Rachel Maddow doesn’t think John Bolton is being hawkish enough.
John. Fucking. Bolton.
On a recent segment about Donald Trump’s controversial phone call with Vladimir Putin, Maddow expressed concern for the way the White House’s mustachioed Thanos wannabe has been unable to push back against Russian interests in Venezuela with sufficient aggression. She discussed Trump’s nonsensical claim that Russia isn’t active in the affairs of its ally Venezuela (which propaganda mouthpieces like Maddow are calling “interfering” now), then went on a rambling tirade about how this impedes Bolton’s bloodthirsty instincts as though that’s a bad thing.
“Hey, John Bolton, hey, Mike Pompeo, are you guys enjoying your jobs right now?” Maddow asked. “You each thought your job this week was to name and shame and threaten and counter Russian government involvement in Venezuela while sabre-rattling about how everyone better get out of the way because the US is really mad about it. Guys, turns out your actual job is figuring out why you work for a president who says whatever Vladimir Putin tells him. I mean, just to be clear here, how do you come to work anymore if you’re John Bolton?”
“Regardless of what you thought of John Bolton before this, and his whole career and his track record,” Maddow continued, waving her hand dismissively as if to suggest that John Bolton’s murderous track record is somehow irrelevant or unimportant. “Just think of John Bolton as a human being. This is what John Bolton, human being, thought his job was this week.”
(I should interrupt my transcribing here to note that under no circumstances should anyone ever think of John “We know where your kids live” Bolton as a human being. No good can come of it.)
“I mean John Bolton, God bless you,” Maddow continued after running a clip of Bolton’s previous hawkish rhetoric toward Russia and Venezuela. “Good luck delicately and carefully shaving around that impressive mustache when you have to look at yourself in the mirror in coming days, Mister National Security Advisor. I mean, this is who you’re working for. You thought your job was to push Russia back because of what they’re doing in Venezuela. The president spent an hour on the phone with Vladimir Putin today; Putin told him he’s not in Venezuela, so now the new position of the US government is that Putin’s not in Venezuela. What’s your job?”
That’s right, the host of MSNBC’s top show dedicated a segment to hang-wringing over the notion that John Bolton wants to escalate tensions with Russia and Venezuela worse than they already are, but Trump won’t let him and it makes him sad.
Rachel Maddow opposed the Iraq invasion, which John Bolton played a fundamental role in manufacturing support for. She was elevated on MSNBC by Keith Olbermann, who himself made his name railing against the warmongering insanity of the Bush administration and is himself now just as much of a demented McCarthyite Russia hawk as Maddow.
It’s actually amazing how many journalists and pundits secured left-wing credibility by opposing the Iraq war, then spent the rest of their careers leveraging that left-wing credibility to circulate the exact same toxic imperialist mind viruses which led to the Iraq war. The Guardian‘s George Monbiot for example once attempted to make a citizen’s arrest of John Bolton for war crimes committed during the Iraq invasion; now he spends his time circulating war propaganda about Syria and Russia. The Intercept‘s Mehdi Hasan often writes angrily about the Iraq invasion to this day, and you’ll see him using that fact to justify the way he always scrambles to condemn whatever world leader the US war machine happens to have in its crosshairs, including Maduro and Assad.
Contrast Maddow’s “Trump is making John Bolton act too nice” monologue with a recent segment on Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, conducted in the aftermath of last week’s attempt at a military coup by opposition leader Juan Guaido. Journalist Anya Parampil appeared on the show and delivered a scathing criticism of the Trump administration’s heinous actions in Venezuela based on her findings during her recent visit to that country. She was allowed to speak uninhibited and without attack, even bringing up the Center for Economic and Policy Research study which found Trump administration sanctions responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 Venezuelans, a story that has gone completely ignored by western mainstream media.
Carlson introduced the interview with a clip from an earlier talk he’d had with Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who supports direct military action to overthrow Maduro and whose arguments Carlson had attacked on the basis that it would cost American lives and cause a refugee crisis. Parampil said the media is lying about what’s happening in Venezuela and compared Guaido’s coup attempt to a scenario in which Hillary Clinton had refused to cede the election, banded together 24 US soldiers and attempted to take the White House by force.
“I was there for a month earlier this year,” Parampil said. “The opposition has no popular support. Juan Guaido proved today, once again, that he will only ride in to power on the back of a US tank. And what’s more, we hear about a humanitarian crisis there, Tucker, but what we never hear is that is the intended result of US sanctions that have targeted Venezuelans since 2015, sanctions which according to a report that was released just last week by the Center for Economic and Policy Research has led to the deaths of 40,000 Venezuelans, and will lead to the death of thousands more if these sanctions aren’t overturned. President Trump, if he truly cared for the Venezuelan people, and the American people for that matter, he would end this disastrous policy. He would end the sanctions, and he would look into John Bolton’s eyes, into Elliott Abrams’ eyes, into Mike Pompeo’s eyes, and say you are fired. You are leading me down a disastrous path, another war for oil. Something the president said–he was celebrated by the American people when he said Iraq was a mistake, and now he’s willing to do it again.”
“I believe in an open debate,” Carlson responded. “And I’m not sure I agree with everything you’ve said, but I’m glad that you could say it here. And you were just there, and I don’t think you’d be allowed on any other show to say that.”
“No I certainly don’t,” Parampil replied. “And I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity, because President Trump promised to drain the swamp, and he flooded his national security team with that exact swamp.”
“Well I agree with that actually,” said Carlson, who had a heated exchange with Bolton last year immediately before his appointment as National Security Advisor.
Some people are going to twist this article into “Hurr, Caitlin loves Tucker Carlson!”, and there’s ultimately nothing I can do about that because this is the internet and people are morons. But for the record my point here is not that Tucker Carlson is awesome, it’s that it’s outrageous that in order to hear dissident views about Venezuela on American mainstream media, you have to turn on Tucker fucking Carlson. Unlike Rachel Maddow, Carlson was wrong about the Iraq invasion and supported it up until 2004. He plays into America’s idiotic culture wars, frequently on the more idiotic side of each issue, and he’s said hawkish things about Venezuela in the past. It’s absolutely horrifying that this is the closest thing that America has to a platform for sanity in the mainstream media.
America’s political landscape has restructured itself so much and the need to propagandize the masses has grown so severe that the liberal pundits are attacking the foreign policy of a widely reviled president for being insufficiently hawkish, and the only pundit with a foot anywhere near the brake pedal works on the news media network which was most aggressive in selling the American public on the Iraq invasion. Trump’s ostensible opposition are not just letting his worst foreign policy impulses run unchecked, but are actually egging him on, and the only ones asking meaningful questions about it are the leftists and antiwar voices who are aggressively silenced, and Tucker motherfucking Carlson. This is insane, and it needs to end.
______________________
Everyone has my unconditional permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, click here.
Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2
61 responses to “On Venezuela, Tucker Airs Anti-Trump Ideas While Maddow Wants John Bolton To Be More Hawkish”
Thank you for your response to my comment. I fully agree that terms such as “liberal”, “conservative”, “left” or” “right” started to lose any meaning. Not only people switch sides, but moreover, when they do, they are prone to go to the extreme on the other side of the pendulum. The only solution I can see is that we forget about our party/ideological allegiances, and that we take our position on issues.
Thank you for your response to my comment. I’m glad that we agree, and more than that, it looks like we have a shared history. I too have only heard about Tucker Carlson within the last 2 years, and I’ve been totally amazed by the fact that he was saying things I actually agree with, and moreover, I’ve been equally amazed by the fact that Fox News apparently has allowed him to openly question Russiagate as well as our foreign wars.
Finally, when I heard his take on Julian Assange (which – you’re totally correct – is one of the leading issues of our time), I realized my own habitual (liberal) prejudices, and my own knee-jerk reaction against Fox News, etc. The reason I wrote my original comment was because I’ve noticed certain uneasiness which even Caitlin (who is really an independent thinker, one of the best out there), felt when admitting that “conservative”Tucker Carlson was right, and anticipating that her (liberal) audience might hold it against her.
It is interesting to observe how apologetic we tend to feel, whenever we find our self siding with someone on the “wrong” side of the political spectrum…:-)
The only solution I can see is that we forget about our party/ideological allegiances, and that we take our positions on issues. Speaking for myself, I agree with whoever opposes militarism and foreign wars (Tulsi Gabbard, Paul C. Roberts, Ron Paul, Tucker Carlson, Caitlin Johnstone, Jimmy Doore, Rick Sanchez – of RT – , Julian Assange, Glenn Greenwald, etc.) And the other way around: I dislike War Propagandists, no matter how “progressive” they might be on other issues.
Eek I’ve been decompartmentalized. I normally find Tucker somewhere else ; )
There are many of us ” senior citizens ” that have had to endure the government of the United States turn into a blood thirsty forever war enterprise!! There are very many that know that the end result of this is going to be very bad; but we are being suppressed at every turn by any means necessary!! There are many websites on the Internet devoted to bringing our governments continuing folly to light; unfortunately the Internet is the only place still allowing these opinions to be voiced!! Here is one re-released today from many years ago:
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176560/best_of_tomdispatch%3A_andrew_bacevich%2C_the_american_military_crisis/#more
Used to read Foreign Affairs, every issue (published quarterly) for about twenty years. Thought reading the “unofficial voice of U.S. foreign policy” might be a good idea…
.
And it was. During the mid 1990s there were many articles such as “The Clash of Civilizations” by (IIRC) Samuel P. Huntington which foreshadowed our middle eastern wars. David Rockefeller was still at the helm of Foreign Affairs’ parent organization at the time (Richard Haass now runs it, after retiring as Director of Policy Planning for the United States Department of State ).
Hmmmmm? Was, is, and will Foreign Affairs not continue to be the propaganda organ of the CFR; beings both the “parent” and offspring were not only captained by but
spawned by David Rockefeller, in concert with the cabal’s goal of centralizing control of global economics?
Venezuela has not been cooperating with the plan since one of her citizens became the architect of the OPEC agreement, which facilitated the country regaining control of its national resources and the expelling of foreign bad-actors attracted during an epoch of colonialist aggression. Said bad-actors are now, and have been for several decades, trying to regain control of sovereign natural resources through economic and political intervention, presently bolstered by the blockade of not only financial assets, but the very food and medical necessities required for basic survival of the population writ large.
As Usual,
EA
The U.S. government did not “turn into” a bloodthirsty forever war enterprise. It has been a bloodthirsty forever war enterprise ever since the U.S. was founded. How else to commit genocide and ecocide except by scorched-earth warfare against the people who lived here before Europeans arrived? And when they were done “conquering” this continent, on to the world using the same policies they had used against indigenous peoples. We are a horrific nation founded on genocide and slavery, and the only good thing that can come of this empire is for it to die (which it assuredly will).
Yes indeed, the US was and is a country that values other people’s land and resources, and uses gunboat diplomacy to get them whenever we can. If you are interested in the history of just our regime change wars, which we have pursued for over 100 years (starting with Hawaii), check out Stephen Kinzer’s book, “Overthrow”. It’s a good read and very informative about our rather sordid history of going after other people’s land and resources, mostly for the benefit of corporations, with a dash of geopolitical hegemony on top.
Thanks for citing this very informed reminder of our national folly. In the introduction to the revisiting of his original article Andrew Bacevich says in pertinent part:
In the present instance, it is the innocent citizens of Venezuela who are the unwitting victims of “the evil effects” of our current national political addictions.
As Usual,
EA
Caitlin…you speak directly to my heart…this world is on life support and the ICU is drinking Bolton Kool Aid.
In the mainstream echo-chamber (Maddow is only a backwater clone) everything Russia really is about the Benjamins. . . not the Franklin type, the Bibi type. Russia has relations with and/or supports: Iran, Syria, Hezbollah… Public Enemies #1, #2, and #3 of . . . um . . . let me think. I’m not sure I even blame Israel, but we don’t want to lose track of the rosters of the competing teams.
Some people in the US, and most who live outside the US, have not been informed of the outbreak of the new form of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The new variant is called, “ Mad Dow Disease.
Symptoms are quite identical to the parent disease:
https://facty.com/ailments/body/10-symptoms-of-mad-cow-disease/?style=quick&utm_source=bing-up&utm_medium=m-search&utm_term=mad%20cow%20disease&utm_campaign=FH%20-%2010%20Symptoms%20of%20Mad%20Cow%20Disease%20-%20mobile&msclkid=3ddd1b6477e81e11b0f447abebb8966d
Get help immediately if you recognize these 10 symptoms.
https://youtu.be/DKuIjT-k-C8
Two thumbs up!
Maddow is repugnant. She’s a bad actor (this video) and a ruthless propagandist. She’s largely responsible for shifting the debate from class warfare to identity politics.
You do know that many people, myself included, call her: Rachel MadCow?
Why do you curse so much, Caitlin? Restrain the ghetto mouth, can’t you?
Fuck off, dipshit.
Succinctly put Caitlin. Nice one. Faux politeness is a sure sign of a dipshit.
“Fuck off dipshit”
LMAO!
I”ll second that!
Ghetto mouth? Whew! It’s so nice to know that in the suburbs Ozzie and Harriet still reign.
And I always appreciate some four-letter words!
Rachel Maddow is as much of a war criminal
as was Tokyo Rose in WW-II,
–except RM is now a multi-millionaire,
with zero concern for the victims of the US empire,
because of her unbridled love for fame & fortune.
The Viet-Nam war changed everything!! The media back then brought the war into every TV station and the public marched against the war and our government had to pull out!! Our bosses stopped the draft and bought up all of the media and any reality stopped being broadcast on TV!! Now all of it is just government propaganda and commercials!! Wikileaks is reality and that is why ” Big Brother ” has the public hating it!!!
The ” Human Contented Cows ” are kept asleep because if they actually knew what was actually going on there might be blood in the streets!!
There is blood in the streets. Here in France 23 people so far have lost an eye after being shot in the face point-blank by police with a “defensive weapon.”
Hmmm
Maddow just wants to erase any lingering doubts that “her” public may still have about her true affiliations and allegiance. Here is a hint, it isn’t to America, let alone Democracy…….Not that the depth of duplicity and bent for evil is front page news these days.
For many years (being an old git) the media was far more about news and less about entertainment. Now in the current age the media is about monetizing content which means entertainment.
Now we listen to whoever pays the most.
Let’s see how that turns out?
Good points Caitlin,
It makes me continue to wonder at the level of capture that has occurred in the so-called “liberal media”. They never were liberal; they have been corporate controlled for at least 3 decades now. I remember when CNN fired Bernard Shaw and Peter Arnett. It was bad enough before that, but it really went downhill fast afterwards. But listening to Maddow now (which I really can’t stomach for more than 30 seconds at a time) it seems difficult to argue that this is just corporate click bait journalism. It sounds far too much like MSNSA TV. You don’t get that level of propaganda just coming naturally from corporate news casters.
It’s also hard to believe that the hard line propaganda spewing from the Maddow spin machine is just due to getting lots of defense industry (sorry, offense industry) ad dollars. It seems more desperate and emphatic than that. It really sounds like marching orders coming from On High.
Is anyone talking about the shades of Operation Mockingbird?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mockingbird
I would expect that it is done much more discretely now, and with a lot more cover. But I would find it hard to believe that Maddow has gone this war crazy just over ad dollars and “access” to sources.
Does it strike anyone else here that the corporate news has been captured, rather than just playing along to get along?
Excellent points, John. You can see it most clearly with CBS (CIA Broadcasting System), both in their “news” department and their so-called dramas. They are obviously toting water for the government surveillance/propaganda departments and have been doing so for decades (it’s my understanding that a CIA officer was a constant presence in the “news” room back in the day, and I’ve never heard that he left). Are you familiar with the work Bought Journalism? You cannot buy a copy in the U.S. due to the government’s censoring the book, but the author was a German bought journalist who detailed how he was roped into doing the CIA’s work. I think you are totally correct in guessing that Maddow and her ilk are doing what they are told to do, saying what they are told to say.
Almost 20 years ago I completely gave up ever watching anything on the ” Idiot Box ” TV. It is quite bad enough having to deal with the ” brainless public ” outside; I do not want watch them inside my apartment!!
I wonder just how many people would go insane if they could not watch TV every day???
Is this new news?
—
Leaked: USA’s Feb 2018 Plan For A Coup In Venezuela
—
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-05-05/leaked-usas-feb-2018-plan-coup-venezuela
—
”
A detailed plan from “UNITED STATES SOUTHERN COMMAND” dated “23 FEBRUARY 2018” was issued with the title “PLAN TO OVERTHROW THE VENEZUELAN DICTATORSHIP ‘MASTERSTROKE’” and is here presented complete.
—
This document was personally signed by Admiral Kurt W. Tidd, who was the Commander (the chief), at SOUTHCOM, and he was thus the top U.S. military official handling Venezuela. But this was far more than just a military plan.
—
It was comprehensive — directing military, diplomatic, and propaganda, policies — regarding the Trump Administration’s planned “Overthrow” of Venezuela’s Government. His plan has since guided the Administration’s entire operation, including “the capacities of the psychological war,” regarding Venezuela.
“
Gasp!
—
I had a bad feeling about this one.
Now I have read others saying that they believe this leaked document is a fake.
—
Use with extreme caution.
Careful about sharing it.
I recently read an article by Jim Hightower that I, must admit, made me sick!!! The article is here:
https://otherwords.org/big-corporations-got-their-moneys-worth-on-tax-day/
At the bottom of the article is a url for ” rich people ” that are embarrassed about it!!!
Free Assange Free Manning, Is Rachel a D MIC Gay Gun and God member of the Duopoly Parties, who the MIC and others control? Are you hypnotized by TV etc. ? Get out of our way Morons and Lemmings, or Wake Up and save Mother Earth and Children and animals plants etc. Have a nice Day! BDS
Text me, I don’t have a cell though.
There are actually other people on the right opposing American imperialism, although Carlson is the only one on television. American Conservative Magazine runs articles opposing U.S. militarism all the time, for example.
I think the reason Maddow and other media personalities keep messing up is they know nothing. Outlets like MSNBC have adopted the FOX business model which dispenses with real journalism, which is expensive, and instead pay people with no expertise to spout opinions.
Anyway, kudos to Carlson for opposing war and Trump for ending the rhetoric about Russia interference, at least for the moment.
I find it quite interesting, as to me it seems as though the American anti-war movement has switched from left to right. There are of course some determined anti-war lefties still out there. But there is no longer a political component to antiwar activism on the Left. And yes, I know of Tulsi’s campaign and I’m one of the donors to help her get on the debate. But ever since when Ron Paul was the only major-party anti-war candidate to challenge Obama in the 2012 elections, it has been quite noticeable that the center of gravity of anti-war political activity appears to have shifted to the right. As to Tucker Carlson, since I used to despise his scripts, I don’t really trust him as someone committed to an anti-war cause. Instead it just appears that he finds it temporarily useful for his ratings. Which in turn is in itself useful as some anti-war voices that would otherwise be censored from American TV to find a space on his show these days.
There is Code Pink, MoveOn.org, some churches, or Win Without War. I don’t know which group, the anti-war left or right, is larger, but the right seems to have been more successful establishing media outlets like antiwar.com or The American Conservative. It is possible the election of Obama and Trump has reduced the anti-war left.
The real left has suffered from a lack of institutional support.
Actually, on second thought, you don’t need expertise to see there is no evidence for Russiagate, so that isn’t really the issue. There is a definite lack of professionalism.
‘I think the reason Maddow and other media personalities keep messing up is they know nothing.’ ……’is expensive and instead pay people with no expertise to spout opinions.’
Up till now I had understood they reward Maddow at great expense and provided her with full support in her Russiagate investigation which ultimately proved to be a diversion. To me it strikes me she knows much more than nothing and spouts not opinions but relays a familair agenda on behalf of her employer. If and when she stops doing so she will be fired. Many examples precede her.
Tucker Carlson had a good interview with Glenn Greenwald too! Let him speak, even laughed at his humor, never argued with him.
I laughed out loud at the line, “Just think of John Bolton as a human being.” I don’t know why, but I found that absolutely hilarious.
I found that line deeply disturbing I must say.
I’d like the meat puppet to explain WHY we are to think of John Bolton as a human being. Rachel Maddow just comes across as another piece of trash yapping on television — there seems to be an endless supply.
For the last few years, I’ve described the Democrats as the “We Want Nuclear War and We Want it Now!” Party
“This is insane, and it needs to end.” — Caitlin
.
We agree, but the details about how to end an empire matter…
.
The Constitution and self-governance it defines “is a radically new type of govt. after those that preceded it.
IT didn’t fail us, we failed it, but the odds have long been against us.” — Miss Margaret
.
Continued from “Whales, Crickets, And Other Fearsome Russian Doomsday Weapons”…
.
As Americans, perhaps our greatest conceit, both then and now, is in not recognizing just how much effort would be expended by the old order to bring our nation to heel. It’s interesting to note all the early attempts to establish a national (central) bank in the republic not to mention whom those political proponents of central banking represented.
.
One of the things I consider most important, constitutionally speaking, is returning the power to coin money solely to Treasury via establishment of a independent, public national bank to replace the privately owned Federal Reserve. There are no too-big-to-fail (TBTF) banks — just gamblers looking to socialize their risk when the cards turn against them.
.
And, since there are concerns about the “politicization” of money and its creation in the hands of government, the question I’d like to ask is: “Is the current system fair and free from political influence, or does it consistently create winners and losers?”
.
At the end of the day, the single most important question any “self-governing” political system must answer is: Does it represent the interests of the general population or a small minority?
.
At present, an elite minority is winning, hands down.
There is one simple act ordinary people can do. Turn off the ‘news’ that lies to you and preaches propaganda to you. Turn it completely off. Lies and Propaganda have a way of getting into your head if you aren’t careful, and turning off the known liars and propagandists is a way to do this. Besides, it costs them money.
………
Last decade there was a movie called “V for Vendetta”. Towards the end, there was a scene where the Great Leader tried to speak to ‘his’ people on the television, and there were nothing but empty chairs in front of the tellies. That is a worthy goal. That when they try to lie and propagandize, there is no one watching. Do this, turn them off, and teach others.
While we agree, about turning off the “telly”, I argue that there is a another simple act ordinary people can do as well… tender a blank ballot in the next election.
Interesting and provocative article, Caitlin. Thanks for doing that. I’m a fairly new subscriber, and I often have some differences in opinion with your positions, but I do like the fire in your belly. We need more people like you in the media.
If I wasn’t banned on FarceBook for 30 days for a post I made, I’d friend you. 😉
Thank you for another of your insightful contributions to authentic journalism ,Caitlin.
In retrospect, what is your personal take on the Maddow/Olbermann metamorphosis from their former anti-war passion to the current embrace of Neocon jingoism? Wasn’t opposition to the Iraq War also inimical to MIC’s interests at the time as the two railed against it and the GWB administration which directed it? Is it just the ascendance of self-interest over principle or a genuine 180
The Democrats took a fake anti-war stance at the end of the Cheney regime. This was the lead-up to the fake anti-war candidate Obama who, if one listened closely, really ran on the notion that he’d be a better manager of the Evil Empire than the incompetent Bush. Of course, as soon as the management of the Evil Empire fell into the control of the Democrats, they quickly quit all their anti-war activities and noises.
As there exists no fundamental difference within the duopoly, it comes down, not to guiding principles, but loyalty to one or the other management style of the same imperious worldview. They are pathetic servants of predatory militarism. Yes, you are right about Obama. If I remember correctly, his candidacy pitch was that Iraq was a ‘mistake’ and the real fight was in Afghanistan. He went on to expand the jingoism and authorized the immoral drone assassination campaign among other evils. He just hid himself under a more polished veneer.
Trump was elected because people have already figured out that the neo-libs/cons are worse than Trump and his Tea Party.
the neos are hell-bent to continue their global hegemony by all ALL means.
by the way, the “NOT BACKING DOWN” event for justice for Palestine at UMASS-Amherst last night was an astounding success with an auditorium full of people from all walks of life who oppose the neoliberal imperialist wars and stand with the Palestinians and their BDS movement! Salute to the courageous panelists and organizers! MSM will completely ignore the turning tide, though.
and yes, the Yankee Deep State, which is another name for the neo-liberal/conservative network, has been pulling Trump’s strings for a while now.
In the Sixties, we just called them “The Establishment”. Same beast, different words these days.
I like your thinking, Caitlin, but you need to reconsider Tucker Carlson. He has been consistently right, on Syria, on Russiagate, on Assange. Wherever he, or Maddow, might have stood in the past, that’s PAST, right now he is on the good side, she is on evil side. Can you Caitlin, AT LEAST YOU, let go of the left/right, progressive/conservative illusion? War or peace is the first and foremost question…
Problem is, either of those two can “switch sides” with no more effort than that required to put on or take off a coat…
AIR, you are 100% correct. I started watching Fox News during the 2016 Democratic National Convention because I wanted to see what they would say about the delegate walkout and other activities there. Tucker Carlson, whom I’ve disliked since his bow-tie days, has made an obvious shift in his positions since his neocon/conservative days. His most recent book, “Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution,” reads like something that Bernie would have written in his former years.
…………………………
He’s been on top of the censorship issue, including Assange’s imprisonment, which is one of the leading issues of our time. He’s been right about Syria, Venezuela, Russiagate, etc. He’s been calling out the tax reforms that give wealthy people a break at the expense of working and middle-class people. He’s far more of a leftist than Hillary Clinton ever was.
……………………………
While I will remain skeptical of anyone who says all the right words, as they might be controlled opposition, for as long as Tucker is nailing the issues (which he’s been doing for awhile), I’ll continue to watch and support him.
The question is: just exactly WHY is the present situation the way it is? History.
..
What’s going to unite US voters is what has always united them – wars and identifying new enemies. THIS is the real reason for the INTERNATIONAL Deep State’s crusade against Agent Orange. When AO talked about making nice with Russia during his presidential campaign and then, after his taking office, he went to Singapore and Helsinki for “summits” with Kim and Mr. Putin, that INTERNATIONAL Deep State’s Coup against AO shifted into high gear.
..
Why do I say this? Because the US economy LITERALLY CAN NOT AFFORD to let peace break out! VIP George Kennan explained exactly why just a few short years before the end of the Soviet Union. (What he said is even more true today.)
..
“Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.”
..
The situation Kennan described has grown infinitely worse during the last 30 years. For at least the last 18 years, China and Russia have been rising economic and military powers. The very serious problem for the transnational US Elite is that USD hegemony is now being seriously challenged by those and other nations’ economies and their currencies AND their weapons. Things are no longer going completely the Superpower US’s way. China’s economy is perhaps even now larger than that of the US.
..
To boil it all down, we are living in the competition of all tribal competitions and the outcome of this “contest” will determine the role of the US economy in the world, as well as the ultimate fate of the Fed’s hundreds of trillions, perhaps quadrillions of printed-out-of-thin-air USD.
..
The US’s imposition of all these tariffs and “sanctions” and wars are absolute proof of the transnational US Elite’s and their Deep State’s flailing desperation to do only one thing –maintain USD hegemony in order to prevent Kennan’s “unacceptable shock to the American economy”. These measures will ultimately fail and, therefore the only really important question that remains is whether the increasingly-desperate US Elite will “go gentle into that good night” and develop a peace-based economy amidst near-certain economic/political/social chaos, or will this insane Elite “false-flag” the rest of the world into a no-win nuclear shootout at the OK Corral. The US Secretary of the Interior’s recent threat to perhaps use the US navy to blockade Russian exports, the US ambassador to NATO’s recent threat to “take out” Russian missiles on Russian soil, and the US’s decision to pull out of the INF treaty indicate that the shoot-out is being seriously considered.
..
Therefore, the one and the only “idea” that can possibly “unite the nation” is not only the MAINTENANCE of Russia and China as enemies, but the INTENSIFICATION of the PERCEPTION of these nations as enemies in the minds of the US bewildered herd of voters. Google “governmentcontractswon”; go to that site and see that in 2017, “private” businesses in the state of Virgina (population 8.4 million) were awarded 61,576 contracts worth $43.1 billion and that there are 17,165 “private” DoD contractors in Virginia, and that from 2000 to 2017 “private” DoD contractors in Virginia were awarded over $683.5 billion for 619,034 contracts. Therefore, no majority of voters in Virginia is EVER, and I do mean EVER, going to vote for a candidate who promises to destroy Virginia’s war-based economy and destroy many good-paying jobs. They’re going to vote for warmongers!
..
Virginia is not alone in the war business. Check out what “private” DoD contractors in other states such as California receive annually. It’s mind boggling.
..
Therefore, the US will NEVER, and I do mean NEVER, be politically capable of changing it’s “foreign policy” unless and until, once again with feeling, Virginians (Americans) are given an alternative to their present “war way” of making a living and no D or R candidate is spelling out such an alternative.
..
Again, IMO, we are going to see and INTESIFICATION of the already-intense anti-Russian rhetoric which may lead to a rabid anti-Russian candidate being elected president. Of course Mr. Putin will be watching what transpires in the US. What is he going to do if he sees a rabid anti-Russian elected president – say one who promises to force Russia and China to “come to heel” by the even-more-aggressive use of the US military power?
..
Americans’ choice is simple. Either somehow organize / design a peace-based economy, and that right soon, or suffer nuclear devastation.
We agree…
“Virginia is not alone in the war business. Check out what “private” DoD contractors in other states such as California receive annually. It’s mind boggling.”
It has been a deliberate policy, for many years, to locate war contractors’ sites in every state of the US, in order to create a situation wherein no politician anywhere will dare to oppose the Military-Fiscal State because she/he would be perceived as “losing jobs.”