The Weekly Watch
Why War?
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.
Caitlin suggest young people are pro-Palestine because their morals have not eroded to the point of their elders.
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?
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.
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...
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.
Comments
The full circle...
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.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Wow, 360 is a big number!
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.
Just a dollar?
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
fair disclosure
I actually pay to publish on this site
(a random check to JtC)
good for something
enjoy your day!
me too...
but must admit to being remiss recently. Good reminder to kick into the kitty to keep the community going.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Yah, my fault. I'm sposed to put up periodic reminders
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.
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 --
'the Sunday paper'
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!
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
Shucks that ain't nothin'
...hold my beer and watch this --- as the saying goes.
Thanks for coming by and dropping the kind comment!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning Lookout. Thanks for the WW and the OT.Congrats
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
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 --
Hudson's point...
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)
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.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I was amused by Simplicius' opening paragraph
Most recent article:
Israel and America's Growing Zugzwang
Here's the paragraph:
How about it, Dems? Still planning to re-elect Joe?
“One of the things I love about the American people is that we can hold many thoughts at once” - Kamala Harris
Rudderless is right!
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.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
the DNC is unwilling to eject Brandon
cause they are scared of the orange monster
long as the doddering old fool can still stand
and read a script
Prop me up in the oval office when I die...
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.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Reminds me of that movie
Weekend at Bernie's
An answer to the title of this essay
Why war? Short answer: money.
~
~
~
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/
ALL WARS ARE BANKERS' WARS!
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Peanuts to Selesky and forcing him to eat them all live. /nt
https://www.euronews.com/live
In the South peanuts are often called goobers...
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.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good afternoon, LO!
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!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
All is well in the holler...
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
We did the Big House Clean
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.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Do you have Zionist Christians in your area?
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Yes, we have Christian Zionists,
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.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
in nearby TN...
The extremist are common
https://forward.com/culture/569725/john-hagee-march-for-israel/
These folks are dangerous IMO.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Sen. Ted Cruz' preacher Dad
But now, they could take a dive, get donations, make some pals with politicians, so all good!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
It is crazy...
...but real.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I no longer associate The Bible
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.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
the "good book"
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'
What has happened
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!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Mearsheimer says the US not an empire
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
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
Thanks for the WW Lookout.
語必忠信 行必正直
I also disagree with Mearsheimer
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
thanks for letting me know
語必忠信 行必正直
Thanks again LO
Ms. So wants to move to a new place. I couldn't take another move this year, maybe next.
語必忠信 行必正直
I totally understand...
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!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Signing out tonight...
See you tomorrow...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
This is truly worth a view. It expresses what many are thinking.
enough with the bullshit
indeed
we are not yet that brain dead to accept this degree of
mental contortions to justify genocide
They must really think that we are brain dead as the propaganda
never stops.
Oh wait. There is more.
Huge…
.
A leftist is someone with morally correct politics. A liberal is someone who wants to feel morally correct w/o ever putting themselves at odds with power or costing themselves opportunities or experiencing the uncomfortable emotions that truth causes.
@snoopydawg whoa! n/t
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
grab 'em by the balls
and pull hard
I have no doubt that soryang will be impressed with this. /S
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/south-korea-warns-kim-jong-un-to-halt-immine...
christ on a pogo stick
another 'failed launch' on the horizon
I’m guessing that the ADL won’t criticize these kids
.
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.
A leftist is someone with morally correct politics. A liberal is someone who wants to feel morally correct w/o ever putting themselves at odds with power or costing themselves opportunities or experiencing the uncomfortable emotions that truth causes.
Confirmation of the lyrics translation via “Jewish Press”:
https://www.jewishpress.com/multimedia/video-picks/gaza-envelope-childre...
I have
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.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Caitlin has a few words about the kids
A leftist is someone with morally correct politics. A liberal is someone who wants to feel morally correct w/o ever putting themselves at odds with power or costing themselves opportunities or experiencing the uncomfortable emotions that truth causes.
Dammit, woman!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
“Fifteen things you should never have to say to a country”
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...