the unbalanced evolution of homo sapiens

failed evolution Instead of trying to save anything left from his reputation, Barack Obama proceeded in one more action that put the final gravestone on it. The preposterous action of the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, demonstrates the tragic dead-end which the US foreign policy currently faces. Obama 'managed' to: Reduce the behaviour of a superpower into that of a minor country that acts carelessly. Expose the decline of the US empire. Give extra credits to Russia, especially after the 'checkmate' from Putin who took advantage of this absolutely irresponsible action, declaring, indirectly, that he will not act with the same irresponsibility. Give extra credits to Donald Trump who has been presented as an 'oncoming disaster' by the mainstream media. Compared to Obama's irresponsibility, Trump will look as a much more responsible president who tries to normalize relations with Russia, instead of ...

On Thursday, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security released a joint analysis report addressing persistent allegations that the Russian government hacked the U.S. election. Though, as the White House fact sheet asserts, the report largely consists of tips to improve cyber security and prevent future attacks, it also appears to cite evidence Russian Intelligence Services (RIS) actively attempted to hack into U.S. systems, a campaign the government has named “GRIZZLY STEPPE.” But as the media runs with the story and many outlets accept the 13-page report as fact, veterans of the intelligence community have pointed out flaws with the FBI-DHS analysis. According to Philip Giraldi, a former CIA agent, the report fails to prove Russia is behind the hack. In a recent Facebook post, he asserted that “ apart from assertions of Russian activity connected to an unnamed political party, [the report] provides absolutely no evidence that the alleged intrusions int...

The typical pettiness and vengefulness of the Obama administration was at full display with yesterday's expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats and the closing of two Russian estates in New York and Maryland. Obama also sanctioned the Russian external intelligence service FSB and the military intelligence service GRU as well as some of its leaders for doing their job. The move was ostensibly over alleged but completely unproven Russian "hacking" to influence the U.S. election. But the real reason is likely Obama's loss of face after being left out of the successful negotiations of a new ceasefire in Syria. True to form the Russian government responded with high-class trolling and generosity. More: http://www.moonofalabama.org/2016/12/master-judoka-putin-outclasses-lame-duck-obama.html

Σε μια διπλωματική … ντρίμπλα προχώρησε ο Βλάμιντιρ Πούτιν εν μέσω του ψυχρού και cyber πολέμου που έχει ξεσπάσει τις τελευταίες ημέρες μεταξύ Μόσχας και Ουάσιγκτον. Ο Ρώσος Πρόεδρος ανακοίνωσε ότι δεν θα προχωρήσει σε απελάσεις Αμερικανών διπλωματών ως αντίποινα στην αντίστοιχη κίνηση Ομπάμα. Με την τελική του απόφαση ο Ρώσος Πρόεδρος δείχνει να «αδειάζει» τον υπουργό Εξωτερικών της χώρας Σεργκέι Λαβρόφ που εισηγήθηκε τις απελάσεις 35 Αμερικανών διπλωματών, αν δεν ήταν προσχεδιασμένη η κίνηση αυτή. Δημιουργεί δε, νέα δεδομένα στις σχέσεις που θέλει να σφυρηλατήσει με τις ΗΠΑ. Ο Πούτιν στην σχετική ανακοίνωση που αναρτήθηκε στην επίσημη ιστοσελίδα του Κρεμλίνου, τονίζει ότι θα αξιολογήσει τις κινήσεις του νέου προέδρου των ΗΠΑ, Ντόναλντ Τραμπ πριν αναλάβει δράση. Μάλιστα προχωρά ακόμη ένα βήμα παραπέρα, λέγοντας ότι προτίθεται να καλέσει τις οικογένειες των Αμερικανών διπλωματών σε εορταστική εκδήλωση για τον καινούργιο χρόνο στο Κρεμλίνο. ...

Russian military forces have discovered mass graves in eastern parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo, with many of the bodies reportedly showing signs of torture. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesperson for the Russian defense ministry, announced the horrifying discovery on Monday. “ Many of the corpses were found with missing body parts, and most had gunshot wounds to the head, ” he said, according to RT, a Russian state-owned news network. Until recently, the eastern portion of Aleppo, once Syria’s largest city and industrial and financial center, was under the control of so-called “moderate” rebels, many of whom have received both intelligence and material support from the United States and its allies in the Middle East. Last week, Russian and Syrian military forces oversaw the evacuation of civilians from eastern Aleppo. Prior to that, the rebel-held portion of the city had been controlled by two main factions, Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist group with...

Ρωσία, Τουρκία και Ιράν συζητούν για τον τρόπο που θα μοιράσουν ανεπίσημα τη Συρία σε ζώνες επιρροής, συμφωνώντας ο Μπασάρ Αλ Άσαντ να παραμείνει πρόεδρος της χώρας έως τις επόμενες προεδρικές εκλογές. Βάσει δημοσιεύματος του Reuters, η συμφωνία μεταξύ των τριών χωρών προβλέπει τη δημιουργία μιας ομοσπονδιακής Συρίας που θα ελέγχεται από τον Άσαντ και ταυτόχρονα θα παρέχει μια περιφερειακή αυτονομία. Όπως επισημαίνεται πρόκειται για ένα σχέδιο που βρίσκεται σε πρώιμο στάδιο. «Έχει σημειωθεί μια κίνηση προς έναν συμβιβασμό» δήλωσε ο Αντρέι Κορτούνοφ, γενικός διευθυντής του Ρωσικού Συμβουλίου Διεθνών Υποθέσεων, ινστιτούτου μελετών το οποίο πρόσκειται στο ρωσικό υπουργείο Εξωτερικών. «Μια τελική συμφωνία θα είναι σκληρή, όμως οι θέσεις έχουν μεταβληθεί» αναφέρει. Οι εξουσίες του Άσαντ θα περικοπούν με βάση μια συμφωνία των τριών χωρών, λένε συγκλίνουσες πηγές, ενώ υπογραμμίζουν πως ο Άσαντ θα μείνει στην προεδρία μέχρι τις επόμενες προεδρικές εκλογές οπότε κ...

The U.S. sold more weapons than any other country in 2015 despite a drop in the global arms trade, according to a new congressional report. At $40 billion, the U.S. signed more than half of all arms agreements last year, and more than double the next-highest seller, which was France at $15 billion. American weapons sales included bombs, missiles, armored tanks, Apache attack helicopters, F-15 fighter jets, and other items. The report was published by the Congressional Research Service, which conducts national policy analysis for Congress. It looked at conventional arms transfers to developing nations from 2008 to 2015. Russia sold $11.1 billion, a slight drop from its 2014 count at $11.2 billion. China sold $6 billion, doubling its output from last year. The leading buyers, meanwhile, were Qatar, which signed deals to purchase more than $17 billion; Egypt, which signed on for $12 billion; and Saudi Arabia, which purchased more than $8 billion. M...

του Άρη Χατζηστεφάνου «Πράκτορας των Αμερικάνων», «άνθρωπος του Γκιουλέν», «μοναχικός λύκος», «Τούρκος προβοκάτορας», «ακραίος ισλαμιστής», «αντιφασίστας μαχητής». Όλοι παραπάνω χαρακτηρισμοί ακούστηκαν σε διάστημα 48ωρων από τη στιγμή που ο Τούρκος αστυνομικός Μεβλούτ Μερτ Αλτιντάς δολοφόνησε τον Ρώσο πρέσβη στην Άγκυρα. Η σύγχυση στα λόγια του δολοφόνου, που αναμίγνυε αναφορές στο Ισλάμ σε σπαστά αραβικά και τουρκικές φράσεις για το Χαλέπι έδωσε τροφή σε δεκάδες θεωρίες συνωμοσίας. Η ανάληψη της ευθύνης από την οργάνωση Μέτωπο Αλ Νούσρα, η οποία συνδέεται με την Αλ Κάιντα και υπήρξε -έμμεσα και άμεσα – ένας από τους αποδέκτες της αμερικανικής και σαουδαραβικής ενίσχυσης στη Συρία, δεν βοήθησε να κοπάσει αυτός ο καταιγισμός εκτιμήσεων και φημών. Πριν αποτολμήσει κάποιος να εντοπίσει τα κίνητρα του δράστη έχει πολύ μεγαλύτερη σημασία να εξετάσει τις γεωπολιτικές ισορροπίες που αυτή φέρνει στην επιφάνεια. Αντίθετα με τις αρχικές απλουστευτικές αναλύσεις, πο...

Οι μέρες είναι συγκλονιστικές. Το ηλεκτρονικό ΒΗΜΑ, κυκλοφόρησε με μια παντιέρα με το σήμα της εφημερίδας και μια πένα για κοντάρι. Ο Σπύρος Γεωργιάδης -που πολύ θέλει να είναι Άδωνις- μας κάλεσε να κάνουμε πράξη αντίστασης αγοράζοντας μια εφημερίδα του ΔΟΛ. του Κώστα Βαξεβάνη Οι σελίδες των εντύπων του συγκροτήματος γέμισαν με ρεπορτάζ για την προσφορά της εφημερίδας στον πολιτισμό και τις τέχνες. Λίγο ακόμα να σηκωθούμε, λίγο ψηλότερα, φωνάζουν από το κτήριο της Πειραιώς με τους απλήρωτους υπαλλήλους της ΝΔ. Στην αφήγηση του συγκροτήματος, για όσα συμβαίνουν στο ΔΟΛ, φταίνε οι αντικειμενικές συνθήκες ανάπτυξης του διαδικτύου που ρίχνουν τις κυκλοφορίες, φταίει η οικονομική κρίση, φταίει η κυβέρνηση, φυσικά οι άλλες κακόβουλες εφημερίδες όπως το Documento, αλλά προς Θεού δεν φταίνε αυτοί, τα δάνεια και ο Ψυχάρης. Όλο το σύμπαν συνωμοτεί για να κλείσει ο ΔΟΛ, να μείνουν στο δρόμο άνθρωποι, να συκοφαντηθεί αυτός ο άγιος άνθρωπος Σταύρος Ψυχάρης, που η αγιοσ...

globinfo freexchange After the complete collapse of Western propaganda concerning Syria and the Middle East chaos, the 'blame game' within NATO allies has started. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said "it's very clear" that the US-led coalition is supporting terrorist groups in Syria, ISIS among them! As RT reports: " They give support to terrorist groups including Daesh (Arabic for IS), " Erdogan said. Saying that the US have accused Turkey of supporting IS, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday the Turkish leader blamed the US-led coalition for assisting terrorists themselves. Apart from IS, he also mentioned Kurdish People's Protection Units in northern Syria (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) as groups supported by the coalition. " We have confirmed evidence, with pictures, photos and videos, " he added. Erdogan has also called on Saudi Arabia and Qatar to join Russia, Turkey ...

Monitoring AI and hyper-automation Automation through robots and other artificial intelligence could affect nearly half of all US jobs, a report from the Obama administration has found. Education and job-training programs could prevent the sea change from destroying the American economy. Scientists and economic advisers within the executive branch studied the potential effects of artificial intelligence on the US workforce and economy over the next 20 years, as well as ways to prevent the technological advances from automation from potentially destroying job opportunities for Americans ‒ which they said it could, for up to 47 percent of jobs. Rather, the authors sought to guide the government’s automation policy to create better economic opportunities for the country as a whole. “ These transformations will open up new opportunities for individuals, the economy, and society, but they have the potential to disrupt the current livelihoods of millions of Ame...

Turkish security forces have arrested a high-ranking official of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) over an investigation related to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group as Ankara presses ahead with a massive clampdown on members of the opposition party A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a counter-terrorism team had detained Aysel Tugluk in the capital, Ankara, on Monday morning as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the PKK and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), an alliance of pro-Kurdish groups. Tugluk has been taken to police headquarters and will be later transferred to the southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Last month, 13 HDP legislators were arrested over alleged links to the PKK militant group. Party leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag remain in custody along with eight others, waiting to stand trial on terrorism-related ch...

Iran says it expects to award at least 10 new contracts for the development of oil and gas projects to international energy companies in the near future Gholam-Reza Manouchehri, the deputy for development and engineering affairs of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), was quoted by the domestic media as saying that 12 contracts had already been awarded to companies since the removal of sanctions against Iran in January. Manouchehri emphasized that Iran’s oil sector projects were particularly attractive to global investors given the low risks as well as the low costs involved. “ The costs of producing oil and gas in Iran are very low compared to other countries, ” he told Iran’s IRNA news agency. “ This has already increased the motivation of international companies to approach Iran’s oil and gas projects ”. The first major contract that Iran awarded after the removal of the sanctions was one for the development of Phase 11 of the country’s Sout...

Bolivian President Evo Morales declared an amnesty for 1,800 prison inmates, including pregnant women, handicapped people, those with minor sentences and people awaiting trial. Morales pardoned nearly 2000 prisoner with sentences of less than five years, first-time offenders, prisoners under the age of 28, single mothers with incarcerated children, prisoners with terminal illnesses and people with disabilities. The presidential decree will not affect those sentenced for grave crimes, which include homicide charges, terrorism, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, contraband, corruption, human trafficking, and assault on state officials. " The present decree's aim is to give amnesty and total or partial pardons to people who have been deprived of their liberty, " Morales told reporters at a press conference in the city of Cochabamba. This is the fourth time Morales approves statewide pardons. The decree is perceived as a measure to fight the o...

The Russian center for Syrian reconciliation at the Hmeymim airbase registered a total of 28 violations of the ceasefire regime in Syria in the last 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday. " A total of 28 ceasefire violations by illegal militant groups have been registered in Damascus (16), Aleppo (8), Hama (2), and Daraa (2) provinces, " the ministry said in a daily bulletin posted on its website. The Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, formerly known as Nusra Front, and the Islamic State terrorist groups, which have been outlawed in Russia, are not part of the ceasefire deal. Source: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201612271049019621-russia-registers-syria-ceasefire/

globinfo freexchange Just when we thought it couldn't get worse with the recruitment of the Wall Street mafia by Donald Trump , he does everything he can to make sure that the US plutocracy will secure its interests at the expense of the US middle class. With such a cabinet, it's a matter of time to see the US middle class completely vanished. The reqruitment of another plutocrat and fanatic supporter of deregulation proves now, beyond doubt, that Trump is here to continue the neoliberal pro-establishment agenda for the benefit of his billionaire class. From Salon : President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has announced that Carl Icahn, the Wall Street tycoon responsible for destroying the airline company TWA, will play a key role advising him on regulatory reform. [...] Not surprisingly, the choice is being harshly criticized. Democratic National Committee spokesman Eric Walker told USA Today on Wednesday that Icahn “ will a...

Ο δισεκατομμυριούχος Aμερικανός επενδυτής Καρλ Άικαν διορίστηκε ειδικός σύμβουλος του Ντόναλντ Τραμπ σε ρυθμιστικά θέματα οικονομίας. Αυτό σημαίνει με απλά λόγια ότι ο Ντόναλντ Τραμπ έβαλε το… Λύκο της Wall Street να φυλάει τα πρόβατα… Ας ξεκινήσουμε αρχικά με το ποιος είναι ο Άικαν. Δεν είναι άλλος από τον δισεκατομμυριούχο από τον οποίο εμπνεύστηκε ο Όλιβερ Στόουν την διάσημη και… διαφωτιστική ταινία του «Ο Λύκος της Wall Street». Ο Ντόναλντ Τραμπ - μεγιστάνας ο ίδιος - πριν εκλεγεί είχε υποσχεθεί μεταξύ άλλων να «καθαρίσει το βάλτο της Ουάσινγκτον» από τους λομπίστες και τους τραπεζίτες της διεφθαρμένης Wall Street. Τώρα ως πρόεδρος των ΗΠΑ επέλεξε για προσωπικό του σύμβουλο και ρυθμιστή της οικονομίας των ΗΠΑ, τον 80χρονο Καρλ Άικαν. Κάποιον δηλαδή που φιγουράρει στους 43 πλουσιότερους ανθρώπους στη λίστα του Forbes, με μετοχές εκατομμυρίων σε πάρα πολλές μεγάλες και… γιγάντιες εταιρείες. Κάποιον επίσης που είναι μεταξύ άλλων γνωστός - σύμφωνα με τη L...

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said that NATO exists only ‘to serve Washington’s objectives’, and that she planned to hold a Brexit-style referendum, in an interview with a Greek newspaper. Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Front and a candidate for the 2017 presidential elections, is known for her Euroscepticism and anti-immigrant views. Together with France, she also suggested that Portugal, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece and Cyprus should also leave the European Union. “ Frexit will be a part of my policy, ” she said in an interview with Dimokratia. “ The people must have the opportunity to vote for the liberation from slavery and blackmail imposed by technocrats in Brussels to return sovereignty to the country. ” Along with her main rival, the center-right Francois Fillon, Le Pen has called for closer ties with Russia and has criticized NATO expansion into eastern Europe. Le Pen said that she would take France out of th...

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova extended her condolences to the victims and their families. She especially mentioned humanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka, saying she was the “embodiment of dignity in our country.” Glinka was a “social and political activist, but she was outside any politics, above any politics,” Zakharova added. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has expressed his condolences, saying that “the tragic news of the Russian Defense Ministry's plane crash has echoed with pain in my heart,” adding that he is praying for the victims and their loved ones. Relatives of the crash victims have started to arrive in Sochi, as well as psychologists who are assisting them, a local official told Interfax. The navigator pilot of the crashed Tu-154 plane was part of a crew that managed to safely land an out-of-control aircraft back in 2011. Details and updates: https://www.rt.com/news/371627-russia-military-plane-missing/

globinfo freexchange Shortly after the opinion-article on What would be Trump's biggest mistake , published by the blog, Donald Trump tweeted a very alarming message that made China respond quickly. From china.org : China on Friday called on the United States to take the lead in cutting nuclear weapons after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump used Twitter to propose the expansion of his country's nuclear capabilities. " The world's largest nuclear stockpile country should take the lead in making substantial cuts to its nuclear arsenal so as to create conditions for total elimination of nuclear weapons, " foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Friday in response to Trump's tweet. Trump tweeted Thursday that the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capabilities until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes. Hua said that the United States, as the country with the wo...

The United Nations on Thursday estimated that thousands of people still remain in eastern Aleppo as evacuations escorted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continued overnight and throughout the day in the besieged northern Syrian city, a UN spokesman told reporters. " While operations are ongoing, the evacuation is believed to be in its final stage, " Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here. " The UN estimates that thousands more remain in eastern Aleppo enclaves. " Since Wednesday night, UN monitors at the Ramouseh government checkpoint in Aleppo observed thousands of people departing from eastern Aleppo mainly in private vehicles that struggled to advance due to a snow storm and sub-zero temperatures, Haq said. Overall, ICRC estimates that more than 34,000 people have been evacuated from the besieged neighborhoods in eastern Aleppo since Dec. 15. ...