22 Comments

In a very rough way your observation also applies to both of our useless political parties, where the democrats pretend to stand for things that will get them elected, but then yield power more or less like republicans.

Millions of Americans realize this and refuse to participate; our propagandists advertise this disgust as its opposite: apathy.

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We have only one War party monopoly (with two right wings - DNC and GOP). But we are fully free to chose, e.g. -- among 100+ tooth pastes

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Obviously, wield, not yield.

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I'm no expert, but l'd venture that Caitlin's mission statement runs along the lines of, "Hey, wake the fuck up!", after which remedial actions will take place -- as you have done -- of their own accord. This is why no one gave Paul Revere shit for not writing the Constitution.

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In totalitarian regimes they have no freedom. In free democracies they have a version of freedom invented by slave owners.

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The USA has NEVER grasped the flower of peace and no world leader has offered that flower so consistently as has Putin or lately Xi. And yet the USA shits on their extended greeting hand. This is a tragedy for all across this world as we witness the idiocy of squandered resources on military might.

Do not expect the USA to clean house and sack the colony of warmongers occupying their foreign policy advice team. The state is not in control of its destiny but rather run by a self-perpetuating mindset within the military/academia/media that glorifies itself, ensures its succession, and then glorifies itself some more. An echo chamber of ego, fear and loathing.

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Funny and so true. Especially, e.g.:

In totalitarian regimes the government controls the press and determines what information the public is allowed to have access to. In free democracies it is billionaires who do this.

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This is a country where the corporations control everything and that’s not freedom

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Because -- peace is not profitable...

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Honest brutalism. Dishonest brutalism. Take your pick.

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A very exact description of the two “alternatives”

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1984 or Brave New World.. CHOOSE!!!!!

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In democracies Freedom is Slavery, War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength.

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The contrast is Orwellian, to say the least, which reminds me of Sheldon Wolin's inverted totalitarianism; hence, you could say that Caitlin's contrast is more like a contrast between naked totalitarianism and an inverted totalitarianism that declares itself as a "free democracy" only as a matter of propaganda to manufacture consent for its rule. Basically, it would rather have your consent and smile as you are being shafted, for it loves to believe what a benevolent totalitarianism it is, even to the point that it can say it is not totalitarian as all but a "free democracy" and truly believe it.

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Okay, so America is an awful, imperialist oligarchy run from ivory towers on corporate campuses. What solutions are you offering? Many of us have been keenly aware of this for 50 years or more and resist it in many ways. Rather than armed insurrection, the hippies, queers and indigenous people have chosen to non-violently resist it any way we can and tune out the junk heap on the Potomac they call the Ship of State as best we can, participating in the legislative process with our local authorities to develop a community contract the people can all come to consensus to adopt.

Washington just distributes the cash. Local authorities decide how it's spent. The insurmountable problem for all of us since Dwight Eisenhower, is to convince the war toys manufacturers to unplug the perpetual war machine and retool for peacetime projections of American military technology for disaster relief and infrastructure construction in hostile environments , like outer space, undersea and difficult to inhabit surface regions. So long as they are allowed to go on exporting implements of mass murder, there will be armies to consume them.

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No, you're not a weirdo, and your particular angle is relevant, but I'm not acquainted with it. You're right about short memories, though, and sometimes I feel I must be weird because I'm still stuck on the Vietnam War, and before that Korea, and after that the Middle East and then onward - or outward? to China and Russia. I try to free myself and fly away, but dang, it always ends up on another criminal pile of sh$t - and it is spelled with dollar signs. So I understand your tenacity. I'm not a big player economically, but I do use a charge card to pay electric and water bills, and I'm not prepared to do without these amenities. But I drive a 16 yr old car, (which I may be forced to give up for electric battery) I don't take holidays, and make clothing

etc., do for for a very long time. I'm also a thorn in the side of the right-wing, whenever possible. We do what we can.

6t

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It's soft fascism. And just a point on Hollywood propaganda which depicts "Dear Leader" as a set of boring, backward and stupid automatons, and Western leaders as endearingly flawed, intelligent, rugged individualists with character and - VISION.

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I guess I still have the tendency to be somewhat diplomatic, but of course, this is fascism, no doubt about it. The problem is getting people, especially Canadians, to see it. And the old American, my country, right or wrong attitude dies very, very hard. Using the word fascism right out is discrediting, and a softer intro useful. Your particular take is one I wasn't too familiar with. I'm thinking the attitude on Venezuela, a more democratic country than Canada or US: Iran, sanctioned, and its people made to continue suffering in a pandemic over a situation originally put in motion by the US: I'm thinking of Syria and US cooption of ISIL and al Qaeda to their ends, as usual. Of the US presence in Southeast Asia, it's menacing by the US in the Straits of Taiwan - nuclear war being made a reality before our eyes- if they were open, that is. And so much more. But maybe it's time to call the Devil by his name?

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A good example of hatred and racism that penetrates US government below. Of course DNC/CIA hateful trolls will attack these examples (like and fully recruited and paid for TYT's despicable Cenk & Ana duo).

1. An astounding example of pure hatred by investigators is the horrible treatment of Noor Salman, the innocent but Palestinian wife of the mass murderer. That she was entirely innocent was demonstrable by phone records (location tracing) and other facts from essentially day one. Yet she was accused and smeared for more than a year so that in the end even the judge warned them that investigator tactic is a criminal offense.

2. Another example of open hatred and criminal behavior of 9/19 investigators. In a nearby hotel among various guests was an Egyptian pilot resting overnight in between of flights. In his room package investigators placed a satellite phone -- much later proven and identified to belong to a completely different person.

Hatred of Muslims and especially Palestinians is rampant in the US official institutions and a major issue for all of us. One can only shudder thinking about the injustice in apartheid Israel.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1XaJs3XsAYIC3B?format=jpg&name=small

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There are many ways and styles of resistance, and I believe that is a good thing. Caitlin, if I may so address her, does invaluable service to victims of all kinds with her uncompromising intelligence and good faith. I was just reading in Counterpunch that some deny that Trump is indeed a fascist because - fascists deny he is. You can see where that is leading. There is no rigid template, and we should avoid nit-picking and stick with the obvious. Each in their own way must fight injustice of all kinds, and that means not supporting the system in any of its guises, and no in-fighting over trivialities.

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"Poor" Bezos just received a $10 billion bailout -- approved by both DNC and GOP oligarchs and their Congress servants -- we are being played like a violin. But -- we must focus on "bringing freedom and democracy" -- to -- China

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ABSOLUTELY LOVE your work!

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