevoli del proprio stato sierologico: soggetti che portano con sé quantità elevate di virus in circolo, in grado di trasmettere l’infezione ad altri individui. «Inoltre solamente il 70% dei pazienti in trattamento raggiunge una viremia negativa: questo accade per diverse ragioni, tra cui l’uso di farmaci antiretrovirali di vecchia generazione (verosimilmente per il basso costo, ndr) e poiché non sempre ci sono sufficienti scorte di farmaci». Lo stock di farmaci antiretrovirali risulta infatti limitato e questo causa l’assunzione di terapia a singhiozzo, incrementando la possibilità che il virus sviluppi delle resistenze al trattamento. Scarsi i controlli sulle trasfusioni di sangue, assente l’obbligo di sottoporsi al test per Hiv nelle donne in gravidanza: «Il test è raccomandato, ma nella pratica quotidiana senza l’obbligo è possibile che venga omesso. Questo aumenta il rischio di trasmissione materno-fetale».
Una patologia specchio della società
Oltre al virus dell’Hiv, in Russia e nell’Est Europa sono in aumento i casi di tubercolosi: «Entrambe sono un esempio di patologie specchio dell’andamento della società- rileva il professor Andrea Gori, direttore della divisione malattie infettive dell’Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano - . Rappresentano patologie dell’emarginazione, capaci di diffondersi in società che portano con sé un atteggiamento volto a non riconoscere i diritti sociali e alla salute dei cittadini». Per contenere la diffusione, fondamentale è la messa in atto di strategie proattive di politica sanitaria capaci di farsi carico delle problematiche socio-sanitarie, come il dilagare della tossicodipendenza e dell’alcolismo». Anche perché: «Naturale conseguenza di un’epidemia senza una reale strategia di contenimento è la possibilità che il virus sviluppi resistenza alle terapie - sottolinea ulteriormente il professor Gori - . Torniamo alla tubercolosi, la cui storia ci insegna: un 4% dei casi di malattia è attualmente XDR, cioè estensivamente resistente ai farmaci. Questa è una delle conseguenze del voler sottovalutare problemi che impattano sulla società». Speculare è il futuro dell’Hiv: «Se non verrà controllata l’epidemia nell’Est Europa, ci aspettiamo un peggioramento sulla disseminazione dell’infezione».
Non ci sono campagne di prevenzione e per alcuni, come i gay, sono vietate per legge. Non ci sono controlli obbligatori (come in stato di gravidanza) e nemmeno farmaci
In un momento in cui in Europa occidentale le epidemie da Hiv sembrano ridursi, in Russia ogni anno crescono circa del 10%. Lo riporta Jon Cohen in un recente articolo apparso sulla rivista Science. Ad avere accesso ai farmaci solo un terzo del milione di persone che convive con il virus. In uno studio pubblicato l’anno scorso, Michel Kazatchkine, consigliere speciale di UNAIDS nell’Europa orientale e Asia centrale, insieme ad alcuni colleghi evidenzia la possibilità che il numero di persone infette possa raggiungere in realtà i due milioni.
I numeri dell’infezione
Secondo le stime di UNAIDS, tra il 2010 e il 2015 la Russia ha rappresentato oltre l’80% delle nuove infezioni da Hiv di tutta l’Europa dell’Est e Asia centrale, respingendo l’assistenza del Fondo globale per la lotta all’AIDS, alla tubercolosi e alla malaria, e rifiutando di adottare strategie scientificamente provate per rallentare la diffusione del virus tra le persone che assumono droghe. All’incirca nello stesso periodo, le nuove infezioni nel resto dell’Europa e nel Nord America sono diminuite del 9%. «Negli ultimi anni sono emersi diversi articoli scientifici che evidenziano la situazione nell’Est Europa. Discorso a sé resta invece la Russia, a causa della scarsità dei dati a disposizione. Sono pochi e quelli presenti arrivano soprattutto da zone considerate oasi felici per la pratica clinica, come San Pietroburgo», commenta Silvia Nozza, infettivologa dell’Ospedale San Raffaele di Milano. «Il problema della mancanza di prevenzione è molto sentito. L’Hiv viene ancora considerata un’infezione confinata a gruppi di persone, gay e tossicodipendenti, benché si diffonda in tutta la popolazione. Non ci sono campagne di prevenzione e per alcuni, come i gay, sono vietate per legge dal 2013».
Le cause dell’epidemia
Molti sono i fattori di rischio che stanno contribuendo alla diffusione dell’epidemia in Russia. «C’è un notevole consumo di sostanze stupefacenti per via endovenosa e nelle categorie a rischio è aumentata anche la presenza di depressione, a seguito del clima di isolamento sociale: questo, a cascata, facilita ulteriori comportamenti a rischio», spiega la dott.ssa Nozza. Non solo. Molti soggetti contagiati dall’Hiv sono inconsapevoli del proprio stato sierologico: soggetti che portano con sé quantità elevate di virus in circolo, in grado di trasmettere l’infezione ad altri individui. «Inoltre solamente il 70% dei pazienti in trattamento raggiunge una viremia negativa: questo accade per diverse ragioni, tra cui l’uso di farmaci antiretrovirali di vecchia generazione (verosimilmente per il basso costo, ndr) e poiché non sempre ci sono sufficienti scorte di farmaci». Lo stock di farmaci antiretrovirali risulta infatti limitato e questo causa l’assunzione di terapia a singhiozzo, incrementando la possibilità che il virus sviluppi delle resistenze al trattamento. Scarsi i controlli sulle trasfusioni di sangue, assente l’obbligo di sottoporsi al test per Hiv nelle donne in gravidanza: «Il test è raccomandato, ma nella pratica quotidiana senza l’obbligo è possibile che venga omesso. Questo aumenta il rischio di trasmissione materno-fetale».
Una patologia specchio della società
Oltre al virus dell’Hiv, in Russia e nell’Est Europa sono in aumento i casi di tubercolosi: «Entrambe sono un esempio di patologie specchio dell’andamento della società- rileva il professor Andrea Gori, direttore della divisione malattie infettive dell’Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano - . Rappresentano patologie dell’emarginazione, capaci di diffondersi in società che portano con sé un atteggiamento volto a non riconoscere i diritti sociali e alla salute dei cittadini». Per contenere la diffusione, fondamentale è la messa in atto di strategie proattive di politica sanitaria capaci di farsi carico delle problematiche socio-sanitarie, come il dilagare della tossicodipendenza e dell’alcolismo». Anche perché: «Naturale conseguenza di un’epidemia senza una reale strategia di contenimento è la possibilità che il virus sviluppi resistenza alle terapie - sottolinea ulteriormente il professor Gori - . Torniamo alla tubercolosi, la cui storia ci insegna: un 4% dei casi di malattia è attualmente XDR, cioè estensivamente resistente ai farmaci. Questa è una delle conseguenze del voler sottovalutare problemi che impattano sulla società». Speculare è il futuro dell’Hiv: «Se non verrà controllata l’epidemia nell’Est Europa, ci aspettiamo un peggioramento sulla disseminazione dell’infezione».
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