Der FDP-Spitzenkandidat zur Europawahl, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, hat Kritik an den Verhandlungen der EU mit den USA über ein Freihandels- und Investitionsschutzabkommen (TTIP) als haltlos und gefährlich zurückgewiesen. Kritiker befürchten, mit dem Abkommen würden EU-Standards für Gesundheits- und Umweltschutz untergraben.

Mehr lesen: Finanzen.net

Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association, and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policymaking is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.

Read full report: Martin Gilens (Princeton University) & Benjamin I. Page (Northwestern University)

In the present confrontation between Russia and the West over the Ukrainian crisis, the image of the Cold War inevitably comes to mind and the media are obviously fond of it. However, contrary to what it gives us to understand, it’s not Russia that seeks the return of an iron curtain but really the US. An iron curtain separating the old powers and emerging nations; the world before and the world afterwards; debtors and creditors. And this in the crazy hope of preserving the American way of life and the US’ influence over “its” camp in the absence of being able to impose it on the whole world. In other words, go down with as many companions as possible to give the impression of not sinking.

Read more: GEAB - LEAP/E2020

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has ringed Russia with military bases, nuclear warplanes and missiles as part of its Nato enlargement project. Reneging on the Reagan administration's promise to the Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 that Nato would not expand "one inch to the east", Nato has all but taken over eastern Europe. In the former Soviet Caucasus, Nato's military build-up is the most extensive since the second world war. In February, the US mounted one of its proxy "colour" coups against the elected government of Ukraine; the shock troops were fascists. For the first time since 1945, a pro-Nazi, openly antisemitic party controls key areas of state power in a European capital. No western European leader has condemned this revival of fascism on the border of Russia.

Read more: The Guardian

The deal, clinched after a dramatic extended meeting in Geneva, calls for the disarming of all illegal groups. In the next few days they would have to vacate all the government buildings and public spaces they have occupied over the course of the crisis.

Read more: The Guardian

Russia is rolling out two major projects – a gas pipeline and a Crimea deep water port – with China, as EU countries and the US weigh options on economic sanctions. Russia’s ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, told EUobserver on Wednesday (16 April) that work on the “Power of Siberia” pipeline and the Chinese construction of a 25-metre-deep port in Crimea are proceeding as normal despite the Ukraine crisis.

Read more: EUObserver

“Es por el bien del país, quitar la visa significaría que quién sabe cuánta gente equis llegue a Europa y nos haga quedar como un zapato”, afirmó su promotora, Leonor Sanz de Santamaría. ”Si con visa a diario agarran apartamenteros colombianos en Madrid, ¿se imaginan cómo será si la quitan?, ¡el acabose!” Añadió Lorenzo Martínez, uno de los encargados de coordinar la recolección de firmas.

Actualidad Panamericana

L'OTAN ce sont nos soldats, France: état des lieux des forces militaires en présence, Allemagne: Bundestag schickt Soldaten in die Ukraine, mais pas la Grande Bretagne! (Downing Street plays down announcement, saying Britain had not “committed” itself yet to the exercises) Nous citoyens, n'avons-nous rien à dire quand nos gouvernants décident d'envoyer nos armées?

Newropeans-Magazine

Polish media outlet Nie has published a bombshell account about direct Polish involvement in Ukraine’s destabilization. Its source alleges that the Polish Foreign Ministry had invited Ukrainian militants into the country and trained them outside of Warsaw in September 2013. Considering the destructive actions and fatalities they would later be responsible for during the EuroMaidan riots, such a connection would directly link Warsaw to the pandemonium. It would also implicate Poland in being the “Slavic Turkey” of NATO in Eastern Europe.

Read more: Oriental Review

and http://nie.com.pl/13-2014/tajemnica-stanu-tajemnica-majdanu

The United States has an interest in acting early because early action is cheaper than acting in the last extremity. This is a case of anti-air missiles, attack helicopters, communications systems and training, among other things. These are things the United States has in abundance. It is not a case of deploying divisions, of which it has few. The Poles, Romanians, Azerbaijanis and certainly the Turks can defend themselves. 

read more: Stratfor