iftttwall

Visiting dignitaries were given gifts of his portrait, and rightfully so: To many Zimbabweans, Robert Mugabe, the strongman who ruled the East African nation for 30 years until he was ousted in a bloodless coup two years ago, was a complex figure. He was a symbol of liberation and hope – a leader of the quasi-Communist ZANU-PF who helped free his country from oppressive British rule, according to the NYT.

Mugabe was 95 at the time of his death.

Later, when food stocks started to run low, Mugabe’s true nature became apparent. He authorized oppressive crackdowns and indefinite detentions of suspected political opponents. Some suspected him of torture and unspeakable treatment of suspected political opponents.

But Mugabe wasn’t alone in this. Many in his generation of African revolutionary political leaders believed that, since they had freed the country from colonial rule, it was theirs to govern – as Mugabe put it – “until God says ‘come.'”

And he almost made it. In November 2017, army officers, fearing that Mugabe would anoint his second wife, Grace Mugabe (some 40 years his junior), as his political heir, moved against him. Within a dramatic few days he was placed under house arrest and forced by his political party, ZANU-PF, to step down.

Yet remarkably for a Continent where strongmen leaders are typically shown little, if any, mercy, Mugabe and his wife were treated well by his successor and the party he had formerly led. The military insisted that Mugabe’s ouster wasn’t tantamount to a coup.

Mugabe’s death was announced by his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who issued the following statement on Twitter, praising Mugabe as a competent

“It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe,” he wrote on Twitter on Friday, using the abbreviation for comrade. “Mugabe was an icon of liberation, a pan-Africanist who dedicated his life to the emancipation and empowerment of his people. His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten.”

Last month, Zimbabwe’s government had disclosed that Mugabe had spent several months in Singapore undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness.

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2HRdlrj Tyler Durden

Authored by Catte Black via Off-Guardian.org,

Dear Pearl Clutcher,

I know you’re very preoccupied panic-buying essential drugs and spare body bags (for when some of your family members inevitably die following a no-deal Brexit).

I know you’re seething with social-media-meme-induced rage about – well, you aren’t totally clear but you know BoJo is behind it all – and are too busy hammering out hysterical status updates to think too much. Even if thinking were your strong suit, which, let’s be honest Pearl, it isn’t.

I know you’re worn out from listening to that nice Owen Jones squeaking about ‘democracy’ at all those #stopthecoup rallies you went to with your Guardianista chums. And you have a dozen ready meals to prepare for the freezer (for when the EU takes away all our food), and biofuel to buy for the generator (for when the EU turns off the electricity).

But can I just grab a quick moment of your time, Pearl? Just to point out one small fact you might want to consider.

Here’s a thought experiment for you.

* * *

You are a landlord.

A not very nice landlord.

One day one of your tenants comes to you and says he wants to leave. He asks for his deposit back in full.

You say actually he forfeited his deposit because his dog wrecked the carpets and there’s paint on the kitchen tiles. But you’ll agree to him having a partial refund, provided he lets you keep his furniture.

The tenant says ‘but my furniture is worth more than the deposit, so no thanks.’

You say, ‘well that’s the deal, take it or leave it.’

The tenant says ‘I’ll leave it thanks.’

He leaves it and moves out with his furniture

* * *

Now re-run that scenario, only THIS time a new law means the tenant can’t leave without accepting a deal.

What will you do now? Bear in mind, YOU can refuse the deal, but HE can’t. YOU can offer almost any terms you want. HIS only option is to ask nice for something better. So, will you:

1. Offer him better terms than before because he asks nice?

2. Screw him every frickin which way you can and give him an even worse deal than before – because he literally can’t refuse?

With this in mind, what do you think the media hysteria about No Deal might actually be about?

Do you still believe neoliberal warmonger austerity-fan Hilary Benn was thinking about YOU when he tabled that bill?

I know the Guardian and its shrieking sisters have all been telling you that No Deal Brexit is even worse than just regular Brexit, and that probably it will mean everyone in the country dies (instead of just most of us), the sun boils and the Kraken wakes from the depths to devour all those who still breathe upon our shores.

But you see, Pearl, that’s reductionist garbage.

Forget Boogeyman BoJo and the blaring Carnival of Fear, and think. In the real world outside the perceptual insanity of media memes being able to walk away with No Deal is an essential part of any negotiation isn’t it? Without it you can’t deal at all.

And if you’re negotiating with a jerk who refuses to budge from his unacceptable terms then walking away is all you can do.

It’s definitely not better to say ‘oh well, I can’t have no deal so I guess I just take whatever you got.’

All Boris’s antics and Hilary’s timely intervention has done is bring us to this pass where the UK population is cheering the fact they have handed themselves over to the oligarchs wholesale.

Oh and, according to George Galloway, John McDonnell et al even persuaded Corbyn to vote against an election – against his own best instincts.

It’s quite clear now that #Corbyn wants an October 14 #GeneralElection2019 but he is being held hostage by the 5th Column Triumvirate of Thornberry Starmer and McDonnell.This is all on the public record. I remind Mr Corbyn of the fatal error made by Mr Callaghan in 1978 #Brexit

— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) September 5, 2019

The media will tell you this was sound tactics because Corbyn would certainly lose.

Well, maybe, but let’s not forget if Corbyn loses an election, the old Blairite rump get to force a leadership contest and maybe foist Benn or Phillips on us. And let’s not forget Phillips and others are on record saying they don’t want a Corbyn government.

So, I suggest it’s possible the Labour Right doesn’t want an election because they know Corbyn could win.

Further they’ve managed to spin this so that Corbyn is now associated with Remain – thus alienating much of his natural base.

It’s all round so far a victory for the status quo, the centrists, the anti-democrats, the 1%.

BoJo seems passing good at not getting what he allegedly wants but what the ruling elite need, doesn’t he?

So, Pearl, do you feel silly now for basically campaigning for the oligarchs to shaft you?

Yup, you should.

How long before the cheering Left clue into the silent coup just pulled on them?

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2ZUxkeK Tyler Durden

Growth in the world continues to collapse into late summer, so much so that Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) had to “temporarily suspend” their AE2/Swan Asia to North Europe loop until mid-November, removing 20,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) a week from trade, reported The Loadstar.

Collapsing demand and plunging shipping container rates have led to pain for carriers who sail their vessels along the route. This is the second time Maersk and MSC have suspended the circuit, and the last time this happened was last fall.

Maersk and MSC said it’s working hard to “balance its network to match reduced market demand for the upcoming [Chinese factory shutdown] Golden Week.”

Maersk and MSC said the AE2/Swan suspension would “help us to match capacity with the expected weaker demand for shipping services” from Asia to Europe.

Maersk and MSC said the service would resume “in line with demand pickup,” suggesting the suspension could be extended into 1H20 as global trade isn’t expected to pick up for the next six to eight months. 

Maersk and MSC adopted a similar strategy last year, suspending AE2/Swan Asia to North Europe loop from September to December, this was right around the time when stock markets across the world crashed from October to December, on fears the world economy was slowing. It just so happens that the global synchronized slowdown is much worse this year, likely the world has entered a manufacturing/trade recession in late summer 2019.

The suspension of AE2/Swan loop will see 12 17,800-20,500 TEU vessels idled for the next several months. 

The last time the AE2/Swan loop was halted, it was during the period when world stocks collapsed last fall.

Freightos freight data for China to Europe 40 ft shipping containers shows muted price recovery over the last several years.

Global rates for 40 ft shipping containers also show depressed prices, which usually means global trade is weak.

As for global trade, the Merchandise World Trade Monitor by CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis shows peak globalization in 2017 and 2018, and the index is now sliding for the first time since the financial crisis.

It should be no mystery why the world’s largest shipping companies are idling vessels – it’s because a global recession has likely started.

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2ZEEY0V Tyler Durden

Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,

A Swedish behavioral scientist has suggested that it may be necessary to turn to cannibalism and start eating humans in order to save the planet.

Appearing on Swedish television to talk about an event based around the “food of the future,” Magnus Söderlund said he would be holding seminars on the necessity of consuming human flesh in order to stop climate change.

Environmentalists blame the meat and farming industry for a large part of what they claim is the warming of the earth.

According to Söderlund, a potential fix would be the Soylent Green-solution of eating dead bodies instead.

He told the host of the show that one of the biggest obstacles to the proposal would be the taboo nature of corpses and the fact that many would see it as defiling the deceased.

Söderlund also acknowledged that people are “slightly conservative” when it comes to eating things they are not accustomed to, such as cadavers.

The discussion took place accompanied by a graphic of human hands on the end of forks. Lovely.

Another proposal to save the earth which has been promoted by numerous mass media outlets and environmentalists is only somewhat less disgusting – eating bugs.

No doubt Greta Thunberg and Prince Harry will be first in line for when cockroaches and human flesh is being dished out at the next international climate summit.

*  *  *

My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me. Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here. Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2ZNZB6F Tyler Durden

The suicide rate in Britain jumped 11.8% in 2018 vs. 2017 to levels not seen since 2002 – according to The Guardian. Among those aged 10 to 24, the rate was even worse at a 19-year high. 

A total of 6,507 suicides were recorded by UK coroners last year – largely driven by an increase in men, who took their own lives at a rate of 17.2 per 100,000 vs. 15.5 in 2017. 

“It is extremely worrying that, for the first time in five years, the suicide rate in the UK has increased, with 686 more deaths than in 2017,” said Ruth Sutherland, CEO of Samaritans. 

“Every single one of these deaths is a tragedy that devastates families, friends and communities. Whilst the overall rise has only been seen this year – and we hope it is not the start of a longer-term trend – it’s crucial to have a better understanding of why there has been such an increase. 

“We know that suicide is not inevitable; it is preventable, and encouraging steps have been made to prevent suicide, but we need to look at suicide as a serious public health issue.” 

According to Nick Stripe, head of health analysis and life events at ONS, the overall spike in suicides is statistically significant, and reversed a continuous decline seen since 2013. 

People aged 45 to 59 had the highest rates of suicide, at 27.1 per 100,000 for men and 9.2 per 100,000 for women. Stripe also pointed to big increases in the rate of suicide among young people. In 2018, 730 people aged 10 to 24 killed themselves, the highest number since 2000, when 749 took their own lives.

The rate among 20- to 24-year-old males leaped 31% to 16.9 per 100,000, from 12.9 a year earlier. Among females aged 10 to 24, despite a low number of suicides overall, the rate rose to its highest level, 3.3 per 100,000. –The Guardian

With 16.1 deaths per 100,000, Scotland had the highest suicide rate in Britain at 16.1 deaths per 100,000, followed by Wales at 12.8 per 100,000.  

“Looking at the overall trend since the early 80s, we are still witnessing a gradual decline in the rate of suicide for the population as a whole. We will continue to monitor the recent increase, to help inform decision makers and others that are working to protect vulnerable people at risk,” said Stripe. 

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2MY7sNg Tyler Durden

Authored by Andrea Germanos via CommonDreams.org,

The German government announced Wednesday it had agreed on a plan to phase out the use of glyphosate — the key chemical in the weedkiller Roundup — with a total ban set to begin by the end of 2023.

“Way to go, Germany!” tweeted the U.S.-based advocacy group Organic Consumers Association. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet agreed to the plan Wednesday. The proposal, reported Bloomberg, also says that the “government intends to oppose any request for the E.U. to renew the license to produce the weedkiller, according to a release by the environment ministry.”

The European Commission, the E.U.’s rules and regulations body, in 2017 renewed the license for glyphosate in the bloc through the end of 2022.

Germany’s environment Minister, Svenja Schulze, framed the new move as necessary to protect biodiversity, and said that “a world without insects is not worth living in”.

“What harms insects also harms people,” Schulze said at a press conference. “What we need is more humming and buzzing.”

Glyphosate is no longer exclusive to Monsanto’s Roundup, as it “is now off-patent and marketed worldwide by dozens of other chemical groups including Dow Agrosciences and Germany’s BASF,” as Reuters noted. 

That’s despite the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer’s 2015 designation of glyphosate as a “probable carcinogen,” increasing concerns over its health effects, and mounting legal woes for Bayer, which acquiredMonsanto last year, as multiple juries have found Roundup to have been a factor in plaintiffs’ cancers.

Such concerns prompted Austria to become the first E.U. country to ban glyphosate, a step it took in July.

Erwin Preiner, a member of the Austrian parliament who worked on the ban, said at the time, “We want to be a role model for other countries in the E.U. and the world.”

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2MYrozg Tyler Durden

China has deployed an “army of drones” to help protect its crops from a “monster” pest in South China, according to Bloomberg. The drones have recorded a mortality rate as high as 98%, according to its manufacturer. 

The drone manufacturer, XAG, who is based in Guangzhou, has teamed up with Germany’s Bayer Crop Science in a collaborative effort to rid China of the fall armyworm. The drone devices are sporting low-toxicity insecticide and have also successfully managed the pests in a government-led initiative in the southwest province of Yunnan. Drones have also “effectively controlled” the spread of pests in cornfields in Henan province. 

XAG said of the armyworm:

“It is the ‘crop-devouring monster’ that attacks over 80 crop varieties. Most farmers resort to traditional insecticide sprayers, which not only fail to move fast enough against the ravenous, fast-moving fall armyworm that can fly up to 100 kilometers in one night, but also expose them to dangerous chemicals.”

The drones can operate after sunset, which is beneficial since the armyworm feeds actively at night. 

The armyworm, known for devouring crops, has spread from the Americas to Africa and Asia, eating corn, rice, vegetables and cotton along the way. Since its unceremonious arrival in China, it has affected 950,000 hectares of crops spanning 24 provinces, including Hebei, Shaanxi and Shandong. Outbreaks at 90% of the affected areas are now under control.

via ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/2ZEiahP Tyler Durden