I'm not sure how to break through the cognitive dissonance on display among the virtue signalers who are struggling with the now crumbling corporate Ukraine narrative. How do we help these unfortunates understand that a tiny cabal of old white men hailing from sixty countries has usurped our media, our politics and our global economy?
I wish you had done an article about the Anti-War Rally. The last one I attended (protesting the illegal invasion of Iraq) was revelatory. The Capitol Police were mounted and casually patrolling the edges of the ginormous crowd (I got to pet lots of velvety muzzles) and there were no militarized police anywhere. The M$M had positioned their cameras on the edges of the Mall, and were filming the sparse edges of our massive crowd. We were sure that they'd significantly underrepresent our numbers, and they did. I fear the Anti-War Rally will have the same fate, and few will understand the import of participants overcoming various isms and ideologies to work together against the tiny cabal of psychopaths who are destroying our ecosystem in their relentless hoarding of the wealth of this planet.
I had the same problem. I have returned to talking with the people who shunned me over the war crimes against Russia. I bring up the topics of 2014, Nord Stream etc. Now it's begun to be a very different discussion as opposed to the Ukrainian flag waving. Give it a try : )
Russian Volunteer Corps “uses symbols of the Russian Liberation Army… which is typical for Russian neo-Nazis,” according to Antifascist Europe. The group “includes Russians from the Azov regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard and the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps.”
“The ultimate programme is to overthrow the Putin regime and establish a new, truly faithful and decent power in Russia that will not engage in acts of aggression and wage local wars but will peacefully co-exist with the rest of the world, focusing more on domestic rather than foreign policy”.
This declaration does not differ substantially from that issued by USG war chieftain, Lloyd Austin, who said Russia must be “weakened.” In other words, the USG is on the same page as a group of neo-nazi terrorists attacking and killing civilians in Russia. This shouldn’t be surprising, considering the degree the CIA collaborated with Nazis.
During our protests in 2000 we danced in the streets to drummers and walked with giant puppets. The atmosphere was light. There was no violence or destruction. Then the Supreme Court crowned Bush.
I hope that this latest composition from Caitlin gives pause to those who formerly believed that Trump represented a viable alternative to the status quo. His faux mantle of anti-establishment fighter has not survived one-eyed scrutiny. He is a less polished iteration of the Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis brand of demagoguery. Any self-identifying blue-collar moderate who voted for him out of anger at the two fake parties, ought to look at who also voted for him: Hedge fund executives, CEO’s and their entourages of sharp-elbowed sycophants, the bulk of the professional class, eg, lawyers, doctors, accountants, pro athletes and their agents. All of these “other” voters knew the con, and were fully aware that Trump would never go full-blown on behalf of the struggling millions he rhetorically championed. And they were proven right.
I have never spent a second looking at Pence. His treacly, bible-quoting persona puts me off. I knew he was a lawyer, and a zealot for the religious right, but I don’t know anything about his banking ties. Do tell.
I believe it was Goldman Sachs that he came from? Funny too that this filth gets elected right after Obama bails out the filth that did it. I was completely disgusted I have family that lost everything while this filth have 5 different mansions and say "well the Americans will just have to sacrifice" in regards to their warmongering! You just can't get farther down the into the shit pile than these people are!
You know I have been trying to find out where I heard that from. I think it is more tied to who was backing him financially but I swear he had ties to the very people that crashed the market since that was the first thing I remember when he was being sworn in. Looking at him through Wikipedia he is a class act. Wow every bad thing you can think of.
But Pence has "dynamic range" acting capability: he can do the "holy Christian forgiveness grace of God and glory love" face, or the "holy Christian righteous wrath of God" face! both faces while holding a corporate check! Janus Pence! LOL.
Inwarranted I notice your statement that people who voted for Trump and thought of him as a viable alternative to others was no more than a polished version of Ted Cruz, or a Ron DeSantis. No democrats that would demonstrate your point? Same as Caitlan comparing Trump to Bush, but not Obama who was no liberal, doesn't even claim to be, and engaged us in many wars, and set us up for what we are dealing with now. Trump has been repeatedly used as a foil by the democrats to virtue signal and proclaim their superiority, and yet it is a democrat, Biden, and the neocon cohorts in his administration that have us involved in a war that may destroy this entire planet. I am aware he has full support from both parties, nor am I unaware that post WWII the US has sort to be the world's number one super power and will challenge, or bring down anyone who gets in it's way.
Fran, I just came across your remark. I offer this with no malice or condescension: I think you are stuck in a thought warp. You seem to construe every comment as a slight against your perspective or a confirmation of it. The reason that I used the names Cruz and DeSantis, and didn’t use the name Obama is because the subject was demagoguery. I pasted this description from Wikipedia:
“Demagogue
A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, appealing to emotion by scapegoating out-groups, exaggerating dangers to stoke fears, lying for emotional effect, or other rhetoric that tends to drown out reasoned deliberation and encourage fanatical popularity.”
This does not mean that I like Obama or Biden. I don’t. But their oratory is much too measured to fit the definition of demagoguery. In addition, I agree that it is the Democrats that are the loudest jingoists and war-mongerers currently. As I wrote previously, we agree on much more than what we don’t agree on. Money has corrupted our political institutions and media thoroughly. I think it is pointless to rank governmental officials according to their objectionability when they are all engaged in an objectionable system that dictates their behavior.
Do you not see how you keep repeating your defense of Trump and your resentment at how he was falsely accused? You seem to include these feelings, no matter the subject. As for DeSantis, he isn’t hot-headed, but his rhetoric is standard demagoguery. The liberals, the “woke” enemies of good family folk, etc. He’s all about defending the people against the mighty enemies. Textbook charlatan.
God am I up early, so many things to do. I don't know how to answer your question as to why I bring up Trump, maybe because no one has been held accountable. I was so angry I switched parties and I'm now an independent. I wouldn't vote for a democrat ever. Maybe I keep repeating myself because what the democrats did cries out for justice. I also believe had he gotten elected again we would not be on the precipice of a nuclear war, and I truly believe that. Even Norm Chomsky, who really disliked Trump wrote an article stating he was the only statesman who could stop the possibility of a nuclear war. Well, I did read the article, but you have to admit Counterpunch ain't what it use to be. I didn't like the article because it was no more then a hit piece on DeSantis from someone who hates Trump and thinks he has a win when he claims they are one and the same."Fahrenheit 451 is a perfect sobriquet for a copycat hate-spewing Trumpist politician determined to create a model autocratic state as a mere governor before he gets a chance to do the same with the country as president of the United States.'' Please, not to brag, but I am too sophisticated to buy that crap. He goes on a rant comparing DeSantis to Trump and he thinks he's proved his case?
He's even quoting someone who did a hit piece on DeSantis from Vanity Fair, and the claim is, DeSantes isn't woke. He doesn't like Soros, well I don't like him either. He doesn't like Anthony Fauci, forget about Covid, many in the homosexual community have it in for that SOB in scaring people silly with his position that AIDS could be easily spread, and crated a nightmare for people with AIDS. Illegal immigrants, no, especially in the midst of a Covid pandemic with all manner of restrictions in place. I'm for legalized immigration. Maybe if Clinton who was Obama's secretary of State didn't support a military coup in Honduras, and remove Zelaya then hand the country over to the elites fewer would have the need to come here. Well, her actions do reflect our whole history in South America. Holy shit DeSantis is not a believer in critical race theory, and woke gender ideology. Good grief!!!!!!!! See he's taken up the mantra compare anyone to Trump, and not being woke and you got a hit piece that will be taken seriously by people especially if you throw in Trump. Counterpunch is why we have Substack. Even Democracy Now is being critically attacked by Blumenthal and Mate. and for good reason.
That orange sh*t stain on a history of dirty politicking written on toilet paper? THat's trumpfuhrer. The TV coup-d'etat candidate. He was "all over" the ukraine war, calling Zel, etc. He knew biden was gonna be prez even before the DNC primary began. Started raising interest rates. He dint interrupt it one whit. He unrolled covid, as part of the continuous deep state planning. It all fits smoothly, save for the outer rhetoric. I urge all to Please stop with the orange fuhrer credibility. The MSM still wants his viability. He is the MSM choice believe it or not, on the inside.
Caitlin - I watched the entire demonstration all day on the Internet from the relative comfort of my old, cold farmhouse on the North Coast of Maine. I follow Jimmy Dore, Max Blumenthal, Chris Hedges, et al - these people are not liberals, they are part of the remnants of the Real Left in this country.
The Rally was a success, an early beginning of erosion of support for the war in Ukraine, and the crowd - some thousands - included a large number of people from the Right. Ron Paul supporters.
We NEED a broad coalition, says this 1960's-70's and onward antiwar activist. Do you think we should not have had the demonstration? Why are you so critical of this initial effort to organize against the war? What else do you think we ought to do?
I believe we need to organize much larger coalitions and demonstrations until we do what we did in the early 70's - finally get the USA to end support for the war in Ukraine and, hopefully, all the other wars the USA is part of.
Again, why so critical? We don't think we're going to get rid of capitalism by demonstrating against the war - please give us what you think ought to be done...I'd be very interested, seriously.
If you had followed the link in Caitlin's essay, you would have seen that the rally she highlighted is NOT the one you watched (which I assume was the Rage Against the War Machine rally based on the speakers you mentioned).
It was not obvious to me, either. However, agree with everything else said. Yeah, and rantings about the "imperialist ambitions of Putin" by the mainstream media... they learned the tactics of "accusing others of what you do yourself". Quite effective, I should say
Caitlin did not make that clear in her essay. I should not be required to follow hyperlinks to understand what is being said on the page in front of me.
I was also misled by her comments, wondering if Caitlin was taking a turn toward the Dark Side by ignoring the REAL leftists who'd spoken at the RATWM rally. I wasn't even aware of this other rally, where the privileged pro-establishment liberals who spoke there don't hide their warmongering, which shows just how popular it wasn't (only hundreds attended).
Why so critical? Why so blindly accepting if this kabuki theater? Read Jacquline Luqman of Black Agenda Report. That will give you an idea of what you fell for in your nice farmhouse far from the madding crowd.
Well, I Googled the black agenda report, etc. and got lots of hits but I may have been blocked because none of them will open. In one link I see the phrase "latte antiwar activists" or something similar. this is just egregious slandering. I'm a hard-working organic farmer with gardens and animals who burns wood for heat and I'm 84 years old. No easy life here. No lattes up here, either.
Can we not forget the intense dislike of black or white to work together to solve Earth's worst problems? There's climate discordance, wars which might lead to all of us being toast, poisoning of Earth by so many toxic spills and harmful products, and more.
To not have the strength and intelligence to put aside, even for occasional meetings or demonstrations, our differences is what makes the powers that be very happy. They like it when you express hatred for white people or vice versa. It's simply not in our interests to keep this up.
This is lovely Zach. Your battle with toxic masculinity does you proud. I don’t know how to battle it in toxic, patriarchal women of which there are many. But I do know how to watch for it in myself, because I’m just as liable to that infection as any ‘Murican. Sometimes I hear it in the things I dash off and post. What is wonderful is that I’m allowed to do that by this site—for which I give CAitlIn all credit—and once in a while the pushback or response is very enlightening. As yours is. Thank you. Blessed be.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Of course that is your choice. I think war is evil and civil war an even deeper level of evil. We need balance between our masculine and feminine natures. The last few thousand years of patriarchy have been bent on aggression, abuse, domination, theft and violence. The world will only change when people change and get in touch with their feminine sides and heal. In other words coming to know, be, love and trust themselves. Love all. Peace.
Written history during patriarchy glorifies violence. Hollywood glorifies violence.
I agree, but the softer nature, quite natural to all of us, has been deliberately snuffed out in men, to a great degree. Men are more useful in war if they can suppress their softer, more empathetic and reasonable natures. But nature itself isn't an idiot, and doesn't discriminate.
Your comments, both Doris and Carol making a clear distinction between the natures of men and women is absolutely correct but sadly, in 2023, it has lost some of its impact based on some of the women running the US today. One doesn't have to identify them and there are so many, as many of them line up behind the likes of the evil Hilary Clinton. Who knows why? Yes, we did see an example earlier this week from Pelosi and her praise for Bush, the man who lied to the world and who was directly responsible for half a million children dying in Iraq.
An error in judgement?
I am not able to ever forgive anyone for such a crime but obviously a women was able to do that in a very public way. Yes, a woman. One has to admit that there are so many like her, as they continue to increasingly populate the houses of government in America. They obviously find it easier to join the men rather than to take a stance for truth and humanity.
In other countries, the rise of women in politics and other places of importance is noticeably on the increase and as a male, familiar more so with a male dominated world for most of my life, I, for one, couldn't be more pleased.
But the danger is, in my reckoning, that the climate today is such that the really outspoken women are cautious, are few in number, and seem to take refuge in eventually "going along with the majority" ( i.e. the males), as we see every day in Washington. If they continue to fly a flag for peace, they don't last long and there are so many examples of that. Bucking the system tales courage in today's climate.
But Pelosi? How can she justify that comment? What must children think who are of an age to understand her words and know the disgraceful history of the war in Iraq, built on a lie by the man she so soundly praised from the rooftops.
Your language suggests that you have total confidence in the Constitution to render a society that you find just. And as I read that document, I conclude that justice, by anybody’s definition, is not the purpose or mandate for which it was drawn up. It is a blueprint for a capitalist economy and its attendant laws. The men who wrote it all had property, and strong misgivings about according legal protections to those who didn’t.
I have said the same for many years in regards to the Criminal Elite Making laws against us. There is still a major flaw in this "militant" mindset in that if these Mass Murdering Sociopaths feel in the least threatened there will quickly be Marshall Law and I can guarantee our military will comply. I am a Veteran and like all veterans and even these parasites have taken an oath to defend this country against the very corrupt government we have. But look how many of us are in the fray against them. I would be right there with you in every way if it could be done.
Well you give me some hope since I have been to long exposed to the sheep. I know very well that the same old routine will never work against the form of corruption we are up against and this is what can be so disheartening that there doesn't seem to be a viable way to take them out. I can't walk very far as an old disabled Vietnam vet but point me in the right direction and I will be there!
That is what I hear so often "we can't change the constitution because"... Well I say why not especially when it has been used against us and outright ignored when it suits the Criminal Elite. So why isn't it completely right for We The People to change it to the betterment of We The People!?
"ANTI-WAR" rally attended by Samantha Powers-----MSM Popsicle in their pants TV coverage.
"ANTI-WAR" rally "Rage Against Ukraine War" in DC attended by Max Blumenthal, Hedges, Dennis Kucinich, and MORE! ------MSM? Hello? Crickets. What rally?
When the narcissism of greed predominates in seemingly innocuous statements like "don't blame me, I'm just a businessman" or "I'm just watching-out for my investments", moral bankruptcy is implicit. And so is the the genuflection to the power of the status quo.
Thank you for this, it is all an illusion that is being sold to us. There is no good or honourable war. Whatever the outcome it only brings death and misery. There is no winner, we must all argue for dialogue and peace.
One reason why I read your newsletters, Caitlin, is because you always back up what you say with links. I've read some things in your newsletters and thought "no way that's true" but I click on the link and lo and behold, there it is in plain view. And sometimes it's even worse than I imagined while clicking on the link. Often I feel angry that I didn't know some of the terrible things until now.
There are a number of good Substacks and independent journalists but the most credible ones are able to back up what they say. Thank you, Caitlin! You are a beacon in today's world.
The problem to me is idolization, whether for Chomsky, Trump or you. Nation states don’t rule the world, love of money and power does, and those who pretend otherwise perpetuate the lie. America is a big part of the sick system we have been brainwashed to accept. But what has China or Russia done to free the people of Palestine or Yemen? Nothing. They fight for their piece of the pie. You’re brilliant, and have helped my understanding of narrative control. ❤️
I hope the people of the world wake up and realize the ruling class has control of all “sides,” both nationally and internationally. None of them care about nationality, religion, political ideology, race or sexuality. They care about keeping us divided by the above to stay in power.
Russia did fight for the people of Syria, though. And now is taking a stand for the people of Donbass. Yes, there is self-interest of self-preservation, as well, which is driving the current war. The point is Russia or China did not create those crises in Yemen, etc, while USA / Western oligarchy did.
We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very
Words of wisdom there, from a very wise author. What seems different here, to me, is that with capitalism there is no central authority to whom we can protest. No king, no pope, no judge, no capitol. Capitalism has no center. It is all around us like the air we breathe. Most of us have grown up in it and live as both its victims and victimizers, prisoners of a system that employs us to engineer and implement our own destruction.
I agree that art can be a source for change. Good art involves imagination, and we need all the imagination we can get to find our way out of this.
They began turning the liberals with their narratives about Covid and Trump. Fear mongering! Yes, criticize the uniparty.
When we see through propaganda we question everything. When we see through divide and conquer we do not take sides. When we see through fear mongering we do not comply.
I completely agree. When the social outburst occurred in Chile I saw people throwing on the ground or destroying statues and busts of Spanish conquerors or characters of Chile's contemporary history, however, they never had intentions of attacking the US embassy or attacking the headquarters of multinational mineral companies, on the contrary, they only attacked supermarkets or commercial premises of Chilean owners. Then we saw how it all ended, with a pro-imperialist and pro-liberal like Gabriel Boric taking the presidency, burying forever the demands of the working class and working side by side with right-wing economic power and world imperialism.
We have also seen the same phenomenon of progressive liberalism throwing away statues of Spanish conquistadors or Christopher Columbus in states like California. They never attack the United States today. To say that the imperialists are others or those of hundreds of years ago is a very convenient way for the United States and the world right wing to make them believe that they are fighting against something when in reality they are fighting against things already dead and non-existent.
Yep, the progressivist movement has been thoroughly co-opted and that is why corporate interests have not pushed back against it. So what if they have to create a new division of Diversity-Equity-Inclusion and hire another VP to head it? So what if they have to hire some number of 'diverse' VPs and others for their public image. As long as those hires don't rock the corporate boat (and they won't), it's cheap virtue-washing and good public relations.
It's especially helpful that the progressivists focus on feelings of victimhood based on past events, decades or centuries ago, because those feelings can be assuaged, massaged, and milked with no effect at all on present or future events. Yes, let's all get together and feel terrible about what happened to Emmett Till in 1955. Of course, what happened to him really was awful, but there's no going back in time to fix that. So it's wasted emotion. But strong emotion, which makes you feel more alive, for a little while. It's milking the past for negative emotions, combined with the feeling that you, in contrast, are so much better than those evildoers. Which is the same little jolt you get from watching the morning news program (Good Morning America, especially), which is all made of emotion-pushing stories. Pulling down statues makes you feel like a good person while you have done nothing useful.
It really does start to feel like Live Action Role-Playing and Congress starts to look like some sort of Kabuki theater production; all fierce-looking faces and dramatic poses.
I was working on a telescope in Chile during a student protest against the privatization of universities. The telescope brought me in laying down in the back seat of a nondescript car ha. In Chile as with most of South/Central Americas have learned of the many decades who is the problem but don't go there. I think that is changing?
You aren't wrong, not at all, but this is the general notion of what both parties do. What better propaganda than that created to give people this illusion? Literally using what the government gives them to...try to change the government?
That seems rather strange that people truly think they can change the government this way. For example. The claim that there was Russia interference in the 2016 election and Trump wasn't the legitament president. Weird, because there was all these "official government agencies" that said it was true. Strange because nothing happened despite all this. My guess is that this will be the same outcome about the January 6th insurrection. Note, there was no insurrection. If there was, you'd know how the US would handle a real one. There wouldn't be a single breathing person afterwards among the insurrectionists. Oddly. We have an insurrection act, too.
So we can't change the government with the tools they give us. To prove this true, we need only try...oh and as you pointed out, our government lies about everything. How about those weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? We look pretty stupid invading a country on the premise and then then learn there never were any. "They moved them". Sure, you knew where they were and then had no idea of where they went? Who has them now? You don't know? Sure I believe that... ;)
This brings up the point I made that we can't change the government and the evidence is in trying. Remember the overturning of Roe V. Wade last year? Women protesting their hearts out and vowing to vote out Republicans? Then when the time came they failed and Biden said 'sorry, better luck next time'. No, these women didn't fall short, they were fighting an illusion. The outcome of our rights are predetermined. We still are fighting the same civil rights battles of the 1960's but we dressed up the issue to make it look like we succeeded.
You describe this as live action role play. I don't know, rather dress up as a Lord of the Rings character and reenact a scene because it would look more real. As you pointed out, these resistence protests are government sponsored. They want you to do this, to behave this way, to have those views. 'There is no one more hopeless enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.'
Regarding the "insurrection" - it's the same tactics over and over of accusing others of what they do themselves. There was a very brazen insurrection by olygarchy against the people by means of the election process, so they turned the tables and accused the aggrieved party to shift the narrative. Same with vaccines, same with Ukraine war, etc, etc.
That's the strategy they use to divide people and generate a polarized position. It was the example I had used. The Iraq war was another, now we have the Ukrainian war with focus on Putin. Vaccines were politicians despite people having opposition since their inception. People will get tired of the Ukrainan war and there will be a new distraction that people will fixate on. You are right, it really is the same things over and over, it gets tiresome/tedious because people really don't notice the patterns.
It is disappointing but predictable. What I am saying is that the distinction between men and women is largely artificial and socially engendered. We have "male" and 'female" values as a matter tradition and manipulation, but society would be impossible if we didn't have mostly common ground as human beings.
Short and to the point. Great work, Caitlin. That so few can think for themselves in this bizarro, fun-house mirror world is frightening. Which is not to say I feel I see everything correctly. Just that seeing *incorrect* things has never been easier, and critical thinking never more important. Here's hoping your work wakes some people up.
I'm not sure how to break through the cognitive dissonance on display among the virtue signalers who are struggling with the now crumbling corporate Ukraine narrative. How do we help these unfortunates understand that a tiny cabal of old white men hailing from sixty countries has usurped our media, our politics and our global economy?
I wish you had done an article about the Anti-War Rally. The last one I attended (protesting the illegal invasion of Iraq) was revelatory. The Capitol Police were mounted and casually patrolling the edges of the ginormous crowd (I got to pet lots of velvety muzzles) and there were no militarized police anywhere. The M$M had positioned their cameras on the edges of the Mall, and were filming the sparse edges of our massive crowd. We were sure that they'd significantly underrepresent our numbers, and they did. I fear the Anti-War Rally will have the same fate, and few will understand the import of participants overcoming various isms and ideologies to work together against the tiny cabal of psychopaths who are destroying our ecosystem in their relentless hoarding of the wealth of this planet.
I had the same problem. I have returned to talking with the people who shunned me over the war crimes against Russia. I bring up the topics of 2014, Nord Stream etc. Now it's begun to be a very different discussion as opposed to the Ukrainian flag waving. Give it a try : )
Russian Volunteer Corps “uses symbols of the Russian Liberation Army… which is typical for Russian neo-Nazis,” according to Antifascist Europe. The group “includes Russians from the Azov regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard and the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps.”
“The ultimate programme is to overthrow the Putin regime and establish a new, truly faithful and decent power in Russia that will not engage in acts of aggression and wage local wars but will peacefully co-exist with the rest of the world, focusing more on domestic rather than foreign policy”.
This declaration does not differ substantially from that issued by USG war chieftain, Lloyd Austin, who said Russia must be “weakened.” In other words, the USG is on the same page as a group of neo-nazi terrorists attacking and killing civilians in Russia. This shouldn’t be surprising, considering the degree the CIA collaborated with Nazis.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/neo-nazi-terrorists-invade-russia-kill-civilians/5810933
During our protests in 2000 we danced in the streets to drummers and walked with giant puppets. The atmosphere was light. There was no violence or destruction. Then the Supreme Court crowned Bush.
the anti war rally just prior weekend had solid "names" attending. definitely news worthy. hollywood controlled press alas!
I hope that this latest composition from Caitlin gives pause to those who formerly believed that Trump represented a viable alternative to the status quo. His faux mantle of anti-establishment fighter has not survived one-eyed scrutiny. He is a less polished iteration of the Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis brand of demagoguery. Any self-identifying blue-collar moderate who voted for him out of anger at the two fake parties, ought to look at who also voted for him: Hedge fund executives, CEO’s and their entourages of sharp-elbowed sycophants, the bulk of the professional class, eg, lawyers, doctors, accountants, pro athletes and their agents. All of these “other” voters knew the con, and were fully aware that Trump would never go full-blown on behalf of the struggling millions he rhetorically championed. And they were proven right.
Let's not forget either Pence came from the very scum sucking filth bankers that crashed Wall Street causing millions of people to lose their homes!
I have never spent a second looking at Pence. His treacly, bible-quoting persona puts me off. I knew he was a lawyer, and a zealot for the religious right, but I don’t know anything about his banking ties. Do tell.
I believe it was Goldman Sachs that he came from? Funny too that this filth gets elected right after Obama bails out the filth that did it. I was completely disgusted I have family that lost everything while this filth have 5 different mansions and say "well the Americans will just have to sacrifice" in regards to their warmongering! You just can't get farther down the into the shit pile than these people are!
Wasn’t he the Governor of Indiana? Where did he find the time to swim with the sharks?
You know I have been trying to find out where I heard that from. I think it is more tied to who was backing him financially but I swear he had ties to the very people that crashed the market since that was the first thing I remember when he was being sworn in. Looking at him through Wikipedia he is a class act. Wow every bad thing you can think of.
Go to VT (Veterans Today ) and Unz (the most readable site ), a very informative sites
Go to VT (Veterans Today ) and Unz (the most readable site ), a very informative sites .
But Pence has "dynamic range" acting capability: he can do the "holy Christian forgiveness grace of God and glory love" face, or the "holy Christian righteous wrath of God" face! both faces while holding a corporate check! Janus Pence! LOL.
Inwarranted I notice your statement that people who voted for Trump and thought of him as a viable alternative to others was no more than a polished version of Ted Cruz, or a Ron DeSantis. No democrats that would demonstrate your point? Same as Caitlan comparing Trump to Bush, but not Obama who was no liberal, doesn't even claim to be, and engaged us in many wars, and set us up for what we are dealing with now. Trump has been repeatedly used as a foil by the democrats to virtue signal and proclaim their superiority, and yet it is a democrat, Biden, and the neocon cohorts in his administration that have us involved in a war that may destroy this entire planet. I am aware he has full support from both parties, nor am I unaware that post WWII the US has sort to be the world's number one super power and will challenge, or bring down anyone who gets in it's way.
Fran, I just came across your remark. I offer this with no malice or condescension: I think you are stuck in a thought warp. You seem to construe every comment as a slight against your perspective or a confirmation of it. The reason that I used the names Cruz and DeSantis, and didn’t use the name Obama is because the subject was demagoguery. I pasted this description from Wikipedia:
“Demagogue
A demagogue or rabble-rouser is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, appealing to emotion by scapegoating out-groups, exaggerating dangers to stoke fears, lying for emotional effect, or other rhetoric that tends to drown out reasoned deliberation and encourage fanatical popularity.”
This does not mean that I like Obama or Biden. I don’t. But their oratory is much too measured to fit the definition of demagoguery. In addition, I agree that it is the Democrats that are the loudest jingoists and war-mongerers currently. As I wrote previously, we agree on much more than what we don’t agree on. Money has corrupted our political institutions and media thoroughly. I think it is pointless to rank governmental officials according to their objectionability when they are all engaged in an objectionable system that dictates their behavior.
Do you not see how you keep repeating your defense of Trump and your resentment at how he was falsely accused? You seem to include these feelings, no matter the subject. As for DeSantis, he isn’t hot-headed, but his rhetoric is standard demagoguery. The liberals, the “woke” enemies of good family folk, etc. He’s all about defending the people against the mighty enemies. Textbook charlatan.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/02/21/demagogue-rising/
God am I up early, so many things to do. I don't know how to answer your question as to why I bring up Trump, maybe because no one has been held accountable. I was so angry I switched parties and I'm now an independent. I wouldn't vote for a democrat ever. Maybe I keep repeating myself because what the democrats did cries out for justice. I also believe had he gotten elected again we would not be on the precipice of a nuclear war, and I truly believe that. Even Norm Chomsky, who really disliked Trump wrote an article stating he was the only statesman who could stop the possibility of a nuclear war. Well, I did read the article, but you have to admit Counterpunch ain't what it use to be. I didn't like the article because it was no more then a hit piece on DeSantis from someone who hates Trump and thinks he has a win when he claims they are one and the same."Fahrenheit 451 is a perfect sobriquet for a copycat hate-spewing Trumpist politician determined to create a model autocratic state as a mere governor before he gets a chance to do the same with the country as president of the United States.'' Please, not to brag, but I am too sophisticated to buy that crap. He goes on a rant comparing DeSantis to Trump and he thinks he's proved his case?
He's even quoting someone who did a hit piece on DeSantis from Vanity Fair, and the claim is, DeSantes isn't woke. He doesn't like Soros, well I don't like him either. He doesn't like Anthony Fauci, forget about Covid, many in the homosexual community have it in for that SOB in scaring people silly with his position that AIDS could be easily spread, and crated a nightmare for people with AIDS. Illegal immigrants, no, especially in the midst of a Covid pandemic with all manner of restrictions in place. I'm for legalized immigration. Maybe if Clinton who was Obama's secretary of State didn't support a military coup in Honduras, and remove Zelaya then hand the country over to the elites fewer would have the need to come here. Well, her actions do reflect our whole history in South America. Holy shit DeSantis is not a believer in critical race theory, and woke gender ideology. Good grief!!!!!!!! See he's taken up the mantra compare anyone to Trump, and not being woke and you got a hit piece that will be taken seriously by people especially if you throw in Trump. Counterpunch is why we have Substack. Even Democracy Now is being critically attacked by Blumenthal and Mate. and for good reason.
There are no reasons " to change parties " - all amer. parties are under a devil control . American "presidents "are not elected , but selected.
That orange sh*t stain on a history of dirty politicking written on toilet paper? THat's trumpfuhrer. The TV coup-d'etat candidate. He was "all over" the ukraine war, calling Zel, etc. He knew biden was gonna be prez even before the DNC primary began. Started raising interest rates. He dint interrupt it one whit. He unrolled covid, as part of the continuous deep state planning. It all fits smoothly, save for the outer rhetoric. I urge all to Please stop with the orange fuhrer credibility. The MSM still wants his viability. He is the MSM choice believe it or not, on the inside.
Caitlin - I watched the entire demonstration all day on the Internet from the relative comfort of my old, cold farmhouse on the North Coast of Maine. I follow Jimmy Dore, Max Blumenthal, Chris Hedges, et al - these people are not liberals, they are part of the remnants of the Real Left in this country.
The Rally was a success, an early beginning of erosion of support for the war in Ukraine, and the crowd - some thousands - included a large number of people from the Right. Ron Paul supporters.
We NEED a broad coalition, says this 1960's-70's and onward antiwar activist. Do you think we should not have had the demonstration? Why are you so critical of this initial effort to organize against the war? What else do you think we ought to do?
I believe we need to organize much larger coalitions and demonstrations until we do what we did in the early 70's - finally get the USA to end support for the war in Ukraine and, hopefully, all the other wars the USA is part of.
Again, why so critical? We don't think we're going to get rid of capitalism by demonstrating against the war - please give us what you think ought to be done...I'd be very interested, seriously.
If you had followed the link in Caitlin's essay, you would have seen that the rally she highlighted is NOT the one you watched (which I assume was the Rage Against the War Machine rally based on the speakers you mentioned).
It was not obvious to me, either. However, agree with everything else said. Yeah, and rantings about the "imperialist ambitions of Putin" by the mainstream media... they learned the tactics of "accusing others of what you do yourself". Quite effective, I should say
Projection is the name of the game.
Caitlin did not make that clear in her essay. I should not be required to follow hyperlinks to understand what is being said on the page in front of me.
I was also misled by her comments, wondering if Caitlin was taking a turn toward the Dark Side by ignoring the REAL leftists who'd spoken at the RATWM rally. I wasn't even aware of this other rally, where the privileged pro-establishment liberals who spoke there don't hide their warmongering, which shows just how popular it wasn't (only hundreds attended).
Caitlin does make us think. The topic is mind bending so............ : )
Hahahahahahahaha. No you shouldn’t be required to do anything, you poor guy. Mama fix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqatSjSDAMQ GrayZone Max/Anya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ-X6Otu05Y Sabrina RBN
Watch and enjoy : )
exactly, she put "anti war" in quotes. cheeky! 2 rallies. only one got MSM Charlie D'Agata love.
I thought it was clear... the photo shows a Ukrainian flag being waved and she starts off writing about the one year "celebration" of war.
It was abundantly clear.
Why so critical? Why so blindly accepting if this kabuki theater? Read Jacquline Luqman of Black Agenda Report. That will give you an idea of what you fell for in your nice farmhouse far from the madding crowd.
Well, I Googled the black agenda report, etc. and got lots of hits but I may have been blocked because none of them will open. In one link I see the phrase "latte antiwar activists" or something similar. this is just egregious slandering. I'm a hard-working organic farmer with gardens and animals who burns wood for heat and I'm 84 years old. No easy life here. No lattes up here, either.
Can we not forget the intense dislike of black or white to work together to solve Earth's worst problems? There's climate discordance, wars which might lead to all of us being toast, poisoning of Earth by so many toxic spills and harmful products, and more.
To not have the strength and intelligence to put aside, even for occasional meetings or demonstrations, our differences is what makes the powers that be very happy. They like it when you express hatred for white people or vice versa. It's simply not in our interests to keep this up.
When did the battle of the sexes end?
This is lovely Zach. Your battle with toxic masculinity does you proud. I don’t know how to battle it in toxic, patriarchal women of which there are many. But I do know how to watch for it in myself, because I’m just as liable to that infection as any ‘Murican. Sometimes I hear it in the things I dash off and post. What is wonderful is that I’m allowed to do that by this site—for which I give CAitlIn all credit—and once in a while the pushback or response is very enlightening. As yours is. Thank you. Blessed be.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Of course that is your choice. I think war is evil and civil war an even deeper level of evil. We need balance between our masculine and feminine natures. The last few thousand years of patriarchy have been bent on aggression, abuse, domination, theft and violence. The world will only change when people change and get in touch with their feminine sides and heal. In other words coming to know, be, love and trust themselves. Love all. Peace.
Written history during patriarchy glorifies violence. Hollywood glorifies violence.
Love is more powerful.
I agree, but the softer nature, quite natural to all of us, has been deliberately snuffed out in men, to a great degree. Men are more useful in war if they can suppress their softer, more empathetic and reasonable natures. But nature itself isn't an idiot, and doesn't discriminate.
Your comments, both Doris and Carol making a clear distinction between the natures of men and women is absolutely correct but sadly, in 2023, it has lost some of its impact based on some of the women running the US today. One doesn't have to identify them and there are so many, as many of them line up behind the likes of the evil Hilary Clinton. Who knows why? Yes, we did see an example earlier this week from Pelosi and her praise for Bush, the man who lied to the world and who was directly responsible for half a million children dying in Iraq.
An error in judgement?
I am not able to ever forgive anyone for such a crime but obviously a women was able to do that in a very public way. Yes, a woman. One has to admit that there are so many like her, as they continue to increasingly populate the houses of government in America. They obviously find it easier to join the men rather than to take a stance for truth and humanity.
In other countries, the rise of women in politics and other places of importance is noticeably on the increase and as a male, familiar more so with a male dominated world for most of my life, I, for one, couldn't be more pleased.
But the danger is, in my reckoning, that the climate today is such that the really outspoken women are cautious, are few in number, and seem to take refuge in eventually "going along with the majority" ( i.e. the males), as we see every day in Washington. If they continue to fly a flag for peace, they don't last long and there are so many examples of that. Bucking the system tales courage in today's climate.
But Pelosi? How can she justify that comment? What must children think who are of an age to understand her words and know the disgraceful history of the war in Iraq, built on a lie by the man she so soundly praised from the rooftops.
Your language suggests that you have total confidence in the Constitution to render a society that you find just. And as I read that document, I conclude that justice, by anybody’s definition, is not the purpose or mandate for which it was drawn up. It is a blueprint for a capitalist economy and its attendant laws. The men who wrote it all had property, and strong misgivings about according legal protections to those who didn’t.
I have said the same for many years in regards to the Criminal Elite Making laws against us. There is still a major flaw in this "militant" mindset in that if these Mass Murdering Sociopaths feel in the least threatened there will quickly be Marshall Law and I can guarantee our military will comply. I am a Veteran and like all veterans and even these parasites have taken an oath to defend this country against the very corrupt government we have. But look how many of us are in the fray against them. I would be right there with you in every way if it could be done.
Well you give me some hope since I have been to long exposed to the sheep. I know very well that the same old routine will never work against the form of corruption we are up against and this is what can be so disheartening that there doesn't seem to be a viable way to take them out. I can't walk very far as an old disabled Vietnam vet but point me in the right direction and I will be there!
One little add on... I have read the "Declaration of Independence" and I am a firm believer that is the place to start from.
We do not form "a more perfect union" by tearing apart the people. United we stand.
That is what I hear so often "we can't change the constitution because"... Well I say why not especially when it has been used against us and outright ignored when it suits the Criminal Elite. So why isn't it completely right for We The People to change it to the betterment of We The People!?
I LOVE IT:
"ANTI-WAR" rally attended by Samantha Powers-----MSM Popsicle in their pants TV coverage.
"ANTI-WAR" rally "Rage Against Ukraine War" in DC attended by Max Blumenthal, Hedges, Dennis Kucinich, and MORE! ------MSM? Hello? Crickets. What rally?
MURICAN TV! LOVE IT!
When the narcissism of greed predominates in seemingly innocuous statements like "don't blame me, I'm just a businessman" or "I'm just watching-out for my investments", moral bankruptcy is implicit. And so is the the genuflection to the power of the status quo.
Thank you for this, it is all an illusion that is being sold to us. There is no good or honourable war. Whatever the outcome it only brings death and misery. There is no winner, we must all argue for dialogue and peace.
One reason why I read your newsletters, Caitlin, is because you always back up what you say with links. I've read some things in your newsletters and thought "no way that's true" but I click on the link and lo and behold, there it is in plain view. And sometimes it's even worse than I imagined while clicking on the link. Often I feel angry that I didn't know some of the terrible things until now.
There are a number of good Substacks and independent journalists but the most credible ones are able to back up what they say. Thank you, Caitlin! You are a beacon in today's world.
The problem to me is idolization, whether for Chomsky, Trump or you. Nation states don’t rule the world, love of money and power does, and those who pretend otherwise perpetuate the lie. America is a big part of the sick system we have been brainwashed to accept. But what has China or Russia done to free the people of Palestine or Yemen? Nothing. They fight for their piece of the pie. You’re brilliant, and have helped my understanding of narrative control. ❤️
I hope the people of the world wake up and realize the ruling class has control of all “sides,” both nationally and internationally. None of them care about nationality, religion, political ideology, race or sexuality. They care about keeping us divided by the above to stay in power.
Russia did fight for the people of Syria, though. And now is taking a stand for the people of Donbass. Yes, there is self-interest of self-preservation, as well, which is driving the current war. The point is Russia or China did not create those crises in Yemen, etc, while USA / Western oligarchy did.
I was going to respond with that thought exactly. Syria would not exist today as a nation only a colony of u.s. empire.
Like putty in their hands; it's beyond amazing how malleable this population has become.
Same as it ever was.
We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very
often in our art, the art of words."
- URSULA K. LE GUIN
1929-2018
Words of wisdom there, from a very wise author. What seems different here, to me, is that with capitalism there is no central authority to whom we can protest. No king, no pope, no judge, no capitol. Capitalism has no center. It is all around us like the air we breathe. Most of us have grown up in it and live as both its victims and victimizers, prisoners of a system that employs us to engineer and implement our own destruction.
I agree that art can be a source for change. Good art involves imagination, and we need all the imagination we can get to find our way out of this.
They began turning the liberals with their narratives about Covid and Trump. Fear mongering! Yes, criticize the uniparty.
When we see through propaganda we question everything. When we see through divide and conquer we do not take sides. When we see through fear mongering we do not comply.
I completely agree. When the social outburst occurred in Chile I saw people throwing on the ground or destroying statues and busts of Spanish conquerors or characters of Chile's contemporary history, however, they never had intentions of attacking the US embassy or attacking the headquarters of multinational mineral companies, on the contrary, they only attacked supermarkets or commercial premises of Chilean owners. Then we saw how it all ended, with a pro-imperialist and pro-liberal like Gabriel Boric taking the presidency, burying forever the demands of the working class and working side by side with right-wing economic power and world imperialism.
We have also seen the same phenomenon of progressive liberalism throwing away statues of Spanish conquistadors or Christopher Columbus in states like California. They never attack the United States today. To say that the imperialists are others or those of hundreds of years ago is a very convenient way for the United States and the world right wing to make them believe that they are fighting against something when in reality they are fighting against things already dead and non-existent.
Yep, the progressivist movement has been thoroughly co-opted and that is why corporate interests have not pushed back against it. So what if they have to create a new division of Diversity-Equity-Inclusion and hire another VP to head it? So what if they have to hire some number of 'diverse' VPs and others for their public image. As long as those hires don't rock the corporate boat (and they won't), it's cheap virtue-washing and good public relations.
It's especially helpful that the progressivists focus on feelings of victimhood based on past events, decades or centuries ago, because those feelings can be assuaged, massaged, and milked with no effect at all on present or future events. Yes, let's all get together and feel terrible about what happened to Emmett Till in 1955. Of course, what happened to him really was awful, but there's no going back in time to fix that. So it's wasted emotion. But strong emotion, which makes you feel more alive, for a little while. It's milking the past for negative emotions, combined with the feeling that you, in contrast, are so much better than those evildoers. Which is the same little jolt you get from watching the morning news program (Good Morning America, especially), which is all made of emotion-pushing stories. Pulling down statues makes you feel like a good person while you have done nothing useful.
It really does start to feel like Live Action Role-Playing and Congress starts to look like some sort of Kabuki theater production; all fierce-looking faces and dramatic poses.
I was working on a telescope in Chile during a student protest against the privatization of universities. The telescope brought me in laying down in the back seat of a nondescript car ha. In Chile as with most of South/Central Americas have learned of the many decades who is the problem but don't go there. I think that is changing?
Wow. Just wow. Some Americans would believe anything.
You aren't wrong, not at all, but this is the general notion of what both parties do. What better propaganda than that created to give people this illusion? Literally using what the government gives them to...try to change the government?
That seems rather strange that people truly think they can change the government this way. For example. The claim that there was Russia interference in the 2016 election and Trump wasn't the legitament president. Weird, because there was all these "official government agencies" that said it was true. Strange because nothing happened despite all this. My guess is that this will be the same outcome about the January 6th insurrection. Note, there was no insurrection. If there was, you'd know how the US would handle a real one. There wouldn't be a single breathing person afterwards among the insurrectionists. Oddly. We have an insurrection act, too.
So we can't change the government with the tools they give us. To prove this true, we need only try...oh and as you pointed out, our government lies about everything. How about those weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? We look pretty stupid invading a country on the premise and then then learn there never were any. "They moved them". Sure, you knew where they were and then had no idea of where they went? Who has them now? You don't know? Sure I believe that... ;)
This brings up the point I made that we can't change the government and the evidence is in trying. Remember the overturning of Roe V. Wade last year? Women protesting their hearts out and vowing to vote out Republicans? Then when the time came they failed and Biden said 'sorry, better luck next time'. No, these women didn't fall short, they were fighting an illusion. The outcome of our rights are predetermined. We still are fighting the same civil rights battles of the 1960's but we dressed up the issue to make it look like we succeeded.
You describe this as live action role play. I don't know, rather dress up as a Lord of the Rings character and reenact a scene because it would look more real. As you pointed out, these resistence protests are government sponsored. They want you to do this, to behave this way, to have those views. 'There is no one more hopeless enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.'
Regarding the "insurrection" - it's the same tactics over and over of accusing others of what they do themselves. There was a very brazen insurrection by olygarchy against the people by means of the election process, so they turned the tables and accused the aggrieved party to shift the narrative. Same with vaccines, same with Ukraine war, etc, etc.
That's the strategy they use to divide people and generate a polarized position. It was the example I had used. The Iraq war was another, now we have the Ukrainian war with focus on Putin. Vaccines were politicians despite people having opposition since their inception. People will get tired of the Ukrainan war and there will be a new distraction that people will fixate on. You are right, it really is the same things over and over, it gets tiresome/tedious because people really don't notice the patterns.
It is disappointing but predictable. What I am saying is that the distinction between men and women is largely artificial and socially engendered. We have "male" and 'female" values as a matter tradition and manipulation, but society would be impossible if we didn't have mostly common ground as human beings.
Short and to the point. Great work, Caitlin. That so few can think for themselves in this bizarro, fun-house mirror world is frightening. Which is not to say I feel I see everything correctly. Just that seeing *incorrect* things has never been easier, and critical thinking never more important. Here's hoping your work wakes some people up.