What a timely article highlighting the seamless lockstep of American hegemonic empire between the "deep state fighting" Trump administration and the "deep state serving" Biden administration which followed it. If anyone can find space between the twin ghouls Pompeo and Blinkin, please point it out, because there is none.
International law specifically bars collective punishment or harming noncombatant civilian populations, yet Trump's Pompeo enacted these sanctions with apparent glee, and they continue under his democratic counterpart. No amount of partisan propaganda changes this.
As is so often the case, the United States acts shamefully and illegally. The remedy to this increasingly lies outside of our current political duopoly.
Well said, Riff. They are now applying the same sanctions to the US itself via the mandates and disrupting truck traffic to West Coast ports. Empires always turn on their own center.
International Law? More like, One World Order. As for the rest, just chatter, and as usual: "The United States acts shamefully and illegally." So correct, it all happened when we became a Socialist (Marxist) nation years ago. Enjoy, we are Venezuela.
If Trump had gotten a second term Afghanistan withdrawal would have been way different and none of what happened would have happened. I don’t care about FOX or the GOP. Trump didn’t like leaving anyone behind. And the Taliban feared him. The Deep wanted, and set up through puppet Biden and cohorts a complete debacle to feed the narrative of America is weak and turns-tail amd runs. They won that strategic flanking move there is no doubt, but the hearts and minds of Americans? I think not. I won’t be forgetting, as any sane person knows it didn’t have to be the way it occurred.
I sometimes feel like one of those millions of "Good" Germans who went on about their lives, went to work, raised their kids, and looked the other way as the trains carried their Jewish neighbors away. What will history make of us? People like me who feel helpless to affect change and so simply go on with our lives as the government we support with our tax dollars continues to kill both the environment and countless fellow humans. Thanks for not being like me, Caitlin.
Know that you're not the only one who feels helpless. Thanksgiving's coming up; my best advice is to try having some unpleasant conversations. At least they'll be wine if things go South.
When I was posting this piece on social media, I was looking for an attention-getting quote and realized that every bit of this essay should be required reading for all Americans.
Today's Fake News You Can Trust! About sums it up, and the UN is as fake or more so than any, as are the 'international laws'. America under Socialism is so great, remember? Right there with Venezuela now. No one is coming...yet.
More than 1/4 million low-income housing units payed for by the banks. In Venezuela it is working thanks to the people, all the people who have sacrificed to make it work.
Caitlin Johnstone you should fix this, as it is simply not true: "the crushing US sanctions which have been starving Venezuelan civilians to death by the tens of thousands." The sanctions are killing around 30,000-40,000 a year, according to CEPR's study, but nobody ever said these people are dying from starvation. To say that is just false.
I love Caitlin's writing but I don't understand how she picks which parts of a news item are real. Why would we assume Saab was extradited to face justice in the US? It is at least as likely that it was done for Saab's own protection, or for the protection of corrupt buddies, or not done at all. Or perhaps he is defecting and arranged this as the cover story.
It doesn't make sense to council skepticism then take newsprint like this at face value.
When I say "protection," I do not mean "it's for his own good, he just doesn't understand." By protection I mean A.) It's a Pentagon stageplay and nobody is captive, or; B.) It is agreed by both the captor and the captive that this is momentarily the best option.
It is odd to be so familiar with conspiracy yet take as granted that detainer/detainee relationships are hostile. There are occasions where a spook goes to ground yet remain public, a la Chelsea Manning or the Manson murders.
Given the historic hostilities of the American government against Socialist movements in this hemisphere, combined with the current illegal sanctions against Venezuela enacted by Trump, and now Biden, combined with various well-publicized hostilities aimed at Iran, I see no reason to assume that American treatment of Saab is either benevolent, reciprocal, or murky.
America continues as a matter of course to flaunt international law to achieve its nefarious ends. All this, along with the Biden administration choosing to keep Assange falsely imprisoned, leads me to find granting the American government the benefit of the doubt regarding Saab quite unwarranted. These events are not unfolding on a blank slate.
Naturally, if countervailing facts emerge, I'll change my opinion to meet them.
More America bashing, when it should be bashing The They as The They use America, Venezuela and well, the World. This article actually serves The They's current 5th Gen Warfare 'Hate America!' narrative. All good intentions aside. The They use everybody. I'm not sure we can get out from under our own prejudices and see the real Actors. Everything is 'chatter'.
With the exception of citing "America's stranglehold...," which is real and can't be denied, Caitlin is not bashing "America," certainly not the American people and truly patriotic (as opposed to imperialist) American citizens. She is bashing "Washington," "empire" and the same "power structure that would openly starve civilians to death" that you pretend to bash. You're just upset because she pointed out that Trump deepened the Obama policies aimed at regime change in Venezuela, even though she pointed out that Biden is continuing the same policies.
The personality cult of Trump is just as insane and divisive as partisan Democrats obsessed with "Trump Derangement Syndrome." A pox on both your houses! Get over it and work to unite real patriots of "left," "right," "Trumpistas" and "Bernie-bros" who are alarmed at the emerging totalitarianism in the US.
I see you are a no-name and a no-pic, always interesting info. You use propaganda 'buzz-words' well, especially 'cult'. There is a cult for sure, and They are the real rulers pulling the stings everywhere, whole system in place. For sure America is being bashed in one of the most overt 5th Gen Propaganda Campaigns yet, and not just here and regularly. Along with White Males of course. It's to be expected, and so much available ammunition if you ignore everyone else's 'Bad' or overt Social Marxist views. Not to mention how wonderful Venezuela's leader is/was and how it used to be a wealthy nation with food. Sorry, but all of these narratives are really just chatter to keep us busy in the mire created by us and for us, and America Must Fall is the real intent (we basically have already except for some real hard one's to overcome, such as an armed population) and The They are so correct on that. The Constitution has been converted into the Socialist Magic Paper Rag. All branches of the government work together not as any kind of check and balance. Over. Can't wait to see what's really coming, not sure how it could get much worse, but for sure it can. As for the good African Embassy man, he's just lucky he is still alive, so many aren't, or he's just an actor or duped to promote more deflection 'chatter'. Assange was real, but others, not so sure. God only knows now...
OK, I posted a picture for you. My actual name is Bill Rood. If you see a post by Bill Rood, anti_republocrat or something similar, it's probably me. I've rarely encountered an impersonator, and I've never made my identity a secret.
When I used the term "cult," I was not referring to the average Trump voter who in 2016 believed Trump really wanted to end "forever" wars and "drain the swamp." The "personality cult of Trump" refers only to those submissive authoritarians who are in denial that Trump has done bad things and that many of them were "unforced" errors, such as authorizing the SpecOps raid that killed 8 year old Nora al-Awlaki, bombing Syria twice with no proof that Syria had used chemical weapons, assassinating an Iranian government official on a diplomatic mission encouraged by the US (yes, Saab was lucky), keeping troops in Syria in order to "take their oil," violating all diplomatic norms by having a Venezuelan diplomat detained by Cabo Verde as well as naming some guy President of Venezuela who never even ran for that position and supporting a coup in Bolivia that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Bolivians. Those are only some of his most egregious international crimes and acts of terror. He implemented Warp Speed, plans for which had been formulated years in advance. He failed to fire Rick Bright for insubordination and get the EUA for hydroxychloroquine corrected. He bought the UK's duck tale about Novichok. He appointed neo-cons Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Bolton's sidekick James Jeffrey who proceeded to spike his efforts to withdraw from Syria. He appointed Gina Hapel, the torturer in chief who catapulted the duck tale lie. You are living proof that my reference to a personality cult of Trump is accurate and not propaganda. You even tried to excuse Trump's interventions in Venezuela, interventions that even most of Maduro's Venezuelan opponents disapprove.
The only difference between "They" and Trump is that "They" want to control the empire from Davos, Wall Street and the City, while Trump wants it 100% controlled in DC, preferably by him, his family, Sheldon Adelson and CUFI.
I don't hate Trump or you. In many ways you and he are more sane than partisan Democrats. Trump would never in a million years have tried to pressure Americans into vaccinations. I supported him when he governed well. He negotiated the US exit from Afghanistan, and if the Biden Administration had executed his plan instead of delaying things might have gone a bit better. He drove unemployment down by repatriating some jobs. His criminal justice reform was a step in the right direction. He listened to Vladimir Zelenko and tried to authorize hydroxychloroquine. It's not his fualt that Fauci and Big Pharma perpetrated multiple frauds to discourage its use and that TDSers decided to smear it because Trump supported it, though I do suspect he was persuaded to stop using it for prophylaxis. As a result, he got sick himself and was given a treatment that's not scalable as HCQ and Ivermectin would be. The bottom line is, Trump would never have destroyed US society as Biden is attempting to do, but the fact that there's a globalist/technocratic cult doing that doesn't mean Trump and his supporters are not also a cult.
Well then Rood, now you have a name (maybe), given you believe that one president can go into that fetid swamp and clean it up, or should (prior too) be white as the driven snow (like you and think like you) before even trying (like you never did), when the entire Socialist Administrative State 'system' is corrupt top to bottom, I guess I am in a cult, the cult called: Restore the American Republic. Sorry, but Trump was surrounded top to bottom, and he thought he could get something done for US. He did try and he was very successful on calling out the Fake News as I've said, the biggest thing he did really (all your wailings of how Orange Man Bad he was from your post of fact checking (Who's checking the fact checkers is what I want to know?), as all others are being reversed by Build Back Better/Vanguard, it's so much better indeed. If he did nothing else that was Huge it was calling out the Fake News on their own propaganda systems in place, using them! Bigger than your intellect can apparently fathom. I'm just lowly idiot of course. But no, he can't be given any high-fives for that, nope, the other cult, your cult, known as the 'smart people' do nothing but chatter how bad, stupid, liar, Orange Man BAD. Yep, that about sums it up. I'm a cultist all right, you know, you are the smart one, from your cult too, just ask Riff below...he's a real Peach of course too, and so smart, just ask him. You both have no real skin in the game, you are like the real Left, labelers, of 'others'. Sorry to say. I do believe you actually believe your own rhetoric, or as Riff says, "Your long recital of facts will not make any difference for those unwilling to listen (or take the vax might add that as well), it's ultimately a waste of pixels, and time (Jackie's such pain in the ass, she actually has the nerve to reply to Us!). You and me, we are the SMART ONES! Yes, indeed. I'm sure neither of you believed one bit in the Deep State, until recently, and now it's a 'thing'. Whatever..., your mud slinging is a huge Tell. You do provide me with infinite knowledge that sociopaths are a real thing...like a cult perhaps? But I still like arguing with you because it means there is still a sense of Freedom of Speech. Cheers, j
Yes, I do show my true self, no apologies. You need me to tell you how great, smart and not-stupid you are? Just ask Riff and/or Falcon, isn't that enough? See Riff's comment below: "Well said, anti-republicrat"! There, all better now?
I know because I've been there, done that; still waiting for the tee shirt. Back-to-back days. First it was a Trumper, next day a BlueCheck. Same brick wall. Agreement may or may not occur, but It's always good to recognize when a conversation cannot be had.
Oh yes, "well said', Anti-Rood! Great, marvelous, super-good, very, very smart, ingenious, yes, Jackie's a 'stupid' cultist alrighty, totally, real Bad Person! God you are so smart Anti-Rood, not sure how you and I can deal with these cultist minions. Of course we never ran for President, I'm sure Vanguard and all would have paid us very well, given our talents. But, sadly, we have to just rest on our laurels and chat. Pat on the back, Man! Smile. Sorry, men, I just can't help myself, giving you two a little fun as you so ask for it. j
The North has been controlling the South since Independence from Spain. Their Ace in the Hole is shocking brutality. It does not work anymore. Not with Venezuela, no. Not with Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador and soon Brazil. Not with Mexico. No more. Try Cuba.
What a timely article highlighting the seamless lockstep of American hegemonic empire between the "deep state fighting" Trump administration and the "deep state serving" Biden administration which followed it. If anyone can find space between the twin ghouls Pompeo and Blinkin, please point it out, because there is none.
International law specifically bars collective punishment or harming noncombatant civilian populations, yet Trump's Pompeo enacted these sanctions with apparent glee, and they continue under his democratic counterpart. No amount of partisan propaganda changes this.
As is so often the case, the United States acts shamefully and illegally. The remedy to this increasingly lies outside of our current political duopoly.
Well said, Riff. They are now applying the same sanctions to the US itself via the mandates and disrupting truck traffic to West Coast ports. Empires always turn on their own center.
Seems we're going the way of Rome, which is unfortunate, as I don't really have the legs to pull off a toga.
DC has already been sacked by imperialist women, minority, LGBTQ++ and self-hating, cis-gendered, hetero-white male Rhodes Scholars.
International Law? More like, One World Order. As for the rest, just chatter, and as usual: "The United States acts shamefully and illegally." So correct, it all happened when we became a Socialist (Marxist) nation years ago. Enjoy, we are Venezuela.
It's formally called the "rules based order," as in "one set for me, another for thee."
Sorry. That should have been Blinken with an e. More coffee needed.
If Trump had gotten a second term Afghanistan withdrawal would have been way different and none of what happened would have happened. I don’t care about FOX or the GOP. Trump didn’t like leaving anyone behind. And the Taliban feared him. The Deep wanted, and set up through puppet Biden and cohorts a complete debacle to feed the narrative of America is weak and turns-tail amd runs. They won that strategic flanking move there is no doubt, but the hearts and minds of Americans? I think not. I won’t be forgetting, as any sane person knows it didn’t have to be the way it occurred.
I sometimes feel like one of those millions of "Good" Germans who went on about their lives, went to work, raised their kids, and looked the other way as the trains carried their Jewish neighbors away. What will history make of us? People like me who feel helpless to affect change and so simply go on with our lives as the government we support with our tax dollars continues to kill both the environment and countless fellow humans. Thanks for not being like me, Caitlin.
Know that you're not the only one who feels helpless. Thanksgiving's coming up; my best advice is to try having some unpleasant conversations. At least they'll be wine if things go South.
When I was posting this piece on social media, I was looking for an attention-getting quote and realized that every bit of this essay should be required reading for all Americans.
Typical American warfare: punish civilians from afar with bombs and drones and starvation.
«modern siege warfare tactics». No, darling. It has been a recurring tactic of empires in the past and now.
«modern siege warfare tactics», no querida. Ha sido una táctica recurrente de los imperios en el pasado y ahora.
Today's Fake News You Can Trust! About sums it up, and the UN is as fake or more so than any, as are the 'international laws'. America under Socialism is so great, remember? Right there with Venezuela now. No one is coming...yet.
More than 1/4 million low-income housing units payed for by the banks. In Venezuela it is working thanks to the people, all the people who have sacrificed to make it work.
Caitlin Johnstone you should fix this, as it is simply not true: "the crushing US sanctions which have been starving Venezuelan civilians to death by the tens of thousands." The sanctions are killing around 30,000-40,000 a year, according to CEPR's study, but nobody ever said these people are dying from starvation. To say that is just false.
I thought the world Bank perished with the Twin Towers.
I love Caitlin's writing but I don't understand how she picks which parts of a news item are real. Why would we assume Saab was extradited to face justice in the US? It is at least as likely that it was done for Saab's own protection, or for the protection of corrupt buddies, or not done at all. Or perhaps he is defecting and arranged this as the cover story.
It doesn't make sense to council skepticism then take newsprint like this at face value.
Hey, Stephen. I'm so glad the US is holding Assange for his own protection.
Hi Riff,
When I say "protection," I do not mean "it's for his own good, he just doesn't understand." By protection I mean A.) It's a Pentagon stageplay and nobody is captive, or; B.) It is agreed by both the captor and the captive that this is momentarily the best option.
It is odd to be so familiar with conspiracy yet take as granted that detainer/detainee relationships are hostile. There are occasions where a spook goes to ground yet remain public, a la Chelsea Manning or the Manson murders.
Where you're smug, you're blind.
Given the historic hostilities of the American government against Socialist movements in this hemisphere, combined with the current illegal sanctions against Venezuela enacted by Trump, and now Biden, combined with various well-publicized hostilities aimed at Iran, I see no reason to assume that American treatment of Saab is either benevolent, reciprocal, or murky.
America continues as a matter of course to flaunt international law to achieve its nefarious ends. All this, along with the Biden administration choosing to keep Assange falsely imprisoned, leads me to find granting the American government the benefit of the doubt regarding Saab quite unwarranted. These events are not unfolding on a blank slate.
Naturally, if countervailing facts emerge, I'll change my opinion to meet them.
More America bashing, when it should be bashing The They as The They use America, Venezuela and well, the World. This article actually serves The They's current 5th Gen Warfare 'Hate America!' narrative. All good intentions aside. The They use everybody. I'm not sure we can get out from under our own prejudices and see the real Actors. Everything is 'chatter'.
With the exception of citing "America's stranglehold...," which is real and can't be denied, Caitlin is not bashing "America," certainly not the American people and truly patriotic (as opposed to imperialist) American citizens. She is bashing "Washington," "empire" and the same "power structure that would openly starve civilians to death" that you pretend to bash. You're just upset because she pointed out that Trump deepened the Obama policies aimed at regime change in Venezuela, even though she pointed out that Biden is continuing the same policies.
The personality cult of Trump is just as insane and divisive as partisan Democrats obsessed with "Trump Derangement Syndrome." A pox on both your houses! Get over it and work to unite real patriots of "left," "right," "Trumpistas" and "Bernie-bros" who are alarmed at the emerging totalitarianism in the US.
I see you are a no-name and a no-pic, always interesting info. You use propaganda 'buzz-words' well, especially 'cult'. There is a cult for sure, and They are the real rulers pulling the stings everywhere, whole system in place. For sure America is being bashed in one of the most overt 5th Gen Propaganda Campaigns yet, and not just here and regularly. Along with White Males of course. It's to be expected, and so much available ammunition if you ignore everyone else's 'Bad' or overt Social Marxist views. Not to mention how wonderful Venezuela's leader is/was and how it used to be a wealthy nation with food. Sorry, but all of these narratives are really just chatter to keep us busy in the mire created by us and for us, and America Must Fall is the real intent (we basically have already except for some real hard one's to overcome, such as an armed population) and The They are so correct on that. The Constitution has been converted into the Socialist Magic Paper Rag. All branches of the government work together not as any kind of check and balance. Over. Can't wait to see what's really coming, not sure how it could get much worse, but for sure it can. As for the good African Embassy man, he's just lucky he is still alive, so many aren't, or he's just an actor or duped to promote more deflection 'chatter'. Assange was real, but others, not so sure. God only knows now...
OK, I posted a picture for you. My actual name is Bill Rood. If you see a post by Bill Rood, anti_republocrat or something similar, it's probably me. I've rarely encountered an impersonator, and I've never made my identity a secret.
When I used the term "cult," I was not referring to the average Trump voter who in 2016 believed Trump really wanted to end "forever" wars and "drain the swamp." The "personality cult of Trump" refers only to those submissive authoritarians who are in denial that Trump has done bad things and that many of them were "unforced" errors, such as authorizing the SpecOps raid that killed 8 year old Nora al-Awlaki, bombing Syria twice with no proof that Syria had used chemical weapons, assassinating an Iranian government official on a diplomatic mission encouraged by the US (yes, Saab was lucky), keeping troops in Syria in order to "take their oil," violating all diplomatic norms by having a Venezuelan diplomat detained by Cabo Verde as well as naming some guy President of Venezuela who never even ran for that position and supporting a coup in Bolivia that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Bolivians. Those are only some of his most egregious international crimes and acts of terror. He implemented Warp Speed, plans for which had been formulated years in advance. He failed to fire Rick Bright for insubordination and get the EUA for hydroxychloroquine corrected. He bought the UK's duck tale about Novichok. He appointed neo-cons Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Bolton's sidekick James Jeffrey who proceeded to spike his efforts to withdraw from Syria. He appointed Gina Hapel, the torturer in chief who catapulted the duck tale lie. You are living proof that my reference to a personality cult of Trump is accurate and not propaganda. You even tried to excuse Trump's interventions in Venezuela, interventions that even most of Maduro's Venezuelan opponents disapprove.
The only difference between "They" and Trump is that "They" want to control the empire from Davos, Wall Street and the City, while Trump wants it 100% controlled in DC, preferably by him, his family, Sheldon Adelson and CUFI.
I don't hate Trump or you. In many ways you and he are more sane than partisan Democrats. Trump would never in a million years have tried to pressure Americans into vaccinations. I supported him when he governed well. He negotiated the US exit from Afghanistan, and if the Biden Administration had executed his plan instead of delaying things might have gone a bit better. He drove unemployment down by repatriating some jobs. His criminal justice reform was a step in the right direction. He listened to Vladimir Zelenko and tried to authorize hydroxychloroquine. It's not his fualt that Fauci and Big Pharma perpetrated multiple frauds to discourage its use and that TDSers decided to smear it because Trump supported it, though I do suspect he was persuaded to stop using it for prophylaxis. As a result, he got sick himself and was given a treatment that's not scalable as HCQ and Ivermectin would be. The bottom line is, Trump would never have destroyed US society as Biden is attempting to do, but the fact that there's a globalist/technocratic cult doing that doesn't mean Trump and his supporters are not also a cult.
Well then Rood, now you have a name (maybe), given you believe that one president can go into that fetid swamp and clean it up, or should (prior too) be white as the driven snow (like you and think like you) before even trying (like you never did), when the entire Socialist Administrative State 'system' is corrupt top to bottom, I guess I am in a cult, the cult called: Restore the American Republic. Sorry, but Trump was surrounded top to bottom, and he thought he could get something done for US. He did try and he was very successful on calling out the Fake News as I've said, the biggest thing he did really (all your wailings of how Orange Man Bad he was from your post of fact checking (Who's checking the fact checkers is what I want to know?), as all others are being reversed by Build Back Better/Vanguard, it's so much better indeed. If he did nothing else that was Huge it was calling out the Fake News on their own propaganda systems in place, using them! Bigger than your intellect can apparently fathom. I'm just lowly idiot of course. But no, he can't be given any high-fives for that, nope, the other cult, your cult, known as the 'smart people' do nothing but chatter how bad, stupid, liar, Orange Man BAD. Yep, that about sums it up. I'm a cultist all right, you know, you are the smart one, from your cult too, just ask Riff below...he's a real Peach of course too, and so smart, just ask him. You both have no real skin in the game, you are like the real Left, labelers, of 'others'. Sorry to say. I do believe you actually believe your own rhetoric, or as Riff says, "Your long recital of facts will not make any difference for those unwilling to listen (or take the vax might add that as well), it's ultimately a waste of pixels, and time (Jackie's such pain in the ass, she actually has the nerve to reply to Us!). You and me, we are the SMART ONES! Yes, indeed. I'm sure neither of you believed one bit in the Deep State, until recently, and now it's a 'thing'. Whatever..., your mud slinging is a huge Tell. You do provide me with infinite knowledge that sociopaths are a real thing...like a cult perhaps? But I still like arguing with you because it means there is still a sense of Freedom of Speech. Cheers, j
OMG, what a word salad. You show your true self!
Yes, I do show my true self, no apologies. You need me to tell you how great, smart and not-stupid you are? Just ask Riff and/or Falcon, isn't that enough? See Riff's comment below: "Well said, anti-republicrat"! There, all better now?
Alas, your long recital of facts will not make any difference for those unwilling to listen. It's ultimately a waste of pixels, and time.
Probably true in correspondence with someone in personality cult of Trump, but it seems you read it, and I felt satisfied.
I'm sure you are very 'satisfied' Rood, probably feeling very accomplished indeed! Hey and Riff said so..., he knows.
I know because I've been there, done that; still waiting for the tee shirt. Back-to-back days. First it was a Trumper, next day a BlueCheck. Same brick wall. Agreement may or may not occur, but It's always good to recognize when a conversation cannot be had.
#LMAO! Alas indeed! Sorry to waste your 'pixels' Riff!
Well said, anti-republocrat.
Oh yes, "well said', Anti-Rood! Great, marvelous, super-good, very, very smart, ingenious, yes, Jackie's a 'stupid' cultist alrighty, totally, real Bad Person! God you are so smart Anti-Rood, not sure how you and I can deal with these cultist minions. Of course we never ran for President, I'm sure Vanguard and all would have paid us very well, given our talents. But, sadly, we have to just rest on our laurels and chat. Pat on the back, Man! Smile. Sorry, men, I just can't help myself, giving you two a little fun as you so ask for it. j
The North has been controlling the South since Independence from Spain. Their Ace in the Hole is shocking brutality. It does not work anymore. Not with Venezuela, no. Not with Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador and soon Brazil. Not with Mexico. No more. Try Cuba.