CJ>"It’s always fascinated me how much empire managers focus on messaging. Their focus is never on whether or not they should do evil things, it’s on what narrative they’re going to sell to the public about the evil things they’re going to do."
Edward Bernays on Propaganda (in 1928) ->
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind."
The U.S. Empire is one big propaganda factory - of the most EVIL kind.
I'd call it the Khazarian empire (or the United States of Israel, but that is letting a lot of dirty, rotten scoundrels off the hook). Just look how all of them applaud Nuttyyahoo after every word or how they disgustingly protect their atrocities (except Massie and a few others). I guess Jesus was right about the Synagogue of Satan...pure evil going on and they are getting away with it.
Your vision is blinded by hatred: "Just look how all of them applaud Nuttyyahoo.." The Jerusalem Post pubished a poll which found the majority of Democrats think Israel is committing genocide, and dozens of member of Congress have calle out war crimes and genocide. Rather than condemn all, support those who are trying to end the bloodshed and free Palestine. If you care about the Palestinian people, that is what must be done.
Who are these "Democrats" who have voted against sending more arms into Israel? Where were they 18 months ago when Biden was in office and arming Israel's first round of bombing in Gaza? They're nowhere to be seen because they don't exist. Nobody from the duopoly wants to stop their AIPAC lobbyist dollars, so they're never going to do anything that stops the genocide. Don't waste your time and energy on the duopoly if you truly care about the Palestinian people.
Is it ruff to be a Hopey Changey Believer? Are you hoping the Drone King returns with a nuke for anyone against Zionists? Voting D or R is a vote for Israel.
So voting to stop arms shipments, which 19 Democrats in the Senate did, forcing all to go on record, is a vote for Israel? Voting for anyone but those calling out Israeli genocide (such as AOC) and ending US arms shipments is helping Trump enable Israeli genocide. I have not said vote Democrat...I have said support all who are calling out the war crimes and stopping shipment of arms that makes it possible. Support those trying to stop the bloodshed. If instead, you denounce them ,you are complicit in genocide. Here's what I believe: that we can only win...ie win freedom for Palestine and stop the genocide, if we unite with those working for these goals. If we believe it is wrong to support those working for these goals, then we are helping Israel.
If you were not blinded by hatred, you would know who they are.
Let's start with Biden: "The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect civilians during its war with Hamas.
The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved 224 to 187, largely along party lines. Sixteen Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, and three Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure." Reuters
That is not the opposition but the Democratic Party mainstream. The opposition, which if you care, you would know about since it was healing news since 5 years ago, Bernie Sanders called Netanyahu "A reactionary racist..." and has called out war crimes, while his protege AOC has called it genocide, in line with the majority of Democratic voters. Several times, Sanders has proposed bills to halt shipment of arms, most recently last month garnering 19 Democrats in the Senate, putting all on record. "Bernie Sanders Hasn’t Stopped Arms Sales to Israel — But He Won’t Stop Trying
With the ceasefire in Gaza on the edge of collapse, Sanders once again introduced resolutions to block certain weapons sales to Israel." Intercept
I am sure that Palestinians aren't attacking Sanders as a sell out but applauding him for trying, under threat of death threats, to stop the genocide, as he does more than anyone to end the bloodshed: "“It would be unconscionable to provide more of the bombs and weapons Israel has used to kill so many civilians.”
And her is AOC, whom some also call a phony, ignoring her use of her platform to call out genocide and built a movement to block arms sales:
"“As we speak, in this moment, 1.1 million innocents in Gaza are at famine’s door,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her speech Friday. “A famine that is being intentionally precipitated through the blocking of food and global humanitarian assistance by leaders in the Israeli government.”
“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like,” the New York Democrat added, “open your eyes.” she said on national tv. These are the people who are not cheering for Netanyahu and if you are one of those denouncing them, you are, in effect, cheering for Netanyahu.
Again, you believe there's actually two parties in the USG...nothing could be further from the truth! You likely also believe that the USG and most world govts are in place to serve, support, protect and work for their People...again, nothing could be further from the truth. Govts are in place to protect the real powers that be by deceiving while they control us and extort from us. Come on man! I've been at this for twenty years and this stuff was realized in the kindergarten stage (first year). If you want resources let me know!
It is not for you to tell me what I believe: I believe there are only two parties with any power to effect change, to stop the genoicide in Gaza, and I know for a fact that none of those working to that end are in the Republican Party, while a sizable faction, with a possibility of gaining power, exist within the Democratic Party. The truth is that the parties have never been more divided, as witnessed by nearly every vote, including votes that reference human rights and war. I believe most governments are ruled by the financial elites......so why don't you stop telling me what I think. If you want to know what I think, don't tell me; ask me. I am by nature an anarchist and skeptic...your attempt to define me is based on your own shallow assumptions that have nothing to do with my 65 years of active support of liberation movements. I support those, in and out of politics, who stand against the genocide in Gaza, the support for criminal regimes, the plutocracy in the US......and if you don't, you are helping the oppressors, by denouncing those who challenge them.
Hatred? You like it when your family is tortured, raped or murdered? I look at it as we humans are a family (whether we like it or not) and I don't look at hating demons (you know anything about these monsters running Israel and the US?) as being a bad thing. Please quit with the BS democrats/Republicans bit! Try listening to something no current USG democrat or republican (same team...maybe you weren't aware?) will say because they'd be JFK'd: https://youtu.be/VWHt9UBTeu0?si=rkcEryHArDJC2gW2
Yes, it's sad to think that no matter how much an American is upset with their own USG and against just about everything they do we are lumped in as the problem. We really need to figure out a way to make a stand and come together no matter if we've been duped by the Demonrats and Republiscums dividing us.
Everyone so far seems to have missed why they're using Signal instead of their official messaging app. They're doing it to avoid the Official Records Act, the same as Clinton (and Rice and Powell before her) with their private email servers. May as well just throw the Act away now, officials conducting business in secret and with no accountability has been normalized again.
Bernays ought to be taught to children in grammar school. That would serve as some inoculation against the lying parents, the lying teachers, the lying priests and elders, and the lying television. The pathetic indoctrination that leaves children totally dependent on the lies of adults, builds a society that is completely alienated and incapable of divining what is true.
>>"Bernays ought to be taught to children in grammar school. That would serve as some inoculation against the lying parents, the lying teachers, the lying priests and elders, and the lying television."
👍 YES! I think this is a great idea to prevent indoctrination from a young age. Unfortunately, TPTB will do everything in their power to prevent this. They are already attempting to dismantle 'The Department of Education'...
Of course. Nor do they teach anything about handling money. Nor in universities do they teach correct things about the money system. The amount of nagging I had to do to get a straight answer about how money enters the system in the first place was enlightening.
The Department of Education is already corrupt in so many ways, which helps greatly explaining the decline in student learning. As you must know, EVERY effort to do good is eventually co-opted by psycho/sociopath leadership combined with well-paid grifters.
Just as we are seeing in warmongering and DOGE, Trumpzilla will be a very useful tool in bringing about the level of destruction necessary to "rebuild" the world according WEF-type plans. The "Biden" administration was one method, via existing bureaucracy, while Trump is merely a different path, by channeling rage.
or at least class consciousness...and a LOT of geography - most young students in America have a VERY POOR understanding of the rest of the world outside the U.S.
It’s not indoctrination that makes children totally dependent on adults’ lies, it’s children’s innate vulnerability and complete lack of rights. In a society with the extended family or a meaningful social safety net, this dependence is less severe, and therefore (relatively) less often tragic. In the U.S. we lack both those safety valves, as well as professional advocates for millions of children, so this is the society where children are most dangerously at the mercy of one or two adults, and therefore all of them. It’s important to educate people as to propaganda, but that propaganda is different for children than for adults. For children it’s: your brain is broken, so you can’t learn; you’re a bad kid and the cause of all the problems in this family; you have ADHD because you can’t sit still for 7 hours; you’re not as smart as your sister because you get bad grades; and on and on. Adults are manipulated by the government and media; children are manipulated by the broken adults on whom they are tragically dependent.
>>"Adults are manipulated by the government and media; children are manipulated by the broken adults on whom they are tragically dependent."
Very true!
>>"It’s not indoctrination that makes children totally dependent on adults’ lies, it’s children’s innate vulnerability and complete lack of rights."
Lot's of issues with this statement. One MAJOR impact on children (due to their innate vulnerability) IS INDOCTRINATION (as observed by learning about Israeli society).
Indoctrination starts at an early age. It is easier to indoctrinate children than to indoctrinate adults. Hence, this is the 'high-probability' route that the 'power-elite', the 1%ers, etc. choose. It is much easier to gaslight and propagandize and sell false narratives once the indoctrination has done its work.
The problem with "complete lack of rights" for children are many. For instance, who will enforce them? Who will break up families? Where will these children go? Who will protect them if not their parents? Which particular 'set of rights' should be afforded to children? And WHO decides which rights are to be selected?
There should be a balance, and your narrative of "complete lack of rights" IS FALSE. Here are some resources for you ->
Everyone has rights on paper. I imagine the critical thinkers among my readers understood that I meant MEANINGFUL rights, and these are totally lacking among children. (You may be impressed by theoretical rights but I'm not.) Every single theoretical right accruing to children--here in the U.S. or anywhere in the world--must be mediated and acted upon by at least one competent and caring adult or it may as well not exist in any form. I understand your eagerness to nitpick my comment but I'm not going down a rabbit hole with questions that are irrelevant to that comment. In the right context some of them are worth discussing, to be sure, but I avoid doing that in leftist political circles since it's strictly amateur hour there where this topic is concerned.
Your excuses are plentiful, and you always seem to have an answer to deflect from all the FACTS and copious amounts of scientific research. In effect, you do NOT have intellectual honesty and to converse in good faith.
It seems pointless for me to continue conversations with you since you seem to think in black-and-white instead of the nuances that are required to understand our complex world.
I suspect you have faced similar resistance to your opinions in the REAL WORLD too (based on your above comment). Maybe introspect on the way you communicate obstinately?
I did not call you a Zionist. I said: "Calling someone 'unhinged' because you disagree with their views makes you SOUND LIKE a Zionist." I did not deflect from anything; you did not present "copious amounts of scientific research," though I did appreciate reading about an Ob/Gyn who chose homebirth for herself three times. Thanks for that. I'd suggest you work on this line: "In effect, you do NOT have intellectual honesty and to converse in good faith." Very sloppy. Do me the favor or ignoring my comments in the future since you see me as so far beneath you.
>>"The US empire is not the US people, and I've noticed some here seem to have a big problem keeping that straight."
Can you blame them? Just as many in America blame all Russians, all Chinese, etc. it is bound to happen that people worldwide might blame ALL Americans for the EVIL of the US Empire.
Let's take the case of Israel. Can you blame all/most Israelis (and their society and culture) for what they've done for 75+ years and continue to do? Are they right in their blame of ALL Israelis? Maybe yes, maybe no - but it is unavoidable once people see the carnage wrecked by Israel.
Similary, when one looks at American history (from the period of colonization of the Americas) and the carnage that the U.S. has wrecked on the WHOLE WORLD (including the planet), it seems understandable as to how some/many people would blame the 'American people' for their Government, U.S. Foreign Policy, Imperialism, terrorism, sanctions, debt diplomacy, regime-change operations, exploitation through economic and neoliberal policies, support and enabling of an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing, and so much more.
I would be very surprised if more people (around the world) don't blame Americans directly (whether rightly or wrongly). It's called blowback - and there will be consequences for ALL AMERICANS for the consequences of the actions of the U.S. Empire. That is the reality!
I do very much distinguish between the rulers and the ruled in each country, including Israel and the USA. It is not that difficult and should be expected by any reasonable, intelligent person as a default.
It is immensely important for world peace to understand this.
You're right - "It is immensely important for world peace to understand this." - and I wish more people had the ability to make these distinctions, but unfortunately, emotions cloud rational thought (eg. can you blame the Arabs from hating Americans)?
>>"It is not that difficult and should be expected by any reasonable, intelligent person as a default."
I would disagree with you here. People such as you and I (and many others) are able to make these distinctions, but I very much doubt still many others (especially in places the U.S. Empire has exploited and destroyed) are able to (and more importantly willing to) make the same distinctions.
Blaming multiple people for the work of one or one group is irrational. It's often at the heart of many *isms. So, yes, it is highly problematic for anyone, American or not, who does this.
Whether I "blame" them (i.e. hold them morally accountable) for their stupidity, their ignorance, and/or their alien values, as well the causes behind all of those dimensions, is completely another matter, requiring individual-level attention to really get it "correct" -- *even on our own value scale*. An impossible task, yet we continue with our pretensions.
I pointed out many months ago on this Substack how even the most rabid supremacist Israelis can have their own very coherent worldviews, ones that we probably could never convince them to abandon. I am completely opposed to their perspective, of course, as obviously most everyone here is, but the dirty little secret about humans is that *all* morality is unavoidably relativistic.
Goldberg does these clowns a big favor by describing the Houthis as "Iran-backed terrorists" interrupting global trade, when he knows full well they are supporting Palestinians by targetting only ships involved in Israeli trade and, now, also ships involved in trade with the countries attacking Yemen.
Bloviators — the Petes. When the Dems were in, I imagined Buttigieg playing with toy cars and trucks in his office. Now I imagine Hegseth playing with toy soldiers and aircraft carriers. The point — I don’t think any of these stewards of our domestic and international resources ever really grew up — fully grew into an adult understanding of reality that includes the existence, rights, and aspirations of us millions of proles out here — both domestic and international.
Neg-empathy yes — but it’s even more than that: A lack of discretionary, incisive analysis of complex multivariate outcomes. I see and hear none of that coming from these blustering bloviators — life and war are just too straightforward to these folks. We are under the control of juveniles masquerading as fully cognizant adults.
>>"We are under the control of juveniles masquerading as fully cognizant adults."
🎯💯 For sure. I have NEVER seen a more INCOMPETENT administration in US history (during my lifetime) than the present one. And STUPID. This level of stupid scares me - stupidity combined with a certain level of evil can be a lethal combination that may result in things I wish to avoid contemplating about...
Whataboutism already? Caitlin does talk about how ass-licking Trump supporters keep bringing up Biden even though the present Trump administration is accelerating the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Gaza and Palestine.
This isn't a comparison between Biden and Trump (if that is what you got from my comment). This is MY OPINION on the current Trump administration. If you don't like it, I don't care.
You call it whataboutism, yet I have no love at all for 90% of the steamrollering that's going on now. The *only* thing Trump brings (or "brought", past tense), IMO -- and it's quite important -- is/was the revelation of the extent of the secrecy state and the horrific amount of madness and corruption in *all* directions for *all* purposes. That he, naturally, commits the same sins is completely to be expected.
Do you know WHY he is revealing the corruption (which exists in EVERY nation and EVERY Govt. on earth)?
Because he can use that as an excuse to lend firepower to his DOGE initiatives so that he can dismantle ALL public institutions and can PRIVATIZE them - this is HOW neoliberalism works.
What happens when everything is privatized? Transparency disappears. Accountability disappears. Private corporations are not beholden to the public.
Hence, he is using the GUISE of "revealing" corruption (which is ALWAYS present) as a way to make his case for the privatization of Government. Most people are too easily fooled by such narratives - and that is how he seems to be getting away with it so far.
I know for you there were no other US regimes except Trump. Hence the loss of reality akin to sever LSD overdose (just not as colourful and fun as LSD).
"Whataboutism already? "
Do you understand the meaning of this word?
It's you silly who pointed to *all* US regimes and arsessed that the current one is [expletives here] more than any other. It is an invitation to compare and indicate the silly stupid ideas.
C'mon, everyone can recognise a Bidenite wokeist case in you... this is dying to come to surface and shine. Let it shine man!
You have no clue what Caitlin says... except the bits where she (justly) says Trump Bad... the rest is not visible to you
Let me throw that back at you - since you obviously do not understand what "whataboutism" is.
"Whataboutism or whataboutery is a pejorative for the strategy of responding to an accusation with a counter-accusation instead of a defense against the original accusation. From a logical and argumentative point of view, whataboutism is considered a variant of the tu-quoque pattern, which is a subtype of the ad-hominem argument. The communication intent is often to distract from the content of a topic."
Caitlin's article AND the OP's comment talk about the CURRENT administration - the Trump administration, whereas YOU try to divert focus (in your own way) towards the "Biden" administration.
>>"C'mon, everyone can recognise a Bidenite wokeist case in you"
I've been hearing this a lot lately - ever since Trump started his second term - and it seems to be coming ONLY FROM the Trump cult - the MAGA suckers that have fallen for all the hoodwinkery and false narratives of their God - The Donald. Thank you for comfirming your affiliation and cult status.
A few other points on your behavior/psychology ->
(1) I don't respect ANYONE that "likes" THEIR OWN comments (as you do all the time). It reeks of an inferiority complex and an admission of LOW SELF-ESTEEM that one needs to "like their own comments" to support their ego and keep up pretenses.
(2) As Caitlin writes >> "Trumpers have their tongues so far up Trump’s asshole that they’re more supportive of Trump’s warmongering than Trump’s own appointed officials." I would add to that that people such as yourself have their tongues so far up Trump's asshole, that they cannot see straight, and their ability to comprehend reality and discern what is obvious to everyone else suffers as a result.
(3) As per our previous conversation -> you seem to be a troll.
"I have NEVER seen a more INCOMPETENT administration in US history (during my lifetime) than the present one. And STUPID. "
You need to read more widely. All the stupidity you see in the Trump admin is, well, trumpeted in media to the hilt, but in Dem admins all the same shit goes on and is furiously buried and/or twisted/massaged into virtue. Regarding Israel, Caitlin clearly showed it here.
No, I don't think you really understood my comment.
Here is why the Trump administration is STUPID -> They're stupid because instead of using soft persuasion (and propaganda and narratives like the Biden administration did), they are outright admitting to their COMPLICITY, abyssmal moral depravity, and PURE, UNADULTERATED EVILNESS and their FULL SUPPORT for the ethnic cleansing and Genocide of Palestinians - so that the WHOLE WORLD can see and know - once and for all - who they reall are - what the U.S. Empire really stands for.
Hence, the propaganda DOES NOT WORK as effectively under the Trump administration as it did under the Biden administration.
Note: I am NOT comparing the level of EVILNESS, morality, etc. of the 2 administrations - I am comparing the "incompetence and stupidity" of the 2 administrations from the point of view of "Empire management".
"they are outright admitting ... / Hence, the propaganda DOES NOT WORK as effectively under the Trump administration as it did under the Biden administration."
I don't think most people are suddenly so shocked, many Democrats had known "something is wrong with this picture" not long after October 7. Trump 47 is clearly confirming what the *permanent government* priorities are, and that, in general (for both sides), Trump 47's "shock and awe" as populism increasingly looks like a con. Significant rebellion will appear quite soon among Trumpers, but this time around they will *not* be switching [to | back to] Democrats for relief. It will get extremely interesting and dangerous.
The "stupidity" you say is so prevalent with Trump is simply the strategy of the real power players. They want major upheaval in this country to do the "Plan B" method of violently ushering in comprehensive totalitarianism, certainly planned well before the 2024 election, as "Plan A" bureaucratic creep has been insufficient.
Yes, Chang. A good point........stupidity and evil as a pairing is extremely dangerous.
It will be that combination that unleashes the first nuclear warhead on a selected target.....or.....as I have said for years in reference to the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. "shootdown" as it was known back in 2014, we will see an on-purpose error, a.k.a. a false flag exercise, as it was then. A Russian made missile fired by Ukraine, but attributed to Russia, purposely.
Anyone questioning this should note the statement from John Kerry at the time , I think the day after, that they knew definitely 'where it came from'.
Stated just once, but never stated again, allowing for ridiculous investigations since that date in various European countries, one after the other, condemnation of Russian as suited the climate then and now and statements by a pathetic Prime Minister named Abbott in Australia, announcing his intention to "shirt front" Putin to confront him with this fact.
Putin must have been shaking in his boots at the thought of that possibility..
There are just too many nuclear armed countries, or those with access to same, to discount the likelihood of such a crime. Add to that, the Dictator President of the USA, anxious to leave his mark on some foreign land as a result of a country not supplying him with all his scarce but desired minerals, or creating a climate of anti-Americanism based on the constant use of sanctions as a weapon, well under way, or a direct dictate from his controller Netanyahu who may have threatened to expose Trump's early Epstein associations (on record but restricted for public exposure.....by Trump himself) and all that means.
The possibilities are endless, all would be justified by the Western media (a.k.a. False Publications) as this or that , whatever story suits the climate at the time. You know how it is.
Exactly you are led to believe... we have the same in the UK with Starmer's lot, France has it with Macron, Canada, Australia, NZ and the list goes on...
Personally, I think all intended by the likes of the WEF and the globalist elitist scum, to bring about social rest / race war / religious war / f you politicians class war ... in order to allow them to play the "out of chaos comes order" RUSH to totalitarian rule. WHY ?.... because I think they underestimated US PEOPLE and our so called "awakening" with the plandemic and jabs... JUST MY VIEW.
>>"They're absolutely not incompetent (or stupid) - they are just very competent at making people think they are incompetent."
Oh, they DEFINITELY ARE incompetent AND stupid, but also psychopathic and sociopathic, and so much more.
>>"You can't forgive these monsters, or allow them any excuses"
No one's forgiving these monsters or allowing them excuses - THEY ARE PURE EVIL (regardless of any other characteristics like gross incompetence or any form of stupidity). These characters should ALL BURN IN HELL (over-and-over again for eternity).
There is an anti-war faction within the Democratic Party........and the battle for who will control it is just starting. There is nothing fake about those standing up to the current mainstream policies, who are living with death threats. RFK represented this faction at one time and they gunned him down, so it's real; it's very real.
Your belief that the Democrat Party, the current version, has any courageous members is naive and sad. Money owns the DP, and any newly elected members who think they can change that, soon learn what ideals are acceptable and what words are not to be spoken.
The role of the duopoly is to imitate the forms of democracy while class war is being waged against the population. If you have access to YouTube, I recommend you view Four Horsemen (2012). It’s a straightforward explanation of the world without the religious and ideological and media filters noise that distracts so many.
You betray the cause of Palestine when you call those calling out Israeli genocide and working to block shipment of arms "owned." As an 84 yr old with a world class education in political science, I do not need some brainwashed person telling me I need to watch a youtube video to see the truth. I see where your views come from; mine come from a lifelong study of politics and a skeptical approach to the official narrative, including the claim that both parties are the same and all members are the same. This is a betrayal of the campaign to end the bloodshed by blocking US arms shipments. You may as well join AIPAC, which denounces the same people you are accusing of selling out. I expected this reaction from those whose understanding of politics is based on watching youtube.
Who are you referring to? Please tell me what Democrats are standing against the genocide with any traction and a following. You call me brainwashed and you are deluded. The issue of the Palestinians has one Democrat who consistently goes against her party to call some attention to the atrocities committed by her government. If you are a regular consumer of Caitlin’s blog, you already know that the “differences” between the two parties are NOT on the MIC, wars of any stripe, lower taxes, always lower, and the surveillance state. The government - both parties are hard at work on behalf of their donors. Wake up, Dale.
unwarranted - it seems to be a waste of time argueing with this "Dale Ruff" character - he's too blind and set in his internal ways of thinking to let FACTS get in the way of his believed narratives.
Dale Ruff is a hopeless case - and seems to come across as a shill for 'some' progressives from the Democratic party.
He also suffers from 'elitism" issues - he keeps bringing up his age, his 'superior education', his acquaintances, his "self-professed history" (who knows if it is real or not) as a defense and in support of his arguments instead of using logic and critical thinking.
The urge to have a fight with an identifiable foe is too tantalizing for the conditioned mind. I think this is what makes Caitlin’s writings so compelling for both of us and many others.
Anybody who was around when Bill Clinton was presented and perceived as a “moderate” in opposition to the rabid Republican Newt, can review recent history and see the long con. He won by kissing corporate asses, then traded away the best-paying union jobs, got rich by serving the super rich, lowered taxes, de-regulated banks which foreshadowed the 2008 economic crash, and with the proxy war not yet over (because the weapons keep on shipping), we learn that the POS 42nd president, fast tracked Poland to join NATO, which was the first violation of the Bush/Baker promise to never expand NATO east of the unified Germany.
Jimmy Carter who sought to broker a peace between Begin and Sadat, was later to identify the Israeli State as an apartheid state, and Carter, who was no saint, today stands as the last Democrat administration that wasn’t the property of corporations. Trump has decimated the Republican Party, but that is another con, because Zionist policies are still plaguing the planet. Bernie tried to “reform” the DP from within, but then he chose symbolic power over fighting for real change. So this is what happens to ideals. In Washington they are washed away with the dirt in the gutter. I think the American youth are immune to the rhetorical “values” recited by the elected liars who cannot grasp their own irrelevance.
In Tucson, AOC who has openly called Israeli war crimes genocide and BErnie Sanders who got 19 Democrats in the Senate to back a bill to stop arms shipments to Israel based on war crimes and violation of international law, got 23,000 people at a rally; and in Denver, they got 34,000. This indicates the growing momentum of the pro-Palestinian faction within the Democratic Party......
Here is Congress woman warning Biden that his support of genocide would lose him the election...and with 10 million Democrats staying home, she was proved right. "CNN
—
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on Friday accused President Joe Biden of supporting a Palestinian “genocide” and warned that Americans will remember when he’s up for reelection next year how he responded to the Israel-Hamas war.
In a video posted to X, Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, urged Biden to call for a ceasefire in the conflict – something the president and his administration has so far not done.
“Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one,” Tlaib said in the video, adding, “We will remember in 2024.”
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Pentagon pulls Defense Department support for congressional travel to Israel, restricts official visits
The video – which features images of protests with chants of “Free Palestine” and ‘From the river to the sea” across Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and New York – ends with text that states: “Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people,” cnn.com
You have a choice: you can support these people, join the 34,000 who showed up in Denver, in their effort to take control of the Democratic Party and make it the voice of the people (a poll showed the majority of Democratic voters think Israel is committing genocide) or you can hurt the cause by calling them fakes, traitors, or insignificant. Your choice.
All change, by definition, starts with a minority, and it is up to you and me to grow that minority or dismiss it because it is not the majority. I urge YOU to support this movement rather than belittle it,as the anti-Palestinian forces do.
We all have choices. You choose to believe that rhetoric is a suitable substitute for action. These politicians are too few to change the policies of the government, and they know it, and now you do too. The differences between the two parties are for the official record, and to promote the illusion that voters are being represented. The U.S. economy depends on war. It is the one industry in America that keeps the lights on and doesn’t require Americans to get out of their chairs.
Some courageous did exist (e.g. Gabbard; C. Bush), but were "killed" off, one way or another. Whatever else you think of them, at least the Republicans are not killing off *their* courageous (e.g. Massie; on occasion, Paul).
Gabbard? and courageous? Maybe you're unable to recognize a chameleon when you see one? Understandable - that's precisely what chameleons do - disguise themselves and pretend to be something they're not.
Some other famous chameleons are Obama, Bill Clinton, Fetterman, and so many others...
"Maybe you're unable to recognize a chameleon when you see one?"
They're all over the place. Problem is, you simply never know for sure, and have only high confidence in suspicions once you have "irrefutable" proof. That's often hard to impossible to get unless and until you literally know them *personally* (especially, live with the person).
Therefore, what I put *a measure of* stock in is what a person declares publicly, and what they apparently publicly suffer. In Gabbard's case there are certainly a few of these. I find it dubious that she is a complete fraud as Democrat, and has been in her own Manchurian candidate sleeper cell.
When someone seems to have no skin at risk in the game, that's suspicious. For example, I find it highly suspect that they never found a way to (indisputably and seriously) silence and punish Noam Chomsky in all these years.
Now, who do *you* put out there as a non-chameleon?
"Normal people tend to assume they’re looking at a more or less accurate picture" Normal people are beginning to realize that what they are looking at is a pack of lies that they cannot trust for one second.
Not arguing, but no. For the majority, it happened with the masks. lockdowns and jabs.... "take a false test", even if you feel healthy; you might have Covid... then the excess deaths or deformities happened with loved one, family or friends .... that is why jab rate is down from over 73% in the UK to less than 50%. There will always be an ignorant mass.... but remember that you only need 3-5% of the population to create a HUGE REVOLUTION... !
The empire and its lackeys focus on narratives and messaging. Yemen, Iran, Russia and China focus on actions, capabilities, resources, preparedness and consequences. The Yemeni people understand intimately the consequences of their actions but they have decided to take those actions because they align with their fundamental moral position. The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris. But they control lots of war toys and machines efficient at killing and destruction. Yemen and Iran are well aware of the limitations of the US military. Vance, Hegseth, et al, are not. A lot of people are in for some very big shocks.
>>"The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris."
"The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris."
They're not stupid. They're psychopaths and sociopaths. Big difference.
>>"They're not stupid. They're psychopaths and sociopaths."
Nope - they're psychopaths, sociopaths, stupid, AND incompetent (and so much more).
They're stupid because instead of using soft persuasion (and propaganda and narratives like the Biden administration did), they are outright admitting to their COMPLICITY, abyssmal moral depravity, and PURE, UNADULTERATED EVILNESS and their FULL SUPPORT for the ethnic cleansing and Genocide of Palestinians - so that the WHOLE WORLD can see and know - once and for all - who they reall are - what the U.S. Empire really stands for.
OK, I'll admit the actual participants were stupid. But I'm confident the strategic context is not, comes from psychopaths elsewhere, and has been remarkably consistent from administration to administration.
What's different in Trump 47 is that a chaos strategy has been implemented. The people at root driving it are certainly intelligent psychopaths and sociopaths; they aim for it all to go up in some kind of mushroom cloud at some point a year, two, or three down the road -- and then take over a traumatized nation, in one way or another. Who knows what kinds of terrors they have planned for the near future? COVID and its management was a clear example of this strategy at work, the best yet IMO.
There is something strange about suggesting that capitalism could ever be mature. More like reaching it's batshit crazy level of greed, cruelty and destruction.
No, Trump and Biden are not the same, indeed they are quite distinctly different. Where there is a similarity is that both hold possibly the most powerful position in the World and both, to a substantial degree, have maintained major despicable policies long held by the USA, not least that of supporting, arming, funding and protecting the genocidal Zionist regime of Israel.
Nonetheless, there is a vast difference between Trump's demagoguery and Biden's relatively traditional presidential style and action.
We can’t actually know that. However, even if it were true, it does not equate to them being the same. We are all much more than a single thought, opinion, action or whatever.
Also, I did not excuse or claim any difference regarding the problems with their administrations. On the contrary, I mentioned the parallels.
Hillary Clinton said (quoted by Bob Woodward) that she didn't care about hairstyles until she came to DC where they were found to be very important. Few understand foreign policy but everyone has an opinion about hairstyles.
Yes. I made that point in my comment. Sadly, most differences between left and right wing political parties, which have any chance of obtaining and holding on to power, are more superficial than substantial.
It bothers me how much focus there has been on the reporter, although it was good to hear about some his story here. There is concern that all of government business today is being conducted on Signal, and maybe other channels, and that these conversations are not being archived as required by law. Evidently, Rubio was responsible for assuring that this was archived. But would he archive an illegal discussion? Having this discussion on an unsecure communications system is clearly illegal. What's is truly disgusting is all of the phone word play the Administration has been trying to use in order to avoid taking responsibility. Gabbard actually said what was said was not classified. What she was saying is that they didn't classify it even though it was a classified discussion. Every word out of their mouths makes me ask, are they that stupid, or just that incompetent? Someone with a brain would cut their losses by simply telling the truth. As I have been repeating, lately, First-rate people hire first-rate people, second-rate people more third-rate people." Since Trump is at the bottom of any rating scale, I am aware of, his team choices can only mean that we've reached rock bottom and are now digging.
>>"makes me ask, are they that stupid, or just that incompetent?"
BOTH! (just as the rest of the Trump administration). I was listening to a discussion in China (on YouTube) about Trump, his tariffs, and the impact on China. It seems the Chinese think that Trump is doing more harm to the U.S. itself than to any other country, and the Chinese have decided to take a 'wait and watch' approach to see how deep the impact of the Trump administration policies will be on the U.S. Economy and general security and coordination of whatever is left of the Govt. after DOGE uses its wrecking ball on everything running and sustaining the country.
The Chinese seem to be happy (so far) with what Trump is doing. This is the impression I got from the participants in the discussion.
What bothers me is not the fact that the reporter- Caitlin has shown how rubbish his journalistic credentials are - was inadvertently in the loop; nor the fact that Trump's stooges are stupid and incompetent; but the stark truths that are being ignored: first, the cold, hard cruelty exhibited by Trump's circle - talking of bombing a country and killing human beings as if they are disposable; and second, the fact that Trump's wars have already begun in the best traditions of empire.
One suggestion/quibble: I wouldn’t call these people freaks. That sounds like a compliment to someone in the U.S. who used to hear in the 60s (and ever since) about letting one’s freak flag fly, which was a very good thing. “Freak out”, even though it’s a cliché, is still what you can do in a good way (although in a bad way too) on a hallucinogenic trip. These meanings have stayed, and these people have nothing to do with them. They’re demons.
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2013 repealed the domestic dissemination ban giving the government greater power to covertly influence public opinion. That opened some previously shut doors.
President Trump is enjoying great popularity and delirious support from those on board with his re-election. He is being given a blank check to bring us to this mythical Golden Age he speaks about. The years of his being hounded have braced the population of supporters to rush to his defense because they are sure it's happening again. The close calls with shooters have convinced them that God is protecting him and, it follows, what he does. If a judge gets involved, the judge is seen as pettily trying to usurp the powers of this president whether or not this is true. Those complaining are mocked. Trump can enjoy rock-solid support for his choices.
That's why I don't think this egregious failure to secure the contents of the meeting discussing plans to bomb Yemen will yield any prosecutions or firings. The spin will win. Amateurs and businessmen are piloting the ship of state. But they are supposedly loyal to Trump and that loyalty won them positions.
The hideous truth is we have a war president involving us in a greater number of wars and conflicts. I've lost track of how many wars we're involved in. How easy it would have been to say "not my war(s)" but Trump is adding to the list. So, what has changed? It's easy to argue international relations are far worse but the facts are lost in the ferver. It's going to have to affect everyday Americans in order to break this political fever.
Ms. Johnston, most people confuse POWER with INFLUENCE. Power controls the lives and behavior of people through the use of force. Influence controls the lives and behavior of people by convincing them to agree to believe and behave in the desired fashion. The MAGATs exercised power to their evil ends; while the Democrats exercised influence to their evil ends. Under capitalism there is no way out.
"It’s always fascinated me how much empire managers focus on messaging. Their focus is never on whether or not they should do evil things, it’s on what narrative they’re going to sell to the public about the evil things they’re going to do."
This statement is so insightful. The propaganda/narrative manipulation machine never tries to make what the empire does sound"moral" because that would be impossible. All it does it spin the empire's actions in such a way that the public thinks that there is no other option, that this is the only reality, no matter how sad or violent it is. It truly is a game run by sociopaths. The Yemenis don't deserve this bombing. The Palestinians don't deserve to be bombed. But the propagandists will somehow spin the narrative to make these innocents appear guilty, deserving to be bombed. F*** the empire and its propaganda machine!!
CJ>"It’s always fascinated me how much empire managers focus on messaging. Their focus is never on whether or not they should do evil things, it’s on what narrative they’re going to sell to the public about the evil things they’re going to do."
Edward Bernays on Propaganda (in 1928) ->
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ...In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons...who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind."
The U.S. Empire is one big propaganda factory - of the most EVIL kind.
I'd call it the Khazarian empire (or the United States of Israel, but that is letting a lot of dirty, rotten scoundrels off the hook). Just look how all of them applaud Nuttyyahoo after every word or how they disgustingly protect their atrocities (except Massie and a few others). I guess Jesus was right about the Synagogue of Satan...pure evil going on and they are getting away with it.
Your vision is blinded by hatred: "Just look how all of them applaud Nuttyyahoo.." The Jerusalem Post pubished a poll which found the majority of Democrats think Israel is committing genocide, and dozens of member of Congress have calle out war crimes and genocide. Rather than condemn all, support those who are trying to end the bloodshed and free Palestine. If you care about the Palestinian people, that is what must be done.
Who are these "Democrats" who have voted against sending more arms into Israel? Where were they 18 months ago when Biden was in office and arming Israel's first round of bombing in Gaza? They're nowhere to be seen because they don't exist. Nobody from the duopoly wants to stop their AIPAC lobbyist dollars, so they're never going to do anything that stops the genocide. Don't waste your time and energy on the duopoly if you truly care about the Palestinian people.
Excellent...thank you.
Is it ruff to be a Hopey Changey Believer? Are you hoping the Drone King returns with a nuke for anyone against Zionists? Voting D or R is a vote for Israel.
Don't even like the word...."hope." Both parties are abominations ...
Genocidists, war mongers, grifters, corruption....pay to play....stock market insiders oligarch wannebes....and so forth.
So voting to stop arms shipments, which 19 Democrats in the Senate did, forcing all to go on record, is a vote for Israel? Voting for anyone but those calling out Israeli genocide (such as AOC) and ending US arms shipments is helping Trump enable Israeli genocide. I have not said vote Democrat...I have said support all who are calling out the war crimes and stopping shipment of arms that makes it possible. Support those trying to stop the bloodshed. If instead, you denounce them ,you are complicit in genocide. Here's what I believe: that we can only win...ie win freedom for Palestine and stop the genocide, if we unite with those working for these goals. If we believe it is wrong to support those working for these goals, then we are helping Israel.
If you were not blinded by hatred, you would know who they are.
Let's start with Biden: "The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect civilians during its war with Hamas.
The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved 224 to 187, largely along party lines. Sixteen Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, and three Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure." Reuters
That is not the opposition but the Democratic Party mainstream. The opposition, which if you care, you would know about since it was healing news since 5 years ago, Bernie Sanders called Netanyahu "A reactionary racist..." and has called out war crimes, while his protege AOC has called it genocide, in line with the majority of Democratic voters. Several times, Sanders has proposed bills to halt shipment of arms, most recently last month garnering 19 Democrats in the Senate, putting all on record. "Bernie Sanders Hasn’t Stopped Arms Sales to Israel — But He Won’t Stop Trying
With the ceasefire in Gaza on the edge of collapse, Sanders once again introduced resolutions to block certain weapons sales to Israel." Intercept
I am sure that Palestinians aren't attacking Sanders as a sell out but applauding him for trying, under threat of death threats, to stop the genocide, as he does more than anyone to end the bloodshed: "“It would be unconscionable to provide more of the bombs and weapons Israel has used to kill so many civilians.”
And her is AOC, whom some also call a phony, ignoring her use of her platform to call out genocide and built a movement to block arms sales:
"“As we speak, in this moment, 1.1 million innocents in Gaza are at famine’s door,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her speech Friday. “A famine that is being intentionally precipitated through the blocking of food and global humanitarian assistance by leaders in the Israeli government.”
“If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like,” the New York Democrat added, “open your eyes.” she said on national tv. These are the people who are not cheering for Netanyahu and if you are one of those denouncing them, you are, in effect, cheering for Netanyahu.
Again, you believe there's actually two parties in the USG...nothing could be further from the truth! You likely also believe that the USG and most world govts are in place to serve, support, protect and work for their People...again, nothing could be further from the truth. Govts are in place to protect the real powers that be by deceiving while they control us and extort from us. Come on man! I've been at this for twenty years and this stuff was realized in the kindergarten stage (first year). If you want resources let me know!
I am not good on computers. Hal, is AI voting D or R ? How long have d and R parties supported Israeli Terrorism? Grok answer please.
It is not for you to tell me what I believe: I believe there are only two parties with any power to effect change, to stop the genoicide in Gaza, and I know for a fact that none of those working to that end are in the Republican Party, while a sizable faction, with a possibility of gaining power, exist within the Democratic Party. The truth is that the parties have never been more divided, as witnessed by nearly every vote, including votes that reference human rights and war. I believe most governments are ruled by the financial elites......so why don't you stop telling me what I think. If you want to know what I think, don't tell me; ask me. I am by nature an anarchist and skeptic...your attempt to define me is based on your own shallow assumptions that have nothing to do with my 65 years of active support of liberation movements. I support those, in and out of politics, who stand against the genocide in Gaza, the support for criminal regimes, the plutocracy in the US......and if you don't, you are helping the oppressors, by denouncing those who challenge them.
Hatred? You like it when your family is tortured, raped or murdered? I look at it as we humans are a family (whether we like it or not) and I don't look at hating demons (you know anything about these monsters running Israel and the US?) as being a bad thing. Please quit with the BS democrats/Republicans bit! Try listening to something no current USG democrat or republican (same team...maybe you weren't aware?) will say because they'd be JFK'd: https://youtu.be/VWHt9UBTeu0?si=rkcEryHArDJC2gW2
Yes! US and Israel are both fascist states and, in the end, are on the nazi end of the continuum.
Yes, it's sad to think that no matter how much an American is upset with their own USG and against just about everything they do we are lumped in as the problem. We really need to figure out a way to make a stand and come together no matter if we've been duped by the Demonrats and Republiscums dividing us.
Excellent catch: Hitler learned from Bernays, who saw no contradiction in deliberate control of the "masses" in a democracy.
Everyone so far seems to have missed why they're using Signal instead of their official messaging app. They're doing it to avoid the Official Records Act, the same as Clinton (and Rice and Powell before her) with their private email servers. May as well just throw the Act away now, officials conducting business in secret and with no accountability has been normalized again.
💯💯💯
Bernays ought to be taught to children in grammar school. That would serve as some inoculation against the lying parents, the lying teachers, the lying priests and elders, and the lying television. The pathetic indoctrination that leaves children totally dependent on the lies of adults, builds a society that is completely alienated and incapable of divining what is true.
>>"Bernays ought to be taught to children in grammar school. That would serve as some inoculation against the lying parents, the lying teachers, the lying priests and elders, and the lying television."
👍 YES! I think this is a great idea to prevent indoctrination from a young age. Unfortunately, TPTB will do everything in their power to prevent this. They are already attempting to dismantle 'The Department of Education'...
Can you guess why this does not occur? And no school teaches how to defend yourself from predatory systems. Said systems would never allow that.
Of course. Nor do they teach anything about handling money. Nor in universities do they teach correct things about the money system. The amount of nagging I had to do to get a straight answer about how money enters the system in the first place was enlightening.
The Department of Education is already corrupt in so many ways, which helps greatly explaining the decline in student learning. As you must know, EVERY effort to do good is eventually co-opted by psycho/sociopath leadership combined with well-paid grifters.
Just as we are seeing in warmongering and DOGE, Trumpzilla will be a very useful tool in bringing about the level of destruction necessary to "rebuild" the world according WEF-type plans. The "Biden" administration was one method, via existing bureaucracy, while Trump is merely a different path, by channeling rage.
teach 'em some marxism too.
or at least class consciousness...and a LOT of geography - most young students in America have a VERY POOR understanding of the rest of the world outside the U.S.
We commit child abuse in so very many ways....
It’s not indoctrination that makes children totally dependent on adults’ lies, it’s children’s innate vulnerability and complete lack of rights. In a society with the extended family or a meaningful social safety net, this dependence is less severe, and therefore (relatively) less often tragic. In the U.S. we lack both those safety valves, as well as professional advocates for millions of children, so this is the society where children are most dangerously at the mercy of one or two adults, and therefore all of them. It’s important to educate people as to propaganda, but that propaganda is different for children than for adults. For children it’s: your brain is broken, so you can’t learn; you’re a bad kid and the cause of all the problems in this family; you have ADHD because you can’t sit still for 7 hours; you’re not as smart as your sister because you get bad grades; and on and on. Adults are manipulated by the government and media; children are manipulated by the broken adults on whom they are tragically dependent.
>>"Adults are manipulated by the government and media; children are manipulated by the broken adults on whom they are tragically dependent."
Very true!
>>"It’s not indoctrination that makes children totally dependent on adults’ lies, it’s children’s innate vulnerability and complete lack of rights."
Lot's of issues with this statement. One MAJOR impact on children (due to their innate vulnerability) IS INDOCTRINATION (as observed by learning about Israeli society).
Indoctrination starts at an early age. It is easier to indoctrinate children than to indoctrinate adults. Hence, this is the 'high-probability' route that the 'power-elite', the 1%ers, etc. choose. It is much easier to gaslight and propagandize and sell false narratives once the indoctrination has done its work.
The problem with "complete lack of rights" for children are many. For instance, who will enforce them? Who will break up families? Where will these children go? Who will protect them if not their parents? Which particular 'set of rights' should be afforded to children? And WHO decides which rights are to be selected?
There should be a balance, and your narrative of "complete lack of rights" IS FALSE. Here are some resources for you ->
(1) Child and parenting laws in the U.S. (https://usahello.org/life-in-usa/family/parenting-laws/)
(2) https://campaignforchildren.org/resource/fact-sheet-childrens-protection-act-of-2021-h-r-3716/
Many more, all you have to do is search "child protection laws in US" on the web.
Everyone has rights on paper. I imagine the critical thinkers among my readers understood that I meant MEANINGFUL rights, and these are totally lacking among children. (You may be impressed by theoretical rights but I'm not.) Every single theoretical right accruing to children--here in the U.S. or anywhere in the world--must be mediated and acted upon by at least one competent and caring adult or it may as well not exist in any form. I understand your eagerness to nitpick my comment but I'm not going down a rabbit hole with questions that are irrelevant to that comment. In the right context some of them are worth discussing, to be sure, but I avoid doing that in leftist political circles since it's strictly amateur hour there where this topic is concerned.
You seem to be a very biased person that has trouble thinking objectively (as ascertained by your previous reply to me - which was totally off-the-mark and an ad hominem attack by calling me a Zionist). (https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/i-envy-the-palestinians/comment/103908964)
Your excuses are plentiful, and you always seem to have an answer to deflect from all the FACTS and copious amounts of scientific research. In effect, you do NOT have intellectual honesty and to converse in good faith.
It seems pointless for me to continue conversations with you since you seem to think in black-and-white instead of the nuances that are required to understand our complex world.
I suspect you have faced similar resistance to your opinions in the REAL WORLD too (based on your above comment). Maybe introspect on the way you communicate obstinately?
I did not call you a Zionist. I said: "Calling someone 'unhinged' because you disagree with their views makes you SOUND LIKE a Zionist." I did not deflect from anything; you did not present "copious amounts of scientific research," though I did appreciate reading about an Ob/Gyn who chose homebirth for herself three times. Thanks for that. I'd suggest you work on this line: "In effect, you do NOT have intellectual honesty and to converse in good faith." Very sloppy. Do me the favor or ignoring my comments in the future since you see me as so far beneath you.
Guess who Bernay’s uncle was ? Sigmund Freud.
"The U.S. Empire is one big propaganda factory - of the most EVIL kind."
The US empire is not the US people, and I've noticed some here seem to have a big problem keeping that straight.
>>"The US empire is not the US people, and I've noticed some here seem to have a big problem keeping that straight."
Can you blame them? Just as many in America blame all Russians, all Chinese, etc. it is bound to happen that people worldwide might blame ALL Americans for the EVIL of the US Empire.
Let's take the case of Israel. Can you blame all/most Israelis (and their society and culture) for what they've done for 75+ years and continue to do? Are they right in their blame of ALL Israelis? Maybe yes, maybe no - but it is unavoidable once people see the carnage wrecked by Israel.
Similary, when one looks at American history (from the period of colonization of the Americas) and the carnage that the U.S. has wrecked on the WHOLE WORLD (including the planet), it seems understandable as to how some/many people would blame the 'American people' for their Government, U.S. Foreign Policy, Imperialism, terrorism, sanctions, debt diplomacy, regime-change operations, exploitation through economic and neoliberal policies, support and enabling of an ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing, and so much more.
I would be very surprised if more people (around the world) don't blame Americans directly (whether rightly or wrongly). It's called blowback - and there will be consequences for ALL AMERICANS for the consequences of the actions of the U.S. Empire. That is the reality!
I do very much distinguish between the rulers and the ruled in each country, including Israel and the USA. It is not that difficult and should be expected by any reasonable, intelligent person as a default.
It is immensely important for world peace to understand this.
You're right - "It is immensely important for world peace to understand this." - and I wish more people had the ability to make these distinctions, but unfortunately, emotions cloud rational thought (eg. can you blame the Arabs from hating Americans)?
>>"It is not that difficult and should be expected by any reasonable, intelligent person as a default."
I would disagree with you here. People such as you and I (and many others) are able to make these distinctions, but I very much doubt still many others (especially in places the U.S. Empire has exploited and destroyed) are able to (and more importantly willing to) make the same distinctions.
Blaming multiple people for the work of one or one group is irrational. It's often at the heart of many *isms. So, yes, it is highly problematic for anyone, American or not, who does this.
Whether I "blame" them (i.e. hold them morally accountable) for their stupidity, their ignorance, and/or their alien values, as well the causes behind all of those dimensions, is completely another matter, requiring individual-level attention to really get it "correct" -- *even on our own value scale*. An impossible task, yet we continue with our pretensions.
I pointed out many months ago on this Substack how even the most rabid supremacist Israelis can have their own very coherent worldviews, ones that we probably could never convince them to abandon. I am completely opposed to their perspective, of course, as obviously most everyone here is, but the dirty little secret about humans is that *all* morality is unavoidably relativistic.
Need vastly more left "soft power":
https://fictiongutted.substack.com/p/most-revolutionary-table-of-contents
“All murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.” Voltaire .
Crusader Pete and friends with their new toys
Goldberg does these clowns a big favor by describing the Houthis as "Iran-backed terrorists" interrupting global trade, when he knows full well they are supporting Palestinians by targetting only ships involved in Israeli trade and, now, also ships involved in trade with the countries attacking Yemen.
Yes....how dare they stifle a genocide in progress! The nerve...take tsk tsk...food? Medical supplies? Not allowed. Evil.
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/leaked-messages-reveal-what-us-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-its-war-plans/
Bloviators — the Petes. When the Dems were in, I imagined Buttigieg playing with toy cars and trucks in his office. Now I imagine Hegseth playing with toy soldiers and aircraft carriers. The point — I don’t think any of these stewards of our domestic and international resources ever really grew up — fully grew into an adult understanding of reality that includes the existence, rights, and aspirations of us millions of proles out here — both domestic and international.
Neg-empathy yes — but it’s even more than that: A lack of discretionary, incisive analysis of complex multivariate outcomes. I see and hear none of that coming from these blustering bloviators — life and war are just too straightforward to these folks. We are under the control of juveniles masquerading as fully cognizant adults.
>>"We are under the control of juveniles masquerading as fully cognizant adults."
🎯💯 For sure. I have NEVER seen a more INCOMPETENT administration in US history (during my lifetime) than the present one. And STUPID. This level of stupid scares me - stupidity combined with a certain level of evil can be a lethal combination that may result in things I wish to avoid contemplating about...
"I have NEVER seen a more INCOMPETENT administration in US history (during my lifetime) than the present one. And STUPID"
Gee whizz, how's this one different from Biden's regime?
Oh, I know, bc it was not Trump in the office and it were demoncrats. As if it makes any difference, demoncrats, retardicans...
Or... you just became an adult and saw only one administration...
Both parties are war parties, Israel parties, oligarch parties...because for ALL of them the ONLY thing that matters is
$$$$$.
Indeed.
Hence only cognitively challenged can make distinctions between the two or three or any number of them deeper than the paintwork.
Whataboutism already? Caitlin does talk about how ass-licking Trump supporters keep bringing up Biden even though the present Trump administration is accelerating the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Gaza and Palestine.
(1) Trump has already sent over $12 billion to Israel in the first 2 months of his term. [State Department announces plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/state-department-announces-plans-for-7-billion-plus-arms-sale-to-israel) Feb 8, 2025)] [Rubio Bypasses Congress to Send Israel $4 Billion in Arms (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/us/politics/rubio-arms-israel.html) Mar 2, 2025]
(2) Trump makes 2,000-pound bombs available to Israel, undoing Biden pause (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-makes-2000-pound-bombs-available-israel-undoing-bidens-pause-2025-01-25/)
Should I go on...?
This isn't a comparison between Biden and Trump (if that is what you got from my comment). This is MY OPINION on the current Trump administration. If you don't like it, I don't care.
You call it whataboutism, yet I have no love at all for 90% of the steamrollering that's going on now. The *only* thing Trump brings (or "brought", past tense), IMO -- and it's quite important -- is/was the revelation of the extent of the secrecy state and the horrific amount of madness and corruption in *all* directions for *all* purposes. That he, naturally, commits the same sins is completely to be expected.
Do you know WHY he is revealing the corruption (which exists in EVERY nation and EVERY Govt. on earth)?
Because he can use that as an excuse to lend firepower to his DOGE initiatives so that he can dismantle ALL public institutions and can PRIVATIZE them - this is HOW neoliberalism works.
What happens when everything is privatized? Transparency disappears. Accountability disappears. Private corporations are not beholden to the public.
Hence, he is using the GUISE of "revealing" corruption (which is ALWAYS present) as a way to make his case for the privatization of Government. Most people are too easily fooled by such narratives - and that is how he seems to be getting away with it so far.
"so that he can dismantle ALL public institutions and can PRIVATIZE them"
Certainly, this is their bait-and-switch. However...
"corruption (which is ALWAYS present)"
It waxes and wanes. But in any case is *not* to be openly tolerated. I'm not sure if you are dismissing this as any kind of problem.
I know for you there were no other US regimes except Trump. Hence the loss of reality akin to sever LSD overdose (just not as colourful and fun as LSD).
"Whataboutism already? "
Do you understand the meaning of this word?
It's you silly who pointed to *all* US regimes and arsessed that the current one is [expletives here] more than any other. It is an invitation to compare and indicate the silly stupid ideas.
C'mon, everyone can recognise a Bidenite wokeist case in you... this is dying to come to surface and shine. Let it shine man!
You have no clue what Caitlin says... except the bits where she (justly) says Trump Bad... the rest is not visible to you
>>"Do you understand the meaning of this word?"
Let me throw that back at you - since you obviously do not understand what "whataboutism" is.
"Whataboutism or whataboutery is a pejorative for the strategy of responding to an accusation with a counter-accusation instead of a defense against the original accusation. From a logical and argumentative point of view, whataboutism is considered a variant of the tu-quoque pattern, which is a subtype of the ad-hominem argument. The communication intent is often to distract from the content of a topic."
Caitlin's article AND the OP's comment talk about the CURRENT administration - the Trump administration, whereas YOU try to divert focus (in your own way) towards the "Biden" administration.
>>"C'mon, everyone can recognise a Bidenite wokeist case in you"
I've been hearing this a lot lately - ever since Trump started his second term - and it seems to be coming ONLY FROM the Trump cult - the MAGA suckers that have fallen for all the hoodwinkery and false narratives of their God - The Donald. Thank you for comfirming your affiliation and cult status.
A few other points on your behavior/psychology ->
(1) I don't respect ANYONE that "likes" THEIR OWN comments (as you do all the time). It reeks of an inferiority complex and an admission of LOW SELF-ESTEEM that one needs to "like their own comments" to support their ego and keep up pretenses.
(2) As Caitlin writes >> "Trumpers have their tongues so far up Trump’s asshole that they’re more supportive of Trump’s warmongering than Trump’s own appointed officials." I would add to that that people such as yourself have their tongues so far up Trump's asshole, that they cannot see straight, and their ability to comprehend reality and discern what is obvious to everyone else suffers as a result.
(3) As per our previous conversation -> you seem to be a troll.
I have only one word to respond: eDiot
I think there’s a greater than 50% probability that this will be the last US administration.
Think it's closer to 100%...and may be even sooner when Fuhrer starts WWWIII...
"I have NEVER seen a more INCOMPETENT administration in US history (during my lifetime) than the present one. And STUPID. "
You need to read more widely. All the stupidity you see in the Trump admin is, well, trumpeted in media to the hilt, but in Dem admins all the same shit goes on and is furiously buried and/or twisted/massaged into virtue. Regarding Israel, Caitlin clearly showed it here.
No, I don't think you really understood my comment.
Here is why the Trump administration is STUPID -> They're stupid because instead of using soft persuasion (and propaganda and narratives like the Biden administration did), they are outright admitting to their COMPLICITY, abyssmal moral depravity, and PURE, UNADULTERATED EVILNESS and their FULL SUPPORT for the ethnic cleansing and Genocide of Palestinians - so that the WHOLE WORLD can see and know - once and for all - who they reall are - what the U.S. Empire really stands for.
Hence, the propaganda DOES NOT WORK as effectively under the Trump administration as it did under the Biden administration.
Note: I am NOT comparing the level of EVILNESS, morality, etc. of the 2 administrations - I am comparing the "incompetence and stupidity" of the 2 administrations from the point of view of "Empire management".
"they are outright admitting ... / Hence, the propaganda DOES NOT WORK as effectively under the Trump administration as it did under the Biden administration."
I don't think most people are suddenly so shocked, many Democrats had known "something is wrong with this picture" not long after October 7. Trump 47 is clearly confirming what the *permanent government* priorities are, and that, in general (for both sides), Trump 47's "shock and awe" as populism increasingly looks like a con. Significant rebellion will appear quite soon among Trumpers, but this time around they will *not* be switching [to | back to] Democrats for relief. It will get extremely interesting and dangerous.
The "stupidity" you say is so prevalent with Trump is simply the strategy of the real power players. They want major upheaval in this country to do the "Plan B" method of violently ushering in comprehensive totalitarianism, certainly planned well before the 2024 election, as "Plan A" bureaucratic creep has been insufficient.
Yes, Chang. A good point........stupidity and evil as a pairing is extremely dangerous.
It will be that combination that unleashes the first nuclear warhead on a selected target.....or.....as I have said for years in reference to the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. "shootdown" as it was known back in 2014, we will see an on-purpose error, a.k.a. a false flag exercise, as it was then. A Russian made missile fired by Ukraine, but attributed to Russia, purposely.
Anyone questioning this should note the statement from John Kerry at the time , I think the day after, that they knew definitely 'where it came from'.
Stated just once, but never stated again, allowing for ridiculous investigations since that date in various European countries, one after the other, condemnation of Russian as suited the climate then and now and statements by a pathetic Prime Minister named Abbott in Australia, announcing his intention to "shirt front" Putin to confront him with this fact.
Putin must have been shaking in his boots at the thought of that possibility..
There are just too many nuclear armed countries, or those with access to same, to discount the likelihood of such a crime. Add to that, the Dictator President of the USA, anxious to leave his mark on some foreign land as a result of a country not supplying him with all his scarce but desired minerals, or creating a climate of anti-Americanism based on the constant use of sanctions as a weapon, well under way, or a direct dictate from his controller Netanyahu who may have threatened to expose Trump's early Epstein associations (on record but restricted for public exposure.....by Trump himself) and all that means.
The possibilities are endless, all would be justified by the Western media (a.k.a. False Publications) as this or that , whatever story suits the climate at the time. You know how it is.
Exactly you are led to believe... we have the same in the UK with Starmer's lot, France has it with Macron, Canada, Australia, NZ and the list goes on...
Personally, I think all intended by the likes of the WEF and the globalist elitist scum, to bring about social rest / race war / religious war / f you politicians class war ... in order to allow them to play the "out of chaos comes order" RUSH to totalitarian rule. WHY ?.... because I think they underestimated US PEOPLE and our so called "awakening" with the plandemic and jabs... JUST MY VIEW.
They're absolutely not incompetent (or stupid) - they are just very competent at making people think they are incompetent.
You can't forgive these monsters, or allow them any excuses - because they know perfectly well what they do.
>>"They're absolutely not incompetent (or stupid) - they are just very competent at making people think they are incompetent."
Oh, they DEFINITELY ARE incompetent AND stupid, but also psychopathic and sociopathic, and so much more.
>>"You can't forgive these monsters, or allow them any excuses"
No one's forgiving these monsters or allowing them excuses - THEY ARE PURE EVIL (regardless of any other characteristics like gross incompetence or any form of stupidity). These characters should ALL BURN IN HELL (over-and-over again for eternity).
It's not juveniles, it's sociopaths. They're not merely delayed as a juvenile is, because they will never be capable of learning empathy.
These are not serious people. Cospaying action figures...and so forth....
In America the blood of innocents enjoys the love of both fake political parties.
There is an anti-war faction within the Democratic Party........and the battle for who will control it is just starting. There is nothing fake about those standing up to the current mainstream policies, who are living with death threats. RFK represented this faction at one time and they gunned him down, so it's real; it's very real.
Your belief that the Democrat Party, the current version, has any courageous members is naive and sad. Money owns the DP, and any newly elected members who think they can change that, soon learn what ideals are acceptable and what words are not to be spoken.
The role of the duopoly is to imitate the forms of democracy while class war is being waged against the population. If you have access to YouTube, I recommend you view Four Horsemen (2012). It’s a straightforward explanation of the world without the religious and ideological and media filters noise that distracts so many.
You betray the cause of Palestine when you call those calling out Israeli genocide and working to block shipment of arms "owned." As an 84 yr old with a world class education in political science, I do not need some brainwashed person telling me I need to watch a youtube video to see the truth. I see where your views come from; mine come from a lifelong study of politics and a skeptical approach to the official narrative, including the claim that both parties are the same and all members are the same. This is a betrayal of the campaign to end the bloodshed by blocking US arms shipments. You may as well join AIPAC, which denounces the same people you are accusing of selling out. I expected this reaction from those whose understanding of politics is based on watching youtube.
Who are you referring to? Please tell me what Democrats are standing against the genocide with any traction and a following. You call me brainwashed and you are deluded. The issue of the Palestinians has one Democrat who consistently goes against her party to call some attention to the atrocities committed by her government. If you are a regular consumer of Caitlin’s blog, you already know that the “differences” between the two parties are NOT on the MIC, wars of any stripe, lower taxes, always lower, and the surveillance state. The government - both parties are hard at work on behalf of their donors. Wake up, Dale.
unwarranted - it seems to be a waste of time argueing with this "Dale Ruff" character - he's too blind and set in his internal ways of thinking to let FACTS get in the way of his believed narratives.
Dale Ruff is a hopeless case - and seems to come across as a shill for 'some' progressives from the Democratic party.
He also suffers from 'elitism" issues - he keeps bringing up his age, his 'superior education', his acquaintances, his "self-professed history" (who knows if it is real or not) as a defense and in support of his arguments instead of using logic and critical thinking.
The urge to have a fight with an identifiable foe is too tantalizing for the conditioned mind. I think this is what makes Caitlin’s writings so compelling for both of us and many others.
Anybody who was around when Bill Clinton was presented and perceived as a “moderate” in opposition to the rabid Republican Newt, can review recent history and see the long con. He won by kissing corporate asses, then traded away the best-paying union jobs, got rich by serving the super rich, lowered taxes, de-regulated banks which foreshadowed the 2008 economic crash, and with the proxy war not yet over (because the weapons keep on shipping), we learn that the POS 42nd president, fast tracked Poland to join NATO, which was the first violation of the Bush/Baker promise to never expand NATO east of the unified Germany.
Jimmy Carter who sought to broker a peace between Begin and Sadat, was later to identify the Israeli State as an apartheid state, and Carter, who was no saint, today stands as the last Democrat administration that wasn’t the property of corporations. Trump has decimated the Republican Party, but that is another con, because Zionist policies are still plaguing the planet. Bernie tried to “reform” the DP from within, but then he chose symbolic power over fighting for real change. So this is what happens to ideals. In Washington they are washed away with the dirt in the gutter. I think the American youth are immune to the rhetorical “values” recited by the elected liars who cannot grasp their own irrelevance.
In Tucson, AOC who has openly called Israeli war crimes genocide and BErnie Sanders who got 19 Democrats in the Senate to back a bill to stop arms shipments to Israel based on war crimes and violation of international law, got 23,000 people at a rally; and in Denver, they got 34,000. This indicates the growing momentum of the pro-Palestinian faction within the Democratic Party......
Here is Congress woman warning Biden that his support of genocide would lose him the election...and with 10 million Democrats staying home, she was proved right. "CNN
—
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan on Friday accused President Joe Biden of supporting a Palestinian “genocide” and warned that Americans will remember when he’s up for reelection next year how he responded to the Israel-Hamas war.
In a video posted to X, Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, urged Biden to call for a ceasefire in the conflict – something the president and his administration has so far not done.
“Mr. President, the American people are not with you on this one,” Tlaib said in the video, adding, “We will remember in 2024.”
The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington, U.S., March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Pentagon pulls Defense Department support for congressional travel to Israel, restricts official visits
The video – which features images of protests with chants of “Free Palestine” and ‘From the river to the sea” across Michigan, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and New York – ends with text that states: “Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people,” cnn.com
You have a choice: you can support these people, join the 34,000 who showed up in Denver, in their effort to take control of the Democratic Party and make it the voice of the people (a poll showed the majority of Democratic voters think Israel is committing genocide) or you can hurt the cause by calling them fakes, traitors, or insignificant. Your choice.
All change, by definition, starts with a minority, and it is up to you and me to grow that minority or dismiss it because it is not the majority. I urge YOU to support this movement rather than belittle it,as the anti-Palestinian forces do.
We all have choices. You choose to believe that rhetoric is a suitable substitute for action. These politicians are too few to change the policies of the government, and they know it, and now you do too. The differences between the two parties are for the official record, and to promote the illusion that voters are being represented. The U.S. economy depends on war. It is the one industry in America that keeps the lights on and doesn’t require Americans to get out of their chairs.
Some courageous did exist (e.g. Gabbard; C. Bush), but were "killed" off, one way or another. Whatever else you think of them, at least the Republicans are not killing off *their* courageous (e.g. Massie; on occasion, Paul).
Gabbard? and courageous? Maybe you're unable to recognize a chameleon when you see one? Understandable - that's precisely what chameleons do - disguise themselves and pretend to be something they're not.
Some other famous chameleons are Obama, Bill Clinton, Fetterman, and so many others...
"Maybe you're unable to recognize a chameleon when you see one?"
They're all over the place. Problem is, you simply never know for sure, and have only high confidence in suspicions once you have "irrefutable" proof. That's often hard to impossible to get unless and until you literally know them *personally* (especially, live with the person).
Therefore, what I put *a measure of* stock in is what a person declares publicly, and what they apparently publicly suffer. In Gabbard's case there are certainly a few of these. I find it dubious that she is a complete fraud as Democrat, and has been in her own Manchurian candidate sleeper cell.
When someone seems to have no skin at risk in the game, that's suspicious. For example, I find it highly suspect that they never found a way to (indisputably and seriously) silence and punish Noam Chomsky in all these years.
Now, who do *you* put out there as a non-chameleon?
That you have to go back 50 years to RFK by itself shows you are grasping at straws to find antiwar democrats. The war faction has won.
Not to mention the fact that Sirhan Sirhan by his own admission shot RFK precisely because of RFK's slavish support of Israel.
"Normal people tend to assume they’re looking at a more or less accurate picture" Normal people are beginning to realize that what they are looking at is a pack of lies that they cannot trust for one second.
YEP, the great awakening. Happened 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq WMD BS or the plandemic...
I am assuming that the "great awakening" is sarcasm. Beginning. Just starting.
Not arguing, but no. For the majority, it happened with the masks. lockdowns and jabs.... "take a false test", even if you feel healthy; you might have Covid... then the excess deaths or deformities happened with loved one, family or friends .... that is why jab rate is down from over 73% in the UK to less than 50%. There will always be an ignorant mass.... but remember that you only need 3-5% of the population to create a HUGE REVOLUTION... !
The empire and its lackeys focus on narratives and messaging. Yemen, Iran, Russia and China focus on actions, capabilities, resources, preparedness and consequences. The Yemeni people understand intimately the consequences of their actions but they have decided to take those actions because they align with their fundamental moral position. The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris. But they control lots of war toys and machines efficient at killing and destruction. Yemen and Iran are well aware of the limitations of the US military. Vance, Hegseth, et al, are not. A lot of people are in for some very big shocks.
>>"The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris."
💯 Well expressed!
"The dumbfcuks participating in that Signal chat only understand power and control from an intellectually and morally stunted perspective. They are clueless about the rest and are intoxicated with delusional hubris."
They're not stupid. They're psychopaths and sociopaths. Big difference.
>>"They're not stupid. They're psychopaths and sociopaths."
Nope - they're psychopaths, sociopaths, stupid, AND incompetent (and so much more).
They're stupid because instead of using soft persuasion (and propaganda and narratives like the Biden administration did), they are outright admitting to their COMPLICITY, abyssmal moral depravity, and PURE, UNADULTERATED EVILNESS and their FULL SUPPORT for the ethnic cleansing and Genocide of Palestinians - so that the WHOLE WORLD can see and know - once and for all - who they reall are - what the U.S. Empire really stands for.
OK, I'll admit the actual participants were stupid. But I'm confident the strategic context is not, comes from psychopaths elsewhere, and has been remarkably consistent from administration to administration.
What's different in Trump 47 is that a chaos strategy has been implemented. The people at root driving it are certainly intelligent psychopaths and sociopaths; they aim for it all to go up in some kind of mushroom cloud at some point a year, two, or three down the road -- and then take over a traumatized nation, in one way or another. Who knows what kinds of terrors they have planned for the near future? COVID and its management was a clear example of this strategy at work, the best yet IMO.
Many comments on this piece, and yet the word trump has yet to be uttered.
I’ll say the word biden.
It’s the same as trump.
Mr. Fish, neither man is relevant, neither Biden or Trump. We are watching the inevitable result of capitalism as it reaches its maturity.
There is something strange about suggesting that capitalism could ever be mature. More like reaching it's batshit crazy level of greed, cruelty and destruction.
Not relevant, just the same.
No, Trump and Biden are not the same, indeed they are quite distinctly different. Where there is a similarity is that both hold possibly the most powerful position in the World and both, to a substantial degree, have maintained major despicable policies long held by the USA, not least that of supporting, arming, funding and protecting the genocidal Zionist regime of Israel.
Nonetheless, there is a vast difference between Trump's demagoguery and Biden's relatively traditional presidential style and action.
Both bombed children without a thought.
We can’t actually know that. However, even if it were true, it does not equate to them being the same. We are all much more than a single thought, opinion, action or whatever.
Also, I did not excuse or claim any difference regarding the problems with their administrations. On the contrary, I mentioned the parallels.
Hang it up Roger along with your MAGA cap.
OK, OK. There is a big difference in style. But there is little difference in substance.
I don’t think that is consistent with your first reply.
They’re both exactly on the same capitalist runaway locomotive.
The ends they both pursue are identical.
I wish for them both a cigarette and a blindfold.
Guillotine is better.
Historically guillotines achieved better and longer lasting effects.
But hydra cannot be killed by beheading its one of many heads.
They both should go to a tnt enema party with Bb & supporters.
But the results are the same!
Don't you get it? Style! Big difference in style.
Hillary Clinton said (quoted by Bob Woodward) that she didn't care about hairstyles until she came to DC where they were found to be very important. Few understand foreign policy but everyone has an opinion about hairstyles.
Yes. I made that point in my comment. Sadly, most differences between left and right wing political parties, which have any chance of obtaining and holding on to power, are more superficial than substantial.
Are Republicans and Democrats left and right. Aren't they right and centre?
The most informative realism regarding to the time and space we find ourselves today. Narrative was excellent. Many thanks for the excellent work……
Pablo
As usual, murderous Empire of 🇺🇸🇮🇱😡🤮💯
It bothers me how much focus there has been on the reporter, although it was good to hear about some his story here. There is concern that all of government business today is being conducted on Signal, and maybe other channels, and that these conversations are not being archived as required by law. Evidently, Rubio was responsible for assuring that this was archived. But would he archive an illegal discussion? Having this discussion on an unsecure communications system is clearly illegal. What's is truly disgusting is all of the phone word play the Administration has been trying to use in order to avoid taking responsibility. Gabbard actually said what was said was not classified. What she was saying is that they didn't classify it even though it was a classified discussion. Every word out of their mouths makes me ask, are they that stupid, or just that incompetent? Someone with a brain would cut their losses by simply telling the truth. As I have been repeating, lately, First-rate people hire first-rate people, second-rate people more third-rate people." Since Trump is at the bottom of any rating scale, I am aware of, his team choices can only mean that we've reached rock bottom and are now digging.
>>"makes me ask, are they that stupid, or just that incompetent?"
BOTH! (just as the rest of the Trump administration). I was listening to a discussion in China (on YouTube) about Trump, his tariffs, and the impact on China. It seems the Chinese think that Trump is doing more harm to the U.S. itself than to any other country, and the Chinese have decided to take a 'wait and watch' approach to see how deep the impact of the Trump administration policies will be on the U.S. Economy and general security and coordination of whatever is left of the Govt. after DOGE uses its wrecking ball on everything running and sustaining the country.
The Chinese seem to be happy (so far) with what Trump is doing. This is the impression I got from the participants in the discussion.
The Chinese take the stance of "Why stop your enemy from doing what he's doing when he's doing himself in?"
Mike McElfresh,
What bothers me is not the fact that the reporter- Caitlin has shown how rubbish his journalistic credentials are - was inadvertently in the loop; nor the fact that Trump's stooges are stupid and incompetent; but the stark truths that are being ignored: first, the cold, hard cruelty exhibited by Trump's circle - talking of bombing a country and killing human beings as if they are disposable; and second, the fact that Trump's wars have already begun in the best traditions of empire.
One suggestion/quibble: I wouldn’t call these people freaks. That sounds like a compliment to someone in the U.S. who used to hear in the 60s (and ever since) about letting one’s freak flag fly, which was a very good thing. “Freak out”, even though it’s a cliché, is still what you can do in a good way (although in a bad way too) on a hallucinogenic trip. These meanings have stayed, and these people have nothing to do with them. They’re demons.
Americans should think about their city being bombed with no warning because another country thought they were acting in self defense.
Imagine out of the blue a bomb drops on their neighbor’s house.
I’m pretty sure that they would think it was a war crime, but they don’t care when we do it to others.
American exceptionalism!
Relevant:
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2013 repealed the domestic dissemination ban giving the government greater power to covertly influence public opinion. That opened some previously shut doors.
President Trump is enjoying great popularity and delirious support from those on board with his re-election. He is being given a blank check to bring us to this mythical Golden Age he speaks about. The years of his being hounded have braced the population of supporters to rush to his defense because they are sure it's happening again. The close calls with shooters have convinced them that God is protecting him and, it follows, what he does. If a judge gets involved, the judge is seen as pettily trying to usurp the powers of this president whether or not this is true. Those complaining are mocked. Trump can enjoy rock-solid support for his choices.
That's why I don't think this egregious failure to secure the contents of the meeting discussing plans to bomb Yemen will yield any prosecutions or firings. The spin will win. Amateurs and businessmen are piloting the ship of state. But they are supposedly loyal to Trump and that loyalty won them positions.
The hideous truth is we have a war president involving us in a greater number of wars and conflicts. I've lost track of how many wars we're involved in. How easy it would have been to say "not my war(s)" but Trump is adding to the list. So, what has changed? It's easy to argue international relations are far worse but the facts are lost in the ferver. It's going to have to affect everyday Americans in order to break this political fever.
Ms. Johnston, most people confuse POWER with INFLUENCE. Power controls the lives and behavior of people through the use of force. Influence controls the lives and behavior of people by convincing them to agree to believe and behave in the desired fashion. The MAGATs exercised power to their evil ends; while the Democrats exercised influence to their evil ends. Under capitalism there is no way out.
"It’s always fascinated me how much empire managers focus on messaging. Their focus is never on whether or not they should do evil things, it’s on what narrative they’re going to sell to the public about the evil things they’re going to do."
This statement is so insightful. The propaganda/narrative manipulation machine never tries to make what the empire does sound"moral" because that would be impossible. All it does it spin the empire's actions in such a way that the public thinks that there is no other option, that this is the only reality, no matter how sad or violent it is. It truly is a game run by sociopaths. The Yemenis don't deserve this bombing. The Palestinians don't deserve to be bombed. But the propagandists will somehow spin the narrative to make these innocents appear guilty, deserving to be bombed. F*** the empire and its propaganda machine!!