Ralph welcomes Janine Jackson, of FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting) and producer and host of FAIR’s syndicated weekly radio show “CounterSpin” to give us her take on the corporate media landscape and in particular how the major outlets are opining on the crisis in Gaza. Then, Palestinian American, Dr. Tariq Haddad, cardiologist and member of the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights joins us to recount the tragic story of
Dr. Tariq Haddad, a practicing cardiologist in VA, was invited to a roundtable mtg w/ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the war on Gaza — he refused. Read his profound response: https://here4thekids.substack.com/p/no-secretary-blinken
Since the unregistered foreign agent, AIPAC, was allowed to exist (1950s) and influence every institution, news group and elected official, ZOG (Zionist Occupation Government) became real. We even have a senile old puppet in the White House who proudly proclaimed he is a member!
A vote for Genocide Joe, or traitor tRump is a vote for genocide. I'll continue to post the solution to ZOG and an end to genocide...
Jill Stein For President 2024! Green Party for all other elected positions 2024!
At some point, Ralph, I hope you will focus on the monetary system as Dennis did at your Breaking Through Power event, because money is power and thus it is the governing factor, as Harvard's Christine Desan said. As such it determines all our public policy. We have a privatized system issuing all money as interest-bearing debt, a form of slavery, and this causes there to be 4 times more debt than there is money in the world. Money should be a public function for public need not a privileged private scam for personal gain. monetaryalliance.org
I read the linked website. While there are some legitimate concerns presented in the argument, the ‘positive money’ based arguments in the link are highly confused on matters of money creation and fiscal operations. I’m sure most reading these comments aren’t particularly interested in those subjects though. For those who are, Warren Mosler’s White Paper (https://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/) is an excellent and succinct way to start reading about the subject. Stephanie Kelton’s ‘Deficit Myth’ book is another good starting point.
Now, on the matter of shared legitimate concerns between the linked website and Mosler’s White Paper which are of interest to RNRH listeners, Mosler has been advocating for the last few years at least that the interest paid on the national debt may actually be inflationary (the problem isn’t the national debt itself, that must be made clear, but rather the interest paid on the national debt which does not need to exist in the first place when a country uses a floating currency). The Fed’s recent interest rate increases then may be having the opposite of the stated intent of controlling inflation. Rather, the interest rate increases may actually be giving the wealthy increased buying power which is leading to inflation and, of course, increased income inequality. Conversely, instead of the expected unemployment which comes from interest rate hikes, the increased demand from increased spending by the wealthy could actually lowered unemployment (there are, of course, other ways of increasing employment without causing inflation and increased income inequality).
There might be something to this, but as progressive economists have pointed out, we still don’t know the exact extent of the relationship between the recent interest rate increases and inflation. The situation of the last several months under the rate increases is still being studied and so I would not jump to conclusions and make bold conspiracy statements that “the government is intentionally causing inflation.” That said, this is being studied and we must understand the theory behind this to find better policy. We must also understand how all of this works together with Covid-era supply-side problems and increased energy prices caused by foreign and energy policy issues here in the US such as the US promoting continued war in Ukraine and the Middle East while not seriously promoting energy conservation and alternative energy sources.
What is known, however, and what has been published by economists for years now is the idea that in countries such as the US with a floating currency, interest rates should be held at or near 0%. Thus, policy intended to control inflation should be done via Congress through fiscal policy and not through the Fed’s monetary policy. You don’t hear much in the media about controlling inflation via employment policy and taxation. This is a legitimate purpose of taxation, not the blarney we do hear about funding the federal government via tax returns like we normally and incorrectly hear so often.
Zionism was condemned World-Wide as Terrorism, until GenocideJoe got into the U.S. Senate. Is it a coincidence that LyinBiden hold the record for Congressional Representatives taking Israel Lobby BRIBES. Menachim Begin called Biden more Zionist than even he himself was. Biden is regarded by DC insiders as the “meanest” man ever known. He was the Architect of the past TEN YEARS of Congressional Funding, Corrupting and Arming NaziUkraine to Groom UkraineNazis for EthnicCleansing of Ukrainians of Russian Heritage as prelude to this Proxy War with Russia that’s resulted in GENOCIDE of Ukraine. ALL to “Defend Security” of DCs CorporateFascist, InsiderTraders Global Profits MONOPOLY.
❓ Are Military Age People of Taiwan prepared to FOLLOW their Ukrainian counterparts to the Grave for DCs DEPRAVED CRIMINALS’ Global Domination, ResourceRape-RegimeChange, PROFITS❓❓❓
Thank you Ralph and thanks to everybody on your radio hour.
My deepest sympathies to Dr. Haddad.
I am afraid the number of the killed is far greater.
The type of bombing used till South Africa called in the International Court of Justice, was of a type designed to pulverise building with all and everybody in it.
“Multiple strikes with heavy bombs on the same target” “a well recorded warcrime”
Also, I worked from 2007 to 2011 moderating the site and youtbe channels of the only international humanitarian worker in Gaza during casted led.
Is name was Vittorio Arrigoni.
Vittorio explained me that both the PA and hams are under threat by israel which tells them to give out a smaller number of the dead than the actual one, or they will kill, still and destroy even more.
What we assume is that the number given now days, is the one of the bodies which have been recovered.
Than again that is clearly a small percentage “probably 10% to 20%” of the real number.
That has been the same in both Gaza and the rest of Palestine since before 2008.
Vittorio was supposed to be witness at The Hague as only international witness of the “casted led “ operation, he was killed in Gaza in 2011 before he could testify.
The israeli regime as committed way too many atrocities to be lett to continue
to carry on and this madness must end now!
The Genocide and the apartheid must be stoped and the United States which have armed and protected who have now publicly and for the all world to see, turned out to be a brutal, inhumane and by the ICJ criminally indicted genocidal entity, have now the duty to enforce such command.
It is the United States duty to stop and persecute those who are using its weapons to commit atrocities so great that are already described to have resulted in what is now called , the “Palestinian Holocaust”.
The loss of so many family members that Dr Haddad is experiencing, is worse than horrific. My condolences Doctor.
This from Palestinian journalist Walid Mahmoud:
Body of 6-year-old killed in ‘deliberate’ Israeli fire found after 12 days
“I’m so scared, please come. Please call someone to come and take me,” she was heard crying desperately in the call that PRCS said lasted three hours in an effort to calm the frightened child.
The body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted their family car in Gaza, has been found along with the bodies of two medics dispatched to look for them.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the family of the girl, Hind Rajab, confirmed on Saturday that all seven people inside the car were killed, with the Palestinian relief organization saying it lost crew members Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun in the Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza City.
Family members found Hind’s body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children near a roundabout in the city’s Tal al-Hawa suburb, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Another of Hind’s uncles, Sameeh Hamadeh, said the car was peppered with bullet holes.
“The occupation deliberately targeted the ambulance upon its arrival at the scene, where it was found just meters away from the vehicle containing the trapped child Hind,” said the PRCS statement.
“Despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to reach the location to rescue the child, Hind, the occupation deliberately targeted the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crew.”
Earlier this month, the PRCS published an audio file in which Hind could be heard pleading on the phone with a member of the rescue team. All members of her family are believed to have been killed before her, leaving her terrified in the car with the dead bodies of her loved ones.
All the cries that Hind raised to save her life went unheard by the world.
Hind was left alone for 12 days, witnessing the execution of her relatives and the paramedics who tried to rescue her.
Do not cease to speak about these monstrous acts, and do not become accustomed to the scene in Gaza.
Walid Mahmoud
Gaza
This is what voting Dems or MAGAS will guarantee, until Palestine and Palestinians are no more.
Hi! I need to report a small victory here in British Columbia, Canada. An anti-Palestinian member of the provincial cabinet, Selina Robinson, was forced to resign. University of British Columbia professor and member of the Jewish Faculty Association, Avi Lewis, stated, “This is, I believe, the first time in North American political history when a senior member of government has paid the ultimate political price for anti-Palestinian racism. …There are already too many people who have been losing their jobs (in post-secondary education) because of opinions that they hold publicly, though so far, that’s almost exclusively been for expressing solidarity with Palestinians, who, once again, are being killed indiscriminately.” I also wrote an article on this (with Avi's stamp of approval). You can read it here: https://troymedia.com/politicslaw/bc-politics/the-selina-robinson-saga-is-a-lesson-in-political-accountability/
I got this really nice reply from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East:
Dear Mr. Chidiac,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for a recent article titled “The Selina Robinson saga is a lesson in political accountability,” published on February 16 by Kirkland Lake Voice.
After Robinson had made her racist comments about Palestine, we noticed a lot of media coverage that referred to Robinson’s comments as being about “the land on which Israel was founded.” This is an obvious case of anti-Palestinian racism, as it erases the existence of Palestine before the Nakba. In your article, however, you refer to Robinson’s “demeaning comments about pre-colonial Palestine.” Thank you for referring to Palestine.
Another component we urged journalists to include in their reporting of Selina Robinson was a clear explanation of how and why her comments were particularly racist and harmful. As we both know, her claim that the land was “crappy” and “had nothing on it” perpetuates a key feature of Zionist political discourse: the claim that Palestine was a “land without a People for a People without a Land” and, therefore, ideal for the creation of the state of Israel. Thank you for including this information in your article, for it further contextualizes Robinson’s comments as a form of anti-Palestinian racism.
This article was thoughtful, well-researched, and, most importantly, showed a prioritization of pro-Palestinian perspectives, all of which contribute to good journalism. Please continue to do so.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
I just wrote a blog post about tonight. This isn't about me or trying to get views. We just want this story to get out, with the hope that others will get the courage to do the same. And of course, to stop the killing.
I have what I believe is going to be a national story.
Tonight our group -- CeasefireNow Roaring Fork Valley -- attended the Glenwood Springs City Council meeting with the goal of asking that the town council adopt a ceasefire resolution.
I'll note that just two days ago our group attended a city council meeting in Aspen. Two members of the city council turned their backs on us. Here's the link:
On Thursday night, by a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Glenwood Springs City Council became the first municipality in Colorado to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Thursday's meeting opened with the public comment period, during which 5 members of the Ceasefire Now Roaring Fork Valley advocated for the council to adopt a ceasefire resolution, a draft copy of which was passed on to all members of the council. In response to the group’s comments, Councilor Godes brought forth a motion to add the resolution to the top of the meeting’s agenda, seconded by Councilor Kaup, and opposed by none.
Councilor Godes opened the discussion by stating his support for the resolution. While the council’s opinions on the nitty gritty of the draft resolution varied, they arrived at a consensus on approving a resolution that calls for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and [the] Occupied West Bank, immediate unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, and release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinian civilians in order to work towards a long-term peace.”
Glenwood Springs is a working man's town. They unanimously passed our resolution. But in Aspen, a cultural center, two city council members turned their backs on us.
It's unheard of, that a city council adopts a resolution the same night the citizens bring it. Not only that, they adopted it unanimously.
Here's the link to tonight's city council meeting. Our groups comments start at 14:22 in. I spoke.
Then go to 35:45, to see where the city council starts taking this up. It's incredible.
Heartbreaking. I've never cried while listening to an online interview before. Thank you for so clearly describing your beautiful family members, Dr. Haddad. May they forgive us all for allowing the horrors of genocide, both overt and covert. May they all be at peace. I think of the song, "When will they ever learn?... When will they ever learn?" Thank you Ralph Nader and Janine Jackson.
LOL, I am familiar with MMT. you should question what you think you know. Yes, the government prints and mints the currency which it sells to the banks who create the money when they make a loan, but physical currency is only 3% of the money supply at best. 97+% is electronically created account money. The government borrows to fund the deficit and is why we have $34T in debt. In fact we have nearly 4 times more debt than there is in the money supply, same globally. Global debt is $305T but there is only $82.5T in the global money supply. You should read The Lost Science of Money, a history by Stephen Zarlenga. Money today has more to do with power than economics. As JK Galbraith wrote: “The problem of the modern economy is not a failure of a knowledge of economics; it's a failure of a knowledge of history." To learn more....
Government doesn't print or mint anything. They just spend, into existence through their banking arm. You fell down at: "The government borrows to fund the deficit and is why we have $34T in debt." You have zero idea what you are talking about and come across as a conspiracy theorist. You don't understand money at all!
Klassik above me has already written much of what I would have written.
There isn't a money creation problem, there is a tax redemption problem. You're so far down the wrong road it's a waste of time dragging you back. If you want to refer to power politics deforming economic policy, that's fine, but this has no bearing whatsoever on the facts of economic operations. Save your links and stop wasting your life on this pretend theory.
I read all these links and they are full of errors based on a poor understanding of MMT. In some cases, the different links don’t even agree about what MMT supposedly says or doesn’t say so that should be the first sign that those complaining about MMT have not even read about it or understood it if they did read about it from the theory itself.
To quote from the ‘What’s wrong with…’ article:
“5) MMT claims that we do not have to worry about deficits. We can just spend our way towards an equitable society with big programs like the Green New Deal, free college and child care, and full employment. Epstein reasons that the combined cost of these programs will quickly lead to full employment (or full capacity) and then taxes, bond buying and cutting expenses have to kick in to prevent inflation.”
…
This last point brings me to the idea that MMT might have a not so hidden agenda which leaves regular and shadow banks, hedge funds and the rich off the hook as they do not have to be regulated, reformed or taxed per MMT. They can continue their financialization schemes, reaping huge profits, creating financial crises and then getting bailed out. A fair question might be to ponder if this was the business plan of Warren Mosler–the originator and generous promoter of MMT–from the beginning so he could imagine himself to be a progressive without having to limit or regulate his financial schemes as a hedge fund manager.”
As for the first paragraph, that is not what MMT claims. Only dime store analysis of MMT says things like ‘deficits don’t matter’. They do matter in reference to the government bond market and interest rate setting and that is the exact premise of the links I sent earlier from Wray and Mitchell, core MMT theorists. Also, in those links, Wray and Mitchell lay out exactly how the government bond market can be eliminated. Also, the notion that MMT advocates for ‘cutting expenses’ is absolute comedy.
As for the latter conspiracy theory, if Mosler is using MMT to advance his wealth, as the claim is made, why would he then also advocate for a 0% interest rate and elimination of the government bond market? Mosler has very clearly made the case for how this can be done so this conspiracy theory is completely illogical.
The whole point that there is a written conspiracy theory about MMT because Mosler is wealthy is rather humorous. Is Robert Pollin, former RHRN guest, not a reliable economist simply because his family is extremely wealthy and his father owned the Washington Capitals and Wizards sports teams until his passing? Or should the merits of Pollin and Mosler’s arguments be evaluated on their own and without coloration based on their financial situations?
Furthermore, criticisms that MMT is a theoretical model and not some narrative about controlling corporate power are nonsensical. Theory informs policy. Good policy is based on solid theory. This is why the likes of Mitchell and Wray separate the theory from policy recommendations. If you want MMT-informed policy recommendations about reducing corporate power, Mitchell and Wray have plenty of those, but they are rightfully kept separate from the theory itself.
No, Secretary Blinken
Dr. Tariq Haddad, a practicing cardiologist in VA, was invited to a roundtable mtg w/ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the war on Gaza — he refused. Read his profound response: https://here4thekids.substack.com/p/no-secretary-blinken
If PEACE is The ENEMY, you miiight be “Living” in a Criminally Depraved, CorporateFascist-InsiderTrader WEALTH $$upremacist’s,
TOTALITARIAN WetDream.
Love listening to CounterSpin, and this show too!
Thank you.
Since the unregistered foreign agent, AIPAC, was allowed to exist (1950s) and influence every institution, news group and elected official, ZOG (Zionist Occupation Government) became real. We even have a senile old puppet in the White House who proudly proclaimed he is a member!
A vote for Genocide Joe, or traitor tRump is a vote for genocide. I'll continue to post the solution to ZOG and an end to genocide...
Jill Stein For President 2024! Green Party for all other elected positions 2024!
At some point, Ralph, I hope you will focus on the monetary system as Dennis did at your Breaking Through Power event, because money is power and thus it is the governing factor, as Harvard's Christine Desan said. As such it determines all our public policy. We have a privatized system issuing all money as interest-bearing debt, a form of slavery, and this causes there to be 4 times more debt than there is money in the world. Money should be a public function for public need not a privileged private scam for personal gain. monetaryalliance.org
I read the linked website. While there are some legitimate concerns presented in the argument, the ‘positive money’ based arguments in the link are highly confused on matters of money creation and fiscal operations. I’m sure most reading these comments aren’t particularly interested in those subjects though. For those who are, Warren Mosler’s White Paper (https://moslereconomics.com/mmt-white-paper/) is an excellent and succinct way to start reading about the subject. Stephanie Kelton’s ‘Deficit Myth’ book is another good starting point.
Now, on the matter of shared legitimate concerns between the linked website and Mosler’s White Paper which are of interest to RNRH listeners, Mosler has been advocating for the last few years at least that the interest paid on the national debt may actually be inflationary (the problem isn’t the national debt itself, that must be made clear, but rather the interest paid on the national debt which does not need to exist in the first place when a country uses a floating currency). The Fed’s recent interest rate increases then may be having the opposite of the stated intent of controlling inflation. Rather, the interest rate increases may actually be giving the wealthy increased buying power which is leading to inflation and, of course, increased income inequality. Conversely, instead of the expected unemployment which comes from interest rate hikes, the increased demand from increased spending by the wealthy could actually lowered unemployment (there are, of course, other ways of increasing employment without causing inflation and increased income inequality).
There might be something to this, but as progressive economists have pointed out, we still don’t know the exact extent of the relationship between the recent interest rate increases and inflation. The situation of the last several months under the rate increases is still being studied and so I would not jump to conclusions and make bold conspiracy statements that “the government is intentionally causing inflation.” That said, this is being studied and we must understand the theory behind this to find better policy. We must also understand how all of this works together with Covid-era supply-side problems and increased energy prices caused by foreign and energy policy issues here in the US such as the US promoting continued war in Ukraine and the Middle East while not seriously promoting energy conservation and alternative energy sources.
What is known, however, and what has been published by economists for years now is the idea that in countries such as the US with a floating currency, interest rates should be held at or near 0%. Thus, policy intended to control inflation should be done via Congress through fiscal policy and not through the Fed’s monetary policy. You don’t hear much in the media about controlling inflation via employment policy and taxation. This is a legitimate purpose of taxation, not the blarney we do hear about funding the federal government via tax returns like we normally and incorrectly hear so often.
Zionism was condemned World-Wide as Terrorism, until GenocideJoe got into the U.S. Senate. Is it a coincidence that LyinBiden hold the record for Congressional Representatives taking Israel Lobby BRIBES. Menachim Begin called Biden more Zionist than even he himself was. Biden is regarded by DC insiders as the “meanest” man ever known. He was the Architect of the past TEN YEARS of Congressional Funding, Corrupting and Arming NaziUkraine to Groom UkraineNazis for EthnicCleansing of Ukrainians of Russian Heritage as prelude to this Proxy War with Russia that’s resulted in GENOCIDE of Ukraine. ALL to “Defend Security” of DCs CorporateFascist, InsiderTraders Global Profits MONOPOLY.
❓ Are Military Age People of Taiwan prepared to FOLLOW their Ukrainian counterparts to the Grave for DCs DEPRAVED CRIMINALS’ Global Domination, ResourceRape-RegimeChange, PROFITS❓❓❓
Thank you Ralph and thanks to everybody on your radio hour.
My deepest sympathies to Dr. Haddad.
I am afraid the number of the killed is far greater.
The type of bombing used till South Africa called in the International Court of Justice, was of a type designed to pulverise building with all and everybody in it.
“Multiple strikes with heavy bombs on the same target” “a well recorded warcrime”
Also, I worked from 2007 to 2011 moderating the site and youtbe channels of the only international humanitarian worker in Gaza during casted led.
Is name was Vittorio Arrigoni.
Vittorio explained me that both the PA and hams are under threat by israel which tells them to give out a smaller number of the dead than the actual one, or they will kill, still and destroy even more.
What we assume is that the number given now days, is the one of the bodies which have been recovered.
Than again that is clearly a small percentage “probably 10% to 20%” of the real number.
That has been the same in both Gaza and the rest of Palestine since before 2008.
Vittorio was supposed to be witness at The Hague as only international witness of the “casted led “ operation, he was killed in Gaza in 2011 before he could testify.
The israeli regime as committed way too many atrocities to be lett to continue
to carry on and this madness must end now!
The Genocide and the apartheid must be stoped and the United States which have armed and protected who have now publicly and for the all world to see, turned out to be a brutal, inhumane and by the ICJ criminally indicted genocidal entity, have now the duty to enforce such command.
It is the United States duty to stop and persecute those who are using its weapons to commit atrocities so great that are already described to have resulted in what is now called , the “Palestinian Holocaust”.
This madness must end!
At least today, CNN and The NY Times have been zeroing in on the Gaza genocide.
Israel is planning on flooding tunnels in Gaza that will likely have dire consequences:
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/3/israel-floods-tunnels-with-seawater-what-impacts-on-gazas-water-supply
Strongly recommend this Intercept piece, even got posted on some blatantly racist sites too:
https://theintercept.com/2024/02/07/gaza-israel-netanyahu-propaganda-lies-palestinians/
So late for the NYT as usual........
The loss of so many family members that Dr Haddad is experiencing, is worse than horrific. My condolences Doctor.
This from Palestinian journalist Walid Mahmoud:
Body of 6-year-old killed in ‘deliberate’ Israeli fire found after 12 days
“I’m so scared, please come. Please call someone to come and take me,” she was heard crying desperately in the call that PRCS said lasted three hours in an effort to calm the frightened child.
The body of a six-year-old Palestinian girl, missing for 12 days after an Israeli tank targeted their family car in Gaza, has been found along with the bodies of two medics dispatched to look for them.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the family of the girl, Hind Rajab, confirmed on Saturday that all seven people inside the car were killed, with the Palestinian relief organization saying it lost crew members Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun in the Israeli attack on civilians in Gaza City.
Family members found Hind’s body along with those of her uncle and aunt and their three children near a roundabout in the city’s Tal al-Hawa suburb, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Another of Hind’s uncles, Sameeh Hamadeh, said the car was peppered with bullet holes.
“The occupation deliberately targeted the ambulance upon its arrival at the scene, where it was found just meters away from the vehicle containing the trapped child Hind,” said the PRCS statement.
“Despite prior coordination to allow the ambulance to reach the location to rescue the child, Hind, the occupation deliberately targeted the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crew.”
Earlier this month, the PRCS published an audio file in which Hind could be heard pleading on the phone with a member of the rescue team. All members of her family are believed to have been killed before her, leaving her terrified in the car with the dead bodies of her loved ones.
All the cries that Hind raised to save her life went unheard by the world.
Hind was left alone for 12 days, witnessing the execution of her relatives and the paramedics who tried to rescue her.
Do not cease to speak about these monstrous acts, and do not become accustomed to the scene in Gaza.
Walid Mahmoud
Gaza
This is what voting Dems or MAGAS will guarantee, until Palestine and Palestinians are no more.
Hi! I need to report a small victory here in British Columbia, Canada. An anti-Palestinian member of the provincial cabinet, Selina Robinson, was forced to resign. University of British Columbia professor and member of the Jewish Faculty Association, Avi Lewis, stated, “This is, I believe, the first time in North American political history when a senior member of government has paid the ultimate political price for anti-Palestinian racism. …There are already too many people who have been losing their jobs (in post-secondary education) because of opinions that they hold publicly, though so far, that’s almost exclusively been for expressing solidarity with Palestinians, who, once again, are being killed indiscriminately.” I also wrote an article on this (with Avi's stamp of approval). You can read it here: https://troymedia.com/politicslaw/bc-politics/the-selina-robinson-saga-is-a-lesson-in-political-accountability/
I got this really nice reply from Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East:
Dear Mr. Chidiac,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to thank you for a recent article titled “The Selina Robinson saga is a lesson in political accountability,” published on February 16 by Kirkland Lake Voice.
After Robinson had made her racist comments about Palestine, we noticed a lot of media coverage that referred to Robinson’s comments as being about “the land on which Israel was founded.” This is an obvious case of anti-Palestinian racism, as it erases the existence of Palestine before the Nakba. In your article, however, you refer to Robinson’s “demeaning comments about pre-colonial Palestine.” Thank you for referring to Palestine.
Another component we urged journalists to include in their reporting of Selina Robinson was a clear explanation of how and why her comments were particularly racist and harmful. As we both know, her claim that the land was “crappy” and “had nothing on it” perpetuates a key feature of Zionist political discourse: the claim that Palestine was a “land without a People for a People without a Land” and, therefore, ideal for the creation of the state of Israel. Thank you for including this information in your article, for it further contextualizes Robinson’s comments as a form of anti-Palestinian racism.
This article was thoughtful, well-researched, and, most importantly, showed a prioritization of pro-Palestinian perspectives, all of which contribute to good journalism. Please continue to do so.
Sincerely,
Rose Mardikian,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
--
Rose Mardikian
Media Analyst, CJPME (https://www.cjpme.org/)
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East / Canadiens pour la Justice et la Paix au Moyen-Orient
580 Saint-Croix, Suite 060, Saint-Laurent, QC H4L 3X5
438-380-5410
I just wrote a blog post about tonight. This isn't about me or trying to get views. We just want this story to get out, with the hope that others will get the courage to do the same. And of course, to stop the killing.
https://www.spinbackwards.io/glenwood-springs-co-makes-fresh-tracks-to-adopt-a-ceasefire-resolution/
gm Everyone!
I have what I believe is going to be a national story.
Tonight our group -- CeasefireNow Roaring Fork Valley -- attended the Glenwood Springs City Council meeting with the goal of asking that the town council adopt a ceasefire resolution.
I'll note that just two days ago our group attended a city council meeting in Aspen. Two members of the city council turned their backs on us. Here's the link:
https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/aspen-city-council-urged-to-support-ceasefire/article_4fc38640-cb10-11ee-89a8-1b7af5d4e8b6.html
Here's the press release we're circulating:
On Thursday night, by a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Glenwood Springs City Council became the first municipality in Colorado to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Thursday's meeting opened with the public comment period, during which 5 members of the Ceasefire Now Roaring Fork Valley advocated for the council to adopt a ceasefire resolution, a draft copy of which was passed on to all members of the council. In response to the group’s comments, Councilor Godes brought forth a motion to add the resolution to the top of the meeting’s agenda, seconded by Councilor Kaup, and opposed by none.
Councilor Godes opened the discussion by stating his support for the resolution. While the council’s opinions on the nitty gritty of the draft resolution varied, they arrived at a consensus on approving a resolution that calls for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and [the] Occupied West Bank, immediate unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, and release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinian civilians in order to work towards a long-term peace.”
Glenwood Springs is a working man's town. They unanimously passed our resolution. But in Aspen, a cultural center, two city council members turned their backs on us.
It's unheard of, that a city council adopts a resolution the same night the citizens bring it. Not only that, they adopted it unanimously.
Here's the link to tonight's city council meeting. Our groups comments start at 14:22 in. I spoke.
Then go to 35:45, to see where the city council starts taking this up. It's incredible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-vxr9q9m-0
Please help us get this incredible story out. I'm available if you want to talk, as are members of our group.
Thanks in advance,
Bless you Ralph and company!!! You restore my faith in humanity every week! ❤️❤️❤️
Heartbreaking. I've never cried while listening to an online interview before. Thank you for so clearly describing your beautiful family members, Dr. Haddad. May they forgive us all for allowing the horrors of genocide, both overt and covert. May they all be at peace. I think of the song, "When will they ever learn?... When will they ever learn?" Thank you Ralph Nader and Janine Jackson.
LOL, I am familiar with MMT. you should question what you think you know. Yes, the government prints and mints the currency which it sells to the banks who create the money when they make a loan, but physical currency is only 3% of the money supply at best. 97+% is electronically created account money. The government borrows to fund the deficit and is why we have $34T in debt. In fact we have nearly 4 times more debt than there is in the money supply, same globally. Global debt is $305T but there is only $82.5T in the global money supply. You should read The Lost Science of Money, a history by Stephen Zarlenga. Money today has more to do with power than economics. As JK Galbraith wrote: “The problem of the modern economy is not a failure of a knowledge of economics; it's a failure of a knowledge of history." To learn more....
https://www.monetaryalliance.org/requesting-evidence-for-a-crucial-mmt-claim/
https://www.monetaryalliance.org/triple-column-comparison/
https://www.monetaryalliance.org/whats-wrong-with-modern-money-theory-a-summary/
https://www.monetaryalliance.org/money-and-banking-assessing-overlaps-and-differences-between-smr-and-mmt/
https://www.monetaryalliance.org/modern-money-theory-revisited-still-the-same-false-promise/
Government doesn't print or mint anything. They just spend, into existence through their banking arm. You fell down at: "The government borrows to fund the deficit and is why we have $34T in debt." You have zero idea what you are talking about and come across as a conspiracy theorist. You don't understand money at all!
Klassik above me has already written much of what I would have written.
There isn't a money creation problem, there is a tax redemption problem. You're so far down the wrong road it's a waste of time dragging you back. If you want to refer to power politics deforming economic policy, that's fine, but this has no bearing whatsoever on the facts of economic operations. Save your links and stop wasting your life on this pretend theory.
I read all these links and they are full of errors based on a poor understanding of MMT. In some cases, the different links don’t even agree about what MMT supposedly says or doesn’t say so that should be the first sign that those complaining about MMT have not even read about it or understood it if they did read about it from the theory itself.
To quote from the ‘What’s wrong with…’ article:
“5) MMT claims that we do not have to worry about deficits. We can just spend our way towards an equitable society with big programs like the Green New Deal, free college and child care, and full employment. Epstein reasons that the combined cost of these programs will quickly lead to full employment (or full capacity) and then taxes, bond buying and cutting expenses have to kick in to prevent inflation.”
…
This last point brings me to the idea that MMT might have a not so hidden agenda which leaves regular and shadow banks, hedge funds and the rich off the hook as they do not have to be regulated, reformed or taxed per MMT. They can continue their financialization schemes, reaping huge profits, creating financial crises and then getting bailed out. A fair question might be to ponder if this was the business plan of Warren Mosler–the originator and generous promoter of MMT–from the beginning so he could imagine himself to be a progressive without having to limit or regulate his financial schemes as a hedge fund manager.”
As for the first paragraph, that is not what MMT claims. Only dime store analysis of MMT says things like ‘deficits don’t matter’. They do matter in reference to the government bond market and interest rate setting and that is the exact premise of the links I sent earlier from Wray and Mitchell, core MMT theorists. Also, in those links, Wray and Mitchell lay out exactly how the government bond market can be eliminated. Also, the notion that MMT advocates for ‘cutting expenses’ is absolute comedy.
As for the latter conspiracy theory, if Mosler is using MMT to advance his wealth, as the claim is made, why would he then also advocate for a 0% interest rate and elimination of the government bond market? Mosler has very clearly made the case for how this can be done so this conspiracy theory is completely illogical.
The whole point that there is a written conspiracy theory about MMT because Mosler is wealthy is rather humorous. Is Robert Pollin, former RHRN guest, not a reliable economist simply because his family is extremely wealthy and his father owned the Washington Capitals and Wizards sports teams until his passing? Or should the merits of Pollin and Mosler’s arguments be evaluated on their own and without coloration based on their financial situations?
Furthermore, criticisms that MMT is a theoretical model and not some narrative about controlling corporate power are nonsensical. Theory informs policy. Good policy is based on solid theory. This is why the likes of Mitchell and Wray separate the theory from policy recommendations. If you want MMT-informed policy recommendations about reducing corporate power, Mitchell and Wray have plenty of those, but they are rightfully kept separate from the theory itself.