GLOBAL NEOLIBERALISM

CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—It’s getting harder and harder to understand what’s happening. My news feed is full of people arguing about whether the American left has lost its mind and whether groupthink in journalism is out of control, my social media notifications are a whole hodgepodge of contradictory and generally illogical theories about a shadowy cabal being behind these protests and what they’re trying to achieve, and people are either being honest about the fact that they don’t know where this is all going or they’re dishonestly pretending that they do. We seem to be getting closer and closer to a point of narrative white noise, where conventional means of understanding the world just aren’t holding up anymore.

PEPE ESCOBAR—Charges that French intel has manipulated black blocs and inserted undercover agents and casseurs (persons vandalizing property, specifically during protests) to discredit and demonize the Yellow Vests are widespread. As I’ve witnessed in Paris first hand, the feared CRS have been absolutely ruthless in their RAND-conceptualized militarized operations in urban terrain – repression tactics – without excluding the odd beating up of elderly citizens. In contrast, mob rule in Hong Kong is excused as protest against “totalitarian” China.

We speak to political commentator Jimmy Dore on the Mueller report’s summary showing no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, he says the media has no credibility and is bought by the people they’re supposed to be investigating, says the failure of the American neoliberal system led to Donald Trump and gives his take on US regime change attempts in Venezuela.

JONATHAN NACK—The left of the electoral spectrum in Ecuador is occupied by parties which identify with some variant of socialist politics.  It should be noted, however, that the larger parties that identify themselves as socialist have not sought to nationalize industries nor pushed policies to transition from a capitalist economy to a socialist dominated economic system.  The Correistas did very little along those lines when they were in power.  Only smaller socialist and communist Ecuadorian parties advocate moving now to further nationalize industry.

MOA—The German government under Chancellor Angela Merkel is already accused of being too deep inside the U.S. rear.Her party supported the war on Iraq and now joined the illegal regime change attempt in Venezuela. The public is way less pro-American than German politicians. It will be quite difficult for Merkel and others to justify additional billions for U.S. troops in Germany. They are neither needed nor wanted. (The only sound reason to keep the 30,000 U.S. troops in Germany is to prevent them from moving to Poland from where they could threaten the country.)