A typical American hero!
A typical American leader!
Friends, I received these two emails from the Washington Post this morning. One followed the other in quick succession and I was struck by the content, alarmed even.
It seems as if the U.S., having learned nothing from the debt crisis, is back in the business of trying to dominate the whole world. It is issuing orders to Pakistan as if it owns the place and it’s indicating that it is going to expand its drone operations across the world using its familiar excuse of ‘FIGHTING TERRORISM.’
These are the two emails:
1. EXCLUSIVE | The Obama administration has sharply warned Pakistan that it must cut ties with a leading Taliban group based in the tribal region along the Afghan border and help eliminate its leaders, according to officials from both countries. In what amounts to an ultimatum, administration officials have indicated that the United States will act unilaterally if Pakistan does not comply with demands to act against the Haqqani network.
2. EXCLUSIVE | The Obama administration is constructing secret bases for counterterrorism drones in the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula as part of a newly aggressive campaign to attack al-Qaeda affiliates in Somalia and Yemen, U.S. officials said.
One of the installations is being established in Ethiopia, a U.S. ally in the fight against al-Shabab, the Somali militant group that controls much of the country. Another base is in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, where a small fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones resumed operations this month after an experimental mission demonstrated that the unmanned aircraft could effectively patrol Somali territory.
These two bits of information indicate clearly to me that the U.S., despite its massive debt and its small population and its military failure in Iraq and Afghanistan, is not going to drop its plan to dominate the whole world. It seems to be driven by a death-wish because there are other countries in the world that have different plans, other countries that, united, will oppose and stop American imperialism.
China could bring the U.S. to a halt tomorrow given the amount of money America owes it. Fortunately, the Chinese are not as belligerent as the Americans and they think things through. But one thing they will not allow is America backing them into a corner.
China is biding its time and increasing its Armed Forces in readiness for the conflict that America is forcing onto the world. Russia would form an alliance with China and perhaps so would the Muslim world given America’s constant attacks on Muslim nations. Where India would sit is anyone’s guess.
Anyway, the bottom line is that a world war would be in no one’s interest. There would be no winners. So the question is: HOW DOES THE WORLD STOP AMERICAN IMPERIALISM?
It must involve reaching out to the American people, helping them to see that their leaders are insane and must be replaced. Americans must be made to see that their country cannot dominate the whole world with their small population. It is impossible.
Americans must be convinced that they are not exceptional, that bombs and bullets can kill them too, that most of the world’s people already hate them not because of their freedoms but because of their endless killing and destruction.
Americans seem to think they are in a Hollywood movie where they will always win. They pretend Vietnam never happened. They think they won in Iraq and Afghanistan but the truth shows otherwise. They think that having the biggest army in the world will keep them safe. In the light of 9/11, such a belief is a clear sign of madness, of wishful thinking.
The derangement of Americans is the greatest threat the world faces. It is a world problem and it will require a world solution. A good start would be for countries like Australia and Canada to withdraw support for the U.S.
Next, the European Union needs to distance itself from American madness, set itself up as a non-colonial block.
If the U.S. was isolated, its delusions might moderate, might become treatable.
The survival of our world depends on controlling America, helping it to cure its fantasies!
The Chinese are already in a corner with the air and oceans dominated by the western empire, as is Russia and India and all the rest of the smaller nations including Canada and Australia. Everyone just goes along to get along.
There are 7 billion people in the world and to clothe, feed, house and keep them happy or at least hopeful the West has invented machines that magnify/multiply a workers output and that distribute that output world wide (trains ships etc.). The machines run on coal, gas and oil and it is essential that these machines be fed or the peoples of the world will, suffer, lose hope and revolt (China’s position esp.). All who would interrupt/decrease the flow of energy to the machine are terrorists since the thought of the machine even slowing down, much less stopping, is terrifying.
The success of the wars and drone attacks is in their ability to protect the output of the worlds energy sources, often in brutal authoritarian states. China and India and Russia are in collusion with the West (US/Canada/Mexico and the Europeans) and allow the US to be their bully boy. Indeed, in many cases the worlds nations (more precisely their rich/ruling classes) fund the US/Euro war machine by buying treasury bonds and weapons systems eg China, India, Saudi Arabia and many, many others so as to keep them rich and in control.
The centuries old injustice that is destroying the world is the crime of not sharing the secrets of science and industrialism with other nations, while exploiting through war their resources and workers to enrich the homelands of the “1st” world (first in pride, greed and murder).
Nonetheless to destroy the US would not only kill me and my family (granted, a small loss in the larger picture) but it would severely damage the machine that is the life blood of over half of the world’s people. Transformation would be a better goal.
The problem with continuing the rule of the Western empire is its worship of money and the consequent blindness to the coming environmental collapse due to the finite nature of resources coupled with overpopulation and selfish political and economic ideologies. Unfortuneatly all human groupings have displayed these negative traits throughout their history and it seems unlikely that any nation will suddenly become a true light unto the rest of us by becoming cooperative and distributing their national wealth and political/social power equitably. The US pretends to be the worlds model but is failing miserably in almost every measure of goodness. From humility to generosity and justice it is the antithesis of goodness.
What/who can replace the West or bring them to know that cooperation is what is necessary for self preservation? Do you believe in miracles?
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David G Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 6:03 pm
Not where humans are concerned, anotherbob! We seem to lack the social intelligence to work out the advantages of cooperation. But then cooperation doesn’t bring profits, does it, doesn’t allow the rich to have it all?
And while there are infinitely greedy people around and large numbers of psychopaths, there will be endless war until the nukes start falling.
We humans are evolving towards extinction. The end won’t be pretty!
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I have no doubt that the US is now the greatest danger to humanity that the world has ever faced. Their empire is crumbling, they are (nuclear) armed to the teeth, and their 4.5% of the world’s population are both thoroughly brainwashed into a belief in American exceptionalism and led by the crazy bunch of psychopaths, war criminals and christian fundies who make up the bulk of the American body politic.
They carpet bombed the Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laotians for years killing millions of poverty stricken peasants. Now they’ve bitten off more than they can chew and have declared war on the muslim world, which numbers well over a billion people, as well as trying to encircle China and Russia with their military bases in preparation for a pre-emptive nuclear strike. This is not going to have a happy ending.
So what can the average world citizen do? Particularly those who (like myself) are committed to non-violence as the only way of life which will might humanity through these terrible times.
I can think of three things that could have an effect:
1. Send those US$$$s home to where they belong and refuse to deal in or accept this currency. This will cause huge inflation in the US and make it more difficult for them to maintain their giant military machine.
2. Wherever possible don’t BUY made in US products. Don’t watch (or at least pay for) their films, TV, music or software. There is so much other entertainment out there. The less money they make out of YOU the faster they will go broke. Boycott Brand America.
3. Non violence does not preclude sending the US negative vibrations. Just wish for their demise with all your heart. It’s really only positive thinking because what could be better for the people of the world as a whole than to see the US empire reduced to a broken shambles, by non violent action. Remember that this is essentially how the Indians got rid of their British Colonial occupiers!
These may all seem like Lilliputian gestures and they will hardly have any impact on your day to day existence. Just a tiny adjustment in your buying patterns, cultural choices and psychic activity.
Any other suggestions? Something has to be done or the world will soon be a radioactive wasteland.
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I could not agree more with you,David. I have often ask myself why don’t we pull the plug on our alliance? Clearly, our main interest is to live in peace with our Asian neighbours. Especially we Australians who will be tainted for along time representing ( to the Asians) a memory of Perfidious Albion. We cannot afford to string along with the US. Yet our politicians on both sides are still in lockstep with the US. The reason for it is actually quiet simple. It has to do with the financial system which we are bound by. At the first inkling of following a more independent course the international purse string will be tightened which in turn will bring unemployment. People won’t like it and will at once blame the government who happens to be in power and turf them out. Politician know this but cannot do what some may wish to do.
(As a little example remember when Latham rightly called Bush an idiot? After he became leader of the Labour Party he mellowed and made this IDIOT welcome on his visit to the Parliament House. Fraser,now out of office has become the elder statesmen and is very forthcoming in his critique.)
The fact is, in my opinion, that politicians,not only in Australia, are mere mouthpieces of a cabal in the background which pulls the strings of our elected marionettes.
At the present time we are pi…..g against the wind. But we must keep up and voice our disenchantment with our democratic system which is a farce.
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David G Reply:
September 21st, 2011 at 7:13 pm
Oh, how right you are, Rhubarb. In fact, perhaps to call it a democratic system is probably largely incorrect.
The world seems to be built on half-truths and lies. Nothing is as it seems. And I agree, behind the scenes those who are controlling things pull the levers and get richer while the ordinary citizen struggles and wonders why they never get in front.
It’s because the system is rigged and the poor don’t count!
As the ABBA song went: “It’s a Rich Man’s World!”
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David, you must always ask the question, “Qui Bono”, and tell yourself ‘follow the money’.
“…So the question is: HOW DOES THE WORLD STOP AMERICAN IMPERIALISM?…..”
The short answer is to follow the example of Iceland and dissolve ALL CENTRAL BANKS.
It is the MUNNY that drives all US imperialism. If Europe would abandon the IMF, and their individual central banks, returning to their own economies and currencies would grant them control over their own destinies and economies. It worked for milennia. What makes us thing the Euro and the EU were a solution to any problem – except a consolidation of control over currency? It’s money driving ALL WARS currently. The US just happens to be a pawn of the money changers. Cut off their lifeline and you’ve solved the problem.
JMO
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Amerikagulag, what you are pointing out is possible in theory but unfortunately unobtainable YET!
The example of Island is good but the rest of the western world is not that small and united enough to act in such a manner. Only when people/countries suffer as the small isolated community like Island has is the backbone there to act. What is there to loose for them?
The majority of people simply don’t think like that unless it starts to hurt this majority.
Is it not remarkable that the catalyst of Islands action has its roots in money rather than altruistic thinking? It clearly demonstrates the power of finance. For the capitalists Island is merely a hick up which they will deal with in due course.
The ruling elite have long memories.
“Proletarians of the world unite” was the catch cry of the 1800 hundreds. A more than fair call. What happened to the Proletariat?
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Unfortunatly there will be another 9/11 somewhere, not in the USA, and it will be ‘I told you so’!
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“leaders are insane and must be replaced”
But they probably shouldn’t be replaced with other elected “leaders”. The type of “Democracy” practiced in the west today uses survey polls and corporate-owned media to form and track public goals. They then develop campaign speeches and writings which, using twisted language and doublespeak, seem to satisfy those carefully crafted “public goals” like deficit reduction, stopping terrorism, job creation. Then once elected, politicians serve only the multinational corporations which paid for their campaigns, exploiting the public to serve the superwealthy.
As a result “Democracy” where people have the “right” to vote, has nothing to do with a government by the people. A government serving the people requires that those people who are interested in and informed about a proposed law or regulation, vote on each proposed law or regulation. Laws and regulations developed by bribed, coddled, and corrupt “representatives” of the people is the opposite of Democracy.
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The images you chose perfectly in snapshots describe the town of Hollywood. The town I grew up in. On the one hand, you have people who have come from all over, ‘with a dream.’ Some make it in the business and then there is everyone else who didn’t & don’t go back to the town they came from and end up becoming sort of mentally ill, hence the guy in the Superman outfit. Then there is the other spectrum of the mental illness in politicians and celebrities, perfectly conjoined in Palin. The winners and the losers. We are all the losers with these two polars.
Love and peace and gardening.
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Speaking of going back to where we came from. Our rent was raised 18% after an 11% income decrease. It also went from being cheap rent to: hoity toity we should get more for our money rent. We were willing to overlook the slumlord conditions. Suddenly my stability is challenged – out of nowhere. Our landlords are under a mass delusion. All four tenants are single income in a double income economy. We are here for our son. It is a big deal to change schools. All fellow tenants have a kid. We could live in a worse neighborhood and dwell in a palace. Or live in a 40 year old dwelling that needs to be fixed in a decent neighborhood. Totally sux to be under the medievel thumb. Slave wage transfer of wealth.
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anotherbob personifies american exeptionalism.
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