Prof Michel Chossudovsky -- Video: COVID-19: O Encerramento da Economia Não É a Solução

Video: COVID-19: O Encerramento da Economia Não É a Solução

Por Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, 21 de Abril de 2020

Milhões de pessoas perderam os seus empregos e as suas economias de toda a vida. Nos países em desenvolvimento, prevalece a pobreza e o desespero.

Embora o bloqueio seja apresentado à opinião pública como o único meio de resolver uma crise global de saúde pública, os seus impactos económicos e sociais devastadores são ignorados de modo irreflectido.

A verdade não dita é que o novo coronavírus fornece um pretexto para poderosos interesses financeiros e políticos corruptos, a fim de precipitar o mundo inteiro numa espiral de desemprego, falência e pobreza extrema maciça.

Esta é a verdadeira imagem do que está a acontecer.

Como é posto em prática? A campanha do medo desempenha um papel fundamental. O bloqueio é apresentado aos governos nacionais como sendo a única solução.

A economia é a base para a reprodução da vida real.

É também a base para sustentar os esforços da saúde pública.

Esta operação de encerramento afecta as linhas de produção e de fornecimento de bens e serviços, actividades de investimento, exportação e importação, comércio intermediário e retalhista, despesas dos consumidores, fecho das escolas, faculdades e universidades, instituições de pesquisa, etc.

Por sua vez, conduz quase imediatamente ao desemprego em massa, à falência de pequenas e médias empresas, ao colapso do poder de compra, à pobreza generalizada e à fome.

What Happens In the Wake of the COVID-19 Lockdown? Economic Destruction, Global Poverty, Bankruptcies, Mass Unemployment. Neoliberalism to the Rescue

What Happens In the Wake of the COVID-19 Lockdown? Economic Destruction, Global Poverty, Bankruptcies, Mass Unemployment. Neoliberalism to the Rescue

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, March 28, 2020

Theme: Global Economy

In the wake of the lockdown: Bankruptcies and mass unemployment, the economic destabilization of entire countries. 

Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. They are unable to pay their home mortgages.

In developing countries, poverty and despair prevail.

The political implications are far-reaching. The lockdown undermines real democracy. 

It would be naive to believe that the financial crisis was solely the result of spontaneous market forces. It was carefully engineered.

The coronavirus continues to provide a camouflage. Fear and panic (generated profusely by the corporate media) create “favorable conditions” for “institutional speculators”, many of whom had detailed foreknowledge of the WHO decision to launch a Global Public Health Emergency on January 30th, at a time when there were only 150 “confirmed cases” outside China.

The collapse of stock markets has resulted in one of the most important transfers in money wealth in modern history, yet to be firmly established.

The Coronavirus is not the cause of financial collapse. What prevails is an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty which enables powerful financial interests to manipulate the stock market and consolidate their financial positions.  There is evidence that “corporate insiders sold off billions of dollars worth of shares in their own companies just before the stock market imploded.”

This crisis has led to an unprecedented concentration of money wealth.

In early February, roughly $6 trillion were wiped off the value of stock markets Worldwide. Massive losses of personal savings (e.g. of average Americans) are ongoing not to mention corporate failures and bankruptcies.

Each time Trump opens his mouth, or blames the Chinese on twitter, the stock markets respond. Those who have inside information or foreknowledge of US policy decisions will make a bundle of money.

Behind the global public health emergency, there are powerful economic interests: Wall Street, Big Pharma, the Washington Consensus, Corporate Charities and Foundations, the IMF, World Bank, et al. They met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 21-24, one week prior to the launching of the WHO global public health emergency.

After the Lockdown: A Global Coronavirus Vaccination Program…

After the Lockdown: A Global Coronavirus Vaccination Program…

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, March 24, 2020

Region: USA

Theme: Science and Medicine

The tendency is towards a Worldwide lockdown spearheaded by fear and media disinformation. Currently, hundreds of millions of people Worldwide are under lockdown. 

What is the next step in the evolution of the COV-19 Crisis?  

A coronavirus vaccine program was announced at Davos at the World Economic Forum (21-24 January) barely 2 weeks after the cornonavirus was identified by the Chinese authorities on January 7.  

The lead entity for the novel coronavirus vaccine initiative is the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) an organization sponsored and financed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Note the chronology: The development of the 2019 nCoV vaccine was announced at the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) a week prior to the official launching by the WHO of  a Worldwide Public Health Emergency (January 30) at a time when the number of “confirmed cases” Worldwide (outside China) was 150 (including 6 in the US). 

CEPI is seeking a “monopoly” role in the vaccination business the objective of which is a “global vaccine project”, in partnership with a large number of “candidates”. It announced funding for its existing partnership with Inovio and The University of Queensland (Australia). In addition, CEPI confirmed (January 23) its contract with Moderna, Inc. and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been instrumental in waging the fear and panic campaign across America: “Ten Times Worse than Seasonal Flu”.

We the People Refuse to Fight”: Abandon the Battlefield!

“We the People Refuse to Fight”: Abandon the Battlefield!

Disobey Unlawful Orders

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, February 14, 2020

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Theme: US NATO War Agenda

“Throughout the history of mankind there have been murderers and tyrants; and while it may seem momentarily that they have the upper hand, they have always fallen.” (Mahatma Gandhi)

The United States has discarded pretensions to international legality and decency, and embarked on a course of raw imperialism run amok.” (William Rockler, Nuremberg Tribunal prosecutor)

Going on 17 years since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

This is an illegal war. The people of Iraq are calling for the withdrawal of US troops.  

Syria, Massive popular support for President Al Assad

“Bring the Troops Home Now” is a strong yet ambiguous statement because it accepts the legitimacy of the Commander in Chief who has the authority to make that decision. And if that decision were taken it would be a historical landmark. 

But we cannot depend on Donald Trump to take that decision. 

The war is illegal and criminal. 

Official White House statements and the media in chorus contend that US troops are in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria as part of an anti-terrorist project against ISIS-Daesh.

Nonsense.

The ISIS is what the CIA calls an “an intelligence asset” which is recruited, trained and financed by the US and its allies. 

America, An Empire on its Last Leg: To be Kicked Out from the Middle East?

America, An Empire on its Last Leg: To be Kicked Out from the Middle East?

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, January 07, 2020

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Theme: Militarization and WMD, US NATO War Agenda

In-depth Report: IRAN: THE NEXT WAR?, IRAQ REPORT

America’s hegemonic military agenda in the Middle East has reached a dangerous threshold.

The assassination of  IRGC General Soleimani ordered by the President of the United States on January 3, 2020 is tantamount to an Act of War against Iran.

President Donald Trump accused Soleimani  of “plotting imminent and sinister attacks”: “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war…. we caught him in the act and terminated him.”

US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper described it as a “decisive defensive action” while confirming that the operation ordered by POTUS had been carried out by the Pentagon. “The game has changed” said Esper.  

What the media has failed to acknowledge is General Soleimani’s central role in countering ISIS-Daesh and Al Qaeda terrorists in both Iraq and Syria. 

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC) under the helm of General Soleimani consisted in waging a real counter-terrorism campaign against ISIS-Daesh mercenaries, who from the outset were funded, trained and recruited by the US and its allies.

Trump’s action plan to “stop a war” consists in “protecting” America’s ISIS and Al Qaeda affiliated foot-soldiers.

US Extrajudicial Assassinations

Prof Michel Chossudovsky -- Global War on Humanity: America’s Unceasing Pursuit of Hegemony

Global War on Humanity: America’s Unceasing Pursuit of Hegemony

A conversation with Michel Chossudovsky

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky and Michael Welch

Global Research, December 26, 2019

Region: Canada, China, Europe, Russia and FSU, South-East Asia, USA

Theme: Crimes against Humanity, Defence, Global Economy, GLOBAL RESEARCH NEWS HOUR, History

Global Research, and the Global Research News Hour radio program operate on a shoestring. This holiday period, please consider a one time or monthly donation. Go to Global Research’s main donation page and tag your gift ‘GRNH.’

“Essentially what we’re looking at is a broader perspective of how the United States de facto supported Nazi Germany with a view to destroying the Soviet Union, as well as weakening the British Empire and competing empires including of course France, Belgium, Holland, etc. and again those countries virtually are no longer colonial powers.” – Professor Michel Chossudovsky (from this week’s interview).

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

Click to download the audio (MP3 format)

America was born out of a revolt against British imperial rule.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the British Empire was “the hated enemy”. In 1812, the young republic declared war on Great Britain and tried unsuccessfully, to conquer the Canadian colonies.

Within less than a half century of its birth, the United States of America under President James Monroe, established a policy that came to be known as the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted that the USA would oppose any further colonization in the Americas (Western Hemisphere) by European powers. By establishing a sphere of influence outside its borders, the new republic was arguably taking its first steps in the direction of becoming an imperial power. [1]

Subsequent decades saw the U.S. continue to grow in geographic size, economic power and geopolitical influence. By the mid-twentieth century, the U.S. had become a significant military and economic player, and after World War II, the U.S. was to overtake all the European powers as the dominant force on the world stage.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky -- The Christmas Truce of 1914: Abolish All Wars. Indict Today’s War Criminals in High Office

The Christmas Truce of 1914: Abolish All Wars. Indict Today’s War Criminals in High Office

Under the Nuremberg Charter, wars of aggression are the ultimate crime: "The Crime against Peace". US and allied troops have a Duty to Disobey unlawful orders

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, December 23, 2019

1914-1918.net

Region: Europe

Theme: History, US NATO War Agenda

First published on December 25, 2018

The Christmas Truce of 1914 was an initiative of the soldiers on both sides; it was a mark of human solidarity and fraternity against the political and military architects of World War I.

The  Spirit of Christmas in December 1914 prevailed:

“In the front lines, the fraternisation of Christmas Eve is continued throughout the day; not all units know about it, and it is not universal but is widespread over at least half of the British front. Many bodies that have been lying out in no man’s land are buried, some in joint burials. Many men record the strange and wonderful events; may men exchange tokens or addresses with German soldiers, many of whom speak English. 81 British soldiers die on this day; a few die in areas that are otherwise peaceful and with fraternisation going on, victims of alert snipers. In other areas, there is considerable activity: 2nd Grenadier Guards suffer losses in a day of heavy fighting. As night fell, things grew quiet as men fell back to their trenches to take whatever Christmas meal that had been provided for them.”

The Military High Command on both sides was firmly opposed to the Spirit of Christmas in the trenches. The Mot d’ordre of the French and British high command was to promote an “offensive spirit” in the trenches. In the words of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, “Friendly intercourse with the enemy, unofficial armistices, however tempting and amusing they may be, are absolutely prohibited“:

 Instructions were issued to commanders of all Divisions:

“such an attitude is however most dangerous for it discourages initiative in commanders and destroys the offensive spirit in all ranks…the Corps Commander therefore directs Divisional Commanders to impress on subordinate commanders the absolute necessity of encouraging offensive spirit…”

Lessons of the 1914 Christmas Truce 

Prof Michel Chossudovsky -- War is Good for Business and Organized Crime: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US

War is Good for Business and Organized Crime: Afghanistan’s Multibillion Dollar Opium Trade. Rising Heroin Addiction in the US

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, December 20, 2019

Global Research 4 January 2019

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Theme: Global Economy

In-depth Report: AFGHANISTAN

“The Big Reveal for the Washington Post was the release of the Afghanistan Papers. A series of interviews and documents “compiled in secret” and then the subject of a “legal challenge” from the US government. The WaPo baldly calls it: “A secret history of the war”. But there’s nothing here that’s really secret, and very little actual history. What do they tell us? Absolutely nothing, except what we’re supposed to believe.” ( Kit Knightly, December 20, 2019)

What is the unspoken “secret truth” which has not been featured in the Afghanistan Papers? 

***

Afghanistan’s opium economy is a multibillion dollar operation which has a direct impact on the surge of  heroin addiction in the US.  

Despite president Trump’s announced US troop withdrawal, the Afghan opium trade continues to flourish. It is protected by US-NATO occupation forces on behalf of a nexus of powerful financial and criminal  interests. 

In 2004,  the proceeds of the Afghan heroin trade yielded an estimated global revenue of the order of 90 billion dollars. This estimate was based on retail sales corresponding to a total supply of the order of 340,000 kg of pure heroin (corresponding to Afghanistan’s 3400 tons of opium production) (See Michel Chossudovsky, America’s War on Terrorism, Chapter XVI, Global Research, Montreal 2005)

Today a rough estimate based on US retail prices suggests that the global heroin market is above the 500 billion dollars mark. This multibillion dollar hike is the result of a significant increase in the volume of heroin transacted Worldwide coupled with a moderate increase in retail prices.

Based on the most recent (UNODC) data (2017) opium production in Afghanistan is of the order of 9000 metric tons, which after processing and transformation is equivalent to approximately 900,000 kg. of pure heroin.

With the surge in heroin addiction since 2001, the retail price of heroin has increased. According to DEA intelligence, one gram of pure heroin was selling in December 2016 in the domestic US market for $902 per gram.

The Heroin trade is colossal: one gram of pure heroin selling at $902 is equivalent to almost a million US dollars a kilo ($902,000) (see table below)

Prof Michel Chossudovsky -- The US-NATO-Israel Sponsored Al Qaeda Insurgency in Syria. Who Was Behind the 2011 “Protest Movement”?

The US-NATO-Israel Sponsored Al Qaeda Insurgency in Syria. Who Was Behind the 2011 “Protest Movement”?

It Started in Daraa on March 17, 2011

By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, December 14, 2019

Global Research 3 May 2011

Region: Middle East & North Africa

Theme: Terrorism, US NATO War Agenda

In-depth Report: SYRIA

Author’s note

Almost nine years since the beginning of the war on Syria in March 2011, so-called progressives have supported the so-called opposition, which is largely made up of Al Qaeda affiliated mercenaries.  A US-NATO led war of aggression is portrayed as a “civil war”.

President Bashar Al Assad is casually described as a dictator who is killing his own people. The millions of deaths resulting from US-NATO led wars are not an object of concern.

The anti-war movement died in the wake of the Iraq war (April 2003). Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and counterterrorism prevail.

The war on Syria started more than nine years ago in Daraa  on the 17th of March 2011.

The following article first published in May 2011 examines the inception of the jihadist terrorist insurgency.

It recounts the events of March 17-18, 2011 in Daraa, a small border town with Jordan. 

Media reports have finally acknowledged that the so-called “protest movement” in Syria was instigated by Washington. This was known and documented from the very inception of the Syrian crisis in March 2011.

It was not a protest movement, it was an armed insurgency integrated by US-Israeli and allied supported “jihadist” death squads? 

From Day One, the Islamist “freedom fighters” were supported, trained and equipped by NATO and Turkey’s High Command. According to Israeli intelligence sources (Debka, August 14, 2011): 

NATO headquarters in Brussels and the Turkish high command are meanwhile drawing up plans for their first military step in Syria, which is to arm the rebels with weapons for combating the tanks and helicopters spearheading the Assad regime’s crackdown on dissent. … NATO strategists are thinking more in terms of pouring large quantities of anti-tank and anti-air rockets, mortars and heavy machine guns into the protest centers for beating back the government armored forces. (DEBKAfile, NATO to give rebels anti-tank weapons, August 14, 2011)