Libya offers to pick up oil slack in case of war against Iran
Libya offers to pick up oil slack in case of war against Iran
(new-power.org)
The US, Israel, and the Gulf states are involved in a covert war against Iran and its close allies. The US and its allies have already imposed sanctions against Iran to weaken its economy. Israel has said it would be willing to act militarily against Iran. The current efforts to topple the Assad regime in Syria, an Iranian ally, is part of this effort. Claims that the US is interested in human rights are completely false. After all, the US and its proxies have been supporting the brutal crackdowns against the protests in Bahrain. The US has also been bankrolling the genocide against the Palestinian people for decades. The US, Israel, and the Gulf states worry that Iran is emerging as a regional power capable of interfering with their interests. As the US prepares for war against Iran, the oil markets will be threatened. In the event of a war, Iran has the power to disrupt oil traffic in the Straight of Harmoz, which sees 20 percent of the world’s oil in danger. Oil prices could double. (1) This could drastically hurt the global capitalist economy, which is already in a state of recession and crisis. Recently, the new Libyan regime, along with Saudi Arabia, have stated that they can increase production in order to help the global economy in such a scenario. (2)
When the West began its campaign to topple the Gaddafi regime in Libya, many so-called leftists , “radicals,” and social-democrats, and other revisionists ran to cheer the effort. They cheered the US-supported regime changes, “color revolutions,” worldwide. Their regime in Libya is now in the pocket of the US and other Western imperialists, actively supporting the war against Syria and Iran. These social imperialists need to be held accountable for their acts. Just because someone claims to be a leftist, anarchist, socialist, or communist does not make them on the side of the global masses. Just because someone uses a Marx or Mao-flavored rhetoric does not make them an ally of the people. Revisionism is very real.
Notes
1. http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/rick-newman/2012/03/21/how-a-war-with-iran-would-cause-7-gas
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkfdWJ1U9Ic&list=UUpwvZwUam-URkxB7g4USKpg&index=6&feature=plcp
In the middle of a recession, Americans continue to spend
In the middle of a recession, Americans continue to spend
(new-power.org)
The holiday season is the biggest quarter for retail businesses. There were fears this season that sales would worsen due to the economic slump. The numbers are in. Even though the global economy, including the US economy, is in a slump, Americans still managed to spend substantially this Christmas. Amid fears and the economic downturn, there was a record-setting Black Friday. Retail sales were reported as “solid” over the holidays. Holiday spending was up 4.1 percent overall. Americans spending for the 2011 season reached 521 billion dollars, beating expectations. There are many store closings, but this is more a result of Americans going online than a result of Americans not spending at all. According to the Wall Street Journal, the last week of the holiday season ended on an up note. Online sales increased 16% this year from last year for the final week of the holiday season. Online spending over holidays was the highest ever with Americans purchasing 35.3 billion dollars online. According to the Federal Reserve, the US economy shows signs of continuing, but sluggish growth:
“‘Compared with prior summaries, the reports on balance suggest ongoing improvement in economic conditions in recent months, with most districts highlighting more favorable conditions than indentified in reports from the late spring through early fall,’ it said.
Consumer spending — a key driver of the economy — picked up in most districts and reflected ‘significant gains’ in holiday retail sales compared with last year’s season, the Fed said.
Travel and tourism expanded broadly and demand continued to strengthen for nonfinancial services, including professional and transportation services.
Manufacturing, the sector that led the recovery from the end of the recession in June 2009, continued to expand but at a slower pace in areas such as technology products.
Activity in the depressed housing market remained ‘sluggish,’ but there were a few signs of improvement in ‘somewhat soft overall’ commercial real-estate markets.
The Fed, whose dual mandate is price stability and maximum employment, said its latest summary of economic conditions showed ‘very limited’ upward price pressures and price increases.
Inflation remained subdued amid the tepid economic growth that has left producers reluctant to pass through rising wholesale costs.”
This drives home the difference between the First and Third Worlds. When a recession hits the Third World, people starve, as they now. The Third World is in a perpetual state of crisis. Radical progressive change is possible there because revolution is the hope of the hopeless. The recession this season in the United States barely affected spending habits. Some people on the margins suffer, but it is a big mistake to see the marginalized in the First World as a reliable, significant social base. They are not. Things have to get much worse in the First World before revolution can happen. Those in the First World have far more to lose than their chains.
For Chicken Little, the sky is always falling. The economy is always on the verge of collapse and fascism is always around the corner. The end of the world is always just around the corner. This kind of rhetoric is shared by the Occupy movement, the populist-fascists, and the First Worldist “left.” The reality is that the economy has been in crisis — although not bad enough to create anything like revolutionary conditions in the United States. It may continue to be in crisis, but it looks as though it may be stabilized or in recovery. The Occupy movement is a crossroads. Some of those roads lead to progressive, anti-imperialist, anti-militarist, green places. Some lead to Leading Light Communism. But most lead to First Worldist populism and fascism. Fascism is not simply something from on high, but also bubbles up from below. The crisis so far has brought a small number of people to anti-imperialism and Leading Light Communism, but it, no doubt, brought many more toward fascism and social fascism. If a greater economic crisis occurs or if the current recession deepens, we can expect the polarization to continue. Most people will swing toward fascism and social fascism, a smaller number will swing in progressive directions. We must build the organization so that we can be ready. But we need to do so with steady, clear heads. Always put Leading Light Communism, revolutionary science, front and center.
Sources
1. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/2….E7BR0YN20111228
2. http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111228-705301.html
3. http://247wallst.com/2011/12/28/2011-bri….commerce-sales/
4. http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=Pages&sp_id=1234
5. http://money.cnn.com/2011/11/29/pf/holiday_sales/index.htm
6. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hVkxACi-dNis_YfB502qJqp6RfMA?docId=CNG.460043c1b742ef8b12033b19a574267a.331
7. http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/28/comscore-u-s-online-holiday-spending-up-15-to-record-35-3-billion/
8. http://gantdaily.com/2012/01/13/holiday-spending-up-4-1-percent/
9. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/u-s-holiday-spending-strong-175521.html
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