The Weekly Watch
Marching Toward War?
Are US citizens so blinded by their delusion of greatness that they can't see this war mongering country for what it is? Perhaps it is the MSM which cheers on every possible conflict that has brainwashed the people with war propaganda. Whatever the reason, the citizenry (for the most part) seems numb to US aggression. Last week I thought it was China and the US supported Taiwan independence effort which might spark war. This week it is NATO's expansion and Ukraine's prodding, edging us closer to a foolish war with Russia. This is insanity folks. We need to be cooperating with other powers not war mongering.
The increasing likelihood of nuclear war between the US power alliance and Russia and/or China is the most important issue in the world. It’s self-evidently priority number one, because there will be no politics, protests, Covid vaccines, racial issues, healthcare etc if we are all dead.
There is no other issue that could instantly turn all the other issues into a non-issue tomorrow. Opposing the way the US and its allies are rapidly ramping up hostilities against Russia and China simultaneously and shutting down any possibility of detente must be our foremost priority.
I just keep seeing a day not far in the future were a nuke gets discharged amid the chaos and confusion of escalating cold war tensions between nuclear-armed nations and all we’ll be thinking about as the world ends is all the stupid nonsense we’d been arguing about previously.
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The only manufacturing jobs left in the US are military weapons and consent.
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Gotta keep dropping bombs because they gotta keep making bombs. Gotta keep making bombs because they made the entire economy dependent on bomb-making. This is the only type of system that could possibly work.
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Because people who object to US-led imperialist aggressions against their governments are routinely purged from social media, those of us who do not live in nations that are being targeted by those aggressions have a special duty to forcefully speak out against US imperialism.
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The advent of nuclear weapons didn’t prevent a third world war, it just postponed it. It is not a coincidence that the two most powerful nations the US has been unable to absorb into its field of control are nuclear-armed ones. But now a final confrontation is on the horizon.
After the second world war the US became the top imperialist aggressor, and since it couldn’t take out Russia and China it set about absorbing weaker nations into its imperial folds. Now only a few nations remain unabsorbed, and the drums of war against Russia and China are beating ever louder. There was a tiny four-year window after Hiroshima before Stalin got the bomb, and China followed five years later. By doing so they were able to postpone a direct confrontation with the US empire for the rest of the century, but they’ve been marked for absorption ever since.
And now the campaign to shore up total global control is approaching its final stage.
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Things are fucked, the people who are making them fucked will keep doing so until stopped by the public, and the public is being psychologically manipulated away from stopping them by propaganda. That’s our whole struggle right now, and it’s happening on many different fronts.
Don't expect Biden to ease tensions. In fact expect the opposite...
Biden administration has unveiled its first comprehensive review of the deployment of U.S. forces globally — and it envisions a virtually unchanged military footprint, with a sharpened commitment to the bipartisan policy of Cold War-style hostility toward Russia and China.
...
the review does indicate an evolving strategy to further expand military capabilities near China, including through leveraging existing partnerships. “In Australia, you’ll see new rotational fighter and bomber aircraft deployments. You’ll see ground forces training and increased logistics cooperation,” said Mara Karlin, the acting deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, in a briefing with reporters. “So, we’re doing a lot that will hopefully come to fruition in the coming years.” The Pentagon also confirmed that it was establishing a permanent attack helicopter squadron and artillery division headquarters in South Korea.
...
Directly noting the ongoing tensions surrounding Ukraine’s future and Washington’s portrayal of Russian President Vladimir Putin as menacing the former Soviet republic with troop movements near the border, Karlin said, “We are actually increasing troops in Germany” to bolster NATO’s capacity. The Biden administration will “continue to provide security assistance items, both lethal and nonlethal to Ukraine,” said Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, a retired rear admiral, at the briefing with Karlin. “This administration remains committed to helping Ukrainian military defend itself, defend its territorial integrity, defend its people.”
Some people are trying to raise the alarm...
Dave DeCamp – News Editor at Antiwar.com – returns to explain escalating tensions with Russia over Ukraine. In recent weeks the US has engaged in military drills along Russia’s western border while encouraging a Ukrainian military build-up. The result has been Cold War-style threats including deploying more nuclear weapons into eastern Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiEOImfjDTY (47 min)
Now who is the aggressor? I think it is obvious. Why don't people see it?
the U.S. is intensifying its aerial reconnaissance activity around the Black Sea:
MOSCOW, November 10. /TASS/. NATO reconnaissance aircraft increased the number of flights near the Russian borders in the Black Sea region over the past 24 hours, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.
"Over the past 24 hours, reconnaissance aircraft of NATO countries increased the intensity of flights near the borders of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea region," the ministry said.
On November 9, the radars of the Russian Aerospace Force’s air defense troops tracked a US Air Force E-8C airborne ground surveillance, command and control aircraft over the Black Sea, it said.
"Also, Russian anti-aircraft missile troops tracked three reconnaissance aircraft of NATO member states over the Black Sea in the past 24 hours," the statement says.
Meanwhile U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets as well as aerial tankers have been deployed to Bulgaria and Romania.
The fear in Moscow is not that the U.S. will attack Russia. But the high activity of U.S. forces in the area and the incitement Kiev gets from Washington might make the Ukrainian leadership believe that Washington has its back and will come to its help when it attacks the Donbass region and Russia hits back.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/11/in-ukraine-the-us-is-risking-war.html
Since April, the U.S. and its allies have been stepping up their military support for Ukraine. After a March announcement of $125 million in military aid, including armed coastal patrol boats and radar equipment, the U.S. then gave Ukraine another $150 million package in June. This included radar, communications, and electronic warfare equipment for the Ukrainian Air Force, bringing total military aid to Ukraine since the U.S.-backed coup in 2014 to $2.5 billion. This latest package appears to include deploying U.S. training personnel to Ukrainian air bases.
Turkey is supplying Ukraine with the same drones it provided to Azerbaijan for its war with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. That war killed at least 6,000 people and has recently flared up again, one year after a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Turkish drones wreaked havoc on Armenian troops and civilians alike in Nagorno-Karabakh, and their use in Ukraine would be a horrific escalation of violence against the people of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The ratcheting up of U.S. and NATO support for government forces in Ukraine’s civil war is having ever-worsening diplomatic consequences. At the beginning of October, NATO expelled eight Russian liaison officers from NATO Headquarters in Brussels, accusing them of spying. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the manager of the 2014 coup in Ukraine, was dispatched to Moscow in October, ostensibly to calm tensions. Nuland failed so spectacularly that, only a week later, Russia ended 30 years of engagement with NATO, and ordered NATO’s office in Moscow closed.
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/11/23/the-us-russia-confrontation-over-u...
(worth a whole read)
The Biden administration is also reportedly considering sending military advisors and more weapons to Ukraine, a move that would inflame tensions in the region even more. The potential weapons package could include new Javelin anti-tank missiles, mortars, and stinger missiles.
Since the 2014 US-backed coup in Kyiv, Washington has sent over $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine, and US and NATO military activity in the region has significantly increased. Moscow points to the NATO military presence near Russia’s borders as the source of tensions in the region.
On Thursday, Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The two diplomats made little progress but did agree for Biden and Putin to hold future talks. The Kremlin said Friday that it has a date for the talks and is awaiting confirmation from Washington.
https://news.antiwar.com/2021/12/03/biden-says-hell-make-it-very-difficu...
Blinken met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation on Europe summit in Stockholm. According to The Guardian, the two diplomats spent their 40-minute conversation “trading threats” and opted not to make a joint appearance to the press in a sign that there was no breakthrough.
Another major concern for Russia is the increase of US and NATO military activity in the region. Lavrov said NATO has shot down proposals from Russia to ease tensions. “NATO continues its activity aimed at escalating the situation directly on our borders. NATO refuses to consider our proposals on easing tension and preventing dangerous incidents,” he said.
https://news.antiwar.com/2021/12/02/biden-putin-to-hold-talks-in-the-nea...
There is fear in Russia that the U.S. is egging the Ukraine into a renewed active conflict with its renegade eastern Donbass region and thereby into a war with Russia.
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The Biden administrations war mongering towards Russia may be seen to be free of cost. But it takes only one miscalculation in Kiev or some unforeseen incident in the Black Sea region and the situation could seriously escalate.
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Moscow’s narrative is that the Western powers are deliberately fueling Ukraine’s revanchist instincts by arming it and encouraging President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is fighting for political survival, to believe that with Western support, a window of opportunity is opening to recapture the lost territories in Donbas and Crimea and thereby redeem his pledge to be his country’s savior.And second, as Moscow sees it, the rising tensions with Russia have become a convenient alibi to involve NATO directly in Ukraine’s security and make it a template of the West’s containment strategy against Russia.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/11/the-white-house-needs-an-off-ramp-...
Kiev’s aggressive rhetoric about using the American-made Javelin anti-tank missile systems in Donbass, as well as accusations of Russia’s invasion plans, creates an explosive situation and encourages the escalation of conflict. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, also claimed that Kiev’s forces used the American Javelin system in Donbass for the first time. This is further evidence that the Minsk agreements, which are extremely important for regulating the crisis and ceasefire in Donbass, is being violated.
https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2021/11/26/us-spreads-fake-news-of-russian-...
Playing with fire...
https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2021/11/30/russian-attack-on-ukraine-imminent/
Putin has now said as clearly as conceivable within the traditional language of international diplomacy that if the USA puts offensive missile systems onto Ukrainian soil, thereby cutting the warning time of attack on Moscow to 5-7 minutes, then the Russians will station their hypersonic attack missiles on surface and submarine vessels within 5-7 minutes striking distance of Washington, D.C.
What a waste!
The United States government’s reaction to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 led to dramatic increases in Pentagon funding and revnues for weapons contractors. While the costs and consequences of America’s war policies of the twenty-first century have been well-documented, the question of who has profited from this approach has received less attention. Corporations large and small have been, by far, the largest beneficiaries of the post-9/11 surge in military spending. Since the start of the war in Afghanistan, Pentagon spending has totaled over $14 trillion, one-third to one-half of which went to defense contractors.2 Some of these corporations earned profits that are widely considered legitimate. Other profits were the consequence of questionable or corrupt business practices that amount to waste, fraud, abuse price-gouging or profiteering.
China
TPTB are using Ukraine to gin up a war with Russia. With China it is a similar strategy. Last year it was the Hong Kong protests (which were US instigated and supported).
https://thegrayzone.com/?s=hong+kong
Then the lies about the Uyghur community...
https://thegrayzone.com/?s=+Uyghur+
And now we've got Taiwan where were stirring up trouble yet again.
https://thegrayzone.com/?s=Taiwan
But there a multitude of ways they are trying to denigrate China, like:
The 'Missing' Star Athlete Peng Shuai Is Not Missing At All
The New York Times has falsely claimed that the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai accused her former lover of sexual assault. She did not do that.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/12/the-missing-star-athlete-peng-shua...
Today a number of U.S. aligned non government organizations launched an anti-China campaign in Germany.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/11/german-ngos-and-newspapers-propaga...
In 1967 the magazine "Ramparts" ran an expose revealing that the Central Intelligence Agency had been secretly funding and managing a wide range of citizen front groups intended to counter communist influence around the world.
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CIA official Frank Wisner called the operation his "mighty Wurlitzer," on which he could play any propaganda tune.
The US Wants South Korea to Help Take on the Chinese Military
The current U.S. $1.7 trillion plan for a whole range of new nuclear weapons therefore seems to be a response to the reality that the United States cannot expect to defeat Russia and China in conventional wars on their own borders.
But the paradox of nuclear weapons is that the most powerful weapons ever created have no practical value as actual weapons of war, since there can be no winner in a war that kills everybody. Any use of nuclear weapons would quickly trigger a massive use of them by one side or the other, and the war would soon be over for all of us. The only winners would be a few species of radiation-resistant insects and other very small creatures.
Neither Obama, Trump nor Biden has dared to present their reasons for risking World War III over Ukraine or Taiwan to the American public, because there is no good reason. Risking a nuclear holocaust to appease the military-industrial complex is as insane as destroying the climate and the natural world to appease the fossil fuel industry.
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/11/23/the-us-russia-confrontation-over-u...
I'll give Caity the last word too...
Every day there’s more propaganda banging the drums of war between nuclear-armed nations a little louder. Western media are churning out reports about Russia preparing to invade Ukraine any minute now and China preparing to invade Taiwan any minute now, saying the response to each is obviously to move a lot of high-powered weaponry to both of those locations, and none of them are questioning whether these allegations are true or whether those responses are wise.
This is so dangerous. This whole two-front nuclear brinkmanship game is so very, very dangerous, and they keep finding ways to make it more dangerous. And hardly anyone notices it, because the news media outlets that people look to to understand the world aren’t telling them it’s dangerous.
The only danger you’re allowed to discuss in mainstream western reporting about Russia and China is their scary aggressive expansionism
...
There are no checks or balances on this insane agenda. It’s supported by all mainstream parties and all mainstream media outlets. We’re sleepwalking into nuclear war. Nobody’s awake to the danger. Not the public, not the media, and most frighteningly not the empire managers actually driving these agendas.
Comments
Sorry I lost half my essay...
the last half was about China. It would not save claiming someone else had accessed it or it was already saved.
Hey I managed to get it back. I back paged till I got to my last edit and copied the missing portion. Used the edit essay and pasted it in. Hate to lose all the work, so glad I found it and hope it is worthwhile info.
How Many Wars is America Fighting? (It's More Than You Think)
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning all
So the yanks are threatening to slay the bear and the dragon
to save the world for the empire. Huh. Sounds more like a
belligerent child throwing a tantrum because he can't have
all the toys. The MIC, congress and admin are all in for this play.
Cooperation is our only hope. Forming peoples delegations to
work around official diplomatic channels may be a start.
Glad you didn't lose your work!
Thanks LO.
question everything
Hey QMS
Thanks for coming by.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
This from China
China points out 'deep-seated problems' with U.S. democracy: 'It's a rich men's game'.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-12-05/China-releases-report-on-U-S-democ...
question everything
Just compare the two countries...
US has more people in prison than China (both raw numbers and percent population)
US has massively more COVID deaths
US stirs up conflict, China promotes trade and development.
US goal is corporate profit, China's is the good of its people.
Not saying China is perfect, just that it is better than our evil empire.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Because the free trade ideology wants only one global labor
market, only jobs with a military aspect which means that they can be reserved for US firms via an exemption for National Security. Only they are immune from National Treatment and Most Favored Nation and Market Access rules.. if the firm bids the lowest they will get an entitlement to do the contract. We have to treat them as if they and their workers are American, except in some areas, its possible, like wages.
. We are supposed to gradually start the services liberalization (in a one way ratchet effect, always more and more, and no going back, sothis bars any kind of expansion of any public anything of any kind. Unless its minimal meaning the least possibly trade restrictive. That means all the expansions of public anything that people want likely can only help the most detitute or it isnt allowed.
This great transformation of the world's way of doing labor is already common in the Middle East and Asia, with huge numbers of (the poorer workers) living in dorms and being fed in cafeterias as their employers expense.Others are well to do. Many of the foreign IT workers seem to come from wealthy families and have money. They certainly are not here to work for $9 hour.. Nor coulod they buy real esate on that low low income. The money comes from distant families who are using them to move money out of their own countries and invest here for them.
The poorer kinds of guest workers (like construction and energy workers) spend almost nothing as they are supporting distant families with this work. Kids are raised by grandparents and never see fathers. They might be paid $400 a month. About what similar kinds of workers earn in Eastern Europe.
It separates the people of a good chunk of the world from their families and children all in the name of higher profits. Their parents must arrange schooling and childcare out of their low wages.
(The trade deals are also privatizing varios kinds of public education, with the future leading to a tiered world. The neoliberal way to do education is vouchers. A family might receive a refund bck from their tax payments of a few thousand dollars per child to spend on a school "of their choice" If they can . This will probably become the norm here because with the changes in the pipeline taxes will not be able to support many or most of what we have today. Money being paid into Social Security will also plummet due to these changes. Because its unfair the way its being done now to take allthe Social Security portion of a very low paid workers taxes and only give them back to him or her if they stay a much longer time than the visa lasts. Theywill have to pay that money back to them when they leave or give them all permanent residency. (This is often why they are often forced to pay bribes - as much as $30k or more to be placed in a US job)
(bidding out internationally) any other procurement that involve any level of government or tax money in some cases a threshold is involved, say several hundred thousand dollars, in some cases its nothing. Contracts over that are covered by these requirements they be contracted out.
Also wages may be bid down lower and lower as jobs get scarcer.
Government employment that's in-house is supposed to be privatized and then globalized to service providing firms, whomever bids the lowest who is qualified. Companies all over the world are gearing up for this. They are on their way to these jobs. Its all part of this huge deal.
Along with that millions of American's dreams and job prospects and families will turn to ashes. It will become no better here in terms of being able to get jobs (except ones in the military and national secrecy industries which will become much more than it is today, because surveillance will be the only field they can reserve to US firms to keep the high profit margins) than it is for people anywhere else. All other busineses will be able to rely more and more on cheap temp labor from elsewhere.
The huge flow of guest workers to contracting jobs in the US will be based on the ability to pay them less, in some cases much less. And the fact that they wont be able to change jobs or ask for a raise or lose their status as legally here. This is a dirty trick on both them and us, IMHO.
We already agreed to all this back in 1995. Its how they got the Global South nations to agree to the rules that made Rx drugs so expensive and so on (The TRIPS agreement, etc) In exchange the global south countries got the right to bid on and do work here, if they are cheaper.
We can't limit it, nor can we reserve jobs to only when Americans are not available. Read up on Market Access under GATS and TISA to see what rules will apply. Economic Needs Tests are not allowed or are deeply limited.
The people of the US are likely to be thrown under the bus. This is no way to run a country or business, IMHO.
The US goal is global dominance
No other country is allowed to become our equal.
We're number one...
most prisoners, more death, more war....
Edit to add:
Rick Wolff elaborates on the differences... (7 min)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XEYv__qq0A]
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
But US and other companies are locating in China because of the
cheap, high skill labor. If wages there were high enough to support people paying US prices, the corporations would go elsewhere for labor.
We want our cake (low wages) and to eat it too (high even insane markups).
Chinese companies are involved in a bidding war for talent. They are trying to draw the motivated workers by each trying to outdo each other with amenities for workers. Just like hiring bonuses, relocation benefits, etc. in the US in the 1970s-1990s.
Now they have guest workers who they can pay 1/3 of a US worker. So the raises and relocation benefits have stopped. Soon the hiring of US workers will stop, don't fall for the propaganda that we have a labor shortage. Its just prepping us for the huge changes they are setting up with work, as a cover up.
Like Bernie Sanders and Medicare for all and the fake "public option" that was not ever an option. Ifs a code word so the RWers can reassure one another that nothing has changed.
A deliberate attempt at confusing the country.
the Chinese are happier with their gov't than US folks
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/07/long-term-survey-reveals-...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Morning all ...
This just came up:
War in Ukraine? NATO expansion drives conflict with Russia
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2kx4mlW3KU width:600 height:360]
Here, in this 1945 film introduced by none other than General, and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower, is the original founding myth of the US Natseckom. Boomers grew up immersed in this mythology: We won the war in Europe.
The True Glory
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSBSHU9ZLpY width:600 height:360]
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Must admit I grew up thinking...
the US won WWII. Took till adulthood to learn Russia did far more to defeat Germany than the US.
Thanks for the Grayzone piece. I'll check it out soon!
As always, I appreciate your excellent recommendations!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
the push back inteview...
made the point of this essay better than the essay. Thanks for the clip!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Is Ukraine a sovereign nation?
Or is it still part of the Russian Empire?
How can Putin object to an alliance between Ukraine and the USA (and Western Europe)?
I'm not defending the MIC. I'm saying it is none of Russia's business who Ukraine allies with. Nor is it any of our business who Cuba allies with.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
I agree...
Sadly it isn't quite that innocent.
Did the US have the right to conduct a coup in Ukraine and install fascists? Cause we did. In fact Biden engineered it and his son and Kerry's nephew profited quite handsomely like $50 k / month serving as boardmembers of Barisma Oil
https://larouchepub.com/other/2021/4816-biden_s_history_inciting_ukrai.html
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Russia, Ukraine and Europe entered into agreements in 2014
and 2015 to stop fighting in the Donabas region called Minsk Protocol and Minsk II.
I believe this is Pepe Escobar's latest article on the subject - The NATOstan Clown Show
edited missing link
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Thanks for Pepe's piece!
He nails it...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
In a world
in which we were living in peace and facing our energy and economic challenges through peace, your question,
"How can Putin object to an alliance between Ukraine and the USA (and Western Europe)?"
would be understandable. Putin has no objection to the alliance you describe, which is, and has been, the status quo since 2014.
He objects to NATO placing nuclear armed missiles in Ukraine because it shortens the time for decision-making concerning mutually assured destruction to 5-7 minutes. He's been very clear on this.
Ukraine is still in the Yeltsin period of its development, corrupt, impoverished, and now forced, by an armed overthrow of its government, to suffer Nazi military tyranny and IMF austerity. That the American people know nothing of this is a testament to the total control our death machine has over our media. That the U.S. is supporting Nazi revolutions in Europe is taken seriously there.
excellent analysis...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good Morning Lookout
Sobering round-up of the State of our Nation....
A few memories it prompted---
I remember when Trump dropped 50 or was it 100 missiles into Syria at unmanned, inconsequential spots because the military demanded that he do something. Each Boeing missile cost $55,000, IIRC. That was the price to get the military support he wanted for military parades and whatever else he craved.
Also, I have to wonder if the US Military is factoring in China's new low flying long flying missile system that can reach our shores easily and fire off another missile fromthe one already in flight. Military spokesman have said that we have no defense for this yet.
(Similar to the NYC PD Captain who told us that the NYPD have not figured out a way to stop Flash Mobs. Flash mobs are the gangs of thieves who clean out stores in minutes and who communicate in ways that the PD cannot penetrate.)
Also worth a thought are the cyber capabilities of China and Russia.
I do not think that any plan the USA might harbor will go according to plan.
China and Russia will not allow it. The current US saber-rattling sounds like our own death rattle to me.
We are in a state of denial about our place in the world, imho. If war comes, I doubt it will be some neat little venture which will sacrifice another country's lives to feed the greed of our Elite. Much more likely that our grids will go down, thanks to China or Russia, or a major city or military installation will be bombed. This time we will feel the pain, not just inflict it.
NYCVG
The US reveals it incompetence..
across almost every domain. Let's see what was the last war the US won?
Starting a major confrontation won't work out well.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
maybe. But I doubt it.
maybe but I doubt it. People are too freaked out with the plague and socalled supply chain crisis consisting of profitering off any crisis they cook up. War? We've been at war with whoever since forever.Dont ask me how to pry the warindustry off humanities back.No one in power including so called progressives stands up. What's the war budget? Billions. For what? Death and destruction.
A significant group focusing on increasing US Government
public and military support for Taiwan is Formosan Association for Public Affairs
2021 Summary of the 14 Taiwan Bills before Congress and update on legislative activity FAPA is supporting.
Summary of FAPA's main issues.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
plainly pushing for war...
The insanity of US policy.
Thanks for the Taiwan info!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Taiwan's "historical" name of Formosa?
Only if you restrict yourself to Western history. The Portuguese slapped that name on it when roving the Pacific for profitable trade, back in the 16th century. (But they didn't do much with it, nor did anyone else until the Dutch East India Company arrived in 1624....)
"Taiwan" is thought to be a Sinified form of the older, native name "Taioan".
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
I think it has been traded...
over the centuries between China and a variety of empires.
Thanks for the visit.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Ask Chinese outside of China.
But there is a sort of deal, where Chinese expect their government is going to try to improve their standrd of living continual improvement, nothing of the kind exists in the US, in fact popeople here never hold politicians to their word at all, and poolitician promises are not worth the paper they are never printed on.
We're well known for that, actually. US politics is seem by many as more of a theatrical production than anything else.
Of course our government justifies what its doing (trading away our jobs) by claiming that we have a labor shortage or that people are "voluntarily" quitting the jobs to be contracted out so that ther wont be any discussion about it which might reveal facts which it would be inconvenient for us to know.
We've made it into a battle between "efficiency gains" (higher profits, and profit is king of course in America, from lower wages add up to more profits from contracting out the good, more expensive labor. Our allegedly overpaid undereducated worker bees can still do the things they have the training to do, like the meat service industry and retail sales, fast food, etc. Its been propaganda from the beginning, ever since we "eliminated welfare" because of course our system makes people so rich.
Dont forget that GATS was written in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the context of the fall of the former USSR. That is very important because GATS clearly is an attempt to make it impossible for countries to do things like expand public services, or change "meaures" of any kind in ways that close them to lower cost foreign providers.Exept for their militar and national security. Allowingoligarchs secret police establishments to remain a way of giving high paying jobs to insiders and their elites. If they want to. This is an essential part of patronage and it works best when the people are totally dependent on gatekeepers for any means of survival.
US is trying to position itself as a sort of Mexico for European companies.. Like a wild west of low regulation. Europeans see us as a country of high employment. Huge numbers of europeans are perpetually lacking work because taxes are high there. Also if you hire somebody itshard tiolet them go. Some countrtieslike Germany are relying more and more on prison labor.
I suspect that will happen here too, soon. Slavery is still legal here, you know. Just not by race. If people get very deeply into debt some states will jump on the opportunity to enslave them. And then seell ther services to corporations. Otherwise many people may go their entiure lives without ever having a job. Nomatter how cheap they are willing to work. Because of automation workplaces will become so dangerous that hiring people to ork inbetween thr machines will cary too much inherent risk. They wont be able to do anything else because debt will close all doors to people, literally as GATS makes it mandatory to build toll roads, not public roads.. Schools too, eventually Even though we (now) have a carve out now for public primary (k-12) schools, I dont see it standing up to a legal challenge from say, India..
if we have for profit schools we cant keep on building free public schools, that would be the government competing with business. It would be challenged and defeated in order to fire up those jobs to become contracted out. Republicans want that because at the local level people want lower taxes and the only way to do that is privatize and globalize primary education.l
The effect may be a future where large numbers of people never go to schools, as they have no future in any kind of employment, with subcontracting internationally being legally mandated in public jobs and private employers free to hire whomever they want, such as family. The result will be that poorer Americans who dont have family connections will have few employment options, not unlike young people in large parts of the world, they will be very low paying, scary and demeaning kinds of work. Nothing with any kind of future and nothing involving science.And gatekeepers will demand bribes of one kind or another. All that will be for people with education. Bribes seem to already be demnded of foreign guest workers by multinationals to be placed in jobs in the US. Imagine your family being asked to pay $30000 cashto get your foot in the door? Thats what corruption looks like.
People have no idea..automation will expand tremendously within the next five years, and being so widespread people will soon be able to automate almost anything easily.. and cheaply. With software GUIS far beyond whatever we have now. Thats on the verge of being possible already now.
Look at what happened by US-Gambling case with Antigua and Barbuda. Loss of a service section can be totally silent, simply by our allowing the privatization of a service like primary education. If we continue charter schools and the like we will lose public primary education. Thats how it works.
With so many people losing their jobs, primary public education will be lost. It will become a luxury many people will say we cant afford because "it wont lead to jobs anyway" Thats what they will say and it may even become true fairly soon. A four year college degree may even be an impediment to yung people getting many low level jobs as many will carry debt that will grow and grow. Andthey will likely be ineligible for help unless theiur fam,ilies are literally destitute because otherwise too many would be eligible. This is the trap, the British who set up the relevant parts of the GATS, the parts that bar public services unless they meet an almost impossible criteria, know it well. employers may think it means somebody demands higher wages and will be quicker to change jobs. People need to understand the future world of employment in the US as planned looks very different from the one we grew up with. It looks much more like the one in Asia than Europe. The income distribution will look like an M, as we will be a nation without a middle class..
The inequitable US economy deserves to collapse
Unfortunately it is the poor folks which will suffer most.
Time to exit the system and work collectively to grow food, educate young folks, and produce useful goods for sale, and so on.
Instead of reacting to the collapse, be proactive and create a better society and way of life.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Who do you think can take it still ?
[video:https://youtu.be/KLODGhEyLvk]
Times change. This is old and not really hits any point of current importance.
Your summary is just too depressing. I looked for the quote: I can't take it anymore.
Thanks for the round up. Be well, I hope your garden is being put to sleep now. We have. But not at nicely covered up like you have done. Next year I try to do better.
Good NIght.
https://www.euronews.com/live
St George is the best...
Let's enjoy what we have while we have it!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
for sure,
my son and me tell each other that daily. I pray for the landscape and nature to be stronger than those abusers.
Let's hope.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Its the powerless who will suffer the most.
Poor people might posess power then they might notsuffer as much. Its certainly not going to be easy in a world wher e its so easy to use machines to do work. People are going to have to up their skill level a lot. Or go into areas that machines can't beat us at, A rapidly shrinking list no doubt, soon. Given a bit of time, I find it hard to think of areas that are not amendable to automation within the next few years. Every job that follows a set of rules can likely be automated. If the rules can be defined, with bright nines, it can be auomated now. The fuzzier the lines, the more likely its not but those are the highpaying jobs that poor people are unlikelyto be hired for now. So yes, the impact will fall mostly on other people, you can bet on it. Poor jobs have already been automated, middle class are in the line to be automated soon. Rich most likely to receive money in a way thats independent of the factors that impact the poor. Their incomes are protected by hyperglobalization. Just as the poors incomes are the ones most threatened by hyperglobalization.
They certainly wont hire us just for our good looks. (although I am sure that will remain one of the main reasons, businesses always like having sexy or attractive people around in public facing positions. Like cafes hiring pretty women as baristas..
What about the rest of us? People will be free to do whatever they want for work. If they can get it. Thats what many se free trade as being all about, the freedom to do business free of regulations of any kind. Wherever and with whomever they like. Even slavery if both parties "agree" to it.
People have to eat, they always say.
Thats why "opening up" labor markets to a much larger potential workforce of 7 billion is just guaranteed to bring wages down a lot. A real lot. Its not their fault for existing. They always did exist. Our leaders in their infinite wisdom just set it up so its now seen as unfair for us to "hoard" business and the global economies benefits jobs here and not share them. Giving them an entitlement to be treated equally. They have framed groups like US workers of all races and genders as spoiled, and being politically powerful and as keeping the poor workers from the poorest countries out, while being unwilling to work as hard or as long or in unsafe conditions or for as little, as them.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhMO5SSmiaA]
We think we're better than the poor and historically, we've mistreated them horribly, many many have died. Now They feel its time for us to walk a mile in their shoes. To pay the price for what we've done. For the wealth to go to level the playing field, so to speak. They see a need for a new deal for them which cancells out the old US New Deal, because the old New Deal promises stand in the way of the promises our leaders are alleged to have made to the developing world. Are you hearing this? Please discuss this situation or I cant help but suspect that its being censored. Which is the big problem, because its pushing us into a trap that has the effect of destroying all that we have worked for for so long. Its being stolen.
After all, we're allied with the British. and other colonial nations like the French, who have committed horrible crimes.
It seems we are assuming their debts. Our leaders made promises to these countries, big ones. That seem to conflict with Americans expectations of politicians, a great deal. We're headed towards a collision because of this, I suspect.
They have hidden this from us.
Crash Test Dummy, who impersonates POTUS
Best description of Biden evah! The crash test dummy recently said that he doesn’t give a flying hippo what Putin says about red lines. Putin first said that NATO should not cross the red line, but didn’t say what they were. Now he is definitely defining what they are and is screaming for some sense of reality to return to NATO before things escalate too far to be stopped. But Biden’s puppet masters are dead set on ramping up hostilities in Ukraine and pushing China’s goat in Taiwan. And unfortunately more than half of the Americans polled said they would support war on either country. Gah!
Go ahead and try it.
Something to lighten the mood.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
the MSM has done its job well
think they can declare operation mockingbird an outstanding success.
And thanks for the lovely photo.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Nevada?
It reminds me of a dry lake I visited in Nevada that had a lot of petroglyphs, rock art.. from ancient times, when the lake was filled with water and was teeming with wildlife including many kinds of animals that are extinct now. .
Could be
It’s the great salt lake from antelope island. Just a few miles further west it looks just like that in Nevada, but without the lake.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
A added wrinkle in the Ukraine situation.
Maybe Biden should reassess his thoughts on crossing Russia's Red Line.
That would be a good idea...
Caity said sleep walking into war, but I figured marching was more traditional.
Thanks for the tweets.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
♫ One foot in front of the other, babe
♫ This is the edge of history…
[video:https://youtu.be/eRW6qTNe_AM]
And we'll all go marching
I've been missing you. Great to see you around. Hope all is well in your world. Sounds like Germany is in a mess from the bits I see and hear.
Take care and don't be a stranger!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
High profit margins
Did you read what I wrote before about national security and wars being the only kind of jobs, it seems to me, thats exempt from trade rules on outsourcing, bidding, etc?
Which all revolves around competition.
The exemption protects the military associated buisiness from having to directly compete with lots of other countries. Its a segment of jobs that can be protected from foreign competition and workers.
A haven for preservation of protectionism.
They are the only jobs that a country can protect from outsourcing. With some countries being really desperate for jobs and having riots over this, the issue is becoming really important to their leadership.
We're supposed toengage in fre trade wherever foreign countries to get the enry evel jobs, we're being expected in giving up a potentially huge number millions of entry level jobs. We're obligated to privatize public services like education too, to create more jobs to be outsourced.
I'm not joking. Are you willingto retire early so that oligarchs can b epropped up and kept in power. People who have fought all the improvements we have fought long and hard for like the six day week, a inimu wage, etc. They are framed as intolerable trade barriers that are holding back trade, if they apply to foreign workers. A huge PR campaign is at work. We have to be aware its goal is the destruction of the US middle class so that the oligarch class doesnt have to make sacrifices of any kind. They are the main beneficiaries of the smashing of the developing world's (decent wage) American dreams. Whats being engineered is the capture of international labor.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5ykS-_-CI]
A global middle class requires oligarchs make sacrifices, Not the rest of the planet.
I'm a homesteader and regenerative farmer...
that can't be automated nor outsourced. It is the leary approach...
Turn on, tune in, and drop out...
Time for a new economic system and lifestyle...
https://www.supersummary.com/small-is-beautiful/summary/
Step away. It is a losing proposition to fight the system IMO.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Agricultural automation, Reparations to India
Agricultural automation is coming and its a good thing. Its definitely happening. Its alleged "complexity" (thats not a barrier to it being used by farmers, even in Africa, is bullshit. They can do it. ) Artificially manufactured high "cost" is whats used to falsely "justify" shameless land grabbing. Just like the Great Enclosures, read that bit of history. It argues that small landholding farming is too inefficient.
THE CORPORATE STATE IS TRYING TO STEAL THE WHOLE WORLD. If we enable this theft we will likely be asked to pay reparations to the oligarch class in the worlds most unequal and odious nations.
Life forms cannot be allowed to be patented, Seeds must remain free to save and plant. Genetic engineering of organisms is a bad thing, Free the seeds.
There is a second Enclosure going on. To avoid it farmers need to embrace new technology. There is a movement to innovate new non-corporate agricultural technology and a right to repair and also regulate. Our right to regulate is being stolen. This cannot be allowed to happen. Similarly, patents and bullshit cannot be allowed to cripple farmers and farming and steal their land. Read up on how the British Raj did this so odiously in the past. Now India wants reparations. Maybe the UK owes them but we didnt. FDR argued long and hard with Churchill urging him to allow Indian independence but arrogant and brutal Churchill would not go there. So whatever debt is owed to India its not owed by us here.
Read up on the British theft of India and the "free market" arguments they spewed in order to steal the world's wealth. Thats how the neoliberals justify the coming theft of the foundations which allowed a US middle class. That is all being stolen now. Democracy that stands in the way of this theft is being dismantled. By the present day UK. And also by us. We should let them pay their own debts. We should not wipe their ass., The UK is still ruled by evil and greedy people who would do anything, tell any lie to stay rich and in power.
Dont encourage them by repeating what they say.
They couldn't care less about Ukrainians or the Ukraine. They just want war profits and the suspension of adult supervision that comes with it. No More War.
Gandhi had the right idea. Don't engage with the war mongers.
Were it that simple
We are engaged, it was an arranged marriage.
Methinks it is a bit late in the game to disengage
since the war machine has over taken the agenda already.
Seems we are just in it for the thrill of mass destruction.
Sad state of affairs.
question everything
Speaking of war mongers get a load of this. SMH
This sick puppy needs a trip to the veterinarian.
Reminds me of the local GA rep...
Heard from her neighbor she used to have a hummer with a mounted machine gun, but nowjust has a militarized security force.
Yeah Merry F'n Xmas. Bang!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I have my doubts that the US and UK will listen.
They have screwed Julian from the start...
https://consortiumnews.com/2021/12/03/watch-new-cn-live-the-espionage-ac...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Additional reading on the Russia/US debacle
https://thesaker.is/now-comes-the-final-countdown-to-either-peace-or-war/
Did none of the Russia-phobes understand the point of Russia shooting down one of its old satellites? If they can take out one of theirs then they can take out many of ours. Or one of our cities. Russia developes weapons to defend its homeland. We do it to line the pockets of CEOs and shareholders. Guess who’s work better? Anyone idiotic enough to think that we’d win a war against Russia hasn’t been paying attention to the duds our defense industries have been turning out. Cross that red line at your own risk you silly people. But don’t risk our lives to prove some point. You will lose. Bigly. As will we. As will the world.
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
yes, well worth the read!
Warmongering is an art. Sadly.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Highly recommend reading this article in full
….
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
War sucks always has
[video:https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9qsqLegE1zQ] Always has. How come it is a constant in human history? Humans seem to think it's necessary.
Don't it though!
War whats it good for?
We know...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
doesn't look good...
Hi LO! and all! Hope all are well!
Great roundup of our sad sorry state of affairs today in America. The war mongers, power and money trippers took over, being the psychopaths they are... chicken hawks and such.
It's killin' my country. Military Madness - live Graham Nash with Steve Stills
Have a great one all!
Thanks for the OT LO!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.
both - Albert Einstein
We'll see what we'll see
...but I suspect your right - it won't be good. What I find so disappointing is that we (the US) are driving/creating the problem.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I'll sign out with this one...
My buddy sings it and I enjoy playing this piece by Alabamian Hank Williams.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIcnei7M3gU]
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
ahead of the big summit
tomorrow:
longish, but ‘Summit For Democracy’ – The Apex Of Hypocrisy’, Dee Knight for Popular Resistance, December 5, 2021
she opens:
.......
and a hella lot more. great topic, lookout, wish i could spend more time online reading it and the worthy comments.
nice to "see" you
Biden invited Guiado to represent Venezuela and reps from Taiwan to his Fake democracy summit.
I hope we're not at the cusp of something bad.
Looks like snow out your way. Rainy here, but not too cold.
All the best!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
i do have a photo of th author/leader
of the Taiwan rebellion holding hand with one of the white helmets star of stage and screen in syria...too tired to go find it. dunno what will happen tomorrow vis a vis rat lines and red lines, but will hope it does not escalate too far.
too bad we won't hear lavrov's take.
here it is:
The US Empire is the largest Export of Terror on the planet. Polls have proved it! ; )
snowing lightly, maybe more tomorrow. any would be a blessing; the la plata (the Utes call them 'the
Shining Mountains) range is bare of snow.
but there we go again, from business insider:
Satellite images show the buildup of Russian forces near Ukraine that have the US and NATO worried about an invasion
Wot???