Caitlin and Tim and our friends here have said most that need to be said about the lunatic asylum we are living in, and the lunatics who rule over us.
It is now 500 or more years of imperialism, colonialism, settler colonialism, slavery, subjugation, occupation, genocidal wars. Vast swathes of the human race were/are denuded of any human dignity.
How did the West's criminality last this long? Right up to now? Much as the debauched ruling class is to blame, the citizenry of these countries aren't blameless. They let them be conditioned, brainwashed and manipulated into going along with whatever atrocities were committed in their name. The sparks of rebellion mainly by students didn't last long. The masses were made to believe in their white supremacy. The politicians could bring out their race card shamelessly every time. The people will cheer Trump on when he comes out with filth against "immigrants". And fellow blacks/browns/Latinos - Fanon's " black faces; white masks" - and no brains will join in!
The academics wrote tracts of how wonderful their democracy was, equating capitalism with democracy, letting in the destructive force of neoliberalism. Ably supported by a media class whose sole purpose was to sanitise the latest war. Sanitise the system. Most of them seem to be having no qualms about oligarchical rule. Almost unaware of the climate crisis's inexorable advance.
What's next? The only hope is a tsunami of a revolutionary change. The global south with China and Russia have to resist. Defeat capitalism. Marginalise the West. Build a new world. An ethical, just, fair, world.
The Palestinians have made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. Let that not be in vain.
Indu, well said and I agree with most of what you say. A couple of points:
(1) >>"Much as the debauched ruling class is to blame, the citizenry of these countries aren't blameless. They let them be conditioned, brainwashed and manipulated into going along with whatever atrocities were committed in their name."
Yes - and that is why I asked about flaws in human evolution/psychology. Why has it been so easy to manipulate the majority of humans by a minority? I understand that evolution is more-or-less random (and based on environmental conditions to a large extent). Maybe there needs to be some better strategies to "re-program" human psychology to override the flaws of evolution? If not, I see no potentional for hopeful, everlasting change in social dynamics in humanity's future (and there are enough dystopian sci-fi scenarios that expand on such thinking)
(2) >>"The global south with China and Russia have to resist. Defeat capitalism."
Maybe you've misunderstood the reach and strong hold of Capitalism? Russia AND China are CAPITALIST in every way almost as much as the US (think of the Oligarchs in Russia and the billionaires in China). Most of the global South is ALSO predominantly Capitalist (India, Brazil, South Africa, Middle-East, etc.). The "global North" AND the "global South" are CAPITALISTS. So, it is not really a war of ideologies. Instead, it is a war amongst Capitalists - i.e. global North capitalists against global South capitalists.
(3) Russia and China are NOT the solutions/saviors that people think they are (these seem to be just alternate narratives). Russia and China are also Imperialist nations (eg. Tibet, Mongolia, many other examples) - though to a MUCH lesser extent than US (and Western) imperialism. (I suggest doing searches on Russian and Chinese imperialism and researching those topics further for validating what I say if you choose to).
(4) Russia AND China ARE ESSENTIAL and NECCESSARY to fight against Western domination/imperialism, but they are just the "other side of the coin" much like how "Democrats and Republicans in the US are 2 sides of the same coin".
(5) There is a general tendency for people to think along the lines of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Unfortunately, that logic is not sound.
Having said all the above, I do think (and agree with you) that it is IMPORTANT (maybe even of paramount importance) to SUPPORT Russia AND China (and other Global South nations) in their battles against Western imperialism (consider it a "lesser-of-two-evils" argument if you wish).
Chang, thanks for the long tract putting me right. By "Defeat capitalism" what I meant was defeating the prevailing style of the US/West capitalist structure. It is a contrast of ideologies in so far as how it operates in China, even if it's not socialism vs capitalism.
I am not silly enough to think that Russia and China are saviours - they are the change- that the world solely needs. And most Global South countries need support and leadership, at least till Fidel Castros and Che Guevaras and Ho Chi Mins take charge.
I consider myself an internationalist, I owe no allegiance to any country. If I belong anywhere, it is to the human race. I don't need to do lots of research to arrive at my worldview. Empathy, caring for fellow human beings suffering under a litany of injustices, also a bit of dreaming (!) has stood me in good stead all these years.
>>"I am not silly enough to think that Russia and China are saviours - they are the change- that the world solely needs."
You really believe that narrative?
Please tell/inform me ->
(1) What has Russia/China done to help the Palestinian cause?
(2) What has Russia/China done to solve ANY problems in the middle-east (other than looking out for their own interests)?
(3) What has Russia/China done to help Sudan?
(4) What has Russia/China done to combat the rise of right-wing fascistic ideologies all over the world?
(5) What has Russia/China done to promote press freedom or human rights or the institution of jounalism anywhere in the world (including their own countries)?
(6) Try discussing the "Tibet" issue in China, "Ukraine" issue in Russia, "Kashmir" issue in India, etc. and you'll get a real-world experience of how GOOD Russia/China/India/etc. are.
(7) I could go on for a while...
>>"I don't need to do lots of research to arrive at my worldview."
I think you DO, since you seem very biased (based on all your comments) about Russian and China. Examples->
(1) You lost it when I stated facts previously (that Assad and Putin ARE war criminals)
(2) You fail to realize Capitalism's hold on Russia AND China - they have a different form of Capitalism than from the West, but that doesn't mean that their form of Capitalism is good. There is NO "good" kind of capitalism.
(3) There is considerable evidence in Maersheimer's "realism" theories. Based on these theories, the ONLY reason I can think of to cheer on Russia/China is because they are fighting a GREATER EVIL (the US Empire). That's it. There's nothing good about human rights (Covid authoritarianism in China is a good example here), surveillance culture (especially in China), represession of journalistic freedom and transparency of the political process, quality of democracy, rising inequality (especially in China - BTW this is a direct consequence of capitalism), repression of dissident voices, and so much more.
I understand that most people here (on Caitlin's substack) might not want to focus on all these short-comings of Russia/China (which is ok since the US Empire is the biggest problem to humanity and the planet currently), but that doesn't mean "Russia/China are the change the world sorely needs". Unfortunately, it IS a game of "great power politics".
Again, having said all that, I would STILL SUPPORT Russia AND China (but NOT India) for the purposes of combatting a greater EVIL (the US/Western Empire), but I hold NO ILLUSIONS about Russia/China/etc. (unlike MANY commenters in Caitlin's substack).
See what I mean? When it comes to Russia/China, most people on this substack are unable to handle/acknowledge reality (and instead of rational arguments, they get emotional or resort to ad hominem attacks).
Caitlin and Tim and our friends here have said most that need to be said about the lunatic asylum we are living in, and the lunatics who rule over us.
It is now 500 or more years of imperialism, colonialism, settler colonialism, slavery, subjugation, occupation, genocidal wars. Vast swathes of the human race were/are denuded of any human dignity.
How did the West's criminality last this long? Right up to now? Much as the debauched ruling class is to blame, the citizenry of these countries aren't blameless. They let them be conditioned, brainwashed and manipulated into going along with whatever atrocities were committed in their name. The sparks of rebellion mainly by students didn't last long. The masses were made to believe in their white supremacy. The politicians could bring out their race card shamelessly every time. The people will cheer Trump on when he comes out with filth against "immigrants". And fellow blacks/browns/Latinos - Fanon's " black faces; white masks" - and no brains will join in!
The academics wrote tracts of how wonderful their democracy was, equating capitalism with democracy, letting in the destructive force of neoliberalism. Ably supported by a media class whose sole purpose was to sanitise the latest war. Sanitise the system. Most of them seem to be having no qualms about oligarchical rule. Almost unaware of the climate crisis's inexorable advance.
What's next? The only hope is a tsunami of a revolutionary change. The global south with China and Russia have to resist. Defeat capitalism. Marginalise the West. Build a new world. An ethical, just, fair, world.
The Palestinians have made the ultimate sacrifice for us all. Let that not be in vain.
Indu, well said and I agree with most of what you say. A couple of points:
(1) >>"Much as the debauched ruling class is to blame, the citizenry of these countries aren't blameless. They let them be conditioned, brainwashed and manipulated into going along with whatever atrocities were committed in their name."
Yes - and that is why I asked about flaws in human evolution/psychology. Why has it been so easy to manipulate the majority of humans by a minority? I understand that evolution is more-or-less random (and based on environmental conditions to a large extent). Maybe there needs to be some better strategies to "re-program" human psychology to override the flaws of evolution? If not, I see no potentional for hopeful, everlasting change in social dynamics in humanity's future (and there are enough dystopian sci-fi scenarios that expand on such thinking)
(2) >>"The global south with China and Russia have to resist. Defeat capitalism."
Maybe you've misunderstood the reach and strong hold of Capitalism? Russia AND China are CAPITALIST in every way almost as much as the US (think of the Oligarchs in Russia and the billionaires in China). Most of the global South is ALSO predominantly Capitalist (India, Brazil, South Africa, Middle-East, etc.). The "global North" AND the "global South" are CAPITALISTS. So, it is not really a war of ideologies. Instead, it is a war amongst Capitalists - i.e. global North capitalists against global South capitalists.
(3) Russia and China are NOT the solutions/saviors that people think they are (these seem to be just alternate narratives). Russia and China are also Imperialist nations (eg. Tibet, Mongolia, many other examples) - though to a MUCH lesser extent than US (and Western) imperialism. (I suggest doing searches on Russian and Chinese imperialism and researching those topics further for validating what I say if you choose to).
(4) Russia AND China ARE ESSENTIAL and NECCESSARY to fight against Western domination/imperialism, but they are just the "other side of the coin" much like how "Democrats and Republicans in the US are 2 sides of the same coin".
(5) There is a general tendency for people to think along the lines of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Unfortunately, that logic is not sound.
Having said all the above, I do think (and agree with you) that it is IMPORTANT (maybe even of paramount importance) to SUPPORT Russia AND China (and other Global South nations) in their battles against Western imperialism (consider it a "lesser-of-two-evils" argument if you wish).
Chang, thanks for the long tract putting me right. By "Defeat capitalism" what I meant was defeating the prevailing style of the US/West capitalist structure. It is a contrast of ideologies in so far as how it operates in China, even if it's not socialism vs capitalism.
I am not silly enough to think that Russia and China are saviours - they are the change- that the world solely needs. And most Global South countries need support and leadership, at least till Fidel Castros and Che Guevaras and Ho Chi Mins take charge.
I consider myself an internationalist, I owe no allegiance to any country. If I belong anywhere, it is to the human race. I don't need to do lots of research to arrive at my worldview. Empathy, caring for fellow human beings suffering under a litany of injustices, also a bit of dreaming (!) has stood me in good stead all these years.
>>"I am not silly enough to think that Russia and China are saviours - they are the change- that the world solely needs."
You really believe that narrative?
Please tell/inform me ->
(1) What has Russia/China done to help the Palestinian cause?
(2) What has Russia/China done to solve ANY problems in the middle-east (other than looking out for their own interests)?
(3) What has Russia/China done to help Sudan?
(4) What has Russia/China done to combat the rise of right-wing fascistic ideologies all over the world?
(5) What has Russia/China done to promote press freedom or human rights or the institution of jounalism anywhere in the world (including their own countries)?
(6) Try discussing the "Tibet" issue in China, "Ukraine" issue in Russia, "Kashmir" issue in India, etc. and you'll get a real-world experience of how GOOD Russia/China/India/etc. are.
(7) I could go on for a while...
>>"I don't need to do lots of research to arrive at my worldview."
I think you DO, since you seem very biased (based on all your comments) about Russian and China. Examples->
(1) You lost it when I stated facts previously (that Assad and Putin ARE war criminals)
(2) You fail to realize Capitalism's hold on Russia AND China - they have a different form of Capitalism than from the West, but that doesn't mean that their form of Capitalism is good. There is NO "good" kind of capitalism.
(3) There is considerable evidence in Maersheimer's "realism" theories. Based on these theories, the ONLY reason I can think of to cheer on Russia/China is because they are fighting a GREATER EVIL (the US Empire). That's it. There's nothing good about human rights (Covid authoritarianism in China is a good example here), surveillance culture (especially in China), represession of journalistic freedom and transparency of the political process, quality of democracy, rising inequality (especially in China - BTW this is a direct consequence of capitalism), repression of dissident voices, and so much more.
I understand that most people here (on Caitlin's substack) might not want to focus on all these short-comings of Russia/China (which is ok since the US Empire is the biggest problem to humanity and the planet currently), but that doesn't mean "Russia/China are the change the world sorely needs". Unfortunately, it IS a game of "great power politics".
Again, having said all that, I would STILL SUPPORT Russia AND China (but NOT India) for the purposes of combatting a greater EVIL (the US/Western Empire), but I hold NO ILLUSIONS about Russia/China/etc. (unlike MANY commenters in Caitlin's substack).
😳🤣😩😱🙄🤕🤡
See what I mean? When it comes to Russia/China, most people on this substack are unable to handle/acknowledge reality (and instead of rational arguments, they get emotional or resort to ad hominem attacks).