the filthy rich Archives - ... on a quiet day, I can hear her breathing

Following Pattern Set by Venezuela and Iran Assaults, US Surveillance Flights Off Cuba Surge

Spread the love

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio speak in Washington, DC on January 7, 2026. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The Trump administration has conducted more than two dozen surveillance and reconnaissance flights off Cuba’s coast since early February, according to CNN.

US surveillance and reconnaissance flights off the coast of Cuba have surged in recent months as President Donald Trump has issued increasingly belligerent threats to seize the island nation by force.

CNN reported Sunday that the US Navy and Air Force have conducted more than two dozen surveillance flights—mostly of them near Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the country’s largest cities—since early February, after the Trump administration invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president. The outlet noted that “similar patterns, in which ramped-up rhetoric by the Trump administration coincided with an uptick in publicly visible surveillance flights, occurred in the lead-up to US military operations in both Venezuela and Iran.”

RECOMMENDED…

People protest against Trump aggression against Cuba with signs reading "Stop the Blockade Against Cuba"

‘This Is Insane’: Alarm Bells Follow New Report of Looming US Plan to Attack Cuba

May Day celebrations mark annual workers parade in Havana

Citing Bogus ‘Threats’ to US, Trump Expands Already Devastating Sanctions on Cuba

“The flights are notable not only for their proximity to the coast, which puts them well within range of gathering intelligence, but for the suddenness of their appearance—prior to February, such publicly visible flights were exceedingly rare in this area—and for their timing,” CNN reported.

CNN published its story days after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new sanctions targeting a conglomerate operated by Cuba’s military and a natural resources firm, intensifying the United States’ decades-long economic war against the island nation.

“Our people already know the cruelty behind the actions of the US government and the viciousness with which it is capable of attacking us,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said in response to the sanctions. “They understand, just as the rest of the world does, that this is a unilateral aggression against a nation and a population whose sole ambition is to live in peace, masters of their own destiny and free from the pernicious interference of US imperialism.”

In a New York Times op-ed on Monday, US Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) wrote that the Trump administration’s “blockade of fuel to Cuba, on top of the longest embargo in modern US history, defies the norms of international law that provide for state sovereignty, nonintervention in domestic affairs and the right of nations to trade freely.”

“It amounts to an economic assault on the basic infrastructure of Cuba, designed to inflict collective punishment on the civilian population by manufacturing a humanitarian crisis in which healthcare, running water, agriculture and transportation are no longer available,” wrote Jayapal and Jackson, who visited Cuba in April and witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of US economic warfare.

“During our visit, we spoke with a wide range of Cuban citizens—political dissidents, religious leaders, entrepreneurs, and members of civil society organizations and humanitarian aid groups,” the Democratic lawmakers wrote. “We also met with the families of Cuba’s political prisoners. Everywhere, there was agreement: America’s blockade must end, and a US invasion must not take place.”

Trump has repeatedly threatened a military assault on Cuba in the months since his administration illegally attacked Venezuela and abducted its president.

“Cuba is next, by the way,” Trump declared at a Saudi-backed investment summit in Miami in late March. “Pretend I didn’t say that, please.”

Citing unnamed US officials, The Associated Press reported last week that the Trump administration “is not looking at imminent military action against Havana” as the two sides continued to negotiate a diplomatic agreement.

AP added that the administration officials cautioned “that Trump could change his mind at any time and that military options are still on the table.”

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says disinhibition and swearing are typical and common symptoms

Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... — Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Post author:dizzy
Post published:12 May 2026
Post category:Donald Trump Fascism human rights violations Neo-liberalism new authoritarianism plutocracy politics the filthy rich
Post comments:0 Comments

Trump Says He’s ‘Seriously Considering Making Venezuela the 51st US State’ as He Brags of Stealing Its Oil Wealth

Spread the love

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US President Donald Trump points out a member of the press during an event on maternal healthcare in the Oval Office of the White House on May 11, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Trump’s true priority, ahead of absolutely everything else, is to go down in history in big letters,” said one journalist. “Remaking everything, no matter in which direction or with what consequences.”

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is considering trying to annex Venezuela and make it a US state in an imperialist effort to seize more of its oil wealth.

It’s one of nearly half a dozen nations or territories Trump has threatened to use US military might to illegally conquer and add to the US during his term, including Greenland, Canada, Cuba, and Panama.

RECOMMENDED…

‘This Is Insane’: Alarm Bells Follow New Report of Looming US Plan to Attack Cuba

A protester in Madrid holds a sign showing the US with talons on Venezuela and the words "stop the war!"

From Boat Murders to Kidnapping Maduro, Trump Spending Billions on ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Militarism

According to Fox News correspondent John Roberts, Trump said in a phone call that he was “seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state,” citing the Latin American nation’s possession of tens of trillions of dollars worth of oil.

“They were miserable. Now they’re happy. It’s being well run,” Trump recently told Full Measure’s Sharyl Attkisson. “The oil that’s coming out is enormous, the biggest in many years. And the Big Oil companies are going in with the biggest, most beautiful rigs you’ve ever seen.”

Trump: “Cuba, Venezuela, they all voted for me…Venezuela is a very happy country right now. They were miserable, and now they are happy.

The oil that’s coming out is enormous.” pic.twitter.com/Nah53ZbzC1
— Vera Bergengruen (@VeraMBergen) May 11, 2026

One poll from the Venezuelan firm Meganálisis in March found that while the public was initially happy to be rid of their autocratic president, Nicolás Maduro—who was abducted by US forces in January—the majority now feel that Trump’s action had little to do with democracy or the well-being of the Venezuelan people and more to do with handing control of the country’s nationalized oil reserves to American companies, which Trump stated as his primary objective after ousting Maduro.

Trump left Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, in place as Venezuela’s interim leader with the promise that she’d act as a pliant collaborator with the US, whom she allowed to declare control over Venezuela’s oil resources “indefinitely” amid market transitions.

The environmental activist group Global Witness has estimated that over the next 10 years, as much as $150 billion in oil revenue that was expected to go to the Venezuelan treasury, which could have funded projects to develop the impoverished country, instead may flow into the coffers of foreign companies.

Q: You said today you would like to take Iran's oil, but Americans want US forces home–

TRUMP: Correct. I'm a businessman first. With Venezuela, the war was over in about 45 minutes. We've taken hundreds of millions of barrels. To the winner belong the spoils. Why don't we use… pic.twitter.com/ivDbC5zmTD
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 6, 2026

Trump has spoken about the idea of Venezuela becoming the 51st state before, including after the country defeated Italy in the World Baseball Classic in March, when he posted on Truth Social: “STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”

Last month, during a discussion about his desire to “take” Iran’s oil, Trump described his takeover of Venezuela as something akin to the resource-hungry imperial conquests of centuries past.

“I’m a businessman first,” he told reporters during a press briefing. “We’ve taken hundreds of millions of barrels [of oil], hundreds of millions… and paid for that war many, many times over. You know the old days, ‘to the winner belong the spoils.’ And I said, ‘Why don’t we use that?’ We haven’t had that in this country probably in 100 years.” He then went on to lament the US-led efforts to “rebuild” Germany after World War II.

While the US has lifted personal sanctions on Rodríguez and some sanctions on the Venezuelan oil and banking sectors, most of the sanctions that have contributed to the country’s economic collapse remain in place. “Full unrestricted access to global capital markets has not been restored,” explained Roger D. Harris from the Task Force on the Americas and the US Peace Council in Common Dreams last week.

Actually adding Venezuela as a US state would require approval from both Congress and Venezuela itself—and Trump does not appear to have the latter.

Issuing a rare rebuke of the US on Monday, Rodríguez responded that becoming the 51st state “would never have been considered” by Venezuela.

“If there is one thing we Venezuelan men and women have, it is that we love our independence process, we love our heroes and heroines of independence,” the interim leader said.

Though wars of conquest are expressly forbidden under international law, it’s not clear what leverage Rodríguez would have to resist if Trump attempted to make good on his goal of expanding US territory.

Argemino Barro, a Spanish political journalist and author, said the possibility that he’s serious can’t be dismissed.

“Yes, of course, we can dismiss it as provocation or delusion, say that it’s impracticable for XYZ reasons, etc. But this kind of comment is a window into the mindset of a man who fabricates his own reality, and not only that, but imposes it on others,” Barro said. “Trump wants to build the world’s largest triumphal arch right in the middle of Washington, overshadowing the Lincoln Memorial; he wants his face on coins and passports; his name appears on institutions, one airport. Annexing Venezuela, in his mind, fits 100%.”

“I think Trump’s true priority, ahead of absolutely everything else, is to go down in history in big letters. To enter the league of Alexander the Great, Jesus Christ, and Genghis Khan,” he added. “Remaking everything, no matter in which direction or with what consequences.”

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Post author:dizzy
Post published:12 May 2026
Post category:Donald Trump Fascism Neo-liberalism new authoritarianism plutocracy politics the filthy rich Venezuela
Post comments:0 Comments

Coalition Rips Trump Plan to ‘Rubber-Stamp’ Nuclear Reactors as Dangerous and Illegal

Spread the love

Article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US President Donald Trump signs an executive order related to nuclear power in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on May 23, 2025. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“In its eagerness to short-circuit reactor safeguards, the Trump administration is once again doing what it does best—demonstrating a complete disregard for the law,” said the head of Beyond Nuclear.

A coalition of advocacy groups on Monday took aim at President Donald Trump’s nuclear power plans, including a recently proposed rule that would allow developers using federally approved reactor designs to bypass required safety reviews, which the organizations called “ill-advised and contrary to law.”

“In its eagerness to short-circuit reactor safeguards, the Trump administration is once again doing what it does best—demonstrating a complete disregard for the law,” said Linda Pentz Gunter, executive director of Beyond Nuclear, in a statement.

RECOMMENDED…

Operational wind turbine of South Fork Wind Farm in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island

Trump ‘Extrajudicially’ Blocks All New US Wind Projects—Which Could Power 15M Homes Amid Energy Crisis

‘An Almost Unthinkable Threat’: Trump Warning That Iran Will ‘Glow’ Sparks Latest Fears of Nuclear Attack

“But nuclear technology is too inherently dangerous to operate as an outlaw,” she stressed. “Ignoring those dangers will put millions of Americans at risk of another catastrophic nuclear accident.”

Beyond Nuclear and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) have submitted multiple formal comments to the administration, on behalf of overlapping coalitions, blasting its ongoing nuclear policymaking, which has been guided by a series of executive orders signed by the president last May.

The first coalition comments focus on the US Department of Energy allowing firms that build experimental nuclear reactors to seek exemptions from legally required environmental reviews. That filing was submitted in early March, a month after DOE announced the “categorical exclusion for authorization, siting, construction, operation, reauthorization, and decommissioning of advanced nuclear reactors for inclusion in its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing procedures.”

Then, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last month unveiled a proposed rule to expedite NRC reviews of commercial nuclear power plant applications involving reactor designs already approved by DOE or the Department of Defense (DOD)—which Trump has dubbed the Department of War. That prompted more comments from Beyond Nuclear, NIRS, and allied groups last week.

“Along with the DOE’s environmental ‘free pass’ policy, the whole ‘expedited licensing’ regime the administration is attempting to set up appears to be illegal,” NIRS executive director Tim Judson, who co-authored the recent comments to the NRC, said Monday.

“The White House is trying to create a ‘regulatory tunnel’ around NRC’s safety regulations,” he warned. “That would mean DOE’s biases and obviously false assumptions about the safety of nuclear power plants become the new normal, exposing the public to unacceptable dangers to our health and safety.”

“And while the law allows the DOD to build its own nuclear reactors,” Judson added, “it does not allow the NRC to skip safety reviews for civilian nuclear plants just because they use the same designs. The military routinely exposes its personnel to dangers that civilians are supposed to be protected from.”

The coalition’s latest filing details how the administration’s actions are “inconsistent” with the Administrative Procedure Act, Atomic Energy Act, Energy Reorganization Act, and NEPA, “as well as the constitutional requirement for due process in a democratic society.” It also emphasizes that nothing in Trump’s orders “can excuse” the alleged legal violations.

“Fifty years ago, the Atomic Energy Commission was abolished because they became too much of a promoter and lost the confidence of Congress and the public over safety,” Paul Gunter, director of the reactor oversight project at Beyond Nuclear, explained Monday.

“The NRC was established to provide a regulator that prioritizes safety and is obligated not to take shortcuts for a production agenda,” he continued. “Instead, half a century later, we are on the same dangerous collision course, casting aside the NRC in favor of the DOE, which doesn’t have the experience or the staff to get the industry in line with safety and security. This capitulation to the Trump agenda could lead to the NRC being abolished altogether, because nobody will have confidence in them.”

Article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Post author:dizzy
Post published:12 May 2026
Post category:Donald Trump Neo-liberalism new authoritarianism nuclear nuclear filth nuclear waste plutocracy politics ridiculously irresponsible attitude to nuclear waste the filthy rich
Post comments:0 Comments

Spread the love

Keir Starmer says that he's banning words and phrases now as well as placards. — Keir Starmer says that he’s banning words and phrases now as well as placards.

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. — Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.

Keir Starmer discusses Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein and the UK Labour Party's tradition of excusing and protecting child rapists. — Keir Starmer discusses Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein and the UK Labour Party’s tradition of excusing and protecting child rapists.

Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership is intensely relaxed about assaulting those least able to defend themselves - the very poorest and most vulnerable. — Keir Starmer says that the Labour Party under his leadership is intensely relaxed about assaulting those least able to defend themselves – the very poorest and most vulnerable.

Keir Starmer explains the moral case for cutting disability benefits. He says work will set you free.

Keir Starmer refuses to be outcnuted by Nigel Farage's chasing the racist bigot vote. — Keir Starmer refuses to be outcnuted by Nigel Farage’s chasing the racist bigot vote.

Post author:dizzy
Post published:11 May 2026
Post category:crap pretend Labour Fascism human rights violations Keir Starmer Labour Party Neo-liberalism new authoritarianism plutocracy politics the filthy rich Zionism
Post comments:0 Comments

Nigel Farage Has Accepted £2 Million Since Becoming an MP

Spread the love

Article by Sam Bright republished from DeSmog.

*Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Credit:* House of Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The Green Party has accused Farage of being “focused on personal gain and public division”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has banked more than £2 million in earnings and gifts since becoming an MP, DeSmog can reveal.

Farage has come under fire in recent days for failing to declare a £5 million gift from major Reform donor Christopher Harborne prior to the 2024 general election, potentially in violation of parliamentary rules.

Despite this tax-free handout, Farage has used his time in Parliament to earn millions from second jobs, speaking events, and trips abroad.

DeSmog’s analysis shows that Farage has registered more than £2 million in financial interests since July 2024, when he was elected as the MP for Clacton.

His principal employer has been the right-wing broadcaster GB News, which has now paid Farage £700,000 since July 2024. The Reform leader – who presents a show on GB News – registered another £40,662 from the outlet last week.

This income has been received on top of Farage’s £94,000-a-year public salary.

He also listed a new gift from South African businessman Avi Lasarow, who gave the Reform leader three tickets to a boxing match on 4 April worth £1,749.

“Nigel Farage is a multi-millionaire who is out for himself and working for the interests of his super-rich friends,” a Green Party spokesperson said. “His whole career has been focused on personal gain and public division. He is failing his constituents and has no positive plan to help ordinary people with the cost of living crisis, housing or improving public services.”

Since becoming an MP, Farage has accepted £272,000 in gifts, including several private jet flights to the United States, and F1 tickets provided by the Abu Dhabi government.

“That Farage has amassed £2 million from personal earnings and gifts while a sitting member of Parliament should concern anyone who thinks an MP’s job is to represent their constituents,” said Kamila Kingstone, a senior campaign lead at Spotlight on Corruption.

“It’s a systemic issue and highlights a wider failure of the rules that are supposed to ensure integrity in public life. It risks blurring the lines between public service and private interests, creating the perception – and in some cases a reality – that some politicians are in it for themselves.”

DeSmog revealed in April that over 70 percent of Farage’s patrons are based abroad – including Harborne, the Thailand-based crypto investor who has gifted flights and accommodation to Farage worth £85,453 since July 2024.

Harborne, who owns a jet fuel supplier, has donated £22 million to Reform on top of the £5 million that he gifted to Farage before the 2024 general election.

His contributions to the party are now in jeopardy after Labour introduced new rules that cap political donations from overseas residents to £100,000 a year. In response, Harborne has committed to finding a loophole through which he can donate even larger sums to Reform.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” he told The Telegraph – adding: “I don’t believe the government has a right to stop me, and they won’t.”

Reform UK is the UK’s leading anti-climate party, with several of its senior figures – including Farage – having denied basic climate science. The Reform leader has claimed it’s “absolutely nuts” for CO2 to be considered a pollutant, while his deputy Richard Tice has called it “plant food”.

“The government urgently needs to impose tougher limits on MPs’ second jobs,” Kingstone added, “so that the public can be confident that their representatives are working in the public interest rather than to line their own pockets.”

Reform and Farage were approached for comment.