@lotlizard

...The 1948 letter is more narrowly drawn I suppose as some sort of compromise or restraint to get a number of prominent signatures. Arendt was opposed to racial/ethnic intolerance implied by the movement and its corrupted concept of the state from the outset and anticipated the bloody and dehumanizing course it would follow. It was always allied with the late stage of imperialism against Islam. In her major work the Origins of Totalitarianism, she noted the connections between Imperialism and the total erasure of human rights leading to genocide and totalitarian rule. Both are movements not governments. This is the source of the mistaken refrain often heard, to the effect, "...is we fascist yet?" and "we are heading toward fascism." It's already here.

I briefed Mideast politics decades ago not too long after the 73 war. At that time support for Israel in the Arab Israeli war was focused on the observation that Syria and Egypt, were Soviet client states allowing them to extend their military footprint into MENA. Therefore US support was couched largely in cold war superpower competition terms. At that time the USSR had a very large Mediterranean fleet sustainable by access to Arab ports.

Then, I learned that the "terrorism" narrative was little more than a device for outside powers to manipulate events within their former colonies. Alternatively local states in the region generated their own "terrorist" groups and directed their targeting. After 911 this sort of thing came to forefront. It's always been part of the great game.

The connection between US religious fundamentalism and what Hedges characterizes as American fascism is clearly oriented toward anti Islamic imperialism. This is the moving force after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 911 locked it in place. This now reveals itself as a "crusader ethic" with the likes of representative nut cases like the "secretary of war," and the well known mega church preacher who pretends to be an ambassador.

I'm not a medieval scholar but I recommend this summary of the western Crusades for its pattern of never ending destructive wars and looting as a template for modern imperialism.

How the Crusades Reshaped Medieval Europe

Cutting to the chase-

In recent years, the term “crusader mentality” has gained popularity, referring to an individual or group that constantly seeks a fight over a perceived moral, ethical, or religious issue. Geopolitically, the Crusades saw a resurgence as a historical reference during the Global War on Terror when the United States and its allies intervened militarily in the Middle East. The location of the targeted terrorist groups, plus many politicians’ desire to portray the Global War on Terror as a battle of good versus evil, had many parallels to the Crusades of the Middle Ages. Controversially, many social and religious conservatives today may ignore the brutality of the Crusades toward civilians and prefer to see it as “Christianizing” and “civilizing” a hostile region.

The map of the levant at the link is enlightening I think.

From another article on Richard I and the crusades-

The crusades were a series of wars that were centered primarily on religion, specifically the differences between European Christians and Muslims. They took place between the 11th and 13th centuries. At their heart lay the tension between the expansion of Muslim territories. The subsequent spread of Islam was worrisome to the church. In order to retake the area and “conquer pagan areas” they created what would become a series of wars in order to reclaim or secure what they viewed as sacred land, particularly Jerusalem. What was seen as a simple expedition turned into hundreds of years of warfare.

https://www.thecollector.com/richard-the-lionheart-shaped-crusades/

Riches, loot, social mobility and indulgences for followers, and political power for leaders. What could possibly go wrong?

#4  
It’s all “narrative” now. Nothing matters but getting clicks, earning ad revenue, and locking in people’s attention — it’s just a soap opera, professional wrestling (“kayfabe”), don’tcha know.

Oh, over in Israel, Smotrich, Ben-Gvir, and Netanyahu are executing a very popular, very successful, very brazenly visible, very real genocide supported by all the Western governments and economic actors — but our establishment elites across the board are fine with this and have known this was the plan for over 100 years.

Think of all the “progressive” voices and sources you know that mock and denigrate Trump but never have anything to say about politics, economy, and culture in general being joined at the hip with Israel and Zionism — unless it’s softball mildest-of-gentle-remonstrations and excuse-making that does little to counteract the loud cacophony of hasbara positive propaganda and cheerleading.

One exception, at least: Jimmy Dore. But how much of an audience does he have? The “progressive” line you’ll often hear about him is, “Oh, he turned into a right-winger, he’s dead to me now.”

https://x.com/jimmy_dore/status/2087716944275554691