Can’t disagree with you conclusion Caitlin. The US has been a rogue state for 50 years and is unfit to control economic and military hegemony - but the alternatives are arguably even worse…..
No, not 50 years. A few months shy of 80 years. The US became a rogue state on 6 August 1945, and then progressed exponentially in its depraved project on 9 August 1945, and then through the Korean War, the coup d'état in Iran, Guatemala, Indonesia, Greece and Chile, the Vietnam War, funding and arming countless civil wars in Africa, Latin America and Asia, supporting Iraq in its war against Iran, bombing Yugoslavia, and invading Iraq.
As for “the alternatives [being] arguably worse”—this assertion is evidence-free garbage.
Let’s not forget the designing, planning, execution, training of Project Condor to eliminate the “subversive groups” in Argentina helping the military regime to commit a genocide in which 30,000 people were tortured, killed, missing, thrown from airplanes in the ocean, appropriated children after mothers gave birth, tortured children who weighed 25kilograms and up because they could stand the tortures. And today it’s intruding and causing many issues like stealing natural resources and pollution the water.
The public schools deliberately do not teach that history. They also gloss over the US genocide and apartheid against the people known as Native Americans.
As for the generally “nice and polite” Canadians, their treatment of the First Nations people has also been appalling.
This is all consistent with the tactics and strategies of the British Empire during the past five centuries, during which the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Belgian and French Empires also perpetrated brutality for economic gains.
Britain, France, Holland, the U.S. and many others who engaged in Imperialism and do to this day are no different now than they have been for centuries. They will not change until they cease to exist. They are all like the scorpion riding on the frog's back. It is their nature because they are scorpions.
You're not pushing it back far enough. The Mexican War was the beginning of the Imperial USA. Just like now in Gaza, border raids from Mexico were seized upon as an excuse to take Mexican land. Southern politicians were at the forefront of this, waving the bloody shirt and fantasizing about plantations in California. Then, 15 years later the Northern component of Imperial USA bit them on the ass to get the South's tariff payments and natural resources. Wars are always about getting something.
I wonder if California would have been better off staying as part of Mexico, because being part of the U.S. has done the state and the people who live here absolutely no favors.
I was not suggesting any liking or approval of America’s abuse of power, it’s just that in the same position, I am not sure that China, Russia, or anyone else would necessarily have been more benign. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely - and that applies to any individual, party or organisation. Your summary of atrocities committed by the USA is really understating g the evils of the empire but others would do much the same or worse.
What sort of evidence would make you happy? China committing genocide on the Uigers, India persecuting all non-Hindus, Israel committing genocide on Palestinians, Japanese WWII attrocities?? Hitler’s Germany???To pretend that any of these countries would be a better hegemon is pure speculation on your part. Sorry to rain on your party.
If you cannot comprehend that the global scale of atrocities committed by the US since 6 August 1945 are many orders of magnitude larger than anything you cite, I’m clearly wasting my time engaging with you.
I have been to Urumqi to see my niece. She speaks fluent Mandarin and Uighur and resided there for five years studying the situation. She and I saw repression. All Uighur renters had to leave Urumqi. There were police everywhere. We heard propaganda. But genocide? Not a trace of that.
China invaded Tibet in 1951 and is still there. They invaded Vietnam in 1979 but failed totally. The western regions of China broke away during World War II and the Communist revolution but were too weak to maintain their independence. China is an empire and has been so for a very long time. Not as aggressive as other empires but an empire nevertheless.
Certainly a nation that occupies other nations in order to exploit them economically. Lately they are able to exploit without actually occupying, by bribing and threatening those in charge.
What you say may be true, but it is not relevant to the situation today. This kind of academic talk distracts from the reality of what the USA is doing and has been doing since its founding. This kind of talk only leads to “if it hadn’t been them it would have been somebody else, nothing we can do, the way of the world, got to get back to enjoying my life”. Not to forget, that if power corrupts, your god appears to have a lot of power, is your next life under him going to be as bad as it is under the power-mongers in this life?
That just is semantics, America is doing this right now and has ever since Biden met Golda Meir, it could have been stopped by the next president but it went on and on, until it boosted Usraelinyo believing it was untouchable, just like the nazis thought.
I have studied a lot about China’s history since 1949. They are indeed a rather benign power - even more so when compared to the US or the traditional European colonial powers. I would infinitely prefer a government following the model of China, one that is more concerned with the well-being of its people than overthrowing far off governments. I infinitely prefer a Govt who believes that if it wants resources from other countries, it should buy them. Not steal them. It does appear you don’t even know the difference between Russian and Chinese politics and history, so best you just refrain from commenting until you do.
Canada hasn't, New Zealand hasn't, Australia hasn't. True they held down the indigenous peoples for decades but are trying, especially progressive governments, to repair that.
If they were aware of Israelis genocidal intentions and still backed them then they deserve as much shit poured on them as Israel though none were so racist that they reduced themselves to such depravity as America with regard to Israel.
Canada has certainly participated in the genocide of Palestinians. My country supplied weapons parts and even after agreeing to stop, sent weapon propellants. I think you give to much credit to our governments’ efforts to reconcile with the indigenous peoples - it’s mostly window-dressing.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The US has had this power for much of the last century and if the US is not now completely corrupt, I don’t know what it is! Give that power to Russia or China and you’d get the same result because power corrupts. Get off you high horses pretending that other regimes would act differently. That is fantasy!!!
How is the Korean War an imperial project? It was defense from a truly unprovoked surprise attack by an entity so evil that many North Korean prisoners of war petitioned to remain in the South.
It is true that MacArthur wanted to subjugate China but that didn't happen.
Hope dare I hope to ascend to such an erudite and refined level of debate? To alleviate my shame at being so bested I feel I have no alternative other than to block you.
How dare hope to ever ascend to such an erudite and refined level of debate? To limit my shame at being so sorely bested I have no alternative other than to block you.
This argument is very common. Let's take a look at it. I would earthily rephrase it as "what we do may be wicked, but foreigners are even more wicked so it is the lesser evil." I say that this doesn't withstand even a cursory analysis. Since World War II who has inflicted the greatest evil upon the world? The USA, hands down. Just look at El Salvador or Gaza. Barf out.
Don't believe me? How about this :
"If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible although I don't want to see Hitler victorious under any circumstances." -- Senator Harry Truman, June 24th, 1941.
The US gvt found this "kill as many as possible" (how evil can you get?) plan so appealing they made Harry President. Today we see this exact same strategy playing out in Ukraine. Nothing has changed. I don't see any other country doing such evil things. They are instead building towards prosperity. I say that that is the better choice.
OK, let's try that again. How about "evil is going to rule the world. Better it be us on top than pushed around by wicked foreigners." That makes sense. It's essentially what John Mearsheimer calls his "realism." Using this theory John is very good at predicting what nations will do, so I think he is correct in believing this is what is really going on. What I don't like about it is that it's a self-fulfilling belief. If you believe it inevitable that wickedness rule the world, then rule the world it shall. Forever. This seems to me like a bad plan. Instead I suggest giving peace a chance. If it doesn't work out you can always revert to the war thang, so what have you got to lose?
Today the USA's plan seems to be "we're getting beat in our own game so let's kick over the chessboard and have da boys take care of dose upstarts in da alley." We're losing a fair fight so let's screw up the world and hope that it works to our advantage. Well maybe that will work but I think it a lot more likely it will work to the advantage of BRICS, accelerating the decline of the USA hegemonic power. In a way I see this as a good thing. Get it over with. On the the other hand, if the wars really get going they will leave behind a legacy of hate and resentment that will last for at least eighty years. Very bad idea.
Here's another way to look at it. I remember when the neoliberal globalization thang began. They told us it would lead to world peace. Nations would all be prosperous so there would be no motivation towards the for-profit wars that plagued Europe for millennia. What's more, nations would be so tightly interconnected economically that it would be nuts to make war on each other. You can't make war on you own economic base. It was working too. Then They got scared. We won't be able to make war anymore! OMG! Fun's over. We'd better reverse all this, pronto. And that's what They are doing.
Going a little further, I think what really sparked the current USA animus toward China was China's successful anti-corruption initiative. The neoliberal plan was a fake. What They really wanted to do was to bribe the Chinese government to keep China in poverty forever. Once that lever was lost then war was the only way to keep on top. But this is a bad plan.
The USA's strategic position in any such potential war is weak, loser. They can't win. The only explanation I can come up with is that the true motive isn't the national interest, the true motive is profit for a few, employment for the many. Then it all makes sense. That this plan will lead to a gargantuan self own doesn't matter in the short term. The military has a large block of votes so giving them a raise gets you re-elected. That's what they really care about. So war we shall have. George Orwell's 1984 vision of perpetual war in a zone reaching from the Philippines to eastern Europe has become our reality. Domestic politics becomes closer and closer to martial law until some day they will be one and the same. Big Brother has put on his big boots and is walking the Earth. If you don't like this then some fine day he may come knocking on your door. Better hope it isn't 4am.
think it a lot more likely it will work to the advantage of BRICS, accelerating the decline of the USA hegemonic power. In a way I see this as a good thing. Get it over with. On the the other hand, if the wars really get going they will leave behind a legacy of hate and resentment that will last for at least eighty years. Bad idea.
Here's another way to look at it. I remember when the neoliberal globalization thang began. They told us it would lead to world peace. Nations would all be prosperous so there would be no motivation towards the for-profit wars that plagued Europe for millennia. What's more, nations would be so tightly interconnected economically that it would be nuts to make war on each other. You can't make war on you own economic base. It was working too. Then They got scared. We won't be able to make war anymore! OMG! Fun's over. We'd better reverse all this, pronto. And that's what They are doing.
Going a little further, I think what really sparked the current USA animus toward China was China's successful anti-corruption initiative. The neoliberal plan was a fake. What They really wanted to do was to bribe the Chinese government to keep China in poverty forever. Once that lever was lost then war was the only way to keep on top. But this is a bad plan. The USA's strategic position in any such potential war is weak, loser. They can't win. The only explanation I can come up with is that the true motive isn't the national interest, the true motive is profit for a few, employment for the many. Then it all makes sense. That this plan will lead to a gargantuan self own doesn't matter in the short term. The military has a quite large block of votes so giving them a raise gets you re-elected. In most districts voting for a pay cut would cost you your job. That's what our “leaders” really care about. Such massive wasteful spending while standards of living decline is unpopular so war is need to justify such policy. Therefore war we shall have. George Orwell's 1984 vision of perpetual war in a zone reaching from the Philippines to eastern Europe has become our reality. Domestic practice grows ever closer and closer to martial law until some day they will be one and the same. Big Brother has put on his big boots and is walking the Earth. If you don't like this then some fine day he may come knocking on your door. Better hope it isn't 4am.
The US has been bad for the world on balance over the last 100 years.
My point is that any global power could have been worse because when thee is no constraint, bad things happen. It is silly to suggest an alternative to where we are because New Zealand or Canada or Australia are never going to be the moral leaders in the world. Being the economic and military hegemon almost guarantees that morality and ethics dies on the alter of money & power. Show me a parliamentary representative that is not corrupt or compromised......
During the last election, an American journalistic observer stated that the continuation of the weapons deliveries would continue to Israel because the "influenced" politicians level was 86% in Israel's favour. Other comments resulted from that but the source escapes me, Glenn. Four months ago. A long time in an old memory.
I think it would be close to right based on the information on the web but if I find it is a higher percentage, which is likely in May, 2025, four months into the Trump reign, I will advise. Suffice to say, it is very high and there doesn't seem to have been a single Israel supporting item that has extracted an objection from either house. As for the number of AIPAC approved (nominated, supported)staff in each office, likely to be high on best accounting, the number is unknown to me.
May have to wait until the next AIPAC meeting to see who attends. I think this was the basis for the previous estimation and perhaps, a little bit of guesswork.
Not an accurate answer but you are the first to question it.
It is the same as challenging the 97% Israel public support Netanyahu has based on Caitlin's source. It is always difficult to confirm.
I was not questioning the likelihood that it’s an accurate number - it is just frightening to think that US democracy has been bought.
Trump has a Jew in the family and the US religious establishment have some pretty twisted theology around the “sanctity” of Israel. The US is in fact the new Israel. Look out world!!
The solution is closer than you think. Wide adoption of Bitcoin would limit any country’s ability to print money in order to conduct open ended warfare.Study Bitcoins capped supply and you’ll understand that the world will slowly adopt Bitcoin as the preferred way to store and use wealth. Governments that continue to print money and commercial banks that expand credit to anyone with a pulse will fail. Those holding gold and Bitcoin will survive this social and economic srmageddon. All politicians are corrupt or corruptible. All power corrupts. Take away the elites control of money and they no longer have power to wage war or oppress. Bitcoin IS the answer!
Can’t disagree with you conclusion Caitlin. The US has been a rogue state for 50 years and is unfit to control economic and military hegemony - but the alternatives are arguably even worse…..
No, not 50 years. A few months shy of 80 years. The US became a rogue state on 6 August 1945, and then progressed exponentially in its depraved project on 9 August 1945, and then through the Korean War, the coup d'état in Iran, Guatemala, Indonesia, Greece and Chile, the Vietnam War, funding and arming countless civil wars in Africa, Latin America and Asia, supporting Iraq in its war against Iran, bombing Yugoslavia, and invading Iraq.
As for “the alternatives [being] arguably worse”—this assertion is evidence-free garbage.
Let’s not forget the designing, planning, execution, training of Project Condor to eliminate the “subversive groups” in Argentina helping the military regime to commit a genocide in which 30,000 people were tortured, killed, missing, thrown from airplanes in the ocean, appropriated children after mothers gave birth, tortured children who weighed 25kilograms and up because they could stand the tortures. And today it’s intruding and causing many issues like stealing natural resources and pollution the water.
Chile. People were just disappeared!
Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay too.
Stephen Walker,
The public schools deliberately do not teach that history. They also gloss over the US genocide and apartheid against the people known as Native Americans.
As for the generally “nice and polite” Canadians, their treatment of the First Nations people has also been appalling.
This is all consistent with the tactics and strategies of the British Empire during the past five centuries, during which the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Belgian and French Empires also perpetrated brutality for economic gains.
Britain, France, Holland, the U.S. and many others who engaged in Imperialism and do to this day are no different now than they have been for centuries. They will not change until they cease to exist. They are all like the scorpion riding on the frog's back. It is their nature because they are scorpions.
I think the USA became a rogue state on July 4, 1776. It has been imperialist and expansionist since day one.
It's probably why USA and Israel became immediate BFFs, they both were built on imperialism and suffering of others.
Native Americans: fighting terrorism since 1492.
Hell yeah. The only nobility this country has ever really known.
I 100% agree.
You're not pushing it back far enough. The Mexican War was the beginning of the Imperial USA. Just like now in Gaza, border raids from Mexico were seized upon as an excuse to take Mexican land. Southern politicians were at the forefront of this, waving the bloody shirt and fantasizing about plantations in California. Then, 15 years later the Northern component of Imperial USA bit them on the ass to get the South's tariff payments and natural resources. Wars are always about getting something.
I wonder if California would have been better off staying as part of Mexico, because being part of the U.S. has done the state and the people who live here absolutely no favors.
1619?
I was not suggesting any liking or approval of America’s abuse of power, it’s just that in the same position, I am not sure that China, Russia, or anyone else would necessarily have been more benign. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely - and that applies to any individual, party or organisation. Your summary of atrocities committed by the USA is really understating g the evils of the empire but others would do much the same or worse.
“but others would do much the same or worse”
Evidence-free nonsense.
What sort of evidence would make you happy? China committing genocide on the Uigers, India persecuting all non-Hindus, Israel committing genocide on Palestinians, Japanese WWII attrocities?? Hitler’s Germany???To pretend that any of these countries would be a better hegemon is pure speculation on your part. Sorry to rain on your party.
If you cannot comprehend that the global scale of atrocities committed by the US since 6 August 1945 are many orders of magnitude larger than anything you cite, I’m clearly wasting my time engaging with you.
Stephen
I am confused by your logic.
Are you saying that no country could do worse than the US?
My point is that power corrupts and it could manifest through any country that wielded the power that the US has.
Only very recently has China emerged as a threat to US hegemony.
Would you really think that a state like China would act morally and ethically as the sole global hegemon.
Ditto for Russia should it regain its former status.
I would add that this is a pointless to speculate because we don't know the future.
Evil seems to be on the rise just as Christianity is abandoned.
How ironic that the US is nominally Christian.
Emphasis on nominally!
Abandon God and abandon all hope.
Strange that the Uigurs were in Putin's parade, smiling and singing.
Strange indeed ????
I have been to Urumqi to see my niece. She speaks fluent Mandarin and Uighur and resided there for five years studying the situation. She and I saw repression. All Uighur renters had to leave Urumqi. There were police everywhere. We heard propaganda. But genocide? Not a trace of that.
Tell me: When has China invaded another Country OR Russia.......and please don't tell me that Russia was not provoked!
China invaded Tibet in 1951 and is still there. They invaded Vietnam in 1979 but failed totally. The western regions of China broke away during World War II and the Communist revolution but were too weak to maintain their independence. China is an empire and has been so for a very long time. Not as aggressive as other empires but an empire nevertheless.
Question is what do you call an Empire?
Certainly a nation that occupies other nations in order to exploit them economically. Lately they are able to exploit without actually occupying, by bribing and threatening those in charge.
You miss my point.
These countries have not had the dominant position of the US.
If they did, how on earth could you assume that they would not abuse their hegemonic power.
If the US could not be trusted not to abuse its power, tell me why you think China or Russia would be a better option.
There is no evidence, but the way China, India and Russia are going, we may find out.
A multi-polar world may restore balance and eliminate hegemonic abuse.
Bring it on…..
What you say may be true, but it is not relevant to the situation today. This kind of academic talk distracts from the reality of what the USA is doing and has been doing since its founding. This kind of talk only leads to “if it hadn’t been them it would have been somebody else, nothing we can do, the way of the world, got to get back to enjoying my life”. Not to forget, that if power corrupts, your god appears to have a lot of power, is your next life under him going to be as bad as it is under the power-mongers in this life?
Well said Ron Stockton. U.S. Empire Apologists always come up with 'if not us then someone else, hence why not us' rationalization.
Anything's possible Glenn.
That just is semantics, America is doing this right now and has ever since Biden met Golda Meir, it could have been stopped by the next president but it went on and on, until it boosted Usraelinyo believing it was untouchable, just like the nazis thought.
I have studied a lot about China’s history since 1949. They are indeed a rather benign power - even more so when compared to the US or the traditional European colonial powers. I would infinitely prefer a government following the model of China, one that is more concerned with the well-being of its people than overthrowing far off governments. I infinitely prefer a Govt who believes that if it wants resources from other countries, it should buy them. Not steal them. It does appear you don’t even know the difference between Russian and Chinese politics and history, so best you just refrain from commenting until you do.
They are so much more benign, it’s not a comparison.
Canada hasn't, New Zealand hasn't, Australia hasn't. True they held down the indigenous peoples for decades but are trying, especially progressive governments, to repair that.
If they were aware of Israelis genocidal intentions and still backed them then they deserve as much shit poured on them as Israel though none were so racist that they reduced themselves to such depravity as America with regard to Israel.
Canada has certainly participated in the genocide of Palestinians. My country supplied weapons parts and even after agreeing to stop, sent weapon propellants. I think you give to much credit to our governments’ efforts to reconcile with the indigenous peoples - it’s mostly window-dressing.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The US has had this power for much of the last century and if the US is not now completely corrupt, I don’t know what it is! Give that power to Russia or China and you’d get the same result because power corrupts. Get off you high horses pretending that other regimes would act differently. That is fantasy!!!
How is the Korean War an imperial project? It was defense from a truly unprovoked surprise attack by an entity so evil that many North Korean prisoners of war petitioned to remain in the South.
It is true that MacArthur wanted to subjugate China but that didn't happen.
Fuck off idiot. You don’t have a fucking clue.
Hope dare I hope to ascend to such an erudite and refined level of debate? To alleviate my shame at being so bested I feel I have no alternative other than to block you.
How dare hope to ever ascend to such an erudite and refined level of debate? To limit my shame at being so sorely bested I have no alternative other than to block you.
Or perhaps being rogue goes with being a state, so that it is actually 249 years . . .
What alternatives are worse than the single most evil empire that’s ever existed?
Why? What alternative you have in mind? It seems US cannot compete honestly anymore, but military.
True enough. But being outlasted by Afghanistan and beaten by Yemen even brings their military into question.
Don't know until you try them. . . . But then,that's what I was thinking when I considered Trump couldn't be worse than Biden/Harris.
"the alternatives are arguably even worse"
This argument is very common. Let's take a look at it. I would earthily rephrase it as "what we do may be wicked, but foreigners are even more wicked so it is the lesser evil." I say that this doesn't withstand even a cursory analysis. Since World War II who has inflicted the greatest evil upon the world? The USA, hands down. Just look at El Salvador or Gaza. Barf out.
Don't believe me? How about this :
"If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible although I don't want to see Hitler victorious under any circumstances." -- Senator Harry Truman, June 24th, 1941.
The US gvt found this "kill as many as possible" (how evil can you get?) plan so appealing they made Harry President. Today we see this exact same strategy playing out in Ukraine. Nothing has changed. I don't see any other country doing such evil things. They are instead building towards prosperity. I say that that is the better choice.
OK, let's try that again. How about "evil is going to rule the world. Better it be us on top than pushed around by wicked foreigners." That makes sense. It's essentially what John Mearsheimer calls his "realism." Using this theory John is very good at predicting what nations will do, so I think he is correct in believing this is what is really going on. What I don't like about it is that it's a self-fulfilling belief. If you believe it inevitable that wickedness rule the world, then rule the world it shall. Forever. This seems to me like a bad plan. Instead I suggest giving peace a chance. If it doesn't work out you can always revert to the war thang, so what have you got to lose?
Today the USA's plan seems to be "we're getting beat in our own game so let's kick over the chessboard and have da boys take care of dose upstarts in da alley." We're losing a fair fight so let's screw up the world and hope that it works to our advantage. Well maybe that will work but I think it a lot more likely it will work to the advantage of BRICS, accelerating the decline of the USA hegemonic power. In a way I see this as a good thing. Get it over with. On the the other hand, if the wars really get going they will leave behind a legacy of hate and resentment that will last for at least eighty years. Very bad idea.
Here's another way to look at it. I remember when the neoliberal globalization thang began. They told us it would lead to world peace. Nations would all be prosperous so there would be no motivation towards the for-profit wars that plagued Europe for millennia. What's more, nations would be so tightly interconnected economically that it would be nuts to make war on each other. You can't make war on you own economic base. It was working too. Then They got scared. We won't be able to make war anymore! OMG! Fun's over. We'd better reverse all this, pronto. And that's what They are doing.
Going a little further, I think what really sparked the current USA animus toward China was China's successful anti-corruption initiative. The neoliberal plan was a fake. What They really wanted to do was to bribe the Chinese government to keep China in poverty forever. Once that lever was lost then war was the only way to keep on top. But this is a bad plan.
The USA's strategic position in any such potential war is weak, loser. They can't win. The only explanation I can come up with is that the true motive isn't the national interest, the true motive is profit for a few, employment for the many. Then it all makes sense. That this plan will lead to a gargantuan self own doesn't matter in the short term. The military has a large block of votes so giving them a raise gets you re-elected. That's what they really care about. So war we shall have. George Orwell's 1984 vision of perpetual war in a zone reaching from the Philippines to eastern Europe has become our reality. Domestic politics becomes closer and closer to martial law until some day they will be one and the same. Big Brother has put on his big boots and is walking the Earth. If you don't like this then some fine day he may come knocking on your door. Better hope it isn't 4am.
think it a lot more likely it will work to the advantage of BRICS, accelerating the decline of the USA hegemonic power. In a way I see this as a good thing. Get it over with. On the the other hand, if the wars really get going they will leave behind a legacy of hate and resentment that will last for at least eighty years. Bad idea.
Here's another way to look at it. I remember when the neoliberal globalization thang began. They told us it would lead to world peace. Nations would all be prosperous so there would be no motivation towards the for-profit wars that plagued Europe for millennia. What's more, nations would be so tightly interconnected economically that it would be nuts to make war on each other. You can't make war on you own economic base. It was working too. Then They got scared. We won't be able to make war anymore! OMG! Fun's over. We'd better reverse all this, pronto. And that's what They are doing.
Going a little further, I think what really sparked the current USA animus toward China was China's successful anti-corruption initiative. The neoliberal plan was a fake. What They really wanted to do was to bribe the Chinese government to keep China in poverty forever. Once that lever was lost then war was the only way to keep on top. But this is a bad plan. The USA's strategic position in any such potential war is weak, loser. They can't win. The only explanation I can come up with is that the true motive isn't the national interest, the true motive is profit for a few, employment for the many. Then it all makes sense. That this plan will lead to a gargantuan self own doesn't matter in the short term. The military has a quite large block of votes so giving them a raise gets you re-elected. In most districts voting for a pay cut would cost you your job. That's what our “leaders” really care about. Such massive wasteful spending while standards of living decline is unpopular so war is need to justify such policy. Therefore war we shall have. George Orwell's 1984 vision of perpetual war in a zone reaching from the Philippines to eastern Europe has become our reality. Domestic practice grows ever closer and closer to martial law until some day they will be one and the same. Big Brother has put on his big boots and is walking the Earth. If you don't like this then some fine day he may come knocking on your door. Better hope it isn't 4am.
Glenn
Respectfully. I would welcome a couple of your alternative examples. Seriously.
Contrarian
I think you may misunderstand my point.
The US has been bad for the world on balance over the last 100 years.
My point is that any global power could have been worse because when thee is no constraint, bad things happen. It is silly to suggest an alternative to where we are because New Zealand or Canada or Australia are never going to be the moral leaders in the world. Being the economic and military hegemon almost guarantees that morality and ethics dies on the alter of money & power. Show me a parliamentary representative that is not corrupt or compromised......
Glenn,
While the USA sits at 86% Israel owned (therefore corrupted AND compromised) I am unable to answer your request. Sorry.
How is US 86% owned by Israel? I am not disputing just curious how you come up with that number.
Thanks.
Glenn
During the last election, an American journalistic observer stated that the continuation of the weapons deliveries would continue to Israel because the "influenced" politicians level was 86% in Israel's favour. Other comments resulted from that but the source escapes me, Glenn. Four months ago. A long time in an old memory.
I think it would be close to right based on the information on the web but if I find it is a higher percentage, which is likely in May, 2025, four months into the Trump reign, I will advise. Suffice to say, it is very high and there doesn't seem to have been a single Israel supporting item that has extracted an objection from either house. As for the number of AIPAC approved (nominated, supported)staff in each office, likely to be high on best accounting, the number is unknown to me.
May have to wait until the next AIPAC meeting to see who attends. I think this was the basis for the previous estimation and perhaps, a little bit of guesswork.
Not an accurate answer but you are the first to question it.
It is the same as challenging the 97% Israel public support Netanyahu has based on Caitlin's source. It is always difficult to confirm.
Thanks for that answer Contrarian.
I was not questioning the likelihood that it’s an accurate number - it is just frightening to think that US democracy has been bought.
Trump has a Jew in the family and the US religious establishment have some pretty twisted theology around the “sanctity” of Israel. The US is in fact the new Israel. Look out world!!
"It is silly to suggest an alternative to where we are"
Sure buddy. Whatever you say.
The solution is closer than you think. Wide adoption of Bitcoin would limit any country’s ability to print money in order to conduct open ended warfare.Study Bitcoins capped supply and you’ll understand that the world will slowly adopt Bitcoin as the preferred way to store and use wealth. Governments that continue to print money and commercial banks that expand credit to anyone with a pulse will fail. Those holding gold and Bitcoin will survive this social and economic srmageddon. All politicians are corrupt or corruptible. All power corrupts. Take away the elites control of money and they no longer have power to wage war or oppress. Bitcoin IS the answer!