IMPERIALISM

EDDISON FLAME—If you want someone to work for long hours in an uncomfortable and unsafe factory, the alternatives have to be pretty bleak. They have to pretty much be living in abject poverty. In fact, for the rich capitalist, the more rampant poverty is, the more power he wields. If people are really poor, I’m talking on the brink of starvation poor, they can be convinced to do all kinds of horrible things for a just a bit money.So this is the real reason why the rulers of the world are quick to stamp out such cooperative movements. These movements threaten to undermine their leverage, their control over the people. If everyone starts taking care of everyone, it could get to the point where all the people have enough to eat and a place to sleep. Then people will not behave like slaves anymore.

GLEN FORD—The Lords of Capital are painfully aware that U.S. imperialism has been drained of whatever “soft” power it once had in the world and left with only two cards to play: multi-theater, unremitting military aggression and full-spectrum weaponization of the dollar. “Regime change” is the localized manifestation of Washington’s desperate bid to upend and disrupt the emerging new global order, as China returns to its historical place at the center of the world — the position it held when Columbus embarked on his pillages. Therefore, although Donald Trump has gotten a respite from Mueller, the orchestrated demonization of Russia, China, Venezuela, Syria and “socialism” will remain the daily fare of the U.S. propaganda machine that masquerades as journalism. In other words, a step back to “normal.”

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.

PETER KOENIG—Did Mr. Macron and his European counterparts just see the light? Did he realize that being the king of vassal Europe is really meaningless and that it’s high time to jump the sinking boat? Only the near future will tell.Another scenario is that China has long realized the self-liquidating nature of the EU, and instead of banking their trade agreements with a potentially dead body, they approach trade deals country by country: Greece, Italy, France, Germany – who is next? – Because, even with the collapse of the European Union, the 28 countries must and will survive. So, trade agreements with each one of them individually have an indefinitely higher value, than signing up with a block of unsolidary, uncoordinated, even in some cases hostile-to-each-other nations – with a fiat currency that is doomed, as it will never survive in such a non-union constellation – without even a Constitution pointing to a common vision.