Friday, May 13, 2022

Links — 13 May 2022

CaitlinJohnstone.com
“The Squad” Doesn’t Exist Outside Of Social Media
Caitlin Johnstone
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/05/13/the-squad-doesnt-exist-outside-of-social-media/

India Punchline
Indo-Pacific strategy adrift in an illusion
M. K. Bhadrakumar | retired diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service and former ambassador
https://www.indianpunchline.com/indo-pacific-strategy-adrift-in-an-illusion/

The Vineyard of the Saker
Pepe Escobar
http://thesaker.is/empire-of-bioweapon-lies/


23 comments:

Peter Pan said...

The Squad?

I told you they were phonies, more than two years ago. If Jimmy Dore visited MNE, he would have told you himself.

MMT?

Headed for the same dustbin.

Peter Pan said...

Quote mine of the day:

Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.

-George Kennan

Footsoldier said...

some other adversary could be invented.

Been saying it for months on Billy blog.


If they can defeat both Russia and China without nuclear war.


Then your political views, religious views and co!our of your skin will suddenly become very important.


With my political views and do not believe in the invisible being in the sky watching everything you do who always wants your money.

There's a very good chance I would in up in a Guantanamo bay type facility.


When they stormed through central America they slaughtered and imprisoned the left and Ukraine are doing the same thing.

No coincidence that the fascists in the US joined up with the far, far right in the Middle East and the far, far right in South America and now Ukraine.

Footsoldier said...

For me why both Russia and China have to stay strong and defend themselves. The world needs both more than ever.

Peter Pan said...

If you are anti-war, anti-mandate, or anti-official narrative, consider yourself warned.

Russia and China were sufficiently powerful in 2010, but Washington preferred to ignore that reality in favour of destroying small, non-nuclear countries.

The next target for bullies in Washington, is the American people.

Tom Hickey said...

The next target for bullies in Washington, is the American people.

"Next?" It's been going on for over a decade. It began with a softening up stage post 9/11 with the Patriot Act. You all know the rest. And this is just the ramp up if the American people don't wake up.

Tom Hickey said...

The point now is to colonize the world, including the domestic populations of the developed countries. This is why many on the right are so concerned with "the Great Reset." In my view, a lot of it is overblown conspiracy theory but the basic idea of totalitarian corporate control through international institutions replacing democracy is correct, although this has already happened to a great extent already. Dissent is already being suppressed on a wider scale than I have seen previously in that before the Internet it was relatively easy to control the narrative by excluding dissenting voices. Now with social media it is harder and the brass knuckles are coming out.

Tom Hickey said...

Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.

-George Kennan


That's a keeper. Oh, and Kennan predicted back then what is happening now if NATO expanded toward the East.

Tom Hickey said...

Here is the citation:

"Foreword to 'The Pathology of Power'" by Norman Cousins (Norton, 1987), from At a Century's Ending: Reflections 1982-1995 (Norton, 1997, ISBN 0-393-31609-2), Part II: Cold War in Full Bloom, p. 118

Here is the quote on NATO expansion:

I think it is the beginning of a new cold war. I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else. Of course there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are — but this is just wrong.
Quoted in Foreign Affairs; Now a Word From X, New York Times, (2 May 1998) (Quote Kennan’s response: to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman 1998 question about the US Cold War strategy of containment—about NATO expansion)

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/George_F._Kennan

Peter Pan said...

Wither the "peace dividend", as it was called at the time.

Peter Pan said...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_dividend

Matt Franko said...

iow NATO was winning politically so you guys think then it’s ok for Russia to start a war?

And you’re supposed to be antiwar?

Art degree paradox?

lastgreek said...

It's getting nutty, here, Tom...


And this Saker guy? I think a mental evaluation is called for.

Also, the "America this, America that" complainers... open the US borders, a come-one-come-all invitation for a few months, and see what happens. Hell, my province Quebec: All the frogs here that can "hop" will have migrated to Florida before you can say "Oh my God! Look at them frenchies hop!"

Tom Hickey said...

open the US borders, a come-one-come-all invitation for a few months, and see what happens.

Immigrants are no longer welcome in the US. And with climate change and war refugees increasing, they will be less welcome.

Tom Hickey said...

If Russia went away we still have China North Korea, Iran Afghanistan maybe Pakistan, Cuba, Venezuela, the cartels, it’s endless…

Matt, you forgot space aliens.

Tom Hickey said...

It's getting nutty, here, Tom...

I assume you are talking about the world, as we stare into the abyss of nuclear war with the knowledge that even if we avoid this, then there's also global warming threatening, which portends mass migration (the military was warning about this decades ago), along with more pandemics and tropical diseases migrating in the formerly temperate zone.

Matt Franko said...

I dont believe in space aliens never seen one..,

Art degree made up fictional characters..,

I don’t have Art degree.,,,

I have to stick to real stuff.,,

Footsoldier said...

"I have to stick to real stuff"

Like the war room podcast and truth social lol.


Real stuff like MAGA


hilarious !

Tom Hickey said...

I dont believe in space aliens

I was joking. But whether you believe in aliens is beside the point. The point is that the military is taking the "threat" seriously.

There are many military people that have observed UFOs, including me. When I was a naval officer, I had deck duty one night as OOD. (The OOD is responsible for conning the ship while the captain is not on the bridge.) The bridge crew all observed a UFO hovering and then darting around at incredible speed, then hovering again, and repeating the cycle. Then it depart into the distance in seconds.

The sighting was duly recorded in the ship's log and reported up the chain of command. Yes, there is a required UFO-sighting report for this. Until recently, the military has been pretty silent on this but recently has begun to open up.

A UFO is an "unidentified flying object," sort of like an unidentified submarine that one might encounter at sea, which also must be reported up the chain of command. No knowledge about UFOs other than sightings has been forthcoming publicly if there is indeed any. But militaries are now paying attention more publicly.

Matt Franko said...

“I was joking.”

Hyperbole …

Tom Hickey said...

Yes, I was using it as hyperbole here. But I also had in mind that in a sense it isn't that exaggerated since the US military has long been "interested" in UFO phenomena. There is no publicly available evidence that the US military regards this as a potential threat at this point. But I know how these people think ("contingencies") and they would be remiss if they are not considering it.

Peter Pan said...

I prefer space aliens who do to us, what we did to our fellow Earthlings.

Peter Pan said...

Real stuff like MAGA

ROFLMAO