Showing posts with label Monopolisation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monopolisation. Show all posts

Monday, 23 August 2021

النفط الإيراني… شريان للحياة

 السبت 21 آب 2021

حسن عليق


النفط الإيراني... شريان للحياة
(مروان بو حيدر)

«بكرا بيتعوّدوا»، العبارة المنسوبة إلى رياض سلامة تعليقاً على تعامل اللبنانيين مع انهيار قيمة الليرة، باتت دستور أكثرية قوى السلطة. منذ سنتين، عاش لبنان ثلاث صدمات اقتصادية كبرى، يجري التعامل معها كما لو أنها لم تكن: صدمة إفلاس القطاع المصرفي المكابر على إعلان إفلاسه وانهيار الليرة، وصدمة رفع الدعم، وصدمة انقطاع الطاقة الكهربائية والمحروقات معاً.

كل واحدة من هذه الصدمات كفيلة، وحدها، بهدم اقتصاد ولو كان قوياً، وبتدمير قدرات السكان المعيشية. الانهيار لا يُمكن أن يستمر، ولو في أفشل دول العالم، من دون خطة إنقاذ، لوقف الانهيار وعكس المسار نحو العودة إلى «الحياة الطبيعية». رفع الدعم لا يمكن أن يتم، ولو في أكثر الرأسماليات توحشاً، من دون شبكة أمان اجتماعي. حتى البنك وصندوق النقد الدوليّان، وسواهما من مؤسسات نظام سيادة رأس المال في العالم، يوصيان بأن يكون قرار إلغاء الدعم عن السلع الأساسية متزامناً مع برامج حماية اجتماعية، للطبقات الأكثر ضعفاً. وأكثر ما ينبغي الامتناع عنه، هو رفع الدعم فجأة عن الغذاء والدواء والاستشفاء والمحروقات والطاقة. صدمات متتالية أصابت سكان لبنان، مترافقة مع جائحة كورونا العالمية، وانفجار المرفأ، وأزمة سياسية مستمرة منذ ما قبل انسحاب الجيش السوري أنتجت عدم انتظام في المؤسسات الدستورية (فراغ حكومي، فراغ رئاسي وتمديد نيابي…) استهلك أكثر من نصف الأعوام الـ 16 الماضية.

صدمات متتالية، أتت بعد إجراءات حصارية نفّذتها الولايات المتحدة الأميركية، بدأت عام 2011 بقرار إعدام البنك اللبناني الكندي (وهو العام الذي بدأ فيه ميزان المدفوعات اللبناني يشهد عجزاً استمر حتى اليوم)، ثم إجراءات حصار سوريا تزامناً مع اندلاع الحرب فيها، وقرارات العقوبات بحق شركات وأفراد لبنانيين، وصولاً إلى إعدام بنك الجمال صيف عام 2019 (صاعق الانهيار) وإقفال المصارف بعد 17 تشرين الأول 2019 (قرار اتخذته جمعية المصارف أثناء وجودها مع سلامة في واشنطن). طوال تلك الفترة، كانت البنوك تكنز الودائع في مصرف لبنان الذي اتخذ حاكمه كل الإجراءات الممكنة من أجل خنق الاقتصاد، وتوّجها، بغطاء من أكثرية سياسية عابرة للانقسام التقليدي، بقرار رفع الدعم عن المحروقات. وسبق ذلك القرار قانونٌ أصدره مجلس النواب في نيسان 2021 منح فيه سلفة خزينة لمؤسسة كهرباء لبنان بقيمة 300 مليار ليرة. هذا القانون يمكن تسميته بقانون العتمة. فالمؤسسة كانت تطلب 1500 مليار ليرة لتأمين ثمن الوقود الكافي لتوليد الطاقة الكهربائية وصيانة معامل الإنتاج حتى نهاية العام الجاري. لكنّ عدداً من الكتل النيابية (القوات اللبنانية والحزب التقدمي الاشتراكي وتيار المستقبل وحركة أمل) ضغطت لخفض قيمة السلفة حتى 300 مليار ليرة، تحت طائلة عدم إصدار القانون. وشنّ ممثلون عن هذه الكتل عملية تضليل شنيعة للسكان، متعمّدين الكذب عبر القول إن خفض قيمة السلفة هدفه الحفاظ على أموال المودعين التي لم تحرّك هذه الكتل ساكناً لحمايتها، لا قبل الانهيار استباقاً، ولا بعده حفاظاً على ما تبقى منها. ببساطة، صدر قانون العتمة، عبر حجب الأموال عن مؤسسة كهرباء لبنان. ثم غطّت هذه الكتل، وغيرها، قرار سلامة رفع الدعم عن المحروقات. هذه الكتل تنقسم إلى قسمين. القوات والاشتراكي والمستقبل فعلوا ما فعلوه امتثالاً لأوامر أميركية بإيصال البلاد إلى الدرَك الأسفل من الانهيار. أما كتلة حركة أمل، ففعلته نكاية بالتيار الوطني الحر. وفي خلفية قانون العتمة وقرار رفع الدعم، انحياز كلي لأصحاب الثروات والمصارف.

ما جرى كان تأثيره كارثياً. لم يسبق أن اتخذت دولة، عن وعي كامل، قراراً بتدمير اقتصادها بالصورة التي فعلتها السلطة اللبنانية. ما يشهده لبنان حالياً من انقطاع للطاقة الكهربائية والمحروقات لا يمكن أن تشهده أي دولة من دون حرب مدمّرة. فالطاقة هي العمود الفقري للحياة في القرن الحادي والعشرين بعد الميلاد. ونتائج وقف إنتاج الكهرباء وقطع المحروقات لا تعيد سكان لبنان إلى المستوى الذي كانوا يعيشون فيه بعد الحرب الأهلية مباشرة، بل تُرجعهم إلى زمن ما قبل إنشاء سكة الحديد وإقامة أول معامل إنتاج الكهرباء زمن السلطة العثمانية. والدولة التي فُرِض عليها هذا الواقع، بقرار خارجي وداخلي، هي دولة يقول حاكم مصرفها المركزي إن بين يديه 14 مليار دولار «نقداً»، و17 مليار دولار ذهباً.

مجلس النواب، بوصفه المؤسسة الدستورية الأمّ، كان ينبغي أن يكون الحصن الأخير دفاعاً عن حقوق أبناء «الأمة» ومصالحهم. كان يُنتظر منه إصدار قوانين تُجبر مصرف لبنان على استمرار الدعم إلى حين إقامة شبكة أمان اجتماعي، وعلى ضمان استمرار إنتاج الكهرباء بالطاقة القصوى، وعلى تمويل إقامة معامل إنتاج جديدة تكفي لتغطية كامل حاجة البلاد. كان يُنتظر منه أن يكون على قدر المسؤولية، لإخراج البلاد من صدمة الانهيار.

جلسة مجلس النواب، أمس، يمكن اعتبارها خاتمة الاستقالة من بذل أيّ جُهد إنقاذي. هذا الواقع الداخلي، متشابكاً مع الحصار الخارجي، لا يواجَه بقرارات تقليدية. البلاد تعيش حالة انهيار تام يُعبَّر عنها بانقطاع التيار الكهربائي، وفقدان المحروقات. موازين القوى في المؤسسات الدستورية موزعة بين شريك لدول الحصار (سياسياً ومالياً)، ومستقيل من مسؤوليته وعاجز عن التغيير من الداخل

ومشتغل بالنكاية. والواقع أشبه ما يكون بحالة حرب غير معلنة. وإزاءه، لا بد من حلول غير تقليدية، على رأسها تأمين مصادر الطاقة، في وجه الاحتكار والحصار، والتفافاً على العجز التام للمؤسسات. إجراءات طوارئ هدفها إنعاش المريض والحؤول دون وفاته. هنا تحديداً تكمن أهمية استيراد النفط من إيران. إنه ليس حلاً للأزمة في لبنان، لكنه بالتأكيد شريانٌ للحياة، في وجه قوى الموت الداخلية والخارجية.


فيديوات متعلقة


مقالات متعلقة


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Thursday, 19 August 2021

Sayyed Nasrallah: Lebanon Facing Economic War, US Huge Defeat in Afghanistan Identical to Vietnam’s Saigon

 17.08.2021 

Sayyed Nasrallah: Lebanon Facing Economic War, US Huge Defeat in Afghanistan Identical to Vietnam’s Saigon   
Video

By Staff

Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered a speech in which he briefly tackled some internal Lebanese files.

Addressing mourners at the 8th night of Ashura, Sayyed Nasrallah underscored that “Some ‘senior people’ hold a press conference to attack us in Hezbollah, and they may address me personally. The best way is to ignore them. Some people work to insult us as if they don’t they won’t receive money from the Saudi and American embassies.”

“There are those monopolize fuel and gasoline on daily basis in various regions,” he added, noting that “Another reason for the crisis added to the monopoly of fuel is smuggling. There are those who took advantage of this matter and continue to smuggle fuel. The Lebanese state, the Central Bank, and many people are responsible for the problem of gasoline, diesel oil, and medicine.”

Reiterating Hezbollah’s stance from the issue, His Eminence stated: “We reject smuggling and do not approve of it. There is even religious refusal to this matter. Those who think that we approve smuggling to Syria, where we have sacrificed blood, is wrong, unjust, and suspicious.”

According to the Resistance Leader, “There are certain political leaders that are partners in covering those monopolizing fuel derivatives, and those leaders ignored monopoly and focused on the smuggling to attack Syria and its allies.”

Repeating Hezbollah’s rejection to smuggling and that it doesn’t cover anybody, he unveiled that the party is working to make diesel oil available for hospitals and municipalities.

“We contacted Syrian officials to have access to certain amounts of diesel oil to meet the needs of hospitals and bakeries, and I received calls from senior Syrian officials requesting to prevent smuggling that harms Syria’s economic plan,” he clarified.

He went on to say: “Some of those who smuggle fuel derivatives to Syria are apparently among Syria’s enemies. Controlling the borders with Syria is not Hezbollah’s responsibility but rather the state’s.”

In parallel, Sayyed Nasrallah elaborated that “What is happening in Lebanon is part of a state of economic war that aims at humiliating the Lebanese people and the Resistance.”

“The US wants Lebanon submissive and humiliated, but Lebanon is part of the front or the axis that has been dealing the US scheme blows time and again,” he confirmed, pointing out that “The war has started ahead of October 2019 with financing US embassy-affiliated civil societies. The Americans are the ones that pressed the then PM and forced him to resign. The aim of this economic war is to pressurize the Lebanese people and push them to collapse.”

Meanwhile, His Eminence assured that “Knowing that the ongoing situation is not only the result of internal problems makes our capability to be patient greater.”

However, he highlighted that “The Resistance is strong, solid and firm,” advising both “Israel” and the US not to mistaken their calculations. 

Commenting on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Sayyed Nasrallah said: “The Afghan situation is huge, which peoples of the region should learn its strategic dimensions.”

“[US President Joe] Biden withdrew his forces from Afghanistan because he could no longer stand it,” he mentioned, noting that “The scene in Kabul is identical to that of Vietnam’s Saigon.”

Shedding Light on some aspects of the US defeat in Afghanistan, His Eminence recalled that “Biden said he has spent more than $1 trillion, while his troops left the country failed and humiliated.”

As he viewed that “The US is still ignorant and doesn’t understand the region as it repeats its mistakes,” he reminded that “Biden wanted a civil war in Afghanistan that would take place through fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan forces.”

To all those betting on the US, Sayyed Nasrallah sent a clear message: “The Americans took with them their equipment and the police dogs, but didn’t take with them those who served as their collaborators. Biden said that it is not the Americans’ duty to fight instead of anybody; this is a message for those expecting that the US would fight on their behalf.”

Related Videos

Related Articles


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Monday, 16 August 2021

Sayyed Nasrallah Urges Quick Formation of Gov’t: Hezbollah Will Definitely Bring Iranian Fuel to Lebanon

 Sayyed Nasrallah Urges Quick Formation of  Gov’t: Hezbollah Will Definitely Bring Iranian Fuel to Lebanon
Video

Zeinab Essa

Hezbollah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivered on Sunday a speech in which he commented on Akkar incident that led to the death of dozens of citizens and Lebanese Army soldiers.

On the 7th night of Ashura, Sayyed Nasrallah lamented the fact that “What happened today in Akkar is full of sorrow and pain to every human and Lebanese.”

His Eminence further offered condolences to the Lebanese Army as well as the families of Akkar who lost their beloved ones. In parallel, he wished the injured a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, he announced setting everything Hezbollah is capable of as well all its institutions in service of Akkar people and the Health Ministry to help people overcome the horrible tragedy.  

As His Eminence called for investigation to the incident, helping the people and punishing all those who are responsible, he insisted that “What is required is to uncover the details of the incident and hold those responsible for it into account, and learn from this tragic incident not to be repeated in Akkar or any other place in Lebanon.”

In addition, the Resistance Leader lamented the fact that “Instead of relieving the pains, officials in the internal Lebanese political arena started trading blames, insults, and mastered political investment,” recalling the same scene that the Lebanese have suffered after Beirut Port explosion on August 4.

“This incident must lead to the speedy formation of the government as we have no more time,” he said, noting that “The incident should be a decisive element for those concerned with forming the government as the country could no more tolerate [delays].”

On this level, Sayyed Nasrallah warned that “The first message from the martyrs and their families is that a government should be formed with two or three days. Lebanon could longer tolerate, a government should be formed and everybody should sacrifice. We’re in the phase of collapse and chaos. The situation might develop to an inclusive state of chaos.”

To the Lebanese political sides, His Eminence sent a clear and sounding message: “Form a government at any cost and in any form. For Lebanon, the game of time is over.”

Regarding the issue of lifting subsides, he stressed that “The solution for lifting subsidies isn’t to trade blames but to form a government,” cautioning that “We have a failed and disabled authority, and we have no authority to run the crisis. People are left to live with the current situation.”

As he urged all sides to facilitate the formation of the government; His Eminence viewed that “Many Lebanese people are partners in responsibility for the people’s suffering due to their greed.”

“Those who stored and sold fuel derivatives at the black market have betrayed the trusteeship,” he clarified, criticizing “Most of the companies that are keeping fuel derivatives to sell them at the black market. Those who monopolized or smuggled Lebanon’s oil to Syria are treacherous and their cash is religiously forbidden.”

The Resistance Leader reiterated that Hezbollah has continuously urged the state to follow up the issue of medicines and food warehouses but it refused.

“The Lebanese Army’s decision to raid gas stations, although it was late, it pushed some station owners to retreat their acts,” he added, addressing those stocking gasoline at their homes by saying: “What you are doing is a crime, this gasoline might explode and you might be a partner in the crime.”

He also reminded that “Confiscating oil cisterns is a robbery and whoever does this is a thief.”

Back to the issue of importing fuel from Iran, Sayyed Nasrallah wished that “The Lebanese government has taken the step.”

“There is fuel in Iran to the extent that ships are loaded and are waiting for the customers,” he declared, affirming that “By God’s will, Hezbollah will definitely bring gasoline and diesel oil from Iran to Lebanon.”

According to His Eminence “When we will bring gasoline to Lebanon it won’t happen at night, but rather in the broad daylight. We’ve promised, we won’t break out promise and won’t leave the country face this situation. It is settled. I will tell you [the timeline] in two or three days.”

“Wait for me or wait for a statement from Hezbollah,” he went on to say.

“The Americans are responsible for all what is happening in Lebanon. They’re running the chaos from inside their embassy,” Sayyed Nasrallah stated, pointing out that “There is a room running the events and targeting the electric facilities in Iraq and Lebanon is not a coincidence.”

His Eminence underscored that “The time must come when we depend on our people, minds, and right policies to build our nation. We do believe that what protect Lebanon is its people, resistance, and army.”

Bringing Afghanistan scene in front of the Lebanese, Sayyed Nasrallah warned that the US continues to betray its allies and tools. “America occupied Afghanistan for 20 years. It used to topple a government and form a new one. Now the Americans have gone and forgotten all their friends and allies. If the agreement with the Taliban has been confirmed, it means that Washington has abandoned its friends and stabbed them in their backs. The Lebanese people betting on US guarantees should bear in mind the Afghan example.”

“They’ve destroyed Lebanon by relying it on foreign powers and by destroying agricultural and industrial sectors,” he emphasized, pointing out that “There must be industry and agriculture and we have to turn into a productive nation. The US has left millions of Afghans starving, thirsty and displaced.”

Recalling August 15th Ruweiss blast anniversary, Sayyed Nasrallah addressed those sending booby-trapped cars by saying: “We will reach you wherever on Earth you happen to be.”

“The crowds and the minds that support Imam Hussein [PBUH} on the tenth of Muharram won’t be affected by famine, poverty, siege, lies, or rumors,” he concluded.

Related Videos

Related Articles


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!

Wednesday, 11 August 2021

Finance Capitalism versus Industrial Capitalism: The Rentier Resurgence and Takeover

 August 10, 2021

Finance Capitalism versus Industrial Capitalism: The Rentier Resurgence and Takeover

Publication by Michael Hudson : Sage Journals

Abstract

Marx and many of his less radical contemporary reformers saw the historical role of industrial capitalism as being to clear away the legacy of feudalism—the landlords, bankers, and monopolists extracting economic rent without producing real value. However, that reform movement failed. Today, the finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) sector has regained control of government, creating neo-rentier economies.

The aim of this postindustrial finance capitalism is the opposite of industrial capitalism as known to nineteenth-century economists: it seeks wealth primarily through the extraction of economic rent, not industrial capital formation.

Tax favoritism for real estate, privatization of oil and mineral extraction, and banking and infrastructure monopolies add to the cost of living and doing business. Labor is increasingly exploited by bank debt, student debt, and credit card debt while housing and other prices are inflated on credit, leaving less income to spend on goods and services as economies suffer debt deflation.

Today’s new Cold War is a fight to internationalize this rentier capitalism by globally privatizing and financializing transportation, education, health care, prisons and policing, the post office and communications, and other sectors that formerly were kept in the public domain. In Western economies, such privatizations have reversed the drive of industrial capitalism. In addition to monopoly prices for privatized services, financial managers are cannibalizing industry by leveraging debt and high-dividend payouts to increase stock prices.

1. Introduction
2. Marx’s View of the Historical Destiny of Capitalism: To Free Economies from Feudalism
3. Capitalism’s Alliance of Banks with Industry to Promote Democratic Political Reform
4. The Banking Sector Lobbies against the Real Estate Sector, 1815–1846
5. The Alliance of Banking with Real Estate and Other Rent-Seeking Sectors
6. The Rentier Squeeze on Budgets: Debt Deflation as a Byproduct of Asset-Price Inflation
7. Finance Capital’s Fight to Privatize and Monopolize Public Infrastructure
8. Finance Capitalism Impoverishes Economies while Increasing Their Cost Structure
9. Today’s New Cold War Is a Fight by Finance Capitalism against Industrial Capitalism
10. Summary: Finance Capital as Rent-Seeking
11. Some Final Observations: Financial Takeover of Industry, Government, and Ideology

Read complete Paper


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian   
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Blog!