Hillary Is the Candidate of the War Machine diz Jeffrey Sachs

Hillary Is the Candidate of the War Machine

Jeffrey Sachs é  professor na Universidade de Columbia nos USA e se fez conhecido como economista que associa economia com a pobreza – o se livro O Fim da Pobreza – tem estudado as formas de controle da AIDS e o cancelamento da dívida dos países pobres. Tem clara preocupação ecológica e dirige o Instituto da Terra da universidade. Desvela quem é Hillary Clinton, suas vinculações com o aparato econômico-militar e a facilidade com que recorre aos meios da guerra para resolver questões políticas. Como poderá ser presidente dos USA é bom sabermos as críticas de um acadêmico reconhecdo por sua seriedade, para não sermos pegos de surpresa. LBoff

02/05/2016 11:25 am ET | Updated 2 days ago

JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images

There’s no doubt that Hillary is the candidate of Wall Street. Even more dangerous, though, is that she is the candidate of the military-industrial complex. The idea that she is bad on the corporate issues but good on national security has it wrong. Her so-called foreign policy “experience” has been to support every war demanded by the US deep security state run by the military and the CIA.

Hillary and Bill Clinton’s close relations with Wall Street helped to stoke two financial bubbles (1999-2000 and 2005-8) and the Great Recession that followed Lehman’s collapse. In the 1990s they pushed financial deregulation for their campaign backers that in turn let loose the worst demons of financial manipulation, toxic assets, financial fraud, and eventually collapse. In the process they won elections and got mighty rich.

Yet Hillary’s connections with the military-industrial complex are also alarming. It is often believed that the Republicans are the neocons and the Democrats act as restraints on the warmongering. This is not correct. Both parties are divided between neocon hawks and cautious realists who don’t want the US in unending war. Hillary is a staunch neocon whose record of favoring American war adventures explains much of our current security danger.

Just as the last Clinton presidency set the stage for financial collapse, it also set the stage for unending war. On October 31, 1998 President Clinton signed the Iraq Liberation Act that made it official US policy to support “regime change” in Iraq.

It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.

Thus were laid the foundations for the Iraq War in 2003.

Of course, by 2003, Hillary was a Senator and a staunch supporter of the Iraq War, which has cost the US trillions of dollars, thousands of lives, and done more to create ISIS and Middle East instability than any other single decision of modern foreign policy. In defending her vote, Hillary parroted the phony propaganda of the CIA:

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members… “

After the Iraq Liberation Act came the 1999 Kosovo War, in which Bill Clinton called in NATO to bomb Belgrade, in the heart of Europe, and unleashing another decade of unrest in the Balkans. Hillary, traveling in Africa, called Bill: “I urged him to bomb,” she told reporter Lucinda Frank.

Hillary’s record as Secretary of State is among the most militaristic, and disastrous, of modern US history. Some experience. Hilary was a staunch defender of the military-industrial-intelligence complex at every turn, helping to spread the Iraq mayhem over a swath of violence that now stretches from Mali to Afghanistan. Two disasters loom largest: Libya and Syria.

Hillary has been much attacked for the deaths of US diplomats in Benghazi, but her tireless promotion of the overthrow Muammar Qaddafi by NATO bombing is the far graver disaster. Hillary strongly promoted NATO-led regime change in Libya, not only in violation of international law but counter to the most basic good judgment. After the NATO bombing, Libya descended into civil war while the paramilitaries and unsecured arms stashes in Libya quickly spread west across the African Sahel and east to Syria. The Libyan disaster has spawned war in Mali, fed weapons to Boko Haram in Nigeria, and fueled ISIS in Syria and Iraq. In the meantime, Hillary found it hilarious to declare of Qaddafi: “We came, we saw, he died.”

Perhaps the crowning disaster of this long list of disasters has been Hillary’s relentless promotion of CIA-led regime change in Syria. Once again Hillary bought into the CIA propaganda that regime change to remove Bashir al-Assad would be quick, costless, and surely successful. In August 2011, Hillary led the US into disaster with her declaration Assad must “get out of the way,” backed by secret CIA operations.

Five years later, no place on the planet is more ravaged by unending war, and no place poses a great threat to US security. More than 10 million Syrians are displaced, and the refugees are drowning in the Mediterranean or undermining the political stability of Greece, Turkey, and the European Union. Into the chaos created by the secret CIA-Saudi operations to overthrow Assad, ISIS has filled the vacuum, and has used Syria as the base for worldwide terrorist attacks.

The list of her incompetence and warmongering goes on. Hillary’s support at every turn for NATO expansion, including even into Ukraine and Georgia against all common sense, was a trip wire that violated the post-Cold War settlement in Europe in 1991 and that led to Russia’s violent counter-reactions in both Georgia and Ukraine. As Senator in 2008, Hilary co-sponsored 2008-SR439, to include Ukraine and Georgia in NATO. As Secretary of State, she then presided over the restart of the Cold War with Russia.

It is hard to know the roots of this record of disaster. Is it chronically bad judgment? Is it her preternatural faith in the lying machine of the CIA? Is it a repeated attempt to show that as a Democrat she would be more hawkish than the Republicans? Is it to satisfy her hardline campaign financiers? Who knows? Maybe it’s all of the above. But whatever the reasons, hers is a record of disaster. Perhaps more than any other person, Hillary can lay claim to having stoked the violence that stretches from West Africa to Central Asia and that threatens US security.

DOBBIAMO FARE PONTI NELLA VITA E NELLA POLITICA

Costatiamo che oggi in Brasile esistono gravi lacerazioni tra persona e persona per ragioni politico-partitiche. C’è gente che ha smesso di partecipare alla cena di Natale per divergenze politiche: chi per le critiche al partito che sta al potere, per le bugie seminate in campagna elettorale; chi per la sfacciata corruzione attribuita a settori importanti del PT. Alcuni sono accaniti difensori dell’impeachment della Presidentessa Dilma Rousseff, altri non considerano le notissime “pedaladas” sufficienti per toglierla dalla più alta carica della Repubblica, ottenuta col voto della maggioranza del popolo. Ammettiamo: il resoconto scorretto è un peccato, ma è solo un peccato veniale, commesso senza cattiva intenzione. Per un peccato veniale, in una sana teologia, nessuno è condannato all’inferno. Al massimo, passerà un po’ di tempo nella clinica purificatrice di Dio che è il purgatorio. E questo non è l’anticamera dell’inferno, ma la sala d’aspetto del cielo.

Lasciamo stare queste contraddizioni. Il fatto è che esistono realmente nella società una grande rabbia, intolleranza razziale e politica, discussioni acide e tante parole pesanti, che i bambini non dovrebbero nemmeno sentire. In particolare, su Internet è stata aperta una porta, dove passa qualsiasi tipo di ingiuria. Alcuni imbalsamati da anni, credono che c’è ancora la guerra fredda. Chiamare uno comunista, è ancora un’offesa. Hanno scordato che l’impero sovietico è caduto e il muro di Berlino è andato in pezzi nel 1989.

I ponti che collegavano gli spazi sociali, differenti, ma accettati e rispettati sono logori o distrutti. Una società non può sopravvivere in buona salute, osservando il suo tessuto sociale dilacerato. Qui c’è rischio di radicalismo di destra (dittature come quella militare) o di sinistra (come il socialismo sovietico totalitario). Più che montare ragionamenti teorici, penso che la storia potrebbe darci delle buone lezioni e convincerci sulla verità delle cose. Racconterò una storia che io ho sentito molto tempo fa. Ha un certo potere di convinzione. Eccola.

Due fratelli vivevano d’amore e d’accordo in due fazende vicine: discreta produzione di granaglie, qualche capo di bestiame e suini allevati secondo protocolli. Un giorno ebbero una discussione. Niente di trascendentale: una giovane vacca del fratello più piccolo si staccò dal branco e mangiò un bel pezzo di granturco dell’altro fratello più vecchio. Alzarono la voce, con un certo risentimento. Pareva che la cosa fosse conclusa. Ma non fu proprio così. Tutt’a un tratto non si parlavano più. Evitavano d’incontrarsi in bottega o per strada. Come sconosciuti.

Ma ecco che un bel giorno un carpentiere apparve nella fazenda del fratello maggiore. Cercava lavoro. Il fazendeiro lo squadrò da cima a fondo e, un po’ a fatica, gli disse: “Vedi quel ruscello laggiù? È il confine tra la mia fazenda e quella di mio fratello. Prendi il legname dentro al granaio e fa una recinzione bella alta. Non voglio essere costretto a vedere né mio fratello né la sua fazenda. Così me ne starò in pace.

Il carpentiere prese gli attrezzi e andò a fare il suo lavoro. Nel frattempo, il fratello che gli aveva chiesto il servizio andò in città per affari.

Quando tornò alla fazenda, già verso sera, rimase esterrefatto per il lavoro del carpentiere, che non aveva fatto nessuna recinzione, ma un ponte sul ruscello, mettendo in comunicazione le due fazende. E ecco, in quel mentre, arriva l’altro fratello che passava sul ponte e gli dice: ”Fratello mio, dopo tutto quello che è avvenuto tra noi, faccio fatica a credere che hai fatto fare questo ponte solo per incontrati con me. Hai ragione, era ora di finirla con i nostri contrasti. Fratello mio, abbracciami. E si abbracciarono con effusione e si riconcilarono. Fratello ritrovò fratello.

E videro che il carpentiere se ne stava andando via, gli gridarono: “Ehi, carpentiere non andar via, rimani qui con noi qualche giorno. Tu ci hai portato tanta gioia”. Ma il carpentiere rispose: “Non posso fermarmi. Ho altri ponti da fare in giro per il mondo. C’è tanta gente che ha bisogno di riconciliarsi”. E continuò a camminare, serenamente, finché non scompave alla curva della via.

Il mondo, il nostro paese, hanno bisogno di ponti e di persone-carpentieri che generosamente relativizzino i contrasti e costruiscano ponti perché noi possiamo convivere oltre i conflitti e le differenze inerenti alla finitudine umana. Abbiamo qualcosa da imparare e reimparare a trattarci da fratelli.

Questo è forse l’imperativo etico e umanitario più urgente nell’attuale momento storico.

*
Leonardo Boff, teologo, scrittore e columnist del JB on line

Traduzione di Romano Baraglia e Arato Lidia

Necesitamos construir puentes en la vida y en la política

En Brasil constatamos hoy una seria división entre las personas por razones político-partidistas. Hubo gente que dejó de participar en la confraternización de Navidad debido a divergencias políticas: unos por críticas al partido que está en el poder por haber mentido en la campaña; otras a causa de la excesiva corrupción atribuida a grupos importantes del PT. Unos son férreos defensores del impeachment a la Presidenta Dilma Rousseff. Otros no consideran las famosas “pedaladas” razón suficiente para sacarla del cargo más alto de la República, conquistado con el voto de la mayoría de la población. Admitamos que las pedaladas sean un pecado, pero son solo pecado venial, cometido sin mala intención. Por un pecado venial, en sana teología, nadie es condenado al infierno. A lo máximo pasa un tiempo en la clínica purificadora de Dios que es el purgatorio. Este no es la antesala del infierno sino la antesala del cielo.

Ignoremos estas contradicciones. El hecho es que indudablemente existe en la sociedad gran irritación, intolerancia racial, discusiones ácidas y muchas palabras fuertes que los niños no deberían ni siquiera oír. Especialmente internet ha abierto la puerta por donde pasa todo tipo de ofensa. Algunos han quedado anclados en el pasado y se imaginan todavía en la guerra fría. Llamar al otro comunista es una ofensa. Olvidan que el imperio soviético se derrumbó y el muro de muro de Berlín cayó en 1989.

Los puentes de los espacios sociales, diferentes, pero aceptados y respetados han sido averiados o destruidos. Una sociedad no puede sobrevivir sanamente viendo que su tejido social se está desgarrando. Ahí existe el peligro de los radicalismos de derecha (dictaduras como la de los militares) o de izquierda (como el socialismo soviético totalitario).

Más que hacer muchas argumentaciones teóricas, estimo que las historias pueden darnos buenas lecciones y convencernos de la verdad de las cosas. Voy a contar una historia que oí hace mucho tiempo y que tiene una fuerza de convicción efectiva. Aquí está:

Dos hermanos vivían en buena armonía en dos granjas vecinas. Tenían una buena producción de granos, algunas cabezas de ganado y cerdos bien cuidados.

Cierto día tuvieron una pequeña discusión. Las razones no tenían mayor importancia: una vaquilla del hermano menor se había escapado y había comido un buen trozo del maizal del hermano mayor. Discutieron con cierta irritación. La cosa parecía haberse quedado ahí.
Pero no fue así. De repente, ya no se hablaban. Evitaban encontrarse en la bodega o por el camino. Se hacían los desconocidos.

Un buen día, apareció en la granja del hermano mayor un carpintero pidiendo trabajo. El granjero lo miró de arriba abajo y, con un poco de pena, le dijo: “¿Ve aquel riachuelo que corre por allá abajo? Es la división entre mi granja y la de mi hermano. Con toda esa leña que hay en la leñera construya una cerca bien alta, para que no me vea obligado a ver a mi hermano ni su granja. Así estaré en paz”.
El carpintero aceptó el servicio, tomo las herramientas, y se puso a trabajar. Mientras tanto, el hermano mayor se fue a la ciudad a resolver algunos asuntos.

Cuando al caer la tarde volvió a la granja, al caer la tarde, quedo horrorizado con lo que vio. El carpintero no había hecho una cerca, sino un puente que pasaba por encima del río y unía las dos granjas.

Y hete aquí que pasando por el puente venía su hermano, menor diciendo: “Hermano, después de todo que pasó entre nosotros, me cuesta creer que usted haya hecho ese puente solo para encontrarse conmigo. Tiene usted razón, es hora de acabar con nuestra desavenencia. ¡Un abrazo, hermano!”.

Y se abrazaron efusivamente y se reconciliaron. El hermano encontró al otro hermano.

De pronto vieron que el carpintero se estaba marchando. Y le gritaron: “Eh, carpintero, no se vaya usted, quédese unos días con nosotros… nos ha traído tanta alegría…”

Pero el carpintero respondió: “No puedo, hay otros puentes que construir por el mundo. Hay muchos todavía que necesitan reconciliarse”. Y se fue caminando tranquilamente hasta desaparecer en la curva del camino.

Nuestro país  y en general nuestro mundo necesitan puentes y personas-carpintero que generosamente relativizan los desacuerdos y construyen puentes para que podamos vivir por encima de los conflictos y diferencias inherentes a la incompletitud humana. Tenemos que aprender y reaprender siempre a tratarnos fraternalmente.

Tal vez sea este uno de los imperativos éticos y humanitarios más urgentes en el actual momento histórico.

*Leonardo Boff es teólogo, filósofo y articulista del JB online.
Traducción de MJ Gavito Milano

We need to build bridges between life and politics

We see today in Brazil a serious division among people for reasons of political party. There were those who stopped participating in the community celebrations of the Nativity due to divergent politics: some becuse of criticisms of the party in power for having lied in the electoral campaign; others due to the excessive corruption attributed to important groups of the Labor Party, PT. Some are strong defenders of impeaching President Dilma Rousseff. Others do not consider the famous “pedaladas” (pedal pushers) a sufficient reason to remove her from the highest position of the Republic, won by the vote of the majority of the people. Let us agree that the “pedaladas” are sinful, but it is only a venial sin, committed without ill intention. For a venial sin, in good theology, no one is condemned to hell. At worst, they spend some time in God’s purifying clinic, the purgatory. Purgatory is not hell’s lobby, but the lobby of heaven.

Let’s ignore these contradictions. The fact is that without doubt, there exists in society great irritation, racial intolerance, acid discussions and many strong words that children should never hear. Especially the Internet has opened the door through which all kinds of offenses pass. Some people remain anchored in the past and still think about the cold war. To call someone a communist is an insult. They forgot that the Soviet Empire collapsed and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

The bridges between social spaces, different, but accepted and respected, have been damaged or destroyed. A healthy society cannot survive while its social network is being tore down. That is where the danger lies in the radicalism of the right (dictatorship such as those of the military) or of the left (as the totalitarian Soviet Socialism).

More than theoretical arguments, I believe that history can provide good lessons and convince us of the truth of things. I will relate a story that I heard long time ago and that has a strong effective conviction. Here it is:

Two brothers lived in good harmony in two farms that were closer to each other. They had good grain production, some head of cattle and well cared for pigs.

One day they had a small argument. The reasons were not that important: a calf from the younger brother had strayed and eaten a good part of the cornfield of the older brother. They discussed it with some irritation. Matters appeared to had rested there.

But it was not so. Suddenly, they did not speak to each other. They avoided seeing each other in the store or on the road. They behaved as if hey did not know each other.

One day a carpenter looking for a job appeared in the farm of the older brother. The farmer looked at him up and down and, with some sadness, he told the carpenter: “See that brook that flows down there? Is the division between my farm and the farm of my brother. With all the wood there is in that wood pile build a very high fence, so that I may not be forced to see my brother or his farm again. That way I will have peace”.

The carpenter accepted the job, took the tools and went to work. Meanwhile, the older brother went to the city to take care of some business.

When he returned to the farm, late that day, he was horrified by what he saw. The carpenter had not built a fence, but a bridge over the brook that united the two farms.

And he saw there walking by the bridge the younger brother who was coming saying: “Brother, after all that had happened between us, it is hard for me to believe that you have made that bridge just to find me. You are right, it is time to end our disagreement. Let’s embrace, brother!

And they embraced each other effusively and reconciled. The brother found his other brother..

Suddenly they saw that the carpenter was leaving. And they called him: “Hey, carpenter! Please do not leave. Stay with us for a few days… You have brought to us so much happiness…”

But the carpenter answered: “I can’t stay; there are other bridges to build throughout the world. There are still too many that need to reconcile with each other”. And the carpenter went away calmly walking until he disappeared in the distant curve of the path.

The world and our country need bridges and people-carpenters who generously would help solve the disagreements and build bridges so that we may rise above the conflicts and differences inherent in the unfinished humanity. We must always learn and relearn to teach each other fraternally, as brother and sisters.

Perhaps this is one of the most urgent ethical and humanitarian imperatives in the present historical moment.
Leonardo Boff is ecotheologian and writer

Free translation from the Spanish by
Servicios Koinonia, http://www.servicioskoinonia.org.
Done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.