Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images The world’s 26 richest people now own as much as poorest 50%. It creates huge problems, misery and conflicts. And it is caused by the West’s version of capitalism and is neither sustainable nor morally defensible, says Jan Oberg. By Oxfam 21 January 2019 Billionaire fortunes increased by 12 percent […]
By Jan Oberg December 10, 2018 Today the Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 70. All reason to celebrate. Without the norms embedded in this extremely important document, humankind would be much worse off. Because normativity is important even though it is only words. It enables us to make those who violate human rights accountable. […]
By Jonathan Power November 20, 2018 Finally, finally, the over-long, ten year trials of the leaders of the murderous Khmer Rouge leadership of Cambodia, are over. The two defendants, Nuon Chea, and Khieu Samphan, were each given a life sentence at the end of the first trial in August 2015 for crimes against humanity. […]
By Jan Oberg It’s high time for EU and NATO allies to develop a different policy on Iran. It must not only disagree diplomatically with the unethical and international law-violating U.S. primary and secondary sanctions. It must represent an alternative that clearly isolates the U.S. But do we see any signs that they are able […]
Citizens of Isfahan enjoying life. It is their lives the US destroy – knowingly • Photo © Jan Oberg By Jan Oberg September 26, 2018 Conversation with Iran’s PressTV about the sanctions on Iran, oil prices and President Trump’s speech at the UN General Assembly. And why the rest of the world should wake […]
Utterly destructive, self-defeating and spelling the end of the U.S. Empire By Farhang Jahanpour September 22, 2018 In view of the macro-historical perspective on the Middle East-West relations and the concrete cases referred to in this series – Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria – it is clear that the demonization of Middle Eastern […]
By Farhang Jahanpour September 20, 2018 1. An ally in warfare and torture Although the tragic events in Syria are too close to us to pass a definitive judgement about what has happened there and we need some perspective before we can make any definitive statements, nevertheless, some of the outlines of […]
By Farhang Jahanpour September 20, 2018 On 20 March 2018, the former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was taken into police custody in Paris to be questioned over allegations that he received millions of Euros in illegal funding from Qadhafi for his presidential campaign. Investigators were examining claims that Qadhafi’s regime secretly gave […]
By Farhang Jahanpour September 18, 2018 1. Some omitted facts and perspectives Prior to the Iraq war, the only thing that one heard on most Western channels about that country was Saddam Hussein and his alleged chemical and nuclear weapons. Saddam Hussein became synonymous with Iraq. Nothing was said of Iraq’s long […]
By Farhang Jahanpour September 18, 2018 1. The Carter Doctrine, Brzezinski and the Stinger missiles After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Day 1979, President Jimmy Carter issued his Carter Declaration, stating that the Persian Gulf was part of America’s vital interest and America would defend it by all means possible. […]
