StarrNarrative

  Once Again, the Democratic Party’s Old Guard Sabotages the Chance for Change By David Starr   They are fond of calling themselves “New” Democrats or “Third Way” Democrats, but what they actually represent is nothing new and not an alternative. This was proven recently when they chose old guard Gerry Connolly over the younger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a vote in the House Democratic Caucus for the top slot on the House Oversight Committee.    The secret-ballot vote had Connelly winning convincedly over Ocasio-Cortez, 131 to 84. As  quoted in Common Dreams , Ocasio-Cortez concluded, “Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone–we live to fight another day.” One problem in choosing Connolly is that he’s 74 years-old and has cancer. Ocasio-Cortez is 35 and is to the left of the old guard.    One can grow tired of the “New/Third Way” Democrats’ hellbent efforts to maintain dominance over the party, which makes them a part of the capitalist e...

  Are the Syrian Rebels Mostly Religious Fanatics Who Want to Impose a Theocracy?   By David Starr   In August of 2021 the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan. It has been a nightmare for the Afghani people, especially for women and girls. A report by the Centre For The Responsibility To Protect (CFTRTP)  details the brutal crackdown by the Taliban . In its Risk Assessment,  the CFTRTP noted the following abuses:    “Decades of serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law; institutionalized large-scale and systemic gender-based discrimination by Taliban de facto authorities against women and girls; widespread and systemic targeted attacks perpetrated by ISIL-K and the Taliban against ethnic and religious authorities; lack of independent media and crackdown on civil society and human rights defenders; weakness of state structures to protect vulnerable populations and an unwillingness of the de facto authorities to uphold ob...

  The Failings of the U.S. Prison System By David Starr   It’s well-known that the United States has the world’s largest prison population. According to an NAACP  Criminal Fact Sheet , the USA represents 5% of the world’s population yet has 25% of the world’s prison population. The NAACP puts the number of people in jail and prison at 3 million.   Thus, U.S. officials are in no position to judge other countries.   Racial hostility has of course been a factor for who goes into prison. More from the NAACP Fact Sheet:   • 32% of the US population is represented by African Americans and Hispanics, compared to 56% of the US incarcerated population being represented by African Americans and Hispanics.   • In 2014, African Americans constituted 2.3 million, or 34%, of the total correctional population.   • African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites.   The Fact Sheet also contains how much was spent on corrections, $81...

  Straight From the Zionists’ Mouths By David Starr   While hardline Israelis (and certain non-Israelis) like to be called Zionists, other words could be used with more accuracy: ultranationalists, religious supremacists, racists, fascists, etc.    Considering the harsh rhetoric coming out of Zionists’ mouths and thus fueling the Israel-Palestine-Lebanon war, it should be noted that sometimes those who call themselves the most civilized are the most savage. Proof is below with some quotes from various Israelis,  from a Law For Palestine database  –   Yoav Gallant, Minister of Defense: “We will end things inside Gaza…I have removed all restraints, attack everything, kill those who fight us, whether there is one terrorist or there are hundreds of terrorists, [attack] through the air, land, with tanks, with bulldozers, by all means, there are no compromises. Gaza will not return to what it was.”   Benyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minster: “We’re facing mons...

  OP-ED: Republicans Can Only Win by Cheating   By David Starr   Ever since the results of the 2024 U.S. elections came out, I’ve had this nagging feeling that it was too easy a win for the Republicans. Especially when considering how the campaign went with Trump going up against Kamala Harris. That latter seemed to be leading in several states and had momentum. That is contradictory to the election results.    So, I remain suspicious about the GOP’s “landslide” victories. And keep in mind that Republicans over the years have practiced voter suppression. MSNBC host Joy Reid  pointed this out .   Oddly, Trump and the Republicans have not commented on the election results as to whether any cheating was going on by the Democrats. Before that, they hysterically complained that there would be election fraud. And they still claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen.   Trump was ranting about election fraud before the results. According to Sarah Wi...

  The 2024 Presidential Election: Fascists Regain Power By David Starr   Eventually, people will recover from the shock at seeing the Republicans win the presidential election, in a landslide. Something is terribly wrong with the United States, and the two ruling parties have not helped, being hellbent on holding on to power.    Both parties may differ in some respects in regards to tactics, but ideologically, they have the same goal: maintaining and expanding the rule of capital, and usually at the expense of workers and the poor.    Having Donald Trump in as president again (more like tyrant) and Congress now controlled by the Republicans, there’s a chance that fascism will move further ahead in imposing the Republicans’ right-wing agenda. Project 2025 makes up that agenda. On its website, the culprits  who have forged  Project 2025 make it sound like its benefitting the working class, stopping corruption, and promoting democracy. It is made for...

  The U.S. Embargo Against Cuba Violates International Law and Must Be Lifted By David Starr   The recent blackouts on the island nation of Cuba are a  reminder of the consequences  of the 60-year-old U.S. embargo, or as Cubans call it, The Blockade. Cubans, however, are a resilient people and have effectively coped with it, despite those consequences.    It can’t be denied that the embargo has done its damage over the years. Economically, Cuba has had to cope with a major loss of revenue. In an annual report published by the Cuban government,  it is estimated that Cuba has lost over the equivalent of five billion dollars between March 2023 and February 2024. This loss was 189.9 million dollars higher than the previous 12 months. At the close of 2023, Cuba’s gross domestic product (GDP) decreased to 1.9%.   The USA has  allowed restricted commercial activities  with Cuba “through exemptions and licenses,” quoting from  On Cuba News ...