"If there were an Oscar for best theatrical performance by a country, Israel would win every year. It's a country based on theater. It's a lunatic state - completely insane."
If the number of celebrities who have spoken out so far against Israel's genocide is any indication, I wouldn't expect much at the Oscars. And not from Robert di Niro. They'll probably have Yulia Navalny present the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture.
Caitlin, I agree, as always. What I hope is that in the winners’ group, there will be at least one person with the guts of George Galloway, Norman Finkelstein, Max Blumenthal, Glenn Greenwald, Katie Halper, or Aaron Mate to call out Israel’s genocide for what it is. You'll notice that these people are all Jews (except George) who have defied upbringing, but, then, they weren't raised in Israel.
As for your saying this genocide is not about Jewishness but about settler-colonialism, I would make one disagreement. It's the knowledge of the leadership Jews in Israel that they are absolutely superior to all others. And most of the people there deeply believe this, as well. They really believe that the Palestinians are nothing and worthless. When I was there, the arrogance and obvious sense of superiority was thick in the air. Hard to explain unless you've witnessed it in person. The Torah is taken seriously... these are God's "chosen," and when a kid is indoctrinated to believe that from birth, it's almost unshakable. That's how the IDF can deliberately sniper little kids in the head without any sense they are doing wrong whatsoever....and laugh about it later, with no guilt. It's amazing. I had to go "outside" to Gaza or the West Bank to find warmth, genuine kindness and welcoming…and finding it was like coming out of cold and walking into sunshine.
I lived in a Jewish community for 8 years. The sense of superiority was also thick in the air, and this was not in Israel. Support for Israel was 100% however. This was a very democrat or liberal leaning community. We were treated well mostly by the older generation, but for some it felt almost obligatory, like we were some kind of social experiment. They loved my Christmas lights, as it was the only house with it during December. Did they love it though? The younger families actively avoided us and especially kept their kids away from mine. Maybe they worried I’d infect them with my Jesusness? One time however the neighbors teenage girl asked me why I cut my own grass, as if I was breaking some cultural rule. I told her it was therapeutic for me. She asked, ‘why don’t you just let Miguel do it’, Miguel? I thought, who’s he?’ Then realized she was describing the landscapers, generally. So what’s this all mean? Are Jewish people all fascist racists posing as humanitarians to prove their liberal virtue to each other? Nah, I tend to think they are victims of the same American propaganda machine we all are afflicted with. I now live in a moderately Christian community, conservative leaning, but not Jesus freaks either. I’m lucky to get flipped off, let alone engaged in virtue boosting conversations with these neighbors. I miss my Jewish neighbors to be honest. At least they had a sense of humor.
Michael, Thank you for your interesting comment. Gideon Levy who writes for Haaretz in Israel says the Jews are three things: Superior to all others (God's chosen children), the eternal victims (no one else can be in that category... they kept out an Armenian Holocaust room from being included in the Holocaust Museum in D.C.), and think of the Palestinians (and I say other groups) as bugs beneath their feet, to be crushed underfoot since they are nothing. But you're are right, they have a sense of humor. However, those in the leadership of Israel today are exceptions to that, having no humor at all; humor implies some kind of sensitivity. They were thrilled that Hamas attacked. That gave them leave to exterminate the Palestinians.
Writers like George Orwell and French philosopher Simone Weil actually lived in poverty for extended periods so they could write with real authority and empathy on their subjects. Orwell was a bum on the streets of Paris for a time and Weil ruined her health due to living as the poor did and died prematurely. Can you imagine such dedication from a journalist today?
Weil wrote a book calling for the abolition of political parties ( available on Amazon) claiming they ultimately become self serving totalitarians which is just what they are today.
Political parties SHOULD be abolished and full participatory democracy returned to the people in the form of Peoples' Assemblies or Village Meetings where we all decide what's to be what in our lives just like in pre-NATO Libya. Gaddafi was against political parties too. His Green Book is here: http://openanthropology.org/libya/gaddafi-green-book.pdf
Pg 13 of the pdf of his book reveals that:
"The party is a contemporary form of dictatorship. It is the modern instrument of dictatorial government. The party is the rule of a part over the whole. As a party is not an individual, it creates a superficial democracy by establishing assemblies, committees, and propaganda through its members. The party is not a democratic instrument because it is composed only of those people who have common interests, a common perception or a shared culture; or those who belong to the same region or share the same belief. They form a party to achieve their ends, impose their will, or extend the dominion of their beliefs, values, and interests to the society as a whole. A party’s aim is to achieve power under the pretext of carrying out its program. Democratically, none of these parties should govern a whole people who constitute a diversity of interests, ideas, temperaments, regions and beliefs. The party is a dictatorial instrument of government that enables those with common outlooks or interests to rule the
people as a whole. Within the community, the party represents a minority.
"The purpose of forming a party is to create an instrument to rule the people, i.e., to rule over non-members of the party."
None of them care.... They just want to maintain the status quo.. THEY ARE THE SYSTEM!
Why do you think that the entire country has been brain washed into the paradigm of american mythology of its exceptionalism and propagandized and infantiled into mindless obedient tax paying serfs that have not an ounce of original thought in their dumb fuck brain down to its stems that was not curated by the systems admins in the establishment and Hollywood and political world and news society? add in every lap dog allied nations that follow them around like sycophantic little poodles...
Celebrity's just sell the great western lies to the unsuspecting checked out rural numpty, and laugh their way to banks and parties and photo opps.
If you're talking about Americans, I really don't think most Americans think their country is just great. There is a lot of dissatisfaction in regard to American policies and things in general. I don't hear people running around singing America's praises. Mostly it's this or that really stinks. Did I misunderstand you.
The only reason people are somewhat waking up is because the abuse has become so bad and lies so blatant and the greed and manipulation so intense its starting to hurt people directly (as all abusers do eventually) .. economic suffering is the worst its ever been and all perpetrated by the very people i talk about...so its the PAIN that is waking them up not the intellectual courage it would have took to see it far way back to have stopped it... because i was warning of it way back when, and was told to move if i don't like it here,, and here we are,,,
One thing is true of Americans and that is they don't have a very good, global perspective on things, and maybe it due to being geographically separate to much of the world. I had a an uncle who was an engineer in the merchant marines, and as a teenager I became aware of his global perspective on things which I thought was really nice and I try to maintain that perspective as well. I think that's where Americans fall short.
I agree, and grammar school teachers don't make much of an effort to teach it. However I do think people in America feel less connected to the world as a whole, and we're special. Kidding.
My grandfather on my moms side was a lieutenant colonel in ww3,, he was an american and married my moms mom, and my mom married a Frenchmen .(thus me eventually) .. so not blood but he was the only grandfather i knew and was a really decent guy too... but that was a different generation..
And yeah most Americans never left their back yards but think they know all about the world due to the TV one way lie machine...
I happen to work around them my whole career... I see a lot of mindless main stream going along..they think that they need to to maintain the celebrity status and ingratiate themselves with the public and the public must be mind control to sell them their entertainment that translates into corporate sales and this is why they all work together to keep the public malleable to manipulation through news films tv and social conditioning...
Do you live in America? I don't really see a lot of really happy Americans running around in love with their country. In fact a lot of people I know do a lot of bitching and I can understand why. Funny a couple of cousins, pretty young and still working talk about retiring to Italy, and one just mentioned because of better health care. There are people that defend everything American, even their wars, but there are a whole lot who are not like that. Most Americans are trying to get through their days, I think they would like to portray us that way, but since I'm a kid I never had that perspective on the average American. By the way you should hear Americans bitch about our health care system.
Americans health care system is nothing to do with health and everything to do with MONEY! ONLY ..the "health" part is just treating symptoms with drugs they can make money off of.
Yes, and I've worked in the health care community. and things have really changed. No more local family doctors, and now hospitals and doctors practices are corporately owned.I don't blame them, and I'm not defending America in this regard, just people, ordinary people.
My old country doctor in LA has gotten too old to practice...he was great... and let me pay in cash for little things.. yeah the problem is mom and pop everything is evaporating! makes me sad .
Well fran ...at my age i may be very jaded at this point...lol
I have seen a lot..been all around the world and met lots of different peoples..
I think my IRE can be summed up in my wish and desire to see a better America ,,but i hate that we are the main problem in the world..I was born of immigrants and grew up in the states..i have been probably to every singe state excluding Alaska at least once.. My father was french my mother German, I'm a baby boomer from the war... But i was not your typical middle american ...grew up near cities lived in NYC and was a musician and technical person for studios etc and now am near hollywood so i'm not just the typical "white guy " angry about the lost 50's or whatever they get on about... I'm a mixed bag of beliefs that span liberal to conservative and way outside most of those narrow conventions and paradigms.. I rank on the USA because i want it to be better and i hate that its citizens are so DUMB!! and terribly prone to the brain washing they are under 24/7
I don't blame you and agree our American policies are self serving here and abroad,. In that regard we suck! Politically even as a kid i didn't like us!!!!!! I learned to separate the people from my government that I never really trusted. Not even as a child.
One on one in my daily life i meet the best people so my anger over all this is general..i get along with most people..(might not know that by my ranting HA!)
I have a whole bunch of great people around me even in the belly of the hollywood beast
The Intercept and Democracy Now are not only stealing from the Grayzone but from the Electronic Intifada and Mondoweiss too. Really disappointed with Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim.
Max Blumenthal made the comment that the Intercept and Democracy Now are reaching for “respectability”. Sort of to be like a North American version of The Guardian.
We need a different system. Those in power "make those decisions because they are corrupt and evil"; they are interested in making money for themselves or for their friends and relatives. Most schmoes off the street are not making all the money that is coming into the US from the sale of all those weapons of war. I really appreciate your second to last paragraph. This is not about Jews. It is about the State of Israel. BTW, some real estate agents from Israel and the US were here in Montreal offering to sell real estate from the West Bank.....in a synagogue. Many Jews were very vocal and distraught about their synagogue being used to sell illegal real estate to Canadians.
"Most schmoes off the street are not making all the money that is coming into the US from the sale of all those weapons of war. "
The money is printed and goes more or less directly to arms manufacturers. No domestic goods or services are produced to spend it on. The result is price increases and devaluation of the dollar. https://science1arts2and3politics.substack.com/p/why-the-usa-has-inflation Wealth does not increase, it is redistributed.
"The cult isn’t bad because there aren’t enough nice cult members, the cult is bad because its entire purpose, function and founding doctrine is bad."
I've met lots of "nice Democrats" and "nice Republicans" in my time, but I never forget they're still doing evil things like supporting a genocide and/or supporting pro-genocide candidates. We really have to get past the surface details and look deep into the heart of all organizations and their members. If they're doing evil things like genocide, then they're an evil organization/cult. Get away from the cult and encourage your friends/family in the cult to de-program themselves and leave asap. You'll thank yourself for it later when the rest of us come to lock up the cult leaders.
Hollywood fillms create a false narrative in so many genres...
Most people cannot see the depth & breadth of Zionism.
Unfortunately Judaism is used as a foundation for many Zionist claims.
All religion is fraud.
If everyone would simply speak in the universal languages of ethics, values, logic, morals, reason, science, peace & love, and discontinue the fraudulent dialogs of religions & governments, humanity could evolve to eliminate the purposed fraudulent narratives of governments and religions.
We should all take heed of Caitlin's timely warning. Please do not fall into the trap of conflating the Jewish race with the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians by an Israeli regime. I have noticed a few of our posts with good hearts and the best of intentions, overtaken by sorrow at the plight of fellow human beings tending to overlook this truth.
Israel is a settler - colonial state doing what other settler - colonial states ( of different races, cultures and religions ) did in another time and place. Just as they stand condemned, so does Israel. What makes it more horrendous is that the carnage is happening now right before our eyes. And it's a carnage than never before. Keep our empathy and support ( for what its worth ) for the Palestinian people pure so that it will have more impact. We should not debase our compassion by going down to the level of those who are not only blind to the suffering but aid and abet a genocide.
But you have to be born into it, like Hinduism. And many Jews are not religious. It is held together by inheritance of tradition, common blood and attitudes. You could call it a tribe or a culture.
Patrick Powers - I'm not sure what your understanding of Hinduism is. But you DO NOT need to be born into Hinduism to be a Hindu. Where did you get this idea from?
I beg to differ. In New York as a Kindergartner in 1954, my elementary school was 90% Jewish. I still have my kindergarten picture. I was blond as anything. All but two of the rest of the class have dark dark hair and dark skin, as well as distinctive features. If Judaism were simply a religion, you would not be able to tell any difference between me and the other children.
Mike, Jews are not a race. People who identify as Jewish include individuals of enormously diverse geographic origins and physical appearances, making the idea that Jews could easily be designated a race in the sense of shared physical or biological characteristics implausible. Jews historically have defined themselves as a people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Converts are also considered descendants of these patriarchal ancestors. Colloquially, Jews also sometimes describe themselves as a tribe.
The idea of race — whether applied to Jews or another group — is itself a problem. Generally used today to denote categories of people based on certain shared characteristics, typically physical appearance, this method of categorization was once prevalent in the scientific community. But many scientists now believe that differentiating human populations on the basis of shared physical traits is obsolete and that racial categories are primarily social constructs with little correlation to anything scientists can measure.
"Don’t deny the Holocaust unless you want to help delegitimize the pro-Palestine movement..."
Whoa.
How about "Don't deny Climate Change unless you want to help delegitimize the anti-Pollution movement..."
Or "When you watch someone go off the deep end, make sure you respond by going off a deeper one..."
Pro-justice is not pro-Women or pro-Palestinian. Or pro-Holocaust. It's only about unbiased truth seeking and applying the Golden Rule.
You're burned out, Caitlin. I conclude so because why else would you be politicizing and brainwashing like you are above. Time to hit the reset button?
My own little Gaza-probe campaign is ongoing. I ask my liberal Democratic friends: "Will the war crimes in Gaza influence your vote in the next Presidential election? If so, how?" That evokes painful cognitive dissonance. They love Jews, they love Palestinians, the hate war. But NOT ONE will change their vote for Biden. Their subsequent ramble on their own liberal values is so Left it's Marxist. So I also ask how they liked reading Marx, Engels, Trotsky, or Fritz Fanon. Zero. Never read any. Once in a while I even dare to ask: "when was the last time you read the Constitution?" Zero. Never read it. Interesting contrast to my experience as a teenager. I grew up in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Hung out with Jewish kids a lot. For us, politics was life blood. We read everything, including all the Commies. We debated about everything. For hours. Outrageous topics like: Hitler wasn't such a bad guy, a debate wherein Jewish kids stuck up for Adolf while I, a Catholic, played the part of the Jew because "it's your fault anyway!" Imagine trying to have that debate in 2024. Today, in the most affluent society in history, there is more access to information than Aristotle, Euclid, Newton, and Darwin had combined. Yet college-educated, well-off "liberals" don't read political tracts and get their political opinions from NPR, NYT, and WAPO, all of which remain in bed with the CIA ever since Alan Dulles' reign during the Cold War. So I gotta ask: what the fuck makes liberals too scared to debate politics? And why were we seventeen year-old kids not afraid to debate anything?
There really are no mainstream usa left wing media. Every usa media save for a few decent folk were in bed with Alan Dulles and every other pure evil CIA PofS that has ever been involved with them. The usa has never had a left wing/liberal government ever.
Revealing. Where have you encountered greater openness? The progressive closing down of debate has occurred during my lifetime. In early centuries, debating politics was a popular sport in America. However, since WWII, as our overseas policies have become ever more toxic and warlike, there's been a concomitant closing down of debate. Kind of spooking, actually.
France/ very hard to get in to this country. We did it after Brexit. My husband is now German I am waiting for my Irish passport BUT we do have Residency cards too.
Not easy to get into many European countries. I do have US friends here who started about 3yrs ago.
Govt. is bringing out new rules everyday...now you have to be able to communicate in French!
Most countries here talk politics non-stop.
Not happy the way Europe is going and Macron is being an asshole but we did just get abortion written into our constitution which I saw nothing about in the press in the USA!
I guess the neo cons don't want to let Americans know!
Thanks, Jenny. Interesting story. One of the ongoing battles is clearly between the globalist elite and patriotic types in different countries that want to restore a sense of "who we are," which means managed borders and tougher rules for entry and "belonging."
200,000 deaths is a slaughter of epic scale, but it still pales in comparison to the millions of people world-wide who have died from vaccine injuries and iatrogenic homicides, plus lockdown consequences and collateral damage. We can be 100 percent sure no one at the Oscars will mention this government coordinated, caused and covered up genocide.
In 4 years, what celebrity has mentioned this? Woody Harrelson made an improv joke about Big Pharma in a monologue on "Saturday Night Live." He'll never be asked back to host that show. But that was the big celebrity protest.
Our lawmakers are genocidaires… ALL OF THEM.
LET THAT SINK IN.
WE ARE ALL PALESTINIANS. IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU. 🫵
"If there were an Oscar for best theatrical performance by a country, Israel would win every year. It's a country based on theater. It's a lunatic state - completely insane."
- Dr. Norman Finkelstein
If the number of celebrities who have spoken out so far against Israel's genocide is any indication, I wouldn't expect much at the Oscars. And not from Robert di Niro. They'll probably have Yulia Navalny present the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture.
Caitlin, I agree, as always. What I hope is that in the winners’ group, there will be at least one person with the guts of George Galloway, Norman Finkelstein, Max Blumenthal, Glenn Greenwald, Katie Halper, or Aaron Mate to call out Israel’s genocide for what it is. You'll notice that these people are all Jews (except George) who have defied upbringing, but, then, they weren't raised in Israel.
As for your saying this genocide is not about Jewishness but about settler-colonialism, I would make one disagreement. It's the knowledge of the leadership Jews in Israel that they are absolutely superior to all others. And most of the people there deeply believe this, as well. They really believe that the Palestinians are nothing and worthless. When I was there, the arrogance and obvious sense of superiority was thick in the air. Hard to explain unless you've witnessed it in person. The Torah is taken seriously... these are God's "chosen," and when a kid is indoctrinated to believe that from birth, it's almost unshakable. That's how the IDF can deliberately sniper little kids in the head without any sense they are doing wrong whatsoever....and laugh about it later, with no guilt. It's amazing. I had to go "outside" to Gaza or the West Bank to find warmth, genuine kindness and welcoming…and finding it was like coming out of cold and walking into sunshine.
Vanessa Redgrave did speak out at the Oscars years ago. She was never forgiven, but apparently she was forgotten.
Not forgotten by myself or others and this was in 1978!! https://x.com/Emy4freedom/status/1721041518155223369?s=20
She was vilified and didn't work much after.
I lived in a Jewish community for 8 years. The sense of superiority was also thick in the air, and this was not in Israel. Support for Israel was 100% however. This was a very democrat or liberal leaning community. We were treated well mostly by the older generation, but for some it felt almost obligatory, like we were some kind of social experiment. They loved my Christmas lights, as it was the only house with it during December. Did they love it though? The younger families actively avoided us and especially kept their kids away from mine. Maybe they worried I’d infect them with my Jesusness? One time however the neighbors teenage girl asked me why I cut my own grass, as if I was breaking some cultural rule. I told her it was therapeutic for me. She asked, ‘why don’t you just let Miguel do it’, Miguel? I thought, who’s he?’ Then realized she was describing the landscapers, generally. So what’s this all mean? Are Jewish people all fascist racists posing as humanitarians to prove their liberal virtue to each other? Nah, I tend to think they are victims of the same American propaganda machine we all are afflicted with. I now live in a moderately Christian community, conservative leaning, but not Jesus freaks either. I’m lucky to get flipped off, let alone engaged in virtue boosting conversations with these neighbors. I miss my Jewish neighbors to be honest. At least they had a sense of humor.
Michael, Thank you for your interesting comment. Gideon Levy who writes for Haaretz in Israel says the Jews are three things: Superior to all others (God's chosen children), the eternal victims (no one else can be in that category... they kept out an Armenian Holocaust room from being included in the Holocaust Museum in D.C.), and think of the Palestinians (and I say other groups) as bugs beneath their feet, to be crushed underfoot since they are nothing. But you're are right, they have a sense of humor. However, those in the leadership of Israel today are exceptions to that, having no humor at all; humor implies some kind of sensitivity. They were thrilled that Hamas attacked. That gave them leave to exterminate the Palestinians.
Writers like George Orwell and French philosopher Simone Weil actually lived in poverty for extended periods so they could write with real authority and empathy on their subjects. Orwell was a bum on the streets of Paris for a time and Weil ruined her health due to living as the poor did and died prematurely. Can you imagine such dedication from a journalist today?
Weil wrote a book calling for the abolition of political parties ( available on Amazon) claiming they ultimately become self serving totalitarians which is just what they are today.
Orwell wrote 1984, the bible for 2024.
Political parties SHOULD be abolished and full participatory democracy returned to the people in the form of Peoples' Assemblies or Village Meetings where we all decide what's to be what in our lives just like in pre-NATO Libya. Gaddafi was against political parties too. His Green Book is here: http://openanthropology.org/libya/gaddafi-green-book.pdf
Pg 13 of the pdf of his book reveals that:
"The party is a contemporary form of dictatorship. It is the modern instrument of dictatorial government. The party is the rule of a part over the whole. As a party is not an individual, it creates a superficial democracy by establishing assemblies, committees, and propaganda through its members. The party is not a democratic instrument because it is composed only of those people who have common interests, a common perception or a shared culture; or those who belong to the same region or share the same belief. They form a party to achieve their ends, impose their will, or extend the dominion of their beliefs, values, and interests to the society as a whole. A party’s aim is to achieve power under the pretext of carrying out its program. Democratically, none of these parties should govern a whole people who constitute a diversity of interests, ideas, temperaments, regions and beliefs. The party is a dictatorial instrument of government that enables those with common outlooks or interests to rule the
people as a whole. Within the community, the party represents a minority.
"The purpose of forming a party is to create an instrument to rule the people, i.e., to rule over non-members of the party."
None of them care.... They just want to maintain the status quo.. THEY ARE THE SYSTEM!
Why do you think that the entire country has been brain washed into the paradigm of american mythology of its exceptionalism and propagandized and infantiled into mindless obedient tax paying serfs that have not an ounce of original thought in their dumb fuck brain down to its stems that was not curated by the systems admins in the establishment and Hollywood and political world and news society? add in every lap dog allied nations that follow them around like sycophantic little poodles...
Celebrity's just sell the great western lies to the unsuspecting checked out rural numpty, and laugh their way to banks and parties and photo opps.
If you're talking about Americans, I really don't think most Americans think their country is just great. There is a lot of dissatisfaction in regard to American policies and things in general. I don't hear people running around singing America's praises. Mostly it's this or that really stinks. Did I misunderstand you.
The only reason people are somewhat waking up is because the abuse has become so bad and lies so blatant and the greed and manipulation so intense its starting to hurt people directly (as all abusers do eventually) .. economic suffering is the worst its ever been and all perpetrated by the very people i talk about...so its the PAIN that is waking them up not the intellectual courage it would have took to see it far way back to have stopped it... because i was warning of it way back when, and was told to move if i don't like it here,, and here we are,,,
One thing is true of Americans and that is they don't have a very good, global perspective on things, and maybe it due to being geographically separate to much of the world. I had a an uncle who was an engineer in the merchant marines, and as a teenager I became aware of his global perspective on things which I thought was really nice and I try to maintain that perspective as well. I think that's where Americans fall short.
Well who learns Geography in schools.........my daughter didn't in the USA
yeah, and that is amazing and appalling.
I agree, and grammar school teachers don't make much of an effort to teach it. However I do think people in America feel less connected to the world as a whole, and we're special. Kidding.
My grandfather on my moms side was a lieutenant colonel in ww3,, he was an american and married my moms mom, and my mom married a Frenchmen .(thus me eventually) .. so not blood but he was the only grandfather i knew and was a really decent guy too... but that was a different generation..
And yeah most Americans never left their back yards but think they know all about the world due to the TV one way lie machine...
So you just dominated the rap with bull shit though? Oh so it's only ok for you to do it? I see.
I happen to work around them my whole career... I see a lot of mindless main stream going along..they think that they need to to maintain the celebrity status and ingratiate themselves with the public and the public must be mind control to sell them their entertainment that translates into corporate sales and this is why they all work together to keep the public malleable to manipulation through news films tv and social conditioning...
I have always worked in the help care professions, not in business, so maybe that has given me a different perspective.
I don't have the best view of the entire health care industry myself..i find everyone in it far too institutionalized for my taste..
Now if you are really sick and hospitalized you better have an advocate. That's how bad it has gotten.
Why do you need an advocate?
OH i see you tried to be funny? cute....ugh!
Thats a stupid non sequitur comment that does not deserve an answer but you are really all about these kind of stupid ass statements
I was talking specifically about Celebrities at first but expanded that to the proletariat.
Do you live in America? I don't really see a lot of really happy Americans running around in love with their country. In fact a lot of people I know do a lot of bitching and I can understand why. Funny a couple of cousins, pretty young and still working talk about retiring to Italy, and one just mentioned because of better health care. There are people that defend everything American, even their wars, but there are a whole lot who are not like that. Most Americans are trying to get through their days, I think they would like to portray us that way, but since I'm a kid I never had that perspective on the average American. By the way you should hear Americans bitch about our health care system.
Americans health care system is nothing to do with health and everything to do with MONEY! ONLY ..the "health" part is just treating symptoms with drugs they can make money off of.
Yes, and I've worked in the health care community. and things have really changed. No more local family doctors, and now hospitals and doctors practices are corporately owned.I don't blame them, and I'm not defending America in this regard, just people, ordinary people.
My old country doctor in LA has gotten too old to practice...he was great... and let me pay in cash for little things.. yeah the problem is mom and pop everything is evaporating! makes me sad .
Well fran ...at my age i may be very jaded at this point...lol
I have seen a lot..been all around the world and met lots of different peoples..
I think my IRE can be summed up in my wish and desire to see a better America ,,but i hate that we are the main problem in the world..I was born of immigrants and grew up in the states..i have been probably to every singe state excluding Alaska at least once.. My father was french my mother German, I'm a baby boomer from the war... But i was not your typical middle american ...grew up near cities lived in NYC and was a musician and technical person for studios etc and now am near hollywood so i'm not just the typical "white guy " angry about the lost 50's or whatever they get on about... I'm a mixed bag of beliefs that span liberal to conservative and way outside most of those narrow conventions and paradigms.. I rank on the USA because i want it to be better and i hate that its citizens are so DUMB!! and terribly prone to the brain washing they are under 24/7
I don't blame you and agree our American policies are self serving here and abroad,. In that regard we suck! Politically even as a kid i didn't like us!!!!!! I learned to separate the people from my government that I never really trusted. Not even as a child.
One on one in my daily life i meet the best people so my anger over all this is general..i get along with most people..(might not know that by my ranting HA!)
I have a whole bunch of great people around me even in the belly of the hollywood beast
Two wings, Same War Party.
The Intercept and Democracy Now are not only stealing from the Grayzone but from the Electronic Intifada and Mondoweiss too. Really disappointed with Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim.
Ryan Grim has always been a nasty piece of work. The biggest surprise in the last few years for me has been Amy Goodman. It is what it is. :(
Max Blumenthal made the comment that the Intercept and Democracy Now are reaching for “respectability”. Sort of to be like a North American version of The Guardian.
I'd say it's more choosing to please their donors.
True.
He was right.
We need a different system. Those in power "make those decisions because they are corrupt and evil"; they are interested in making money for themselves or for their friends and relatives. Most schmoes off the street are not making all the money that is coming into the US from the sale of all those weapons of war. I really appreciate your second to last paragraph. This is not about Jews. It is about the State of Israel. BTW, some real estate agents from Israel and the US were here in Montreal offering to sell real estate from the West Bank.....in a synagogue. Many Jews were very vocal and distraught about their synagogue being used to sell illegal real estate to Canadians.
"Most schmoes off the street are not making all the money that is coming into the US from the sale of all those weapons of war. "
The money is printed and goes more or less directly to arms manufacturers. No domestic goods or services are produced to spend it on. The result is price increases and devaluation of the dollar. https://science1arts2and3politics.substack.com/p/why-the-usa-has-inflation Wealth does not increase, it is redistributed.
"We need a different system."
Susan T, I'd like you to meet Gaddafi via his Green Book. I find he has some highly interesting ideas. http://openanthropology.org/libya/gaddafi-green-book.pdf
"The cult isn’t bad because there aren’t enough nice cult members, the cult is bad because its entire purpose, function and founding doctrine is bad."
I've met lots of "nice Democrats" and "nice Republicans" in my time, but I never forget they're still doing evil things like supporting a genocide and/or supporting pro-genocide candidates. We really have to get past the surface details and look deep into the heart of all organizations and their members. If they're doing evil things like genocide, then they're an evil organization/cult. Get away from the cult and encourage your friends/family in the cult to de-program themselves and leave asap. You'll thank yourself for it later when the rest of us come to lock up the cult leaders.
Hollywood fillms create a false narrative in so many genres...
Most people cannot see the depth & breadth of Zionism.
Unfortunately Judaism is used as a foundation for many Zionist claims.
All religion is fraud.
If everyone would simply speak in the universal languages of ethics, values, logic, morals, reason, science, peace & love, and discontinue the fraudulent dialogs of religions & governments, humanity could evolve to eliminate the purposed fraudulent narratives of governments and religions.
We should all take heed of Caitlin's timely warning. Please do not fall into the trap of conflating the Jewish race with the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians by an Israeli regime. I have noticed a few of our posts with good hearts and the best of intentions, overtaken by sorrow at the plight of fellow human beings tending to overlook this truth.
Israel is a settler - colonial state doing what other settler - colonial states ( of different races, cultures and religions ) did in another time and place. Just as they stand condemned, so does Israel. What makes it more horrendous is that the carnage is happening now right before our eyes. And it's a carnage than never before. Keep our empathy and support ( for what its worth ) for the Palestinian people pure so that it will have more impact. We should not debase our compassion by going down to the level of those who are not only blind to the suffering but aid and abet a genocide.
What is this you call “teh Jewish race”? Judaism is not a “race”. Its a religious belief system.
Good to be corrected - Thanks to Kudjoe, also to Jenny Stokes and Patrick Powers.
I should have done some research before shooting my mouth off! Way off mark when the idea of 'race' is itself a problem.
But you have to be born into it, like Hinduism. And many Jews are not religious. It is held together by inheritance of tradition, common blood and attitudes. You could call it a tribe or a culture.
Patrick Powers - I'm not sure what your understanding of Hinduism is. But you DO NOT need to be born into Hinduism to be a Hindu. Where did you get this idea from?
Some marry into Judaism.
I beg to differ. In New York as a Kindergartner in 1954, my elementary school was 90% Jewish. I still have my kindergarten picture. I was blond as anything. All but two of the rest of the class have dark dark hair and dark skin, as well as distinctive features. If Judaism were simply a religion, you would not be able to tell any difference between me and the other children.
Mike, Jews are not a race. People who identify as Jewish include individuals of enormously diverse geographic origins and physical appearances, making the idea that Jews could easily be designated a race in the sense of shared physical or biological characteristics implausible. Jews historically have defined themselves as a people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Converts are also considered descendants of these patriarchal ancestors. Colloquially, Jews also sometimes describe themselves as a tribe.
The idea of race — whether applied to Jews or another group — is itself a problem. Generally used today to denote categories of people based on certain shared characteristics, typically physical appearance, this method of categorization was once prevalent in the scientific community. But many scientists now believe that differentiating human populations on the basis of shared physical traits is obsolete and that racial categories are primarily social constructs with little correlation to anything scientists can measure.
Understood. Thanks.
Very well said Indu Abeysekara! Thank you.
"Don’t deny the Holocaust unless you want to help delegitimize the pro-Palestine movement..."
Whoa.
How about "Don't deny Climate Change unless you want to help delegitimize the anti-Pollution movement..."
Or "When you watch someone go off the deep end, make sure you respond by going off a deeper one..."
Pro-justice is not pro-Women or pro-Palestinian. Or pro-Holocaust. It's only about unbiased truth seeking and applying the Golden Rule.
You're burned out, Caitlin. I conclude so because why else would you be politicizing and brainwashing like you are above. Time to hit the reset button?
Sweet lord. Thank you for saying it.
Silence implies consent. Anyone, who has the opportunity to speak out and does not, is complicit.
My own little Gaza-probe campaign is ongoing. I ask my liberal Democratic friends: "Will the war crimes in Gaza influence your vote in the next Presidential election? If so, how?" That evokes painful cognitive dissonance. They love Jews, they love Palestinians, the hate war. But NOT ONE will change their vote for Biden. Their subsequent ramble on their own liberal values is so Left it's Marxist. So I also ask how they liked reading Marx, Engels, Trotsky, or Fritz Fanon. Zero. Never read any. Once in a while I even dare to ask: "when was the last time you read the Constitution?" Zero. Never read it. Interesting contrast to my experience as a teenager. I grew up in a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Hung out with Jewish kids a lot. For us, politics was life blood. We read everything, including all the Commies. We debated about everything. For hours. Outrageous topics like: Hitler wasn't such a bad guy, a debate wherein Jewish kids stuck up for Adolf while I, a Catholic, played the part of the Jew because "it's your fault anyway!" Imagine trying to have that debate in 2024. Today, in the most affluent society in history, there is more access to information than Aristotle, Euclid, Newton, and Darwin had combined. Yet college-educated, well-off "liberals" don't read political tracts and get their political opinions from NPR, NYT, and WAPO, all of which remain in bed with the CIA ever since Alan Dulles' reign during the Cold War. So I gotta ask: what the fuck makes liberals too scared to debate politics? And why were we seventeen year-old kids not afraid to debate anything?
There really are no mainstream usa left wing media. Every usa media save for a few decent folk were in bed with Alan Dulles and every other pure evil CIA PofS that has ever been involved with them. The usa has never had a left wing/liberal government ever.
On the large scale, I'd say that was less than nothing, Mike.
Whilst living in the USA it was impossible to have a conversation about politics. Only with my friends.
Revealing. Where have you encountered greater openness? The progressive closing down of debate has occurred during my lifetime. In early centuries, debating politics was a popular sport in America. However, since WWII, as our overseas policies have become ever more toxic and warlike, there's been a concomitant closing down of debate. Kind of spooking, actually.
I live in the land of never-ending talking politics..........in cafe's mostly.
Hard to get a word in sometimes.
Dear Ms Stokes: where we talking about? I might have to move there.
France/ very hard to get in to this country. We did it after Brexit. My husband is now German I am waiting for my Irish passport BUT we do have Residency cards too.
Not easy to get into many European countries. I do have US friends here who started about 3yrs ago.
Govt. is bringing out new rules everyday...now you have to be able to communicate in French!
Most countries here talk politics non-stop.
Not happy the way Europe is going and Macron is being an asshole but we did just get abortion written into our constitution which I saw nothing about in the press in the USA!
I guess the neo cons don't want to let Americans know!
Thanks, Jenny. Interesting story. One of the ongoing battles is clearly between the globalist elite and patriotic types in different countries that want to restore a sense of "who we are," which means managed borders and tougher rules for entry and "belonging."
200,000 deaths is a slaughter of epic scale, but it still pales in comparison to the millions of people world-wide who have died from vaccine injuries and iatrogenic homicides, plus lockdown consequences and collateral damage. We can be 100 percent sure no one at the Oscars will mention this government coordinated, caused and covered up genocide.
In 4 years, what celebrity has mentioned this? Woody Harrelson made an improv joke about Big Pharma in a monologue on "Saturday Night Live." He'll never be asked back to host that show. But that was the big celebrity protest.
Yeah but right now the topic is Genocide, not Covid.
Genocide can be accomplished with bombs or with hollow needles.
An estimated 17,000,000 people have died from the Covid vaccine. While that isn't genocide per se, it is murder on a vast scale.