It's why Israel's claim to be destroying Gaza to "defeat Hamas terrorists" is so blatantly absurd and false. They've radicalised tens of thousands of young people who will grow up and take up arms against the oppressor.
An excellent summary on the subject. However, if we add some cunning, practised over 75 years, lots of political grafting money, then as an additional prize, you now own the USA and white / anglo governments everywhere......., but not the intelligent students planning for their future.
There are no Hamas in the West Bank. And the Israelis for the last 6 months have been stepping up their murderous rampage there as well. So the whole: it's about Hamas is just another lie, although one of the Big Lies.
The other Big Lie is the rising "Anti-Semitism" in the US and if you oppose Zionism then you're an Anti-Semite and Holocaust supporter. These two big lies are key pieces of propaganda to provide cover for the ongoing sadistic genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. So far, both lies have been enough to brutally assault students in college campuses all over the world, and continue to have Genocide Joe supply Gaza with 2,000 pound bombs - to get the "Hamas", as opposed to wiping out all hospitals, universities and flattening most of Gaza to make it unliveable, and murdering 14,000+ children while doing it along with another 16,000+ unarmed civilians. The Big Lie is the Israeli claim that this is a legitimate act in warfare. No, it is a deliberate massacre and ethnic cleansing supported by the United States. These kinds of barbaric acts are considered human atrocities and crimes against humanity EVEN IN times of war.
Israel claims to be killing fewer noncombatants than any other army in history. This is because Israel helpfully classifies all of its victims as enemy combatants, men, women, old people, children, pets.
Zionists claim a massive upsurge in antisemitism, which somehow justifies genocide. This is because the Zionists helpfully classify even the most timid demurral of anything Israel does as antisemitism identical to Hitler and Himmler.
Demonstrating just how powerful a "lie" can be. And how people are so susceptible and victimized to a deliberate "lie". Why, what Caitlin is repeatedly writing here on her substack is so vitally important - the remarkable power of a "lie", and how important to expose a lie for what it is. And how much cruelty and human sadism can be hidden behind it.
"And how people are so susceptible and victimized to a deliberate "lie"." - I'd challenge the implied innocence here on the part of the people. Most accept that lie willingly using it as a cover for their deliberate inaction.
It is hard to face up to the fact that the entire system that we live in, that supports us, that we have been taught to believe in, that everyone around us, everyone we respect and love, the system everyone believes in, that system is rotten to the core.
It is also hard because once we recognize that the present system is rotten, that we are ruled by sociopaths, then we have to start making very uncomfortable choices, and those choices will have very real personal and professional consequences.
We recognize imperialism as wrong. But what happens if we stop paying the taxes that feed empire? Bartleby, the Scrivener, it ain't.
On the other hand, if we go on telling ourselves that the present system is as good as it realistically gets, that any injustice is the result of a few bad actors, a few flaws to be fixed, that all we gotta do is vote a few right thinking people into office and everything will come around, we don't have to make those tough choices, at least not right now.
I think a time of testing for the US and especially its ruling class might be coming up, however. Much of the commentary and opinion that I see presumes a fundamental coherence of American policies and activities along the lines of the last several decades, which aint necessarily gonna happen this time around. A serious miscalculation on the part of the bigdeals could evolve into a rather dramatic situation.
Yes, we should all strive to live as the Palestinians do. Tribes of savages that would be killing each other were it not for their mutual hatred of Jews.
Lol you need to get to know some Palestinian people and other Muslims. I've never known such loving people, and no, they don't hate jews for being jews. They hate Israel for committing horrible oppression against them for a century, and they have every reason to. Get to know some people different from you and learn the real history and you'll know the truth.
A military force is a reflection of the society from which it came. Most ‘Palestinians’ in Gaza and the West Bank were ecstatic about the torture, rape and murder of innocent civilians. The most barbaric and sickening behavior I’ve ever witnessed. They do not represent liberal values. And I refuse to participate as a useful idiot like so many supposed ‘liberals.’ I’m smarter than that. Do not insult my intelligence.
I’ve spent years learning about Islam. I offer no apologies for telling the truth.
Julia, you are a fascist, not any kind of anti fascist or liberal. Hating entire religions or peoples, spouting the moronic claptrap of Zionist supremacists, cheering on a genocide.
"The most barbaric and sickening behavior I’ve ever witnessed." - you must be real young. Here's one for you: you live, you learn. Read some history 😉🤣🤡
And Israel has been genociding Palestine decades before Hamas was elected. As has been said, Israel was attacking and blockading Gaza on October 6 and was allowing Israeli settlers to attack the Al Asia mosque and people in the West Bank before October 7. Only people ignorant of history believe that Hamas started the war.
Remember when Dubya solemnly pronounced that "They hate us for our freedoms!" and people acted like he was Pericles or something?
Well, his own defense secretary Don Rumsfeld commissioned some opinion research in the Middle East. Seems that the Muslim world didn't hate us for our freedoms. If anything, they liked freedom.
If they hated us, it was for our hypocrisy, our outrageous double standards and blatant favoritism in support of Israel and their own homegrown tyrants.
Needless to say, that one got memory-holed with a doubleplus quickness.
Is the law of gravity and free fall a "conspiracy"? Q: Do building EVER fall at the acceleration of gravity due to fires and aeroplanes impacting them? A: the are NO examples EVER. Please do your self a favour and climb out of the propaganda hole such childish finger pointing emanate from!
Just because the twin towers did fall at the acceleration of gravity, doesn't mean anybody has to then describe how / who / why such a demolition job was achieved.
PHYSICS RULES my friend. (And please read the links I give before bothering to reply here)
I try to keep an open mind about whether 9/11 was a genuine terrorist attack or an inside job. However, no-one has answered me those two exact questions. If the TTs were brought down by fire, it would have set shock waves throughout the whole construction world. Building regulatory bodies around the world would have been frantically churning out new regulations, and checking and re-fireproofing every single building on the planet above 10 storeys. None of that happened. And again, what the heck happened at WTC 7. Hey, but don't ask questions or you might be labelled a science denier and tinfoiler.
You are discrediting the claims with an appeal to GRAVITY being a law. Gravity is a very questionable term used in place of several processes that constituent similar phenomenology. for example Electro statics and magnetism are far more powerful and influential forces.
Reading other comments of yours it is obvious that science is not one of your strong points though, so maybe evade making yourself look stupid with such comments in future ?
Gregor, from what I have observed about Substack communities (in general) over the last 6 months is that - there are just too many conspiracy theorists, science-deniers (climate, anti-vaxx, etc.) and pseudo-science propagandists on here - more so than what one would find in the general population.
I've realized it's often futile, frustrating (and next to impossible) to argue with these "conspiracy theorists" and "science-deniers". Logic, critical thinking, reasoning, nuanced thinking, and parsing complexity and randomness (all essential skills IMHO) seem to be fighting a losing battle - as emotions, confirmation bias, and groupthink seem to have an upper hand.
I unfairly blame this predicament on the slow process of human evolution - it has been unable to keep pace with the advances in science, technology, etc.
One man's conspiracy theory is another man's truth. Everything is up for discussion and I find it disturbing that we are forced to put a whole range of subjects in the "conspiracy theory" prison and forbidden to discuss them. Your logic, critical thinking, nuanced thinking, etc. tell me that every conspiracy theory about the vaccines has now been proven correct: they don't work, they don't stop transmission of Covid and they are dangerous. And as the FDA has removed Ivermectin from its banned list, I guess we can now use it to treat Covid, just like many of us crazed, tinfoil hate-wearing Conspiracy theorists claimed two years ago. The same goes for climate change. Ice core research shows that increases in carbon dioxide follow heat waves, not vice versa. And scientific evidence shows that temperatures are not rising beyond natural variation, the Maldives are increasing in mass, not shrinking, and that there is no evidence that weather is getting wilder. These facts are backed up by scientific evidence and not by emotion and group think as you claim.
Good assessment Chang. I try to keep in mind that all we have here is a pretty much public comments section, which Caitlin has been gracious enough to keep open to her followers and others, and which has flourished over the last year or two. But it certainly is not an academic forum by any means, although one sometimes want to treat it as such! heh.
The concept of "conspiracy theorists" was first introduced re 9/11 as a way of propagandising people to ignore the laws of physics. To bring a building down at free fall speed can only be achieved with precisely positioned explosives on critical structural elements in the building.
Indeed it is a "conspiracy' to believe otherwise, ask any structural engineer. "The total collapse of WTC 7 at 5:20 pm on 9/11, is remarkable because it exemplified all the signature features of an implosion: The building dropped in absolute free fall for the first 2.25 seconds of its descent over a distance of 32 meters or eight stories. Its transition from stasis to free fall was sudden, occurring in approximately one-half second. It fell symmetrically straight down. Its steel frame was almost entirely dismembered and deposited mostly inside the building's footprint, while most of its concrete was pulverized into tiny particles. Finally, the collapse was rapid, occurring in less than seven seconds. Given the nature of the collapse, any investigation adhering to the scientific method should have seriously considered the controlled demolition hypothesis, if not started with it. Instead, NIST (as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which conducted a preliminary study prior to the NIST investigation) began with the predetermined conclusion that the collapse was caused by fires."
anyone denying conspiracy theories exist, shaped history and are an important consideration of the times - is obviously so devious or devoid of awareness that they are redundant commentators on social issues, politics, history, the content in books, films plays and poems and personal relationships .
What sort of clown world do they exist in ?
The sort of world where autism isn't a recent epidemic, NASA footage is considered credible, and governments can do no wrong ?
Humanity has always been ruled by liars. In fact, lying is an essential skill for the survival of the human species (according to evolutionary psychology).
The realization that many (including myself) often miss is that - we often tend to lie to ourselves just as much (if not more) than we lie to others.
Recent OBL's "Letter to America" tiktok case comes to mind. How the establishment was appalled at so many youngsters finding much sense in it. Was it the Guardian that wiped it off being the eager brownnosed puppy to "behaive"?
“Someday there will be a large-scale violent attack on the US in retaliation for its genocide in Gaza, and the response from the US will with absolute certainty be more military expansionism in the middle east.”
It will also be the excuse for even more security-state expansion domestically.
I often wonder how long your average US worker and taxpayer - maybe having to do 2 jobs just to make ends meet - is going to take to work out how they are being screwed. It's not that their tax dollars are going abroad, but that they are funding the lifestyles of everyone in the arms industry - from the well paid workers with steady jobs with benefits, to the owners' sickening luxury. Will they ever understand that the taxes they pay for armaments are not about subjugating enemies abroad, but about subsidising one small section of US society.
Nobody will ask the average frustrated American. Truly, the quote below never grows old!
Later in the conversation, Gilbert recorded Goering's observations that the common people can always be manipulated into supporting and fighting wars by their political leaders:
We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.
"Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."
"There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."
"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
I guess you represent an 'average US worker and taxpayer' - in your case one of those who has not worked it out, and likely never will. Your government doesn't care if the people you are paying them to subjugate are followers of Allah or not - they are just an enemy that is convenient right now because it's easy to persuade people such as yourself to keep sending them money to keep the whole war machine running, especially as the war with Russia is fizzling out, and the new war with China hasn't got going yet.
The Zionists and the MIC/security state staged a spectacularly televisual murder of 3,000 people as a pretext for never ending war against people in West Asia and North Africa, and to incite hatred and fear of Muslims.
You bet! The CIA and Mossad also assassinated JFK, most likely because he didn’t want Israel to have nuclear proliferation. He was in the way of the Zionist plan. How many Israeli spies have been found out?
There are two more pieces to this arrangement: the propaganda that keeps American enthusiastic about the military; and the careful arrangement that has put at least one MIC plant in every Congressional district, so there will be a constituency yammering about their jobs if there is any threat of cutting anything.
But John Michael Greer posited that a likely way this empire end will be by military defeat, which may seem counterintuitive, but he points out that other nations don't use their military spending the way the US does, with decision dictated not by assessments of need by the military dogs, but by MIC lobbyists, and by enormous levels of acceptable fraud--from ordinary items charged at twenty times the normal price, to shrink wrapped pallets of $100 bills getting "lost" enroute to Iraq to the F35 plane that doesn't work well if it rains but still gets billions thrown at it.
Wait long enough and someone will say exactly what I was thinking. If I may however, I would like to expand on Mary's idea:
Caitlins piece implies that there is someone in charge, doing these things when in fact, the Oligarchy is simply moving in the direction of increasing stockholder wealth. The cycle of outrage followed by "terrorist" strikes increases stockholder wealth that is why it is happening (not because of some mythical "leadership"), and that is why it will continue for as long as the US exists in its current form.
While I more or less agree with your conclusion, I think you are seriously mis-characterising Caitlin’s argument by saying that she is implying that “there is someone in charge”. She discusses “empire managers”, which implies that there are various competing plutocratic interests at play.
Including Bernie Sanders the senator for Northrup Grumman. A co lifetime in public office as a “ liberal” and in all that time he could not manage to establish a more useful set of job than making tools for murder.
We must recognize that hate and racism are the essential instruments of imperialism for the last 400 years. America is a violent and racist society in large part because it has been infused with the imperialist warlords using these to justify their global wars and genocides. It is a paranoid view of the world that everybody is a potential enemy and must be slain economically or militarily. The American empire was mentored by the British empire which killed millions in its time.
Senator Lindsay Graham is a deranged infantilized victim of what happens to those who embrace the lies and dogma of the empire.
The decline of empire is why western politics has gone berserk... the political zombies know the party is over and they refuse to face this reality.
Apparently on all of us, including you. Who is safe in a security state that can do whatever the fuck it wants? Nobody is. That's what the US Constitution is suppose to be about, protecting the rights of ordinary Americans. When you got a spy agency doing whatever the fuck it wants to anybody it wants, that's a lawless, security state - and you can't call that freedom son.
I'm up there in age, so I won't be robbed of my youth if it comes to that - and its very possible it might. But Generation Z - yeah they're fucked. But then again, what is any of this about anyway? What *is* life? What *is* death?
It's not just a resource and land grab, it's the Greater Israel Project aka the Ided Yonen Plan from 1982 that's unfolding. Rothschild central bankers fund Zionism and want to increase the size of their fiefdom if it takes a hundred more years and they can print as much money as they need to fund it by buying off politicians, police, University Administrators, mainstream media stooges, ad nauseum. The brutal treatment of students by the Zionist Storm troopers shows how "over target" the students are by saying no to these fascists and their racist, apartheid state.
Very similar piece could be written about the history of Israeli “self-defense” - use whatever provocation necessary to get a violent response from a neighboring Arab state or Palestinians in the occupied territories, and use that response to justify a much larger military operation. Over the years, this has led to not only to expansion of land under Israeli control, but also to further enriching the US MIC through the continuing purchase of billions of dollars worth of arms to “protect” Israel from the potential attacks of those it continues to oppress and provoke.
Amen Caitlin, what you express today is exactly what I and others have been saying for years. It is painfully obvious that the Global War Of Terror was ordered by Israel in its Grand Chessboard to advance the notion of Greater Israel. The US Government and its military are but pawns in that diabolical game.
Unfortunately it will take a devastating nuclear strike here to wake up the war mongers. Yeah these remote control wars are cool. Bring a pile of rubble to Chicago and we will see how cool it is.
DC is a terrible target for a terrorist attack, exactly because it wouldn't impact ordinary people. That makes it much easier for said "regular people" to rationalize away the impact of such an attack. Even 9/11 was directed at our military headquarters, the national government, and the center of the financial beast that owns and operates the first two. "America," not Americans. Look at what's right in front of you, not what you're told to see.
Blowing up a Walmart, now that would be a terrorist attack, ie politically motivated violence directed at ordinary citizens. If that ever did happen, I fear the backlash in the name of "security" - measures taken temporarily, at first - would obliterate any remaining semblance of democracy in this country.
Interesting Mark: I think this is an interesting point which I must say I hadn't thought of. However my interest is also about blowing up the politicians! I think Russia could now do it before they all head to their bunkers which hopefully be to late for them all. Not to mention taking down all the communications networks maybe the Pentagon!!!!!!!
It’s ludicrous! Btw, can someone explain to me why anyone is pressuring Netanyahu to ‘come up with a plan’ after the Genocide? It’s not up to him! He’s the enemy of Palestinians! It’s for the Palestinians to chart their future. And don’t tell me there’s no one to govern! There are many brilliant, educated Palestinians that can get together and form a coalition. Both in the area and In sure some that were driven out into the diaspora.
and it's not as if the information that is the evidence for this pattern is hidden - just the 'history of ... ' section about any middle country demonstrates it clearly. As Caitlin says "If the oil-rich nations in the middle east ever had democratic rule, their governments would quickly move away from their official and unofficial alliances and partnerships with the United States and Israel, and would in all likelihood form their own powerful bloc in support of their own interests." People hate the fact that Saddam and Gadhafi were both elected (Fake news! Rigged!) and proceeded to try to trade oil in Dinars, the primary reason for their countries' annihilation. But empire tactics don't always work, with Iran being the greatest example. Despite their lies about 'defending democracy' the US and the British connived to oust Mossadeq's elected socialist government because they immediately set about nationalising their oil industry and getting rid of the West based big oil corporations. In response the allies staged a coup and put the brutal dictator Shah in place, which the Iranians finally rid themselves of. Of course, because democracy had been completely corrupted by then, it had to be accomplished by revolution, with Islamic Religion being the only rallying flag available. That this regime is so hard line is a by product of the need for absolute control that revolutions necessitate. Left to it's own devices - i.e. not economically sanctioned, and not surrounded by enemy military bases on all sides, and not having wars with their neighbours deliberately provoked and paid for, Iran would surely gradually revert to the perfectly pleasant and vibrant country it has been since time immemorial. As it is, like in so many countries oppressed by the US empire, a strong and unwavering regime is needed simply to hold a nation together. The alternative - as Iran is quite aware - is subjugation, chaos, poverty, having all your resources stolen.
Perhaps it is rationalized/justified/done in order to keep those nations from becoming strong and thereby is protective of our righteous shining city on a hill. But because it inverts and makes a mockery of our moral authority, a cornerstone of our rightful existence as global superpower, this explanation doesn't work for me. What does make sense is that our government is peopled by sociopaths who've institutionalized corruption, who are excited by the gravity and destruction and bloodshed of war, and who are addicted to this "supply". Like junkies who've destroyed their lives to feed their addiction, our leaders in government will destroy the nation and all the beauty of civilized humanity if there is no intervention.
I saw that! Good drop. Lesser known fact, many moons ago, Caitlin Johnstone was on the Jimmy Dore show - back in Jimmy Dore's Pre-Covid days - when he had the illustrious Graham Elwood and Ron Placone. Also lesser known fact: Graham & Ron met with Caitlin in Australia though Ron Placone nearly burned down an entire building with a toaster.
Fascinating Caitlin and Jimmy trivia! You have piqued my curiosity—I will have to look into this further. Speaking of which, if you have any information re the Counterpunch hit piece on Caitlin from about eight years ago, I’d be most grateful. And to think that 20 years ago I was a paid subscriber of Cockburn. The shame!
No info on Counterpunch. I learned about Johnstone while watching the Jimmy Dore show many years ago. I became a big fan of Dore when he was on TYT and was a member of his show for many years. I still enjoy his shows today, but am a bit more selective in what I will watch.
It's why Israel's claim to be destroying Gaza to "defeat Hamas terrorists" is so blatantly absurd and false. They've radicalised tens of thousands of young people who will grow up and take up arms against the oppressor.
Austin you are correct. It's simply a land grab cloaked in Biblical nonsense and Holocaust guilt tripping.
I read that the middle east is experiencing more climate change related heat than anywhere else in the world. Maybe Israel and the US will move in and burn in the hell they deserve. https://truthout.org/articles/genocide-fuels-climate-crisis-the-fate-of-palestine-shapes-our-climate-future/
Actually the Philippines has just gone through the worst heat in History. All those US bases on the above named island!
Susan excellent point. It will be uninhabitable . Keep your sand.
Ralph
An excellent summary on the subject. However, if we add some cunning, practised over 75 years, lots of political grafting money, then as an additional prize, you now own the USA and white / anglo governments everywhere......., but not the intelligent students planning for their future.
Now for oil
There are no Hamas in the West Bank. And the Israelis for the last 6 months have been stepping up their murderous rampage there as well. So the whole: it's about Hamas is just another lie, although one of the Big Lies.
The other Big Lie is the rising "Anti-Semitism" in the US and if you oppose Zionism then you're an Anti-Semite and Holocaust supporter. These two big lies are key pieces of propaganda to provide cover for the ongoing sadistic genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. So far, both lies have been enough to brutally assault students in college campuses all over the world, and continue to have Genocide Joe supply Gaza with 2,000 pound bombs - to get the "Hamas", as opposed to wiping out all hospitals, universities and flattening most of Gaza to make it unliveable, and murdering 14,000+ children while doing it along with another 16,000+ unarmed civilians. The Big Lie is the Israeli claim that this is a legitimate act in warfare. No, it is a deliberate massacre and ethnic cleansing supported by the United States. These kinds of barbaric acts are considered human atrocities and crimes against humanity EVEN IN times of war.
Israel claims to be killing fewer noncombatants than any other army in history. This is because Israel helpfully classifies all of its victims as enemy combatants, men, women, old people, children, pets.
Zionists claim a massive upsurge in antisemitism, which somehow justifies genocide. This is because the Zionists helpfully classify even the most timid demurral of anything Israel does as antisemitism identical to Hitler and Himmler.
Demonstrating just how powerful a "lie" can be. And how people are so susceptible and victimized to a deliberate "lie". Why, what Caitlin is repeatedly writing here on her substack is so vitally important - the remarkable power of a "lie", and how important to expose a lie for what it is. And how much cruelty and human sadism can be hidden behind it.
"And how people are so susceptible and victimized to a deliberate "lie"." - I'd challenge the implied innocence here on the part of the people. Most accept that lie willingly using it as a cover for their deliberate inaction.
I ain't gonna lie.
It is hard to face up to the fact that the entire system that we live in, that supports us, that we have been taught to believe in, that everyone around us, everyone we respect and love, the system everyone believes in, that system is rotten to the core.
It is also hard because once we recognize that the present system is rotten, that we are ruled by sociopaths, then we have to start making very uncomfortable choices, and those choices will have very real personal and professional consequences.
We recognize imperialism as wrong. But what happens if we stop paying the taxes that feed empire? Bartleby, the Scrivener, it ain't.
On the other hand, if we go on telling ourselves that the present system is as good as it realistically gets, that any injustice is the result of a few bad actors, a few flaws to be fixed, that all we gotta do is vote a few right thinking people into office and everything will come around, we don't have to make those tough choices, at least not right now.
Total revolution needed, but I can’t see it happening any time soon.
Correct on every point.
Well said Feral Finster. That was quite insightful.
I think a time of testing for the US and especially its ruling class might be coming up, however. Much of the commentary and opinion that I see presumes a fundamental coherence of American policies and activities along the lines of the last several decades, which aint necessarily gonna happen this time around. A serious miscalculation on the part of the bigdeals could evolve into a rather dramatic situation.
Many people more astute than me realised this decades ago. For me 2016, Brexit and Covid really ripped the mask off.
no, the system based on survival of the fittest can not produce different elites.
I think most people actually believe the lie.
This is based on my encounters with people in real life and in various forms of forums online.
Some do, and some don't want to know as it's easier that way.
Humans are herd animals.
Or a mix between the two, a more ready acceptance to pretend the lie is true when part of them knows it isn't.
Yes, we should all strive to live as the Palestinians do. Tribes of savages that would be killing each other were it not for their mutual hatred of Jews.
Lol you need to get to know some Palestinian people and other Muslims. I've never known such loving people, and no, they don't hate jews for being jews. They hate Israel for committing horrible oppression against them for a century, and they have every reason to. Get to know some people different from you and learn the real history and you'll know the truth.
Congratulations, you just recapitulated a favorite Nazi trope.
Tell us, do "savages " deserve to die?
“Tribes of savages” by a “liberal”.
A military force is a reflection of the society from which it came. Most ‘Palestinians’ in Gaza and the West Bank were ecstatic about the torture, rape and murder of innocent civilians. The most barbaric and sickening behavior I’ve ever witnessed. They do not represent liberal values. And I refuse to participate as a useful idiot like so many supposed ‘liberals.’ I’m smarter than that. Do not insult my intelligence.
I’ve spent years learning about Islam. I offer no apologies for telling the truth.
Julia, you are a fascist, not any kind of anti fascist or liberal. Hating entire religions or peoples, spouting the moronic claptrap of Zionist supremacists, cheering on a genocide.
"The most barbaric and sickening behavior I’ve ever witnessed." - you must be real young. Here's one for you: you live, you learn. Read some history 😉🤣🤡
Your profile says: "American Liberal fighting like it’s 1930 in Nazi Germany."
Well and succinctly stated.
Thanks.
Dido!! 👍👏🙏
Bingo….
"There are no Hamas in the West Bank."
And Israel has been genociding Palestine decades before Hamas was elected. As has been said, Israel was attacking and blockading Gaza on October 6 and was allowing Israeli settlers to attack the Al Asia mosque and people in the West Bank before October 7. Only people ignorant of history believe that Hamas started the war.
I don't see any signs of the bodies of all those Hamas terrorists they claim to have killed.
It is the same thing that the PLO, Hamas, and now any survivors will do. It is why IDF targets women and children, ethnic cleansing via Genocide.
Remember when Dubya solemnly pronounced that "They hate us for our freedoms!" and people acted like he was Pericles or something?
Well, his own defense secretary Don Rumsfeld commissioned some opinion research in the Middle East. Seems that the Muslim world didn't hate us for our freedoms. If anything, they liked freedom.
If they hated us, it was for our hypocrisy, our outrageous double standards and blatant favoritism in support of Israel and their own homegrown tyrants.
Needless to say, that one got memory-holed with a doubleplus quickness.
9/11 was the mother of all false flags
It absolutely wasn’t.
It absolutely was a false flag (see my comment here):-
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-us-empire-deliberately-stokes/comment/56442610
💯 Building 7 is THE fly in the ointment.
Why spread discredited conspiracies
Is the law of gravity and free fall a "conspiracy"? Q: Do building EVER fall at the acceleration of gravity due to fires and aeroplanes impacting them? A: the are NO examples EVER. Please do your self a favour and climb out of the propaganda hole such childish finger pointing emanate from!
Just because the twin towers did fall at the acceleration of gravity, doesn't mean anybody has to then describe how / who / why such a demolition job was achieved.
PHYSICS RULES my friend. (And please read the links I give before bothering to reply here)
I try to keep an open mind about whether 9/11 was a genuine terrorist attack or an inside job. However, no-one has answered me those two exact questions. If the TTs were brought down by fire, it would have set shock waves throughout the whole construction world. Building regulatory bodies around the world would have been frantically churning out new regulations, and checking and re-fireproofing every single building on the planet above 10 storeys. None of that happened. And again, what the heck happened at WTC 7. Hey, but don't ask questions or you might be labelled a science denier and tinfoiler.
You are discrediting the claims with an appeal to GRAVITY being a law. Gravity is a very questionable term used in place of several processes that constituent similar phenomenology. for example Electro statics and magnetism are far more powerful and influential forces.
Reading other comments of yours it is obvious that science is not one of your strong points though, so maybe evade making yourself look stupid with such comments in future ?
Gregor, from what I have observed about Substack communities (in general) over the last 6 months is that - there are just too many conspiracy theorists, science-deniers (climate, anti-vaxx, etc.) and pseudo-science propagandists on here - more so than what one would find in the general population.
I've realized it's often futile, frustrating (and next to impossible) to argue with these "conspiracy theorists" and "science-deniers". Logic, critical thinking, reasoning, nuanced thinking, and parsing complexity and randomness (all essential skills IMHO) seem to be fighting a losing battle - as emotions, confirmation bias, and groupthink seem to have an upper hand.
I unfairly blame this predicament on the slow process of human evolution - it has been unable to keep pace with the advances in science, technology, etc.
One man's conspiracy theory is another man's truth. Everything is up for discussion and I find it disturbing that we are forced to put a whole range of subjects in the "conspiracy theory" prison and forbidden to discuss them. Your logic, critical thinking, nuanced thinking, etc. tell me that every conspiracy theory about the vaccines has now been proven correct: they don't work, they don't stop transmission of Covid and they are dangerous. And as the FDA has removed Ivermectin from its banned list, I guess we can now use it to treat Covid, just like many of us crazed, tinfoil hate-wearing Conspiracy theorists claimed two years ago. The same goes for climate change. Ice core research shows that increases in carbon dioxide follow heat waves, not vice versa. And scientific evidence shows that temperatures are not rising beyond natural variation, the Maldives are increasing in mass, not shrinking, and that there is no evidence that weather is getting wilder. These facts are backed up by scientific evidence and not by emotion and group think as you claim.
Good assessment Chang. I try to keep in mind that all we have here is a pretty much public comments section, which Caitlin has been gracious enough to keep open to her followers and others, and which has flourished over the last year or two. But it certainly is not an academic forum by any means, although one sometimes want to treat it as such! heh.
The concept of "conspiracy theorists" was first introduced re 9/11 as a way of propagandising people to ignore the laws of physics. To bring a building down at free fall speed can only be achieved with precisely positioned explosives on critical structural elements in the building.
Indeed it is a "conspiracy' to believe otherwise, ask any structural engineer. "The total collapse of WTC 7 at 5:20 pm on 9/11, is remarkable because it exemplified all the signature features of an implosion: The building dropped in absolute free fall for the first 2.25 seconds of its descent over a distance of 32 meters or eight stories. Its transition from stasis to free fall was sudden, occurring in approximately one-half second. It fell symmetrically straight down. Its steel frame was almost entirely dismembered and deposited mostly inside the building's footprint, while most of its concrete was pulverized into tiny particles. Finally, the collapse was rapid, occurring in less than seven seconds. Given the nature of the collapse, any investigation adhering to the scientific method should have seriously considered the controlled demolition hypothesis, if not started with it. Instead, NIST (as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which conducted a preliminary study prior to the NIST investigation) began with the predetermined conclusion that the collapse was caused by fires."
https://www.wnd.com/2016/08/911-conspiracy-gets-support-from-physicists-study/
http://www.europhysicsnews.org/articles/epn/pdf/2016/04/epn2016-47-4.pdf
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Architects+%26+Engineers+for+9%2F11+Truth&t=ftsa&ia=web
https://www0.ae911truth.org/
anyone denying conspiracy theories exist, shaped history and are an important consideration of the times - is obviously so devious or devoid of awareness that they are redundant commentators on social issues, politics, history, the content in books, films plays and poems and personal relationships .
What sort of clown world do they exist in ?
The sort of world where autism isn't a recent epidemic, NASA footage is considered credible, and governments can do no wrong ?
Because we are ruled by liars. This of course, does not mean that everything they say is by definition, a lie.
2 + 2 = 4, even if Josef Goebbels himself were to say so.
>>"Because we are ruled by liars"
Humanity has always been ruled by liars. In fact, lying is an essential skill for the survival of the human species (according to evolutionary psychology).
The realization that many (including myself) often miss is that - we often tend to lie to ourselves just as much (if not more) than we lie to others.
Not if you bread rabbits or live on a farm though !
Nor if you were an accountant !
🙄😂🤣😂
Did you just show yourself up as a liar there ?!
no offence intended 😊😁
Isn't it 5? Damn!
Not a false flag? To weak a metaphor? Another objection?
Not a false flag.
Who perpetrated it?
Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. They admitted to it, and said they didn’t regret it.
"They hate us for our freedom" - an inversion of truth, as you point out.
Satanists can be easily identified by their fondness for promoting ideas that are inversions of truth.
BINGO !!!
and the Goy are easily identified by their fondness of swallowing them ...
Goys?
BINGO !!!
corrected ...
👍👍
Rude
????
Please, be so kind as to elaborate ...
Recent OBL's "Letter to America" tiktok case comes to mind. How the establishment was appalled at so many youngsters finding much sense in it. Was it the Guardian that wiped it off being the eager brownnosed puppy to "behaive"?
PS: Glenn Greenwald had an episode on it: https://rumble.com/v3wckhb-yes-you-should-read-bin-ladens-tiktok-viral-letter-to-america-system-update.html
What an imagination.
“Someday there will be a large-scale violent attack on the US in retaliation for its genocide in Gaza, and the response from the US will with absolute certainty be more military expansionism in the middle east.”
It will also be the excuse for even more security-state expansion domestically.
As I said above reading from many sources on here and elsewhere the US cannot keep up the weapons supplies and is way behind in 'new thinking.'
I often wonder how long your average US worker and taxpayer - maybe having to do 2 jobs just to make ends meet - is going to take to work out how they are being screwed. It's not that their tax dollars are going abroad, but that they are funding the lifestyles of everyone in the arms industry - from the well paid workers with steady jobs with benefits, to the owners' sickening luxury. Will they ever understand that the taxes they pay for armaments are not about subjugating enemies abroad, but about subsidising one small section of US society.
Nobody will ask the average frustrated American. Truly, the quote below never grows old!
Later in the conversation, Gilbert recorded Goering's observations that the common people can always be manipulated into supporting and fighting wars by their political leaders:
We got around to the subject of war again and I said that, contrary to his attitude, I did not think that the common people are very thankful for leaders who bring them war and destruction.
"Why, of course, the people don't want war," Goering shrugged. "Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece. Naturally, the common people don't want war; neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy or a fascist dictatorship or a Parliament or a Communist dictatorship."
"There is one difference," I pointed out. "In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars."
"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
https://www.mit.edu/people/fuller/peace/war_goering.html
BINGO !!!
Unfortunately, your above post qualifies you immediately as "domestic terrorist" ...
Hope you're not residing in "God's own Country" ...
The only enemy I’m interested in “subjugating” is the army of Allah. It’s worth every cent.
I guess you represent an 'average US worker and taxpayer' - in your case one of those who has not worked it out, and likely never will. Your government doesn't care if the people you are paying them to subjugate are followers of Allah or not - they are just an enemy that is convenient right now because it's easy to persuade people such as yourself to keep sending them money to keep the whole war machine running, especially as the war with Russia is fizzling out, and the new war with China hasn't got going yet.
Hi Timothy
Amerikkka DESERVES such an attack. But I hope that this one will take place in the Washington Septic Tank and pump it out for good.
monsters, inc
Didn’t that attack happen on 9/11? Or isn’t that “large” enough?
The Zionists and the MIC/security state staged a spectacularly televisual murder of 3,000 people as a pretext for never ending war against people in West Asia and North Africa, and to incite hatred and fear of Muslims.
You bet! The CIA and Mossad also assassinated JFK, most likely because he didn’t want Israel to have nuclear proliferation. He was in the way of the Zionist plan. How many Israeli spies have been found out?
There are two more pieces to this arrangement: the propaganda that keeps American enthusiastic about the military; and the careful arrangement that has put at least one MIC plant in every Congressional district, so there will be a constituency yammering about their jobs if there is any threat of cutting anything.
But John Michael Greer posited that a likely way this empire end will be by military defeat, which may seem counterintuitive, but he points out that other nations don't use their military spending the way the US does, with decision dictated not by assessments of need by the military dogs, but by MIC lobbyists, and by enormous levels of acceptable fraud--from ordinary items charged at twenty times the normal price, to shrink wrapped pallets of $100 bills getting "lost" enroute to Iraq to the F35 plane that doesn't work well if it rains but still gets billions thrown at it.
F16s that require absolutely clean runways. If the runway has a loose piece of gravel, the F16 aspirates it and the engine goes south.
Wait long enough and someone will say exactly what I was thinking. If I may however, I would like to expand on Mary's idea:
Caitlins piece implies that there is someone in charge, doing these things when in fact, the Oligarchy is simply moving in the direction of increasing stockholder wealth. The cycle of outrage followed by "terrorist" strikes increases stockholder wealth that is why it is happening (not because of some mythical "leadership"), and that is why it will continue for as long as the US exists in its current form.
While I more or less agree with your conclusion, I think you are seriously mis-characterising Caitlin’s argument by saying that she is implying that “there is someone in charge”. She discusses “empire managers”, which implies that there are various competing plutocratic interests at play.
No insult intended.
See my piece on Resilience.org , a World Run By Machines, sc roll down it was posted yesterday
Enjoyed reading your article. Thank you.
Mary, Im sorry but I can't find your piece. The Resilience site is not allowing searches by author, or title. You should leave a URL.
Hm. I've done searches there before--but it's still on the top page, you just have to scroll down to near the bottom.
Including Bernie Sanders the senator for Northrup Grumman. A co lifetime in public office as a “ liberal” and in all that time he could not manage to establish a more useful set of job than making tools for murder.
The bipartisan, near universal sacred cow status of the military is a common feature in Third World countries.
We must recognize that hate and racism are the essential instruments of imperialism for the last 400 years. America is a violent and racist society in large part because it has been infused with the imperialist warlords using these to justify their global wars and genocides. It is a paranoid view of the world that everybody is a potential enemy and must be slain economically or militarily. The American empire was mentored by the British empire which killed millions in its time.
Senator Lindsay Graham is a deranged infantilized victim of what happens to those who embrace the lies and dogma of the empire.
The decline of empire is why western politics has gone berserk... the political zombies know the party is over and they refuse to face this reality.
"Senator Lindsay Graham is a deranged infantilized victim"
Off his rocker for sure.
And someone somewhere probably has some "interesting" photos of him.
Apparently on all of us, including you. Who is safe in a security state that can do whatever the fuck it wants? Nobody is. That's what the US Constitution is suppose to be about, protecting the rights of ordinary Americans. When you got a spy agency doing whatever the fuck it wants to anybody it wants, that's a lawless, security state - and you can't call that freedom son.
May well be true, so we might as well be hanged for sheep as lambs and keep on speaking out.
I'm up there in age, so I won't be robbed of my youth if it comes to that - and its very possible it might. But Generation Z - yeah they're fucked. But then again, what is any of this about anyway? What *is* life? What *is* death?
I agree. Many refuseniks. You wouldn't know this if you went on comments on the Washington Post!
It doesn't matter that Graham is a sociopath and not a very clever one to boot.
His vote counts exactly the same.
Remember after 9/11 ? “Why do they hate us” ? They hate us because of our “freedom” !!!! How fucking stupid can Americans be ?
Albert Einstein once said:
"I suppose, the universe has its boundaries, but I strongly doubt human stupidity has ..."
Yep.
It's not just a resource and land grab, it's the Greater Israel Project aka the Ided Yonen Plan from 1982 that's unfolding. Rothschild central bankers fund Zionism and want to increase the size of their fiefdom if it takes a hundred more years and they can print as much money as they need to fund it by buying off politicians, police, University Administrators, mainstream media stooges, ad nauseum. The brutal treatment of students by the Zionist Storm troopers shows how "over target" the students are by saying no to these fascists and their racist, apartheid state.
https://rumble.com/v3vtvds-the-preplanned-genocide-of-palestinians-oded-yinon-plan-1982.html
Very similar piece could be written about the history of Israeli “self-defense” - use whatever provocation necessary to get a violent response from a neighboring Arab state or Palestinians in the occupied territories, and use that response to justify a much larger military operation. Over the years, this has led to not only to expansion of land under Israeli control, but also to further enriching the US MIC through the continuing purchase of billions of dollars worth of arms to “protect” Israel from the potential attacks of those it continues to oppress and provoke.
Amen Caitlin, what you express today is exactly what I and others have been saying for years. It is painfully obvious that the Global War Of Terror was ordered by Israel in its Grand Chessboard to advance the notion of Greater Israel. The US Government and its military are but pawns in that diabolical game.
Unfortunately it will take a devastating nuclear strike here to wake up the war mongers. Yeah these remote control wars are cool. Bring a pile of rubble to Chicago and we will see how cool it is.
Better Washington DC
DC is a terrible target for a terrorist attack, exactly because it wouldn't impact ordinary people. That makes it much easier for said "regular people" to rationalize away the impact of such an attack. Even 9/11 was directed at our military headquarters, the national government, and the center of the financial beast that owns and operates the first two. "America," not Americans. Look at what's right in front of you, not what you're told to see.
Blowing up a Walmart, now that would be a terrorist attack, ie politically motivated violence directed at ordinary citizens. If that ever did happen, I fear the backlash in the name of "security" - measures taken temporarily, at first - would obliterate any remaining semblance of democracy in this country.
Interesting Mark: I think this is an interesting point which I must say I hadn't thought of. However my interest is also about blowing up the politicians! I think Russia could now do it before they all head to their bunkers which hopefully be to late for them all. Not to mention taking down all the communications networks maybe the Pentagon!!!!!!!
I do see your point.
I believe this must be what they want.
DNC the 2024 convention to be held right here in Chicago.
Where are the “Chicago Seven “ when you need them?
There's going to be a lot of activists there protesting outside --Jill Stein of the Green Party among them.
I hear they might be backing down or only doing it via video. Cowards.
It’s ludicrous! Btw, can someone explain to me why anyone is pressuring Netanyahu to ‘come up with a plan’ after the Genocide? It’s not up to him! He’s the enemy of Palestinians! It’s for the Palestinians to chart their future. And don’t tell me there’s no one to govern! There are many brilliant, educated Palestinians that can get together and form a coalition. Both in the area and In sure some that were driven out into the diaspora.
Vital step in The Scam is Step 6:
Induce Congress to buy more weapons and tech services…….from companies owned by the oligarchs that handpick the cabinet and all other empire managers.
and it's not as if the information that is the evidence for this pattern is hidden - just the 'history of ... ' section about any middle country demonstrates it clearly. As Caitlin says "If the oil-rich nations in the middle east ever had democratic rule, their governments would quickly move away from their official and unofficial alliances and partnerships with the United States and Israel, and would in all likelihood form their own powerful bloc in support of their own interests." People hate the fact that Saddam and Gadhafi were both elected (Fake news! Rigged!) and proceeded to try to trade oil in Dinars, the primary reason for their countries' annihilation. But empire tactics don't always work, with Iran being the greatest example. Despite their lies about 'defending democracy' the US and the British connived to oust Mossadeq's elected socialist government because they immediately set about nationalising their oil industry and getting rid of the West based big oil corporations. In response the allies staged a coup and put the brutal dictator Shah in place, which the Iranians finally rid themselves of. Of course, because democracy had been completely corrupted by then, it had to be accomplished by revolution, with Islamic Religion being the only rallying flag available. That this regime is so hard line is a by product of the need for absolute control that revolutions necessitate. Left to it's own devices - i.e. not economically sanctioned, and not surrounded by enemy military bases on all sides, and not having wars with their neighbours deliberately provoked and paid for, Iran would surely gradually revert to the perfectly pleasant and vibrant country it has been since time immemorial. As it is, like in so many countries oppressed by the US empire, a strong and unwavering regime is needed simply to hold a nation together. The alternative - as Iran is quite aware - is subjugation, chaos, poverty, having all your resources stolen.
Excellent synopsis 👍
YES YES YES YES YES
Thank you
Perhaps it is rationalized/justified/done in order to keep those nations from becoming strong and thereby is protective of our righteous shining city on a hill. But because it inverts and makes a mockery of our moral authority, a cornerstone of our rightful existence as global superpower, this explanation doesn't work for me. What does make sense is that our government is peopled by sociopaths who've institutionalized corruption, who are excited by the gravity and destruction and bloodshed of war, and who are addicted to this "supply". Like junkies who've destroyed their lives to feed their addiction, our leaders in government will destroy the nation and all the beauty of civilized humanity if there is no intervention.
Jimmy Dore introduced you & your X posts to his eyes wide open audience - I appreciated that Rumble platform. Thanks for your courage & determination.
I saw that! Good drop. Lesser known fact, many moons ago, Caitlin Johnstone was on the Jimmy Dore show - back in Jimmy Dore's Pre-Covid days - when he had the illustrious Graham Elwood and Ron Placone. Also lesser known fact: Graham & Ron met with Caitlin in Australia though Ron Placone nearly burned down an entire building with a toaster.
I think Jimmy mentioned he's going to Australia to perform. No doubt he'll cross paths with Caitlin while there.
Fascinating Caitlin and Jimmy trivia! You have piqued my curiosity—I will have to look into this further. Speaking of which, if you have any information re the Counterpunch hit piece on Caitlin from about eight years ago, I’d be most grateful. And to think that 20 years ago I was a paid subscriber of Cockburn. The shame!
No info on Counterpunch. I learned about Johnstone while watching the Jimmy Dore show many years ago. I became a big fan of Dore when he was on TYT and was a member of his show for many years. I still enjoy his shows today, but am a bit more selective in what I will watch.
The most recent segment for those interested: https://rumble.com/v4v65be-bare-minimum-to-being-human.html
Bang on the money as ever, Caitlin!