NEW BOOK: NICARAGUA: A History of US Intervention & Resistance / Daniel Kovalik

NICARAGUA: OVER 2 CENTURIES OF STRUGGLE NICARAGUA: A History of US Intervention & Resistance explores the pernicious nature of US engagement with Nicaragua from the mid-19th  century to the present in pursuit of control and domination rather than in defense of democracy as it has incessantly claimed. In turn, Nicaraguans have valiantly defended their homeland, preventing the US from ever maintaining its control for long. Led by Daniel Ortega, the Sandinistas established democracy in Nicaragua with the country's first free and fair elections in 1984. Once again, the US attempted to subvert democracy by organizing Somoza's former National Guardsmen into a terrorist group known as the Contras.  Directed and funded by the CIA, the Contras would terrorize Nicaragua for nearly 10 years. In 1990, the Sandinistas stood for early election and the war-weary voters selected Violeta Chamorro. The Sandinistas relinquished office peacefully stepped, ceding the government to Chamorro. For 17 long years, from 1990 to 2007, neo-liberal governments, beginning with Violetta Chamorro, governed Nicaragua.  Backed by the US, these governments neglected the people, leaving almost half of the country un-electrified, without decent education or health care, and in poverty.   ACCOMPLISHMENTS When Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas returned to power in 2007 through elections, they immediately established free health care and education,  built infrastructure throughout the country, and began to eradicate poverty. Now, almost 100% of the country is electrified; poverty and extreme poverty have been greatly diminished; and the UN has ranked Nicaragua 5th in the world for gender equality three years in a row. Dan Kovalik graduated from Columbia Law School in 1993, and currently teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He served as in-house counsel for the United Steelworkers for 26 years. Kovalik has been traveling to Nicaragua since 1987 and has been a friend of Nicaragua and the Sandinista Revolution since that time. He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy for the Huffington Post, Counterpunch and RT News, and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects. He is the author of several books, including The Plot to Overthrow Venezuela, How the US Is Orchestrating a Coup for Oil, which includes a Foreword by Oliver Stone. PRAISE FOR THIS BOOK "Professor Kovalik sweeps away fake news and fake history disseminated by the mainstream media concerning Nicaragua, documenting a gruesome history of US interventionism and crimes in Nicaragua. Highlighting the achievements of the Sandinistas in the field of human rights and social justice, he refutes US caricatures and denounces CIA attempts to destabilize Nicaragua to facilitate undemocratic 'regime change'." ALFRED DE ZAYAS, UN Independent Expert for the promotion of an international democratic and equitable order "Kovalik's book, written from the perspective of someone who has been visiting the country for decades and immersing himself in the Nicaraguan reality of daily life, is a refreshing reminder that it is still possible to write truthfully about history."  MAX BLUMENTHAL, The Grayzone "Kovalik demolishes the dominant Western narrative. He shares the hard-won gains of today's Nicaragua, explains Daniel Ortega's enduring popularity and powerfully defends why the Sandinistas are deserving of our continued solidarity. This book is must-read to understand Nicaragua in the 21st century and fills a stark gap in contemporary Latin American Studies. May it lead to further study  in situ and less arm-chair pontificating by politicians and intellectuals."  SOFIA M. CLARK, Professor of Political Science, UNAN-Managua. "Daniel Kovalik, international human rights attorney, who has been visiting Nicaragua since 1987, has provided a clearly written and well-documented (453 Endnotes) factual account of an honest history of Nicaragua from the 1850s to the present in less than 180 pages. By reading this account, the reader will be well versed to contradict the constant lies presented to the public by the incredibly controlled corporate and Silicon Valley news media."    S. BRIAN WILLSON, lawyer,  author of Don't Thank Me For My Service, resident of Nicaragua "Kovalik's book, written from the perspective of someone who has been visiting the country for decades and immersing himself in the Nicaraguan reality of daily life, is a refreshing reminder that it is still possible to write truthfully about history."  PATRICIO ZAMARANO, Director. Council on Hemispheric Affairs, COHA.org  businessmanager@claritypress.com 2625 Piedmont Rd. NE, Ste. 56, Atlanta, Georgia, 30324

BOOK REVIEWS: RICHARD FALK MEMOIR: PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL: The Life of a Citizen Pilgrim

THE REMARKABLE LIFE STORY OF A LEADING AMERICAN PUBLIC INTELLECTUAL BOOK REVIEWS "In this 'political memoir', internationally respected scholar of international law, Richard Falk, at 90 gives a frank and personal account of his evolution to a 'citizen pilgrim'. Falk has made considerable contributions to international law. His notable four volume work  The Vietnam War and International Law (1968–76) was central in the legal debates around the Vietnam War...His present book is not only of interest to those who lived through the same times as Falk, but also for those reflecting on the contributions of academics for justice, peace and environment... Public Intellectual: The Life of a Citizen Pilgrim is elegant, personal, relevant and thought-provoking..." PETER WALLENSTEIN Journal of Peace Research READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  "This elegantly written autobiography elucidates the interfaces connecting the personal, professional, and political facets of the life of a leading international law expert, born in New York and educated at Pennsylvania, Yale and Harvard. The doctrine and concrete application of international law becomes animated in the life of this practitioner, provocateur, hands-on negotiator of prisoner of war releases, UN Rapporteur, and a member of commissions of inquiry and People's Tribunals. Richard Falk is the protagonist of this journey full of insights into the function of law as a means to promote peace and human rights through conflict prevention, the mitigation of suffering and reparation to victims.......Much more than just the 'memoirs' of a leading international law professor, this book tells a story of law in practice, addressing many issues of international relations, includingUN standard-setting and monitoring, which Falk explores, cogently discussing the interactions between politics and law, expressing his understanding that politics must be subordinated to law and not vice versa."   ALFRED DE ZAYAS Netherlands International Law Review READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  "Richard Falk is universally regarded as one of the top minds when it comes to international law. Yet his views are not only not welcome in establishment circles, but even among most left-leaning liberals. He was once the darling of liberals, someone whose left-of-center views were seen as important in "balancing" conservative and centrist views in debates, seminars, and TV programs. He was, in short, one of the establishment's favorite critics of American foreign policy. That is until he crossed several red lines. The most consequential of these red lines was moving from abstract legal critiques of Israel's policies in the Middle East to one of active sympathy with the Palestinian people's struggle, and especially when he had the temerity to call Israel's fundamental strategy of governance by its name: "apartheid."   WALDEN BELLO Foreign Policy in Focus READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  Richard Falk is one of the most authoritative contemporary International Relations scholars. A very prolific author, he has contributed to almost all relevant world issues of the last 60 years and has published, edited and co-edited several dozens of books. The book reviewed here, however, is totally different from his previous works, most of which will be very familiar to any student in the field of international affairs: it is a fascinating intellectual autobiography in which, among many other things, Falk narrates the opportunity he had to interact with the Vietnamese leadership, to challenge Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, to try to decipher Ayatollah Khomeini's intentions and to advise President Nelson Mandela.   The academic discussions in the book are linked to a direct engagement with events of world politics, often marshalling the author's personal experience. Falk is probably the top frequent flyer in academia; none of his intellectual contributions are purely deductive, all being based on extensive fieldwork carried out on the five continents. Perhaps Falk's most formative experience—as for many other American intellectuals of his generation—came during the Vietnam War. The US was deeply divided between those who supported the war and those—led by students and intellectuals—strongly opposed to it. As one of the leading anti-war campaigners of the 1960s, Falk tried to use the tools of international law to undercut the justification for the American invasion and, even more, to condemn the methods used in waging the war....   ... Falk's unique intellectual and political career poses a profound challenge to anybody working in International Relations: is it possible really to understand the dynamics of world politics without also participating passionately in its events? Many scholars argue that there should be a responsibility of objectivity in the social sciences; but Falk has never tried to be 'neutral'. All his works were consciously born from a partisan attempt to change reality and to take a side. Nobody else is likely to be a witness to so many world events as Richard Falk; but he is teaching us that, to understand International Relations, and indeed the social sciences more broadly, scholars should be brave enough to enter the political arena.   DANIELE ARCHIBUGI International Affairs / Chatham House READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW    "The 2008 global meltdown spotlighted America's own legions of greedy wolf warriors, feeding at the trough. Neither America's nor China's wolf warriors offer happy returns, but only our best deep thinkers, it seems, know this. One is Richard Falk who, in his just-published political memoir Public Intellectual, is as successful as anyone in making the point that what's needed is not simply a course correction but a new course." TOM PLATE South China Morning Post READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  "In his memoir, Richard Falk, one of the most prominent yet controversial experts on international law and relations, unravels many secrets of both the academic world and global affairs. It's a rare privilege to publish a memoir at the age of 90. Richard Falk, an American-Jewish scholar and one of the top experts on international law, is among the blessed ones. A fierce member of academic discipline, Falk has earned a reputation for speaking on behalf of victims and the weak. He believes in the idea of being a 'citizen pilgrim', which means taking up a "life journey to build a better future by addressing the injustices of the present wherever encountered."  TRT Magazine, Turkey READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  "The real takeaway from Falk's memoirs is what the life of an honourable man looks like as the world around him crumbles, who at 90 believes we can  still take joy from our life long beliefs, which must be burnished constantly, wiping away dirt and the deeper rust. Israel represents the great, final betrayal of western civilization, our Titanic. Falk is one of the crew, and prefers to go down listening to Mozart, rather than compromise to stay afloat for a few more 'happy hours'.." ERIC WALBERG Transnational READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW  "The account of Richard Falk and his life is a gift to the world! The 90 years of pilgrimage from New York to Turkey is full of riveting experiences, reflection and choices, a truth-seeking love story with life and the world. It should inspire us all to see that law, used in honest service to fairness and justice, is a tool for peace both at the national level and among nations. No wonder Prof. Falk has received multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize."   FREDRICK S. HEFFERMEHL Norwegian Jurist, author Nobel's Will  FOREIGN EDITIONS FORTHCOMING IN TURKISH, ITALIAN AND ARABIC SELECTED INTERVIEWS UNCLA LAW, HA'ARETZ, COUNTERPUNCH CONSORTIUM NEWS "This intimate and penetrating account of a remarkable life is rich in insights about topics ranging from the academic world to global affairs to prospects for a livable society.  A gripping story, with many lessons for a troubled world." NOAM CHOMSKY "Richard Falk is one of the few great public intellectuals and citizen pilgrims who has preserved his integrity and consistency in our dark and decadent times. This wise and powerful memoir is a gift that bestows us with a tear-soaked truth and blood-stained hope."  CORNEL WEST Whether you are a peace activist or researcher, or you care about the earth and fellow human beings ,  Public Intellectual will enrich you intellectually and politically."                           VANDANA SHIVA "Richard Falk recounts a life well spent trying to bend the arc of international law toward global justice. A Don Quixote tilting nobly at real dragons. His culminating vision of a better or even livable future—a 'necessary utopia'—evokes with current urgency the slogan of Paris, May 1968: 'Be realistic: demand the impossible.'" DANIEL ELLSBERG VIEW TABLE OF CONTENTS, EXCERPT AND NAMES INDEX During forty years at Princeton University, Falk was active in seeking an end to the Vietnam War, a better understanding of Iran, a just solution for Israel/Palestine, and improved democracy elsewhere. He also served as UN Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine. His books include This Endangered Planet, A Study of Future Worlds, Power Shift, Revisiting the Vietnam War, Palestine Horizon,  and  On Nuclearism His publications and activism describe various encounters with embedded American militarism, especially as expressed by governmental resistance to responsible efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and his United Nations efforts on behalf of the rights of the Palestinian people.   In 2010 Richard Falk was named Outstanding Public Scholar in Political Economy by the International Studies Association. He has been nominated annually for the Nobel Peace Prize since 2009.

REVIEW: The CIA As Organized Crime - How Illegal Operations Corrupt America An The World by Douglas Valentine

INTERVIEW WITH DOUGLAS VALENTINE INTERVIEW PART II HERE TRANSNATIONAL CRIME IN THE NAME OF NATIONAL SECURITY  Valentine provides insight into the paradigmatic approaches evolved by CIA decades ago in Vietnam which remain operational practices today in Afghanistan, El Salvador, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. A common theme is the CIA's ability to deceive and propagandize the American public through its impenetrable government-sanctioned shield of official secrecy and plausible deniability. Though investigated by the Church Committee in 1975, CIA praxis then continues to inform CIA praxis now. Valentine tracks its steady infiltration into practices targeting the last population to be subjected to the exigencies of the American empire: the American people. "Douglas Valentine writes books that rip the bloody veil off the criminal enterprise known as the US government. When he does this, he combines incredibly in-depth research, interviews and an inviting style of prose that exposes the dark truth about the US nation and its national security state. The CIA as Organized Crime continues that tradition and is an important and crucial text. " RON JACOBS, Counterpunch ISBN: 978-1-949762-20-4 $16.95 | Paper | 144 pp. $10.00 | Ebook "I read it in suspense and found the last revelations after the mission even more disturbing." —OLIVER STONE "Courageously takes us inside the CIA's most shameful extralegal operations, exposing an intelligence service gone rogue. Douglas Valentine's book is a public service."  JOHN KIRIAKOU, author of The Reluctant Spy: My Secret Life in the CIA's War on Terror "Thanks to extensive interviews, he has an almost intimate feel for the operating mentality of the agency, why they operate the way they do—not only their bloody-minded ruthlessness or their rationalizations, important and interesting as these are—and why they are unbothered by such distinctions as Republican or Democratic presidents." PAUL BUHLE, Portside DOUGLAS VALENTINE Douglas Valentine is an American journalist and author of six works of historical nonfiction, The Hotel Tacloban, The Phoenix Program, The Strength of the Wolf (winner of the Choice Academic Library Award), The Strength of the Pack, and The CIA as Organized Crime. His articles have appeared regularly in Counterpunch, ConsortiumNews, and elsewhere. Portions of his research materials are archived at the National Security Archive (both a Vietnam Collection and a separate Drug Enforcement Collection), Texas Tech University's Vietnam Center, and John Jay College https://www.claritypress.com