Listen to a reading of this article: Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, and Chris Hedges have lent their expertise to the subject of the war in Ukraine with some recent comments that help bring some much-needed clarity to an often confusing and always contentious issue. Here they are:
I've come to a nuanced view about ol' Noam, after his views on the unvaxxed. Listening to Russell Brand's interview of him, I was struck by his sense of his own moral rectitude, his superiority over everyone else, his insistence that young people will save us (Greta speaking at Davos!), and his statement that only change within the existing system can happen in time to avert climate catastrophe. As one of my viewers said, "the only anarchist in that conversation was Russell."
When you have to hate Dostoevsky, demand fealty from orchestra conductors, reduce the Western EU to economic rubble as a promo gimmick? Provoke mass starvation for lack of Russia's chemical fertilizers? But of course in spite of over 6000 sanctions Russia should never consider its own interests. Yeh, something's a little weird. Unprovoked war? Like the US Britain, any power that could wouldn't take more stringent actions for far less? Falkland Islands? Propaganda? This is fantasy land.
Hedges fails to reconcile his contradictions and his American Exceptionalism. I was watching a Hedges' speech on YouTube this morning where he was discussing climate change and overall environmental armageddon and yet in his latest article related to NATO and the war in Ukraine, it's as though environmental armageddon isn't an issue for him at all and it's not relevant.
China and Russia are not the answer to Western neoLiberalism. In fact, they're worse considering neither gives a shit about climate change and environmental degradation. China is addicted to growth and will continue to grow until the planet is no more. Russia is committed to extracting and renting every last resource contained in its soils until none is left and it is committed to a world that ALWAYS relies on those rented resources, planet be damned.
Take BRICS, for example. Brazil is a wet dream for oligarchs. It has pretty much zero regulation of industry. Hence, the Amazon rainforest, part of the planet's lungs if you will, is being destroyed at such a rapid pace by and for industry, that it now in parts emits more CO2 than it absorbs and it once upon a time was a massive CO2 sink. Putin is fine with this. Xi is fine with this. So tell me, how is a so-called multipolar world, if Xi and Putin are to be believed that's what they truly want, any better than a neoLiberal unipolar world when environmental armageddon is assured either way?
Very interesting post with useful info. I noticed the same gratuitous adjectives and modifiers used against Trump very early on and not being a Trump supporter I was shocked at the credulity of those who missed the manipulation.
Keep in mind, Chomsky's parents were Ukrainian Jews when their population was upwards of 5 million. Today their population in Ukraine is around 200K. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
Is it really an “Invasion” though? As this commenter put it: “What Russia intended was to decimate Ukraine’s military capability, crush Azov and other hostile fascist elements stationed in the east, liberate the Donbas and connect Crimea to the independent republics”
I must take issue with Caitlin’s judgment that Russia is responsible for having started the war, provoked as it was. From Russia’s standpoint, the war actually started on February 16 with the heavy shelling of Donbas by Ukrainian forces. Russia claims to have had reliable intelligence that an invasion of Donbas would begin in early March. Hence, Russia’s invasion was fundamentally defensive in nature and only happened after a fruitless wait of 8 years for the Minsk Accords to be implemented.
Even more importantly, Russia justifiably viewed NATO’s expansion as an existential threat that aimed to split the country into smaller states and remove Vladimir Putin from power. The US/NATO alliance had shown itself to be totally disinterested in peaceful negotiations. How else could Russia have addressed the very real threat to its existence as a sovereign and self-reliant nation? It seems to me that the only viable course of action under the circumstances was a military one.
Yes exactly! Richard gave a demo of that in his film. Even my young daughters got it, it made it so obvious. A&E for 911 Truth was such a brilliant organization. It reminds me of the Covid Truthers now, and the integrity and solidarity with which they discussed research and put together the pieces. It's hard to develop a conspiracy theory alone (a term I use with respect as the basis for all journalism.) You need others who are seeing the same thing that doesn't make sense and developing hypotheses and adding to the data set of what's known and what's the best working explanation.
My focus, in my book How to Dismantle an Empire, is on a new economic model. I've been envious of the community around 911 then or Pandemic+ now. Even those who are the foremost thinkers on economic reality and what to do about it, like Ellen Brown, are shot down by egotistical assholes on sites like scheerpost. There's no fraternal (gender non-specific) organization that's operating with the same reality and agenda.
Thanks for adding my episode to your playlist! Here's my book, fyi:
"Unfortunately the managers of empire don't seem to have any plans to abandon their goal of global conquest anytime soon", and "unless the empire had some major agendas..."
The trouble with that view is that "they", "the managers", "the empire" implies there is some sort of unified conspirational "they" who make the plans around a "green baize table" (re: Tom Wolfe). The reality is more complicated, and perhaps even more worrisome as I discuss here:
There are several, perhaps a multitude of "theys" who operate mostly independently, and without much communication to other "theys" as to their true plans. There is a "they" at BigPharma, as well as at each BigPharma enterprise, at each of the three letter agencies, "theys" at the several thinktanks, at BigOil, BigChemical, BigFinance, BigCongress, BigJudiciary, et al. Mostly “they” hate the other “theys” and wouldn’t give them the time of day. One might even speak of a "War Between the Theys"
On one thing they are unanimous, however. They will never back down! Neither for the "safe and efficient" charade nor for the "Evil Dictator-of-the-Month" idiocy. "They" all will have to continue this abomination to the very end, with the top echelons of "they" hoping and/or planning something big that will divert attention, that will bring such change that all else will be forgotten, overlooked, ignored. One or two scenarios come to mind...
hmm. ''intelet' chomsky should learn A LOT! ftom Pepe ESCOBAR, and vomit garbage!...Here’s the arguably key passage:
“They should have understood that they have already lost from the very beginning of our special military operation, because its beginning means the beginning of a radical breakdown of the World Order in the American way. This is the beginning of the transition from liberal-globalist American egocentrism to a truly multipolar world – a world based not on selfish rules invented by someone for themselves, behind which there is nothing but the desire for hegemony, not on hypocritical double-standards, but on international law, on the true sovereignty of peoples and civilizations, on their will to live their historical destiny, their values and traditions and build cooperation on the basis of democracy, justice and equality. And we must understand that this process can no longer be stopped.”
hmm, chomsky?, nothing but masticate, vocabulario!, it is so sad ! how much this person dislike Slavic people!, always try to ''equalize'' constant crimes with Russian real defense! (870mill. nato VS 146 + in other countries Russians!, HISTORICALLY ), same about ex. yugo and on and on..... to his blabering, I will agree with Putin statement : COMPARE TO ''YOU'' WE ARE ANGELS WITH WHITE WING!!... excrement propaganda does work!
National Security Archive released last month. "Nuclear Winter: U.S. Government Thinking During the 1980s" Washington, D.C., June 2, 2022 – The apocalyptic threats emanating from Moscow over the Ukraine war raise the terrible prospect of nuclear weapons use. The probabilities may be low, but if a major nuclear war occurred, the catastrophic impact of a so-called nuclear winter could be felt on a global scale.
Today the nongovernmental National Security Archive presents an assortment of government and contractor reports from the 1980s, when scientists first surfaced the nuclear winter theory. These records describe preliminary efforts to explore the thesis along with related issues. Although the topic quickly became politically charged, some high-level officials including President Ronald Reagan indicated that they accepted the concept was theoretically possible.
Among the primary documents posted today are an early overview of the Defense Nuclear Agency’s research program, published for the first time, concluding that a large-scale nuclear exchange could cause “atmospheric trauma” with “serious potential for severe consequences” for the weather and climate. Also in the compilation are progress reports on the Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s research agenda, and a CIA report from late 1984 on nuclear winter research in the former Soviet Union.
I've come to a nuanced view about ol' Noam, after his views on the unvaxxed. Listening to Russell Brand's interview of him, I was struck by his sense of his own moral rectitude, his superiority over everyone else, his insistence that young people will save us (Greta speaking at Davos!), and his statement that only change within the existing system can happen in time to avert climate catastrophe. As one of my viewers said, "the only anarchist in that conversation was Russell."
And so I've concluded: https://thirdparadigm.substack.com/p/noam-chomsky-is-the-problem.
To be fair, the Russia hate hysteria began before the russiagate conspiracy theory was thought up.
When you have to hate Dostoevsky, demand fealty from orchestra conductors, reduce the Western EU to economic rubble as a promo gimmick? Provoke mass starvation for lack of Russia's chemical fertilizers? But of course in spite of over 6000 sanctions Russia should never consider its own interests. Yeh, something's a little weird. Unprovoked war? Like the US Britain, any power that could wouldn't take more stringent actions for far less? Falkland Islands? Propaganda? This is fantasy land.
Hedges fails to reconcile his contradictions and his American Exceptionalism. I was watching a Hedges' speech on YouTube this morning where he was discussing climate change and overall environmental armageddon and yet in his latest article related to NATO and the war in Ukraine, it's as though environmental armageddon isn't an issue for him at all and it's not relevant.
China and Russia are not the answer to Western neoLiberalism. In fact, they're worse considering neither gives a shit about climate change and environmental degradation. China is addicted to growth and will continue to grow until the planet is no more. Russia is committed to extracting and renting every last resource contained in its soils until none is left and it is committed to a world that ALWAYS relies on those rented resources, planet be damned.
Take BRICS, for example. Brazil is a wet dream for oligarchs. It has pretty much zero regulation of industry. Hence, the Amazon rainforest, part of the planet's lungs if you will, is being destroyed at such a rapid pace by and for industry, that it now in parts emits more CO2 than it absorbs and it once upon a time was a massive CO2 sink. Putin is fine with this. Xi is fine with this. So tell me, how is a so-called multipolar world, if Xi and Putin are to be believed that's what they truly want, any better than a neoLiberal unipolar world when environmental armageddon is assured either way?
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/deforestation-brazils-amazon-hits-record-first-half-2022-2022-07-08/
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/15/1016469317/parts-of-the-amazon-rainforest-are-now-releasing-more-carbon-than-they-absorb
Very interesting post with useful info. I noticed the same gratuitous adjectives and modifiers used against Trump very early on and not being a Trump supporter I was shocked at the credulity of those who missed the manipulation.
Now do “global pandemic.”
and guess whos behind all of america's invasions? https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/how-jewish-is-the-war-against-russia/
Keep in mind, Chomsky's parents were Ukrainian Jews when their population was upwards of 5 million. Today their population in Ukraine is around 200K. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
Is it really an “Invasion” though? As this commenter put it: “What Russia intended was to decimate Ukraine’s military capability, crush Azov and other hostile fascist elements stationed in the east, liberate the Donbas and connect Crimea to the independent republics”
Do you know about Azov Caitlin?
The empire behaves towards the world like a maniacal rejected and abusive aspiring lover: if i can't have you, no one can.
I must take issue with Caitlin’s judgment that Russia is responsible for having started the war, provoked as it was. From Russia’s standpoint, the war actually started on February 16 with the heavy shelling of Donbas by Ukrainian forces. Russia claims to have had reliable intelligence that an invasion of Donbas would begin in early March. Hence, Russia’s invasion was fundamentally defensive in nature and only happened after a fruitless wait of 8 years for the Minsk Accords to be implemented.
Even more importantly, Russia justifiably viewed NATO’s expansion as an existential threat that aimed to split the country into smaller states and remove Vladimir Putin from power. The US/NATO alliance had shown itself to be totally disinterested in peaceful negotiations. How else could Russia have addressed the very real threat to its existence as a sovereign and self-reliant nation? It seems to me that the only viable course of action under the circumstances was a military one.
Yes exactly! Richard gave a demo of that in his film. Even my young daughters got it, it made it so obvious. A&E for 911 Truth was such a brilliant organization. It reminds me of the Covid Truthers now, and the integrity and solidarity with which they discussed research and put together the pieces. It's hard to develop a conspiracy theory alone (a term I use with respect as the basis for all journalism.) You need others who are seeing the same thing that doesn't make sense and developing hypotheses and adding to the data set of what's known and what's the best working explanation.
My focus, in my book How to Dismantle an Empire, is on a new economic model. I've been envious of the community around 911 then or Pandemic+ now. Even those who are the foremost thinkers on economic reality and what to do about it, like Ellen Brown, are shot down by egotistical assholes on sites like scheerpost. There's no fraternal (gender non-specific) organization that's operating with the same reality and agenda.
Thanks for adding my episode to your playlist! Here's my book, fyi:
https://www.amazon.com/How-Dismantle-Empire-2020-Vision/dp/1733347607/
Definitely interesting times... But :
"Unfortunately the managers of empire don't seem to have any plans to abandon their goal of global conquest anytime soon", and "unless the empire had some major agendas..."
The trouble with that view is that "they", "the managers", "the empire" implies there is some sort of unified conspirational "they" who make the plans around a "green baize table" (re: Tom Wolfe). The reality is more complicated, and perhaps even more worrisome as I discuss here:
https://peterwebster.substack.com/p/faucis-escape-route
There are several, perhaps a multitude of "theys" who operate mostly independently, and without much communication to other "theys" as to their true plans. There is a "they" at BigPharma, as well as at each BigPharma enterprise, at each of the three letter agencies, "theys" at the several thinktanks, at BigOil, BigChemical, BigFinance, BigCongress, BigJudiciary, et al. Mostly “they” hate the other “theys” and wouldn’t give them the time of day. One might even speak of a "War Between the Theys"
On one thing they are unanimous, however. They will never back down! Neither for the "safe and efficient" charade nor for the "Evil Dictator-of-the-Month" idiocy. "They" all will have to continue this abomination to the very end, with the top echelons of "they" hoping and/or planning something big that will divert attention, that will bring such change that all else will be forgotten, overlooked, ignored. One or two scenarios come to mind...
hmm. ''intelet' chomsky should learn A LOT! ftom Pepe ESCOBAR, and vomit garbage!...Here’s the arguably key passage:
“They should have understood that they have already lost from the very beginning of our special military operation, because its beginning means the beginning of a radical breakdown of the World Order in the American way. This is the beginning of the transition from liberal-globalist American egocentrism to a truly multipolar world – a world based not on selfish rules invented by someone for themselves, behind which there is nothing but the desire for hegemony, not on hypocritical double-standards, but on international law, on the true sovereignty of peoples and civilizations, on their will to live their historical destiny, their values and traditions and build cooperation on the basis of democracy, justice and equality. And we must understand that this process can no longer be stopped.”
hmm, chomsky?, nothing but masticate, vocabulario!, it is so sad ! how much this person dislike Slavic people!, always try to ''equalize'' constant crimes with Russian real defense! (870mill. nato VS 146 + in other countries Russians!, HISTORICALLY ), same about ex. yugo and on and on..... to his blabering, I will agree with Putin statement : COMPARE TO ''YOU'' WE ARE ANGELS WITH WHITE WING!!... excrement propaganda does work!
Thoughts to add NYC PSA?....National Security Archive June 2022 "Nuclear Winter: U.S. Government Thinking During the 1980s"
Nearly half of luxury units empty in Billionaires' Row buildings
https://nypost.com/2021/08/05/nearly-half-of-luxury-units-empty-in-billionaires-row-buildings/
Nearly Half of the Pricey Condos on Billionaires' Row Sit Empty
https://www.habitatmag.com/Publication-Content/Co-op-Condo-Buyers/2021/2021-August/Nearly-Half-of-the-Pricey-Condos-on-Billionaires-Row-Sit-Empty
National Security Archive released last month. "Nuclear Winter: U.S. Government Thinking During the 1980s" Washington, D.C., June 2, 2022 – The apocalyptic threats emanating from Moscow over the Ukraine war raise the terrible prospect of nuclear weapons use. The probabilities may be low, but if a major nuclear war occurred, the catastrophic impact of a so-called nuclear winter could be felt on a global scale.
Today the nongovernmental National Security Archive presents an assortment of government and contractor reports from the 1980s, when scientists first surfaced the nuclear winter theory. These records describe preliminary efforts to explore the thesis along with related issues. Although the topic quickly became politically charged, some high-level officials including President Ronald Reagan indicated that they accepted the concept was theoretically possible.
Among the primary documents posted today are an early overview of the Defense Nuclear Agency’s research program, published for the first time, concluding that a large-scale nuclear exchange could cause “atmospheric trauma” with “serious potential for severe consequences” for the weather and climate. Also in the compilation are progress reports on the Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s research agenda, and a CIA report from late 1984 on nuclear winter research in the former Soviet Union.
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/environmental-diplomacy-nuclear-vault/2022-06-02/nuclear-winter-us-government