James Ridgeway

The interior of a cell in the 4B SHU at Corcoran State Prison.
Inmates are in these cells most of their day. They rotate to cages
outside for three to four hours. (Photo: Grant Slater/89.3KPCC)

Introduction by Paul Craig Roberts: American politicians and media can’t stop screaming about how inhumane Muslims are because those few whom we have enraged cut off heads of a handful of people instead of blowing to bits with bombs hundreds of thousands of people. Read Ridgeway’s report and decide for yourself if anyone is more inhumane than Americans.

Inhumane Treatment: Inside America’s Prisons
by James Ridgeway

“While waiting for an officer to handcuff and escort me back to the cell that awaited me after showering, I sat on the floor holding a razor used for shaving,” W writes to me. “Today was the day I decided to end my life.”

I do not know W. I have never met him. I have no idea whether he is black or white, tall or short, old or young. I don’t know what he’s done that’s landed him in prison, or why the prison system has seen fit to place him in solitary confinement.

Every week I receive 50 or so letters from people like W. He is one of 80,000 men, women, and children who live in states of extreme isolation in U.S. prisons and jails. They spend their days and nights in cells that measure, on average, 6 by 9 feet. They live sealed off from the world, sometimes without a window, usually behind a solid metal door with a slot where a guard can slip in a food tray. If they are lucky they are let out a couple of times a week to shower, or to exercise for an hour in a fenced or walled pen resembling a dog kennel.

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Peter Haisenko

Introduction by Paul Craig Roberts: Peter Haisenko was a pilot for Lufthansa for 30 years. In the article below he explains his conclusion that the Malaysian airliner downed in Ukraine was hit first by an air-to-air missile from a Ukrainian fighter jet and then by machine gun fire. As Ukrainian air control has refused to release its communications with the airliner and Washington refuses to release its satellite photos, we have to form a judgment based on experience and available evidence. This judgment is superior to unsupported propagandistic claims. The withholding of pertinent information suggests that Washington and/or Kiev are responsible for the downed airliner. (For the full article in German, go here.)

The Evidence: MH 017
by Peter Haisenko

Seven weeks have passed since the downing of MH 017 and we have still not been provided with official investigation results. This is an extraordinary circumstance, but ultimately not surprising. Just a few days after the crash of the airliner a short message was published that in this case the debris of the wreck will not be collected to be put together like a puzzle. However, this would have been the normal procedure if there were serious interest to determine the cause of the accident objectively.

When an airplane crashes, within 24 hours there are usually legions of experts at the scene who register everything in detail and start collecting the debris. First of all experts of the plane manufacturer are sent to the scene — in this case Boeing – followed by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), and by specialists and experts from the countries concerned. In addition to the flight recorder, these specialists are responsible for an examination of the debris. Normally, the airplane is reconstructed from the pieces in order to determine the cause of the crash.

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Stephen Lendman

Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses the audience as he
takes part in festivities to mark the 75th anniversary of the vic-
tory in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in Ulan Bator, Mongolia,
September 3, 2014. (Distributed by Reuters)

Fail safe days appear over. The unthinkable appears possible. At stake is world peace.

On Wednesday, Putin offered a seven-point plan to end Southeastern Ukraine's conflict. A previous article discussed it. It's genuine. It's sincere. It's fair-minded. It favors neither side. It's a way to restore regional peace. It's an important proposal to keep conflict from spreading.

It doesn't matter. Obama wants war, not peace. So do rogue NATO partners. Kiev's puppet regime is a convenient proxy. Obama commented before Putin explained his plan, saying:

"There is an opportunity here. But no realistic political settlement can be achieved if, effectively, Russia says:" 'We are going to continue to send tanks and troops and arms and advisors under the guise of separatists who are not homegrown, and the only possible settlement is if Ukraine cedes its territory or its sovereignty or its ability to make its own decisions about its security and its economic future.’"

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