General

An appeal for emergency food and humanitarian relief was issued, posted Sept. 14 on the ReliefWeb, CARE, Oxfam sites, and other signers, by 24 international NGOs, titled, “Joint INGO Statement on Yemen—75th Session of the UN General Assembly.” Variously dated Sept. 14 or Sept. 15, 2020, the document is signed by groups including CARE, Islamic Relief, Mercy Corps, Doctors of the World, Save the Children, and others. The two-page document states, after identifying the need for a ceasefire after seven years of war:

“Two-thirds of the population—20 million people—are hungry, and nearly 1.5 million families currently rely entirely on food aid to survive….

“Yemen is now a drastically under-funded crisis. At a critical time when needs are increasing, famine once again looms, and COVID-19 remains a constant threat, it is inconceivable that funding for Yemen’s humanitarian response is drying up.”

After providing details of the situation, for example, that “in August, only 50% of the fuel normally imported into Yemen was allowed to enter,” the statement concludes with a call for seven points of action:

“In the context of discussions taking place during the 75th UN General Assembly, International Non-Governmental Organizations operating on the ground in Yemen call on the international community…” and then follows with bullet points and brief explanations including: work for a ceasefire, “Urgently provide the resources necessary to meet the ongoing humanitarian needs in Yemen, and ensure that the Covid-19 response is also fully funded.” Also, they request diplomacy to improve humanitarian access in Yemen, efforts to support the economy long term in Yemen, “concerted pressure” on the warring parties to stop weaponizing the means to life, implement recommendations from the Group of Eminent Experts (GEE) on Yemen, for accountability on harm to civilians, and “suspend transfers of all arms and military equipment.” https://www.care.org/news-and-stories/press-releases/joint-ingo-statement-on-yemen-75th-session-of-the-un-general-assembly/

Today, the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor flawlessly brought the two astronauts Robert “Bob” Behnken and Douglas “Doug” Hurley safely back home to Earth. In a remarkable series of maneuvers, the craft autonomously positioned itself for the correct orbit for splashdown. This was the first American splashdown in nearly 50 years!

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote on his blog: “We need to remember that this is just the beginning. Now is the time to capitalize on all the great programs that have recently been established, to include going sustainably to the Moon under a program we call Artemis. We’re going to the Moon sustainably; we’re going to go with commercial partners, with international partners. We’re going to use the resources of the Moon to learn how to live and work on another world for long periods of time. We’re going to take all of that knowledge and we’re going to go to Mars.”

As Dragon prepared to re-enter Earth’s orbit, it first executed the separation of the claw and trunk (on the lower portion of the craft), which were jettisoned away from the spacecraft. Thrusters at the forward point of the craft to decelerate it, burned for 11 minutes, the longest burn ever.

When completed, the cap for the capsule closed back over the thrusters, and began to maneuver about 90 degrees, such that the broadest portion of the capsule would shield the crew from the 3500 F degree heat, generated by the speed and friction with Earth’s atmosphere.

During this time, there was an expected six-minute blackout, due to the plasma generated by the heat of the descent on the outside of the spacecraft.

As it came out of the blackout, the drogue parachute was deployed first, to further slow its descent, and then the four main parachutes deployed, with a splashdown speed of 15 mph, near the coast of Pensacola, Florida, right on time. During the descent, a specially-equipped WB-57 airplane provided the first infrared images of the spacecraft.

Coverage on [spaceflightnow.com] included the commentators fielding numerous questions from the public via Twitter, featuring many questions on the mechanics of the descent, what the astronauts would experience, etc. and a question from a seven-year old asking why the capsule was shaped the way it was (cone-shaped).

This exciting first step for America’s return to manned missions to space demonstrates that the dream is very much alive, and enthusiastically received by the American people.

Dragon Endeavor now heads to weeks of post-flight inspection and testing, in order to complete the certification of the Dragon system to fly operational missions for NASA’s Commercial Crew and International Space Station Programs. If all goes as planned, the SpaceX Dragon’s first operational mission, Crew-1, will head to the ISS by late September, with three NASA astronauts and a Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist aboard.

 CRI (China Radio International) today, interviewed Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Schiller Institute President, on “The World” program on the Sept. 14 EU-China summit. Asked about her evaluation, she said it was “a step forward” in a very turbulent world, but added her personal view that world leaders should more forcefully address the Covid-19 crisis; China has done an extraordinary job in dealing with it. She expressed her desire that the EU would have responded to China’s idea of a Health Silk Road, and also the need for a new financial architecture. She said that if the Four Principles President Xi Jinping put forward were accepted, then we wouldn’t have to worry about the danger of war. Zepp-LaRouche pointed to the EU’s obsession with the Green Deal getting in the way of real cooperation based on advanced technology and innovation, so the EU should be thinking more about that. The possible trade and investment deal with China is in the EU’s vested interest, so they would do well to come to some agreement. http://chinaplus.cri.cn/podcast/detail/1/240640 

On July 29th, the Schiller Institute held an on-line seminar, “Stop the Hunger Pandemic. Save Farmers, Deliver Food!” Moderated by Richard Black and Bob Baker, the two-hour discussion included three US farm leaders from Colorado, Alaska and California, and 11 diplomats — including 6 ambassadors — from Sub-Saharan and West Africa, Central America, and Central Asia. A former Senator and current candidate from Trinidad and Tobago also participated. Most of the participants had been involved in the series of Schiller Institute international conferences held from April through June, 2020.

Richard Black described the civilization-threatening crisis which all of humanity currently faces — pandemic, starvation, and war between nuclear powers — and the 50-year record of Lyndon LaRouche and his associates of providing solutions, involving the massive economic development of the former colonial sector. A major focus was put on creating a chorus of nations worldwide to ensure the realization and required content of a P5 heads-of-state Summit. Paul Gallagher outlined the nature of the imminent financial collapse and how a New Bretton Woods System would work. He showed that FDR’s TVA method has been the only action to have ever succeeded — from the 1930’s until today — in creating a  sustained recovery from collapse. Marcia Baker dramatically showed the extent of the accelerating starvation rates worldwide, the on-going destruction of the farmer in the advanced sector, and the recent farmer upsurge in Europe and the US, demanding a new system.

Paul Gallagher noted that the intense discussion from the diplomats on the failures of the old Bretton Woods System and questions on how the “new” one could be different, is exactly the kind of productive debate we want. The farm leader from Colorado was excited to answer many questions from the diplomats. One West African ambassador remarked, afterwards, that he was very happy to see so many other ambassadors involved in the discussion, saying that the ideas presented “really made me think.” Several ambassadors expressed moral outrage that, after 45 years, Transaqua has still not been built, and that food self-sufficiency through growing high-quality indigenous crops has been replaced with cash crops for export to the nations of the North, enslaving nations to “the market.”

The seminar was not recorded, with no media present, to allow for the most free discussion. Some ambassadors are already mobilizing with us to create a chorus of sovereign voices to ensure the realization and the content of a, very near-term,  P5 Summit. Our plan for the upcoming September 5th Schiller Institute conference was discussed.

In her closing comments in today’s dialogue, Helga Zepp LaRouche pointed to the corruption of the whole system as responsible for the civilizational crisis we face. She pointed to her comment years ago, at the time of the collapse of the Madoff bubble, that the system as a whole is a Ponzi scheme, with no interest in the Common Good, but only increasing private profits.

Whether one reviews the rapid deterioration of U.S.-China relations, the worsening threat posed by the Corona pandemic, the danger of mass deaths among children due to the collapse of food production and distribution, or the increase in social crisis stemming from growing poverty, it all goes back to Malthusian intent of the oligarchy.

The solution is the full implementation of the LaRouche Plan, which would revive the American system of economy. This is what must shape the agenda for the summit which President Putin is organizing. She called on viewers to join us, to insure that the summit takes place, and that the LaRouche policies are on the agenda for the summit.

Today, the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine (PSPU), headed by internationally prominent economist Dr. Natalia Vitrenko, won their appeal in a key case–the PSPU’s lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice, for failing to accept the party’s revised Charter and Bylaws. This refusal to register the party is what has kept the PSPU from running candidates, and went along with the thuggery and criminality conducted against party members, activities, and property. A video of the court proceedings, and PSPU statement, were posted on this victory today.

While Dr. Vitrenko speaks in Russian, and the attorney and judge in Ukrainian, Vitrenko’s strong presentation on the exchange over the injustice to the PSPU, between MEP Matteo Zanni (Italy) and EU foreign affairs official Federica Mogherini, is very clear (22:30.) A translation of the notice on www.vitrenko.org:

“On July 4, 2018 the Kyiv District Administrative Appeals Court considered the Progressive Socialists’ appeal of the lower court decision, which had rejected the PSPU’s lawsuit agains the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. “Ever since the Euromaidan regime came to power, a brutal struggle has been under way against the only extra-parliamentary systemic opposition party, the PSPU. The Party’s central office has been seized. Law enforcement agencies have instigated bandit and Nazi gangs against the Party’s leaders and against peaceful protest demonstrations organized by the PSPU. The Police and the SBU [Security Service of Ukraine] fail to investigate or call these thugs to account. “In parallel, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has refused to acknowledge and register either the decisions of three congresses of the PSPU, which changed the PSPU Program and Charter in accordance with the requirements of [new] laws, or the new composition of the Party’s Central Committee. The Ministry of Justice has thereby flouted Ukrainian and international law, through its political discrimination against the PSPU. “The Kyiv District Administrative Court, which is the lower court in question, took the side of the Ministry of Justice, with its unlawful decision of March 20, 2018. The PSPU appealed, and now has won, by defending the PSPU’s rights and demonstrating that the Ministry of Justice was politically motivated. “The Party was represented in court by PSPU Chairman, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the II and III Convocations, Dr. of Economics Natalia Vitrenko.”