East Palestine, Ohio and the Oblivious Democrats

34 thoughts on “East Palestine, Ohio and the Oblivious Democrats”

1. Trump went to Ohio to promote Trump. He doesn’t care anymore about those people than he cares about the dark side of the moon. And he has absolutely nothing to offer, he has no authority to do anything. I also don’t think Biden or the transportation secretary need to be on the ground right away. That’s what NHTSA and FEMA and other agencies are for. I remember when President Bush didn’t go right away to a disaster area and when questioned he gave a really good answer, I thought. The massive entourage and security precautions for a Presidential trip cause more confusion and congestion in an already messy situation. They just need to use their authority to get resources in place that can actually help, not just photo ops. If I recall correctly, Elaine Chao never visited any transportation accident site while she was transportation secretary. And nobody cared.

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   1. I agree: Trump went to Ohio to promote Trump.

      But the Dems should have never given him an opening here. I hate to use the word “optics,” but it’s a big part of politics. It was bad optics for Biden/Harris/Buttigieg to stay away for three weeks, allowing the Republicans to spin it as evidence of an out of touch, uncaring administration. And then to send Pete Buttigieg in, a man well over his head: just dumb. Unless the Dems are setting Pete up for a fall.

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   2. I won’t argue with the great George Carlin here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtgfzzwoyK4

      Whether Trump or Biden, they don’t give a fuck about us.

      My point is that Trump did a better job of appearing to give a fuck, an opportunity he was granted by clueless Democrats.

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      1. I guess you’re right about the optics. I’m speaking for myself as one who long ago abandoned even paying attention to those silly (to me) photo ops, rallies and speeches but I guess a lot of people do put a lot of stock in them. I would rather focus on results. Also, I don’t know that I would say Pete Buttigieg is in over his head, I don’t know enough about the job to make that judgement. But I think he gets more attention than any transportation sec’y I can remember and I think the extra attention has to do with his personal life far more than his job performance.

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2. Thanks, that was a fabulous recount of what is going on here! I hope someone in the whitehouse reads this and realizes how mucked up the Dem party is. Optics are important – politics are 90% show biz, and unfortunately both Pete and the Vice President have almost no charisma, so even if they had been there three weeks ago it wouldn’t have made a big splash, but at least they would have tried. Kind of looks like they’re not trying. Or maybe it really is like Carlin says; “they don’t give a f—k about you” Thanks for that link too – we need to be reminded of that constantly until it sinks in. I’m emailing the link to everyone today.

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3. DEMOCRATS PRAISE BUSH, WANT MORE SMALL-BUSINESS WAR PROFITEERS by Caitlin Johnstone

   Well it’s another big day for Democrats doing Democraty things.

   At a Friday event commemorating the 20th anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) hosted by the George W Bush Institute, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke glowingly of the president who instituted the program in 2003 at the same time he was preparing to launch an invasion which would inflict unfathomable horrors upon our world which continue to unfold to this day.

   “I’ll just say this honestly, that the Bush family, it’s because of their humanity, their faith, their generosity of spirit, their compassion,” said Pelosi. “Once again, it’s an honor to be associated with President Bush in this.”

   Pelosi then pointed to the former president, who was also joined by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and oligarch Bill Gates, with video appearances by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Bono of U2 fame.

   And on Friday we also witnessed what Glenn Greenwald described as the “most Elizabeth Warren tweet ever,” in which the Massachusetts senator took a bold stand against Big War Profiteering to advocate on behalf of the little guy (by which I mean Small War Profiteering).

   “In the 1990s, America had 51 major contractors bidding for defense work,” tweeted Warren from her government account. “Today, there are only five massive companies remaining. DEFENSE CONTRACTING SHOULD BE REWORKED TO BREAK UP THE MASSIVE CONTRACTS AWARDED TO THE BIG GUYS AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRMS OF ALL SIZES.”

   Yeah that’s the real problem, Liz. It’s not that the war industry reaps huge profits from global militarism and nonstop warmongering, it’s that the war industry doesn’t include enough plucky small businesses. Won’t somebody please think of the mom and pop war profiteers? They’ve been forced to close their small community military-industrial complex shops by Walmartian “big guys” like Raytheon and Northrop Grumman!

   This is almost as embarrassing as Warren’s 2019 push to convert the US war machine to clean energy, saying “We don’t have to choose between a green military and an effective one” on the campaign trail during her run for president: “The Pentagon is the single largest government consumer of energy, and it’s dependent on fossil fuels. To improve military readiness and help us achieve a #GreenNewDeal, the Pentagon should achieve net zero carbon emissions for all its non-combat bases and infrastructure by 2030.”

   BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT BEING A PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT MEANS IN 2023: BACKING THE IMPERIAL WAR MACHINE TO THE HILT AND GUSHING ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL AND COMPASSIONATE THE BUSH FAMILY IS WHILE CALLING FOR SUSTAINABLY POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIERS AND MORE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX. A UKRAINIAN FLAG ON AN ELECTRIC CAR. THIS IS AS FAR LEFT AS YOU’RE ALLOWED TO GO IN THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH WITHOUT BEING BRANDED A TREASONOUS KREMLIN OPERATIVE.

   THIS IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S TRUE FACE. THIS IS THE DEMOCRATS TELLING YOU WHO THEY REALLY ARE. THEIR WHOLE FUNCTION IS TO DIVERT ALL MEANINGFUL LEFTWARD MOVEMENT AWAY FROM INCONVENIENT AREAS LIKE DEMILITARIZATION AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE AND TOWARD CONVENIENT AREAS LIKE WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE SOLAR PANELS ON ABRAMS TANKS. And toward that end they have been very, very successful.

   The sooner Americans stop falling for the fake two-party puppet show and begin pushing for real change, the sooner our world can move toward health. These people do not care about you.

   https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/democrats-praise-bush-want-more-small EMPHASES added.

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4. As You said about Trump and Empathy, Bill: When more Belgians express outrage at the War in Ukraine than Americans, You KNOW America is in trouble… :

   IN SHOW OF SOLIDARITY, BELGIUM PROTESTS UKRAINE WAR: An estimated 2,500 people demonstrated against Russian President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine by Leonie Kijewski / Politico 022523

   BRUSSELS — People from across Belgium convened in the capital on Saturday to express solidarity with Ukraine for the one-year anniversary of the invasion by Russia.

   Braving changeable weather that included hail, rain and sun, an estimated 2,500 people congregated for a march against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression on Ukraine. Police estimated that 2,500 people participated in the demonstration Saturday, less than half the number organizers had been hoping for. A similar protest in March 2022, shortly after the start of Russia’s invasion, attracted about 8,000 people.

   [Note: That is compared to and estimated 1200-1500 at the Wage Against the War Machine Rally in DC on February 19. And ZERO protests by the American anti-war/peace “movement” over this past year before that.]

   While the atmosphere itself was peaceful — with children and dogs accompanying the adult protesters — anger and tragedy hovered just underneath the surface for many of the participants.

   “In December, I had to bury my mother,” recounted 44-year-old Oksana Samoylova, a Ukrainian who has lived in Belgium for more than 10 years. “She had a stroke. But when she was rushed to the hospital, they didn’t have generators, so she could not get her treatment. Her condition deteriorated,” she said, fighting back tears.

   Continued at https://www.politico.eu/article/solidarity-belgium-protest-ukraine-war-brussels-vladimir-putin-russia/

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   1. Jeff: they were protesting against Putin and Russia, right? They weren’t protesting against war.

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      1. They were protesting against the only war that matters to them right now, Bill. So of course they were protesting against the war Putin and Russia has launched against their land, country, nation, and people.

         But my guess is that they are also very aware of America’s role in precipitating that war with its coup in 2014, its 14,000 Russian-speaking Ukrainians killed by that replacement government, and its expanding of NATO right up to Russia’s borders since the end of Cold War I everywhere but Ukraine until now.

         In any case, that is more than America’s dead anti-war/peace “movement” has come up with in a year.

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         1. Or in 20 years; since that weekend-long effort to protest our plans to go find Saddam’s “WMDs” and liberate the Iraqians.

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5. Bill, You conclude that, unless the Democrats get their shit together, there’s a “good chance” that there will be “four more years of Trump beginning in 2025.”

   That assumes, first of all, that there will be an election in 2024. And i am prepared to argue that ~ at this stage of America’s unfolding and unravelling ~ Nobody can honestly, realistically, absolutely, positively guarantee that.

   It would take very, very little to cause that election to be cancelled. And there are a substantial number of Americans who would like very much to see Trump’s next reign start before 2025. The next “insurrection” may happen with people armed with more than flags, signs, smart phones, and selfie-sticks like on January 6.

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   1. Jeff: If the choice in 2024 is Biden versus Trump again, perhaps that doesn’t merit the term “election.” Not much of a “choice,” right?

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      1. All it would be is a repeat of what America’s choices were in 2020 and 2016, Bill. Did those contests merit the term of “election” and offer anybody a Real choice, a real Alternative to what has been the dominant paradigm in American politics and international relations since Carter?

         But at least those elections were held. The one in 2024 might just not be.

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      2. And WHO on the Democrat and Republican sides would be candidates that WOULD give the American voter a real choice in 2024? Are there any prospects on either side that would provide a real alternative and antidote to what will be offered?

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         1. The short answer is no, Jeff.

            Each party ensures that its candidate is a tool of the already powerful. Trump represented a rogue element, but he didn’t go rogue, to use Sarah Palin-speak. Indeed, the deep state did its best to neutralize Trump by painting him as a Putin puppet, thus coercing him to prove he wasn’t by funding the military, pursuing a bellicose foreign policy, etc.

            Candidates like Tulsi Gabbard and Dennis Kucinich, even Bernie Sanders, are strangled before they can become the party’s nominee.

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            1. Sorry, Bill. i don’t buy that about Trump.

               He was and still is as owned, operated, commanded, and controlled by the Deep State as everybody else in Washington, at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue and everyplace else. That’s the only reason he got there in the first place; and was able to complete his term and run for re-election in the second.

               i’m sure he was very familiar with JFK and his story.

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            2. Trump was somewhat of a wild card. Establishment Republicans wanted Jeb Bush.

               Trump, more than anything, is an opportunist. He doesn’t have ideals; or, rather, Trump is his own ideal/idol. Thus he was open to being controlled by those around him. And indeed he surrounded himself with the very swamp creatures he said he wanted to get rid of. And thus Trump was controlled (when it was necessary).

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               1. Trump surrounded himself with those swamp critters because that is what he was instructed to do. And, like the good little boy he is, he complied perfectly primarily because he didn’t want to get half his head blown off.

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            3. i’m curious, Bill: Do You include former Congressman Ron Paul, MD, to be in the same category of being strangles as Gabbard, Kucinich, and Sanders?

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6. CHINA REPORT EXCORIATES ‘US HEGEMONY’, WAR CRIMES, CIA COUPS, 400 FOREIGN INTERVENTIONS by Ben Norton / Geopolitical Economy Report 022523

   China’s Foreign Ministry has published a lengthy report condemning “US hegemony” and its crimes around the world, including wars with millions of victims, coups and “regime change” against elected leaders, and 400 foreign military interventions.

   The document analyzed the ways in which the United States has “abused” its hegemony politically, militarily, economically, financially, technologically, and culturally.

   China’s Foreign Ministry noted that Washington has roughly 800 foreign military bases all around the world and has launched 400 foreign military interventions.

   The United States committed genocide against Indigenous nations, imposed its colonialist “Monroe Doctrine” in Latin America, and annexed independent territories like Hawaii, Beijing pointed out.

   China denounced the US for sponsoring coups, regime-change operations, and “color revolutions” in dozens of countries, while constantly spreading “misinformation” and propaganda to destabilize foreign adversaries.

   Just since 2001, US wars have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, wounded millions, and created tens of millions of refugees, Beijing recalled.

   These devastating facts were laid out in the report “US Hegemony and Its Perils“
   [ https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjbxw/202302/t20230220_11027664.html%5D, which China’s Foreign Ministry released on February 20. It was subsequently republished by major Chinese media outlets.

   Beijing said the goal of the report was to “draw greater international attention to the perils of the U.S. practices to world peace and stability and the well-being of all peoples”.

   The Foreign Ministry wrote:

   SINCE BECOMING THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY AFTER THE TWO WORLD WARS AND THE COLD WAR, THE UNITED STATES HAS ACTED MORE BOLDLY TO INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER COUNTRIES, PURSUE, MAINTAIN AND ABUSE HEGEMONY, ADVANCE SUBVERSION AND INFILTRATION, AND WILLFULLY WAGE WARS, BRINGING HARM TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

   THE UNITED STATES HAS DEVELOPED A HEGEMONIC PLAYBOOK TO STAGE “COLOR REVOLUTIONS,” INSTIGATE REGIONAL DISPUTES, AND EVEN DIRECTLY LAUNCH WARS UNDER THE GUISE OF PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

   CLINGING TO THE COLD WAR MENTALITY, THE UNITED STATES HAS RAMPED UP BLOC POLITICS AND STOKED CONFLICT AND CONFRONTATION.

   IT HAS OVERSTRETCHED THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY, ABUSED EXPORT CONTROLS AND FORCED UNILATERAL SANCTIONS UPON OTHERS.

   IT HAS TAKEN A SELECTIVE APPROACH TO INTERNATIONAL LAW AND RULES, UTILIZING OR DISCARDING THEM AS IT SEES FIT, AND HAS SOUGHT TO IMPOSE RULES THAT SERVE ITS OWN INTERESTS IN THE NAME OF UPHOLDING A “RULES-BASED INTERNATIONAL ORDER.”

   Continued at https://scheerpost.com/2023/02/23/china-report-excoriates-us-hegemony-war-crimes-cia-coups-400-foreign-interventions/ ; EMPHASIS added.

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   1. And now that China has dropped its very own Truth Bomb, Washington has the perfect response… :

      A DANGEROUS FISHING EXPEDITION: THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHINA by Eve Ottenberg / Counterpunch 022423

      Riled up against China, GOP congressmembers have long felt that Washington’s new cold war needed a special venue. So as soon as the baton passed to Republicans in the House, they set up a select committee on China. This is majority leader Kevin “Trump’s the Man” McCarthy’s baby, and IF IT SOUNDS TO YOU LIKE A FORUM FOR MUCH GRANDSTANDING AND FROTHING ABOUT THE COMMUNIST MENACE, THE YELLOW PERIL AND THE NEED TO BEEF UP THE FBI, CIA, DIA AND NSA, SO THEY CAN HUNT DOWN CHINA’S SPIES FROM THE HALLS OF GOVERNMENT TO THE GROVES OF ACADEME – “THEY’RE EVERYWHERE” SUPPOSEDLY – YOU MAY BE ONTO SOMETHING.

      I’m not sure what that something is, but IT’S A GOOD BET IT ENDS WITH U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS STEAMING TOWARD TAIWAN. In fact, a four-star general, Mike Minihan, said as much January 27. “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” he wrote in a memo to his subordinates. In which case it’s time to head for the hills – since every place else will be radioactive.

      Proving the veracity of Minihan’s talkative gut, we learned February 8 that the U.S., U.K. and Australian militaries engaged in joint air drills over the Nevada desert, in preparation for…war with China. Specifically, reported Reuters February 8, “to simulate high-end combat operations, against Chinese fighter aircraft and defenses.”

      Also in early February, there bubbled up more murmurings in the press about Tokyo beefing up its military and boosting ties with the Philippines, the better to confront Beijing – at Washington’s behest, of course. So the storm clouds gather, as China, too, speeds up its production of nuclear missiles and muscles up its army, the better, Beijing hopes, to deter the U.S. from provoking the invasion of Taiwan that it would use as an excuse for war. Kinda like the Ukraine incitement redux, except this time the Washington sociopaths are ready to make the China war nuclear from the get-go.

      And then there was the hubbub over the balloon. Who ever thought a little hot air could paralyze U.S. citizens with fear, as they cowered by backyard grills, staring at the heavens, waiting to be zapped and brainwashed by a Marxist dirigible, and that it could also derail the highest, most prestigious vehicle of American diplomacy – the U.S. state department? But it did. As Beijing’s weather balloon drifted over Montana, secretary of state Antony Blinken cancelled his trip to China February 4 to meet with its president, Xi Jinping. Innumerable American pundits, you see, proclaimed that this balloon was an espionage device and as such an intolerable infringement of American sovereignty. No matter that the U.S. first launched its own spy balloons back during the Eisenhower administration… .

      In any event though shooting small things wafting through clouds sure conveniently distracted the media from stellar investigative reporter Seymour Hersh’s bombshell scoop that the Biden regime blew up the NORDSTREAM PIPELINE. NOT ONE BRAVE REPUBLICAN CALLED FOR INVESTIGATION OF THIS CRIME OF TERRORISM AGAINST ALLY GERMANY, IN WHICH NAVY DIVERS WERE USED AND CONGRESS NOT NOTIFIED. IT WAS A CRIMINAL ACT OF WAR, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, ILLEGAL, MAYBE A WAR CRIME, A MASSIVE CLIMATE OFFENSE, AND IT WOULD, I THINK, OPEN SOME U.S. GOVERNMENT INDIVIDUALS UP TO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES – BUT CONGRESS CRITTERS WEREN’T INTERESTED. THEY WERE TOO BUSY GAWKING AT BALLOONS.

      Coming right off this balloon nonsense, as if to showcase Washington’s double-standards, on February 20 neocon secretary of state Antony Blinken proclaimed that IF CHINA SELLS WEAPONS TO RUSSIA, THAT’S A U.S. RED LINE. THE EU PROMPTLY CHIMED IN. MEANWHILE IT’S OKAY FOR THE U.S. TO ARM TAIWAN. HOW’S THAT FOR THE RULES-BASED ORDER? Are our rulers delusional or what? They think they can order a giant like China around, while doing exactly what they command it not to. And in Beijing’s own backyard no less!

      Continued at https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/02/24/a-dangerous-fishing-expedition-the-select-committee-on-china/ ; EMPHASES added.

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   2. China knows more U.S. history than most Americans!

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7. And whose fault is that, Bill? Do You think our Education System might have something to do with it?

   Do You think our Media might be involved?

   Do You think it has anything to do with America’s “Forever War” ~ of which Ukraine and and soon China are but the next Phase ~ being a totally cost-free, credit card War for the American people in terms of what it has cost them in Blood and Treasure?

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   1. I was a history professor. Are you blaming me? 🙂

      Seriously, most college and university students never take a course in U.S. history. It’s all STEM now — and making money.

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      1. If that’s the case, then that is a major weakness and failure of America’s system of higher education.

         But most ~ if not all ~ high school students are required to take U.S. History, aren’t they? Do You think anything cited by the Chinese is taught in any high school history class in America today? Or has ever been?

         And when You were teaching History, would/could Your subject matter have included that history as highlighted by the Chinese Report? If so, would You have taught that?

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      2. Yes, it is a MAJOR weakness.

         Of course, the other question is what kind of history are we teaching? What makes the news is the 1619 Project versus “patriotic” history.

         Any good teacher will focus on slavery while also extolling the (flawed) idealism of the founders. In a sense, we can be Both proud and ashamed of our nation’s past, but it’s always presented as either/or, either we must be proudly patriotic (and willfully blind to crimes, flaws, etc.) or sharply critical.

         We can and should be both. But teachers themselves are running scared from all the vitriol here. And in some cases I don’t blame them.

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         1. What “(flawed) idealism of the founders” are You referring to, Bill?

            Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe [1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th POTUSes, respectively] all owned slaves. WHILE President.

            In fact, 8 of the first 12 US Presidents were slave owners. And so was Patrick “Give me liberty or give me death” Henry, and staunch champion and defender of individual rights [at least for some Humans], George Mason. Among others.

            And, given the fact that 17 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia owned a total of about 1,400 slaves:

            If Slavery [and a Fugitive Slave Law] had not been written into the Constitution, that Constitution was going nowhere, and the United States of America would not have come into existence at that time. Which would have no doubt been welcomed by the land’s Indigenous Peoples, eh? [Source https://www.crf-usa.org/images/t2t/pdf/HowShouldWeJudgeOurNation.pdf ]

            Also, how did those Founders regard and treat Women? Probably the only reason Women got the vote in 1919 is because they had been paying income taxes since 1913, and it was growing increasingly difficult for the Ruling Political Class to justify continuing “taxation without representation,” which was one of the Founding Fathers’ principal complaints.

            And as regards being “proudly patriotic” ~ WITHOUT being blind to crimes, flaws, etc ~ and thus at the same time critical, is it possible to be proudly patriotic WITHOUT being critical of Anything about America’s performance in the realm of foreign affairs and international relations since the end of World War II, and even more so, since the end of Cold War I and then 9/11?

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8. You can’t make this stuff up. Pete Buttigieg’s own press secretary refuses to answer basic questions because she finds cameras “aggressive” — WTF?

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9. Pingback: East Palestine, Ohio and the Oblivious Democrats | Mandala

10. Note * (from William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure)

    “… But man, proud man!
    Dressed in a little brief authority,
    Most ignorant of what he’s most assured,
    His glassy essence — like an angry ape,
    Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven
    As make the angels weep; who with our spleens,
    Would all themselves laugh mortal.”

    Or, as we might seek to personify our “leadership” here in The Collected Waste:

    Ornery the Ape
    (with apologies to Shakespeare’s prologue from Henry VIII)

    Both long of arm and short of leg he stands:
    two-thirds torso, feet resembling hands.
    Orangutan? Chimpanzee? Who’s to say?
    How to suggest him monarch of our play?
    This I, as prologue, shall attempt to do
    with final judgment best reserved for you:
    A tragedy? A farce? The two combined?
    What tone and diction, vulgar or refined,
    shall artfully convey the image sought
    and justify the price of ticket bought?

    I realize that one cannot but laugh
    at each of his faux pas, each clumsy gaffe
    when he attempts to speak but flubs his lines
    attempting to play king despite the signs
    of creeping inattention, mental loss;
    or even hints he doesn’t give a toss.
    Not so! Though elderly and angry, still,
    his entourage, we know, if told to kill
    can figure out how many ought to die,
    and whom, wherever found beneath the sky.
    Thus, those who find the gruesome slaughter thrilling
    will not protest his Broadway marquee billing.

    So, there atop the heap humans have placed
    one of their kind, ostensibly, disgraced
    by what he does and what he often says,
    addressed — I kid you not — as “Mr Prez.”
    Impertinent inquiries he deflects
    while rude replies are not what he expects.
    Or tolerates. Revenge with ice should rhyme
    and take – what he has little of – its time.

    But your indulgence, wisdom would not test.
    Preliminaries past, now to the rest . . .

    Michael Murry, “The Misfortune Teller,” Copyright © 2023

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11. Rand Paul’s hypothesis that the Antiwar movement has “roared back to life”
    [ http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2023/february/27/the-antiwar-movement-roars-back-to-life/ ] will get its first test next month… :

    ON THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ: NATIONAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON SATURDAY, MARCH 18

    United National Antiwar Coalition [UNAC] Statement, February 20, 2023

    Coinciding with the 20th anniversary weekend of the criminal U.S.-invasion of Iraq, a major set of actions, including a demonstration at the White House in Washington, D.C., will take place Saturday, March 18, demanding “Peace in Ukraine — Say NO to Endless U.S. Wars” and “Fund People’s Needs, Not the War Machine.”

    Since 2003, the U.S. has engaged in sanctions (economic war) on more than 40 countries. These targets of U.S. economic warfare include the people of Cuba, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran and many other nations. Even in the wake of the worst disasters, like the recent deadly earthquake, Washington keeps its cruel sanctions in place against Syria.

    U.S. bases and “commands” blanket most of the world. It is a global empire.

    The Biden administration is determined to escalate the Ukraine war. The real goal of the massive arming and training of Ukrainian forces has nothing to do with the interests of Ukrainian, Russian or U.S. people. The aim instead is to “weaken Russia,” as stated by the U.S. Secretary of Defense himself, even at the risk of a catastrophic nuclear war that could end life on Earth.

    A U.S. general commanding 50,000 troops in the Pacific also issued a letter to his sub-commanders in recent days, informing them that he believes that the United States will be at war with China within two years. The danger of global war is growing! The people must act!

    The demonstration will make connections between the human and financial toll of U.S. militarism at home and abroad. Key demands include:

    Peace in Ukraine — No weapons, no money for the Ukraine War!
    Abolish NATO — End U.S. militarism and sanctions!
    Fund people’s needs, not the war machine!
    No war with China!
    End U.S. aid to racist apartheid Israel!
    Fight racism and bigotry at home, not other peoples!
    U.S. hands off Haiti!
    End AFRICOM!

    Endorsers:

    United National AntiWar Coalition; ANSWER Coalition; Black Alliance for Peace; The People’s Forum; CodePink; World BEYOND War; Popular Resistance; Veterans for Peace; International Action Center; Party for Socialism and Liberation; Al-Awda; The Palestine Right to Return Coalition; Labor Against Racism and War; Leonard Peltier Defense Committee; Universal African Peoples Organization; Workers World Party; East Bay Democratic Socialists of America; Socialist Action; Nevada Green Party; Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network; Ohio Peace Council; Green Party of Connecticut; Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee; Environmentalists Against War; Pacific Green Party (Oregon); Linn-Benton Chapter, Lauren Faith Smith Ministry for Nonviolence; Maine Cumberland County Greens; Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace; San Jose Peace and Justice Center; Servicio Particular Alacran; Minnesota Peace Action Coalition; PeaceWorks of Greater Brunswick; UPWARD (Uniting Peace With Actions Respect and Dignity); Socialist Party of America; North Country Peace Group; . . . and more.

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12. RATO and NATO by Jacob G. Hornberger / The Future of Freedom Foundation 022723

    Let’s engage in some imagining.

    Let’s imagine that Russia and China form a new organization, called the Russia Asia Treaty Organization, or RATO. One day they invite Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, and Mexico to become members. All of them agree.

    The U.S. government objects. “What is the purpose of extending RATO to our part of the world?” U.S. officials angrily ask.

    RATO responds: “You have nothing to worry about. RATO is an entirely peaceful organization, just like NATO.”

    Russia and China ask Nicaragua, Venezuela, Chile, and Guatemala if it would be okay for RATO to install military bases, nuclear missiles, tanks, and troops in their countries. They enthusiastically say yes.

    “Wait right there, busters!” U.S. officials exclaim. “We don’t want RATO bases, nuclear missiles, tanks, and troops over here in our part of the world.”

    RATO officials respond, “You have absolutely nothing to worry about. These are all defensive in nature. RATO, like NATO, is a peace-loving organization.”

    U.S. officials reply, “Well, we don’t like it one bit. But to avoid war, we won’t stop you from installing those bases, nuclear missiles, tanks, weaponry, and troops in those countries.

    However, our Red Line is Cuba. We will not permit you to install bases, nuclear missiles, tanks, weaponry, and troops in Cuba. Do not cross our Red Line, or we will be forced to invade Cuba and effect regime change there in order to prevent this from happening. Remember: This is our Red Line. Do not cross it.”

    One day, RATO announces that it is going to install bases, nuclear missiles, tanks, weaponry, and troops in Cuba, with the full consent of Cuba. RATO ships containing such items begin moving toward Cuba, with the full intent of crossing the U.S. Red Line.

    Immediately, the president of the United States orders a full-scale military invasion of Cuba in an attempt to effect regime change there and install a pro-U.S. regime into power.

    In accordance with the RATO treaty, RATO begins furnishing money and weaponry to Cuba. U.S. troops get bogged down in Cuba and are unable to reach Havana. U.S. officials contemplate using nuclear weapons against Havana as a way to shorten the war, thereby saving the lives of U.S. soldiers, as they did with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. RATO warns that any use of nuclear weapons will bring immediate retaliatory measures.

    Now, ask yourself the following question: What would be the position of American interventionists in the RATO/U.S./Cuba war?

    There is no doubt about it.

    Let’s do some more imagining. Let’s imagine the following conversation between a questioner and an American interventionist:

    Questioner: Are you supporting the U.S. invasion of Cuba?

    Interventionist: Why, of course I am. I’m a patriot.

    Questioner: But the U.S. is the invader. Why would you support an invader?

    Interventionist: The U.S. had no choice. It had to invade Cuba to prevent RATO from installing its nuclear missiles in Cuba.

    Questioner: But Cuba is a sovereign, independent country. Doesn’t it have the right to join RATO and doesn’t RATO have the right to install its nuclear missiles in Cuba?

    Interventionist: We don’t feel comfortable having RATO’s nuclear missiles pointed at us from only 90 miles away.

    Questioner: But does feeling uncomfortable give the U.S. the right to start a war against another country?

    Interventionist: We didn’t start this war. RATO did. If RATO had not threatened to install its nuclear missiles in Cuba, the U.S. would never have invaded Cuba. By knowingly, deliberately, and intentionally crossing our Red Line, RATO bears the responsibility for starting this war.

    Questioner: But the U.S. is the invader. Isn’t that all that matters?

    Interventionist: Of course not. It is easy to see that RATO provoked the U.S. into invading Cuba by crossing our Red Line. That’s what brought on this war.

    Questioner: I see. Now, could we please turn our attention to Ukraine? I now understand why you’re opposing RATO for provoking the U.S. invasion of Cuba by crossing the U.S. Red Line, but please remind me again as to why you’re supporting NATO, given that it provoked the Russian invasion of Ukraine by crossing Russia’s Red Line.

    Source: https://www.fff.org/2023/02/27/rato-and-nato/ .

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13. THERE HAS NEVER IN HISTORY BEEN A GREATER NEED FOR A LARGE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT: Let’s Be Clear ~ If WW3 Happens It Will Be The Result Of Choices Made By The US Empire by Caitlin Johnstone 022723

    … “There has never in history been a time when the need to forcefully oppose the warmongering of our own western governments was more urgent.”

    Things are escalating more and more rapidly between the US-centralized power structure and the few remaining nations with the will and the means to stand against its demands for total obedience, namely China, Russia, and Iran. The world is becoming increasingly split between two groups of governments who are becoming increasingly hostile toward each other, and YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A HISTORIAN TO KNOW IT’S PROBABLY A BAD SIGN WHEN THAT HAPPENS. Especially in the age of nuclear weapons.

    The US State Department’s Victoria NULAND IS NOW SAYING THAT THE US IS SUPPORTING UKRAINIAN STRIKES ON CRIMEA, drawing sharp rebukes from Moscow with a stern reminder that the peninsula is a “red line” for the Kremlin which will result in escalations in the conflict if crossed. On Friday, Ukraine’s President Zelensky told the press that Kyiv is preparing a large offensive for the “de-occupation” of Crimea, which Moscow has considered a part of the Russian Federation since its annexation in 2014.

    As Anatol Lieven explained for Jacobin earlier this month [ https://jacobin.com/2023/02/crimea-russia-ukraine-strategy-us-nuclear-war-risk ], this exact scenario is currently the one most likely to lead to a sequence of escalations ending in nuclear war. In light of the aforementioned recent revelations, the opening paragraph of Lieven’s article is even more chilling to read now than it was when it came out a couple of weeks ago:

    “The greatest threat of nuclear catastrophe that humanity has ever faced is now centered on the Crimean peninsula. In recent months, the Ukrainian government and army have repeatedly vowed to reconquer this territory, which Russia seized and annexed in 2014. The Russian establishment, and most ordinary Russians, for their part believe that holding Crimea is vital to Russian identity and Russia’s position as a great power. As a Russian liberal acquaintance (and no admirer of Putin) told me, ‘In the last resort, America would use nuclear weapons to save Hawaii and Pearl Harbor, and if we have to, we should use them to save Crimea.’”

    And that’s just Russia. THE WAR IN UKRAINE IS BEING USED TO ESCALATE AGAINST ALL POWERS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE US-CENTRALIZED ALLIANCE, with recent developments including drone attacks on an Iranian weapons factory which reportedly arms Russian soldiers in Ukraine, and Chinese companies being sanctioned for “backfill activities in support of Russia’s defence sector” following US accusations that the Chinese government is preparing to arm Russia in the war.

    ISRAEL’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been holding multiple meetings with top military officials regarding POTENTIAL FUTURE ATTACKS ON IRAN TO NEUTRALIZE THE ALLEGED THREAT OF IRAN DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR ARSENAL, a “threat” that Netanyahu has personally been lying about for years.

    If you’ve been reading Antiwar.com (AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS STUFF YOU PROBABLY SHOULD BE), you’ve been seeing new articles about the latest imperial escalations against China on a near-daily basis now. Sometimes they come out multiple times per day; this past Thursday Dave DeCamp put out two completely separate news stories titled “US Plans to Expand Military Presence in Taiwan, a Move That Risks Provoking China” and “Philippines in Talks With US, Australia on Joint South China Sea Patrols”. Taiwan and the South China Sea are two powderkeg flashpoints where war could quickly erupt at any time in a number of different ways.

    IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR GOOD UPDATES ON THE BEHAVIOR OF THE US-CENTRALIZED EMPIRE AND YOU FOLLOW THEM FROM DAY TO DAY, IT’S CLEAR THAT THINGS ARE ACCELERATING TOWARD A GLOBAL CONFLICT OF UNIMAGINABLE HORROR. AS BAD AS THINGS LOOK RIGHT NOW, THE FUTURE OUR CURRENT TRAJECTORY HAS US POINTED TOWARD IS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH WORSE.

    EMPIRE APOLOGISTS WILL FRAME THIS TRAJECTORY TOWARD GLOBAL DISASTER AS AN ENTIRELY ONE-SIDED AFFAIR, with bloody-fanged tyrants trying to take over the world because they are evil and hate freedom, and the US-centralized alliance either cast in the role of poor widdle victim or heroic defender of the weak and helpless depending on which generates more sympathy on that day.

    THESE PEOPLE ARE LYING. Any intellectually honest research into the west’s aggressions and provocations against both Russia and China will show you that RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE REACTING DEFENSIVELY TO THE EMPIRE’S CAMPAIGN TO SECURE US UNIPOLAR PLANETARY HEGEMONY; YOU MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH THOSE REACTIONS, BUT YOU CANNOT DENY THAT THEY ARE REACTIONS TO A CLEAR AND DELIBERATE AGGRESSOR.

    This is important to understand, because whenever you say that something must be done to try and avert an Atomic Age world war, you’ll get empire apologists saying “Well go protest in Moscow and Beijing then,” as though the US power alliance is some kind of passive witness to all this. Which is of course complete bullshit; IF WORLD WAR III DOES INDEED BEFALL US, IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF CHOICES THAT WERE MADE BY THE DRIVERS OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE WHILE IGNORING OFF-RAMP AFTER OFF-RAMP.

    THIS TENDENCY TO FLIP REALITY AND FRAME THE WESTERN IMPERIAL POWER STRUCTURE AS THE REACTIVE FORCE FOR PEACE AGAINST MALEVOLENT WARMONGERS SERVES TO HELP QUASH THE EMERGENCE OF A ROBUST ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT IN THE WEST, BECAUSE IF YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT IS VIRTUOUS AND INNOCENT IN A CONFLICT THEN THERE’S NO GOOD REASON TO GO PROTESTING IT. BUT THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT URGENTLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE DRIVING US TO OUR DOOM.

    LET’S BE CLEAR: IF WW3 HAPPENS IT WILL BE THE RESULT OF CHOICES MADE BY THE US EMPIRE. The commander of the US nuclear arsenal has stated unequivocally that the war in Ukraine is just a warmup exercise for a much larger conflict that’s already in the mail.

    In fact, it is fair to say that THERE HAS NEVER IN HISTORY BEEN A TIME WHEN THE NEED TO FORCEFULLY OPPOSE THE WARMONGERING OF OUR OWN WESTERN GOVERNMENTS WAS MORE URGENT. The attacks on Vietnam and Iraq were horrific atrocities which unleashed unfathomable suffering upon our world, but they did not pose any major existential threat to the world as a whole. THE WARS IN VIETNAM AND IRAQ KILLED MILLIONS; WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A CONFLICT THAT CAN KILL BILLIONS.

    Each of the World Wars was in turn the worst single thing that happened to our species as a whole up until that point in history. World War I was the worst thing that ever happened until World War II happened, and if World War III happens it will almost certainly make World War II look like a schoolyard tussle. This is because all of the major players in that conflict would be armed with nuclear weapons, and at some point some of them are going to be faced with strong incentives to use them. Once that happens, Mutually Assured Destruction ceases to protect us from Armageddon, and the “Mutual” and “Destruction” components come in to play.

    NONE OF THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN. THERE IS NOTHING WRITTEN IN ADAMANTINE WHICH SAYS THE US MUST RULE THE WORLD WITH AN IRON FIST NO MATTER THE COST AND NO MATTER THE RISK. There is nothing inscribed upon the fabric of reality which says nations can’t simply coexist peacefully and collaborate toward the common good of all beings, can’t turn away from our primitive impulses of domination and control, CAN’T DO ANYTHING BUT DRIFT PASSIVELY TOWARD NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION ALL BECAUSE A FEW IMPERIALISTS IN WASHINGTON CONVINCED EVERYONE TO BUY INTO THE DOCTRINE OF UNIPOLARISM.

    BUT WE’RE NOT GOING TO TURN AWAY FROM THIS TRAJECTORY UNLESS THE MASSES START USING THE POWER OF OUR NUMBERS TO FORCE A CHANGE FROM WARMONGERING, MILITARISM AND CONTINUAL ESCALATION TOWARD DIPLOMACY, DE-ESCALATION AND DETENTE. We need to start organizing against those who would steer our species into extinction, and working to pry their hands away from the steering wheel if they refuse to turn away. WE NEED TO RESIST ALL EFFORTS TO CAST INERTIA ON THIS MOST SACRED OF ALL PRIORITIES, AND WE NEED TO START MOVING NOW. WE’RE ALL ON A SOUTHBOUND BUS TO OBLIVION, AND IT’S SHOWING NO SIGNS OF STOPPING.

    Source: https://caitlinjohnstone.substack.com/p/there-has-never-in-history-been-a?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email ; EMPHASES added.

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14. Jimmy Dore on the poisoning of water near East Palestine:

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