The Democratic “Deep State” Takeover and the Moribund State of American Politics

BE SURE TO PASS THESE ARTICLES TO FRIENDS AND KIN. A LOT DEPENDS ON THIS. DO YOUR PART.

By Danny Haiphong, BAR contributor

“Democrats make gun violence in America the primary midterm election issue because the passage of single payer healthcare, a scale back of the military budget, or a reduction in poverty are not issues that the Wall Street-owned, CIA Democrats want to touch.”

Over the course of the last few months, I have been on a break from writing articles to focus on a book project that will consist of a series of essays critiquing and analyzing the relationship between American exceptionalism and American imperialism. It has been difficult to observe political developments without feeling a sense of cynicism and optimism all at the same time. On the one hand, the fact that both political parties have united completely in their assault on the lives of oppressed people has been met with little opposition beyond non-profit centered “resistance” against the orange billionaire in chief. On the other, American imperialism remains in state of permanent crisis. The crisis is so immense that the moribund state of American politics is palpable.

The takeover of the Democratic Party by the so-called “Deep State” (the Real State) is a product of both the crisis of imperialism and the bankruptcy of American politics. All indications point to the 2018 midterm elections being a breeding ground for the CIA’s entrance into the realm of electoral office. According to a World Socialist Website study , “Of the 102 primary elections to choose the Democratic nominees in these competitive districts, 44 involve candidates with a military-intelligence or State Department background.” In other words, a shift from red to blue in the midterm elections would greatly increase the number of spooks holding office in American imperial state. This confirms a trend rooted in the endless clamors for war against Russia based on intelligence assessments that Russia “influenced” the 2016 election campaign.

“The fact that both political parties have united completely in their assault on the lives of oppressed people has been met with little opposition beyond non-profit centered “resistance” against the orange billionaire in chief.”

That is, the CIA is taking the American political apparatus into its own hands. Since the months leading up to Trump’s victory in the 2016 elections, the CIA and its partners in the American intelligence apparatus have been on the front lines of the American march to war with Russia. CIA, NSA, and other National Security sector analysts have taken over the airwaves on MSNBC and CNN to cry foul on the Russians for damaging the most “sacred” aspect of American “democracy:” the electoral process. The Democratic Party surely hasn’t learned from Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt to court voters with a “big tent” for the ruling class to huddle under. National Security spooks from the Obama and Bush II administrations have nothing to offer the poor and desperate working class, especially Black voters who have seen economic conditions decline and murders by police explode. They don’t utter a word about Stephon Clark because they are experts in creating millions of Stephon Clarks around the globe.

Workers and oppressed people in the American nation-state are compelled to choose between hard right representatives of the White Man’s Republican Party or the Democratic representatives of the war apparatus. Black Americans and union workers have historically held their nose and voted for the Democrats because they represented the “lesser” of two evils. The 2016 elections broke this pattern of behavior, something that no one on the left should grieve. Numerous studies have shown that Black voters and unionized workers ditched the Democrats in high enough numbers to ensure Hillary Clinton’s defeat. The CIA and intelligence candidates that have lined up behind the Democrats should fair no better in 2018.

“Since the months leading up to Trump’s victory in the 2016 elections, the CIA and its partners in the American intelligence apparatus have been on the front lines of the American march to war with Russia.”

But where does this leave us? Surely a chaotic, right-wing Trump Administration offers little to the masses. A type of gridlock has developed that offers some respite from the bipartisan consensus on austerity and war, but not much. Trump has met establishment resistance over many of his ill thought out policies. However, Trump’s time in office has also meant that the ruling class clamor for war with Russia has only become louder. The CIA Democrats have criticized Trump for supposedly being Russia’s “man in the White House.” While Trump has not disappointed in making the rich even richer, he has angered many wealthy donors of the two-party state for not aggressively building upon the foundations of war with Russia laid by prior administrations.

Russia is but one example where the crisis of American imperialism has reached its most desperate stage. The American ruling class is in a panic over its waning global influence and has consistently sought to obliterate any opposition to its rule. Conditions of decline are also evident inside of the American nation-state. The hoarding of wealth by the top 1 percent has reached astronomical levels. Mass shootings dominate headlines. Teachers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have all partaken in strikes against the austerity and privatization currently ravaging public education. All American imperialism has to offer is more war, more poverty, and more suppression of the legitimate problems afflicting workers and poor people.

“The hoarding of wealth by the top 1 percent has reached astronomical levels.”

And because this is all American imperialism can offer, it is all the Democratic Party can offer. The Republicans march on as a significantly weaker party of the White Man after Trump’s win, while the Democrats attempt to regain strength off the backs of the “Deep State.” Democrats criticize Republicans for becoming the party of white supremacy yet fail to mention how they have become the party of Reagan. In full neo-con dress, the Democratic Party “resists” gun violence with billionaire donors and exploit youth of former FBI heads . Democrats make gun violence in America the primary midterm election issue because the passage of single payer healthcare, a scale back of the military budget, or a reduction in poverty are not issues that the Wall Street-owned, CIA Democrats want to touch. The system of imperialism is swallowing itself.

At some point, the crisis of American imperialism will morph into a full-on collapse. Democratic leadership will continue to support actual fascists in Ukraine or Pinochet type mercenaries around the world at their own peril. It will continue to ignore the needs of the people at home because the very interests of its Wall Street and militarist donors leave it no other choice. The Republicans will continue to flock right and split into a thousand pieces. Many forget that the Republicans have lost much of their base to Trump, and not even he may be able to maintain grip of the White Man’s Party.

“Persistent unemployment and massive closures of industry such as that seen in retail are products of the perils of high-tech capitalism.”

Politics in the American nation-state are completely moribund. American imperialism is reaching a point of no return. It has developed the most high-tech capitalist economy in world history only to watch that economy contract under the weight of its own contradictions. Persistent unemployment and massive closures of industry such as that seen in retail are products of the perils of high-tech capitalism. The system relies on debt because workers and poor people in America cannot absorb the fruits of labor. They are too busy dying at the hands of the police, filling up homeless shelters, or growing old inside of prison.

American politics have followed the path of decline paved by imperialism. China and Russia are on the rise, economically and militarily. A new world is closer than we think. But the CIA Democrats and their so-called Republican opposition still have a monopoly on the narrative. Their popularity is on the decline, but disaffected workers and poor people have nowhere else to go. Third Parties have been systematically excluded and grassroots movements are weak. Instead of Democratic campaign issues like gun violence, we should be placing our attention on these central problems. Their resolution will determine whether the people choose cynicism or optimism in the political struggles to come.


The Democratic “Deep State” Takeover and the Moribund State of American Politics

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Danny Haiphong is an activist and journalist in the New York City area. He can be reached at wakeupriseup1990@gmail.com .

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ALL CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS

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Things to ponder

While our media prostitutes, many Hollywood celebs, and politicians and opinion shapers make so much noise about the still to be demonstrated damage done by the Russkies to our nonexistent democracy, this is what the sanctimonious US government has done overseas just since the close of World War 2. And this is what we know about. Many other misdeeds are yet to be revealed or documented.

Parting shot—a word from the editors
The Best Definition of Donald Trump We Have Found

In his zeal to prove to his antagonists in the War Party that he is as bloodthirsty as their champion, Hillary Clinton, and more manly than Barack Obama, Trump seems to have gone “play-crazy” — acting like an unpredictable maniac in order to terrorize the Russians into forcing some kind of dramatic concessions from their Syrian allies, or risk Armageddon.However, the “play-crazy” gambit can only work when the leader is, in real life, a disciplined and intelligent actor, who knows precisely what actual boundaries must not be crossed. That ain’t Donald Trump — a pitifully shallow and ill-disciplined man, emotionally handicapped by obscene privilege and cognitively crippled by white American chauvinism. By pushing Trump into a corner and demanding that he display his most bellicose self, or be ceaselessly mocked as a “puppet” and minion of Russia, a lesser power, the War Party and its media and clandestine services have created a perfect storm of mayhem that may consume us all. Glen Ford, Editor in Chief, Black Agenda Report

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Deep State Restrained Obama. Will It Restrain Trump? Time to Abandon Mere Hope For Action

HELP ENLIGHTEN YOUR FELLOWS. BE SURE TO PASS THIS ON. SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON IT.

Bruce A. Dixon, BAR managing editor
Dateline: 12 Apr 2018
 

The only good thing I can think to say about the Obama presidency is really kind of negative too, a monstrous crime he almost committed, but backed away from at the last minute. It was the only time in Obama’s political career that I’ve seen him take what might remotely be described as a risk. It was the the aftermath of the August 2013 chemical weapons attack on Ghouta, a suburb of the Syrian capital Damascus which killed 1,300 people. While all the TV talking heads and publicly visible admirals and generals blamed the nerve gas attack on the Syrian government, Obama bucked the warmongering tide which he himself had helped raise, opting NOT to escalate the US war in Syria with carpet bombings of its infrastructure and a no-fly zone, the prelude to an inevitable invasion.


Obama, a loyal shill for the empire. It will take decades for this creep's nefarious influence and ill-deserved reputation to be neutralised and wiped clean, if ever.

According to Seymour Hersh, the reporter who revealed the My Lai massacre to the world four decades earlier, Obama was hemmed in by his own dedication to America’s historically belligerent anti-Iran and pro-Israel policies in the Middle East on the one hand, and some of his spooks and generals on the other who realized that if the Syrian regime was overthrown, it would be replaced by Kurdish militias controlling some areas, by US and Saudi backed jihadis who want to make the 10th century great again in charge of others, by remnants and factions of the Syrian army in a few more places, by Israeli and Turkish annexation of areas near their borders, and direct intervention by neighboring Iran – in short a chaotic regional bloodbath, the uncertain outcome of which would dwarf the mess Obama made in Libya.

So Obama blinked. He accepted a Russian proposal for the handover of Syrian chemical assets, and more talks. While the bloody US-Israeli-Saudi-Turkish and NATO instigated civil war in Syria dragged on and on, it did not mushroom into the much larger disaster that might have been, and might still become.

That was a good thing. At the end of 2013 and in early 2014 Seymour Hersh revealed that Obama almost certainly knew that Ghouta was a false flag attack. Chemical weapons are extremely volatile. They degrade and destroy the rockets and delivery systems used to deploy them within hours, and emit trace chemicals that are easily detectable at moderate distances by rings of remote sensors US and Israeli intelligence agencies have placed near all the Syrian army’s bases and staging depots. None of those sensors picked up any chemical weapons activity. Jihadi extremists armed and funded by the US and the Saudis were known to include personnel experienced in the manufacture, arming and deployment of chemical agents. Some had even been busted by Turkish police attempting to buy and transport sarin, its manufacturing equipment and precursor chemicals across Turkey’s border with Syria.

Beginning in 2012 after the fall of Libya, Hillary Clinton and President Obama arranged for the shipment of weapons which included surface to air missiles out of Libya and into the hands of their favorite Syrian rebels including ISIL, al Nusra and Al Qaeda, various factions of which were backed by Qatar, Israel, the Saudis and Turkey. But despite lavish funding, epic brutality, more military hardware than they could wield and the unstinting media and diplomatic support of the West, their bloodthirsty puppets were losing the Syrian civil war. So they staged a chemical attack against an area they controlled with the intent of blaming it on the Syrian government. Their aim was to provoke the US into knocking over al Assad so they can fight with the Kurds, Turks, Iranians Saudis, Israelis and Syrians maybe backed by Russian and/or Iran over the possibly radioactive remains of that unhappy country. It almost worked.

In 2014, the Syrian government handed over all or nearly all its chemical weapons arsenal to international authorities including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for destruction. There were minor charges in 2015 and 2016 that chlorine gas was used in a few places, but they were small scale affairs and chlorine is so ineffective as a military tool it’s hard to make a case that any government with a minimally competent army would use it.

The next major allegation of chemical warfare in Syria was in 2017, when 19 people died near Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel held town in northwest Syria. The Americans and their stooges as usual blamed it on the Syrian government. The Russians offered a different explanation, suggesting that government forces had bombed a place where sarin had been stored. Either way, the timing of the incident made no military sense from the standpoint of the Syrian government. They continued to slowly and surely win the war, shrinking the rebel held areas each month, and had no reason to jeopardize their gains by provoking the US. In recent weeks, Trump Secretary of War Defense admitted that previous allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons were false, a fact barely reported on at all by US corporate news sources.

While US presidents come go, there is a permanent layer of cops, spooks, fixers, military types, intelligence professionals, think tankers we can call the deep state, all beholden to the lords of capital, especially the energy industry and America’s galaxy of military contractors. Some are Republicans, some are Democrats, and for all we know some might be nonpartisan. Among them are the people who helped prevent Barack Obama from launching a war in which a dozen nations would have fought and millions might have died, which could easily have escalated into a nuclear conflict between the US, Israel and NATO on the one hand and Russia on the other.

Obama with UNO ambassador Samantha Power—a horrid Neocon harpie that Trump's Nikki Haley has exceeded in vileness, and that is no small feat.

We can hope that some of these forces, none of whom are friends of peace or justice, will restrain Donald Trump, as they did Obama. The odds don’t look good. Hersh’s January 2016 article in the London Review of Books identifies General Michale Flynn as one of thoe who opposed some of the most drastic war plans for Syria, and he’s gone. Hope is nothing we can count on. Hope is, as Derrick Jensen says, a longing for a future condition over which we have no agency. Hope might lead some of us to the Democrats, who regularly pretend to be the party of peace when Republicans are in power, and some leftists pretend to believe them. That’s acting out of hope because we have no agency over the Democratic party. A three part investigative series by the World Socialist Web Site identifies 57 CIA, military, Homeland Security and other intelligence professionals running as Democrats for seats in Congress this year, nearly all backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, except in the couple of cases where two of these are running against each other. We have to grow up and admit to each other that Democrats never have and never will be a peace party.

When we grow up, when we abandon hope, that longing for the future condition over which we have no agency, all that’s left is the responsibility to take action. Our fates are truly in our own hands. The capitalist warfare state can only produce war, against humans and against the planet itself. We must envision and plan for its end, organize ourselves and build the traditions and institutions that will take its place.

For Black Agenda Radio, I’m Bruce Dixon. Find us on the web at www.blackagendareport.com, where you can subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter, on SoundCloud, and hopefully soon coming to iTunes.


 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Bruce Dixon is managing editor at Black Agenda Report and a state committee member of the GA Green Party, which unlike Democrats and Republicans unequivocally supports network neutrality. He lives and works in Marietta GA and can be reached via email at bruce.dixon@blackagendareport.com. 

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The Best Definition of Donald Trump We Have Found

In his zeal to prove to his antagonists in the War Party that he is as bloodthirsty as their champion, Hillary Clinton, and more manly than Barack Obama, Trump seems to have gone “play-crazy” -- acting like an unpredictable maniac in order to terrorize the Russians into forcing some kind of dramatic concessions from their Syrian allies, or risk Armageddon.However, the “play-crazy” gambit can only work when the leader is, in real life, a disciplined and intelligent actor, who knows precisely what actual boundaries must not be crossed. That ain’t Donald Trump -- a pitifully shallow and ill-disciplined man, emotionally handicapped by obscene privilege and cognitively crippled by white American chauvinism. By pushing Trump into a corner and demanding that he display his most bellicose self, or be ceaselessly mocked as a “puppet” and minion of Russia, a lesser power, the War Party and its media and clandestine services have created a perfect storm of mayhem that may consume us all. Glen Ford, Editor in Chief, Black Agenda Report 

 

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Syria: The Ongoing Battle of Lies vs. Truth (Video & text)

Briefly put, the entire foreign policy of the United States, and its vassal states, is a capital crime, and the tool to get away with it is huge, heinous lies, repeated by the servile media 24/7 to maintain their populations in a state of virtual stupor and passive complicity. Below a short compendium of videos reflecting this sorry reality. Strong stomachs required.


Dateline: 4.13.18/4.14.18
Impudent liars

The Blowhard in Chief, an ignorant bully who manages to be also repulsively sanctimonious. Or a sociopath playing the role of president, a passable actor, as Reagan was, implementing horrid schemes, as the job requires. Trump is probably doing what he can to please and get the Deep State off his back, to no avail. And for that he’s clearly willing—along with his neocon camarilla, to risk a nuclear war. Face it, he has become a card-carrying frothing neocon, a betrayal of his campaign promises. (Thank the CIA Democrats for that, too, with their equally non-existent Russiagate psyop that defeated the Donald’s initial ideas about Russia, Syria and NATO—all discombobulating to the senior “statesmen” in the imperial unelected cabinet.)

Below: Trump demonstrating he has the mental make-up of a 12 year old. No, correct that, of a 12 y.o. bully. Frankly, we can’t believe he’s for real. Maybe this is all an act to throw off his besiegers, while giving the appearance of being tough on Syria and Russia. 

RT
 Streamed live on Apr 11, 2018

Donald Trump warned Russia to “get ready” after Moscow vowed to shoot any missiles fired at Syria down. “They will be coming, nice and new and smart,” Trump tweeted. 

James Mattis, Joseph Dunford, on CBS
The Pentagon boys: we have no idea where they really stand. 

 


Trump has the audacity to “warn” Russia about shooting down his own murderous missiles. 



Below: The typical gang of idiots on Fox & Friends, polluting the minds of clueless (mostly) working class folks. The talking vermin with the big opinions passing for expert is Sebastian Gorka, quite possibly an unreconstructed CIA asset and russophobe, as such job entails. (The Wiki says: “Sebastian Lukács Gorka is a British-born Hungarian-American military and intelligence analyst, who was a deputy assistant to US President Donald Trump in 2017. He served from January 2017 until August 25, 2017, when, according to Gorka, he resigned because he believed White House officials were undermining the Make America Great Again platform.” So there, impeccably foul.)




Fair and square
Opinions and facts you can trust

A balanced and largely accurate picture of the situation, by a British analyst. The empire has an enormous, massive tactical advantage in sheer numbers of missiles, vessels and what not, all capable of offsetting and overwhelming Russia’s local task force’s resources.  



Ironic in the extreme that with most liberals baying for war, victims of a Democratic party mental virus that makes them obsess myopically on Russia and Trump, it is a voice on the right—Tucker Carlson, currently on a perch at Fox News (yes, you heard it right, Fox News)—who emerges as a sane and responsible commentator and all-round journalist, at a moment of supreme crisis for the destiny of this planet. We didn’t like Tucker before, but this type of principled, intelligent stand compels respect.  (Incidentally, while we remain ideologically opposed to libertarianism, we must also salute Ron Paul for his equally firm stand against the war insanity gripping Washington.) And one last comment: Tucker is the unicorn in an ocean of media filth on Fox News, and we wonder about his life expectancy on that channel. But then again, where would he go? 


Published on Apr 10, 2018

Tucker: Virtually all of official Washington, Republicans and Democrats, have united behind the idea that the United States has a moral obligation to go deeper into war in Syria after a suspected gas attack. Yet, our merely asking obvious questions, we are told to shut up and just obey. #Tucker


Below: As usual, in this issue of Crosstalk,  Peter Lavelle delivers a thought-provoking discussion of issues of vital interest to anyone still breathing. 


RT

Published on Apr 11, 2018
The drive towards war against Syria is unmistakable. The pretext is still another alleged chemical attack. As usual no evidence is presented. As usual conclusions are drawn before an independent investigation. But this time there is a difference. Syria can defend itself and it has powerful allies. We live in very dangerous times. CrossTalking with Michael Maloof, Joe Lauria, and Richard Murphy.

A sober, objective Russian response. Clearly, some rethinking of their overall strategy in the region is in order. Note the officer says they will now be including “other countries” in a future protective umbrella, a possible reference to Iran. 


Below, a CBS report filed by Seth Doane on 4.13.18, supposedly one of the few or only correspondent from a major Western media outfit. His dispatch—at least the images—are eloquent, although Doane, true to his job requirements, must inject some poison against Syria, like a cheap allusion to the country’s “propaganda apparatus”, etc., being in operation already, etc. But overall it is clear the people of Damascus remain unbowed and unconquered. Whether this will make the sociopathic hegemon will return sooner than expected, after another “gas attack” fabrication, is to be seen. 


Syrians take to the streets of Damascus to protest airstrikes

CBS This Morning

 Published on Apr 14, 2018
President Trump announced the airstrikes on Syria from the White House Friday night and described President Bashar al-Assad as a “monster.” Seth Doane reports from Damascus. He is the only U.S. network correspondent in Syria.

BONUS FEATURE


Tucker Carlson takes Commentary editor Noah Rothman to task for calling him an enabler of a tyrant (Assad) for simply questioning the truth and wisdom of attacking Syria on the basis of an unproven and yet to be impartially explained gas attack. (Assuming such an attack took place, which all evidence shows it did not, as it was a complete fabrication staged by the rebels with British and American asssistance.)

Fox News

 Published on Apr 11, 2018
‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ has dared to ask basic questions and challenge the notion of U.S. involvement in a war in Syria. Tucker takes on Commentary magazine associate editor Noah Rothman, who has accused him out spouting Russian propaganda on the alleged chemical attack in Syria. #Tucker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Collated and with commentary by the editors. 

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 CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS

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What price will mankind have to pay for the collapse of the Empire? (Updated)

By The Saker | Dateline: 13 April 2018


Damascus under Neocolonialist attack in the 21st Century. Self-congratulatory rhetoric aside, the rabid and cowardly Western disease has not been cured. (TGP screencapture / click on image)

UPDATED
The US message to the world: Bow down and worship me!

Dear friends,

I just wanted to let you know that I am aware of the situation.  Frankly, I have already said everything I had to say about the so-called ‘West’ in the following articles:

• AngloZionist options (intermediate report) UPDATED
• What price will mankind have to pay for the collapse of the Empire? (see below)

and I don’t have much to add of substance.

Tonight all I ask you to follow the advice I gave in this article:

EVERYBODY WAIT! DO NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS!

We have no facts. What US politicians (including generals – US generals are all politicians) say does not matter and is not “fact”.  The truth is that we won’t know for sure for at least 24 hours what took place.  The aggressors will present the attack as a huge success.  Don’t believe it!  The last time around it took several days to find out what really happened.

This is still my best advice to you:  wait for the facts and don’t listen to the Ziocon propaganda machine!

What is clear is that the Neocon-run Trump administration is willing to risk WWIII just to save its face, to look “tough” and to maintain the illusion of its relevance.  It is also willing to commit the most odious crime under International Law, the crime of aggression, and it does this brazenly, with the supine, cowardly, support of almost all the western political leaders. [And corporate media.—Ed]

Yes, the US is clearly spitting in the face of Russia daring her to “do something about it”, but Russia-haters should not hurry to rejoice.  Because by ignoring the UN and the entire corpus of International Law, the AngloZionists are also spitting into the face of every single human being on the planet and proudly declaring “we are the Hegemon, we are above everything and everybody, above you and above any of your laws or principles.  We are even above facts or logic.  Bow down and worship me!“.

On a personal note, my disgust tonight is really total.  I take some consolation in the fact that mine was one of the voices which tried to prevent this.  We failed, but at least we tried.  We can live with ourselves.   I also want to thank from the bottom of my heart those of you who have helped me in this struggle.  There really isn’t much we can do at this point besides pray for God’s mercy. What will happen will happen.  But even if this specific aggression stops today, the fact that the Empire was willing to risk the future of mankind just to save its ugly face tells us all we need to know about it and its so-called “values”.  Again, the message is clear:

Bow down and worship me!

It is now for each and every one of us to decide how to respond.  Or not.  Your choice.  You will have to live with yourself and the consequences of your choice.  Think of it as a giant mirror.  What do you see?

—The Saker

REGULAR ARTICLE STARTS HERE
What price will mankind have to pay for the collapse of the Empire?

I am surrounded, they are outside, I don’t want them to take me and parade me, conduct the airstrike, they will make a mockery of me and this uniform. I want to die with dignity and take all these bastards with me. Please my last wish, conduct the airstrike, they will kill me either way. This is the end commander, thank you, tell my family and my country I love them. Tell them I was brave and I fought until I could no longer. Please take care of my family, avenge my death, goodbye commander, tell my family I love them

Alexander Prokhorenko (Russian Special Forces Commando hero, last words during battle of Palmyra.)

This is for our guys”

Roman Filipov

[This analysis was written for the Unz Review]

We are currently living the most dangerous days in human history. You think that this is hyperbole?

Think again.

We are risking a nuclear Armageddon

The first thing to realize is that this is not, repeat, not about Syria or chemical weapons, not in Salisbury, not in Douma. That kind of nonsense is just “mental prolefeed” for the mentally deficient, politically blinded or otherwise zombified ideological drones who, from the Maine, to the Gulf of Tonkin, to NATO’s Gladio bombing of the Bologna train station, to the best and greatest of them all – 9/11 of course – will just believe anything “their” (as they believe) side tells them. The truth is that the AngloZionists are the prime proliferators of chemical weapons in history (and the prime murderers of Arabs and Muslims too!). So their crocodile tears are just that – crocodile tears, even if their propaganda machine says otherwise.

Does anybody seriously believe that Trump, May, Macron or Netanyahu would be willing to risk an apocalyptic thermonuclear war which could kill several hundred million people in just a few hours because Assad has used chemical weapons on tens, hundreds or even thousands of innocent Syrian civilians (assuming, just for argument’s sake, that this accusation is founded)? Since when do the AngloZionist care about Arabs?! This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!

For those who would say that speaking of “several hundred million people” killed is hyperbole, I would recommend looking up past western plans to “solve the Russian problem” including:

Articles like this onethis one, and this one are also good pointers (these are all estimates, of course, nobody knows for sure; all that matters is an approximate orders of magnitude).

By the way, I am not suggesting that at this point in time the AngloZionists would want to deliberately start a thermonuclear war with Russia. What I am suggesting is that there is a very simple and basic asymmetry between the Russian and AngloZionist forces in the Middle-East which could lead to such an outcome regardless of original intentions. Here is how:

How are we risking a nuclear Armageddon?

Step one: the AngloZionists strike Syria hard enough to force the Russians to retaliate.
Step two: now outraged by the Russian response, the AngloZionists retaliate against the Russian forces in Syria.

At this point it is crucial to remember that while the Russians have better equipment and far better soldiers than their “western” opponents (the examples of Alexander Prokhorenko or Roman Filipov will tell you all you need to know about how Russians in Syria fight, especially compared to the kind of personnel deployed by the US and NATO), the CENTCOM+NATO+Israel+KSA have an immense numerical advantage. It does not matter how effective the Russian air defenses or (tiny) air superiority aircraft force is when it can simply be overwhelmed by numbers. All the Empire needs to do is first fire a large number of dumb old Tomahawk cruise missiles, let the Russian use their stores of air defense missiles and then follow-up with their more advanced weapons. The truth is that if the Empire wanted to, it could even establish a no-fly zone over Syria and completely wipe-out the Russian task force. Sure, there would be losses on both sides, the Russians would fight heroically, but they would lose. Unless, of course, they got help from the Motherland, specifically in the form of cruise missile attacks from the Black Sea Fleet, the Caspian Flotilla, the aircraft stationed in southern Russia (Crimea) or even in Iran. Russia could also strike with land and sea based missiles. So Russia does have the capability to strike at numerous lucrative (and more or less defenseless) US and “coalition” targets throughout the Middle-East. But what would be the consequences of that?

Step three: Russian strikes on CENTCOM targets would force the Empire to fight back and strike at Russian Navy ships and, even worse, at military installations in Russia proper.
Step four: US/NATO attacks on Russian territory would inevitably trigger a Russian response on the USA itself.

That response would be initially conventional, but as the losses on both sides would mount, the use of nuclear weapons would be almost inevitable.

Yes, in theory, at any time during this escalatory cycle both sides could decide to de-escalate. In theory. But in the real world, I don’t see that happening nor have I ever seen any model which would convincingly explain how such a de-escalation could happen (especially with the exceptionally low-quality type of narcissistic and psychopathic individuals in command in the USA – think Trump or Bolton here – and all their “we are the best and biggest and greatest” pseudo-patriotic nonsense).

I am not predicting that this is what will actually happen, but I am saying that this is the risk the AngloZionist Empire is willing to take in order to achieve.. what exactly? What is worth taking such a risk?

I think that the UK Minister of Defense put it best: the AngloZionists want Russia to “go away and shut up”.

Why we are risking a nuclear Armageddon (go away and shut up!)

The Pythonesque twat that calls himself Britain’s Minister of Defence, Gavin Williamson. “Oh, just go away and shut up!” Their leadership is not much better than ours, and certainly no less sociopathic.

Go away and shut up” has been the dream of all western leaders since at least a millennium (interspersed and strengthened by regular (and failed) attempts at conquering and/or converting the Russians). Just think how frustrating it has been for a civilization which has established colonies worldwide, including in the farthest regions of our planet, to have this unconquerable nation right next door which was not only refusing to submit, but which would regularly defeat them on the battlefield even when they all joined forces lead by their “best and brightest” leaders (Napoleon, Hitler and… Trump?). Just imagine how a civilization centered on, and run by, bankers would go crazy realizing that immense riches were literally “right next door” but that those who lived on that land would, for some unfathomable reason, refuse to let them exploit it! The very existence of a “Russian Russia” is an affront to all the real (as opposed to official) western values and that is simply not something the leaders of the Empire are willing to tolerate. Hence Syria, hence the Ukraine, hence all the silly accusations of “novichok” cum buckwheat attacks. These are all expressions of the same policy

  1. Paint Russia as some kind of Mordor and create yet another “grand coalition” against her
  2. Force Russia to submit to the AngloZionist Hegemony
  3. Defeat Russia politically, economically or militarily

These are objectives for which it is worth risking it all, especially when your own Empire is collapsing and time is not on your side. What we are witnessing since at least 2015 is yet another western Crusade against Russia, a kind of holy war waged in the name of everything the West holds sacred (money, power, hegemonic world domination, secularism, etc.) against everything it abhors (sovereignty, independence, spirituality, traditions).

The simple truth is this: were it not for the Russian military capabilities, the West would have wiped Russia “off the map” long ago, and replaced it with something like a number of “mini-Polands” ruled by a liberal comprador elites just like the one currently in charge of the EU. The desperate scream “go away and shut up” is just the expression of having this “western dream” frustrated by the power of the Russian armed forces and the unity of the Russian people behind their current leader. But even the admittedly frustrating existence of Russia is not a sufficient reason to risk it all; there is much more at stake here.

Russia as the tip of a much larger iceberg

Due to geographical, historical, cultural, religious and military factors, Russia is today the objective leader of the worldwide resistance to Empire, at least in moral, psychological and political terms. But that does not mean that she is “anti-USA”, not at all. For one thing, Russia does absolutely not run or control the worldwide resistance to Empire. In fact, to a superficial analysis, Russia often looks pretty much alone in her stance (as shown by the recent Chinese behavior at the UN Security Council). The truth is that other countries who want an end to the AngloZionist hegemony have absolutely no incentive to join Russia on top of the US “shit list” and expose themselves to the wrath of the Hegemon, especially not when Russia seems to be more than willing to bear the brunt of the Empire’s hatred. Besides, like all large and powerful countries, Russia lacks real friends and most countries are more than happy to demand that Russia fix all their problems (as shown by the constant stream of accusations that Russia has not done enough in this or that part of the planet). And yet all these countries are not exactly standing in line to show solidarity with Russia when she might need it. So when I say that Russia leads the resistance I am not suggesting that she does that the way the USA runs NATO or some “coalition of the willing”. Russia simply leads by the fact that she does not “go away” or, even more so, does not “shut up”.

“The simple truth is this: were it not for the Russian military capabilities, the West would have wiped Russia “off the map” long ago, and replaced it with something like a number of “mini-Polands” ruled by a liberal comprador elites just like the one currently in charge of the EU…”

Russia is the only country on the planet, with the possible exception of Iran, which openly and unapologetically dares to denounce the Empire’s hypocrisy and which is willing to back her words with military power if needed. The DPRK is a unique and local case. As for the various Bolivarian countries and movements in Latin America, they are currently being defeated by the Empire. In theory, the Muslim world definitely has the potential to play a bigger role in the resistance to the Empire, but the Wahabi virus injected into the Muslim world by the USA+KSA+Israel has, at least so far, prevented the emergence of a successful and truly Islamic model besides the one of the Islamic Republic of Iran (hence the demonization of the latter by the AngloZionists).

And yet …

The Empire is in the process of losing the entire Middle-East. Not so much because of some brilliant and Machiavellian Russian or Iranian policies, but more as a courtesy of its own infinitely arrogant, stupid and self-defeating policies. The overthrow of Saddam Hussein will probably go down in history as one of the dumbest political decisions ever (Bolton was behind that one too, by the way). That was an entirely self-inflicted catastrophe. As was the almost equally disastrous invasion of Afghanistan. Another self-inflicted disaster for the AngloZionists was their support for the US/EU led coup in the Ukraine, which not only resulted in a calamity which the Europeans will have to pay for for many decades to come (think of it as a big Somalia on the EU’s doorstep) but also did an amazing job uniting the Russian people behind their leaders and reduced the pro-Western feelings in the Russian public opinion to something in the range of 2-5 percent at the most. “Getting” the Ukraine sure would not have been worth “losing” Russia.

Then there is China which the USA has grossly mismanaged since the so-called Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996 when Clinton militarily threatened China (see here for details) and with whom Trump has now launched a trade war in order to MAGA (good luck with that!).

In contrast, all the real “action” is now centered around the OBOR project in which China and Russia play the main role and in which the Anglosphere will play no role at all. Add the Petro-Yuan to the equation and you have the emergence of a new Eurasian model which threatens to make the entire Empire simply irrelevant.

And then there is Turkey (2nd most powerful NATO member state). And Pakistan for that matter. Or Afghanistan. Or Iraq. Or Yemen. Everywhere the Empire is in full retreat leaving only chaos behind.

The truth is that Russia would never be a credible threat to the AngloZionist Hegemony if it was not for the innumerable self-inflicted disasters the Empire has been absorbing year after year after year. In reality, Russia is no threat to anybody at all. And even China would not be a threat to the Empire if the latter was not so arrogant, so over-stretched, so ignorant, reckless and incompetent in its actions. Let me just give one simple, but stark, example: not only does the USA not have anything remotely resembling a consistent foreign policy, it does not even have any ministry of foreign affairs. The Department of State does not deal with diplomacy simply because the US leaders don’t believe in diplomacy as a concept. All the DoS does is issue threats, sanctions, ultimatums, make demands, deliver score-cards (on human rights and the like, of all things!) and explain to the public why the USA is almost constantly at war with somebody. That is not “diplomacy” and the likes of Nikki Haley are not diplomats. In fact, the USA has no use for International Law either, hence the self-same Nikki Haley openly declaring at a UNSC meeting that the USA is willing to ignore the decisions of the UNSC and act in complete violation of the UN Charter. Simply put: thugs have no need for any diplomacy. They don’t understand the concept.

Just like their Israeli masters and mentors, the US Americans have convinced themselves that all they need to be successful on the international scene is to either threaten the use of force or actually use force. Which works great (or so it seems) in Gaza or Grenada, but when dealing with China, Russia or Iran, this monomaniacal approach rapidly shows its limitations, especially when your force is really limited to shooting missiles from afar or murdering civilians (neither the USA nor Israel nor, for that matter, the KSA has a credible “boots on the ground” capability, hence their reliance on proxies).

The Empire is failing, fast, and for all the talk about “Animal Assad” or “Rocket Man” being in need of AngloZionist punishment, the stakes are the survival of Hegemony imposed upon mankind at the end of WWII and, again, at the end of the Cold War, and the future of our planet. There cannot be one World Hegemon and a multipolar world order regulated by international law. It’s an either-or situation. And in that sense, this is all much bigger than Syria or even Russia.


From Douma to Donetsk?

There is still a chance that the AngloZionists will decide to strike Syria symbolically, as they did last year following the previous chemical false flag in Khan Sheikhoun (Trump has now probably tweeted himself into a corner which makes some kind of attack almost inevitable). Should that happen though, we should not celebrate too soon as this will just be a minor course change, the 21st-century anti-Russia Crusade will continue, most likely in the form of a Ukronazi attack on the Donbass.

Quick reminder: the purpose of such an attack will not be to reconquer and then ethnically cleanse the Donbass, but to force the Russian Federation to prevent such an outcome by openly intervening. Such a Russian intervention will, of course, quickly stop the war and crush the Ukronazi forces, but at that point the tensions in Europe will go through the roof, meaning that NATO will (finally!) find a halfway credible mission for itself, the Germans will have to give up on North Stream II, Poland and the Baltic statelets will make money by becoming the East European version of Okinawa and the Anglo powers (US/UK) will firmly reestablish control over the EU, Brexit notwithstanding. Furthermore, Russia will become the target of a total economic war, including an energy blockade (the US will be more than happy to impose its overpriced gas on the Europeans), a disconnection from SWIFT, a seizure of Russian assets, a ban on Russian financial operations in the EU, etc. That could be risky, of course, especially with a trade war with China also taking place, but these are just options. What is certain is that as long as Putin or anybody like him remains in power in Russia, the Congress will continue to slap sanctions after sanctions after sanctions on Russia. In fact, during most of her history, even before the Revolution, Russia was under one type of western sanction or another. There is absolutely nothing new here and, as I like to remind people these days, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, especially with maniacal regimes and leaders.

Besides, as I have already mentioned in the past, and unlike the current confrontation in Syria, a war in the Ukraine is a very safe bet for the Empire. First, when the goal is the defeat of “your” side, almost any military adventure is pretty safe. Second, once the Russians are in Novorussia, they will “own it”, meaning that they will have to carry the huge financial burden of rebuilding it. Third, such a Russian presence would consolidate and even boost the Ukie nationalists who, by the way, will have a golden opportunity to blame everything they did wrong over the past 4 years on the Russians. Fourth, any such operation will get a lot of the worst and most rabid Ukronazi killed and that will remove a potential problem from the Poroshenko-types the US much prefers to deal with. Finally, as I said, this will give NATO a sacred mission to “defend Europe against a revanchist Russian rogue state” thereby crushing any European hopes for even a modest degree of independence from the Anglosphere. And the worst case? The worst case would be if the Novorussians can stop the Ukronazi attack without overt Russian intervention. But even if that happens and even if the Novorussians launch some kind of counter-offensive liberating Mariupol or Slaviansk, these are irrelevant losses from the point of view of the Empire which sees both Russians and Ukrainians as cannon fodder. Just as the Empire wants Arabs and Muslims to kill each other on Israel’s behalf in the Middle-East, so does the Empire want nothing more than to see Ukrainians and Russians kill each other in maximal numbers and for as long as possible.

Some might suggest here that the Novorussians could not only defeat the Ukronazi forces but also liberate the rest of the Ukraine, including Kiev. I find that exceedingly unlikely. Here is why: First, all the hurrah-patriotic nonsense notwithstanding, there are very good and objective reasons why the Novorussians could not liberate Mariupol the first time around (there was a major risk of Ukrainian envelopment for the Novorussian force) or why it took them so long to retake control of the Donetsk airport: during most of their existence, Novorussian forces were composed of a mix of different types of units which, for all their personal courage, were simply not capable of operational-level offensives. They were limited to tactical-level engagements which, even when successful, do not necessarily lead to operational-level developments. There seems to have been major changes made in the command structure of the Novorussian forces. The liberation of the Donetsk airport and, even more so, the Debaltsevo “cauldron” were joint DNR-LNR efforts, but even if, as I suspect, the Novorussians are now capable of operational-level counter-offensives, this is still not what it would take to liberate Kiev. Furthermore, as one Novorussian officer commented, “the further West we go, the less we are seen as liberators and the more as occupiers”. Last but not least, Russia will not allow the Novorussians to liberate most of the Ukraine even if they could do so, because then Russia would have to pay for the staggering costs of trying to fix this massive “European Somalia”, and that is a task far beyond her current means. For all the East-European hallucinations about some Russian invasion, Russia has neither the desire nor even the means to invade anybody. The painful reality is this: the Ukrainians will pay a dear price for their Russophobic delusions and most of the bill to fix that mess will have to be paid by the rest of Europe. They created that nightmare, let them fix it now.] 


Conclusion: back to Syria

None of the above should distract us from what is by far the biggest danger currently facing us all – the risks of a US-Russian war in Syria. In fact, this reality seems to be slowly dawning even on the most obtuse of presstitutes who are now worrying about a spill-over effect. No, not in Europe or the USA, but on Israel, of course. Still, the fact that there are folks who understand that Israel might not survive a superpower clash on its doorstep is a good thing. Maybe the Israel lobby in the USA, or a least the part of it which cares for Israel (many/most only pretend to), will be more vocal than all the silent Anglo shabbos-goyim who don’t seem to be able to muster even a minimal amount of self-preservation instinct? Bibi Netanyahu felt the need to call Putin after the Israeli ambassador to Russia was read the riot act by Russian officials following the (admittedly rather lame) Israeli airstrike on the T-4 Syrian air force base. Not much of a hope, I admit..

This is not about good guys versus bad guys anymore. It’s about sane versus insane. I think that we can safely place Trump, Bolton, Haley and the rest of them in the “terminally delusional” camp. But what about the top US generals? I asked two well-informed friends, and they both told me that there is probably nobody above the rank of Colonel with enough courage left to object to the Neocons’ insanity, even if that means WWIII. Again, not much hope there either…

There is a sura (Al-Anfal 8:30) of the Qur’an which Sheikh Imran Hosein often mentions which I want to quote here: And [remember, O Muhammad], when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you [from Makkah]. But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners. And since we are talking about Syria where Iran and Hezbollah are targets as much (or more) as the Russians, it is also fitting here to quote a very popular Shia slogan which calls to remember that the battle against oppression must be fought ceaselessly and everywhere: “Every Day Is Ashura and Every Land Is Karbala”. And, of course, there are the words of Christ Himself: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt 10:28).

Such religious references will, no doubt, irritate the many “enlightened” westerners for whom such language reeks of obscurantism, fanaticism, and bigotry. But in Russia or the Middle-East, such references are very much part of the national or religious ethos. To illustrate my point I want to quote from Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s “Divine Victory Speech” spoken in 2006 following the crushing victory by a relatively small Hezbollah force of the combined might of the Israeli ground, air and naval forces:

We are today celebrating a big strategic, historic, and divine victory. How can the human mind imagine that a few thousand of your Lebanese resistance sons – if I wanted, I would give the exact number – held out for 23 days in a land exposed to the skies against the strongest air force in the Middle East, which had an air bridge transporting smart bombs from America, through Britain, to Israel; against 40,000 officers and soldiers – four brigades of elite forces, three reserve army divisions; against the strongest tank in the world; and against the strongest army in the region? How could only a few thousand people hold out and fight under such harsh conditions, and [how could] their fighting force the naval warships out of our territorial waters? By the way, the army and the resistance are capable of protecting the territorial waters from being desecrated by any Zionist. [Applause] [And how could their fighting] also lead to the destruction of the Mirkava tanks, which are an object of pride for the Israeli industry; damage Israeli helicopters day and night; and turn the elite brigades – I am not exaggerating, and you can watch and read the Israeli media – into rats frightened by your sons? [How did this happen] while you were relinquished by the Arabs and the world and in light of the political (human solidarity was profound though) division around you? How could this group of mujahidin defeat this army without the support and assistance of Almighty God? This resistance experience, which should be conveyed to the world, depends – on the moral and spiritual level – on faith, certainty, reliance [on God], and readiness to make sacrifices. It also depends on reason, planning, organization, armament, and, as is said, on taking all possible protective procedures. We are neither a disorganized and sophistic resistance, nor a resistance pulled to the ground that sees before it nothing but soil, nor a resistance of chaos. The pious, God-reliant, loving, and knowledgeable resistance is also the conscious, wise, trained, and equipped resistance that has plans. This is the secret of the victory we are today celebrating, brothers and sisters.

These words could also be used to describe the relatively small Russian task force in Syria. In fact, there are numerous parallels which could be made between Hezbollah’s role and position in the Middle-East and Russia’s role and position in the world. And while both are well-trained, well-armed and well-commanded, it is their spiritual power which will decide the outcome of the wars waged against them by the Hegemony. AngloZionist secularists will never understand that – they just can’t – and that will bring their inevitable downfall. The only question is the price mankind will have to pay to have that last Empire finally bite the dust.

—The Saker


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 The Saker is an ex-military analyst who was born in Europe to a family of Russian refugees. He now lives in Florida where he writes the Vineyard of the Saker blog and is a regular contributor to Russia Insider. The international community of Saker Blogs includes, besides the original Saker blog, French, German, Russian, Oceania and Serbian members and will soon include a Latin American member.  

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 CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS

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Demand the United States Withdraw Its Forces From Syria and Respect International Law

BE SURE TO PASS THESE ARTICLES TO FRIENDS AND KIN. A LOT DEPENDS ON THIS. DO YOUR PART.

DATELINE: 11 Apr 2018

The Black Alliance for Peace says the only institution with the right and power to protect the peace and resolve international conflict is the United Nations.”

The pending military intervention into Syria by the United States represents yet another case of unilateral illegality that continues the systematic assault on international law and morality that has characterized U.S. foreign policies since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, when the United States found itself without any countervailing global power. The result for the people of the world has been unending military conflicts, destabilization and the destruction of whole nations.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., correctly identified exactly a year before his assassination that the United States is the greatest purveyor of violence on the planet. The 50th anniversary of his murder just passed on April 4 and five decades later, the United States continues to hold that distinctive position. This reality makes any declaration on the part of the United States that it alone has the responsibility to intervene on the side of human-rights protection an absurdity and an insult to the intelligence of the national and international communities.

Today, the people of the United States are supposed to believe the racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic Trump administration is supposedly so concerned about Arab life in Syria that it feels morally compelled to engage in direct military intervention. That is a position we in the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) do not believe based on the documented actions of this administration and all previous administrations. These regimes have demonstrated their utter contempt for the lives of non-Europeans in their quest to maintain their global dominance.

“US. governments have demonstrated their utter contempt for the lives of non-Europeans in their quest to maintain their global dominance.”

U.S. support for the continued brutality of the apartheid state of Israel and its immoral justifications for Israeli crimes against humanity committed at the apartheid wall in Gaza reflect the bi-partisan moral degeneracy of the ruling parties, media and ruling oligarchy. Their lack of real concern for Palestinian life reveals not only their lack of morality, but the real imperialist interests that determine their opportunistic position on Syria.

Just a few weeks after the massive marches to address U.S. gun violence, the people of the United States are being asked to support the ultimate form of gun violence—war. For BAP, the only way the movement to oppose gun violence in the United States will have any moral credibility is if people link gun violence in the United States to militarism and war abroad.

BAP takes an unequivocal position against U.S. intervention in Syria. We say the only institution with the right and power to protect the peace and resolve international conflict is the United Nations. We condemn any and all unilateral interventions by any state and assert that any state that violates the international norms that are committed to the maintenance of peace as established by the United Nations Charter is a rogue state that deserves international condemnation.

We say if the United States is concerned about human rights, it should:

* prosecute killer cops who savagely murdered Stephon Clark in Sacramento, California;

* investigate the approximately 1,000 killings each year at the hands of police in the United States;

* stop the mass transfer of children from juvenile courts to adult courts;

* stop the militarization of its domestic police forces;

* stop the raids of migrant communities;

* release its political prisoners; and

* cease the collaboration with the corporate media and private communication companies in its effort to censor and limit news content on the Internet.

But we know centering human rights has never been a commitment of the U.S. state. That is why BAP says if you want peace, you have to be willing to fight for it. This weekend, BAP is mobilizing with groups around the country to highlight our opposition to U.S. warmongering, demanding an end to U.S. lawlessness, calling for the closure of more than 800 U.S. military bases around the world, and ending the war against the Black and Brown working-class and poor. We support self-determination for all oppressed peoples—domestically and internationally.

Stop the ongoing agony in Syria. Demand the United States withdraw its forces from Syria and respect international law. Call for the United States to adhere to international human-rights norms and cease its status as a rogue state.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Ajamu Baraka is National Organizer of the Black Alliance for Peace. Contact him at info@blackallianceforpeace.com. Baraka was the 2016 candidate for vice president on the Green Party ticket with Jill stein. A writer and geo-political analyst and contributing columnist for Black Agenda Report and Counterpunch, Ajamu’s latest publication is a contribution to “Jackson Rising: The Struggle for Economic Democracy and Self-Determination in Jackson, Mississippi. He can be reached at: Ajamubaraka.com

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ALL CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS

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Things to ponder

While our media prostitutes, many Hollywood celebs, and politicians and opinion shapers make so much noise about the still to be demonstrated damage done by the Russkies to our nonexistent democracy, this is what the sanctimonious US government has done overseas just since the close of World War 2. And this is what we know about. Many other misdeeds are yet to be revealed or documented.

Parting shot—a word from the editors
The Best Definition of Donald Trump We Have Found

In his zeal to prove to his antagonists in the War Party that he is as bloodthirsty as their champion, Hillary Clinton, and more manly than Barack Obama, Trump seems to have gone “play-crazy” — acting like an unpredictable maniac in order to terrorize the Russians into forcing some kind of dramatic concessions from their Syrian allies, or risk Armageddon.However, the “play-crazy” gambit can only work when the leader is, in real life, a disciplined and intelligent actor, who knows precisely what actual boundaries must not be crossed. That ain’t Donald Trump — a pitifully shallow and ill-disciplined man, emotionally handicapped by obscene privilege and cognitively crippled by white American chauvinism. By pushing Trump into a corner and demanding that he display his most bellicose self, or be ceaselessly mocked as a “puppet” and minion of Russia, a lesser power, the War Party and its media and clandestine services have created a perfect storm of mayhem that may consume us all. Glen Ford, Editor in Chief, Black Agenda Report

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