>>"This is who they are. This is who our leaders are. This is who our complicit news media are. This is what Israel is. This is what Zionism is. This is what the empire is. This is what western civilization is. We know that now. We know them by their fruits."
All I can add to this, Caitlin, is FUCK israel, FUCK zionists, FUCK the u.s. empire, and FREE PALESTINE! (and when I say fuck 'x', I mean they need to be brought down urgently and desperately for the sake of humanity's future - there's no time to lose).
For all to read and hopefully understand. It answers the WHY about Western countries supporting ISRAEL, a criminal genocidal state, propped up by America.
The Western countries are subservient to Israel ......because of PROFIT. Pure and simple
Here is the clear reason for the Western Governments failure to criticise Israel for its crimes, including some of the Western government's feeble statements in recent days, after years of seeing all their “fence-sitting” politicians avoiding the truth.
I'll say it again.....PROFIT...... All profiting from a genocide
This is not a new development. All these firms have exploited business opportunities associated with Israel’s violent occupation of the Palestinian people’s lands for years, and in some cases, decades. The switch from Israel’s occupation of Gaza to its current genocide hasn’t threatened profits. It has enhanced them. And how.
As the UN’s Albanese states “The profits have increased as the economy of the occupation transformed into an economy of genocide.” Sadly, all the Western nations, so it now seems, are not immune from this charge of profiteering from genocide. An absolute disgrace and now soon to be known to all the Australian people and the English, French, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans, all displaying daily their subservience to what Israel means to them.....PROFIT.
Profit from genocide. It is sickening.
As well, the Israeli organisations paying for these profits, well established in Western countries, cleverly located there over decades with extremely strong political connections as well, built up through long term cunning planning since WWII.........
Profit is one motive, but it’s not the sole motive, or even the primary factor. There are lots of countries more hidden from view that don’t have the highly educated, very online population that was Gaza and is Israel.
Recall all the images of Israeli soldier’s committing crimes, dancing in their victims clothing, bragging about war crimes? That was permitted, encouraged.
The live-streaming serves a demonstration purpose from the oligarchs of our nations to the people of our nations. “This is what we can do, while looking you in the eye and lying to your face. And we can do it to you. And no one will stop us. No one will come to save you.”
Western governments, one after the other are using this genocide to enforce fascism on a global scale - in a far more sinister manner than they used COVID lockdowns and mandatory tracking.
We want to believe our leadership has been corrupted by blackmail,or money, or fear of Israel, that our leaders are essentially the good guys gone astray. Nope. We are ruled by monsters, and those monsters aren’t just in The Knesset. In fact, once Netanyahu has served his purpose, he will be disposed of like so many other US / NATO puppets before him.
This genocide serves global western interests, or it would have been prevented years and years ago.
>>"Profit is one motive, but it’s not the sole motive, or even the primary factor."
I would disagree with you on PROFIT (and hence Capitalism) not being the PRIMARY factor. In fact, one of the reasons for the creation of Israel (settler-colonialism) was for the purposes of PROFIT under Capitalism (serving Western interests like the U.K. and France at the time).
Colonialism and Imperialism's primary factor is Capitalism (and the perverse profit incentive of Capitalism).
As C33 says, PROFIT (under Capitalism) is the driving/primary factor, with all others playing subservient/secondary/tertiary/etc. roles (factors like racism, ideologies, belief systems, etc.). To really understand this argument, one needs a deeper understanding of Capitalism and history (which unfortunately very few people possess) so that one may connect the many dots needed to understand the bigger picture and the many cause-and-effect relationships involved.
Capitalism is an economic system. Fascism is a political system. Capitalism could theoretically exist in a democracy, and doesn’t need this level of violence to maintain power. Of course capitalism and fascism often walk hand, but respectfully, I think we are seeing a different beast here; and something far more frightening.
Here's a deeper explanation of the relationship(s) between Capitalism and Fascism ->
Lenin has a famous quote - "Fascism is capitalism in decay". This quote carries immense significance in understanding the relationship between these two ideologies. At its core, this quote suggests that Fascism, as an extreme form of authoritarianism, arises as a result of the deterioration or decline of capitalist systems. To comprehend the true depth of this statement, we will explore the meaning of capitalism in decay, the essence of fascism, and the unexpected philosophical concept of dialectical materialism to provide a fresh perspective on the quote.Capitalism, as an economic system, thrives on the principles of individualism, private ownership of means of production, and the pursuit of profit. However, over time, various inefficiencies and contradictions emerge within capitalist structures. This decay can be observed in widening wealth disparities, the commodification of human labor, and environmental degradation, among other issues. The quote portrays fascism as a consequence of this decay, suggesting that when capitalism reaches a certain breaking point, it can give rise to extreme forms of authoritarian control.Fascism, on the other hand, is an extreme right-wing ideology characterized by dictatorial power, nationalist fervor, and the suppression of dissent. It promotes a strong central authority, often led by a single leader, who imposes conformity and suppresses individual rights. Fascism seeks to unite a nation under an iron-fisted rule by appealing to national pride and stoking fears of perceived threats. It provides a means for those disillusioned with the shortcomings of capitalism to find solace in an alternative system that promises stability and control.
Now, let me attempt to analyze the relationship between Capitalism and Fascism through the lens of 'dialectical materialism' (which is derived from Marxist theory, and offers an analytical framework to understand historical and societal changes. It views history as a series of conflicts and contradictions between opposing forces).
Applying this concept to the quote brings forth an intriguing perspective – the interplay between capitalism and fascism exemplifies the dialectical nature of societal change. According to dialectical materialism, the decay of capitalism leads to the emergence of fascism as a contradictory force. As capitalism reaches its limits, it generates immense discontent and fractures in society, laying the groundwork for the rise of fascism. Fascism, though rooted in the decay of capitalism, represents a polar opposite ideology that offers an authoritarian solution to the perceived failures of the capitalist system.
In essence, the quote by Lenin encapsulates the cyclical nature of societal change and the intricate relationship between capitalism and fascism. It suggests that the decay of capitalism creates conditions ripe for the rise of fascism as an alternative system promising stability and order. This perspective allows us to view capitalism and fascism not merely as isolated ideologies, but as interconnected aspects of a complex societal transformation.
>>"but respectfully, I think we are seeing a different beast here"
I think THAT's where we disagree. You consider them to be DIFFERENT beasts. For me, they are the SAME beast, just different development stages of the beast (i.e. Capitalism IS fascism - but it takes a while to rear its head - and even after it has outed itself, many peeple still do not recognize it for what it is (such as yourself here) - preferring to think of it as DIFFERENT beasts instead of different PHASES of the SAME beast).
People talk about the 'political economy' because political and economic systems cannot really be separated as cleanly as many people assume they can. Whether it is feudalism, socialism, communism, or capitalism (or whatever else) - the 'economic system' INLFUENCES the 'political system' to such an extent that they become one (hence the term 'political economy').
🎯 EXACTLY C33! And this perverse way of making a PROFIT off Genocide is BECAUSE of (and exacerbated by) the 'profit motive' of CAPITALISM. It is IMPERATIVE that people understand that it is the SYSTEM (and the stage within the system - i.e. Late-Stage Capitalism) that is behind the WHY! When it comes to PROFITS, human life is a SECONDARY concern (whether in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, the U.S. itself, all over the world). For similar reasons, one is able to understand how 'colonialism' (in all its forms) and 'imperialism' thrive under Capitalism - because of PROFITS!
Under Capitalism, PROFITS come FIRST, everything else is given a lower priority (human life, other species, environment, ecology, whatever). This is the LOGIC of Capitalism.
To expand -> The logic of capitalism dictates that one uses capital to their advantage, to gain the advantage that keeps them at the top. Otherwise, the competition eats them alive. There's no other way. The market favors profits and nothing else, and will use all resources and means to make sure its interests are served. This means dodging taxes, controlling governments through bribes or lobbying, maximizing climate change or only pretending to do something about it, supporting genocide, and more. It's a barbaric system, one that insults the intelligence of any moral human being.
I very much agree Chang there is no time to lose. But the thought of bringing the empire down by violence is misplaced. If for instance you saw a big strong man beating a defenceless old woman then attacking from behind and bringing a baseball bat down on his head to stop him and hopefully bring him down seems to me a paradigm justified case for counter violence. But you can't attack the evil empire and bring it down by surprise. And even if you could the attack would trigger a swarm of nuclear weapons whose use would signal th end of human civilisation and maybe even the destruction of all global infrastructure signaling the end of all animal life and perhaps even the end of all global life. Such is the destructive potential held by these monster psychopaths.... We need calm intelligent forceful counter action .
>>"But the thought of bringing the empire down by violence is misplaced."
The debate about violence vs. non-violence is misplaced (in this context). It is a much larger discussion that needs a broader perspective based on various factors like context, history, belief-systems, and more.
It's not a discussion about either/or - that's black-and-white thinking that you (and many others that make such an argument) have succumbed to. It requires NUANCE. But when you start out a comment with 'one of the options being disabled by default', that shows a LACK of nuance and more an argument based on PERSONAL belief systems than logic, rationality, and strategies. (I'm not going to attempt to address your flawed analogies here - not to mention your MULTIPLE strawman arguments that you offer yourself and then counter your OWN arguments - not realizing that it is YOU who is making the arguments that you counter, not me).
Something else you might want to consider doing (just a suggestion) is read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' - because what humanity is facing currently is MUCH MORE than 'just a war' - it is a battle for the VERY EXISTENCE of humanity (and the planet). There are too many dots-to-connect (steps) involved to walk you through this process here, and many people seem not to have grasped yet the 'magnitude of these crises' and assume 'we have the luxury of debating violence vs. non-violence'. We are WAY PAST such luxuries (again, many/most people have not reached this stage in their thought processes yet to fully understand/appreciate what I'm trying to convey here).
>>"We need calm intelligent forceful counter action"
FYI, VIOLENCE can be metted out in a 'calm, intelligent, forcerful' manner too (unless you are under the impression that violence is always stupid and reactionary - no, it is not - hence the need for NUANCE).
Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' is exceptional. If anyone has not read it, now is the perfect time. And also watch Andor, though fiction, it accurately portrays how revolution happens, and has a wonderful anarchist manifesto too. We need a revolution. Of mind, spirit, body. A GENERAL STRIKE would be a good first blow to the stock market!!
Starve the monsters like they starved Palestinian children.
At a non violent training I failed for wanting to put a sticker on an establishments window. Well, should we sing Kumbaya, and throw red paint at the mother fuckers now and tomorrow? Boycott all countries that supports the Genocide Entity. Israel will stop the Flotilla soon. Sink Israel.
They are not our leaders. They are merely those who've done the best out of the consumer society we're all part of. They may be driving the bus but we all bought a ticket and are fuelling the tank.
I recently watched a neutrality studies podcast that was focused on Dmitry Trenin’s recent article published in Russia, and translated in English and other languages I believe.
I believe a good translation of Trenin’s essay is available on Substack.
What makes this perspective so relevant is, I think the West is sleepwalking while this war is ongoing. I really do believe that the West is devoted to narrative - domestic narrative - to maintain a tenuous status quo while paying proxies to sacrifice their lives.
The legacy media is on a death march, but as its audiences shrink precipitously, the oligarchs who “own” it are hedging their bets by eliminating norms and standards of life in the West. Liberalism is yesterday, and tomorrow is absolute compliance or severe punishment. To me, this path will only go as far as the forces that are known as the axis of resistance, and domestic movements remain apart.
Russia and China and Iran need nobody to tell them that they are at war, and they are three nations that are no strangers to clandestine fighting tactics.
While Western culture is inundated with seemingly millions of mouthpieces and benefactors of Zionism, the axis of resistance and a wide majority of young westerners are anti-Zionist, and this where an organized strategy to stifle the current addiction to chaos that is the Zionist brand.
I think that the oodles of Zionist promoters in our midst need to be targeted as enemies of humanity. If Mossad can arrange to murder multiple heads of states and organized military forces, I think the axis of resistance has the means to remove key mouthpieces by hook or by crook. I’m not cheerleading for more killing, but arrest, kidnapping, immobilizing are all effective substitutes. Let’s let the empire deal with a taste of its own treachery.
I don't look at those pictures and think about how they will be seen in the future. I think, again and again, of the pictures from the opening of the death camps in 1945, as skeletal survivors stumbled out, and the world gasped in shock. And I don't understand why everyone isn't talking about the parallels, and I don't understand how the Israelis can stand seeing themselves as Nazis.
"... the pictures from the opening of the death camps in 1945 ..." but do you recall the German civilians being lead to see the camps they'd been living in the vicinity of? Did you see them smiling all tidied up and pretty as they were heading in?
Apparently they didn't anticipate what they'd see as coming out of there their faces bore somewhat different expressions.
As I've said many times - the West now is Germany in the 1930s - early 40s. The westerners don't know and they don't want to know.
Western leaders knew about the holocaust as soon as it started. They didn't care. They behaved the same to their own "undesirable" populations. Post war, they spirited those psychopaths out and gave them new identities.
But in every case the 'normal' populations were appalled. American Indians sent charity food to Ireland during the manufactured 'famine'. We all know they would do to us the exact same.
And the Irish famine was not primarily caused by potato crop blight, it was due to England forcibly exporting their agricultural production. I just recently was made aware of this.
The Irish were just another group of "ni&&ers" to the English aristocracy and much of the rest of English society. They were one rung above the black race in the minds of most. Many Irish were taken or sent to the new world as either indentured servants, pure chattel or later recruited as cannon fodder for the Armies of the Union. England did to Ireland what Stalin did to Ukraine during the Holodomor. Nice folks!
They can because Zionists ha e always been Nazis. They were instrumental in getting the Nazis to exterminate the Jews, now they are using the Jews to exterminate the Palestinians.
No. They are excusing themselves in the name of revenge. Whether they actually believe it or not, I suppose, varies from individual to individual.
Sadly, here, where so many ordinary people have been terrified or threatened into compliant thinking, most are afraid to talk about the parallels. Most, but not all.
Because they lied about the holocaust. No one was gassed. The allies bombed all supply lines, so everyone starved, Germans as well as those in the concentration camps. It's ok to lie to gentiles per the Talmud. Now they kill and kill and kill and say all the while that they don't. A Zionist leopard doesn't change his spots.
Everyone involved has lied about the details of the Holocaust, just as they lie today about the details of Gaza and the Palestinians. This is literally becoming "The Final Solution to the Palestinian Question." And above all: The Holocaust is not a blank check or a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" for Israel to act in any way they like; just as the Russians or Poles don't get a free pass to kill Germans. The memory of this past horror must never be weaponized to justify present-day oppression. What happened to “Never Again”? Historical suffering must never be exploited to rationalize, excuse, or shield the perpetrators of ongoing injustice—by any nation, including Israel.
The survivors were skelitial mostly due to the total success of US/UK food blockade. Many hundreds of thousand of Germans were also suffering from malnutrition . And some millions of Jewish prisoners were deliberately starved and many executed But not six million.That figure is one used many times in Jewish history as a figurative description of mass deaths
I think of the parallels in Eisenhauer’s Rhine Meadow Death Camp pictures. Done after the second world banker’s war by the US.
German prisoners left out over winters, no tarps, no coats, no food, no water. Any wife or relative passing food or a blanket through the fence was shot.
Cindy McCain, whom no one could accuse of being an antisemite, has not been mincing words that it is Israel and Israel only that has stopped the UN (she’s the head of the program) from delivering food. When asked if Hamas is stealing the food as Netanyahu claims she says absolutely not — only Israel is standing in the way of its delivery.
trump and zionist congress people can't pretend they didn't know then, and thus it's not 'only' israel that has stopped the food deliveries, but everyone with unused power who knows and chooses to remain passive. to the gallows!
Humans have been using and abusing this planet since Europeans wiped out the indigenous people who lived in harmony with the earth. We do nothing but take from this beautiful planet we’ve been given to live on, never giving one goddamn thing back, becoming ever more murderous in pursuit of profits, profits, profits. The current genocide is the most prominent example yet.
Tigers don’t kill other species because they think they were “promised” a piece of real estate. Polar bears don’t support the wars because it’s “good for the economy”.
And opossums don’t create poisonous emissions that are turning swaths of the earth into deserts via climate change. The Earth can ONLY recover when humanity is gone like a freight train, and that means ME, and it means YOU.
I think it is important to hate the actions of some humans, but equally important not to hate all humans. This is happening because some humans think they are entitled to hate other humans. They are not.
Not me. I have fought against the behaviour that has caused the earth to be in such a mess for a big part of my life. The worst people I actually have spent any time with are those who actually believe that people like those who run Starbucks are successful because they have money. The earth is so fucked because a few people put money before everything and propagandize others into drinking the koolaid. If we really want to change things we have to oppose those who destroy and work on accepting those who may be imperfect, but who do not destroy. Some people just cannot accept what the powerful are doing to the earth and to regular, non rich, non powerful people. I don't think they deserve to be hated for being naive. If we have any hope of the world being a better place we need to struggle not to hate, but to oppose loud and clear when we see vile, destructive behaviour.
It's not a question of hating all humans, but rather ALL the corporate capitalist human societies whose parameters almost every human on this planet lives within. When I was a kid, one could say about some small business, "customer comes first" -- and mean it; it had at least a smidgen of validity. Not any more. Customer satisfaction is not only dead, it's a smoke screen utilized to pursue the cut-cost, bottom-line-predominant model which destroys the biosphere. As such, every human society operating under those pretexts deserves condemnation -- and for me as a biologist and Deist, vitriolic hatred for besmirching something I consider SACRED, HOLY., So FUCK any extant human society currently on this planet, except for aboriginals in places like the Amazon, and the few societies like Amish and some regenerative agriculture projects (as described by Michael Pollan in "The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Other than those outliers, I have every right to HATE them as much as a compassionate person hates a fucking Zionist.
I agree that Europeans would have done a lot better and our world would be in better shape if we had listened to indigenous ideas about nature and how it should be treated. I would think through the idea that Amish or Mennonites are more humane on all levels. I do like their idea of non consumption and avoiding modernization. But I have lived in a Mennonite community and in that community was a very high rate of sexual abuse of children. I am also not impressed with how women are treated in those societies. People are people. We are all fallible. We are all stuck in this world, paying exorbitant prices for everything, watching our health care system collapse, watching immigrants being mistreated and we can only write letters, go to protests, talk to other people about how we see the situation. The misery is caused by the pursuit of money and the false idea that money will bring happiness. Corporations would not even exist, if I were making the rules. There would be a limit to the amount of money any one person was allowed to have if I could control things. Any extra money would go to supporting people less able to look after themselves. I think that capitalism is THE problem. Without it, there would not be the push for fossil fuels that are destroying our planet. Or the push for minerals such as cobalt and lithium for batteries, etc., where people mining those things die. Sometimes children. Still, I maintain that hating each other will only make things worse. Hating ideologies such as Zionism, Capitalism, probably religions etc is one thing. But hating people just makes our world an even worse place. I admit that I have a lot of difficulty not feeling hatred toward people like Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates or Elon Musk or any other multi billionaire trying to take control. If I met them in person I hope I could find something to like about them. But it would not be their insatiable need for money.
Don't disagree with anything you say about Capitalism and the frantic pursuit of $$ as essentially overshadowing all other considerations. Re: the strength and intensity of emotions toward the Big Capitalist destroyers, that's a personal matter. I believe I've already expressed that my Deity, the Biosphere, is being attacked, with murderous intent by these monsters (they're aware of their impact). I feel the emotional intensity of my reactions to be appropriate, as compared, let's say, to some jerk at my insurance company who's charging me a higher copay for service, a person whom I dislike intensely as a drone of the system, but for whom that malaise is on a completely different level than the big corporate Capitalist Billionaire destroyers like Bezos, Musk, Gates, Karp, et al. Again, this is a very personal matter; let's not try to globalize anything: it'd never work.
Dear Gyp, Any sane bio-physical analysis, unbiased toward humans (difficult, of course, given that we're such bloody narcissists) and based upon the following standard -- "concordance with or violation of fundamental principles in the operation of complex system dynamics" -- would undoubtedly pinpoint humans as the SOLE BIOCIDAL VIOLATORS of those principles on this planet, and therefore, as the murderous species whose disappearance would be most beneficial to the remainder of the biosphere. Anyone like to challenge that assessment, go right ahead. But you'd better come prepared with some complex system examples that disprove my assertion.
I wouldn’t have such a problem with humans if we all lived like the Amish (sans religion and dress codes of course.)
Raising their own food. The incredible sense of community they have. Their work ethics. Multigenerational households. And I could definitely get behind horses for transportation!
Indeed, Gyp, the Amish are a fine example of non-indigenous people who mimic the ways of the indigenous in living harmoniously with the biosphere. And we note how they are often mocked by their non-Amish "neighbors" for not conforming to the wasteful non-regenerative lifestyle of the more standard consume-and-discard culture.
I'd make the exception of the increasingly rare indigenous peoples, a bitter few still uncontacted (the rest wiped out or tamed) who manage to live sustainably within their environments. It can't be an inherent human trait. Although it must be a dormant tendency, and boy how it's spun out of all control.
This one hit me hard. I have been a pro-Palestinian activist for over 50 years. This Genocide could destroy what hope I've kept all these decades. The tens of thousands of lives that have been lost in these two years is crushing us. All I have to hang onto now is the belief that these ZioNazis have finally gone too far and will be held accountable.
The people's of the Global South always knew this. The aboriginals, and Aboriginals. The people driven out of their lands, and given pox-infected blankets as a 'kindness'. The 100,000,000 Asian Indians who were starve to death under British (mis)rule. The Irish likewise. The 2/3rds of the Celts wiped out by the Romans, 1/3rd hacked to death, the other taken as slaves to be hacked to death later in 're-enactments' in the Roman amphitheatres, or by wild animals for 'sport.
None of this comes as any surprise, unless they are younger generations fooled by the glitzy lies of the Western media.
Preposterous. Are you aware that the Gauls (of what is now modern France) were Celts? Including those of the Po River plain in northern Italy? I'd say that a hell of a lot more than one third of them survived. Indeed they were all Romanized, which would be impossible if they were dead, and many became prominent and famous Roman citizens. And many Celtic chieftains in the British Isles actually worked with the Romans. The Anglo-Saxons were much more brutal to the Irish than the Romans ever were.
And despite the outrage of British rule in India, your 100,000,000 figure is so far off as to be laughable. I do wonder where you get your "information."
Caesar's own boasts. The simple fact that Northern Europe went from being incredibly prosperous to an economic basket case. I strongly suggest you read this, and ponder the ancient maxim "The victors write the history books": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Terry-Jones-Barbarians-Alan-Ereira/dp/056353916X
There's also a four-parter accompanying TV documentary, if you don't read. It can be found online with the same title.
It was not the "Anglo-Saxons" - who were by and large decent neighbours once they'd settled down - but the Norman overlords who were behind the invasion and later deliberate starvation of the Irish. The Normans, if you don't know, were the Vikings who moved down into France, and found they liked they absolute power given by the structures the Romans had left behind, the "Imperial" mindset. You should also read up on the horrifying tactics they used to subjugate Britain itself.
The 100,000,000 figure is from Indian historians themselves, who took into consideration that India went from >30% of world output and wealth to less than 5% under British Imperial rule.
Empires are never, or rarely, run to improve the lives of those they forcibly rule, but to extort as much as possible for the small 'elites' in whose interests they run.
That has consequences for those ruled.
To imagine otherwise is to manage to believe that wealth "Trickles down".
That's one of my favorite scripture passages, too. "By their fruits you will know them." Another one is "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” We have been freed by the horrors of watching a livestreamed genocide. Let us use our freedom and the truth to liberate all in Gaza, throughout Palestine, and across the globe. We can't let these sociopaths currently in power remain in power. We must clean the earth of their hate, xenophobia and racism. Free Palestine--become free yourself!
Are you aware that there was famine in many more regions than what later became Ukraine? That nobody did "ethnic cleansing" of Ukrainians because it's the same people? That crops were being expropriated from everywhere they grew, and that included what is currently (and for much longer) Ukraine?
Israel accuses Hamas of hatred of all non-Muslims, but there is a church in Gaza, and who destroys it from hatred, the Israelis.
Israel accuses Hamas of ignoring the people, but Gaza, with all of its episodes of Israeli destruction, sanctions, and daily raids, has been constantly rebuilt by Hamas, with universities, sports complexes, cultural institutions, and housing, all delightfully destroyed by the serial killers of the Middle East.
Statistics show that the Palestinians are the best educated people in the world and enter the most admired professions in their adopted nations. People don’t know that Israel has always had next to the highest poverty rate in OECD nations.
The Zionist Jews perform genocide as if it were an everyday exercise, just something done during daily activities. One word summarizes the taking of another person’s life, property, livelihood, and dignity – Raubwirtschaft, German for "plunder economy." States that engage in Raubwirtschaft are in continuous warfare with their neighbors and usurp the resources of their conquered subjects, while claiming security objectives and defensive actions against defenseless people.
Supporting Raubwirtschaft is Israel's Nation State Law, which established a privileged Jewish community, with extension to Jews in other nations, who can align themselves with Israeli society. Israel is an atavistic revival to a tribal form of governance, where borders and boundaries are not fixed. The mythical Joshua, leader of the Biblical Conquest, is brought to life and, with sword and Lord, clears the land for the chosen people.
Dan Lieberman, Thank you for your excellent comment. We have been watching all these atrocities happening from Israel's inception. But for you to acknowledge Hamas's worth, to spell it out so clearly is worthy of applause.
My rage and sorrow for the brutality, destruction, starvation and genocide of the Palestinian people and land does not stop at Israel - when the reckoning comes ( if it does ) rests squarely with the US and its western vassals. Who now are trying to cover their shame with the fig leaf of caring and bogus empathy. They have suddenly woken up to the fact that their proxy is committing a genocide. It will be two years of carnage this October.
How impressive and sad to see a people besieged and starved, trying to look after their young - in the most desperate conditions imaginable, living in a wasteland and yet... giving their murdered fellow beings a decent burial.
This why I have gone from passivity to the need to bomb Israel into oblivion. I used to think transplanting them to a walled in desert island to keep them away from humanity. Now it's not enough, they have to be removed from existence, and without warning, look how fast they fled when Iran returned fire. These people who sat on hillsides cheering the bombing of a people without the weaponry to fight back. Only a coward does that.
Sirios In Greece: Zionists on a large Cruise ship, not allowed to land because of the people The ship has been sent to Northern Cyprus where the Zionists are buying land and the people who live there are angry.
Now. Can we stop other Zionists landing on our lands? Obviously we can.
Jews were always cowards. That is why they needed west and their military might. Whatever jews touch they destroy and/or spoil. Jews are cancer of humanity.
If weapons are involved, whether from the government or from a gun-shop , it still needs to be paid for.
That is not my point however . When Power is involved , It must almost always involve Money, the engine of modern life, and the fuel that has allowed genocides to take place. Without money , there is no gun, and no genocide.
Money is a great facilitator, but the bigger issue is the quest for wealth. The Spanish and Portuguese invaders came to the New World Seeking gold (a kind of money).
However the French invaders came seeking mostly animal furs for sale to European customers.
The British invaders came to North America seeking land and the natural resources of that land, for sale to any customers.
The genocides are a means toward eliminating indigenous peoples who may have prior claims to the land and resources. Capitalist corporations still strive to wrest land and natural resources from indigenous peoples, globally. The Capitalists seek the support of their home countries’ armed forces to subdue any resistance from the rightful owners of land and resources, all in the quest for more wealth and the power to protect and increase it.
Genocides take place when greedy individuals or groups can convince some people that they are superior— morally, ethically, racially, etc.) — to the people who possess the desired land and resources. Such perceived superiority is the justification for genocide.
You may argue that physical wealth and money are synonymous. You may be right.
I can argue that without money, people will still invent and produce weapons.
>>"This is who they are. This is who our leaders are. This is who our complicit news media are. This is what Israel is. This is what Zionism is. This is what the empire is. This is what western civilization is. We know that now. We know them by their fruits."
All I can add to this, Caitlin, is FUCK israel, FUCK zionists, FUCK the u.s. empire, and FREE PALESTINE! (and when I say fuck 'x', I mean they need to be brought down urgently and desperately for the sake of humanity's future - there's no time to lose).
For all to read and hopefully understand. It answers the WHY about Western countries supporting ISRAEL, a criminal genocidal state, propped up by America.
The Western countries are subservient to Israel ......because of PROFIT. Pure and simple
Here is the clear reason for the Western Governments failure to criticise Israel for its crimes, including some of the Western government's feeble statements in recent days, after years of seeing all their “fence-sitting” politicians avoiding the truth.
I'll say it again.....PROFIT...... All profiting from a genocide
This is not a new development. All these firms have exploited business opportunities associated with Israel’s violent occupation of the Palestinian people’s lands for years, and in some cases, decades. The switch from Israel’s occupation of Gaza to its current genocide hasn’t threatened profits. It has enhanced them. And how.
As the UN’s Albanese states “The profits have increased as the economy of the occupation transformed into an economy of genocide.” Sadly, all the Western nations, so it now seems, are not immune from this charge of profiteering from genocide. An absolute disgrace and now soon to be known to all the Australian people and the English, French, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans, all displaying daily their subservience to what Israel means to them.....PROFIT.
Profit from genocide. It is sickening.
As well, the Israeli organisations paying for these profits, well established in Western countries, cleverly located there over decades with extremely strong political connections as well, built up through long term cunning planning since WWII.........
......they should be closed down forever.
Profit is one motive, but it’s not the sole motive, or even the primary factor. There are lots of countries more hidden from view that don’t have the highly educated, very online population that was Gaza and is Israel.
Recall all the images of Israeli soldier’s committing crimes, dancing in their victims clothing, bragging about war crimes? That was permitted, encouraged.
The live-streaming serves a demonstration purpose from the oligarchs of our nations to the people of our nations. “This is what we can do, while looking you in the eye and lying to your face. And we can do it to you. And no one will stop us. No one will come to save you.”
Western governments, one after the other are using this genocide to enforce fascism on a global scale - in a far more sinister manner than they used COVID lockdowns and mandatory tracking.
We want to believe our leadership has been corrupted by blackmail,or money, or fear of Israel, that our leaders are essentially the good guys gone astray. Nope. We are ruled by monsters, and those monsters aren’t just in The Knesset. In fact, once Netanyahu has served his purpose, he will be disposed of like so many other US / NATO puppets before him.
This genocide serves global western interests, or it would have been prevented years and years ago.
Slightly lucid
Extremely lucid, as you covered many points that warranted a mention in my writing today.
Our emphasis areas in commenting have different priorities and space and time play a part in their omission.
So thank you.
>>"Profit is one motive, but it’s not the sole motive, or even the primary factor."
I would disagree with you on PROFIT (and hence Capitalism) not being the PRIMARY factor. In fact, one of the reasons for the creation of Israel (settler-colonialism) was for the purposes of PROFIT under Capitalism (serving Western interests like the U.K. and France at the time).
Colonialism and Imperialism's primary factor is Capitalism (and the perverse profit incentive of Capitalism).
As C33 says, PROFIT (under Capitalism) is the driving/primary factor, with all others playing subservient/secondary/tertiary/etc. roles (factors like racism, ideologies, belief systems, etc.). To really understand this argument, one needs a deeper understanding of Capitalism and history (which unfortunately very few people possess) so that one may connect the many dots needed to understand the bigger picture and the many cause-and-effect relationships involved.
Capitalism is an economic system. Fascism is a political system. Capitalism could theoretically exist in a democracy, and doesn’t need this level of violence to maintain power. Of course capitalism and fascism often walk hand, but respectfully, I think we are seeing a different beast here; and something far more frightening.
Here's a deeper explanation of the relationship(s) between Capitalism and Fascism ->
Lenin has a famous quote - "Fascism is capitalism in decay". This quote carries immense significance in understanding the relationship between these two ideologies. At its core, this quote suggests that Fascism, as an extreme form of authoritarianism, arises as a result of the deterioration or decline of capitalist systems. To comprehend the true depth of this statement, we will explore the meaning of capitalism in decay, the essence of fascism, and the unexpected philosophical concept of dialectical materialism to provide a fresh perspective on the quote.Capitalism, as an economic system, thrives on the principles of individualism, private ownership of means of production, and the pursuit of profit. However, over time, various inefficiencies and contradictions emerge within capitalist structures. This decay can be observed in widening wealth disparities, the commodification of human labor, and environmental degradation, among other issues. The quote portrays fascism as a consequence of this decay, suggesting that when capitalism reaches a certain breaking point, it can give rise to extreme forms of authoritarian control.Fascism, on the other hand, is an extreme right-wing ideology characterized by dictatorial power, nationalist fervor, and the suppression of dissent. It promotes a strong central authority, often led by a single leader, who imposes conformity and suppresses individual rights. Fascism seeks to unite a nation under an iron-fisted rule by appealing to national pride and stoking fears of perceived threats. It provides a means for those disillusioned with the shortcomings of capitalism to find solace in an alternative system that promises stability and control.
Now, let me attempt to analyze the relationship between Capitalism and Fascism through the lens of 'dialectical materialism' (which is derived from Marxist theory, and offers an analytical framework to understand historical and societal changes. It views history as a series of conflicts and contradictions between opposing forces).
Applying this concept to the quote brings forth an intriguing perspective – the interplay between capitalism and fascism exemplifies the dialectical nature of societal change. According to dialectical materialism, the decay of capitalism leads to the emergence of fascism as a contradictory force. As capitalism reaches its limits, it generates immense discontent and fractures in society, laying the groundwork for the rise of fascism. Fascism, though rooted in the decay of capitalism, represents a polar opposite ideology that offers an authoritarian solution to the perceived failures of the capitalist system.
In essence, the quote by Lenin encapsulates the cyclical nature of societal change and the intricate relationship between capitalism and fascism. It suggests that the decay of capitalism creates conditions ripe for the rise of fascism as an alternative system promising stability and order. This perspective allows us to view capitalism and fascism not merely as isolated ideologies, but as interconnected aspects of a complex societal transformation.
>>"Capitalism is an economic system. Fascism is a political system."
I think THIS may be where your misunderstanding/interpretation comes from.
I would recommend reading this book "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them" by Jason Stanley (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38255329-how-fascism-works) as a good introduction to WHAT fascism is, how it comes about, and how it works.
>>"but respectfully, I think we are seeing a different beast here"
I think THAT's where we disagree. You consider them to be DIFFERENT beasts. For me, they are the SAME beast, just different development stages of the beast (i.e. Capitalism IS fascism - but it takes a while to rear its head - and even after it has outed itself, many peeple still do not recognize it for what it is (such as yourself here) - preferring to think of it as DIFFERENT beasts instead of different PHASES of the SAME beast).
People talk about the 'political economy' because political and economic systems cannot really be separated as cleanly as many people assume they can. Whether it is feudalism, socialism, communism, or capitalism (or whatever else) - the 'economic system' INLFUENCES the 'political system' to such an extent that they become one (hence the term 'political economy').
🎯 EXACTLY C33! And this perverse way of making a PROFIT off Genocide is BECAUSE of (and exacerbated by) the 'profit motive' of CAPITALISM. It is IMPERATIVE that people understand that it is the SYSTEM (and the stage within the system - i.e. Late-Stage Capitalism) that is behind the WHY! When it comes to PROFITS, human life is a SECONDARY concern (whether in Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, the U.S. itself, all over the world). For similar reasons, one is able to understand how 'colonialism' (in all its forms) and 'imperialism' thrive under Capitalism - because of PROFITS!
Under Capitalism, PROFITS come FIRST, everything else is given a lower priority (human life, other species, environment, ecology, whatever). This is the LOGIC of Capitalism.
To expand -> The logic of capitalism dictates that one uses capital to their advantage, to gain the advantage that keeps them at the top. Otherwise, the competition eats them alive. There's no other way. The market favors profits and nothing else, and will use all resources and means to make sure its interests are served. This means dodging taxes, controlling governments through bribes or lobbying, maximizing climate change or only pretending to do something about it, supporting genocide, and more. It's a barbaric system, one that insults the intelligence of any moral human being.
Boycott the fuck out of any zionazi company. And support Palestinian companies.
I very much agree Chang there is no time to lose. But the thought of bringing the empire down by violence is misplaced. If for instance you saw a big strong man beating a defenceless old woman then attacking from behind and bringing a baseball bat down on his head to stop him and hopefully bring him down seems to me a paradigm justified case for counter violence. But you can't attack the evil empire and bring it down by surprise. And even if you could the attack would trigger a swarm of nuclear weapons whose use would signal th end of human civilisation and maybe even the destruction of all global infrastructure signaling the end of all animal life and perhaps even the end of all global life. Such is the destructive potential held by these monster psychopaths.... We need calm intelligent forceful counter action .
>>"But the thought of bringing the empire down by violence is misplaced."
The debate about violence vs. non-violence is misplaced (in this context). It is a much larger discussion that needs a broader perspective based on various factors like context, history, belief-systems, and more.
It's not a discussion about either/or - that's black-and-white thinking that you (and many others that make such an argument) have succumbed to. It requires NUANCE. But when you start out a comment with 'one of the options being disabled by default', that shows a LACK of nuance and more an argument based on PERSONAL belief systems than logic, rationality, and strategies. (I'm not going to attempt to address your flawed analogies here - not to mention your MULTIPLE strawman arguments that you offer yourself and then counter your OWN arguments - not realizing that it is YOU who is making the arguments that you counter, not me).
Something else you might want to consider doing (just a suggestion) is read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' - because what humanity is facing currently is MUCH MORE than 'just a war' - it is a battle for the VERY EXISTENCE of humanity (and the planet). There are too many dots-to-connect (steps) involved to walk you through this process here, and many people seem not to have grasped yet the 'magnitude of these crises' and assume 'we have the luxury of debating violence vs. non-violence'. We are WAY PAST such luxuries (again, many/most people have not reached this stage in their thought processes yet to fully understand/appreciate what I'm trying to convey here).
>>"We need calm intelligent forceful counter action"
FYI, VIOLENCE can be metted out in a 'calm, intelligent, forcerful' manner too (unless you are under the impression that violence is always stupid and reactionary - no, it is not - hence the need for NUANCE).
Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' is exceptional. If anyone has not read it, now is the perfect time. And also watch Andor, though fiction, it accurately portrays how revolution happens, and has a wonderful anarchist manifesto too. We need a revolution. Of mind, spirit, body. A GENERAL STRIKE would be a good first blow to the stock market!!
Starve the monsters like they starved Palestinian children.
✊🏽
At a non violent training I failed for wanting to put a sticker on an establishments window. Well, should we sing Kumbaya, and throw red paint at the mother fuckers now and tomorrow? Boycott all countries that supports the Genocide Entity. Israel will stop the Flotilla soon. Sink Israel.
They are not our leaders. They are merely those who've done the best out of the consumer society we're all part of. They may be driving the bus but we all bought a ticket and are fuelling the tank.
Shut it down.
I recently watched a neutrality studies podcast that was focused on Dmitry Trenin’s recent article published in Russia, and translated in English and other languages I believe.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=giN29jR7VRc
I believe a good translation of Trenin’s essay is available on Substack.
What makes this perspective so relevant is, I think the West is sleepwalking while this war is ongoing. I really do believe that the West is devoted to narrative - domestic narrative - to maintain a tenuous status quo while paying proxies to sacrifice their lives.
The legacy media is on a death march, but as its audiences shrink precipitously, the oligarchs who “own” it are hedging their bets by eliminating norms and standards of life in the West. Liberalism is yesterday, and tomorrow is absolute compliance or severe punishment. To me, this path will only go as far as the forces that are known as the axis of resistance, and domestic movements remain apart.
Russia and China and Iran need nobody to tell them that they are at war, and they are three nations that are no strangers to clandestine fighting tactics.
While Western culture is inundated with seemingly millions of mouthpieces and benefactors of Zionism, the axis of resistance and a wide majority of young westerners are anti-Zionist, and this where an organized strategy to stifle the current addiction to chaos that is the Zionist brand.
I think that the oodles of Zionist promoters in our midst need to be targeted as enemies of humanity. If Mossad can arrange to murder multiple heads of states and organized military forces, I think the axis of resistance has the means to remove key mouthpieces by hook or by crook. I’m not cheerleading for more killing, but arrest, kidnapping, immobilizing are all effective substitutes. Let’s let the empire deal with a taste of its own treachery.
I was going to comment, but after reading this, what is the point? No additional words are necessary.
I don't look at those pictures and think about how they will be seen in the future. I think, again and again, of the pictures from the opening of the death camps in 1945, as skeletal survivors stumbled out, and the world gasped in shock. And I don't understand why everyone isn't talking about the parallels, and I don't understand how the Israelis can stand seeing themselves as Nazis.
"... the pictures from the opening of the death camps in 1945 ..." but do you recall the German civilians being lead to see the camps they'd been living in the vicinity of? Did you see them smiling all tidied up and pretty as they were heading in?
Apparently they didn't anticipate what they'd see as coming out of there their faces bore somewhat different expressions.
As I've said many times - the West now is Germany in the 1930s - early 40s. The westerners don't know and they don't want to know.
Western leaders knew about the holocaust as soon as it started. They didn't care. They behaved the same to their own "undesirable" populations. Post war, they spirited those psychopaths out and gave them new identities.
But in every case the 'normal' populations were appalled. American Indians sent charity food to Ireland during the manufactured 'famine'. We all know they would do to us the exact same.
And the Irish famine was not primarily caused by potato crop blight, it was due to England forcibly exporting their agricultural production. I just recently was made aware of this.
The Irish were just another group of "ni&&ers" to the English aristocracy and much of the rest of English society. They were one rung above the black race in the minds of most. Many Irish were taken or sent to the new world as either indentured servants, pure chattel or later recruited as cannon fodder for the Armies of the Union. England did to Ireland what Stalin did to Ukraine during the Holodomor. Nice folks!
"what Stalin did to Ukraine during the Holodomor" - another Wikipedia University alumnus. They spray ukrainian holocaust PhDs left and right.
Sinnead told me this; not schools, history books or the TV.
They can because Zionists ha e always been Nazis. They were instrumental in getting the Nazis to exterminate the Jews, now they are using the Jews to exterminate the Palestinians.
News flash, Mary: EVERYONE is talking about the parallels.
Are the Zionists talking about the parallels?
No. They are excusing themselves in the name of revenge. Whether they actually believe it or not, I suppose, varies from individual to individual.
Sadly, here, where so many ordinary people have been terrified or threatened into compliant thinking, most are afraid to talk about the parallels. Most, but not all.
Because they lied about the holocaust. No one was gassed. The allies bombed all supply lines, so everyone starved, Germans as well as those in the concentration camps. It's ok to lie to gentiles per the Talmud. Now they kill and kill and kill and say all the while that they don't. A Zionist leopard doesn't change his spots.
Everyone involved has lied about the details of the Holocaust, just as they lie today about the details of Gaza and the Palestinians. This is literally becoming "The Final Solution to the Palestinian Question." And above all: The Holocaust is not a blank check or a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" for Israel to act in any way they like; just as the Russians or Poles don't get a free pass to kill Germans. The memory of this past horror must never be weaponized to justify present-day oppression. What happened to “Never Again”? Historical suffering must never be exploited to rationalize, excuse, or shield the perpetrators of ongoing injustice—by any nation, including Israel.
The survivors were skelitial mostly due to the total success of US/UK food blockade. Many hundreds of thousand of Germans were also suffering from malnutrition . And some millions of Jewish prisoners were deliberately starved and many executed But not six million.That figure is one used many times in Jewish history as a figurative description of mass deaths
There were never 6 million Jews in the 1930-40’s
Jack: THIS!
I think of the parallels in Eisenhauer’s Rhine Meadow Death Camp pictures. Done after the second world banker’s war by the US.
German prisoners left out over winters, no tarps, no coats, no food, no water. Any wife or relative passing food or a blanket through the fence was shot.
Rhine Meadow Death Camps
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hbp61fOVFaE
Cindy McCain, whom no one could accuse of being an antisemite, has not been mincing words that it is Israel and Israel only that has stopped the UN (she’s the head of the program) from delivering food. When asked if Hamas is stealing the food as Netanyahu claims she says absolutely not — only Israel is standing in the way of its delivery.
trump and zionist congress people can't pretend they didn't know then, and thus it's not 'only' israel that has stopped the food deliveries, but everyone with unused power who knows and chooses to remain passive. to the gallows!
Hi Caitlin
Homo sapiens have shown us that WE should not be allowed to dominate the world any longer.
Elephants. Dolphins. So many species that exhibit true empathy.
Let Mother Earth vomit out “humanity”like the poison that we are.
Disease, famine, pestilence, climate catastrophe are working towards a solution.
Speak for yourself.
I’m speaking for YOU AS WELL, Ms. Carolyn.
Humans have been using and abusing this planet since Europeans wiped out the indigenous people who lived in harmony with the earth. We do nothing but take from this beautiful planet we’ve been given to live on, never giving one goddamn thing back, becoming ever more murderous in pursuit of profits, profits, profits. The current genocide is the most prominent example yet.
Tigers don’t kill other species because they think they were “promised” a piece of real estate. Polar bears don’t support the wars because it’s “good for the economy”.
And opossums don’t create poisonous emissions that are turning swaths of the earth into deserts via climate change. The Earth can ONLY recover when humanity is gone like a freight train, and that means ME, and it means YOU.
I think it is important to hate the actions of some humans, but equally important not to hate all humans. This is happening because some humans think they are entitled to hate other humans. They are not.
Okay, Ms. Susan, that’s a given.
Then explain to me why the EARTH ITSELF is fucked.
It’s because of US.
Not me. I have fought against the behaviour that has caused the earth to be in such a mess for a big part of my life. The worst people I actually have spent any time with are those who actually believe that people like those who run Starbucks are successful because they have money. The earth is so fucked because a few people put money before everything and propagandize others into drinking the koolaid. If we really want to change things we have to oppose those who destroy and work on accepting those who may be imperfect, but who do not destroy. Some people just cannot accept what the powerful are doing to the earth and to regular, non rich, non powerful people. I don't think they deserve to be hated for being naive. If we have any hope of the world being a better place we need to struggle not to hate, but to oppose loud and clear when we see vile, destructive behaviour.
Methinks the problem is closer to what Gypsy33 described.
Most of us are NOT willing to change our Luxurious Lifestyle :
- install RenewableEnergy
- use fans to bring in cold night air, then close doors & windows daytime = little air conditioning
- stop flying = Zoom & FaceTime
- stop driving = walk & bike
- stop using Plastic = 😱😵💫🤪🤣
Everyone puts money before good stewardship.
No, of COURSE NOT, Susan, you’re certainly above all that 🙄
It's not a question of hating all humans, but rather ALL the corporate capitalist human societies whose parameters almost every human on this planet lives within. When I was a kid, one could say about some small business, "customer comes first" -- and mean it; it had at least a smidgen of validity. Not any more. Customer satisfaction is not only dead, it's a smoke screen utilized to pursue the cut-cost, bottom-line-predominant model which destroys the biosphere. As such, every human society operating under those pretexts deserves condemnation -- and for me as a biologist and Deist, vitriolic hatred for besmirching something I consider SACRED, HOLY., So FUCK any extant human society currently on this planet, except for aboriginals in places like the Amazon, and the few societies like Amish and some regenerative agriculture projects (as described by Michael Pollan in "The Omnivore's Dilemma"). Other than those outliers, I have every right to HATE them as much as a compassionate person hates a fucking Zionist.
I agree that Europeans would have done a lot better and our world would be in better shape if we had listened to indigenous ideas about nature and how it should be treated. I would think through the idea that Amish or Mennonites are more humane on all levels. I do like their idea of non consumption and avoiding modernization. But I have lived in a Mennonite community and in that community was a very high rate of sexual abuse of children. I am also not impressed with how women are treated in those societies. People are people. We are all fallible. We are all stuck in this world, paying exorbitant prices for everything, watching our health care system collapse, watching immigrants being mistreated and we can only write letters, go to protests, talk to other people about how we see the situation. The misery is caused by the pursuit of money and the false idea that money will bring happiness. Corporations would not even exist, if I were making the rules. There would be a limit to the amount of money any one person was allowed to have if I could control things. Any extra money would go to supporting people less able to look after themselves. I think that capitalism is THE problem. Without it, there would not be the push for fossil fuels that are destroying our planet. Or the push for minerals such as cobalt and lithium for batteries, etc., where people mining those things die. Sometimes children. Still, I maintain that hating each other will only make things worse. Hating ideologies such as Zionism, Capitalism, probably religions etc is one thing. But hating people just makes our world an even worse place. I admit that I have a lot of difficulty not feeling hatred toward people like Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates or Elon Musk or any other multi billionaire trying to take control. If I met them in person I hope I could find something to like about them. But it would not be their insatiable need for money.
Don't disagree with anything you say about Capitalism and the frantic pursuit of $$ as essentially overshadowing all other considerations. Re: the strength and intensity of emotions toward the Big Capitalist destroyers, that's a personal matter. I believe I've already expressed that my Deity, the Biosphere, is being attacked, with murderous intent by these monsters (they're aware of their impact). I feel the emotional intensity of my reactions to be appropriate, as compared, let's say, to some jerk at my insurance company who's charging me a higher copay for service, a person whom I dislike intensely as a drone of the system, but for whom that malaise is on a completely different level than the big corporate Capitalist Billionaire destroyers like Bezos, Musk, Gates, Karp, et al. Again, this is a very personal matter; let's not try to globalize anything: it'd never work.
Dear Gyp, Any sane bio-physical analysis, unbiased toward humans (difficult, of course, given that we're such bloody narcissists) and based upon the following standard -- "concordance with or violation of fundamental principles in the operation of complex system dynamics" -- would undoubtedly pinpoint humans as the SOLE BIOCIDAL VIOLATORS of those principles on this planet, and therefore, as the murderous species whose disappearance would be most beneficial to the remainder of the biosphere. Anyone like to challenge that assessment, go right ahead. But you'd better come prepared with some complex system examples that disprove my assertion.
Hi Vin
I wouldn’t have such a problem with humans if we all lived like the Amish (sans religion and dress codes of course.)
Raising their own food. The incredible sense of community they have. Their work ethics. Multigenerational households. And I could definitely get behind horses for transportation!
Indeed, Gyp, the Amish are a fine example of non-indigenous people who mimic the ways of the indigenous in living harmoniously with the biosphere. And we note how they are often mocked by their non-Amish "neighbors" for not conforming to the wasteful non-regenerative lifestyle of the more standard consume-and-discard culture.
I'd make the exception of the increasingly rare indigenous peoples, a bitter few still uncontacted (the rest wiped out or tamed) who manage to live sustainably within their environments. It can't be an inherent human trait. Although it must be a dormant tendency, and boy how it's spun out of all control.
She will.
Thanks, Caitlin. You're one of a few writers who make me feel like I'm not insane. Death to the IDF. Fuck Israel forever.
It makes me sick seeing how leaders just look the other way while babies starve to death.
To be well adjusted in a profoundly sick society is no measure of good health-jiddu K
Let's discuss what that means instead of throwing quotes around. What are you doing? What can anyone do?
This one hit me hard. I have been a pro-Palestinian activist for over 50 years. This Genocide could destroy what hope I've kept all these decades. The tens of thousands of lives that have been lost in these two years is crushing us. All I have to hang onto now is the belief that these ZioNazis have finally gone too far and will be held accountable.
⛔️🔥❗️NO israHell, KNOW PEACE❗️ 🔥⛔️
The people's of the Global South always knew this. The aboriginals, and Aboriginals. The people driven out of their lands, and given pox-infected blankets as a 'kindness'. The 100,000,000 Asian Indians who were starve to death under British (mis)rule. The Irish likewise. The 2/3rds of the Celts wiped out by the Romans, 1/3rd hacked to death, the other taken as slaves to be hacked to death later in 're-enactments' in the Roman amphitheatres, or by wild animals for 'sport.
None of this comes as any surprise, unless they are younger generations fooled by the glitzy lies of the Western media.
"The 2/3rds of the Celts wiped out by the Romans"
Preposterous. Are you aware that the Gauls (of what is now modern France) were Celts? Including those of the Po River plain in northern Italy? I'd say that a hell of a lot more than one third of them survived. Indeed they were all Romanized, which would be impossible if they were dead, and many became prominent and famous Roman citizens. And many Celtic chieftains in the British Isles actually worked with the Romans. The Anglo-Saxons were much more brutal to the Irish than the Romans ever were.
And despite the outrage of British rule in India, your 100,000,000 figure is so far off as to be laughable. I do wonder where you get your "information."
Caesar's own boasts. The simple fact that Northern Europe went from being incredibly prosperous to an economic basket case. I strongly suggest you read this, and ponder the ancient maxim "The victors write the history books": https://www.amazon.co.uk/Terry-Jones-Barbarians-Alan-Ereira/dp/056353916X
There's also a four-parter accompanying TV documentary, if you don't read. It can be found online with the same title.
It was not the "Anglo-Saxons" - who were by and large decent neighbours once they'd settled down - but the Norman overlords who were behind the invasion and later deliberate starvation of the Irish. The Normans, if you don't know, were the Vikings who moved down into France, and found they liked they absolute power given by the structures the Romans had left behind, the "Imperial" mindset. You should also read up on the horrifying tactics they used to subjugate Britain itself.
The 100,000,000 figure is from Indian historians themselves, who took into consideration that India went from >30% of world output and wealth to less than 5% under British Imperial rule.
Empires are never, or rarely, run to improve the lives of those they forcibly rule, but to extort as much as possible for the small 'elites' in whose interests they run.
That has consequences for those ruled.
To imagine otherwise is to manage to believe that wealth "Trickles down".
Does it?
That's one of my favorite scripture passages, too. "By their fruits you will know them." Another one is "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” We have been freed by the horrors of watching a livestreamed genocide. Let us use our freedom and the truth to liberate all in Gaza, throughout Palestine, and across the globe. We can't let these sociopaths currently in power remain in power. We must clean the earth of their hate, xenophobia and racism. Free Palestine--become free yourself!
You will know the truth and others will tell you , and your research, to f*ck off.
Well, there will always be a-holes among us. Maybe one day they'll learn and thank you for your hard work.
It's the Holodomor all over again. But not to worry, when AI becomes self-aware everyone will be wiped out.
Ukrainian Holocaust guy showed up...
Are you aware that there was famine in many more regions than what later became Ukraine? That nobody did "ethnic cleansing" of Ukrainians because it's the same people? That crops were being expropriated from everywhere they grew, and that included what is currently (and for much longer) Ukraine?
Throw out wikipedia and learn proper history.
Lighten up bot
The "Holodomor" is a myth.
What makes you say that
Sick of me, I know, but oddly reassuring...😏
Israel accuses Hamas of hatred of all non-Muslims, but there is a church in Gaza, and who destroys it from hatred, the Israelis.
Israel accuses Hamas of ignoring the people, but Gaza, with all of its episodes of Israeli destruction, sanctions, and daily raids, has been constantly rebuilt by Hamas, with universities, sports complexes, cultural institutions, and housing, all delightfully destroyed by the serial killers of the Middle East.
Statistics show that the Palestinians are the best educated people in the world and enter the most admired professions in their adopted nations. People don’t know that Israel has always had next to the highest poverty rate in OECD nations.
The Zionist Jews perform genocide as if it were an everyday exercise, just something done during daily activities. One word summarizes the taking of another person’s life, property, livelihood, and dignity – Raubwirtschaft, German for "plunder economy." States that engage in Raubwirtschaft are in continuous warfare with their neighbors and usurp the resources of their conquered subjects, while claiming security objectives and defensive actions against defenseless people.
Supporting Raubwirtschaft is Israel's Nation State Law, which established a privileged Jewish community, with extension to Jews in other nations, who can align themselves with Israeli society. Israel is an atavistic revival to a tribal form of governance, where borders and boundaries are not fixed. The mythical Joshua, leader of the Biblical Conquest, is brought to life and, with sword and Lord, clears the land for the chosen people.
Dan Lieberman, Thank you for your excellent comment. We have been watching all these atrocities happening from Israel's inception. But for you to acknowledge Hamas's worth, to spell it out so clearly is worthy of applause.
My rage and sorrow for the brutality, destruction, starvation and genocide of the Palestinian people and land does not stop at Israel - when the reckoning comes ( if it does ) rests squarely with the US and its western vassals. Who now are trying to cover their shame with the fig leaf of caring and bogus empathy. They have suddenly woken up to the fact that their proxy is committing a genocide. It will be two years of carnage this October.
How impressive and sad to see a people besieged and starved, trying to look after their young - in the most desperate conditions imaginable, living in a wasteland and yet... giving their murdered fellow beings a decent burial.
This why I have gone from passivity to the need to bomb Israel into oblivion. I used to think transplanting them to a walled in desert island to keep them away from humanity. Now it's not enough, they have to be removed from existence, and without warning, look how fast they fled when Iran returned fire. These people who sat on hillsides cheering the bombing of a people without the weaponry to fight back. Only a coward does that.
End them now!
Sirios In Greece: Zionists on a large Cruise ship, not allowed to land because of the people The ship has been sent to Northern Cyprus where the Zionists are buying land and the people who live there are angry.
Now. Can we stop other Zionists landing on our lands? Obviously we can.
Bravo to the people of Sirios.
Jews were always cowards. That is why they needed west and their military might. Whatever jews touch they destroy and/or spoil. Jews are cancer of humanity.
Absolutely.
It's the ugliest possible suicide act. Perhaps the people being mass murdered see that.
Power grows out of the barrel of a gun.
Yes, “Power grow out of the barrel of a gun” , but you must have Money to buy it. I.e., no money , no gun, no power.
You don’t need to buy a gun when some government provides it to you at no charge to you
If weapons are involved, whether from the government or from a gun-shop , it still needs to be paid for.
That is not my point however . When Power is involved , It must almost always involve Money, the engine of modern life, and the fuel that has allowed genocides to take place. Without money , there is no gun, and no genocide.
Money is a great facilitator, but the bigger issue is the quest for wealth. The Spanish and Portuguese invaders came to the New World Seeking gold (a kind of money).
However the French invaders came seeking mostly animal furs for sale to European customers.
The British invaders came to North America seeking land and the natural resources of that land, for sale to any customers.
The genocides are a means toward eliminating indigenous peoples who may have prior claims to the land and resources. Capitalist corporations still strive to wrest land and natural resources from indigenous peoples, globally. The Capitalists seek the support of their home countries’ armed forces to subdue any resistance from the rightful owners of land and resources, all in the quest for more wealth and the power to protect and increase it.
Genocides take place when greedy individuals or groups can convince some people that they are superior— morally, ethically, racially, etc.) — to the people who possess the desired land and resources. Such perceived superiority is the justification for genocide.
You may argue that physical wealth and money are synonymous. You may be right.
I can argue that without money, people will still invent and produce weapons.
The least our misleaders could do is arrest any zionist returning from Infant Death Facilitating escapades in the 'Holy Land'.