"For in the development of this organization [United Nations] rests the only true alternative to war--and war appeals no longer as a rational alternative. Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes. It can no longer concern the great powers alone. For a nuclear disaster, spread by wind and water and fear, could well engulf the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the committed and the uncommitted alike. Mankind must put an end to war--or war will put an end to mankind."
~John F. Kennedy, Address Before the General UN Assembly, Sept 1961
This is what happened to Rosa Luxemberg, though I would class her as a far superior human being than John F. Kennedy. " She told the poor the truth, so did away with her ".
Yes I am aware of that. Also keep in mind JFK negotiated an end to the Cuban Missile crisis (well-documented). Note: Trump and Biden currently are both gung ho on fueling Israel's genocide and egging on Iran to escalate a Middle-East regional war, and a potential nuclear exchange. A far cry from JFK.
and he provoked the Cuban Missile Crisis, and from what I've readstipulated that the US concession on removing the missiles in Turkey which resolved the crisis not being publicised.
Jupiter missiles deployed in Italy and Turkey over the USSR's objections were the main reason for the eventual Cuban deployment. Protecting Cuba came as a byproduct. The JFK's "heroic standing up" to the Soviets resulted in removing those missiles from Europe which, of course, was not emphasized - as in completely suppressed from the western public. Just JFK the hero legend got invented.
NATO's expansion over the last 30 years has lead to a similar crisis we're observing now. The result will either be similar as well, if someone as reasonable as JFK can emerge. Putin indicated that the US can claim all the credit they want to save face in such a case.
People who live far away from us ARE still our friends and neighbours. The internet for one thing has brought us closer together. I have a chiropractor who is Lebanese and a dentist who is Iranian. I can hardly talk to them about what is happening in the Middle East because their families are there. We are not as separate and far away as we would like to believe. Not to mention that if this mess goes nuclear, it will reach us. Even before Iran or somewhere else decides to drop a nuclear bomb on a city near you.
You mean the ones screaming, Death to Israel” & “Down with the Great Satan (Again, that would be the USA) & “Death to America (USA again)!! They’re our Friends, you say!!?? Got it!! Just trying to figure out how you think!! Congratulations on having DEI’d your medical treatment!! Sensational!!
What's your point? The US is busy funding and arming ethnic-cleansing. You're surprised by statements of opposition to that? The point, which you miss, is the humanity of the people your wretched government is exterminating.
There are a great many Americans who wish for death to Israel and the slaying of the dragon that is the American empire, and understandably so after a year of psychopathic rampaging. While I'd guess it's a small minority of foreigners who chant those wishes, many more deeply resent the influence of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin on their lives, and rightly so. Surely you can't be ignorant of the fact that the U.S. is reviled by many of the world's people, for good damn reason? In my experience, our country's victims are impressively able to distinguish between us and our government. They display more savvy and heart than you do in your comment.
You do realise that you Zionist Nazis ARE THE PROBLEM RIGHT? When you ignore your murderous tactics long enough they will come back at you with a vengeance!
"As abusive as domestic issues can be, nobody here at home has to worry about western bombs being dropped on their houses. "
This is exactly the point I make in this Tuesday's post. Westerners have relatively little to complain about compared to Palestinians who are being slaughtered and tortured in cruel and immoral ways simply for being the indigenous people of Palestine. But this guy... He really tells it like it is: https://twitter.com/HotSpotHotSpot/status/1843997436664267000
Keep fighting for justice, for peace, and for an end to the genocidal War Machine!
I doubt many Harris supporters could tell you anything about Trump's stand on Israel (incoherent as it is) because to be informed about such a thing would imply that Gaza is important. This is something Harris voters must either a) not believe or b) be able to minimize until microscopic. They know Harris is Biden in a skirt when it comes to Gaza; calling Trump out for being on the wrong side over there would require nonsensical hairsplitting. Not a good look when you're trying to convince your fellow Americans that Trump is an unprecedented menace while Harris is a good person in a complicated world.
I just marked my ballot for Dr. Jill Stein. Hope many others will join me. Don’t help them silence y/our voices. The only wasted vote is anything other than a third-party vote.
I call them "Team D" and "Team R" but that is, frankly, insulting to sports fans, many of whom come up with more coherent, reasoned, fact-based arguments for supporting a given team than do many political tribalists.
That's the crazy thing about their scam debate where both these Zionist Nazis tried to prove who is the better Zionist Nazi and the sheeple did nothing but bob their heads!
I’m really starting to believe that we are being led by a demonic mindset. We have reached a degree of technological progress that could provide a decent life for everyone globally, but it is being actively suppressed.
That's the real sad tragedy in all this. A loving technology could serve us all, but instead it is being harnessed to enrich a relative few and enslave the rest. Greed is seen too much in the West as an all encompassing virtue, upon which all significant human value is placed. The poor are seen as weak, morally and by social darwinian measures - as lesser beings. Collaboration, cooperation - in the form of say, regulations, shared resources, universal healthcare, even helping those in natural disasters such as hurricanes, has become a low priority agenda in the US and other Western countries, discouraged by those with extreme power and wealth - as the Elites maintain the only real virtue worth aspiring to is to become absurdly wealthy like themselves.
Even spirituality is pretty much looked down upon by a good majority of the "intellectual" class now. The ordinary person lives their lives now Godless, Exploited by a life of labor, and with no real hope of even an afterlife to look forward to. And now this neurotic fixation on Greed is leading humankind to its own extinction. What any of it was all about - perhaps we will never know.
Agreed. We, as a species, are more successful using cooperation rather than competition. But it has all been inverted, to benefit a very few. And this inversion has become our standard. A great evil has infected us.
"WE" - whoever "we" is - should look into building shadow institutions to support a new open society.
Off the top of my head I cannot think of one established mainstream institution not compromised by parasitic moneyed interests undermining human sovereignty.
Look at what the Black Panthers did. Occupy tried to set up alternatives. Uhuru was raided by the FBI for effectively making a material difference in local lives. The Palestinians have done it for decades. Food Not Bombs does it. Make gardens, make schools, create trades programs, health clinics, soup kitchens, clothing swaps. We can do this. (And find out where the dentists live!)
The social organization comes from doing this first, rather than arguing about what flavor of Marxim, socialism, communism, libertarianism, democracy, or anarchism might be best for people.
great comment. And there's a whole lot of propaganda effort that goes into demonizing this kind of mutual aid--and of convincing us we're helpless. But you're right. we aren't.
For soul juice check out “perfect Days” by Wim Wenders and a Japanese man…a fine, fine film…accessible on Kanopy via your library …we need lots of soul vitamins these days to strengthen our courage and commitment…
Hawaiis Ann Wright conscientiously speaking against war with Iran that Israel, US are pushing. This is a very important US election. Vote GREEN PARTY! PEOPLE! PLANET! PEACE!
Awareness is it for sure the only thing works in the long game... but the US is not giving up its grip on power easily... and right now Israel is pretty much our neocons' only hope to do that. Yet Israel seems to see its best time to move to the end game is NOW. I imagine "Biden+" would prefer after the election.. and Russia/Iran are looking to their important BRICS conference in 2 weeks. Can anyone hold Israel back? If not, good chance Israel will go nuclear after the first exchange with Iran.. .and no one is going to win a nuclear breakout. So our best hope is that some folks in our military who know this is a terrible idea, can stop it. On the other hand, maybe this is it. Awareness can change minds, but ultimately lets us see that we are the world, and the source of the world... all that is.... We play our parts, dance our dance, and what comes, comes. Meanwhile, I'm voting for Jill Stein.
check around if you want... https://www.unz.com/ has articles by Pepe Escobar and others who were at the summit, as well as the entire summit manifesto in English.. pages and pages of "concrete specifics"....cheers
Iran may have them now., and just became full member of BRICS. While BRICS is primarily an economic/ financial group there are numerous nuclear powers there. Iran is not on its own.
You appear to be assuming facts not in evidence. If Iran had nuclear weapons, they'd be sure to let us know, as that would be a hell of a deterrent.
Anyway, unless and until BRICS develops a decisionmaking mechanism and rules that bind members, it's the diplomatic equivalent of a dorm room bull session.
Bennett Hoffman, " Meanwhile, I am voting for Jill Stein", you say. Good.
Meanwhile Trump has made it easier to choose for others, brought it down to his followers racist level, and his - " You can vote for a white President... or a black President... "!!!
Actually it's at home you need to oppose the neoliberal ideology that underpins imperialism and colonialism. It goes unchallenged in schools, at work, in communities. By the time it's affecting people abroad it's too late.
When they try to shove fake "market solutions" into every little thing, you need to resist. You need to examine what they try to teach your children. You need to resist when they try to obscure all ideas of community and sharing. You even need to resist when they try to corrupt the idea of sharing even, coopting it for their dystopian digital platforms. Like "car sharing" where a Jersey or Bahamas registered company owns the car.....and your neighbours.....rent it.
"For in the development of this organization [United Nations] rests the only true alternative to war--and war appeals no longer as a rational alternative. Unconditional war can no longer lead to unconditional victory. It can no longer serve to settle disputes. It can no longer concern the great powers alone. For a nuclear disaster, spread by wind and water and fear, could well engulf the great and the small, the rich and the poor, the committed and the uncommitted alike. Mankind must put an end to war--or war will put an end to mankind."
~John F. Kennedy, Address Before the General UN Assembly, Sept 1961
And then two years later they killed him.
To jamenta & Jala,
This is what happened to Rosa Luxemberg, though I would class her as a far superior human being than John F. Kennedy. " She told the poor the truth, so did away with her ".
Jaka, wonder why I was told "there was an error liking this comment" when I hit "like."
Same for me. Is Ss censoring?!?
Yes they are! They literally blocked me from posting on comments for a week straight! Now this post will not go through this is the 3rd attempt!
I am not a particular supporter of Trump but he promised to end the Ukraine war if elected an they tried to kill HIM
Keep in mind that JFK ran for president in 1960 on a platform that Eisenhower and Nixon were "soft on communism".
And JFK's and RFK's cozy relationship with McCarthy is well-documented.
Yes I am aware of that. Also keep in mind JFK negotiated an end to the Cuban Missile crisis (well-documented). Note: Trump and Biden currently are both gung ho on fueling Israel's genocide and egging on Iran to escalate a Middle-East regional war, and a potential nuclear exchange. A far cry from JFK.
and he provoked the Cuban Missile Crisis, and from what I've readstipulated that the US concession on removing the missiles in Turkey which resolved the crisis not being publicised.
Jupiter missiles deployed in Italy and Turkey over the USSR's objections were the main reason for the eventual Cuban deployment. Protecting Cuba came as a byproduct. The JFK's "heroic standing up" to the Soviets resulted in removing those missiles from Europe which, of course, was not emphasized - as in completely suppressed from the western public. Just JFK the hero legend got invented.
NATO's expansion over the last 30 years has lead to a similar crisis we're observing now. The result will either be similar as well, if someone as reasonable as JFK can emerge. Putin indicated that the US can claim all the credit they want to save face in such a case.
People who live far away from us ARE still our friends and neighbours. The internet for one thing has brought us closer together. I have a chiropractor who is Lebanese and a dentist who is Iranian. I can hardly talk to them about what is happening in the Middle East because their families are there. We are not as separate and far away as we would like to believe. Not to mention that if this mess goes nuclear, it will reach us. Even before Iran or somewhere else decides to drop a nuclear bomb on a city near you.
You mean the ones screaming, Death to Israel” & “Down with the Great Satan (Again, that would be the USA) & “Death to America (USA again)!! They’re our Friends, you say!!?? Got it!! Just trying to figure out how you think!! Congratulations on having DEI’d your medical treatment!! Sensational!!
What's your point? The US is busy funding and arming ethnic-cleansing. You're surprised by statements of opposition to that? The point, which you miss, is the humanity of the people your wretched government is exterminating.
There are a great many Americans who wish for death to Israel and the slaying of the dragon that is the American empire, and understandably so after a year of psychopathic rampaging. While I'd guess it's a small minority of foreigners who chant those wishes, many more deeply resent the influence of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin on their lives, and rightly so. Surely you can't be ignorant of the fact that the U.S. is reviled by many of the world's people, for good damn reason? In my experience, our country's victims are impressively able to distinguish between us and our government. They display more savvy and heart than you do in your comment.
Absolutely!
You do realise that you Zionist Nazis ARE THE PROBLEM RIGHT? When you ignore your murderous tactics long enough they will come back at you with a vengeance!
you support genocide under a fig leaf of fake patriotism.
I'm all for it. Whatever bad things the US and Israel get are all entirely deserved.
🤡
"As abusive as domestic issues can be, nobody here at home has to worry about western bombs being dropped on their houses. "
This is exactly the point I make in this Tuesday's post. Westerners have relatively little to complain about compared to Palestinians who are being slaughtered and tortured in cruel and immoral ways simply for being the indigenous people of Palestine. But this guy... He really tells it like it is: https://twitter.com/HotSpotHotSpot/status/1843997436664267000
Keep fighting for justice, for peace, and for an end to the genocidal War Machine!
The (not so) funny part is that these Lifetime Members of the TruBlue Society for Pragmatic Incremental Babysteps© can't explain any of "the geostrategic objectives of the US government and its allies" while making fun of those chanting "USA Number One!" who have no idea what the US is Number One at.
I'll tell 'em, the answer to both questions is "killing people."
I doubt many Harris supporters could tell you anything about Trump's stand on Israel (incoherent as it is) because to be informed about such a thing would imply that Gaza is important. This is something Harris voters must either a) not believe or b) be able to minimize until microscopic. They know Harris is Biden in a skirt when it comes to Gaza; calling Trump out for being on the wrong side over there would require nonsensical hairsplitting. Not a good look when you're trying to convince your fellow Americans that Trump is an unprecedented menace while Harris is a good person in a complicated world.
I just marked my ballot for Dr. Jill Stein. Hope many others will join me. Don’t help them silence y/our voices. The only wasted vote is anything other than a third-party vote.
They don't care.
I call them "Team D" and "Team R" but that is, frankly, insulting to sports fans, many of whom come up with more coherent, reasoned, fact-based arguments for supporting a given team than do many political tribalists.
That's the crazy thing about their scam debate where both these Zionist Nazis tried to prove who is the better Zionist Nazi and the sheeple did nothing but bob their heads!
Kamala said it and yes it is boasting.
I’m really starting to believe that we are being led by a demonic mindset. We have reached a degree of technological progress that could provide a decent life for everyone globally, but it is being actively suppressed.
That's the real sad tragedy in all this. A loving technology could serve us all, but instead it is being harnessed to enrich a relative few and enslave the rest. Greed is seen too much in the West as an all encompassing virtue, upon which all significant human value is placed. The poor are seen as weak, morally and by social darwinian measures - as lesser beings. Collaboration, cooperation - in the form of say, regulations, shared resources, universal healthcare, even helping those in natural disasters such as hurricanes, has become a low priority agenda in the US and other Western countries, discouraged by those with extreme power and wealth - as the Elites maintain the only real virtue worth aspiring to is to become absurdly wealthy like themselves.
Even spirituality is pretty much looked down upon by a good majority of the "intellectual" class now. The ordinary person lives their lives now Godless, Exploited by a life of labor, and with no real hope of even an afterlife to look forward to. And now this neurotic fixation on Greed is leading humankind to its own extinction. What any of it was all about - perhaps we will never know.
Agreed. We, as a species, are more successful using cooperation rather than competition. But it has all been inverted, to benefit a very few. And this inversion has become our standard. A great evil has infected us.
Well said
You better believe it. The West has been hoodwinked by…
We are led by sociopaths, that is all.
How? The politicians are bought and paid for and we are basically forced to watch in real time.
"WE" - whoever "we" is - should look into building shadow institutions to support a new open society.
Off the top of my head I cannot think of one established mainstream institution not compromised by parasitic moneyed interests undermining human sovereignty.
Look at what the Black Panthers did. Occupy tried to set up alternatives. Uhuru was raided by the FBI for effectively making a material difference in local lives. The Palestinians have done it for decades. Food Not Bombs does it. Make gardens, make schools, create trades programs, health clinics, soup kitchens, clothing swaps. We can do this. (And find out where the dentists live!)
The social organization comes from doing this first, rather than arguing about what flavor of Marxim, socialism, communism, libertarianism, democracy, or anarchism might be best for people.
great comment. And there's a whole lot of propaganda effort that goes into demonizing this kind of mutual aid--and of convincing us we're helpless. But you're right. we aren't.
You are right. People are programmed to believe they are powerless.
Yes. And help defend Black & Latino and Trans communities under attack.
Such efforts should be limited to creating programs that actually build community, which leaves out schools.
The low turn-out to some of these events in the US and Australia is demoralising.
The people in countries like Venezuela, Brasil, India, France and Netherlands seem more politically aware and organised.
The revolution is probably coming from Africa, Eurasia and South America.
The rulers do not care, as long as their orders are obeyed.
It seems like a lot of people are realizing how bad things are for the first time, and paying more attention to geopolitical issues.
Although a lot are still believing the BS they're being fed.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a case with the ICC against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for war crimes in Gaza.
https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org/perpetrators/hind-rajab-foundation-files-historic-icc-complaint-against-1000-israeli-soldiers-for-war-crimes-in-gaza
I think they might could use our help. Please read the article and join me in making a contribution. https://buy.stripe.com/cN228hbY5g7jaM84gg
For soul juice check out “perfect Days” by Wim Wenders and a Japanese man…a fine, fine film…accessible on Kanopy via your library …we need lots of soul vitamins these days to strengthen our courage and commitment…
Exactly
Hawaiis Ann Wright conscientiously speaking against war with Iran that Israel, US are pushing. This is a very important US election. Vote GREEN PARTY! PEOPLE! PLANET! PEACE!
Awareness is it for sure the only thing works in the long game... but the US is not giving up its grip on power easily... and right now Israel is pretty much our neocons' only hope to do that. Yet Israel seems to see its best time to move to the end game is NOW. I imagine "Biden+" would prefer after the election.. and Russia/Iran are looking to their important BRICS conference in 2 weeks. Can anyone hold Israel back? If not, good chance Israel will go nuclear after the first exchange with Iran.. .and no one is going to win a nuclear breakout. So our best hope is that some folks in our military who know this is a terrible idea, can stop it. On the other hand, maybe this is it. Awareness can change minds, but ultimately lets us see that we are the world, and the source of the world... all that is.... We play our parts, dance our dance, and what comes, comes. Meanwhile, I'm voting for Jill Stein.
Since Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and Israel and the US do.....
I think Jeffrey Sachs’ take on BRICS is about right… a bit more that a bull session” don’t you think?
https://scheerpost.com/2024/11/03/jeffrey-d-sachs-the-brics-summit-should-mark-the-end-of-neocon-delusions/
The article is very short on concrete specifics.
check around if you want... https://www.unz.com/ has articles by Pepe Escobar and others who were at the summit, as well as the entire summit manifesto in English.. pages and pages of "concrete specifics"....cheers
So provide these articles.and specifics, rather than a link to an article that lacks them .
Escobar, BTW, is a serial fantasist. Like the Luke Harding of AltMedia.
Iran may have them now., and just became full member of BRICS. While BRICS is primarily an economic/ financial group there are numerous nuclear powers there. Iran is not on its own.
You appear to be assuming facts not in evidence. If Iran had nuclear weapons, they'd be sure to let us know, as that would be a hell of a deterrent.
Anyway, unless and until BRICS develops a decisionmaking mechanism and rules that bind members, it's the diplomatic equivalent of a dorm room bull session.
Bennett Hoffman, " Meanwhile, I am voting for Jill Stein", you say. Good.
Meanwhile Trump has made it easier to choose for others, brought it down to his followers racist level, and his - " You can vote for a white President... or a black President... "!!!
I'll be really glad when this fraud of an election is over...
Start by taking their money. Abolish the fed and stop paying taxes.
Tax the rich! Regulate corporate power!
Actually it's at home you need to oppose the neoliberal ideology that underpins imperialism and colonialism. It goes unchallenged in schools, at work, in communities. By the time it's affecting people abroad it's too late.
When they try to shove fake "market solutions" into every little thing, you need to resist. You need to examine what they try to teach your children. You need to resist when they try to obscure all ideas of community and sharing. You even need to resist when they try to corrupt the idea of sharing even, coopting it for their dystopian digital platforms. Like "car sharing" where a Jersey or Bahamas registered company owns the car.....and your neighbours.....rent it.
Resist.
I am surprised that have not seen more shitlibs here to tell us that genocide is regrettable and all, but we need to focus on the possible.
Pronouns, people! PRONOUNS!