From 1992 till weeks before his death John McCain served as chairman of the International Republican Institute, a US government funded organization that interferes in the political processes of scores of other countries, training rebel groups to overthrow inconvenient elected governments, like that of John Bertrand Aristide in Haiti, Hugo Chavez in Venezuela and many others. McCain and the IRI were prominent backers of neo-nazi politicians and armed militia groups in Ukraine who are now part of that country’s army and civilian government. To be fair, the Obama administration and Democrat Hillary Clinton were big backers and enablers of the same forces. After all this is the US, where we do have two government parties to choose from, not just one as in some backward and benighted places. Democrats and many in the so-called resistance are throwing flowers at the grave of John McCain. It’s a bipartisan thing.
During his 32 years in the US Senate, the real John McCain was a consistent warmonger , advocating US military intervention in Africa, South America, Korea, and almost everywhere. He sang “bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran” before a veterans group, and called demonstrators against Henry Kissinger “despicable scum.” The record of his public calls for coups, invasions, blockades, bombings and assassinations to advance US military and economic domination of the planet is far too long to list.
All this explains why corporate media are lifting up their whitewashed and manufactured version of John McCain. He’s one of their own, a genuine war criminal and loyal servant of capital. Lifting him up, creating and embellishing his heroic story lifts up and legitimizes the rule of the rich. Now they’ll be looking for parks, schools and airports to name after him. Just as the elementary school in Aaron Magruder’s Boondocks was named after J. Edgar Hoover, we’ll soon see John McCain’s name staring back at us from what little public property is left. Get ready for it.
The empire awards its own -- even lies to do so. John McCain's life was pathetic and criminal. There's nothing to celebrate.
A self-promoter to the very end.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
'Every day we stare at the door, waiting for him to come back.'
Wether their son, husband or sister is #Missing, for 1, 10 or 30 years, wherever in #Iraq, they share the same unspeakable grief & don't know who to turn to.
Their voices need to be heard.
#DayoftheDisappeared
The "disappeared" were not created in Iraq in 2003. People were "disappeared" under Saddam Hussein. But the Iraq War was supposed to 'liberate' Iraq. And the puppets the US installed continued to 'disappear' Iraqis. Former prime minister and forever thug Nouri al-Maliki disappeared people throughout his first term but then-US President Barack Obama still gave him a second term (even after the Iraqi voters rejected a second term for Nouri). That second term saw even more Iraqis disappeared and that was one of the issues that led to the rise of ISIS.
Though Nouri wanted a third term, the havoc he brought to Iraq was such that Barack said no. Instead, Hayder al-Abadi was installed. The disappearances have continued under Hayder and one debate on social media is whether they are higher, lower or the same as Nouri's disappearances? The corporate media has not been too interested in the topic to begin with and, during Hayder's term as prime minister, they've ignored the topic and spent their time insisting that Hayder was a strong representative for Iraq and that he had what was needed for a leader -- you know, the same lies that they spent years spreading about thug Nouri.
Future generations of Americans will have to answer for the disappeared, for the fact that their government installed despots and tyrants who abused the Iraqi people.
"Your country said you wanted to bring liberation? Why would you impose someone who runs secret prisons?"
Questions like that will need to be answered.
The Iraq War continues. Year after year. Even when those who started it, like John McCain, die off, the illegal war still drags on.
this fawning obituary of McCain by @hrw is an embarrassment. No mention of warmongering. No mention of his lockstep support for Israeli & Saudi war crimes. No mention of the 500K-1M deaths he helped cause in Iraq. Couldve been written by the US State Dept.
Imagine that, Human Rights Watches blows kisses to John McCain. Hmm. Where did HRW stand on the human rights of the Iraqi people when the US was going to declare war on them?
There is no mention of Iraq, which is unsurprising given that HRW itself did not oppose the invasion of Iraq:
HRW did nothing to oppose the illegal war. And now they celebrate John McCain?
McCain was a racist and a war monger. He was also no friend of veterans.
he also voted against the post-9/11 gi bill, against a bill requiring mandatory downtime for troops between deployments and against pulling ground forces out of iraq. the Disabled American Veterans scored mccain a 20/100 going into 2008 elections.
The press lies. It celebrates a John McCain and ignores the people. That's how the press works. All over the world. The Iraqi people have been clear throughout the Iraq War on one point: US troops out. But their politicians are always tempted by gifts and bribes. And they betray the Iraqi people. (US politicians betray the American people. Politicians are not known for integrity -- throughout the world.)
Iraq's political circles are divided over the recent #US-led coalition's announcement that its military forces will remain in #Iraq indefinitely @TheIraqPulse
One reason Moqtada al-Sadr is so popular in Iraq is that he has called out occupying forces. (Press reports since the May 12th election have includes claims that Moqtada is okay with US troops on Iraqi soil as 'trainers.') Moqtada is the Shi'ite cleric and movement leader whose bloc came in first in the Iraqi elections.
In Iraqi election news, main election winner Sadr calls for million person demonstration/million person united prayers tomorrow, the weekend before first meeting of new Iraqi Parliament which is expected to announce Iraq's new ruling coalition.
wataniq.com/news?ID=32936
Hamza Mustafa (ASHARQ AL-AWSAT) adds:
Dozens of Iraqis protested near the entrance to the green zone in Baghdad over what they say are US plans to keep Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in his post for a second term.
They said Brett McGurk, the US special envoy for the coalition against ISIS, has been ‘interfering” in the negotiations aimed at forming the biggest parliamentary bloc.
“No to America,” the protesters chanted as they pledged not to remain silent to the US embassy’s “interference” in the Iraqi government formation process.
Addressing his followers in a statement, Sadr urged them to hold a million man march against the corrupt.
“Say no to sectarianism, no to corruption, no to division of shares, no to terrorism and no to occupation,” he said.
“Iraq needs a peaceful day of rage to set the stage for building a new Iraq away from corruption and oppression,” Sadr added.
Protests have been taking place in Iraq since the start of July. They kicked off in Basra where there are so many issues -- including the lack of safe drinking water.
Today salinity index (EC) was measured in Shat al Arab river #Basra by Dr al Hassan. Salt concentration ranges between 33.5 mS/cm - 34.0 mS/cm. Seven years ago it was 7.7 mS/cm. The recommended levels should not exceed 1.5 mS/cm! #Save_Basra #Iraq Source:facebook.com/drshukri.alhas…
Basra health crisis: 17,000 admitted to hospitals for water poisoning
Watch @AhmadMullaTalal ask Basra Governor @hyaasaadaledan if he showers with the same water he delivers to residents of #Basra or if he uses filtered bottle water. Governor Asaad al-Edani pretended to not hear the question, but managed to hear everything else. #البصرة_تستغيث
Press sources: Dozens of demonstrators have gathered in (Garma Ali) area north of Basra, to protest against the deterioration of services.
Main Shatt-al-Arab water station was closed today following the discovery of toxic algae, leaving 150 thousand people in #Basra without water, relying completely on polluted RO water—purchase price: $12-14 per 264 gallons and require 3 days wait time. #IraqProtests #البصرة_تستغيث
Exactly when does CBS, PBS, et al plan to cover the issue in Basra with regards to the water?
Ever?
The following community sites -- plus Cindy Sheehan and PACIFICA EVENING NEWS -- updated:
That racist John McCain
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