The only way the US elites that utilize collectivism (democracy, socialism, communism, Marxism) as a means to get what they want (which usually has to do with wealth and power, as the wise man Solomon said, “nothing new under the sun”), can continue to get what they want, someday, they will have to address how they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Empire is fun and games until it all starts crashing down, and this is what the elites do not want to happen because then their “game” ends. Anyone who knows economics can see all the red flags, the unsustainable national debt, the unfunded liabilities and the fact that false statistics can’t fool the masses forever, especially when it means their EBT card no longer works. Someday the government will run out of other people’s money, so these last few years or maybe a decade will be quote a tight-rope.
This has everything to do with the US foreign policy, since violence around the globe ensures the military-industrial complex’s money to keep flowing, which is our biggest export. It all comes at a cost when maintaining a “global force for good” actually approaches $1T annually if you figure in the whole “defense” structure from the deep state, the federal portion of the police state (NSA, HSA, etc) as well as the military.
This whole Iran fiasco is just a result of the war-hawks looking for another fight, and quick. North Korea and Venezuela have faded as has Syria. The US Empire needs violence to continue on its path to ensure “job security” for its main role in the world and especially for its main buddy, Israel. Only Saudi Arabia and the UK round out the top three US partners that it would risk false flagging something for their benefit. In context, if you fail to understand what happened in 1953 with Iran (Operation Boot (UK), Operation Ajax (US) ), then you really are unaware of what our foreign policy history has done to relationships between two countries.
What is funny, is how nationalistic Iran is as a result, and how the US also has extreme elements of nationalistic thought that bridges any perceived gap between GOP and Democrats. This state worship, along with a flag that is supposed to represent bringing freedom to its citizens in THEIR pursuit of happiness, brings me to a gag reflex.
The US flag is no longer about freedom. How did our freedom go to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria and a dozen other countries that we meddle in? The US flag is actually just an icon of the corporations that benefit from the US foreign policy. Internet search Smedley Butler and you will see for yourself that this highly decorated Marine actually saw this after he left the US armed forces in the 1930s. Nothing has changed, except it has gotten much worse.
Instead of being all doom and gloom on this beautiful Sunday morning, just days after war with Iran has apparently been averted for now, I will conclude with a small nugget of hope that the leaders of the free world might be able to pull off, from this article that Zero Hedge offers:
The tenth international meeting on security has just concluded in the Russian the city of Ufa. The forum has been under-reported, but it represents one of the few global examples of multilateral meetings between high-level representatives of countries that are in conflict. Hundreds of representatives from as many as 120 countries attended the meeting over three days to discuss humanitarian crises, hybrid warfare, terrorist threats and ways to recover from armed conflict.
This by itself is not noteworthy, but once you understand who participated this year for the first time in four years is none other than the United States of America!
President Putin’s speech for this conference was read aloud, it included a hope for the future:
“I expect your communication to be substantial and fruitful, and will help achieve our common goal of creating a reliable, flexible, indivisible and equal for all security system at the regional and global level. US exit from arms reduction treaties undermines global security. This forum has fully proved to be in demand and effective, ensuring a dialogue on countering global challenges. The meeting’s agenda addresses problems requiring joint solutions and collective action, overcoming the consequences of armed conflict and humanitarian problems, as well as ensuring information security.”
Putin does not mince words as to the ramifications associated with the US exit from the arms reduction treaty did. I am sure the war-hawks suggested this to Trump who thinks every negotiation requires going radical at first and then stretching the adversary to accept terms favorable to the US. Well, this does not work in most cultures that favor honorable negotiations instead of bully tactics.
More from the conference:
The world is at a critical historical juncture, with potential or already volatile situations present on the Korean peninsula, in Venezuela, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Ukraine, the Arctic, the Persian Gulf, and the Baltic, Black and South China Seas. Other volatile situations can be found in the cyber and information-warfare domains, as well as in the competition in space.
With so many potential flashpoints, a conference to address these dangers is most welcome. The fact that 120 countries have the opportunity to talk and think about possible ways for de-escalation is a rare opportunity that should not be left to go to waste.
I think the fact that major media tends to ignore this only goes to show that it has a narrative to keep intact. The whole premise of statism is to keep the populace alarmed, all the time!
This conference ran from 18-20JUN2019 and I am sure it was no coincidence that the US decided to put a drone dangerously close to Iranian airspace after one of their leaders, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, said:
“We currently face demonstrative threats. Nevertheless, when it comes to air defense of our country, we consider using the foreign potential in addition to our domestic capacities… Mediation is out of question in the current situation. The United States has unilaterally withdrawn from the JCPOA, it has flouted its obligations and it has introduced illegal sanctions against Iran. The United States should return to the starting point and correct its own mistakes. This process needs no mediation,”
“This [gradually boosting of uranium enrichment and heavy water production beyond the levels outlined in the JCPOA] is a serious decision of the Islamic Republic [of Iran] and we will continue doing it step by step until JCPOA violators move toward agreement and return to fulfilling their obligations. [If JCPOA participants do not comply with the deal, Iran will be reducing its commitments] step by step within legal mechanisms that the JCPOA envisions.”
Boom! They are calling Trump’s bluff / false-flag attempt and now the US needs to save face to exit this situation because you know they would never admit to any mistake they might have made against Iran or its people:
So between 1953 assassination of their president, supporting the Shah of Iran and his ruthless rule until 1979, supporting Saddam with chemical weapons used in his war against Iran from 1984-1988, the 1988 shooting down of their civilian passenger jet, and countless other atrocities the US government has committed against a country that has not invaded another country in over 200 years, why would their government or their people ever believe the US government?
Ever!
I wouldn’t. A nations character is determined by its actions over time. The US’s character in domestic and world affairs has been going downhill for decades, even over a century. This nation has long passed the time when the world might see us as a “shining city on a hill”.
Prior to 1850 there were those who thought that America had this capability, but unfortunately that effort was squandered by many of our founding fathers when they opted to become British Empire 2.0 in a way that would not require the US to appear imperialistic. In his book ‘Democracy In America’, Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville was lyrical in his propaganda-like adulation of American exceptionalism, defining it almost as divine providence:
“When the earth was given to men by the Creator, the earth was inexhaustible. But men were weak and ignorant, and when they had learned to take advantage of the treasures which it contained, they already covered its surface and were soon obliged to earn by the sword an asylum for repose and freedom. Just then North America was discovered, as if it had been kept in reserve by the Deity and had risen from beneath the waters of the deluge”
Yeah, if Alexis would have lived another 15 years he would have seen his dream for America dashed all due to the response of Abraham Lincoln to the thought of major businesses in the northern states experiencing financial hardships due to the inability of the US government to keep them on the welfare dole called “internal improvements” paid out of tariff revenue collected mainly in southern US ports prior to 1860.
This is and has been the US “flag” since before the Civil War as their is zero honor in a flag that has not brought true freedom to the people since 1782.
In fact, the state militias and France did more to secure that freedom than did the US Continental Army.
-SF1