AIPAC is a foreign agent. They ARE ACTING FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL. THE PIGS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS KNOW THIS BUT ENRICHING THEMSELVES IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THIS REALLY IS 21ST CENTURY AMERICA - GREEDY CUTTHROAT PIGS WHO WORSHIP MONEY ABOVE EVERYTHING. THAT IS THE 21ST CENTURY UNITED STATES - ONE SINGULAR VALUE, ONE GOD - MONEY.
Pascal, I love your YouTube channel and the diverse voices you bring to it. But your guest writer's diagnosis of the root cause stops one level too short.
The Iranian hostility toward the occupiers of Palestine is entirely justified but the ideology of the occupiers of Palestine is not the root. Zionism is simply the latest manifestation of something far older and more persistent. Supremacy; the philosophical conviction that some people are categorically superior, and therefore exempt from the moral constraints that govern relations between equals.
It is the same conviction which powered the Conquistadors, the British and French empires, and now it drives American hegemony in the region. What better ruse could the European Crusaders have dreamed up, but to use Zionists to justify another crusade to the Holy Land.
We struggle to name it honestly because doing so would force us to reckon with our own past and present sins. The philosophy of supremacy is too deep, too long, and too ugly for most of us to face.
Hallo Pascal. Ich verzichte ausnahmsweise auf eine maschinelle Übersetzung ins Englische
Ich bin nach wie vor nicht der Meinung, dass eschatologisches Denken die Quelle allen Übels ist. Religionen, Ideologien und ähnliches sind doch seit vielen tausend Jahren lediglich die geistigen Werkzeuge, um Massen von Menschen dazu zu motivieren, schreckliche Dinge zu tun. Wie zum Beispiel Repressionen gegen seine Mitmenschen auszuüben, andere Menschen zu töten und zu foltern. Es mag in vielen Fällen der Fall sein, dass Herrscher, Politiker, Theokraten usw. ihre eigene Propaganda glauben. Aber wenn man bis zum Ende analysiert, dann stösst man, wie bei einem Bach oder einem Fluss, immer auf eine Quelle. Oft mit vielen Seitenarmen verzweigt. Die Quellen waren in der gesamten Menschheitsgeschichte: Macht und Reichtum einer kleinen elitären Klasse, die über die grosse Masse herrscht, diese unteren Klassen instrumentalisiert und gleichzeitig ausbeutet und ohne moralische Bedenken auch opfert.
Macht und Reichtum bedeuten nicht nur Gold, Edelsteine oder Geld, sondern auch die Kontrolle: über Landstriche/Regionen, Handelswege, Handelsknotenpunkte, natürliche Ressourcen und Rohstoffe, Energievorkommen und über die Lieferwege für Energie. Geopolitik ist nicht das Ziel, sondern das Mittel zur Erreichung eben genannter Ziele.
Du hast viele gebildete und intelligente Leute zu Gesprächen eingeladen und interessante Gespräche geführt.
Aber, meines Erachtens wird viel zu wenig darüber gesprochen: "Wer sind die USA?". "Wer ist Israel?". Sind es wirklich das jeweilige Staatsvolk? Ich bin aus analytischer Sicht des Ist-Zustands der Meinung, dass das nicht die richtige Antwort ist. Es ist doch unzweifelhaft zu erkennen, dass in der Antike, im Absolutismus/Feudalismus oder Kapitalismus das Staatsvolk bis zu einem gewissen Grad "Verbrauchsmaterial" bzw. Werkzeuge sind. Sorry, diese Formulierung ist weder mein Denken, noch Zynismus, sondern nur ein nachweisbares Faktum. Die Grenze der Verzichtbarkeit dieser Werkzeuge besteht lediglich in der erforderlichen Quantität und Qualität des Staatsvolkes als Arbeitskräfte und Soldaten.
Wenn Du Dir eine politische Weltkarte anschaust und alle Konflikte, Regime Change, Kriege, Terrorismus, Wirtschaftskriege anschaust, dann erkennt man das Muster der Konflikte der letzten 46 Jahre. Es kommt keine "Dominostrategie", wie im letzten Jahrhundert zum Einsatz, sondern der Kampf um Märkte, Lagerstätten von Rohstoffen und Energieträger und um deren Lieferwege. Desweiteren um den Verlust der Dominanz über all das und dem Versuch dieser Entwicklung entgegenzuwirken. In der "Neuzeit" gesellte sich der Kampf um die Vormachtstellung des US Dollars, zwecks Ausbeutung/Ausplünderung der Weltressourcen und globalen Arbeitskraft, sowie um den Erhalt des Fiatgeldsystems als bedeutendste Säule der US-Machtprojektion hinzu .
Wer oder was sind Israel und die USA, wenn es nicht der Staat und sein Staatsvolk sind? Es dürfte ausser Zweifel stehen, dass beide dieser staatlichen Gebilde von Plutokraten beherrscht, gelenkt und im Interesse besagter Plutokraten instrumentalisiert werden. Und hier schließt sich wieder der Kreis, wenn man erneut die Frage stellt: "Wie bringt man das Staatsvolk dazu, so unsägliches, wie zum Beispiel in Gaza zu tun?
Die Eschatologie ist eine von diversen Antworten dazu. Ich stelle mir ein Frage und dazu zitiere ich Charles Bukowski:
" Erinnerst du dich, wer du warst, bevor man dir sagte, wer du sein sollst? "
Treffender und kürzer kann man dieses Thema den Leuten nicht zum Nachdenken um die Ohren schlagen. Und das beginnt schon kurz nach der Geburt im Elternhaus, im Familienverbund, setzt sich fort in Kindergärten, Kirchen/Moscheen, Schulen und wird zur Perfektion vorangetrieben durch Medien und an Universitäten. Eschatologisches oder sonstiges Denken ist niemals dem eigenen Gehirn bzw. Denkprozess entsprungen. Es ist das Mittel, Menschen für Kapitalinteressen zu instrumentalisieren.
Sorry für den langen und nicht ins Englische übersetzten Kommentar.
I am a former American. I spit on the flag now although it's a very cool flag...but, F it.
you are right. we are nothing. as a woman we are supposed to feed the warriors and turn out warriors.
I am so sick over Iran...I can't believe this is happening...just when I had gotten used to and couldn't believe I was giving up on Gaza. But, they aren't giving up. The Iranians won't give up. I would like to see the Israelis wiped out. Who wouldn't?
Great essay too - you might consider putting up an English translation. The most important tool of the masses is “critical thinking” - if we raise our children to stop and question, to listen to their intuition and delve deeper into anything that doesn’t make sense we can overcome the societal brainwashing. Our traditional media (which was relied on to set the tone regarding international affairs) has had its bias laid bare with Gaza - unfortunately social media (where more and more people are taking their news - and attitudes - from) is also problematic. Critical thinking must be taught to children from kindergarten up!!
Yes, sorry. I was writing while occupied with other things, and based on my experience, I don't particularly trust machine translations. German is such a rich, wonderful language, capable of conveying so many nuances of thought and feeling. Much of that is inevitably lost in English. Nevertheless, I am commissioning "Qwen" to handle the translation, hoping the result will retain at least a minimum degree of authenticity regarding my thoughts. Here is the English translation:
———
Hello Pascal. Exceptionally, I am foregoing a machine translation into English.
I still do not share the view that eschatological thinking is the source of all evil. For many thousands of years, religions, ideologies, and similar constructs have merely served as intellectual tools to motivate masses of people to commit terrible acts: exercising repression against fellow human beings, killing others, torturing them. In many cases, rulers, politicians, theocrats, etc., may indeed believe their own propaganda. However, if one analyzes matters thoroughly, just as with a stream or river, one always eventually reaches a source—often branching into numerous tributaries. Throughout all of human history, these sources have been: power and wealth concentrated within a small elite class that rules over the vast majority, instrumentalizes these lower classes, simultaneously exploits them, and sacrifices them without moral hesitation.
Power and wealth signify not only gold, precious stones, or money, but also control: over territories/regions, trade routes, trade hubs, natural resources and raw materials, energy reserves, and the supply lines delivering that energy. Geopolitics is not the goal itself, but rather the means to achieve the aforementioned objectives.
You have invited many educated and intelligent individuals for conversations and conducted interesting discussions.
However, in my opinion, far too little attention is paid to the questions: "Who are the USA?" and "Who is Israel?" Are they truly their respective national populations? From an analytical perspective focused on the current state of affairs, I believe this is not the correct answer. It is undeniably evident that in antiquity, during absolutism/feudalism, or under capitalism, the national population has, to a certain extent, been treated as "disposable material" or merely as tools. Sorry, this formulation reflects neither my personal mindset nor cynicism; it is simply a demonstrable fact. The limit of how dispensable these tools are depends solely on the required quantity and quality of the national population as laborers and soldiers.
If you examine a political world map and review all conflicts, regime changes, wars, terrorism, and economic warfare over the past 46 years, a clear pattern emerges. No longer is a "domino strategy" employed, as in the previous century; instead, the struggle revolves around markets, deposits of raw materials and energy sources, along with their supply routes. Furthermore, it concerns the loss of dominance over all these elements and attempts to counteract this development. In the "modern era," another dimension has been added: the fight for supremacy of the US dollar, enabling the exploitation and plundering of global resources and labor worldwide, alongside maintaining the fiat money system as the most significant pillar of US power projection.
Who or what are Israel and the USA, if not the state and its national population? There can be no doubt that both of these state entities are dominated, directed, and instrumentalized by plutocrats in the interest of said plutocrats. And here the circle closes once again when we ask anew: "How does one motivate the national population to commit such unspeakable acts, such as those currently occurring in Gaza?"
Eschatology is merely one among several answers to this question. I pose a question myself, quoting Charles Bukowski:
"Do you remember who you were before they told you who you should be?"
No formulation could strike people more accurately or concisely, prompting them to reflect on this topic. This process begins shortly after birth within the home and family structure, continues in kindergartens, churches/mosques, schools, and is perfected through media and universities. Eschatological or any other form of prescribed thinking never originates from one's own brain or independent thought process. It serves as a tool to instrumentalize people for capitalist interests.
Sorry for this lengthy comment, which I have not translated into English myself.
If we raise our children that way, they won't "fit in". Because of my Mensa IQ and independence, I have never fit in....except with the rare creative geniuses I have been lucky to meet and befriend..... NYC is where they were.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to have someone of your stature lower herself to interact with us the hoi polloi. I will subscribe to your substack for the gems it must surely offer.
Very funny/sarcastic. I am NOT lowering myself. It just happened that for the first time in my 86 years I paid a LOT of attention to WTF in the world was going on after Oct7.
Israel started bombing that very day! Hey, aren't your people in there???
What I learned pretty soon was those people did NOT matter, except to their relatives who were going nuts with Grief esp. when they too figured out that that Israel didn't care at all..and that they had killed hundreds that day. Hamas didn't burn out all those cars. And, the lies about rape and beheaded babies. I knew it did not make sense.
I don't have a substack. I didn't have education or the time to be a Heather Cox Richardson.....I was learning bits and pieces to make some conclusions based on facts. I know now I could have just posted as I went along. I have over 70 pages of material in docs.
I do have more "stature" than I did before. I have always studied one thing or another but never history or politics. It's nice to find myself confident enough to be a teacher of sorts, passing on what I think I know. And, it ain't good. I am suffering over Iran as I did over Gaza.
I don't like it at all!
I don't know what people in the USA will do to survive. Don't have kids! Don't add more of the worst mammals to the planet. get a dog or/and a cat. They are MUCH better people. My cat is kind and considerate. If one has a bad dog, they can have it put down. If you do that to a bod kid, the authorities are at your door. If you like children, volunteer at an orphanage.
Become a survivalist. Learn how to do everything yourself. Good luck in the coming decades; it's not a pretty picture.
We agree on these points. The USA really should launch a decapitation strike to take out Satanyahoo who pressured, threatened, or blackmailed Trump into supporting his latest war crimes.
I Love German words I just don't understand it all.
OK Google translate as a donation ....
I still don't believe that eschatological thinking is the source of all evil. For thousands of years, religions, ideologies, and the like have merely been the intellectual tools used to motivate masses of people to do terrible things, such as perpetrating repression against their fellow human beings, killing and torturing others. It may be true in many cases that rulers, politicians, theocrats, and so on believe their own propaganda. But if you analyze to the end, you always find, like a stream or a river, a source. Often with many tributaries. Throughout human history, the sources have been: the power and wealth of a small, elite class that rules over the vast majority, instrumentalizing and exploiting these lower classes, and sacrificing them without moral qualms.
Power and wealth don't just mean gold, precious stones, or money, but also control: over territories/regions, trade routes, trading hubs, natural resources and raw materials, energy deposits, and energy supply routes. Geopolitics is not the goal, but the means to achieve these goals.
You invited many educated and intelligent people to discussions and had some interesting conversations.
But, in my opinion, far too little is said about: "Who are the USA?" "Who is Israel?" Are they really the respective people of a nation? From an analytical perspective of the current situation, I believe that's not the right answer. It's undeniably clear that in antiquity, in absolutism/feudalism, or capitalism, the people of a nation were, to a certain extent, "expendables" or tools. Sorry, this formulation isn't my thinking, nor is it cynicism, but simply a verifiable fact. The only limit to the dispensability of these tools lies in the required quantity and quality of the nation's population as workers and soldiers.
If you look at a political world map and consider all the conflicts, regime changes, wars, terrorism, and economic wars, you'll recognize the pattern of conflicts over the last 46 years. There's no "domino strategy" like in the last century; instead, it's the struggle for markets, deposits of raw materials and energy resources, and their supply routes. Furthermore, it's about losing dominance over all of this and attempting to counteract this development. In the "modern era," the struggle for the supremacy of the US dollar, for the purpose of exploiting and plundering global resources and labor, as well as maintaining the fiat money system as the most significant pillar of US power projection, has been added to the mix.
Who or what are Israel and the USA if not the state and its people? It should be beyond doubt that both of these state entities are controlled, directed, and instrumentalized by plutocrats in their own interests. And here the circle closes again, when we ask the question once more: "How do you get the people of a nation to do such unspeakable things as what happened in Gaza?"
Eschatology is one of several answers to this. I ask myself a question, and to answer it I quote Charles Bukowski:
"Do you remember who you were before you were told who you were supposed to be?"
There's no more apt or concise way to get people thinking about this topic. It starts shortly after birth in the family home, continues in kindergartens, churches/mosques, and schools, and is perfected by the media and universities. Eschatological or any other kind of thinking never originates from one's own brain or thought process. It's a means of manipulating people for the benefit of capital.
Sorry for the long comment, which wasn't translated into English.
You should be sorry.
Love Charles Bukowski...read many of his books about 40 years ago.
Brings to mind Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour - 7 seconds. It was in regards to the concept of race but could be in relation to other concepts and thoughts of identity.
Beautiful singing. "And when a child is born into this world. It has no concept of the tone of skin its living in.
Not everybody who's native tounge is english. Perhaps one of 20 in the world?
Many thanks "heikomr" for your fine evaluation and results about what all is coming around. The key issue is food and money to be able to survive as Bertolt Brecht said about what is the most important for a human beeing is food. He also said and first after that comes ethics and moral. A survey from Finland asked writers and novelists the philosophical question about what is "good" in the world. The best answer was that what is good for your group (yourself, family, city, country, continent, all people and beyond perhaps all living species).
To conclude good is when we have food in our stomachs and perhaps some dimes in our pockets.
That means good economy, employment and that things move forward and we can see good times coming.
What I have learned is The USA is going to hell. It is run by a cabal, cartel of Israel First IAPAC, billionaires, and the military industry. There is another worthless leader, this one is barely even a "person". Not a fine highly educated man like the Supreme leader of Iran was ...now he is leading from martyrdom.
Thanks Freddy, my family name is Arndt...3 of my grandparents were "German" born in the USA. ; I never heard them speak anything but english. We had no German culture or german food. My paternal grandfather fought in WW1 and in WW2, he served in the Coast Guard to relieve the younger men so they could fight. Ny Germany Firsters.
Americans are lousy at having a 2nd language. I have traveled extensively, 5-6-7 months out 6 times. I am fortunate that english is now the lingua Frances....The Europeans I met all spoke 2-3 languages because you live next door to many countries and have a tradition of visiting and marrying and wars between you. The USA is young and has no tradition of going into other countries. I never met an American when I was stating in hostel type hotels. They aren't that brave.
As far as food, yes, it is unexceptable, to say the last, that those Zionists are depriving the people in Gaza food ; they have limited it for decades.
It is human nature to feed living things. Because we KNOW in our very being how necessary it is. I feed feral cats which just increases that population, so rationally it isn't a good thing. But, I can't help it.
The Epstein class (USA & Israel) have bombed water refineries. I suffer daily from these horrors because I pay attention and have learned from independent journalist from around the world what is going on. They all speak english.
I am disgusted with Amerika. I will never vote again. At 86, there aren't many elections in my future so it's not a big loss to the corrupted political class.
I don't know where you read my "fine evaluation and results about what all is coming around. " Not on this site but I absolutely do contribute and try to educate people about what I have learned since Oct7 when I started learning non-stop, hours a day: Youtube Prime and books and some substacks.
This is a great essay . It fully addresses the issues at the heart of things in the Middle East. And speaks truths throughout. Side discussions regarding the resources in the region together with the loss of world dominance by the US and old empires also need to be understood when discussing the region. However, the state of Israel is (& has been for decades) the root cause of the violence in the Middle East. It upsets me so much to hear the commentary in all mainstream media (EU, UK, US and even Al Jazeera - apologies I don’t see media from other areas of the world ) continually misinforming the public. They gently shift the focus from the core problem to side issues when the video evidence is indisputable. They use language as a weapon to de-legitimise those who object to the colonisation and the dispossession of the indigenous peoples of the land. They validate the ongoing wars and occupation by discussing shifting details and arguing about tactics and alliances instead of persistently naming the facts at the core and returning to them continually. News without context isn’t news. News for that region that doesn’t offer context and doesn’t place the colonisation, the ownership of nuclear weapons by those colonisers and the ongoing disregard of all international laws by that state is being utterly misleading and simply a tool of war. The international news editors and analysts are hugely culpable and should feel deep shame when they look in their mirrors each night.
I am from Sweden and we were historically very hostile, starting many wars and attacked our neighbouring countries to conquer lands, to get tariffs and territories to our Kings, until we lost Finland 1809 after starting another war against Russia. We imported a french Napoleon revolutionary general, Bernadotte, to conquer back Finland from Russia. He looked at the map and said: are you idiots to start another war against the mighty Russia? From 1814 we declared neutrality and stayed out of wars for more than 200 years and prospered from being a poor agricultural country to reach to one of the most equal and rich countries in the world until about 1980. Now we are descending and part of EU since 1995 and NATO military war mafia and everything is going downwards.
We have a vassal right-brown government who obeys every word from CIA and our overlord, the erratic warlord, CIA-driven, mr Trump, who likes to play golf on holidays and on countries weekdays, he is told to dislike from Mossad/MI6/CIA and billionaires.
I wish we regain neutrality and independence from all colonial powers that bring havoc to us and the rest of the world. Say no to wars and yes to peace and the UN-charter for a fairer world without oppression, war and tragedy.
Pascal, many many words from which I most agree with St Stephen's analysis. Wasn't Israel after all birthed by Britain, didn't zionists collaborate with German Nazis while USA turned away boatloads of Jewish refugees? And Biden saying if there wasn't an Israel we'd have to make one - ignoring that nobody could while rebuffing indigenous people's right to do so for themselves in Palestine. Legally. Too, follow the money to the war profiteers. The responsibility of Americans who won't wake up to the lies we were raised on. Our bought off ignorant self-serving congress and administration. And the unspoken questions that should really scare us spitless, of bioweapons, plastic food, altered plants, virtual money, and all the other impositions that benefit others sold to us, thoughtlessly bought by us. Especially anything from "experts". Here I applaud that comment on critical thinking.
Where's the public instruction on recognizing and revealing propaganda? Useful idiots doom ourselves to sink in the cement of beliefs hardened by others' self-serving words. What we think about we manifest, no? Where are people's deliberative decision making on national interests: our interests not those concocted by commissions that make us less free, less safe, and certainly less happy.
Basta Mearsheimer and Sachs! Please make a panel of Dr. Oberg at least and those Swiss? and French international lawyers to argue the best Human Rights Declaration update, the swiftest pragmatic peace, and the best effective BDS strategy map for the world public to impress our demands on capitalism. Each withholding as we can, and individually effective together - or in groups like those brave Italian dockworkers and Sumud flotilla about to float again. These are the actions to fascinate and inspire us, and motivate real humane human candidates to achieve public office, become public servants. When we think peace, talk peace, plan peace, and act peacefully, we get peace. It's not rocket science. So can we please hasten to the RIGHT questions/endless rousing arguments on the touch, taste, smell, sound experience of the most reliable, luxurious, longest lasting, most comfortable long wearing best peace?
I really wish people would stop using the phrase "the question of Palestine" because THE problem is not the Palestinians and never has been. THE problem is Israel. The question should be "what is to be done about Israel."
In my necessarily humble opinion (lacking as I do a university position or even education), not the wrong question but the wrong answer is being presented here. Or at least an incomplete, and therefore misleading, question and answer.
In reality, this war is made by the globalist digital-financial complex — Big Tech, Wall Street, the oil companies, the merchants of death et al and the oligarchs who own them — faithfully served and abetted, of course, by the US "deep state" and the lap-dog elites and “leaders” on both sides of the Atlantic. It is being waged primarily for THEIR purposes and benefit, not Israel's, and certainly not Israel’s alone.
The more important issue is not what benefits Israel or seals the fate of the Palestinians (a fate already sealed, I’m afraid). Rubio's admission "that his country’s strike was triggered by Israel’s planned attack on Iran", coming as it did a few days AFTER the idea was floated by a reported intelligence leak, was in my view more an alibi for popular consumption than a real admission (“The Israelis made me do it!”). Nor, put simply, is "regime change" the primary aim, however much it might facilitate the achievement of the real ends of those attacking Iran. Their ultimate goal is its destruction and the results likely to flow from its dismemberment. These include the taking over control of Iranian oil and, effectively, control of the Central Asian landmass, thereby depriving China of its own supply of oil and its “new Silk Road”, ratcheting up the pressure on Russia by increasing its isolation and depriving it of a buffer to attack from that quarter, and, yes, generally spreading CHAOS, in order to perpetuate the dominance, currently under threat, of the US empire as the centre and pivot of the globalist enterprise.
Apart from my reluctance to accept its central Judeo-centric premise (a common fixation these days), I find certain of Professor Rabkin's statements curious. "Several ministers in the current government", he declares, "are actively pursuing ethnic cleansing through hardship, forced exile, or genocide." Surely more than just several ministers? More like the entire nation, with only a pitiful handful of honourable exceptions. And, really, how harmful to the United States and Europe were their earlier interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria? Not very, I’d say, apart from magnifying the savagery, effrontery and immorality of their current leaders and the ignorance, indifference and impotence of their populations. Professor Rabkin claims “It therefore matters little whether American wars in the region benefit the US economically, militarily, or politically. Nor does the price Americans have paid in blood and money. The real question is whether Israel has profited from them.” However, when one speaks of the US in this context, it matters not a whit whether the nation or its population as a whole benefits or loses. What matters is whether or not it pays for the globalist military-industrial/digital-financial complex and its hangers-on. And Israel is important to them only in as far as it serves their own interests. If it did not, it would be dispensed with, no matter how useful as an attack dog or how much it lavishes on corrupt politicians who are ultimately their marionettes, not Israel's. Libya’s defence of the Palestinians, for example, was certainly not the reason for that country’s destruction by the West. Israel did not attack and destroy Libya; France and Britain did, at their US master’s voice, but not for Israel’s sake. Nor did the US and its coalition of subject nations invade Iraq or ruin Afghanistan for the Israelis’ benefit.
It’s almost as if the Israeli war criminal is a scapegoat, in the original, biblical, sense of the word, for all the West’s crimes. Perhaps there’s a madness there deeper than the more obvious one now raining bombs on and ruining Iran. The upsurge in fundamentalist, con-artist-manipulated biblical mania and propaganda in both Israel and America might suggest so.
All can be true at the same time. Japan was bombed and then occupied. Giving USA and its allies a place in the pacific. South Korea is still officially at war with North Korea giving USA a space in the Pacific. My home country spawned the USA as a Puritan out post. The official reason being they were persecuted in Britain. I know it is more complicated than that as many Puritans did want to be under the Monarchy. But, the fundamentalism of the likes of Cromwell was still there. Cromwell who treated the first Colony- Ireland with such tyranny. It is about I believe wars of Attrition and as Charles said domination. Domination can be justified in many ways. Currently with the militarisation of our schools academies. It is justified as rules must be obeyed. Well at obeyed by the children.
Thanks again Pascal for presenting an knowledgeable analysis why USA and Israel seem like mad, evil and vicious perpetual war mongering lunatics.
Iran has been a anti colonial champion against a rising new colonial reckless statelet of immigrants of foreigners to the mideast who are acting like parasites among the ancient filisteen/palestine native population long before Abrahams nomadic shepherds arrived. Some jews, though smart and talented, abuse the oppression they met through their distant kin Mr Hitler. He was disappointed he couldn't marry a jewish girl he liked in Wienna. Her father rejected him because he was jobless and could not support her financially. Mr Hitler took a big revenge on the jewish people during his 12 years reign i Germany.
Now Israel takes a revenge on Persia and Iran by historical reasons. Like murdering their spiritual ancestors. During their so called babylonian captivity long ago they catched up some faint fragments of the glorious ancient persian wisdom from Zarathustra, zoroastrianism, mythological tales about the Bird Phoenix, (Simurgh) and Noah. They stole it and put part of it in their Torah. I think the israelis think they are the smartest people in the world. That's the reason they want to destroy their scholars, teachers and spiritual fathers: the glorious and outstanding persian people. It's a tragedy we are witnessing. A bold group scattered some-jewish people descending to mass murder, usery, theft and occupation and mass bombing of their hosts and neighbours. The world, UN and world community must stop this wars and punish the perpetrators: the evil colonial powers of USA and Israel and their vassalls. De-colonice, disarm and leave military alliances.
Pascal has a point: Neutrality can save you from war and destruction!
Very apropos. Sadly, given the steady pace by which Israel and USA are losing the war, this leads to the conclusion that Israel will use its nuclear weapons or bully USA into using one or two of its nuclear weapons on Iran.
In the case of a long war of attrition climbing up the escalation ladder towards the destruction of civilian infrastructure like desalination plants, the use of nuclear weapons by Israel seems very plausible to me. The only hope is that Russia and China are willing and able to stop Israel.
Very clever to include quotes from Stephen Miller, so let me try to help the engagement by saying he’s right. The world is unfortunately governed by force, strength/power. Miller and this Administration are not interested in pretending like Mark Carney who gave his speech condemning America’s Imperialism whike eventually toeing the line to support this Israeli/U.S war.
“The reason for this is Iran’s principled stance on justice for the Palestinians.”
What unadulterated BS. The Iranians don’t give a whit about the Palestinians and use them as a means to build and project power. Your whole intellectual house of card collapses
AIPAC is a foreign agent. They ARE ACTING FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL. THE PIGS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS KNOW THIS BUT ENRICHING THEMSELVES IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO THEM THAN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THIS REALLY IS 21ST CENTURY AMERICA - GREEDY CUTTHROAT PIGS WHO WORSHIP MONEY ABOVE EVERYTHING. THAT IS THE 21ST CENTURY UNITED STATES - ONE SINGULAR VALUE, ONE GOD - MONEY.
Pascal, I love your YouTube channel and the diverse voices you bring to it. But your guest writer's diagnosis of the root cause stops one level too short.
The Iranian hostility toward the occupiers of Palestine is entirely justified but the ideology of the occupiers of Palestine is not the root. Zionism is simply the latest manifestation of something far older and more persistent. Supremacy; the philosophical conviction that some people are categorically superior, and therefore exempt from the moral constraints that govern relations between equals.
It is the same conviction which powered the Conquistadors, the British and French empires, and now it drives American hegemony in the region. What better ruse could the European Crusaders have dreamed up, but to use Zionists to justify another crusade to the Holy Land.
We struggle to name it honestly because doing so would force us to reckon with our own past and present sins. The philosophy of supremacy is too deep, too long, and too ugly for most of us to face.
Hallo Pascal. Ich verzichte ausnahmsweise auf eine maschinelle Übersetzung ins Englische
Ich bin nach wie vor nicht der Meinung, dass eschatologisches Denken die Quelle allen Übels ist. Religionen, Ideologien und ähnliches sind doch seit vielen tausend Jahren lediglich die geistigen Werkzeuge, um Massen von Menschen dazu zu motivieren, schreckliche Dinge zu tun. Wie zum Beispiel Repressionen gegen seine Mitmenschen auszuüben, andere Menschen zu töten und zu foltern. Es mag in vielen Fällen der Fall sein, dass Herrscher, Politiker, Theokraten usw. ihre eigene Propaganda glauben. Aber wenn man bis zum Ende analysiert, dann stösst man, wie bei einem Bach oder einem Fluss, immer auf eine Quelle. Oft mit vielen Seitenarmen verzweigt. Die Quellen waren in der gesamten Menschheitsgeschichte: Macht und Reichtum einer kleinen elitären Klasse, die über die grosse Masse herrscht, diese unteren Klassen instrumentalisiert und gleichzeitig ausbeutet und ohne moralische Bedenken auch opfert.
Macht und Reichtum bedeuten nicht nur Gold, Edelsteine oder Geld, sondern auch die Kontrolle: über Landstriche/Regionen, Handelswege, Handelsknotenpunkte, natürliche Ressourcen und Rohstoffe, Energievorkommen und über die Lieferwege für Energie. Geopolitik ist nicht das Ziel, sondern das Mittel zur Erreichung eben genannter Ziele.
Du hast viele gebildete und intelligente Leute zu Gesprächen eingeladen und interessante Gespräche geführt.
Aber, meines Erachtens wird viel zu wenig darüber gesprochen: "Wer sind die USA?". "Wer ist Israel?". Sind es wirklich das jeweilige Staatsvolk? Ich bin aus analytischer Sicht des Ist-Zustands der Meinung, dass das nicht die richtige Antwort ist. Es ist doch unzweifelhaft zu erkennen, dass in der Antike, im Absolutismus/Feudalismus oder Kapitalismus das Staatsvolk bis zu einem gewissen Grad "Verbrauchsmaterial" bzw. Werkzeuge sind. Sorry, diese Formulierung ist weder mein Denken, noch Zynismus, sondern nur ein nachweisbares Faktum. Die Grenze der Verzichtbarkeit dieser Werkzeuge besteht lediglich in der erforderlichen Quantität und Qualität des Staatsvolkes als Arbeitskräfte und Soldaten.
Wenn Du Dir eine politische Weltkarte anschaust und alle Konflikte, Regime Change, Kriege, Terrorismus, Wirtschaftskriege anschaust, dann erkennt man das Muster der Konflikte der letzten 46 Jahre. Es kommt keine "Dominostrategie", wie im letzten Jahrhundert zum Einsatz, sondern der Kampf um Märkte, Lagerstätten von Rohstoffen und Energieträger und um deren Lieferwege. Desweiteren um den Verlust der Dominanz über all das und dem Versuch dieser Entwicklung entgegenzuwirken. In der "Neuzeit" gesellte sich der Kampf um die Vormachtstellung des US Dollars, zwecks Ausbeutung/Ausplünderung der Weltressourcen und globalen Arbeitskraft, sowie um den Erhalt des Fiatgeldsystems als bedeutendste Säule der US-Machtprojektion hinzu .
Wer oder was sind Israel und die USA, wenn es nicht der Staat und sein Staatsvolk sind? Es dürfte ausser Zweifel stehen, dass beide dieser staatlichen Gebilde von Plutokraten beherrscht, gelenkt und im Interesse besagter Plutokraten instrumentalisiert werden. Und hier schließt sich wieder der Kreis, wenn man erneut die Frage stellt: "Wie bringt man das Staatsvolk dazu, so unsägliches, wie zum Beispiel in Gaza zu tun?
Die Eschatologie ist eine von diversen Antworten dazu. Ich stelle mir ein Frage und dazu zitiere ich Charles Bukowski:
" Erinnerst du dich, wer du warst, bevor man dir sagte, wer du sein sollst? "
Treffender und kürzer kann man dieses Thema den Leuten nicht zum Nachdenken um die Ohren schlagen. Und das beginnt schon kurz nach der Geburt im Elternhaus, im Familienverbund, setzt sich fort in Kindergärten, Kirchen/Moscheen, Schulen und wird zur Perfektion vorangetrieben durch Medien und an Universitäten. Eschatologisches oder sonstiges Denken ist niemals dem eigenen Gehirn bzw. Denkprozess entsprungen. Es ist das Mittel, Menschen für Kapitalinteressen zu instrumentalisieren.
Sorry für den langen und nicht ins Englische übersetzten Kommentar.
I am a former American. I spit on the flag now although it's a very cool flag...but, F it.
you are right. we are nothing. as a woman we are supposed to feed the warriors and turn out warriors.
I am so sick over Iran...I can't believe this is happening...just when I had gotten used to and couldn't believe I was giving up on Gaza. But, they aren't giving up. The Iranians won't give up. I would like to see the Israelis wiped out. Who wouldn't?
Great essay too - you might consider putting up an English translation. The most important tool of the masses is “critical thinking” - if we raise our children to stop and question, to listen to their intuition and delve deeper into anything that doesn’t make sense we can overcome the societal brainwashing. Our traditional media (which was relied on to set the tone regarding international affairs) has had its bias laid bare with Gaza - unfortunately social media (where more and more people are taking their news - and attitudes - from) is also problematic. Critical thinking must be taught to children from kindergarten up!!
Yes, sorry. I was writing while occupied with other things, and based on my experience, I don't particularly trust machine translations. German is such a rich, wonderful language, capable of conveying so many nuances of thought and feeling. Much of that is inevitably lost in English. Nevertheless, I am commissioning "Qwen" to handle the translation, hoping the result will retain at least a minimum degree of authenticity regarding my thoughts. Here is the English translation:
———
Hello Pascal. Exceptionally, I am foregoing a machine translation into English.
I still do not share the view that eschatological thinking is the source of all evil. For many thousands of years, religions, ideologies, and similar constructs have merely served as intellectual tools to motivate masses of people to commit terrible acts: exercising repression against fellow human beings, killing others, torturing them. In many cases, rulers, politicians, theocrats, etc., may indeed believe their own propaganda. However, if one analyzes matters thoroughly, just as with a stream or river, one always eventually reaches a source—often branching into numerous tributaries. Throughout all of human history, these sources have been: power and wealth concentrated within a small elite class that rules over the vast majority, instrumentalizes these lower classes, simultaneously exploits them, and sacrifices them without moral hesitation.
Power and wealth signify not only gold, precious stones, or money, but also control: over territories/regions, trade routes, trade hubs, natural resources and raw materials, energy reserves, and the supply lines delivering that energy. Geopolitics is not the goal itself, but rather the means to achieve the aforementioned objectives.
You have invited many educated and intelligent individuals for conversations and conducted interesting discussions.
However, in my opinion, far too little attention is paid to the questions: "Who are the USA?" and "Who is Israel?" Are they truly their respective national populations? From an analytical perspective focused on the current state of affairs, I believe this is not the correct answer. It is undeniably evident that in antiquity, during absolutism/feudalism, or under capitalism, the national population has, to a certain extent, been treated as "disposable material" or merely as tools. Sorry, this formulation reflects neither my personal mindset nor cynicism; it is simply a demonstrable fact. The limit of how dispensable these tools are depends solely on the required quantity and quality of the national population as laborers and soldiers.
If you examine a political world map and review all conflicts, regime changes, wars, terrorism, and economic warfare over the past 46 years, a clear pattern emerges. No longer is a "domino strategy" employed, as in the previous century; instead, the struggle revolves around markets, deposits of raw materials and energy sources, along with their supply routes. Furthermore, it concerns the loss of dominance over all these elements and attempts to counteract this development. In the "modern era," another dimension has been added: the fight for supremacy of the US dollar, enabling the exploitation and plundering of global resources and labor worldwide, alongside maintaining the fiat money system as the most significant pillar of US power projection.
Who or what are Israel and the USA, if not the state and its national population? There can be no doubt that both of these state entities are dominated, directed, and instrumentalized by plutocrats in the interest of said plutocrats. And here the circle closes once again when we ask anew: "How does one motivate the national population to commit such unspeakable acts, such as those currently occurring in Gaza?"
Eschatology is merely one among several answers to this question. I pose a question myself, quoting Charles Bukowski:
"Do you remember who you were before they told you who you should be?"
No formulation could strike people more accurately or concisely, prompting them to reflect on this topic. This process begins shortly after birth within the home and family structure, continues in kindergartens, churches/mosques, schools, and is perfected through media and universities. Eschatological or any other form of prescribed thinking never originates from one's own brain or independent thought process. It serves as a tool to instrumentalize people for capitalist interests.
Sorry for this lengthy comment, which I have not translated into English myself.
Hey, not that different from my google translate. or, is it?
5am here in Mexico...time for bed.
If we raise our children that way, they won't "fit in". Because of my Mensa IQ and independence, I have never fit in....except with the rare creative geniuses I have been lucky to meet and befriend..... NYC is where they were.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to have someone of your stature lower herself to interact with us the hoi polloi. I will subscribe to your substack for the gems it must surely offer.
Very funny/sarcastic. I am NOT lowering myself. It just happened that for the first time in my 86 years I paid a LOT of attention to WTF in the world was going on after Oct7.
Israel started bombing that very day! Hey, aren't your people in there???
What I learned pretty soon was those people did NOT matter, except to their relatives who were going nuts with Grief esp. when they too figured out that that Israel didn't care at all..and that they had killed hundreds that day. Hamas didn't burn out all those cars. And, the lies about rape and beheaded babies. I knew it did not make sense.
I don't have a substack. I didn't have education or the time to be a Heather Cox Richardson.....I was learning bits and pieces to make some conclusions based on facts. I know now I could have just posted as I went along. I have over 70 pages of material in docs.
I do have more "stature" than I did before. I have always studied one thing or another but never history or politics. It's nice to find myself confident enough to be a teacher of sorts, passing on what I think I know. And, it ain't good. I am suffering over Iran as I did over Gaza.
I don't like it at all!
I don't know what people in the USA will do to survive. Don't have kids! Don't add more of the worst mammals to the planet. get a dog or/and a cat. They are MUCH better people. My cat is kind and considerate. If one has a bad dog, they can have it put down. If you do that to a bod kid, the authorities are at your door. If you like children, volunteer at an orphanage.
Become a survivalist. Learn how to do everything yourself. Good luck in the coming decades; it's not a pretty picture.
We agree on these points. The USA really should launch a decapitation strike to take out Satanyahoo who pressured, threatened, or blackmailed Trump into supporting his latest war crimes.
Agree.
I Love German words I just don't understand it all.
OK Google translate as a donation ....
I still don't believe that eschatological thinking is the source of all evil. For thousands of years, religions, ideologies, and the like have merely been the intellectual tools used to motivate masses of people to do terrible things, such as perpetrating repression against their fellow human beings, killing and torturing others. It may be true in many cases that rulers, politicians, theocrats, and so on believe their own propaganda. But if you analyze to the end, you always find, like a stream or a river, a source. Often with many tributaries. Throughout human history, the sources have been: the power and wealth of a small, elite class that rules over the vast majority, instrumentalizing and exploiting these lower classes, and sacrificing them without moral qualms.
Power and wealth don't just mean gold, precious stones, or money, but also control: over territories/regions, trade routes, trading hubs, natural resources and raw materials, energy deposits, and energy supply routes. Geopolitics is not the goal, but the means to achieve these goals.
You invited many educated and intelligent people to discussions and had some interesting conversations.
But, in my opinion, far too little is said about: "Who are the USA?" "Who is Israel?" Are they really the respective people of a nation? From an analytical perspective of the current situation, I believe that's not the right answer. It's undeniably clear that in antiquity, in absolutism/feudalism, or capitalism, the people of a nation were, to a certain extent, "expendables" or tools. Sorry, this formulation isn't my thinking, nor is it cynicism, but simply a verifiable fact. The only limit to the dispensability of these tools lies in the required quantity and quality of the nation's population as workers and soldiers.
If you look at a political world map and consider all the conflicts, regime changes, wars, terrorism, and economic wars, you'll recognize the pattern of conflicts over the last 46 years. There's no "domino strategy" like in the last century; instead, it's the struggle for markets, deposits of raw materials and energy resources, and their supply routes. Furthermore, it's about losing dominance over all of this and attempting to counteract this development. In the "modern era," the struggle for the supremacy of the US dollar, for the purpose of exploiting and plundering global resources and labor, as well as maintaining the fiat money system as the most significant pillar of US power projection, has been added to the mix.
Who or what are Israel and the USA if not the state and its people? It should be beyond doubt that both of these state entities are controlled, directed, and instrumentalized by plutocrats in their own interests. And here the circle closes again, when we ask the question once more: "How do you get the people of a nation to do such unspeakable things as what happened in Gaza?"
Eschatology is one of several answers to this. I ask myself a question, and to answer it I quote Charles Bukowski:
"Do you remember who you were before you were told who you were supposed to be?"
There's no more apt or concise way to get people thinking about this topic. It starts shortly after birth in the family home, continues in kindergartens, churches/mosques, and schools, and is perfected by the media and universities. Eschatological or any other kind of thinking never originates from one's own brain or thought process. It's a means of manipulating people for the benefit of capital.
Sorry for the long comment, which wasn't translated into English.
You should be sorry.
Love Charles Bukowski...read many of his books about 40 years ago.
Brings to mind Neneh Cherry and Youssou N'Dour - 7 seconds. It was in regards to the concept of race but could be in relation to other concepts and thoughts of identity.
Beautiful singing. "And when a child is born into this world. It has no concept of the tone of skin its living in.
Vielen Dank ´"heikomr" für deine feine Abschätzung und Ergebnis um worum es alles geht.
Das ist Brot und Geld, wie Bertolt Brecht sagte: erst kommt das Essen!
Eine Finnländische Untersuchung fragte berühmte Erzähler und Verfasser die Frage:
Was ist gut?
Die beste Antwort war: Das was gut für dein Volk ist. Was bringt Brot in den Magen und ein Pfennig oder so in der Tasche!
Also Wirtschaft, Arbeit und am liebsten Fortschritt mit einem günstigen Zukunft.
Oh, for Krise sake, we don't all read German.
For you Judith I try to translate.
Not everybody who's native tounge is english. Perhaps one of 20 in the world?
Many thanks "heikomr" for your fine evaluation and results about what all is coming around. The key issue is food and money to be able to survive as Bertolt Brecht said about what is the most important for a human beeing is food. He also said and first after that comes ethics and moral. A survey from Finland asked writers and novelists the philosophical question about what is "good" in the world. The best answer was that what is good for your group (yourself, family, city, country, continent, all people and beyond perhaps all living species).
To conclude good is when we have food in our stomachs and perhaps some dimes in our pockets.
That means good economy, employment and that things move forward and we can see good times coming.
What I have learned is The USA is going to hell. It is run by a cabal, cartel of Israel First IAPAC, billionaires, and the military industry. There is another worthless leader, this one is barely even a "person". Not a fine highly educated man like the Supreme leader of Iran was ...now he is leading from martyrdom.
Thanks Freddy, my family name is Arndt...3 of my grandparents were "German" born in the USA. ; I never heard them speak anything but english. We had no German culture or german food. My paternal grandfather fought in WW1 and in WW2, he served in the Coast Guard to relieve the younger men so they could fight. Ny Germany Firsters.
Americans are lousy at having a 2nd language. I have traveled extensively, 5-6-7 months out 6 times. I am fortunate that english is now the lingua Frances....The Europeans I met all spoke 2-3 languages because you live next door to many countries and have a tradition of visiting and marrying and wars between you. The USA is young and has no tradition of going into other countries. I never met an American when I was stating in hostel type hotels. They aren't that brave.
As far as food, yes, it is unexceptable, to say the last, that those Zionists are depriving the people in Gaza food ; they have limited it for decades.
It is human nature to feed living things. Because we KNOW in our very being how necessary it is. I feed feral cats which just increases that population, so rationally it isn't a good thing. But, I can't help it.
The Epstein class (USA & Israel) have bombed water refineries. I suffer daily from these horrors because I pay attention and have learned from independent journalist from around the world what is going on. They all speak english.
I am disgusted with Amerika. I will never vote again. At 86, there aren't many elections in my future so it's not a big loss to the corrupted political class.
I don't know where you read my "fine evaluation and results about what all is coming around. " Not on this site but I absolutely do contribute and try to educate people about what I have learned since Oct7 when I started learning non-stop, hours a day: Youtube Prime and books and some substacks.
This is a great essay . It fully addresses the issues at the heart of things in the Middle East. And speaks truths throughout. Side discussions regarding the resources in the region together with the loss of world dominance by the US and old empires also need to be understood when discussing the region. However, the state of Israel is (& has been for decades) the root cause of the violence in the Middle East. It upsets me so much to hear the commentary in all mainstream media (EU, UK, US and even Al Jazeera - apologies I don’t see media from other areas of the world ) continually misinforming the public. They gently shift the focus from the core problem to side issues when the video evidence is indisputable. They use language as a weapon to de-legitimise those who object to the colonisation and the dispossession of the indigenous peoples of the land. They validate the ongoing wars and occupation by discussing shifting details and arguing about tactics and alliances instead of persistently naming the facts at the core and returning to them continually. News without context isn’t news. News for that region that doesn’t offer context and doesn’t place the colonisation, the ownership of nuclear weapons by those colonisers and the ongoing disregard of all international laws by that state is being utterly misleading and simply a tool of war. The international news editors and analysts are hugely culpable and should feel deep shame when they look in their mirrors each night.
I agree with you Maria M!
I am from Sweden and we were historically very hostile, starting many wars and attacked our neighbouring countries to conquer lands, to get tariffs and territories to our Kings, until we lost Finland 1809 after starting another war against Russia. We imported a french Napoleon revolutionary general, Bernadotte, to conquer back Finland from Russia. He looked at the map and said: are you idiots to start another war against the mighty Russia? From 1814 we declared neutrality and stayed out of wars for more than 200 years and prospered from being a poor agricultural country to reach to one of the most equal and rich countries in the world until about 1980. Now we are descending and part of EU since 1995 and NATO military war mafia and everything is going downwards.
We have a vassal right-brown government who obeys every word from CIA and our overlord, the erratic warlord, CIA-driven, mr Trump, who likes to play golf on holidays and on countries weekdays, he is told to dislike from Mossad/MI6/CIA and billionaires.
I wish we regain neutrality and independence from all colonial powers that bring havoc to us and the rest of the world. Say no to wars and yes to peace and the UN-charter for a fairer world without oppression, war and tragedy.
Sad!!!
Iran will not be free unless the Palestinians are free.
Iran should make it a requirement to stop bombing Israel. My plan: ERASE Israel.
Been on Heather's substack for hours...so, I haven't read your article yet.
You prob. already said that.
Pascal, many many words from which I most agree with St Stephen's analysis. Wasn't Israel after all birthed by Britain, didn't zionists collaborate with German Nazis while USA turned away boatloads of Jewish refugees? And Biden saying if there wasn't an Israel we'd have to make one - ignoring that nobody could while rebuffing indigenous people's right to do so for themselves in Palestine. Legally. Too, follow the money to the war profiteers. The responsibility of Americans who won't wake up to the lies we were raised on. Our bought off ignorant self-serving congress and administration. And the unspoken questions that should really scare us spitless, of bioweapons, plastic food, altered plants, virtual money, and all the other impositions that benefit others sold to us, thoughtlessly bought by us. Especially anything from "experts". Here I applaud that comment on critical thinking.
Where's the public instruction on recognizing and revealing propaganda? Useful idiots doom ourselves to sink in the cement of beliefs hardened by others' self-serving words. What we think about we manifest, no? Where are people's deliberative decision making on national interests: our interests not those concocted by commissions that make us less free, less safe, and certainly less happy.
Basta Mearsheimer and Sachs! Please make a panel of Dr. Oberg at least and those Swiss? and French international lawyers to argue the best Human Rights Declaration update, the swiftest pragmatic peace, and the best effective BDS strategy map for the world public to impress our demands on capitalism. Each withholding as we can, and individually effective together - or in groups like those brave Italian dockworkers and Sumud flotilla about to float again. These are the actions to fascinate and inspire us, and motivate real humane human candidates to achieve public office, become public servants. When we think peace, talk peace, plan peace, and act peacefully, we get peace. It's not rocket science. So can we please hasten to the RIGHT questions/endless rousing arguments on the touch, taste, smell, sound experience of the most reliable, luxurious, longest lasting, most comfortable long wearing best peace?
I really wish people would stop using the phrase "the question of Palestine" because THE problem is not the Palestinians and never has been. THE problem is Israel. The question should be "what is to be done about Israel."
And always including scare quotes around "Israel" not legally a nation regardless what the UN says.
In my necessarily humble opinion (lacking as I do a university position or even education), not the wrong question but the wrong answer is being presented here. Or at least an incomplete, and therefore misleading, question and answer.
In reality, this war is made by the globalist digital-financial complex — Big Tech, Wall Street, the oil companies, the merchants of death et al and the oligarchs who own them — faithfully served and abetted, of course, by the US "deep state" and the lap-dog elites and “leaders” on both sides of the Atlantic. It is being waged primarily for THEIR purposes and benefit, not Israel's, and certainly not Israel’s alone.
The more important issue is not what benefits Israel or seals the fate of the Palestinians (a fate already sealed, I’m afraid). Rubio's admission "that his country’s strike was triggered by Israel’s planned attack on Iran", coming as it did a few days AFTER the idea was floated by a reported intelligence leak, was in my view more an alibi for popular consumption than a real admission (“The Israelis made me do it!”). Nor, put simply, is "regime change" the primary aim, however much it might facilitate the achievement of the real ends of those attacking Iran. Their ultimate goal is its destruction and the results likely to flow from its dismemberment. These include the taking over control of Iranian oil and, effectively, control of the Central Asian landmass, thereby depriving China of its own supply of oil and its “new Silk Road”, ratcheting up the pressure on Russia by increasing its isolation and depriving it of a buffer to attack from that quarter, and, yes, generally spreading CHAOS, in order to perpetuate the dominance, currently under threat, of the US empire as the centre and pivot of the globalist enterprise.
Apart from my reluctance to accept its central Judeo-centric premise (a common fixation these days), I find certain of Professor Rabkin's statements curious. "Several ministers in the current government", he declares, "are actively pursuing ethnic cleansing through hardship, forced exile, or genocide." Surely more than just several ministers? More like the entire nation, with only a pitiful handful of honourable exceptions. And, really, how harmful to the United States and Europe were their earlier interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria? Not very, I’d say, apart from magnifying the savagery, effrontery and immorality of their current leaders and the ignorance, indifference and impotence of their populations. Professor Rabkin claims “It therefore matters little whether American wars in the region benefit the US economically, militarily, or politically. Nor does the price Americans have paid in blood and money. The real question is whether Israel has profited from them.” However, when one speaks of the US in this context, it matters not a whit whether the nation or its population as a whole benefits or loses. What matters is whether or not it pays for the globalist military-industrial/digital-financial complex and its hangers-on. And Israel is important to them only in as far as it serves their own interests. If it did not, it would be dispensed with, no matter how useful as an attack dog or how much it lavishes on corrupt politicians who are ultimately their marionettes, not Israel's. Libya’s defence of the Palestinians, for example, was certainly not the reason for that country’s destruction by the West. Israel did not attack and destroy Libya; France and Britain did, at their US master’s voice, but not for Israel’s sake. Nor did the US and its coalition of subject nations invade Iraq or ruin Afghanistan for the Israelis’ benefit.
It’s almost as if the Israeli war criminal is a scapegoat, in the original, biblical, sense of the word, for all the West’s crimes. Perhaps there’s a madness there deeper than the more obvious one now raining bombs on and ruining Iran. The upsurge in fundamentalist, con-artist-manipulated biblical mania and propaganda in both Israel and America might suggest so.
All can be true at the same time. Japan was bombed and then occupied. Giving USA and its allies a place in the pacific. South Korea is still officially at war with North Korea giving USA a space in the Pacific. My home country spawned the USA as a Puritan out post. The official reason being they were persecuted in Britain. I know it is more complicated than that as many Puritans did want to be under the Monarchy. But, the fundamentalism of the likes of Cromwell was still there. Cromwell who treated the first Colony- Ireland with such tyranny. It is about I believe wars of Attrition and as Charles said domination. Domination can be justified in many ways. Currently with the militarisation of our schools academies. It is justified as rules must be obeyed. Well at obeyed by the children.
Thanks again Pascal for presenting an knowledgeable analysis why USA and Israel seem like mad, evil and vicious perpetual war mongering lunatics.
Iran has been a anti colonial champion against a rising new colonial reckless statelet of immigrants of foreigners to the mideast who are acting like parasites among the ancient filisteen/palestine native population long before Abrahams nomadic shepherds arrived. Some jews, though smart and talented, abuse the oppression they met through their distant kin Mr Hitler. He was disappointed he couldn't marry a jewish girl he liked in Wienna. Her father rejected him because he was jobless and could not support her financially. Mr Hitler took a big revenge on the jewish people during his 12 years reign i Germany.
Now Israel takes a revenge on Persia and Iran by historical reasons. Like murdering their spiritual ancestors. During their so called babylonian captivity long ago they catched up some faint fragments of the glorious ancient persian wisdom from Zarathustra, zoroastrianism, mythological tales about the Bird Phoenix, (Simurgh) and Noah. They stole it and put part of it in their Torah. I think the israelis think they are the smartest people in the world. That's the reason they want to destroy their scholars, teachers and spiritual fathers: the glorious and outstanding persian people. It's a tragedy we are witnessing. A bold group scattered some-jewish people descending to mass murder, usery, theft and occupation and mass bombing of their hosts and neighbours. The world, UN and world community must stop this wars and punish the perpetrators: the evil colonial powers of USA and Israel and their vassalls. De-colonice, disarm and leave military alliances.
Pascal has a point: Neutrality can save you from war and destruction!
Israel is the most dangerous place on Earth for Jews.
The Petrodollar has ended.
The next question is how the Epstein Class and the Neocons respond to the new reality.
Very apropos. Sadly, given the steady pace by which Israel and USA are losing the war, this leads to the conclusion that Israel will use its nuclear weapons or bully USA into using one or two of its nuclear weapons on Iran.
Well said in this article.
In the case of a long war of attrition climbing up the escalation ladder towards the destruction of civilian infrastructure like desalination plants, the use of nuclear weapons by Israel seems very plausible to me. The only hope is that Russia and China are willing and able to stop Israel.
Fuck Israel!
Professor Yakov Rabkin nails it.
Very clever to include quotes from Stephen Miller, so let me try to help the engagement by saying he’s right. The world is unfortunately governed by force, strength/power. Miller and this Administration are not interested in pretending like Mark Carney who gave his speech condemning America’s Imperialism whike eventually toeing the line to support this Israeli/U.S war.
In a nutshell, it seems to me that for some people's their sovereignty is simply not for sale. Or maybe I'm just naive.
“The reason for this is Iran’s principled stance on justice for the Palestinians.”
What unadulterated BS. The Iranians don’t give a whit about the Palestinians and use them as a means to build and project power. Your whole intellectual house of card collapses