OLIGARCHS CONSOLIDATE POWER IN WESTERN UKRAINE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS — MAY PASS LAWS TO MAKE EAST UKRAINIANS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS

October 31, 2014 by concisepolitics

OLIGARCHS CONSOLIDATE POWER IN WESTERN UKRAINE IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS — MAY PASS LAWS TO MAKE EAST UKRAINIANS SECOND CLASS CITIZENS

“Oligarchs Consolidate Power in Ukraine after Parliamentary Elections” Interview Dr. Ivan Katchanovski by Anton Woronczuk on the The Real News Network October 31, 2014

Click for Video and text of Interview on The Real News Network

Dr. Ivan Katchanovski teaches at the School of Political Studies and the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa in Canada and author of “Cleft Countries: Regional Political Divisions and Cultures in Post-Soviet Ukraine and Moldova” and is coauthor of the “Historical Dictionary of Ukraine.”

ANTON WORONCZUK, TRNN PRODUCER: One year since protest waves and demonstrations known as the Euromaidan began in Ukraine. Since then 100s of protesters were murdered, some by snipers. Atrocities mainly in Eastern Ukraine left 3,700+ dead and created 1+ million refugees. Violence continues despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement in September 2014.

Western Ukraine parliamentary elections on October 26 were as expected pro-Western dominated twith a coalition to support Oligarch Petro Poroshenko and the People’s Front, led by current prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Rebel-controlled Eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk) will hold separate elections on November 2, with Russia saying they will support the outcome, while the Ukrainian central government in Kiev says that election violates the terms of the ceasefire.

WORONCZUK: USA MSM focused on the outcome of these Western Ukraine elections supporting the West. The current president, Petro Poroshenko, an oligarch called for these early parliamentary elections to purge members of the parliament that were connected to the former president, Yanukovych.

KATCHANOVSKI: Yes these elections purged out those against Poroshenko including the Communist Party was eliminated them from Western Ukrainian parliament.

WORONCZUK: All of the political parties that gained the most in the parliamentary elections, had not run in the previous election for Ukrainian Parliament. The Fatherland Party, led by, oligarch Yulia Tymoshenko, the first female prime minister of Ukraine, and leader of the Orange Revolution, lost 82 seats. What’s the significance of this?

KATCHANOVSKI: This is a major development in Ukraine, which is dominated by oligarchic parties, like the Fatherland Party, established by Tymoshenko, an oligarch since the 1990s. Poroshenko’s oligarchic party, represents the interests of Poroshenko and his friends. Political parties in Ukraine often change their orientation, ideology, communication, political alliances, and their views on many major issues, and even their names to gain in elections.

The Fatherland Party suffered a major split before the elections as associates of Tymoshenko split from Front Zmin Party led by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk who established a new Party called the People’s Front and won (22%) very big support in these elections, similar to Petro Poroshenko.

WORONCZUK: Most of these parties are dominated by oligarchs that relabel themselves and pop as a different party. Do these elections represent any significant change by the ruling oligarchs in the parliament?

KATCHANOVSKI: They basically consolidated control over the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian politics by a new set of political oligarchs. Besides Poroshenko, oligarchs like Ihor Kolomoyskyi, became governor of Dnipropetrovsk region and provided significant financial support to political parties which are now represented in the parliament — He now has various separatists representatives in the parliament appearing from different political parties. Individual rich businessmen or associated with oligarchs won election races. So this was a big victory for oligarchic political parties in Ukraine. The far-right Radical Party (old Svoboda) failed to enter the parliament.

WORONCZUK: Those far right wing parties, like Svoboda or the Right Sector, lost much of their influence. Svoboda just passed the necessary amount to be able to enter into parliament, and as I understand, Right Sector didn’t even make it into the parliament.

KATCHANOVSKI: Svoboda failed to enter the parliament because they received about 4% and 7% of national vote. But several of Svoboda members were elected to the parliament in majoritarian districts. And the same applies to the Right Sector. Right Sector received about 2% of the popular vote, but its leader, Yarosh, and some of its members were elected to the parliament in the regional districts — So they have representation in the Ukrainian parliament. The Radical Party, a combination of different ideologies has very strong far-right component and some members were elected to the parliament — Including a leader of neo-Nazi Social National Party of Ukraine.

WORONCZUK: Will these Far Right parties cooperate closely with Poroshenko and the People’s Front?

KATCHANOVSKI: It’s difficult to say now because Ukrainian politics is based on kind of closed door deals and not very transparent. Both Poroshenko and People’s Front said they would be open to Radical Party joining their coalition.

WORONCZUK: Do you see the new parliament as representing the interests of the Euromaidan protesters that Toppled the previous government?

KATCHANOVSKI: Most of the political parties which won the elections represent former opposition and former Maidan protesters — Including Poroshenko’s Bloc + Fatherland + People’s Front + Right Sector + Social National Assembly = Big victory for the Maidan forces. But this is NOT a very positive development in terms of politics as the opposition is very weak now, so the current government just consolidated its control over Ukrainian politics — Eliminated any possible challenges. Remember they came to power not as a result of democratic elections, but as a result of violent overthrow of the former democratically elected government of Yanukovych, which was corrupt and violated various human rights when dispersing protesters last year when the Euromaidan rebellion started.

KATCHANOVSKI: Evidence I collected and analyzed for my research shows this was a violent overthrow of the government and was achieved with help of Right Sector-Maidan oligarch combined opposition who organized the sniper massacres against police and demonstrators– Not as a result of peaceful protests.

Click for Part 2 of Video and text of Interview on The Real News Network

WORONCZUK: Other major issues facing Ukraine now are economic as it suffered a significant decline in standard of living the last two decades. The currency has collapsed in value, and the economy is shrinking. What economic policies are likely by the new parliament?

IVAN KATCHANOVSKI, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA: The new parliament will basically continue the old policies — Same economic members of government are likely to stay in their positions, perhaps with changes in their titles. They have created the economic crisis in Ukraine by promising a lot of benefits — politician corruption, of corruption, widespread corruption + EU promised Membership with promised economic growth for being pro-European — All to win popular support. But their policies provide the opposite results with declining industrial output in all sectors of the economy and a declining currency.

KATCHANOVSKI: Ukraine Economy is hurt by the major crisis in the East as Donbas, a major center of industrial production was the major area of Ukraine investment is now in decay. Ukraine faces not only declining production in terms of major sectors of the economy, but also an energy crisis — Making it hard to heat houses and apartments in the winter.

WORONCZUK: The ongoing rebellion continues centered in cities of Donetsk and Luhansk and elections are set in these rebel-controlled areas for November 2. And what do you expect the outcome to be?

KATCHANOVSKI: Likely the separatists will win in East Ukraine. The same issue as in West Ukraine is are the elections democratic, free, and fair. The major result of the East’s elections would be a recognition by the national government. The Russian government basically said they’re going to recognize such elections, and they supported such elections taking place.

West Ukrainian government said East’s elections would escalate the conflict, and resumption of the war. Most Donbas citizens did not participate in West Ukraine elections which took place on Sunday — only certain regions controlled by West Ukrainian forces participated — very real low turnout in Donbas.

Elections in Donbas are not going solve international recognition of these regions, but Russia will recognize election results. This is a de facto breakup of Ukraine while pretending to be a united country with control over large parts of Donbas by separatists, who do not recognize the West Ukrainian government — Similar situation to Moldova or Georgia, which means basically de facto breakup of country.

WORONCZUK: This conflict in mostly Eastern Ukraine Displace 1+ million Ukrainians — Half a million fled to Russia, and the rest displaced within Ukraine. Is there any policy that the parliament is putting forth to deal with this issue, this crisis?

KATCHANOVSKI: Mostly they are focused on Ukrainians displaced within Ukraine. They promised a lot of support in finding them housing, and providing money and other resources for people who move from Donbas to other regions of Ukraine. Fact is most displaced people in Ukraine receive very limited support in finding housing or jobs. Also, hey are perceived as political outsiders in the western Ukraine.

Western Ukraine Government is trying to introduce Registration on even academics who supported separatists or who had not moved to other regions of Ukraine — Repression against professors and so on who move to other areas of Ukraine. I see a lot of people who move from the Donbas to other regions of Ukraine that have a problem with finding a job — A law applied very broadly against displaced people for political reasons.

REVOLT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

October 31, 2014 by concisepolitics

REVOLT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

MIDDLE CLASS IS FED UP WITH EXTRACTION AND LOSS OF OPPORTUNITIES

MIDDLE CLASS = TIRED OF BEING TORTURED AND USED BY SUPER-RICH WHO OWN AND OPERATE OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR MEDIA!

Why aren’t the middle-classes staging a revolution? by Alex Proud, Telegraph (Thatcher Conservative NEWS) Sept 22 2014

Click for Source Article in Telegraph (Thatcher Conservatives are Catching ON)

REPUBLICAN SCAMS TRANSFER WEALTH TO THE SUPER-RICH

Why aren’t the middle classes revolting? Why aren’t we seeing scenes reminiscent of Paris in 1968? Moscow in 1917? Boston in 1773?

5,600 JOB LOST ON ROMNEY-STYLE SCAMS = Private Equity BC Partners LOADED UP Phones4U with £200m in DEBT = Then BC Partners paid themselves a £223m DIVIDEND BANKRUPTING THE Phones4U and it collapsed losing 5,600 JOBS. BC PARTNERS WALKED WAY WITH £20m in PURE FRAUD for THEIR PRIVATE EQUITY SCAMMING! EVEN the UK GOV was Stiffed of £90m in unpaid TAXES (VAT and PAYE). = You took a viable company, ran up ridiculous levels of debt, paid yourselves millions and then walked away, leaving unemployment and unpaid tax bills in your wake.

1987’s Wall Street MMOVIE = “Well, it’s not ideal, but really we need guys like him.”

If you’re part of the broad middle class, instead of shrugging and saying, “This is the world we live in” you should be in the streets, you should be calling for this sort of thing to be a jailable offense, and you should want to see these guys up in front of parliament (or, better yet, in stocks) explaining why they made around £3,500 for every person they put out of a job. The managing partner at BC Partners, should be ashamed to show his face in public and should be in PRISON for DESTROYING 5,600 FAMILIES LIVES making all of us POORER.

It’s just another example of people who “build and make nothing gutting businesses.

BC PARTNERS = Privatizing the profits and Socializing the losses = Makes us all poorer = All these guys care about is THEIR money — NOT society or JOBS.

This sort of utterly amoral screw-everyone capitalism has become much more prevalent in the last 15 years among the CRIMINAL financial elitists = Totally out of control. They learned from the crisis that the rest of us are so stupid to let them do THIS SCAM AGAIN and AGAIN destroying the middle classes for PERSONAL GAIIN.

THESE SCAMS have their roots in the early 80s with Reagan and Thatcher set a deregulatory train in motion that dismantled the legal framework that protected us from greedy scuzzballs.

1980s the middle classes went along with DEREGULATION SCAMS because we said “we were sick of the Left, tired of powerful unions” and we forgot about the inequality SCAMS of the 1920s that gave rise to regulations in the first place. + We thought the elitists had our interests at heart and would TRICKLE DOWN on 99.9%. The 0.1% must have found this pretty cute, as they knew the truth that they care nothing about SOCIETY or others and love the financial MIDDLE CLASS blood-letting.

MIDDLE CLASS = We had plenty of other distractions too. Booming house prices meant we felt rich while our incomes stagnated. Ditto easy credit and cheap consumer goods.

SUPER-RICH = Much more DEVIOUS and CLEVER than they once were with an army of people doing PR for them in various guises to COVERUP the SUPERRICH asset stripping of the world while pretending this is for everyone’s benefit. = A swarm of financial locusts have already DESTROYED MUCH of the middle middle classes and now they are after THE REST OF US = Jacking up your mortgage + Asset-stripping + Privatizing GOV service you rely on + Selling publicly-owned Assets used to OVERCHARGE MIDDLE CLASS.

SUPER-RICH = Won’t think twice. In fact, they won’t even think once. If they could figure out a way to sell your body from under you, they would. Then they’d get some business school shill to write an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal about how this was inevitable – and how, really, you should be grateful.

SUPER-RICH = Have duped and screwed MIDDLE CLASS as “useful idiots” since 1980s.

MIDDLE CLASS REVOLT? It takes a long time to undo ALL THE GOOD that was done between the 1930s Reforms and the 1980. Plus we have plenty of entertaining distractions, but young people noticed that all those Facebook likes cannot buy a decent house. Sure INEQUALITY IS NOW AT 1920s HIGHS but still living standards are still OK except for the 50% living at or IN POVERTY in USA. Sure American YOUTH are BURDENED WITH STUDENT DEBTS their PARENTS MUST HELP PAY.

Troksky said “all revolutions were impossible until they became inevitable,” and we’re in that position right now. Everyone keeps telling us that FINANCIAL SCAMS causing losses of 5,600 JOBS are just the way things are so NO PAY RAISE this year. You’re used to it. But Paul Farrell of MarketWatch says 2017 may be the point when the middle classes really does snap.

Occupy Wall Street was the first sign of this rebellion. A howl of anguish from those who feel the SUPER-RICH FINANCIAL CLASS ARE NOTHING BUT SCAMMERS with UNWARRANTED AND UNEARNED WEALTH. There were many nice, well-educated, well-spoken people in OCCUPY who were angry enough to sleep on the GROUND in PROTEST. So some of the MIDDLE CLASS have already REVOLTED and MORE ARE READY to SOON as they see the LACK OF FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES for so many even NOW in places like St Louise and Chicago.

MIDDLE CLASS REVOLT = Start identifying downwards, rather than upwards that is when elitists really need to start watching their backs = Especially ROMNEY-STYLE FINANCIAL SCAMMERS.

PRIVATE EQUITY = SCAMS like Phones4U speeds up the 2017 timeline as The 0.1% have abandoned any sense of restraint and NO enlightened self-interest; it’s all naked self-interest. They want everything, they want it now and they want from it from you.

The next time will MAKE OCCUPY WALL STREET look like a small DINNER PARTY as WORK STOPPAGES and MASS ANGER SHOW UP everywhere. People on ordinary incomes won’t be hiding their homes, they’ll be joining in or at least cheering from the sidelines.

Boy, ya gotta hand it to the superrich. When they want to distract, they are masters.

I hope we can rebalance our society before this has to happen, but I rather fear we’ve passed that point.

14 CHARACTERISTICS OF CORPORATE FASCISM = MET BY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM AND AGENDA

October 31, 2014 by concisepolitics

14 CHARACTERISTICS OF CORPORATE FASCISM = MET BY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM AND AGENDA

Vote for anyone but the Republican Party = Fascists these days.

Here are the ’14 defining characteristics of fascism’:

As you can GOP is already Fascist. This cannot be allowed in America. Stomp it out, now….,!

14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism by Dr. Lawrence Britt

Click for Source Article by Dr. Lawrence Britt

1. Nationalism = Constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, flags, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Used on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for Human Rights – Use MSM fear-mongering of artificially demonized enemies to rob peoples’ freedoms using the Corporate Security State. = Fear to gain approval of torture, executions, assassinations, indefinite incarcerations of prisoners without charge.

3. FGOV-MSM Demonize Arificial Enemies/Scapegoats as a People Rallying, Unifying, Patriotic, Frenzied Cause to DESTROY THE FAKED ENEMY = TRANSFERS $TRILLIONS in middle class wealth to the Super-Rich War-Mongering Profiteers. Use Racial , Ethnic, Religious, Political FEAR MONGERING.

4. Supremacy of the Military – $TRILLIONS in middle class spending on Faked Wars with funding of all sides simply to ROB the middle class and DOMINATE AND EXPLOIT NEW LAND AND POPULATIONS. Military robs $Trillions from solving widespread domestic problems. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Sexism – Government almost exclusively male-dominated using rigid traditional gender roles — Fight abortion, homosexuality, women issues are demonized or suppressed — State as ultimate guardian of family institution.

6. Corporate-GOV Controlled Mass Media – Suppression of Journalists as media is directly controlled by a Corporate-Government Partnership. Censorship of Media to only topics and views approved by corporate-GOV partnership. Hiring of Corporate-Gov sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Use of MSM and faked poles as propaganda tools.

7. Excessive Obsession with National Security – Fear-Mongering Demonization of Artificial Enemies used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Corporations-Religion-Government are Intertwined – Use the most common religion and its symbols as a tool to manipulate public opinion –spouted on the MSM to demonize others and isolate entire groups of Citizens. “THE OTHERS” is also used to motivate wars on innocent peoples — Violating democratic principles.

9. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial-business Aristocracy use bribery and $Billions to put GOV leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite that results in $Trillions on Corporate welfare.

10. Suppression of People and Labor Power the only real threat to a fascist government — Labor unions are either eliminated, or severely suppressed.

11. Belittling of Intellectuals and the Arts – Open hostility to higher education, and academia. Censoring of FREE EXPRESSION in media. Media and professors are even arrested for telling the TRUTH. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Low-Level Crime and Punishment – A police-state for the 99% as POLICE are given almost limitless power to enforce of laws — Willing overlook of police abuses as they ignore civil liberties in the name of Corporate-Patriotism. The police force is run NATIONALLY in the name of homeland security with virtually unlimited Police Power. Use of Military equipment against Nation’s Citizens.

13. Rampant Corporate Cronyism and Corruption – Regimes are governed by a small group of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. White-Collar Criminals are NEVER prosecuted. Corporate-Fascist regimes transfer and robs most national resources and treasuries to Super-Rich who bought government leaders. Bailout of Super-Rich Criminals for illegal actions by the Middle Class is common. Losses of Super-Rich are paid by the Middle Class.

14. Fraudulent Elections – Super-Rich buy limitations to prevent women or minotity groups from voting using poll taxes and related methods based on false premises. Eventually elections in fascist nations become a complete sham. Super-Rich use Massing MSM propaganda to manipulate using smear campaigns to influence public’s votes. In advanced fascism even assassination of opposition candidates is used. Gerrymandering is used to insure CRONIES maintain office. MSM propaganda manipulates PUBLIC VOTING using LIES and FEAR-MONGERING. In some cases, like USA in 2000 and 2004 people like Rove actually modify the final vote tallies to keep their Cronies in power.