When people in the US think of 2016, the most noteworthy event that pops out is the general election of that year, but what most don’t know about is the peace treaty that was signed in Columbia, nor the lack of peace it actually brought the people of Columbia. Exploring the results of the treaty that was signed two and a half years ago, the Nation recounts the bloodshed that has occurred since, despite efforts to prevent that from happening.
There are many ways in which Saudi Arabia is trying to become more western, such as lifting the ban on women driving, however it still has a long way to go before it should actually been classified like a European country, as their actions against dissent has shown. The country puts on a veil of progressiveness with its leader, but just below the surface lies the true heart of government that jails and murders those that try and say anything remotely bad about the government, as the Middle East Eye tries to explain. |
|
|
There is a lot that comes to mind when discussing the issues with the nations prison system, but something that doesn’t immediately jump to mind for most is the cost of using phones in prison to talk to those on the outside. In an attempt to address this, Connecticut might be the first state to make these calls free, but as the Interceptreports, the state’s Democratic governor has been an ever-present roadblock.
|
|
As technology advances and humanity gets closer to actually exploring space, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the mechanisms of capitalism will be what takes us there, buoyed off the backs of billionaire investors. One such investor is Jeff Bezos, with his space company Blue Origin, who, as FAIR notes, is being praised by the Washington Post, a company he owns, for the strides being made in colonizing space for humanity and the rich.
Public opinion surrounding Wikileak’s Julian Assange has certainly shifted in recent years, with national media outlets taking every opportunity to take shots at everything Assange has done and why he should go to jail. However, there is more than just that side of the story, and truthdig tries to highlight that while he might not be the best guy out there, there are many revelations Assange gave to the world that we should be thankful for, despite what many believe.
In the US we take it as a given that when you lose an election, there is little left to do what to concede victory to your opponent. Some might try to challenge the election results in court, but never do people take up arms to stop the winner. This is not what happened in Indonesia, as Democracy Now! reports, where after losing the election, supporters of the former military commander Prabowo Subianto, who lost the election, took to the streets, leaving six people dead.
With the recent news of possible US intervention in Venezuela or Iran, the question of imperialism keeps coming up, and what role the US keeps playing in expanding our own hegemony across the world. The ways in which world powers exert their influence across the world differs from how the British empire expanded in days of old, capturing cities and forming colonies. Instead, as CounterPunch describes it, the US and others fight proxy wars through the military industrial complex to advance the interest of the rich and powerful. |
|
After countless speeches and stances by the opposition leader in Venezuela Juan Guaido on who the true leader of the country is, he has finally committed to hosting talks with the elected leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro in Oslo to try and come to some form of an agreement. At the Real News Network, they discuss in two parts the implications this has and what kind of position Guaido has put himself in now that he has accepted these talks. |
|
While the opposition in Venezuela is coming to talk at the negotiating table, in the US there is still tension surrounding what should be done about Venezuela. There are some who say the US should leave the country alone and let Maduro stay in power, as he was elected. There are others, as the Grayzone reports, who disagree with this sentiment, and think the US should intervene. One critic in particular threatened with violence activists who were advocating against intervention in Venezuela.
|
A flurry of new abortion laws across many Republican held states has led many to re-examine the position of the those who are against abortion and what kinds of rationalizations are required. At the Ghion Journal, they break down the somewhat absurd nature of those who are pro-life and why it continues to be confusing as to why they hold their position.
|
|
The HEADLINES:
1. Trump lashes out in televised rant, quizzing room about meeting with ‘crazy’ Pelosi and insisting he is ‘stable genius’ (The Independent)2. The Impossible Future of Christians in the Middle East (The Atlantic)
3. National Democrats Are Set To Help 2 Abortion Opponents Win Governorships (HuffPost)
4. Ministers expect Theresa May to reveal No 10 departure date on Friday (BBC)
5. UK government may face court action after EU citizens denied vote (The Guardian) |
|
