Summer of Living Dangerously

I had a friend tell me they've not worried about nuclear war since they were a kid, but today he has the same fear of his youth mainly for his grandchildren. The world seems to be on the edge of nuclear conflict, driven largely by the aggression of both the US and Israel. I don't think I've ever seen a more incompetent, dysfunctional, and dangerous US administration in my life time.
It is not just a hot war which threatens the US, but an economic collapse stemming from international dedollarization due to the endless economic sanctions we levy against any and all countries which don't follow US diktats. Mix in an insane election between tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber, and you can understand my view of a dangerous summer ahead.

Step #1: Wealthy capitalists identify public assets that they want to steal (see banana wars in early 20th Century, Iraqi oil 2002, Ukraine right now).
Step #2: Independent Media ignores Step 1 until years after war ends.
Step #3: MIC PR kicks into gear demonizing opponent, including xenophobia, often years before war starts (Russia 2013 to now)).

Seeking Peace in Troubled Times

It is a bit ironic to call for peace when your own country is stirring up most of the world's conflicts, and boy, oh boy, was that on display this week. Perhaps Pelosi's visit to Taiwan this week has triggered the start of WWIII. It sure has started a major confrontation between the US and China. That's on top of the Ukrainian proxy war with Russia... initiated by the US led 2014 Nazi coup in Ukraine. And as if that isn't enough, we continue to persecute American neighbors Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. We're fomenting trouble in the ME in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran. We drone people in Afghanistan from which we have officially withdrawn, and additionally have stolen the wealth of this very poor country. And it goes on and on in Kosovo, Africa, and around the world. Is there a way to stop US aggression? Cause I can't see the escape hatch.

Endless War in an Economic Collapse?

It is pretty stupid state of affairs driven by American aggression...trying to bully the world into submission. Russia and China want to develop a fair world order which they discussed at this weeks BRIC's conference in order to evade the dominance of the USD and create a cooperative, mutually beneficial world trade framework. That is the very thing the US wants to prevent. No, the US will be top dog and we'll commit suicide and even destroy the world in order to maintain our fading global hegemony. The current state of affairs makes it plain the US is incompetent, inefficient, and consumed by greed for ever more profit.

The problem with anti-imperialists who spend all their time criticizing the evil US empire is that there aren’t nearly enough of them...
Hey I’ve got a great idea, let’s start World War Three over a NATO country that most Americans don’t even know exists. Liberals learned the word “Lithuania” ten seconds ago and they’re ready to nuke Moscow over it.

Caitlin Johnstone

Chugga chugga, what's that sound? It's the American Dream leaving your house headed for DC. See that steam rising from the smokestack? That's your dollars burning, rolled up into logs, working for the man. See that caboose? That's you running like the dickens behind the train, but you'll never catch up. The dollar train left the switchyard long ago, when moneystreet decoupled from mainstreet. With abundant dollar logs to burn, hot off of the printing press, the train chugs onward. Until it derails. But maybe that IS the point.

Here's some straight talk from Vijay Prashad as he explains: Endless War is Bipartisan US Policy. Vijay is an Indian historian and journalist. He is the Chief Correspondent for Globetrotter and a Columnist for Frontline (India) and Chief Editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi).

Citing examples from the US confrontations with Iraq, Libya, Iran, Syria, and more, Prashad makes the case that the peace movement needs a new strategy to confront the empire. He explains how the broken nature of the US political system means trying to appeal to the government to end wars is simply not going to work.

This 18 minute account of US wars in the last 100 years or so should be required listening for all students of US history.

Seeing the Trees and the Forest

Corporate media are expert at focusing attention on individual trees or items of their choice and ignoring the forests. Climate chaos is a good example. Lots of weather reports, but no focus on the real existential crisis because the fossil fuel corporations and the MIC is in bed with and funds the MSM. All the wars are another excellent example of the nature of the media's effective propaganda. How is it Americans can consider Assad and Maduro so bad, but not the Saudis who beheaded 37 dissidents in April with nary a whisper on US news. The idea that Iran is the world's biggest terrorist ignores the global role of the US. America is the primary terrorist nation provoking war and violence. Or what about the weekly murder of Palestinians protesting their open air prison? Israelis shot a child in the head last week. Another effective media technique is to ignore positive beneficial moves like Medicare for all as benefiting everyone. Rather their focus is "you will lose your private coverage and your taxes will go up!" We are being scammed by these corporate tools driving us ever closer to extinction for more profit. It is a sickness, and I don't see a way out.

There is a Time...

The rose breasted grosbeaks arrived this week. The redbuds are done and the dogwoods fading. It made me think about timing. It is a big part of being a musician. The art of joke telling .........timing. Certainly we are living in interesting times....when war is peace; truthtelling illegal and lying is main stream; more drilling, pipelines, and extraction promoted and climate collapse ignored; a time when food is fast and health erodes; college impoverishes and public education is privatized; and on and on...irony within irony. Despite the insanity, spring inspires rebirth...the essence of the Easter story and Passover. For gardeners it is planting season. For politicians it is the start of election season. It is a time to renew our sense of nature and humanity. We'll also take a look at the weeks news.

17 years, Still Not An Election Issue for the duopoly: Utah Mayor, Father of 7, and National Guard Officer on his third tour killed in Afghanistan, the third one this year killed by Afghan friendlies.

Corporate Censorship in the Age of American Aggression

The meme of fake news is very effective. There are so many lies told again and again and again that they are accepted as truth. You now select your own truth. Examples that come to mind: the DNC HACK (not leak), recently elected Maduro is a dictator, Russia is hacking our election and they poisoned a spy in Britain, Assange is a Russian agent, Assad gases his people so we MUST bomb him, Iran the aggressor put their country in the middle of OUR military bases and on top of OUR oil, Israel is our ally and is for peace and stability in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia must battle the evil Houthis who are working with Iran to overthrown the crown prince, and on and on...