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Deena Stryker's avatar

This is an especially important artkcle, in light of the American public's appaling lack of geo-literacy.

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Starry Gordon's avatar

Americans have an appalling lack of geoliteracy because for the most part they have nothing to do with the guidance of American foreign policy. Any geoliteracy on their part would be a completely useless irritant, although I suppose certain amateur masters-of-the-universe-wannabe types might enjoy pretending to be "debating" the "issues" in undergraduate seminars just as if someone took them seriously.

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Deena Stryker's avatar

It's the other way around. The system uses the press to ensure 0 lteracy on international 'affairs so that the public will not 'interfere' in the decisions of the elite.

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Deena Stryker's avatar

And that's the fault of our cuture. Citizens of other 'libeal democracies' have no such problems!

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Starry Gordon's avatar

Is that so? How do we know?

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Deena Stryker's avatar

I've lived in half a dozen of them (and speak four languages...)

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Starry Gordon's avatar

Can you be more specific? How does "our" (US?) culture prevent us from knowing about the world in ways that Mexicans, Norwegians, and Malayans don't suffer from?

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Jul 13, 2023Edited
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Jul 11, 2023
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Starry Gordon's avatar

Given that, for many people, "republic" means "democracy in the form of government through democratically elected representatives", I think one is a subset of the other.

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Jul 11, 2023
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Starry Gordon's avatar

There are many definitions in many dictionaries. One sometimes might mean something like the Roman republic where the theoretically supreme political body, the Senate consisted of the important people and in many cases was hereditary. However, in the modern world and in the English language, _republic_ is usually used as I have said. Minorities have sometimes been protected in such arrangements, but often were not, for example, the United States, which Mr. Franklin declared was a "republic, if you can keep it," but did not protect the political rights of poor people, persons of African or American Indian descent (especially slaves but also (as with Dred Scott) supposed freemen)), women, and so on. "It's a free country" so you can use words any way you want, but I'm describing common usage. I suppose there are worse confusions, such as the one between _capitalism_ and _democracy_. It might be nice if people would use language more carefully, but they don't.

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Jul 13, 2023
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Starry Gordon's avatar

They write the polls, don't they?⁴

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Jul 13, 2023
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Caitlin Johnstone's avatar

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Kojo's avatar

“…. President Biden had a recent interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria during which he defended his controversial decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine….”

The use of indiscriminate weapons is a breach of human rights conventions and a war crime. Unquestionably.

So we have reached the point where the U.S. president is openly committing war crimes….while calling other people “war criminals”…….and claiming to be defending “freedom” a “rules-based order”

What rules? And what freedom ?

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Feral Finster's avatar

The late Anthony Bourdain said, upon returning from Cambodia and seeing the destruction caused by American cluster munitions, said "Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands. You will never again be able to open a newspaper and read about that treacherous, prevaricating, murderous scumbag sitting down for a nice chat with Charlie Rose or attending some black-tie affair for a new glossy magazine without choking. Witness what Henry did in Cambodia – the fruits of his genius for statesmanship – and you will never understand why he’s not sitting in the dock at The Hague next to Milošević." (To be fair, Milošević's real crime was being on the wrong side of the Empire.)

Cambodia itself begged the United States not to do this. Of course, Biden ignored those pleas. And the Oh So Civilized Western World? Well, other than a few muted protests, they aren't actually going to do anything about it.

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jamenta's avatar

US president openly committing war crimes, and the US/Britain imprisoning a legitimate journalist for what, almost a decade now? How is this not fascism? How can they claim they're doing it in the name of a "free democracy"?

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Longtrail's avatar

FJB is a Cluster Fvck!

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Deena Stryker's avatar

This is all about the US's 'sovereign' right to run the world!

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Feral Finster's avatar

Of course Biden is lying. What is anyone going to do about it?

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Sari Tähtinen's avatar

Thank you Caitlin🙏

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Jo Waller's avatar

The outcomes of the Ukraine debacle were; strengthening Putin, BRI, trade, BRICS, accelerating de-dollarisation, NATO falling apart, the increase in the likely hood of the US defaulting on debt. This will all be further exacerbated by any hostile interaction with China, leading to the fall of the US and Western economy (can we join BRICS please Sunak?) It does make is plausible that someone is somehow manipulating Biden for just these reasons!

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Jul 10, 2023
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Jo Waller's avatar

German MP Sevim Dagdelen says Germany must leave NATO to stop being pulled into wars, Macron is trading in Yuan and wants to join BRICs. Europeans are trying to get out of it. We had a great opportunity with Brexit to slip the US leash and have relationships with Russia and China etc like a grown up. Instead we became even more of a little lapdog.

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jamenta's avatar

Germany being a US war lapdog in all this has been one of the biggest surprises - from going along with the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, to the crippling US sanctions having little to no effect on Russia but boomeranging back to Europe and Germany. I understand the Germans may feel like they owe some loyalty to the NATO alliance ... i.e. after the US helped with the post WW2 reconstruction of the country in a significant way. But that was two generations ago - it's been about 75 years now. I'm hoping the country will come to its senses soon and move in a more independent and rational direction - that doesn't pursue policies risking a nuclear conflagration. Where is the diplomatic sensibility in pursuing endless warfare without any attempts for peaceful resolution?

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Feral Finster's avatar

Didn't surprise me in the least. Europeans *like* being slaves.

A slave has no independent responsibilities. A slave doesn't have to make decisions.

And Europeans can tell themselves that the life of a house slave is pretty cushy, compared with that of a field hand.

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Jo Waller's avatar

Yes in recession being strangled by inflation and high fuel prices thanks to NS2 and reliance on Russia, she can't really afford the billions in aid for a proxy war either I don't suppose. US playing on the 'we'll help and protect you and make you beholden to us' in too many countries for too long. I've been surprised by how strong the US control of the EU obviously is.

India likes to non-align, seems to be playing BRICS and US off one another. There've been a few border skirmishes (not helped that the border is so ill-defined) with China, but I think Modi wants weapons to feel he's a super power as much as any real intent for war with China.

Diplomatic sensibility does't pay the bills. All nations seem to be aggressively pursuing economic growth at the costs, and the arms industry is powerful and very lucrative.

🙏🏽

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Elisabeth's avatar

I do not get my hopes up, BUT Ms Dagdelen speaks TRUTH - I certainly hope that EurUnion will disappear into hell where it belongs (corrupt bastards) - there are a few that have their heads screwed on the right way (Oskar Lafontaine, Sarah Wagenknecht, Mr Sonneborn, Clare Daly, Mick Wallace and I am sure some more whom I do not remember). I see NO LIGHT at the end of the tunnel ...

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Starry Gordon's avatar

Let me remind you that the American War in Vietnam started coming to an end with the introduction of regular combat troops. It is said that is what is being discussed in Vilnius. I would think the consequences would be predictable.

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Elisabeth's avatar

What I recently read was 'an opinion' that the sabotage on US ships bringing material etc to Vietnam started to end the war. Anyway, I think we are A LONG WAY from anything, the Russians will not trust us anymore and NATO is itching for war, so we will see, even if it is just for a second to say 'don't look up' (for me there is nothing left besides making stupid fun of these idiots). NATO should have been scrapped after the fall of the USSR - what was their purpose besides the 'red scare' ...

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Starry Gordon's avatar

Widespread public dislike of and resistance to the war became a problem, including sabotage and even a mutiny or two. Or so I read at the time. There is also a good deal of social discord in the US, and further costly involvements will exacerbate it. And then there's the economic problems which already existed leading up to the debacle of 2008, patched over with funny money, with the patches now falling off.

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Gnuneo's avatar

It's that ever-so-carefully constructed "Monopoly of Power" that sits in most people's heads. It's "OK" for police to shoot unarmed civilians with their hands up. Literally, this is a murder with a badge and impunity. Yet folk barely question the "right" of violence from the social hierarchy downwards.

I'm sure any cop who shot Oligarch Bezos at a random traffic stop would walk away scot-free..... not.

Bezos' black cleaner at one of his palaces?

"Very unfortunate, but the police unions...."

Implicit "Monopoly of Violence".

But it goes wider. Your average lamestream Westerner (A number apparently dwindling as the rather-too-obvious psyops keep rolling in), will assume that America/NATO/West, has some "moral Authority" to do their violence, whereas "Dictators" in Russia and China do not.

In the main, these would be unself-examined beliefs in most. "Common sense, innit like?".

For me, it was a Chomsky book in the late 80s that opened the door to let some light in and blow the cobwebs away.

But most people accept it as easily as they do that adults have the "right" to beat kids up for "Misbehaving".

But would have an absolute fit if they heard about the kid striking back too.

"Monopoly of Violence".

A nasty little homunculi carefully embedded by hierarchical, Class society, and one of the best mental traps you can expunge with effort.

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Beli Tsari's avatar

Fundamentally, Biden spoke ONE truth, since 1971 (and I'm betting he was reciting what his hearing-aid told him to say to his multinational billionaire, oligarch bosses?

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37's avatar

Funny how everyone keeps saying "Biden ..." in terms of being responsible for everything.

If nothing else this is the perfect clinic on how the POTUS is massively overrated and how our nation is really controlled by the "Deep State" and Global Power Elite (Globalists), aka the Bolsheviks/Babylonian Talmudists.

The US is today little more than Israel's armed branch, a global psychotic cop.

LOL, Biden's not even capable of scooping his own ice cream much less all the things being attributed to him.

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CarbonCopy's avatar

You seem to forget he has been in this business well over 50 years and has alone made laws that for one instance put more people in prison then the rest of the world combined. He is every bit as guilty and capable of being the very criminal he appears to be. There are indeed other hands at the wheels but that does not mean he isn't involved and just as guilty.

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37's avatar

Presently, and even since the campaign at least, he's little more than a nitwit with early stage dimentia.

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CarbonCopy's avatar

I don't know about you but I am willing to put a nitwit up for treason.

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37's avatar

Well OK, I hear ya, but while it may "feel good" and satisfy our sense of justice in a minor way, it'd merely be window-dressing as to the big picture.

Most people, including if not particularly given the circumstances, "the awake," don't seem to be understanding the extent to which the Central Banking Cabal rules the world, and correlatedly how if we go to CBDCs there simply aren't going to be any future alternatives.

That would be Global Government centralization to the extreme, literally.

The ONLY option at that point would be a complete do-over or power-cycle on humanity. Kind of like saying that you can have your liberty back if you commit suicide.

Of course this has all occurred because we've forsaken God and His ways. People passing as Christians today are lost generally speaking. "Churches" in our westernized world are little more than social clubs.

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Daniel Geery's avatar

A concept for Kindergartners: If you want to go east, head east; if you want to go west, head west. Corollary for politicians: If you want Armageddon, prepare for it.

Bonus for morons and the rest of us: There is no way to peace; PEACE IS THE WAY.

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Longtrail's avatar

FJB is a POS and lying sack of 💩.

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Jul 13, 2023
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Caitlin Johnstone's avatar

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Thierry Bruno's avatar

It is to be feared that there is a majority of drooling idiots in the American empire.

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Jul 13, 2023
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Caitlin Johnstone's avatar

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Pat's avatar

Pos then and now

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Our Imperial Press's avatar

"... the US empire has been actively amassing military threats in the immediate surroundings of its top two rivals — China and Russia — that it would never tolerate anyone else amassing anywhere near the United States." Yep. https://open.substack.com/pub/ourimperialpress/p/a-simple-analogy-for-the-war-in-ukraine?r=nv5i&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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Jul 13, 2023
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Caitlin Johnstone's avatar

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Aneurin Davies's avatar

How can India be part of Biden's Quad, when India is one of the four members of BRICS, that is unless Biden has another agenda, and plans for India? Biden and AUKUS are not to be trusted! Biden is Lying!

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blackbird's avatar

India is one of the FIVE members of BRICS .

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jamenta's avatar

"...but only a drooling idiot would believe the world’s most powerful empire is militarily surrounding its top geopolitical rival as an act of defense."

But isn't it called the US Defense Department?

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Beli Tsari's avatar

Think, Ike warned us about MICIMATT being American's REAL enemy? We've now totally destroyed the republic; sending our kids to murder, rob, enslave or indenture everybody on the planet who's not a Hanna-Barbera cartoon parody of white-flight suburbanite reactionary hammerheads (FOX or MSNBC imbeciles!)

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jamenta's avatar

Yes. We've replicated a King George type of tyranny in the US. And likely will soon suffer the same empire destroying consequences. War will make corpses of us all.

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Beli Tsari's avatar

Crazed tyrant: Pitt was trying to end the triangle trade & keep Native allies (Most International speculation centered upon)

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-defense-of-king-george-180978852/

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jamenta's avatar

I was trying to come up with an example, but only could come up with King George on the spot. Probably should have pointed to some other historical figure. Thanks for link.

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Beli Tsari's avatar

jamenta, please forgive me. I wasn't trying to argue or wax all sardonic (WAY too many of my cranky old boomer types in here!) I just kept thinking of folks like Degonwadonti, Tecumseh, Girty, Tanaghrisson & Nonhelema Hokolesqua who'd had to USE the Empires to hold off international Capital? An interesting equivalent, can be read in Graves' Count Belasarius?

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jamenta's avatar

I am not as well versed as you BeliTsari regarding human history. Most of my readings (in my life) have leaned toward psychology (especially research into Psi such as James, Myers, Hodgson etc and the great Carl Jung) - science and classic literature along with some amount of poetry and biography. So my breadth of historical knowledge is pretty standard fair. I've also had a fascination with military history - which has been a bit of a paradox, since the horrors of war would make you think one would avoid the history of it - but I've still found it fascinating. Paradox of the human condition I suppose. It's easy to read about the battles - and not the same as actually being in them - I guess that makes me an armchair general.

But I try to be willing to learn something new, as long as it isn't coming from some fanatical ideologue who wants to convince me of the virtues of the invisible hand of a totally unregulated free market! heh.

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Jul 13, 2023
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DomeLord's avatar

I don't understand India joining with the U$ against China when BRICS is a reality. On the one hand India is angered by China for border issues but economically they are snuggling up to each other with delight, profiting so much from co-operation & goodwill. However, everyone's central banks report to the BIS so the spread of goodwill is thereby limited due to usury.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Do I really have to explain?

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DomeLord's avatar

What is in India's best interest? A sober Indian government would opt, I'm sure, for more prosperity & peace in which to allow people to enjoy it. Of course, the whole shebang could easily be simply theatre duping us while the real NWO agenda is ardently but stealthily followed by virtually all governments on earth. You know what I mean, severe depopulation à la Malthus, a new slave caste, bugs for breakfast, roll your sleeves up, & so on. So. Do you think the current whirlwind of geopolitics is mere theatre, a distraction manufactured for us to hide their criminal megalomania? I might actually agree with you if so. If otherwise, please do explain. Thanks in anticipation.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Sure. Modi wants to retain freedom of action, to wring as many concessions out of each camp as possible, without firmly committing to either unless and only to the extent necessary. He certainly doesn't want to make enemies, except and to the extent he has no choice.

Flirt with all the boys, go home with none of them.

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