For anyone who isn't on to it already there's a new app out called simply 'No Thanks'. Using it you can scan a product bar code and it will tell you if that product is on the BDS list.
You can also add any new item you might discover that isn't already on the list.
Yes, Caitlin. We know you are right. We all hope you are very right as to the possibility of success.
As for me, older and able to remember back to 1940, not fully, but enough to know that compared to the blatant corruption we are seeing today with the Senators threatening the ICC and the legislation cancelling out the First Amendment, arming the likes of Florida and California governments to be able to let loose the indoctrinated police forces on the young, 1940 was a dream. The enemy was elsewhere on another continent to America. The Empire was a dying British one. Not today though.
This one is in Washington and in every other state as well, in some form or another with power to arrest, harm and even lock up the young for carrying the burden they are because 250 million (estimated) others either don't care or alternatively see any effort as futile.
Add to that Novemebr 2024, when we will see the parasitic influences of the modern day Fuhrer Netanyahu and his tame puppets in Washington, offering up as a President a Trump or a Biden, one as bad as the other, both dancing to the Israeli dictates. Both have the capability to bring America down to its knees by following the dictates of a modern day Third Reich headquartered in Israel, supported in the US by a totally compromised collection of fully paid for Israeli owned politicians, with arranged legislation to neuter the young, almost the sole remaining weapon for rational government.
Do we really think that either one is going to cancel out the legislation just passed in the Israel Senate in Washington?
Not a change of that and for those who may have forgotten........
Amendment 1
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
IF anyone takes the time to just look in comments on the Washington Post you will see that the messaging is NOT getting out to so many people. I try my best to send some to substack it's hard work looking at the comments.
I canceled my subscription to WaPo in December because of the negative comments on Gaza. I just couldn't take it, such BS. And I lived in DC for 8 years and retired from the USG, so I still considered WaPo one of my 'local' papers. But I just canceled. The NYT comments are becoming more balanced, in my view, but not to the extent I'd expect. NYT is also complicit. Anyway, that's why I moved to substack, Intercept, etc., and one of my adult sons taught me how to use instagram, which has changed my life. I rely on Gen Z now.
Dear Caitlin I sincerely hope you are right. I want to share your optimism. For Palestine, for the generations to come, for the world.
But when you follow the thread from the the colonisers of the past to the ones now, you see the identical violence and the pattern of brutality and mass scale killing, theft of land, leading directly to the present. The propaganda itself and the myths were created then. The British and the West were/are adapt at sanitising their histories. We know the well worn phrases - dragging the "third world " to modernity ( Britain ), spreading "democracy" ( the US ).
The birth of settler colonialism is violence in itself. Israel's intent and purpose is to obliterate Gaza. It is not only Israel's war but a war the West is waging against a changing world - of a race other than White - of China's rise, a more aware Global South, and a Russia refusing to be balkanised. Not only does the empire have the propaganda weapons of the past but have more sophisticated ones at their disposal now. Only the times have changed.
After the Vietnam war protests didn't things go back to what they were? The sleaze of empire resumed their propaganda and oppression.
Let us hope that the young students protesting this time around have ripped up the facade of empire for good.
They won’t change their core values which centre around staying in power and having unfettered control. They’ll do anything for that, and they’ve learned that lying, cheating, stealing, and murdering can work. But threaten their electoral chances? It’s like weasels turning white in winter.
IMO, I kinda thought it was over after we pulled out of Afghanistan. Then Ukraine started and it was ok, special temporary emergency. But then it kept going. And now Gaza. I'm like, seriously, it's never going to end right? Every politician has to put their earmark on a different war don't they. Like some type of way for old men to out-masculine each other; not only did I start a fight, I started a war. Get to play with war toys and war toy makers without looking at the consequences like an adult.
This is a very good analysis, Caitlin. South Africa's international court case has been a catalyst, and I think so has the behaviour of the Jewish-Zionist lobby. Reminiscent of the Vietnam protests. Pity it's such a slow process.
"If too many people realize that their government is psychopathic and their news media and other indoctrination systems have been lying to them about it all their lives, the empire will lose the ability to propagandize them, because propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening to you."
That's where I keep disagreeing with Caitlin. Firstly, it would take very many people to come to that realization and so the question is why would they look to become enlightened to begin with. Secondly, even if they do come to that realization - as long as they personally do not suffer they'll go along with it. Tell them the USA is a parasite and they'll say - OK, well, that's the way it is. The country takes care of me, my family, my lifestyle, and yes, it's at the expense of somebody else out there, but I need to look out for number one.
Nothing will change cardinally until the meaningful majority starts to suffer. Anything else is delusion. And so then, to adapt the appeal - one needs to not "protest and dissent" but induce that suffering. Now, one must realize the consequences such actions will trigger given the current unprecedented levels of surveillance.
There is immense resignation among the general public. Many public influencers are aware empire's psychological manipulation of the narrative but few articulate actionable solutions like Johnstone. She has keen insight into what will bring down or at least slow down empire's psychopathic agendas. What we need are opportunities to glimpse the possibility of subverting this destructive machine. She offers those possibilities.
".....What this means is that the empire can be pressured into retreat simply by spreading enough awareness and sowing enough opposition to its depraved actions. If enough eyes open to the truth of what’s happening in Gaza... " says Caitlin and I agree. I have been working on this problem since circa 1950 .It was always obvious to me that the capitalist empire with its capitals first in London and Washington and later just in Washington simply in the latter coul d only be displaced by force in special limited circumstances These were in 1917 in the heat of capitalist war when Russia escaped the net and 1949 after WW2 when China did also. Russian socialism faltered and failed due to being built on Jewish Bolshevism but it picked its self up and escaped Washington's domination although its economy was gravely damaged .This present time is the moment when it is possible to loosen to some extent the iron grip that the Zionist run capitalism has on its empire.Violent revolution is nonsense against this mighty power structure -as well as being immoral. But nonviolent action in word and deed (especially the latter) can weaken the blindfold and let in some light as the world spotlight shines upon the psychopathic actions of the Israeli Zionists fully supported by the American Zionists.Our message should be that this is not happening because of Sleepy old Joe is in charge. He clearly is not and the Washington Zionists known as Necons clearly are. The Empires propaganda machine (aka the media) is attempting to obscure this but it is so gross that our negative reaction to it expressed now in university and college campus all over the western world is helping to end the blindness maybe for ever. But we must all help in any way we can.There is a faint light shining ahead in this zionist capitalist tunnel of darkness....
I'm reading this book: The Deluge, by Stephen Markley. Near future, dystopian, horrible USG leadership, climate change gone amok, capitalism gone totally amok, wall street, hedge funds, yikes, what the hell??? But the kids are all right in the book!!!
I recommend it to all of Caitlin's readers. It will blow your mind.
(It's like a super gritty Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, another awesome read, but much more positive.). The Deluge = Caitlin's perspectives/outlook
Whether the weakness you mention is uppermost in the minds and calculations of TPTB, depends on where the calculus is derived from. From a purely power-based assessment, I think your scenario works, but when you throw in the impetus coming from religion that calculus goes out the window.
Unfortunately, there is more than one religious force driving this particular Zionist-colonial project. I have no confidence that rational decisions are even discernable by those engulfed in religious fanaticism,. When the messianic religious fervour of both Christian and Jewish Zionists joins in such a ruthless project as Zionism? Sounds like bad news all round.
Dear Caitlin,Tim & friends, We the people are in a deep post-apocalyptic world than we ever imagined possible. I listened to Late Night Live (13 May 2024,ABC RN Australia) presented by Phillip Adams, last night. Wherever you are please listen to the podcast if possible.
To quote:
"Coups, assassinations, detentions and disinformation are just some of the tactics that have been used to undermine democracies. But who is behind them? A new research consortium is delving into the connections between politicians, think-tanks and private IT companies who they say are propping up reactionary forces around the world. And their work has drawn links between Israel, India and Mexico".
Guest: David Adler, Co-General Coordinator of Progressive International and founder of its research consortium on The Reactionary International.
It is a sad comment on the US when its best minds and scholars are considered dissidents having no influence on rogue governments. The list is long and so many of them are on You Tube.
"All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force."
George Orwell
That is the next step. As we saw at Columbia, the rulers will not hesitate to assault even the children of the rich and connected if that is what they must do to retain power.
There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Pope Francis has said what is needed, now he must do what is needed by going to Gaza and standing for peace, justice and freedom.
Let us also support UNRWA. If our governments won’t act in accordance with humanity, then we will. https://www.unrwausa.org/donate Let us do it to honor Aaron Bushnell, or in memory of Hind Rajab.
These are a few small things we can do. If we can do more, let us do more.
For anyone who isn't on to it already there's a new app out called simply 'No Thanks'. Using it you can scan a product bar code and it will tell you if that product is on the BDS list.
You can also add any new item you might discover that isn't already on the list.
Cheers.
Just tried to install it via Google Play and the Install button was disabled.
I removed the following from then end of the URL and it then allowed me to install...
&hl=en_GB&gl=US
Thanks for that. I had no trouble installing on an android phone, but if any of my friends do I'll remember - hopefully.
This looks like a local issue rather than some conspiracy as I got the same issue installing another (uncontentious) app via play store on the web.
Yes, Caitlin. We know you are right. We all hope you are very right as to the possibility of success.
As for me, older and able to remember back to 1940, not fully, but enough to know that compared to the blatant corruption we are seeing today with the Senators threatening the ICC and the legislation cancelling out the First Amendment, arming the likes of Florida and California governments to be able to let loose the indoctrinated police forces on the young, 1940 was a dream. The enemy was elsewhere on another continent to America. The Empire was a dying British one. Not today though.
This one is in Washington and in every other state as well, in some form or another with power to arrest, harm and even lock up the young for carrying the burden they are because 250 million (estimated) others either don't care or alternatively see any effort as futile.
Add to that Novemebr 2024, when we will see the parasitic influences of the modern day Fuhrer Netanyahu and his tame puppets in Washington, offering up as a President a Trump or a Biden, one as bad as the other, both dancing to the Israeli dictates. Both have the capability to bring America down to its knees by following the dictates of a modern day Third Reich headquartered in Israel, supported in the US by a totally compromised collection of fully paid for Israeli owned politicians, with arranged legislation to neuter the young, almost the sole remaining weapon for rational government.
Do we really think that either one is going to cancel out the legislation just passed in the Israel Senate in Washington?
Not a change of that and for those who may have forgotten........
Amendment 1
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Already in tatters.
Correct.
IF anyone takes the time to just look in comments on the Washington Post you will see that the messaging is NOT getting out to so many people. I try my best to send some to substack it's hard work looking at the comments.
I canceled my subscription to WaPo in December because of the negative comments on Gaza. I just couldn't take it, such BS. And I lived in DC for 8 years and retired from the USG, so I still considered WaPo one of my 'local' papers. But I just canceled. The NYT comments are becoming more balanced, in my view, but not to the extent I'd expect. NYT is also complicit. Anyway, that's why I moved to substack, Intercept, etc., and one of my adult sons taught me how to use instagram, which has changed my life. I rely on Gen Z now.
Dear Caitlin I sincerely hope you are right. I want to share your optimism. For Palestine, for the generations to come, for the world.
But when you follow the thread from the the colonisers of the past to the ones now, you see the identical violence and the pattern of brutality and mass scale killing, theft of land, leading directly to the present. The propaganda itself and the myths were created then. The British and the West were/are adapt at sanitising their histories. We know the well worn phrases - dragging the "third world " to modernity ( Britain ), spreading "democracy" ( the US ).
The birth of settler colonialism is violence in itself. Israel's intent and purpose is to obliterate Gaza. It is not only Israel's war but a war the West is waging against a changing world - of a race other than White - of China's rise, a more aware Global South, and a Russia refusing to be balkanised. Not only does the empire have the propaganda weapons of the past but have more sophisticated ones at their disposal now. Only the times have changed.
After the Vietnam war protests didn't things go back to what they were? The sleaze of empire resumed their propaganda and oppression.
Let us hope that the young students protesting this time around have ripped up the facade of empire for good.
Forgive me for repeating myself:
If the Establishment is good at nothing else, it is very good at determining whom to co-opt, whom to buy off, whom to neutralize, whom to ignore.
They won’t change their core values which centre around staying in power and having unfettered control. They’ll do anything for that, and they’ve learned that lying, cheating, stealing, and murdering can work. But threaten their electoral chances? It’s like weasels turning white in winter.
Staying in powerr and having unfettered control is a means to an end, and that end is MONEY. Let's not lose sight of that!
Agree. Money+ power+control and for far too many, inflicting pain, embarrassment and humiliation.
IMO, I kinda thought it was over after we pulled out of Afghanistan. Then Ukraine started and it was ok, special temporary emergency. But then it kept going. And now Gaza. I'm like, seriously, it's never going to end right? Every politician has to put their earmark on a different war don't they. Like some type of way for old men to out-masculine each other; not only did I start a fight, I started a war. Get to play with war toys and war toy makers without looking at the consequences like an adult.
This is a very good analysis, Caitlin. South Africa's international court case has been a catalyst, and I think so has the behaviour of the Jewish-Zionist lobby. Reminiscent of the Vietnam protests. Pity it's such a slow process.
"If too many people realize that their government is psychopathic and their news media and other indoctrination systems have been lying to them about it all their lives, the empire will lose the ability to propagandize them, because propaganda only works if you don’t know it’s happening to you."
That's where I keep disagreeing with Caitlin. Firstly, it would take very many people to come to that realization and so the question is why would they look to become enlightened to begin with. Secondly, even if they do come to that realization - as long as they personally do not suffer they'll go along with it. Tell them the USA is a parasite and they'll say - OK, well, that's the way it is. The country takes care of me, my family, my lifestyle, and yes, it's at the expense of somebody else out there, but I need to look out for number one.
Nothing will change cardinally until the meaningful majority starts to suffer. Anything else is delusion. And so then, to adapt the appeal - one needs to not "protest and dissent" but induce that suffering. Now, one must realize the consequences such actions will trigger given the current unprecedented levels of surveillance.
Surveillance??? You mean revenge!
There is immense resignation among the general public. Many public influencers are aware empire's psychological manipulation of the narrative but few articulate actionable solutions like Johnstone. She has keen insight into what will bring down or at least slow down empire's psychopathic agendas. What we need are opportunities to glimpse the possibility of subverting this destructive machine. She offers those possibilities.
The Empire will do what it wants, and if public support cannot be manufactured, then we'll simply have to do The Other Thing....
As I have always said. Nothing will be solved by pissing and moaning, virtue signaling, or protesting. Only action will end this empire problem.
".....What this means is that the empire can be pressured into retreat simply by spreading enough awareness and sowing enough opposition to its depraved actions. If enough eyes open to the truth of what’s happening in Gaza... " says Caitlin and I agree. I have been working on this problem since circa 1950 .It was always obvious to me that the capitalist empire with its capitals first in London and Washington and later just in Washington simply in the latter coul d only be displaced by force in special limited circumstances These were in 1917 in the heat of capitalist war when Russia escaped the net and 1949 after WW2 when China did also. Russian socialism faltered and failed due to being built on Jewish Bolshevism but it picked its self up and escaped Washington's domination although its economy was gravely damaged .This present time is the moment when it is possible to loosen to some extent the iron grip that the Zionist run capitalism has on its empire.Violent revolution is nonsense against this mighty power structure -as well as being immoral. But nonviolent action in word and deed (especially the latter) can weaken the blindfold and let in some light as the world spotlight shines upon the psychopathic actions of the Israeli Zionists fully supported by the American Zionists.Our message should be that this is not happening because of Sleepy old Joe is in charge. He clearly is not and the Washington Zionists known as Necons clearly are. The Empires propaganda machine (aka the media) is attempting to obscure this but it is so gross that our negative reaction to it expressed now in university and college campus all over the western world is helping to end the blindness maybe for ever. But we must all help in any way we can.There is a faint light shining ahead in this zionist capitalist tunnel of darkness....
I'm reading this book: The Deluge, by Stephen Markley. Near future, dystopian, horrible USG leadership, climate change gone amok, capitalism gone totally amok, wall street, hedge funds, yikes, what the hell??? But the kids are all right in the book!!!
I recommend it to all of Caitlin's readers. It will blow your mind.
(It's like a super gritty Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson, another awesome read, but much more positive.). The Deluge = Caitlin's perspectives/outlook
Whether the weakness you mention is uppermost in the minds and calculations of TPTB, depends on where the calculus is derived from. From a purely power-based assessment, I think your scenario works, but when you throw in the impetus coming from religion that calculus goes out the window.
Unfortunately, there is more than one religious force driving this particular Zionist-colonial project. I have no confidence that rational decisions are even discernable by those engulfed in religious fanaticism,. When the messianic religious fervour of both Christian and Jewish Zionists joins in such a ruthless project as Zionism? Sounds like bad news all round.
Dear Caitlin,Tim & friends, We the people are in a deep post-apocalyptic world than we ever imagined possible. I listened to Late Night Live (13 May 2024,ABC RN Australia) presented by Phillip Adams, last night. Wherever you are please listen to the podcast if possible.
To quote:
"Coups, assassinations, detentions and disinformation are just some of the tactics that have been used to undermine democracies. But who is behind them? A new research consortium is delving into the connections between politicians, think-tanks and private IT companies who they say are propping up reactionary forces around the world. And their work has drawn links between Israel, India and Mexico".
Guest: David Adler, Co-General Coordinator of Progressive International and founder of its research consortium on The Reactionary International.
It is a sad comment on the US when its best minds and scholars are considered dissidents having no influence on rogue governments. The list is long and so many of them are on You Tube.
"All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed they must rely exclusively on force."
George Orwell
That is the next step. As we saw at Columbia, the rulers will not hesitate to assault even the children of the rich and connected if that is what they must do to retain power.
There must be an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Pope Francis has said what is needed, now he must do what is needed by going to Gaza and standing for peace, justice and freedom.
Please sign the petition and share widely.
https://chng.it/CRQ7qw4Gzn
Code pink
https://www.codepink.org/cnngaza?utm_campaign=12_15_pali_update_alert_3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink
Let us also support UNRWA. If our governments won’t act in accordance with humanity, then we will. https://www.unrwausa.org/donate Let us do it to honor Aaron Bushnell, or in memory of Hind Rajab.
These are a few small things we can do. If we can do more, let us do more.