The Weekly Watch

Why War?

Open Thread Image.jpg

This week I heard an array of reasons for Israel's Gaza genocide. Pepe, in the first clip below, thinks it was engineered by Israel, and Biden was forewarned when Bibi was in DC in late September. He sees the IMEC project versus the BRI as one key to the conflict. If that is true, it answers Paul Craig Robert's question in the second clip, how did we get all the military equipment and forces to the region so quickly. Both Ray and Scott think the opposite, that Israel was caught by surprise. Jimmy thinks it may be about oil. Bin Laden's letter to America explains his motivation for 9/11...

Jihad against the aggressors is a form of great worship in our religion, and killing us means a high status with our Lord. Thanks to God, we have been waging jihad for 30 years, against the Russians and then against you. Not a single one of our men has committed suicide, whereas every 30 days 30 of your men commit suicide. Continue the war if you will. Justice is the strongest army, and security is the best way of life, but it slipped out of your grasp the day you made the Jews victorious in occupying our land and killing our brothers in Palestine. The path to security is for you to lift your oppression from us.

Another busy week. Most eyes are focused on Gaza, but there's been other issues worth examining. Xi came to the US this week, after which Biden repeated Xi is a dictator....such diplomatic skills, Joe. Pepe below refers to him as Washington's crash test dummy. Europe continues going down the drain. There was a pro-Israel rally in DC. More evidence is gathered in the Biden investigation...plus plenty of other stories.

Let's start by hearing some of the hypotheses for the Gaza war.
Interesting interview with global insights. (1.1 hours)

Israel-Palestine. Ukraine-Russia. Multipolarity and more. Pepe serves as a columnist for The Cradle, holds the position of editor-at-large at Asia Times, and operates as an independent geopolitical analyst with a specialization in Eurasia.

Paul Craig Roberts is concerned that the war is likely to expand.

High Danger of a Much Wider WAR | Paul Craig Roberts (36 min)
Paul Craig Roberts (PCR) has had careers in scholarship and academia, journalism, public service, and business. He is chairman of The Institute for Political Economy. President Reagan appointed Dr. Roberts Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy.

Guess What The Israel-Palestine War Is REALLY About! (15 min)
You probably don’t know that off the coast of Gaza sits $453 billion in liquefied natural gas. But you probably CAN guess why many observers who do know about these LNG deposits are suggesting that Israel’s interest in driving the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip may have more to do with money than religion or terrorism.
U.K. Prime Minister’s Family Raking In BILLIONS From Gaza Oil (5 min)
There’s been a great deal of speculation about why western nations haven’t applied more pressure on Israel to declare a ceasefire in Gaza. One possible reason: U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s family business recently inked a $1.5 billion deal to exploit the natural gas resources off the coast of Gaza — a deal that will only proceed if Israel is in possession and control of the Gaza coast.

NATO is Falling Apart by Its Zero-sum Game | Ray McGovern (1.3 hours)

Ray is a story teller, and he has some stories to tell. Ray came to Washington from his native Bronx in the early Sixties as an Army infantry/intelligence officer and then served as a CIA analyst for 27 years, from the administration of John F. Kennedy to that of George H. W. Bush. Ray’s duties included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’s Daily Brief, which he briefed one-on-one to President Ronald Reagan’s five most senior national security advisers from 1981 to 1985.

Scott is angry as he discusses the situation in Gaza.
All Lost, Total Failure Achieved | Scott Ritter (1 hour)
He thinks it is time for everyone to be angry about Gaza.
In a longer conversation with Alex of reporterfy Scott discusses more global issues.
ISRAEL PALESTINE , UKRAINE CHINA WAR | End oF Gaza? (2 hours)

George talks with Rapper Lowkey (14 min)

This Palestinian resistance is a right and the majority of the world sees it that way. Lowkey takes no prisoners.

Abby discusses the situation with Roger Waters. (55 min)

Legendary Pink Floyd musician Roger Waters joins Empire Files to discuss his longtime advocacy for Palestine and the crisis in Gaza.

Screenshot 2023-11-19 at 06-17-55 Debt Rattle November 19 2023 - The Automatic Earth.png

Caitlin suggest young people are pro-Palestine because their morals have not eroded to the point of their elders.

LunaticAsylumGBShaw.jpg

So given all this opposition, why is this genocide occurring?

House Speaker DEMANDS Israel Keep Bombing Gaza! w/Glenn Greenwald

The entire clip is good, but I've cued it to Glenn's explanation of how the Israel lobby controls our government. (9 min)

Matt Hoh conducted a media analysis of the coverage of the Gaza narrative. He explains in his clip with the Judge (30 min)

With the help of our perceptive guest, Matt Hoh, we'll uncover the twisted narratives surrounding the Ukraine war and the shocking toll it's taking on the American purse and Ukrainian lives. As we reveal the clever distraction of the Israel-Palestine conflict, we'll expose the White House's skillful manipulation of the media to control the narrative and keep you blissfully unaware. Now, aren't you curious about the real cost of these political games?

Screenshot 2023-11-18 at 10-37-36 Matthew Hoh fmr USMC Captain Death in Gaza - YouTube.png
Screenshot 2023-11-18 at 10-36-56 Matthew Hoh fmr USMC Captain Death in Gaza - YouTube.png

We scrutinize the media's deceptive role in steering public opinion and influencing government response. We'll dissect the harrowing death tolls of children in the Israel-Palestine conflict and expose the calculated language used to paint a particular picture. From the intriguing influence of Christian Zionists in the US to the declining support of Israel due to Prime Minister Netanyahu's actions, we're laying it all out on the table. As a parting shot, we'll delve into the First Amendment, the role of judges and professors, and how media framing impacts political discourse.

If you control the media, you can lie with impunity.
What really happened in Israel on Oct. 7? w/Max Blumenthal | The Chris Hedges Report (40 min)
For all the sensationalism surrounding the events of Oct. 7, when Hamas broke through the Gaza fence and seized territory in the Gaza Envelope as part of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, there is still much that we do not know. The official Israeli death toll from the attack is estimated at 1,200 civilians, revised from an initial estimate of 1,400. Among this figure are several hundred civilians, which Israel says were killed by Hamas militants. Other testimony from survivors of Oct. 7 suggests an alternative explanation—that in its fervor to defeat Hamas, Israeli commanders may have willingly targeted and sacrificed Israeli soldiers and civilians in the crossfire.

NovaRave.jpg

Why war?
Pepe answers in the first clip when asked why the Arab states didn't cut off Israels oil, and he answered "Follow the money."

The Great Game is complicated with lots of players and pieces to move. The economies play a large role, and few understand them better than Michael Hudson. I always learn something from him...
Restructuring of the Global Economy - Michael Hudson, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

I recommend watching (listening to) at least the first 35 min of the 1.3 hour conversation. The whole thing is worthwhile but the explanation of empires at the beginning is particularly interesting.
Around the 14 min mark, he explains why empires don't pay and eventually ruin the country's economy.
At the 24 min mark he describes how overseas wars are really a war at home on the working class
At the 30 min mark he suggest that the US is an oligarchy and China is more democratic
At the 35 min mark he goes into how dedollarization will accelerate.
All times are approximate.

Professor Mearsheimer thinks war with China is inevitable. John Mearsheimer is an international relations scholar at University of Chicago. He is one of the most influential and controversial thinkers in the world on the topics of war and power. He spoke at length this week with Lex Fridman about Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, China, NATO, and WW3. (3.5 hours)
Transcript here, and time stamps below.
1:29 – Power
24:43 – Hitler
42:09 – Russia and Ukraine
1:38:22 – Israel and Palestine
2:39:13 – China
3:21:34 – Life and mortality
Many disagree that there must be a US/China war. I hope they are right.

At least there was an attempt at diplomacy this week in California. However, I don't think much changed, and given the lack of US credibility and honesty, I suspect there was no great hope of a breakthrough.
The Duran discuss the meeting. China controls summit in SF. Biden press conference disaster

Moon of Alabama had a nice summary too.

President Xi Jinping noted that there are two options for China and the U.S. in the era of global transformations unseen in a century: One is to enhance solidarity and cooperation and join hands to meet global challenges and promote global security and prosperity; ...
... and the other is to cling to the zero-sum mentality, provoke rivalry and confrontation, and drive the world toward turmoil and division. The two choices point to two different directions that will decide the future of humanity and Planet Earth.

Xi wanted to chose the first path. But shortly after their meeting Biden walked on the second.

I'll let Mr Fish have the last word on the Gaza conflict...

Screenshot 2023-11-19 at 06-09-08 The Sound of Silence.png

What is on your mind today? I hope you are all doing well despite the current insanity. As always, I look forward to your thoughts below.

Share
up
19 users have voted.

Comments

Lookout's picture

This is the 360 edition of the weekly watch.

The German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has to change his mind by 360 degrees...

No wonder we're in a mess when the leadership class is so ignorant.

No doubt there will be plenty more news in the future to discuss. I hope you've found something useful in these columns over the years. Thanks for reading over all this time.

up
13 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

If you got a dollar for each episode, you could almost buy 1/2 of a new computer.
Thanks for all you do here. You are the Sunday paper for us.

th-2433165753.jpeg
up
8 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

I've written commercially in my misspent youth. Fortunately it paid much better than a dollar an article.

But hey, some people you have to pay, I'm good for nothin'.

Thanks for being a regular reader and commenter!

up
10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

@Lookout

I actually pay to publish on this site
(a random check to JtC)
good for something

enjoy your day!

up
8 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

but must admit to being remiss recently. Good reminder to kick into the kitty to keep the community going.

up
10 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

and have them on my calendar, but I often fail to do so. One is, however, in the works, to post rsn.

be well and have a good one.

up
8 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

dystopian's picture

@Lookout Hey LO!

Your 'good for nothing' comment triggered a neuron firing in my lizard brain... Reminding me a lyric I loved from some Texas troubadour's song... which I quote:
"My wife says I'm good for nuthin', I said but nuthin' is what I do!"

At least he was good at it!

Great WW as always, and the Captain is right, a Sunday paper... Thanks for it!

Loved those Flamingo and Spoonbill pics you posted last week!

be well brother!

up
8 users have voted.

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

Lookout's picture

@dystopian

...hold my beer and watch this --- as the saying goes.
Thanks for coming by and dropping the kind comment!

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

on numbah 360. Empire building, like any other economic activity in the western world, always works to serve the elite(s) and disadvantage the hoi polloi. It's all trickle up, but thru direct exploitation instead of simple rent seeking.

The US not only is an oligarchy, but, to at least some extent, always has been. The propertied class was always the empowered class.

be well and have a good one

up
8 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Lookout's picture

@enhydra lutris
to my mind is that the empire must expand and military costs eventually cause them to crash and crumble. The people pay the price.
I think Aristotle or Plato or both who suggest the same cycle of empire/oligarchy.

Ray Dalio recently did his cycle of empire clip (5 min version)

The world is changing in big ways that haven’t happened before in our lifetimes but have many times in history, so I studied past changes to understand what is happening now and anticipate what is likely to happen.

You're familiar with it I bet.

It is a lovely 60 F day here with rain predicted Mon nite. Leaves are still falling.
Hope you're having a nice day too.

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Cassiodorus's picture

Most recent article:

Israel and America's Growing Zugzwang

Here's the paragraph:

We can now safely say that our previous reading of the Israeli situation appears to be accurate. The U.S. is acting as a rudderless ship, rushing to the MidEast out of reflex with no clear gameplan, and is in fact terrified of Iranian escalations.

How about it, Dems? Still planning to re-elect Joe?

up
7 users have voted.

“One of the things I love about the American people is that we can hold many thoughts at once” - Kamala Harris

Lookout's picture

@Cassiodorus

I don't think Joe can make it to the finish line...even to run. Can you imagine the disaster of a Biden Trump debate? Newsom is the only replacement they've got isn't he?
No telling in this play called US politics.

Take care and have a nice holiday week.

up
7 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

@Cassiodorus

cause they are scared of the orange monster
long as the doddering old fool can still stand
and read a script Wink

up
6 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS

sounds like a country song. Basically that's what they've done. I was thinking of all his nicknames...Brandon, Joementia, Genocide Joe, Crash test dummy...

I can't imagine him physically making the taxing election run despite what the DNC wants. We'll see.

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

QMS's picture

@Lookout

Weekend at Bernie's

842c78a744f9fa04d13f447f9080361e-2047006325-2.jpg
up
6 users have voted.
QMS's picture

Why war? Short answer: money.


Ukraine reveals size of latest World Bank loan

$1.1 billion in financial aid for the country has been approved

~

In April, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergey Marchenko said the monthly deficit of the Ukrainian budget had totalled $5 billion, with two-thirds covered by foreign loans and grants, while three-quarters of spending goes to military needs.

~

The IMF previously projected that Ukraine's state debt would amount to 88.1% of GDP in 2023, and would exceed 100% of GDP in 2025.

~
An investment in the future! Although Russia may put a kibosh on the whole prospect.
The more money poured into this sinkhole, the poorer the western nations become.

https://www.rt.com/business/587595-ukraine-world-bank-billion-loan/

up
8 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@QMS
ALL WARS ARE BANKERS' WARS!
Video here.
As Pepe suggests...follow the money.

Thanks for the RT link on IMF/Ukraine.

Alex' 'elensky imitation is pretty funny. "Give me money"..."No money? Give me credit".

Have a great holiday week!

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

mimi's picture

@Lookout

up
7 users have voted.
Lookout's picture

@mimi

I used to play in a band called "Wahoo Loo Loo and the Alabama Goober Grabbers". We were in college and did pretty well, busking and gigging while going to University.

The word Goober has African origins.

The word has other meanings as well.

Published in 1864, with words and music attributed to one, P.Nutt, Esq., a humorous song written by two Georgia soldiers imprisoned at Camp Chase, in Ohio, "Goober Peas" somehow "escaped" and was sung by soldiers in both the Army of Tennessee and the Army of Northern Virginia. This comic song satirizes the limited rations in the Southern armies, which often included "goobers", or peanuts.

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Ritter was one pissed off dude in the Dialogue video. I applaud his courage to criticize Zionists and Bibi with the attitude "I dare you" to call me anti-Semitic.
It rained a bit this morning, so tomorrow we will go explore some caverns tomorrow.
I am looking forward to watching more videos, and thank you so much for the effort you put into the WW.
The concert last night was just great, so I will have some pics and videos to share this week.
Enjoy your weekend and I hope the work at the homestead will be paused a day or so for you.
Take care, friend!

up
9 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

Righteous rant from Scott indeed. It is outrageous what is going on in Gaza.
George had a good rant today.

His impassioned intro is much like Scott's. Garland later in the show did a good job too.

We're hoping for rain tomorrow night.

Glad the music has been fun, and the trip is going well. Milk what we can out of what we have left!

Chores are light. Mainly household stuff. Mopping floors, washing windows, dusting, and such. So is life. At least I still have a life. Take care and let's all enjoy what we have of life!

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout before we left. I do not want to return home to roaches or mice, so the kitchen is always scrubbed, nary a crumb left behind.
I agree what we should try to enjoy as much out of life while we can.
While we could get into a war, I just do not think we can put up any serious aggression. We gave away or sold our materiel. We are not meeting recruitment goals. I agree all wars are about $. Since that truth is ugly, doesn't sir within the populace the passion to go to war, the perfect cover is religion. True Believers of all faiths will give up their lives for their beliefs. They will not give up their sons and daughters to a banker.
I am now going to watch some more videos. Interesting stuff, friend.

up
4 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

We do. Folks wising for end times... preachers preaching evil fates as Dylan said.

I also really like Hank Jr's line...they say "give your money to god, but they give you their address."

Have fun my friends!

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout but they have not made themselves too obvious. The big preacher TV mouth pieces seem to be in Austin and Dallas. There may be some in Houston.
I haven't heard about any local churches getting revved up about it. I should ask around.
I can say, there is a dislike of Jews here. I doubt if we have 100 in the county of 23,000 people. They have no synagogues, have to go 50 miles away to attend a service. That said, the hatred of Muslims is palpable.

up
5 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

The extremist are common
https://forward.com/culture/569725/john-hagee-march-for-israel/

Israeli leaders have long endorsed a partnership with Christian Zionists, seeing a necessary political efficacy in working with evangelicals. Though most Christian Zionists only support a Jewish state in Israel because of an antisemitic belief it will bring about an apocalypse during which Jews will be cursed and Christians will rise to Heaven, Israeli politicians have understood that this powerful American political bloc serves their short-term interests.

In speeches, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played to a Christian audience, referencing biblical passages related to the End Times prophecies and drawing parallels to current events, invoking Christian support for Israel.

But in recent years, when politicians such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Doug Mastriano have excused antisemitic statements by emphasizing their support for Israel — “In fact, we probably love Israel more than a lot of Jews do,” said Mastriano’s wife, Rebecca, in her husband’s defense — Jewish groups castigated the politicians for failing to apologize for their antisemitic statements.

These folks are dangerous IMO.

up
4 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout @Lookout is one of those. A lot of influential tv preachers are more about the evils of Muslims, and Prosperity Gospel, do not get off into Zionism.
But now, they could take a dive, get donations, make some pals with politicians, so all good!

up
4 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp
...but real.

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout with the term, "The Good Book", if the best it can bring out in believers of either the Old or New Testaments (what I was told to call them in my youth, now called Old and New Bibles) is genocide.
Sorry. The whole Bible thing lost me long ago, maybe reading about the Conquistadors, Knights Templar, Christopher Columbus, post-Thanksgiving slaughter of the Native Americans, and so forth.
My travels all around the world brought me to the places where various Bibles caused mass death.
There should be some new mass deaths and torture tourist places soon, methinks.

up
4 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

QMS's picture

@on the cusp

is an anachronistic excuse to conquer and pillage.
The teachings of Jesus and Mohammed are very
different from the ideologies of current regimes
to justify eradication of 'non-believers'

up
3 users have voted.

@QMS is twisting words from those "good books" for some purpose, always financial.
Never have they improved the behavior of mankind. They have never stopped or even prevented mass murder. They have caused it.
Hey, Q, we are loving the vacation. Dear One is watching gobs of westerns on tv, I am mostly on the back porch, spotting birds and deer.
I only read and answered 2 client emails today. Yippee!

up
4 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

soryang's picture

I watched that section of the long video clip with Mearsheimer that concerned his views on China.

Again, the constellation of US military bases in the western Pacific and Northeast Asia is an empire. It may differ in organization from the old British empire but it's an empire none the less. For example, It stretches credibility to say that Okinawa where over 50 percent of US military forces in Japan are located isn't a US colonial possession in all but name. As far as the rest of Japan and South Korea go, they are occupied in a way that is similar to concessions in China when the great powers opened China during the century of humiliation. The degree of influence derived from the US military concessions on these states, encroaches on their sovereignty in substantial ways. What is Guam? An independent country?

What's going on currently in the Philippines with expanded US military access to bases there, what the US national security sector hopes to do in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, and the expansion of bases and military operations in Japan and South Korea is "roll back." The most concerning aspect of "roll back" is the salami slicing roll back the US is applying in Taiwan. Taiwan was a Japanese colony for 50 years. Then it became essentially an extension of the US military. Our armed forces left after Nixon and Kissinger reached an understanding with mainland China, that there was only one China, and Taiwan was part of it. Now they are trying to roll that back. Just before the summit a "battalion" of ROC troops were invited to the US for military training.

There are US experts on the Chinese military who read and speak Chinese who disagree with Mearsheimer's assessment of the difficulty of subduing Taiwan for the mainland. The Chinese will have aerospace dominance over the straits and the main island, just as the Russians do in Ukraine. As a army vet, Mearsheimer talks about panzers. Tanks are not that useful in Taiwan, a mountainous country. Those who believe Taiwan could stop an amphibious invasion do not include Lyle Goldstein who studied the Chinese military at the Naval War College for years. Goldstein says the invasion won't look like Normandy. I listened to some former PACCOM commander, an admiral, who would not sit and discuss the Taiwan tactical scenario after giving a one sided presentation on a program concerning Taiwan with Lyle and Oriana Skylar Mastro, another China expert. He had something else scheduled. Frankly, I don't think anyone is capable of debating Lyle concerning the Chinese military. I believe the current head of ONI is a China expert. Maybe he could. I read his thesis on Chinese naval operations in the SCS.

US nuclear threats did nothing to stop China from defending North Korea during the Korean conflict. Some claim that such threats forced the Chinese to the armistice table. The Chinese drew a red line in North Korea and the US ignored it. Result Chinese invasion of North Korea. History indicates that the US is more likely to engage in war in Asia since WWII. So the comparison to the long period of relative peace with Soviet Union is not that germane.

The Pacific Ocean cuts both ways. A fight over Taiwan is near China. So they have the advantage. The US would be fighting a long way from home.

SDF troops drill on island seen as vulnerable to China

TOKUNOSHIMA, Kagoshima Prefecture--Japanese marines in amphibious assault vehicles stormed an island beach at the edge of the East China Sea on Sunday in a simulated attack to dislodge invaders from territory that Tokyo worries is vulnerable to attack from China.

The scope and pace of military exercises in Japan are likely to increase over the next few years, including with U.S. forces, after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in December unveiled the country's biggest military buildup since World War II, with a pledge to double defense spending over five years.

Kishida has warned that East Asia could be the next Ukraine, if China, emboldened by Russia's assault on its neighbor, attacks Taiwan.

The 43.5 trillion yen ($290 billion) in planned spending will go to new weapons such as longer-range missiles as well as to increase stocks of spare parts and munitions to fight a sustained conflict.

But the yen's sharp decline this year has forced Japan to cut back on some planned purchases, including new models of the U.S.-made Chinook helicopters that Japan's SDF used in the Tokunoshima drill.

Here's another interesting article from Asahi Shimbun on the death of a former leading figure in the Komeito party, an ally of the ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party. The death of Daisaku Ikeda was announced Nov. 18. The full article is worth reading.

Critics: ‘Pacifist’ Komeito lost its way as member of the coalition THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

Komeito, a once peace-oriented political party backed by the hugely influential lay Buddhist group Soka Gakkai, all but lost its bearings after becoming the junior member of the ruling coalition headed by the Liberal Democratic Party, say critics.

The party was founded six decades ago under the leadership of Daisaku Ikeda when he was president of the religious organization that claims 8.27 million households in Japan as members.

Ikeda wielded immense clout over Soka Gakkai for many years after he ceased to be president. He died Nov. 15 at age 95.

With monolithic backing from Soka Gakkai, Komeito espoused a strong pacifist stand but failed to rein in military expansion spearheaded by the LDP, with which it first formed a coalition government at the end of the 1990s.

Thanks for the WW Lookout.

up
6 users have voted.

語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

He looks at the world through western eyes and cannot imagine the cooperative world suggested by China. Many others like Sachs and Hudson see it differently.

Li Jingjing was good on George's show today in the SF meeting -

She had a very positive view of the meeting that was refreshing instead of the focus on Biden's gaffes.

BTW your analysis yesterday in SoE's OT was spot on.

Korean protests have finally begun to cross US media. Of course all that's going on dilutes the reporting.

Looks like we bought a pass on hurricanes this year. Hope you're settling into your new digs and all is well!

up
8 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

soryang's picture

@Lookout I watched most of the videos you posted. I haven't watched that one yet. I'll take a look now. You posted some great stuff here.

up
5 users have voted.

語必忠信 行必正直

soryang's picture

@Lookout Missed your comment about hurricane season. Yes, thank dog! Don't wanna go through that again. Got 8 inch of rain over three days last week. No flooding. Looks like the city has maintained and operated the storm drainage system more effectively. I did have a problem with a bit of water leaking into the garage. But that wasn't too bad. I'm very comfortable in the house.

Ms. So wants to move to a new place. I couldn't take another move this year, maybe next.

up
5 users have voted.

語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

Moving is such a struggle. We've been here 35+ years and can't imagine up rooting. None the less, we do what we have to do, and given the world situation, who the hell knows what the future will bring.

All the best to you and yours. Glad you found some things of interest today!

up
6 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Lookout's picture

See you tomorrow...

up
4 users have voted.

“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

up
5 users have voted.
QMS's picture

@humphrey

indeed
we are not yet that brain dead to accept this degree of
mental contortions to justify genocide

up
5 users have voted.

@QMS

never stops.

Oh wait. There is more.

up
5 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

.

up
7 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

@snoopydawg whoa! n/t

up
3 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

QMS's picture

@snoopydawg

and pull hard

up
2 users have voted.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/south-korea-warns-kim-jong-un-to-halt-immine...

South Korea Warns Kim Jong Un to Halt Imminent Satellite Launch

(Bloomberg) -- North Korea could try to put a satellite into orbit within the next week or so, a South Korean official said, as Seoul warned Pyongyang to halt a rocket launch it sees violating UN Security Council resolutions.

Kang Ho-pil, the chief director of operations at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pyongyang “to immediately stop” preparations for another launch after two previous efforts failed.

“If North Korea goes ahead with the military spy satellite launch despite our warning, our military will come up with necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of our people,” he was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency on Monday. He did not elaborate on what measures South Korea had in mind.

The North Korean launch could come before South Korea’s planned launch on Nov. 30 of its first home-grown spy satellite, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said on a KBS television program Sunday. The South Korean satellite is set to be fired from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, he said.

While officials in Seoul have said they believe a North Korean spy satellite would be rudimentary at best, it could help Pyongyang refine its target lists as it rolls out new missiles designed to deliver nuclear strikes in South Korea and Japan. Those nations host the bulk of the US’s military personnel in the region.

up
5 users have voted.
QMS's picture

@humphrey

another 'failed launch' on the horizon

up
3 users have voted.
snoopydawg's picture

.

But sure it’s everyone who criticizes Israel that are human scum. Lots of videos showing up on twitter from Israelis calling for genocide of the Palestinians or mocking them because they have no food or water or they are dead. I’m also sure that no Jewish congress members who have been bitching about the people who are supporting Palestinians will call out the Israelis who are supporting genocide. Just a guess. Looking at you, Debbie Wasserman Schulz.

up
6 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

lotlizard's picture

@snoopydawg  
https://www.jewishpress.com/multimedia/video-picks/gaza-envelope-childre...

On the Gaza beach the autumn night is descending.
Planes are bombing, ruin follows ruin.
See the IDF crossing the borderline
To annihilate the Swastika carriers.
In one more year
There won’t be anything left there,
And we’ll return safely to our home.
In one more year
We’ll eliminate them all and go back to plowing our fields.

Chorus, unchanged from the original by Haim Gouri:
And we’ll remember all of them [= the Israeli fallen soldiers of 1948]
With their handsome visage and forelocks,
Because friendship such as this will never
Permit our hearts to forget.
Love sanctified with blood
will once more bloom among us.

Now there are no more words
And our soul continues to scream,
For our soul is not only yearning,
For our soul is also fighting today.
One nation,
The eternal nation will never end.
And we’ll keep guarding our home,
We won’t be quiet and we’ll show the world
How today we destroy our enemies.

Chorus

up
5 users have voted.

no polite words in response to that video.
Have we gotten to the point of using kids to advocate for the death of other kids?
I am glad I am old.

up
5 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@on the cusp

Israel propaganda looks like a music video featuring children singing “we will annihilate everyone” in Gaza.

Palestine propaganda looks like an endless stream of raw video footage featuring children whose bodies have been ripped apart by Israeli military explosives.

Israel propaganda looks like a music video of Israeli women doing yoga on top of images of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Palestine propaganda looks like satellite images of entire neighborhoods that have been bombed into rubble by Israeli forces.

Israel propaganda looks like the Israeli president waving around an Arabic translation of Mein Kampf and claiming it was found in a child’s room in Gaza.

Palestine propaganda looks like all the top western and Israeli human rights institutions declaring that Israel is an apartheid state.

Israel propaganda looks like posting cutesy pictures of female IDF troops and saying “when you’re mean to Israel this is who you’re being mean to”.

Palestine propaganda looks like statistics showing that Israel is mostly killing women and children in Gaza.

Israel propaganda looks like Israel releasing what it claims are audio clips of intercepted Hamas communications in an effort to exonerate itself from accusations of war crimes, after claiming that its intelligence services had no idea what Hamas was up to prior to October 7.

Palestine propaganda looks like a UN special rapporteur explaining that it is inherently illegal under international law for Israel to be bombing Gaza at all.

Israel propaganda looks like the IDF publishing a computer-generated video of a multi-level Hamas command headquarters underneath Al-Shifa Hospital.

Palestine propaganda looks like humanitarian organizations saying Israel has been bombing hospitals throughout Gaza and shooting patients through hospital windows.

Israel propaganda looks like an IDF soldier pointing to a normal calendar with the days of the week in Arabic at Al-Shifa Hospital and falsely claiming it was a shift schedule for Hamas kidnappers.

Palestine propaganda looks like social media accounts dedicating themselves to keeping a running tally of the thousands of children who are being killed by Israel.

Israel propaganda looks like the Israeli government sharing a bogus video of a woman falsely posing as an Al-Shifa Hospital nurse condemning Hamas for their presence there.

Palestine propaganda looks like Palestinian journalists working tirelessly to document Israel’s mass atrocities in Gaza while being murdered one by one by the Israeli war machine.

Israel propaganda looks like the Israeli government repeatedly posting things on social media that it then has to delete after people highlight the falsehoods and/or accidental confessions that they contain.

Palestine propaganda looks like Palestinians recording the suffering, displacement, death and dismemberment of their fellow Palestinians in real time.

Israel propaganda looks like screaming at people who oppose the ongoing massacres in Gaza, and accusing anyone who criticizes Israel’s actions of being an anti-semite and a terrorism supporter.

Palestine propaganda looks like saying true things and sharing factual evidence.

It’s not hard to see who’s in the wrong here.

up
8 users have voted.

There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?

@snoopydawg We can't handle the truth!

up
2 users have voted.

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

lotlizard's picture

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2023/11/18/fifteen-things-you-should-nev...

Plus Tatsuya Ishida’s Sinfest comic for today:

Plus equal time for an opposing point of a view (Jewish Press):

https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/the-palestine-litmus-test/2...

up
5 users have voted.