Ne News: Independent News

Ne News 26 February 2017 Around the world, governments are privatising public services, ranging from power to water, from telecommunications to transport, and from roads to banks. Some so-called 'libertarians' and some in the alternative media are openly calling for mass privatisation, claiming that private enterprises can run everything more efficiently than governments and to save money. But what should be noted is that privatisation is nothing short of theft, with governments conspiring with private multinationals to steal from taxpayers assets that taxpayers own. This has happened in Australia with the selling off of QANTAS, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and most recently Medibank Private. The far-right wing thinktank the Institute of Public Affairs is calling for more privatisation, including the ABC, SBS (the two public broadcasters in Australia), Australia Post and the Australian Institute of Sport among others (https://ipa.org.au/publications/2080/be-like-gough-75-r...

Systemic Disorder Systemic Disorder 22 February 2017 This being the age of public relations, the genteel term “public-private partnership” is used instead of corporate plunder. A “partnership” such deals may be, but it isn’t the public who gets the benefits. We’ll be hearing more about so-called “public-private partnerships” in coming weeks because the new U.S. president, Donald Trump, is promoting these as the basis for a promised $1 trillion in new infrastructure investments. But the new administration has also promised cuts to public spending. How to square this circle? It’s not difficult to discern when we recall the main policy of the Trump administration is to hand out massive tax cuts to big business and the wealthy, and provide them with subsidies. Public-private partnerships are one of the surest ways of shoveling money into the gaping maws of corporate wallets, used, with varying names, by neoliberal governments around the world, particularly in ...

Nora Fernández Global Research 17 February 2017 Writing about Cuban economy in Cubadebate, Jose Luis Rodriguez (ex Minister of Economy in Cuba, current Advisor, Centre for Research on the World Economy) explains Cuban economic performance in a challenging period while he highlights concerns Cuba faces, economic areas such as export of goods and services, imports, national oil production and the national external debt. Yet, among his serious challenges Rodriguez includes the impact the passing of Fidel Castro, has had on Cuba and its people. It was a bad year but one that included a particular bad thing, the passing of Fidel.  It is clear for us to see the loss of their “commander in chief,” the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, who Rodriguez describes as “the most brilliant disciple of Jose Marti” (Marti himself being a Latin American hero), has been painful to Cubans. Thus, Cuban perspective continues to be capable of including human pain an...

Ne News 17 February 2017 At the current time, we are seeing poverty throughout the world increase, with governments targeting the poor and marginalised groups while helping the rich A couple of weeks ago, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle criminalised homelessness, and tomorrow night at White Night, there will be a protest against this policy by the homeless. And in Australia, the poor and marginalised are being targeted with debt notices (as mentioned in last week's editorial, was supported by the Coalition, Labor and the far-right One Nation), which, in ninety percent of cases are false. It is worth noting that the whole New World Order project (which is promoted by the right and in particular far-right) is causing poverty around thw world, but the far-right wing media often blames the victims for their predicament instead of capitalism (note that the EU Constitution states that the European Union must have a Capitalist system and no other). As reported by the Dr. Ra...

Graham Vanbergen True Publica 10 February 2017 Last year a coalition of 175 civil society organisations  criticised  Britain for an “increasing concern that the UK’s political rhetoric will, if not checked, threaten the coherence and credibility of the post-second world war human rights settlement.”  They were not wrong .  Then, the United Nations stated that a  “high proportion of the 132 recommendations from the last UN hearings in 2012 have not been implemented by Britain.” For anyone waiting for politician’s to work together to make Britain great again after Brexit, don’t hold your breath. The politicians are not in control of proceedings. Britain will not join the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement (such as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), jurisdiction of the European court will end and with it uncontrolled immigration from the EU. Brexit means Brexit. Maybe, maybe not. Critics will change their tune from “the lack of a...

Dr. Gary G. Kohls Global Research 9 February 2017 Glossary Xenophobia = an intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries Nativism = the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants  Summaries of the First 4 Points of Lawrence Britt’s 14 Characteristics of Fascism That Apply to the Trump/Pence GOP 1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism. From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia. 2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed h...