See, if we don't censor and punish dissent, then the Bad Guys might win!
/s/
Snark aside, the increasing reliance on overt censorship and naked physical repression in the West can be viewed as one of two things - either as an oligarchy that is increasingly willing to drop the pretense of democracy in favor of open sociopathy, or as a sign of an oligarchy that lacks confidence, a sign of of weakness and not strength.
I would guess the second. While there are people who like authoritarianism for its own sake, I think the usual motivation is the belief that only authoritarian measures can protect the state, its government, and its ruling class, presumable because they are failing. Then the failures of authoritarianism themselves become the excuse for further authoritarianism. It's a vicious circle which in history has usually ended in corruption and collapse. Which does seem to be what is happening.
I dont claim it is flawless or has alll the answers. It doesn’t. But it’s an eye opener and a thought-awakener. Particularly when you start asking questions about why those who say they want to save us from authoritarianism, seem to be themselves increasingly practicing it.
I think they are blatantly not worried about pretense. They no longer give a damn about the mask. Balls to the wall,so whatcha gonna do about it. We are untouchable. No mechanisms rein us in.
Yep. At least here in the US some people are scratching their heads and wondering why more aren't signing up for military service. I believe a question that will help shed light on the issue and was asked near the end of this article is, what is there worth fighting for?
Well that’s because the latest “western” aka imperialist strategy we are seing now, is that is they insert patsies like Zelensky in charge of countries, and get THEM to go send all of THEIR young men to die for nothing….while Blackstone and co, which own the US govt basically, then swoops in to take over what is left of the country.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Now you understand why Biden has doubled down on imprisoning more of his own people. he doesn’t even need them to fight, and robots are cheaper at work.
So I'm glad it is still rumor. The Ukraine regime, with NATO support, has already proven itself capable of any evil. Now that the regime is collapsing, though, the evil will know no bounds, and the chaos is commencing. We are probably already beyond that point where a phone call from Biden or Blinken would get Lira freed--or, more likely, we are way past the point where Biden or Blinken give a shit.
"If western governments need to keep ramping up censorship, propaganda and the persecution of journalists in order to defend western freedom and democracy, is it really freedom and democracy? And, is it worth defending?" Careful you'll be deemed a "Terrorist"! Truth told to the public apparently means you must be what we in the US refer to as a "Domestic Terrorist" but just an outright terrorist in Britain!
Calling states like Australia, the US, Britain and Canada "democracies" is now the supreme irony, and best examples of modern propaganda. Nothing is further from the truth. Only a fool would believe Max Blumenthal would accost anybody, and only a fascist would believe anyone but a fool would. Citizens of these countries should not vote: force the authorities to make that a crime.
Every single morning I hope that I would wake up from this nightmare around us ... how bad it is (I think every single day about this) is shown in the movie 'Don't look up' - it is a wonderful picture of our stupid disgusting society and our deranged helplessness to reach anything beneficial for humankind - what comes next?? I guess this: https://thebulletin.org/2022/10/nowhere-to-hide-how-a-nuclear-war-would-kill-you-and-almost-everyone-else/ - We are certainly worth the Nobel Price for STUPIDITY!!! (Do we even give one thought to poor people and all the innocent creatures around us that have no voice and no choice ...)
I hear you. :( I feel a bit like I lucked out being from the Boomer generation - where I don't have too many years left, so I won't be exposed to much more of this. But it's the Millennials who will really suffer. Because what appears to be coming down the pike is a dystopic, global world order run by obscenely wealthy elites who will strip the planet of every resource imaginable, and exploit human beings wherever their insatiable greed leads them. And if you try to rebel or complain - you will be locked up like Julian Assange, or put on a kill list like Jimmy Dore and friends.
I saw a NY Times piece today announcing that Millennials are shifting to the political right. What it really shows and the Times won't ever say is that the Dems have nothing to offer Millennials, or anyone else in the bottom 80 percentile of wealth. Of course, neither do the Republicans.
Which is an historically predictable pattern. It's how a demagogue comes to power. Usually spells disaster for a society - like it did for Germany in the 1930s - 40s.
It's surprising how little protest we've seen here in the US. The last was Occupy Wallstreet - but really not much since. Although there does seem to be a resurgence in attempting to Unionize - but the militarized police and apparently, the soon coming laws of making any kind of protest or strikes illegal like in Australia - will put the clamp on any Unionizing solidarity efforts. Unless there is outright rebellion and violence, or the police join the Union efforts, but that doesn't often happen until a lot of people have been locked away or died.
What I see in France is encouraging. But look at what Macron is doing. Brutalizing the protestors as much as he can get away with, and the political elites so far are pretty much ignoring the demands of the French people. Macron still in office. The robbery of peoples 2 years of retirement still in effect.
But yes, Americans have been so inundated with propaganda that government itself is evil, and individualism and entrepreneurs and pedophiles like Bill Gates are the "good guys" they seem to just keep going along with the corporate system of daily privatized exploitation of their labor It shows just how powerful the billionaire propaganda is - that Caitlin writes about frequently.
There are miniscule anti-war protests in the US because there isn't a draft and the people are insouciant and self-absorbed. The deep state learned its lesson with the Vietnam War's draft protests and riots, and they didn't want that to happen again, so the army started going all-volunteer in 1972 (I was there). So, most military aged young people don't really care because they won't be drafted. The drafted citizen-soldier put a brake on foreign wars of choice. Ending the draft was the Master Stroke of the Empire.
Agree. The Senator's sons and daughters don't go to war. It would be whole different story if that were the case. If the rich had some kind of human skin in the Imperial game they play.
Well many are feeling the futility of it - especially after occupy Wallstreet. And with today's mass surveillance state - where as soon as you become marked and blacklisted by the FBI and other deep state elements - you then can have other parts of your life completely ruined - like your livelihood, and more recently - as we see in the trucker's protest up in Canada, your bank accounts frozen, etc.
So I think besides the feeling of futility, there must be quite a bit of fear now at what they can do to you. Which is clearly authoritarianism at work.
And yet, if there is going to be any change it all - I believe it's going to have to come from some kind of solidarity among workers and the general population, against the elite scammers at the top. But we've now reached a point where protesting and 'rebelling' even in the US - will be extremely costly.
What may be more likely is some kind of authoritarian demagogue will politically arise, masking himself (or herself) as a populace candidate, who once he/she takes power, will then start purging any opposing political factions - and you will see US resemble a third world country even more, with a constantly unstable government, and covert rebel groups fighting for basic human freedoms.
Romantic fantasies and Les Miz aside, revolutions do not happen when the 99% rise up and overthrow the 1%, because the 1% will do whatever it takes to keep power. To return to the example of France - if the only way French elites could retain their power was through a wholesale massacre of French citizens, they would do it without hesitation.
Revolutions happen when the 1% are divided amongst themselves, and one or more 1% factions start to cast about for allies. Looking at the United States, Team D is the political manifestation of the PMC, while Team R plays a similar role for the Local Gentry. However, both Team D and Team R have junior partners; various minorities in the case of Team D, and white Evangelicals for Team R.
Another great article - Спасибо - Ya well, Gonzalo should have used a little better street sense , since he was in a foreign country and in war but the USG will treat him the same way they treated my Nam brothers that were left behind in the jungle POW camps. Hopefully not but ......
"If western governments need to keep ramping up censorship, propaganda and the persecution of journalists in order to defend western freedom and democracy, is it really freedom and democracy? And, is it worth defending?"
These have been my questions over and over again. If we can't even answer the question, "Will you do anything to get Lira released?" then you're certainly not upholding Americans' First Amendment right of free speech, and you're definitely an uncaring bastard who doesn't give a flying f*** about Americans' safety abroad. If you have to grill an investigative journalist for five hours and take his devices in order to feel better about your fascist state, then you're not a "democracy" by any means. So, no, it's not about "freedom and democracy," and no, it's not worth defending whatever the hell it is.
Let's hit the streets in South Australia and take our $50K AUS fine and 3 months jail terms and let the fascists in charge know where they can shove their so-called "freedom and democracy." It's time for a revolution. High time.
UN climate science body, the IPCC, publishes a report saying that we can beat climate change except that only "political will" (read: corrupt governments in the pockets of the polluters) stand in the way of climate solutions being implemented
- UN Secretary General Antonio Gutiérrez gives a speech on at the COP27 climate talks (which later basically failed) telling governments of rich countries that they had to muster some backbone and deal with climate change
German Government responds with their boldest action on climate change : declaring teenage climate change protesters to be "terrorists" and throwing them in prison
Watch for the opening of COP28 in this coming December....in the oil and gas producing United Arab Emirates. Between the spectre of prison and the hosts breathing down his neck, will UN Secretary General tone down his remarks? You bet!
See, if we don't censor and punish dissent, then the Bad Guys might win!
/s/
Snark aside, the increasing reliance on overt censorship and naked physical repression in the West can be viewed as one of two things - either as an oligarchy that is increasingly willing to drop the pretense of democracy in favor of open sociopathy, or as a sign of an oligarchy that lacks confidence, a sign of of weakness and not strength.
A society founded on lies fears truth.
(Oligarchy losing confidence)
I would guess the second. While there are people who like authoritarianism for its own sake, I think the usual motivation is the belief that only authoritarian measures can protect the state, its government, and its ruling class, presumable because they are failing. Then the failures of authoritarianism themselves become the excuse for further authoritarianism. It's a vicious circle which in history has usually ended in corruption and collapse. Which does seem to be what is happening.
You may find this interesting, though a long read, on your way to making sense of what is actually going on:
“State of Exception” by Giorgio Agamben
https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo3534874.html
I dont claim it is flawless or has alll the answers. It doesn’t. But it’s an eye opener and a thought-awakener. Particularly when you start asking questions about why those who say they want to save us from authoritarianism, seem to be themselves increasingly practicing it.
Carl Schmitt is very useful in understanding the present situation.
I think they are blatantly not worried about pretense. They no longer give a damn about the mask. Balls to the wall,so whatcha gonna do about it. We are untouchable. No mechanisms rein us in.
Gotta love when the Epoch Times (ran by a literal anti-China cult) is doing a better job than American news media in pressing for answers lmao
The public can't be trusted with truth, as they aren't likely to take kindly to the liars it exposes.
Yep. At least here in the US some people are scratching their heads and wondering why more aren't signing up for military service. I believe a question that will help shed light on the issue and was asked near the end of this article is, what is there worth fighting for?
Well that’s because the latest “western” aka imperialist strategy we are seing now, is that is they insert patsies like Zelensky in charge of countries, and get THEM to go send all of THEIR young men to die for nothing….while Blackstone and co, which own the US govt basically, then swoops in to take over what is left of the country.
Killing two birds with one stone.
Now you understand why Biden has doubled down on imprisoning more of his own people. he doesn’t even need them to fight, and robots are cheaper at work.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/01/how-president-biden-launched-a-new-prison-boom.html
https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-hasnt-kept-his-promise-to-reduce-the-prison-population
Unfortunately most people find the military as an option due to economic pressure. And the massive propaganda we get glorifying the US armed forces.
Yeah I had some friends and family urge me to consider the reserves after I left active but at that time I was already disillusioned with it all.
I'm glad to see The Juice Media is still up and running. I watched them years ago, but the site seemed to go silent.
The Aussies are in deep shit, and have been for years.
Gonzalo Lira will possibly join Julian Assange in Belmarsh for speaking too much truth.
Talk from whom? Mind sharing your source?
So I'm glad it is still rumor. The Ukraine regime, with NATO support, has already proven itself capable of any evil. Now that the regime is collapsing, though, the evil will know no bounds, and the chaos is commencing. We are probably already beyond that point where a phone call from Biden or Blinken would get Lira freed--or, more likely, we are way past the point where Biden or Blinken give a shit.
Note how the Ukraine cult rejoices at the detention of Gonazalo Lira and now Klarenberg.
Their actions show plainly what they really think of freedom of speech and the press.
Fascism is as fascism does.
It's why I give the middle finger & the side eye to all idiots who defend & support Ukraine & Zelensky.
"If western governments need to keep ramping up censorship, propaganda and the persecution of journalists in order to defend western freedom and democracy, is it really freedom and democracy? And, is it worth defending?" Careful you'll be deemed a "Terrorist"! Truth told to the public apparently means you must be what we in the US refer to as a "Domestic Terrorist" but just an outright terrorist in Britain!
Calling states like Australia, the US, Britain and Canada "democracies" is now the supreme irony, and best examples of modern propaganda. Nothing is further from the truth. Only a fool would believe Max Blumenthal would accost anybody, and only a fascist would believe anyone but a fool would. Citizens of these countries should not vote: force the authorities to make that a crime.
In Australia voting has long been required by law.
Every single morning I hope that I would wake up from this nightmare around us ... how bad it is (I think every single day about this) is shown in the movie 'Don't look up' - it is a wonderful picture of our stupid disgusting society and our deranged helplessness to reach anything beneficial for humankind - what comes next?? I guess this: https://thebulletin.org/2022/10/nowhere-to-hide-how-a-nuclear-war-would-kill-you-and-almost-everyone-else/ - We are certainly worth the Nobel Price for STUPIDITY!!! (Do we even give one thought to poor people and all the innocent creatures around us that have no voice and no choice ...)
I hear you. :( I feel a bit like I lucked out being from the Boomer generation - where I don't have too many years left, so I won't be exposed to much more of this. But it's the Millennials who will really suffer. Because what appears to be coming down the pike is a dystopic, global world order run by obscenely wealthy elites who will strip the planet of every resource imaginable, and exploit human beings wherever their insatiable greed leads them. And if you try to rebel or complain - you will be locked up like Julian Assange, or put on a kill list like Jimmy Dore and friends.
I saw a NY Times piece today announcing that Millennials are shifting to the political right. What it really shows and the Times won't ever say is that the Dems have nothing to offer Millennials, or anyone else in the bottom 80 percentile of wealth. Of course, neither do the Republicans.
Which is an historically predictable pattern. It's how a demagogue comes to power. Usually spells disaster for a society - like it did for Germany in the 1930s - 40s.
Absolutely, same here!
It's surprising how little protest we've seen here in the US. The last was Occupy Wallstreet - but really not much since. Although there does seem to be a resurgence in attempting to Unionize - but the militarized police and apparently, the soon coming laws of making any kind of protest or strikes illegal like in Australia - will put the clamp on any Unionizing solidarity efforts. Unless there is outright rebellion and violence, or the police join the Union efforts, but that doesn't often happen until a lot of people have been locked away or died.
What I see in France is encouraging. But look at what Macron is doing. Brutalizing the protestors as much as he can get away with, and the political elites so far are pretty much ignoring the demands of the French people. Macron still in office. The robbery of peoples 2 years of retirement still in effect.
But yes, Americans have been so inundated with propaganda that government itself is evil, and individualism and entrepreneurs and pedophiles like Bill Gates are the "good guys" they seem to just keep going along with the corporate system of daily privatized exploitation of their labor It shows just how powerful the billionaire propaganda is - that Caitlin writes about frequently.
There are miniscule anti-war protests in the US because there isn't a draft and the people are insouciant and self-absorbed. The deep state learned its lesson with the Vietnam War's draft protests and riots, and they didn't want that to happen again, so the army started going all-volunteer in 1972 (I was there). So, most military aged young people don't really care because they won't be drafted. The drafted citizen-soldier put a brake on foreign wars of choice. Ending the draft was the Master Stroke of the Empire.
Agree. The Senator's sons and daughters don't go to war. It would be whole different story if that were the case. If the rich had some kind of human skin in the Imperial game they play.
The reason that there have been few protests is that the populace has learned that protesting is at best futile.
As long as the French police and army will still obey orders and shoot when ordered to do so, Macron can sleep like a baby.
Well many are feeling the futility of it - especially after occupy Wallstreet. And with today's mass surveillance state - where as soon as you become marked and blacklisted by the FBI and other deep state elements - you then can have other parts of your life completely ruined - like your livelihood, and more recently - as we see in the trucker's protest up in Canada, your bank accounts frozen, etc.
So I think besides the feeling of futility, there must be quite a bit of fear now at what they can do to you. Which is clearly authoritarianism at work.
And yet, if there is going to be any change it all - I believe it's going to have to come from some kind of solidarity among workers and the general population, against the elite scammers at the top. But we've now reached a point where protesting and 'rebelling' even in the US - will be extremely costly.
What may be more likely is some kind of authoritarian demagogue will politically arise, masking himself (or herself) as a populace candidate, who once he/she takes power, will then start purging any opposing political factions - and you will see US resemble a third world country even more, with a constantly unstable government, and covert rebel groups fighting for basic human freedoms.
Romantic fantasies and Les Miz aside, revolutions do not happen when the 99% rise up and overthrow the 1%, because the 1% will do whatever it takes to keep power. To return to the example of France - if the only way French elites could retain their power was through a wholesale massacre of French citizens, they would do it without hesitation.
Revolutions happen when the 1% are divided amongst themselves, and one or more 1% factions start to cast about for allies. Looking at the United States, Team D is the political manifestation of the PMC, while Team R plays a similar role for the Local Gentry. However, both Team D and Team R have junior partners; various minorities in the case of Team D, and white Evangelicals for Team R.
"Defending freedom and democracy" in American Newspeak simply means imposing totalitarianism.
Another great article - Спасибо - Ya well, Gonzalo should have used a little better street sense , since he was in a foreign country and in war but the USG will treat him the same way they treated my Nam brothers that were left behind in the jungle POW camps. Hopefully not but ......
Loved the Video !
"Authoritarianism" with the fusion of govt and corporate power = fascism.
"If western governments need to keep ramping up censorship, propaganda and the persecution of journalists in order to defend western freedom and democracy, is it really freedom and democracy? And, is it worth defending?"
These have been my questions over and over again. If we can't even answer the question, "Will you do anything to get Lira released?" then you're certainly not upholding Americans' First Amendment right of free speech, and you're definitely an uncaring bastard who doesn't give a flying f*** about Americans' safety abroad. If you have to grill an investigative journalist for five hours and take his devices in order to feel better about your fascist state, then you're not a "democracy" by any means. So, no, it's not about "freedom and democracy," and no, it's not worth defending whatever the hell it is.
Let's hit the streets in South Australia and take our $50K AUS fine and 3 months jail terms and let the fascists in charge know where they can shove their so-called "freedom and democracy." It's time for a revolution. High time.
Nice. So sometimes the citizens - they are still citizens? -have to make a choice between the Devil and Beleezebub?
No. We can write in Satan or Lucifer. See how many choices we have?
I'm jumping to conclusions- again.
Not at all. You just forgot the write in choices. Just remember that Lucifer is "The bringer of light" and you're all set.
We are all now just commodities akin to a roll of toilet paper. Which sheet are you?
I don't give a sheet.
I always use a hand full anyway.
I think I'm pretty much on the end sheet. Time running out. You?
I'm the one that they glue to the cardboard tube.
o.0
Here's one more face of authoritarianism:
December 2021:
EU commission led by Germany's Von der Leyen, does and end run around democracy and magically re-writes nuclear and gas as "green" energy.
https://www.wwf.eu/?5576966/EU-Taxonomy-Commission-sneaks-out-gas-and-nuclear-plan-locks-out-citizens
Activists complain this is "fake climate action":
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/21/eu-in-row-over-inclusion-of-gas-and-nuclear-in-sustainability-guidance
March 2022:
Germany got goes gaga for gas imports from the USA and Qatar for the long term and building LNG capacity actually even well in excess of its needs:
https://newclimate.org/resources/publications/plans-for-german-liquefied-natural-gas-terminals-are-massively-oversized
https://www.dw.com/en/does-germany-really-need-lng-terminals/a-61005220
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/29/germany-agrees-15-year-liquid-gas-supply-deal-with-qatar
April 2022:
UN climate science body, the IPCC, publishes a report saying that we can beat climate change except that only "political will" (read: corrupt governments in the pockets of the polluters) stand in the way of climate solutions being implemented
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/04/new-ipcc-report-only-political-will-stands-in-way-of-meeting-the-paris-targets/
July 2022:
Greenwashing of fossil fuels and nuclear pollution is rubber stamped by the EU parliament despite continued protests
https://www.dw.com/en/european-parliament-backs-listing-nuclear-energy-gas-as-green/a-62377411
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2022/07/08/for-the-european-parliament-gas-and-nuclear-energy-are-sustainable_5989459_19.html
https://earth.org/gas-and-nuclear-turn-green-eu-taxonomy/
November 2022:
- UN Secretary General Antonio Gutiérrez gives a speech on at the COP27 climate talks (which later basically failed) telling governments of rich countries that they had to muster some backbone and deal with climate change
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2022-11-07/secretary-generals-remarks-high-level-opening-of-cop27#:~:text=António%20Guterres,crucial%20decade%20–%20on%20our%20watch.
May 2023:
German Government responds with their boldest action on climate change : declaring teenage climate change protesters to be "terrorists" and throwing them in prison
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/05/27/wkye-m27.html
Watch for the opening of COP28 in this coming December....in the oil and gas producing United Arab Emirates. Between the spectre of prison and the hosts breathing down his neck, will UN Secretary General tone down his remarks? You bet!