As a former officer in the US Naval Reserve who served on active duty during Vietnam (1964-1967) and started to realize what was really going on then, Lt. Col. Astore expresses my sentiments. This trend began developing long before the era he picks up at and it has just accelerated since then. It was going on at least from the time of WWII, and it is worse now that he points out, too, which is bad enough. His experience and conclusions are similar to those of Lt. Col. (ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson, formerly chief of staff to Colin Powell.
Favorite line:
Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer caught the spirit of the moment in February 2001 when he wrote, "America is no mere international citizen. It is the dominant power in the world, more dominant than any since Rome. Accordingly, America is in a position to reshape norms, alter expectations, and create new realities. How? By unapologetic and implacable demonstrations of will."What does that remind you of?
Tom Dispatch
The US Military Uncontained: Chaos Spread, Casualties Inflicted, Missions Unaccomplished
Lieutenant Colonel (retired) William J. Astore
Lieutenant Colonel (retired) William J. Astore
After the Second World War ended, The Vatican, the CIA, the ex-Nazis, and the Sicilian/American Mafia forged an alliance to fight the Cold War against the former Soviet Union and the rising pro-Soviet governments in Europe and the rest of the world.
In a new book, Paul L. Williams offers new and disturbing evidence to expose what he calls the unholy alliance. Operation Gladio is likely to be a controversial book and may even be contested by several quarters. However, it would be difficult to reject the evidence author Paul L. Williams has provided.
The Washington Book Review
The untold story of unholy alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia
Review: Operation Gladio: The Unholy Alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia by Paul L. Williams, Prometheus Books
Reviewed by Arif JamalThe untold story of unholy alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia
Review: Operation Gladio: The Unholy Alliance between the Vatican, the CIA, and the Mafia by Paul L. Williams, Prometheus Books
Pictures.
Nazism of Ukraine’s Western-Backed Government Is Hidden by Western ‘News’ Media
An Evidentiary Exhibit By Eric Zuesse
You know, Tom, all these links were very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI do take issue with William J. Astore's views, though. Is not that I disagree with his description of the U.S.A. armed services as they are now.
It's that he has a romanticized view of the American military during the Cold War. Which is understandable: he sounds like a decent bloke and was part of the military during the Cold War. (I tend to like military people)
But, to a larger or lesser extent, every single imperial power has behaved as the U.S. does today.
The biggest difference is that the U.S. has the technology to literally exterminate a nation in minutes, virtually without losses. That is a big temptation.
"What does that remind you of?"
ReplyDelete"Triumph of the Will." 1935, Nazi Germany.
Bingo!
ReplyDeleteThe "will to power" is from Nietzsche, who romanticized in his poetic philosophy. The Nazis picked up on it.
Hitler commissioned Leni Riefenstahl to make "Triumph of the Will" as a pen to "Aryan" greatness. It's considered not only one of the best propaganda films of all time, but also a landmark in the history of cinema and cinematographic tour de force.
The US responded with Frank Capra's series, Why We Fight. Why were we fighting according to the films that featured clips from Axis films and newsreels was to counter the global exceptionalism of a "master race."
Magpie, I think he woke up a bit late when it had already become obvious.
ReplyDeleteMy story was a bit different. I smelled a rat and began to do some research. Needless to say, I was shocked at what began to turn up, and I still continue to be shocked by historical stuff that I am either stumbling upon or else is being newly discovered.
As you say, this is nothing new in history. The difference is that the US attempts to claim that its case is entirely different and therefore should not be evaluated in the same standards.
That is the essence of exceptionalism aka national superiority. That's what they all say. It goes back at least to ancient Greece in Western civilization.
The Greeks held that there was a fundamental difference between the civilized and barbarians, and that barbarians were fit for slavery because of their state. It was a reason they argued for the institution of slavery being natural. Some are better than others.
We are in agreement, then!
ReplyDelete-------
Actually, I didn't think of "Triumph of the Will" (I haven't seen that movie) but the names of Nietzsche and Hitler did cross my mind!