(2021-08-17). Biden Forfeits His Afghan Victory by Defending His Deep State Advisors. counterpunch.org President Biden put a popular flag-waving wrapping on America's forced withdrawal from Afghanistan in his 4 PM speech on Monday. It was as if all this was following Biden's own intentions, not a demonstration of the totally incompetent assurances by the CIA and State Department as recently as last Friday that the Taliban was over a month away from being able to enter Kabul.
(2021-08-17). Azmat Khan: Deadly U.S. Air War in Afghanistan Helped Taliban Gain New Recruits Who Wanted Revenge. democracynow.org 
Investigative journalist Azmat Khan, who has reported extensively in Afghanistan, says President Joe Biden has not yet addressed the chaos unleashed by the collapse of the Afghan government. In remarks on Monday, Biden "really focused on the decision to end the war" and ignored criticism about chaos at the Kabul airport and the abandonment of thousands of Afghans who helped the U.S. over the last 20 years. "None of that was really discussed in any detail," Khan says. She also discusses why the Afghan military fell so quickly to the Taliban, its overreliance on U.S. air power, how civilian casualties weakened supp…
(2021-08-17). Headlines for August 17, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Defends U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan After Taliban Capture Kabul , Advocates Demand U.S. and Other Nations Open Doors to Afghan Refugees, Tropical Storm Adds to Haiti's Misery Two Days After Massive Earthquake Kills Over 1,400, Immigrant Advocates Denounce Biden Administration for Deporting Haitian Refugees, U.S. Will Recommend COVID Booster Shots After 8 Months, Despite Global Vaccine Inequity, Johnson & Johnson Ships Millions of Vaccine Doses from South Africa to Europe, U.S. Coronavirus Hospitalizations Soar, with Record Infection Levels in Five States, Republican Governors Erect New Barriers to COVI…
(2021-08-17). Afghan Scholar: The U.S. Can't Distance Itself from Chaos Unfolding Now After 20 Years of War. democracynow.org 
Thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States and other foreign countries remain stranded in Kabul two days after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Military flights out of the Kabul International Airport have resumed a day after thousands of Afghans raced to the airport with hopes of leaving the country. President Joe Biden has defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation and criticized the U.S.-trained Afghan military for collapsing "without trying to fight" the Taliban in many cases. Afghan law professor Haroun Rahimi, who was en route to Kabul when he…
(2021-08-17). Last Charge for the Dead Enders: Blame Biden for Leaving Afghanistan. counterpunch.org It is becoming increasingly clear that the strategy of interventionist dead-enders is to blame President Biden for losing Afghanistan to the Taliban. If only he had kept U.S. troops there a bit longer or even indefinitely, their argument goes, the crooked and corrupt U.S.-installed Afghan puppet regime could have won the war and finally brought
(2021-08-17). Ret. Col. Ann Wright on Reopening U.S. Embassy in Kabul in 2001 & Why She Supports Troop Withdrawal. democracynow.org 
Retired U.S. Army colonel and former State Department official Ann Wright, who helped reopen the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in December 2001 and later resigned in protest, says the United States should reopen its embassy now and needs to maintain a diplomatic footprint in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. "If the United States really wants to help the people of Afghanistan … we've got to have a presence in Afghanistan," says Wright.
(2021-08-17). The Afghanistan War And The Dissenters We Should've Listened To. thedissenter.org 
Vice President Joe Biden and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai in 2011 (Photo: US Embassy Kabul Afghanistan) | President Joe Biden delivered a speech where he stood by the withdrawal of United States military forces from Afghanistan, but he crudely blamed the people of Afghanistan for the chaos that has unfolded over the past several days. | It was a lie to assert the war in Afghanistan was never about nation-building. Neoconservatives in President George W. Bush's administration, who launched the war, deployed troops for an open-ended mission to establish a government that could secure the country against the T…
(2021-08-17). Afghan-Australian: 'Democracy and safety not a priority for West'. greenleft.org.au The West was never in Afghanistan to bring democracy or assure safety for ordinary Afghans. Riz Wakil said the warmongers orchestrated not only the occupation of Afghanistan but many parts of the Middle East: Iraq, Syria and also Libya.
(2021-08-17). Damaged Hospitals in Haiti Struggle to Help Earthquake Survivors as Death Toll Tops 1,400. democracynow.org 
We get an update from Les Cayes, Haiti, not far from the epicenter of Saturday's earthquake, as Tropical Storm Grace drenched parts of the country and the death toll has now climbed to more than 1,400, with nearly 7,000 suffering from injuries amid overwhelmed hospitals. The impact from the latest earthquake is "just as great" as the devastation from the 2010 earthquake, says Jacqueline Charles, Haiti and Caribbean correspondent for the Miami Herald. "Haitians are not sitting around and waiting for international aid. They're not waiting for their national community to come and rescue them," Charles says, noting t…
(2021-08-17). Proportions of Faculty Self-Identifying as Black or African American at US Medical Schools, 1990-2020. jamanetwork.com This study examines differences in proportions of US medical school faculty who self-identified as Black or African American between 1990 and 2020 based on data from the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Roster.
(2021-08-17). Biden administration and media hand occupied land to Israel. electronicintifada.net False accusations directed at Hizballah following rockets fired at occupied Shebaa Farms and not at Israel.
(2021-08-17). How is Corona changing the world of work? indybay.org Exceptional situations do not necessarily have to be handled in an authoritarian manner; efficiency does not have to be generated in command structures. Independent action by employees becomes productive in democratic structures – perhaps the Corona crisis has also triggered learning processes that go in this direction.
(2021-08-17). Democracy and Nested Councils. zcomm.org Interview from the online conference, "The crisis of nation-states — anarchist answers?"
(2021-08-17). Investigating 9/11 and Naming Suspects. Evaluating Evidence. globalresearch.ca
(2021-08-17). Buffet's Business Wire censors China book. workers.org 
Billionaire Warren Buffet's public relations company, Business Wire, has refused to distribute a press release announcing the publication in China of a U.S. book that compares the responses to COVID by capitalist and socialist governments. The headline of the press release referred to the fact that the book, "Capitalism on . . . |
(2021-08-16). What Fidel Castro means to us. mronline.org 
In honor of Fidel Castro's birthday, Vijay Prashad writes about his legacy for the peoples of the Third World and his clarity in raising the primary crises facing humanity.
(2021-08-16). Taliban Takes Back Kabul And Full Control As Biden Blames MAGA For Afghanistan Failures. moguldom.com Weeks after the U.S. began final troop withdrawal from Afghanistan on July 6, the government has collapsed and the Taliban seized that opportunity to take back control of the capital Kabul. The country is experiencing bedlam and the U.S. has today suspended all U.S. air operations out of the country, CNN reported. On Sunday, U.S. and other foreign …
(2021-08-16). As Afghanistan Falls, Biden Is Steadfast in His Decision to Withdraw. thenation.com As Afghanistan Falls, Biden Is Steadfast in His Decision to Withdraw…
(2021-08-16). 'Deeply Concerning': Biden Treasury Guidance Fails to End US Support for Fossil Fuels Abroad. commondreams.org "We've spent billions on war. Now, let's spend to bring Afghans to safety."
(2021-08-16). Journalist Ahmed Rashid on the Taliban's Return to Power & What Comes Next for Afghanistan. democracynow.org 
As the Taliban says it will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan after seizing control of the country, we discuss their history with award-winning journalist Ahmed Rashid, author of several books, including "Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia." "These militants have become very well integrated into Afghan society and into Taliban society," Rashid notes, and if the U.S. wants to capture them, "it's going to be extremely difficult." Rashid also looks at the Taliban's relationship with China, history of human rights abuses against women and whether they will be allowed to cont…
(2021-08-16). Bomber Biden Sends B-52s in Tantrum Over Taliban Advance. counterpunch.org In what can only be called a criminal and murderous tantrum by a loser, the United States, on the order of President Joe Biden, has begun dispatching B-52 Stratofortress bombers and AC-130 fixed-wing gunships equipped with large Gatling machine guns and a cannon to carpet-bomb and perpetrate mass killing on Taliban forces surging to victory across Afghanistan.
(2021-08-16). UN Experts Urge Immediate Action to Protect Human Rights, Prevent 'Slaughter of Civilians' in Afghanistan. commondreams.org Border Patrol continues to detain migrants, including children, in appalling outdoor conditions under the Anzalduas International Bridge in Texas' Rio Grande Valley. The Biden administration must close this inhumane detention site now.
(2021-08-16). Imminent Collapse of U.S. Imperial project Afghanistan. indybay.org the 40+ year U.S. Imperial project in Afghanistan(started by the Carter administration back in 1979, with Uncle Sam's backing of Usama binLaden–UBL–and his band of jihadists) is now collapsing like a house of cards, sending shock waves in Washington and on the Public airwaves, especially in the NeoLiberal "Corprorate-bin-Laden" media. The rush is on to explain away the bloody hands of Uncle Sam in creating and maintaining the myth that the U.S. went in with good intentions to help "democratize" the Afghan people and, especially, to "liberate" Afghan women from oppression. The reality is almost 180 degrees from…
(2021-08-16). Taliban Seizes Control of Afghanistan; Chaos at Kabul Airport as Thousands Attempt to Flee. democracynow.org 
We go to Kabul, Afghanistan, for an update as thousands of Afghans have fled to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave the country a day after the Taliban seized control of the country. Taliban fighters entered the gates of Kabul Sunday and quickly took control of the presidential palace, and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country for Tajikistan. Over the past 10 days, the Taliban has captured 26 out of the country's 34 provincial capitals, some of which fell without a fight after the Taliban reached deals with local warlords. The Taliban offensive came as the United States withdraws its troops from Afg…
(2021-08-16). Lightning Hit Washington Monument When Taliban Claimed Victory In Afghanistan. southfront.org On August 15, the Washington Monument located in front of the White House was hit by lightning. The accident took place the same day when the Taliban took control over Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal from the country. Just a coincidence but of a very symbolic one. | The Washington Monument was temporarily closed following the accident. | The end of the mission to Afghanistan has already been identified as one of major failures of US foreign policy. The White House had not even commented on the issue yet. | U.S. President Joe Biden is now reportedly en route to the White House where he will finally de…
(2021-08-16). Border Patrol Must Stop Holding People in Inhumane Conditions. commondreams.org "The urgency of the moment now demands we marshal an international coalition to evacuate every Afghan citizen who is fleeing for their lives," implored Rep. Ilhan Omar.
(2021-08-16). Buck Stops With Me: Joe Biden Finally Commented On Situation In Afghanistan. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size | On August 16th, more than a day after the Taliban took control over Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden addressed the nation, commenting on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that has resulted in collapse of the situation in the country. | Biden took his speech right after coming back to the White House from the retreat at Camp David. | In his speech, Joe Biden claimed once again that the decision to withdraw troops was correct, and that no amount of length of US presence wouldn't have made any diffe…
(2021-08-16). Bernie Sanders, Barbara Lee Call for Opening US to Refugees From Afghanistan. truthout.org 
Progressive lawmakers are calling on the U.S. to accept Afghan refugees as the Taliban has taken over the country, forcing at least thousands of residents to attempt to flee. | After the Afghanistan government collapsed, the Kabul airport has been flooded with Afghans desperate to flee the country. Particularly
(2021-08-16). Headlines for August 16, 2021. democracynow.org Taliban Takes Control of Afghanistan After 2 Decades of U.S. Occupation, Haiti's Earthquake Death Toll Soars to 1,300 as Tropical Storm Barrels Toward Stricken Island, U.S. Hospitalizations Are Younger Than Ever; Dallas Schools Defy High Court Ruling on Mask Mandate, Canada's Trudeau Calls Snap Election, Seeking Mandate and Legislative Majority, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin Steps Down Amid Criticism of Pandemic Response, Grenade Attack Kills 12 People in Karachi, Pakistan, Fuel Tank Blast in Lebanon Kills at Least 28 People, Nicaraguan Police Raid Offices of La Prensa, Arrest Editor Critical of Presi…
(2021-08-16). Calls to Aid Afghan Refugees 'in Grave Danger' Grow Following Biden's Address. commondreams.org "We've had nothing for three days and injured victims are starting to die," said one local leader as the death toll topped 1,400.
(2021-08-16). Afghanistan: So What Do the Filthy Commie Peaceniks Say Now? zcomm.org The U.S. government, according to its own reporting, accounts for 66% of all the weapons exported to the least democratic quintile of nations on earth…
(2021-08-16). Haiti: 1,300 Die in Earthquake as Nation Is Still Recovering from 2010 Quake & Killing of President. democracynow.org 
We go to Haiti for an update on the humanitarian situation after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country's southwestern peninsula Saturday. The government has declared a state of emergency and says nearly 1,300 people have died and more than 5,700 are injured. Rescue workers are scrambling to find survivors as Tropical Storm Grace is expected to bring heavy rains to the island. Tens of thousands of people in devastated areas are now sleeping on the streets due to unstable buildings that could still collapse amid aftershocks. "It's just one more item in a very, very long list of traumatic events that the people…
(2021-08-16). One Year On: the Abraham Accords and Palestinians' Political Exclusion. strategic-culture.org The "deal of the century" may no longer be part of mainstream narratives on Palestine, given the Biden Administration's faàßade of favouring the two-state politics over annexation, Ramona Wadi writes. | A year since former US President Donald Trump announced the brokering of the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, there is no longer any pretence that the normalisation agreements were signed with any Palestinian interests in mind. The narrative of preventing Israel's annexation of Palestinian territory was, of course, a mere vague premise upon which the international community could…
(2021-08-16). Life at the Bottom in Joe Biden's America. cepr.net 
With the economy facing substantial bottlenecks, and the continuing spread of the pandemic, it is worth taking a quick look at how lower paid workers have been faring. Nominal wages have been rising rapidly for workers at the bottom of the pay ladder in recent months. This has allowed workers in the lowest paying jobs …
(2021-08-16). Is the End of the Blockade Against Venezuela Here? orinocotribune.com As the process of dialogue between Venezuelan government delegations and opposition factions advances, support increases for lifting illegal sanctions imposed against Venezuela by the White House and European Union, even within the centers of North American power, the United States Congress. | In support, congresspeople from the Democratic Party, the party to which President Joe Biden belongs, sent a letter formally asking the president of the United States to end unilateral coercive measures against the South American country. | The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza Montserrat, reported publication of t…
(2021-08-16). Biden's America Is Back — To Somalia. southfront.org 
Click to see full-size imageWhile Biden keeps pushing his human rights narrative, his latest airstrikes are part of a great power competition. | Written Uriel Araujo, researcher with a focus on international and ethnic conflicts. | On July 20, the US carried out an airstrike in Somalia against al Shabaab militants — the first one in Somalia under President Joe Biden. It struck again on July 23 and August 1. Last week, it was reported Biden seeks to host a "Summit for Democracy". | According to a…
(2021-08-16). Deb Haaland: Diversifying the established imperialist order. mronline.org 
On Dec. 17, 2020, Deb Haaland was appointed by Joe Biden as Secretary of the Department of Interior (DOI). Celebratory headlines proclaimed it a "historic moment" and the identity politics-influenced left was quick to defend the appointment from questioning. Immediately, Haaland's nomination was touted as a "victory for Indigenous movements." As Indigenous and other colonized revolutionaries, we offer a materialist antidote to the narrow and superficial narrative that has been put forward by corporate, non-profit, and even, left-media sectors.
(2021-08-16). Biden's Permanent SNAP Boost 'Will Transform Lives,' Say Anti-Poverty Advocates. commondreams.org The California Democrat was the only member of Congress to vote against the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
(2021-08-16). Biden Admin Announces Largest Increase to Food Stamps in Program History. truthout.org 
The Biden administration announced on Monday that benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), sometimes called food stamps, will increase for all 42 million participants, amounting to the largest expansion in the program's history. | Payments will go up by
(2021-08-16). The Infrastructure and Budget Bills Are a Watershed in US Economic Doctrine. cepr.net In These Times See full article on original site Deficit demagogy has (finally) become a fringe position in American politics—just look at the massive bills moving through Congress. Democrats in Congress are now on the verge of enacting two huge expansions of non-defense spending, though serious challenges remain. The first is a $1.2 trillion package of …
(2021-08-16). Democratic Leaders Are Finger-Wagging Over the IPCC Report. zcomm.org If Democrats really heeded the warning of the IPCC report, they'd end the fossil fuel industry…
(2021-08-16). Perú — La derecha quiere gobernar por las buenas o por las malas. globalizacion.ca Cada gobierno ha tenido un plazo prudente de gracia -"tregua política"- de parte de sus adversarios, es una tradición en cualquier democracia el poder dar la oportunidad al ganador de las elecciones de implementar sus políticas y juzgar los resultados…
(2021-08-16). Reimagining the left in times of crisis. canadiandimension.com 
Challenging the Right, Augmenting the Left: Recasting Leftist Imagination: | Edited by Robert Latham, A. T. Kingsmith, Julian von Bargen and Niko Block | Fernwood, 2020 | It is a commonplace on the left to speak of the crisis of capitalism, often claimed to be terminal. What is less obvious is how the left can take advantage of such crises to bring the predatory beast to ground. Even rarer is the admission that there is also a crisis in socialism. Sectarian denunciations of this or that trend—social democracy, Trotskyism, anarchism—is frequent enough, but acknowledging that what passes…
(2021-08-16). Jayapal Slams Conservative Democrats Over Threats to Reconciliation Bill. truthout.org 
Addressing the nine conservative House Democrats
(2021-08-16). Mom Wins Battle With Illinois Schools Ban On Cornrows, Locs And Braids. moguldom.com 
A mother on Chicago's West Side has won her battle with Illinois schools over a ban on traditionally Black hairstyles like cornrows, locs and braids. Ida Nelson first took up the fight to defend Black hairstyles after her 4-year-old son, Jett Hawkins, was mandated in March to remove his braids by administrators at Providence St. …
(2021-08-16). GPI vs. GDP: Does Size Matter More Than Substance? counterpunch.org U.S House Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) recently introduced a bill in Congress to overhaul GDP, the nation's most watched economic indicator. July 30th she introduced the Genuine Progress Indicator ("GPI") Act. It would be a significant change for the trajectory of the socio-economic system. GPI is a new way to calculate GDP, but passage of
(2021-08-16). Why do Republicans want children to die? zcomm.org Why Republican voters want people to die—kids especially—is unfathomable. The vitriol, the venom, feels practically psychotic…