NEOLIBERALISM

PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS—Indeed, it is the Russian government’s mistaken belief that Russian economic development is dependent on Russia being included as part of the West that has caused Putin to accept the provocations and humiliations that the West has heaped upon Russia. The lack of response to these provocations will eventually cause the Russian government to lose the support of the nationalist elements in Russia.

PIERS ROBINSON—”The Stop the War Coalition seem to have even been doing that as well, demanding that “We shouldn’t intervene.” I was a member and I gave a talk in Sheffield. I think that Stop the War should not talk about “non-intervention” in the way they sometimes do because there is an intervention already underway. I thought there was a problem in the way they are presenting this, because my impression was that they were not really getting to the root of what was going on.”

FINIAN CUNNINGHAM—The arms dealing trip by Pentagon boss James Mattis to the Neo-Nazis in Ukraine this week is the reality check on what the Washington establishment and the American military-industrial complex really think about Nazism and extremists. We could also add to the list the American arms dealing to fundamentalist regimes like Saudi Arabia and the covert arming of head-chopping Wahhabi terrorists. All of them are welcome clients for American militarism, in the service of US hegemonic world dominance. Official US condemnation of Nazis, fascists and extremists is just American public relations rhetoric. Evidently, the condemnation has no credibility in terms of objective reality. 

PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS—Russia’s premature declaration of victory in Syria and withdrawal has made it possible for US forces to remain in Syria and attempt to restart the effort to overthrow the Assad government. Russia would have to defend its victory, or by the failure to do so encourage more aggressive actions by Washington.

HASSAN NASRALLAH—O my brothers and sisters, and O people of Palestine: they wanted this decision to be the beginning of the end for Al-Quds and for the Palestinian cause. Let us join forces to make this stupid and evil American decision the beginning of the end of this usurping entity, forever! And let our slogan, our way and our program be “Death to Israel”! [The crowd of protesters chants “Death to Israel!”] We must turn this threat into an opportunity, this danger into success and this diplomatic and political defeat for the Arab governments into victory for the Community, for the peoples, for Palestine and for the holy places.