The greatest asset of the propagandists is your belief that you haven’t been propagandized.

~

Hi my name’s Maga McBootlick. I fight the establishment by cheerleading for the US President, I oppose war by supporting the same Middle East agendas as Dick Cheney, John Bolton and Bill Kristol, and I love the Iranian people so much I want to kill them with starvation sanctions.

~

I can’t believe I’ve spent a week and a half arguing with Republicans who insist that assassinating a nation’s top general is perfectly sane and normal and fine. No, idiots. No.

~

Trump supporters keep telling me how upset they are that I’m dedicating so much time and energy to criticizing his Iran warmongering. The mental irritation you experience when I criticize your president is called cognitive dissonance. It’s what being wrong feels like.

~

Note to the US government: you don’t get to murder civilians with starvation sanctions and then have anyone believe you when you tell them you stand with them. Not a thing.

~

When you target civilians with sanctions with the stated goal of making them so miserable and hungry that they rise up against their government, and then openly urge them to rise up against their government, you are trying to start a civil war. That is the thing you are doing. People should really think hard about exactly what that means.

The US Secretary of State has openly admitted that Iran is being sanctioned not so that its government will change its behavior, but so that the Iranian people will force their government out. This cannot happen without coordinated violence against Tehran, i.e. civil war.

We’ve known for years that the CIA has been ramping up covert operations within Iran. Concerns that the CIA is working to foment violence and disorder in Tehran are not idle speculation. It is most definitely happening. Only question is how and to what extent.

~

Anyone who’s ever escaped from a relationship with a sociopath can see these “We stand with the people of Nation X in rising up against their government” scripts for the imperialist manipulations they are. It’s amazing how many of the people with deep understandings of manipulation are survivors of this type of abuse.

~

After Iran admitted that it downed the Ukrainian plane there were a bunch of establishment narrative managers running around online going “Ha! See?? This proves it’s wrong to doubt us on these things!” Doesn’t work that way, sugar tits. The US government has an extensive history of using lies, propaganda and false flags to manufacture consent for military agendas; skepticism until there’s hard proof is the only sane position in a post-Iraq invasion world.

Always, always remain skeptical of such assertions until clear, doubtless proof is provided. Never let them shame you out of doing so. Their giant “See, we didn’t lie this time!” social media parade actually proves the rule.

~

All the justifications you’ve heard for Trump’s Iran warmongering have been premised upon the assumption that it is entirely right and appropriate for the United States to have a military presence on the other side of the planet in nations that don’t want them to be there.

~

When I say the US government’s claims justifying Soleimani’s assassination are unproven, I always get people telling me that’s because the evidence is classified. Secret, invisible, hypothetical evidence is not evidence, guys. Not as far as public scrutiny is concerned. I’ve explained this to Russiagaters as well.

~

If a known compulsive liar who has deceived you many times in the past told you it was very, very important that you go and murder your neighbor, but he couldn’t show you the evidence proving his claim, would you take him at his word and get your gun? No? Then don’t trust the US government when it tells you something happened requiring military action.

~

Anyone who says a war with Iran could be easily won is either (A) making claims on a subject they know nothing about, or (B) advocating the use of nuclear weapons. Either way they’re not someone you should trust with your car keys.

~

Maybe the dumbest thing in all US politics is the way liberals tend to cheer for regime change in Syria while conservatives tend to support regime change in Iran. In reality it’s the same agenda: they’re just arguing over which government to oust first. Amazing propaganda trick.

Whenever I’m writing against US regime change in Syria it’s a guarantee I’ll spend the day arguing with liberals. Whenever I’m writing against US regime change in Iran it’s guaranteed I’ll spend it arguing with conservatives. Always. Every single time.

~

When the US was preparing to announce its withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 I tweeted, “Make a note of which Trump supporters who were dutiful skeptics about Russiagate and Syria turn into worthless foam-brained sheep about Iran.” Can’t say the results have been especially surprising. Party loyalism is dementia.

~

When analysts accurately predict US military aggression will unite disparate factions against the US, it’s not some kind of psychic magic trick. They’re using the same common sense which says that if you act like an asshole at the pub, everyone in the pub will think you’re an asshole.

~

Those who advance war propaganda are participating in that war just as much as the people who actually go and fight in it. They’re just playing a much safer and more cowardly role.

~

Trump supporters acting like he’s been vindicated for assassinating Soleimani because it hasn’t started a full-scale war are like an abusive husband telling his wife “See? It was fine! Bet you feel stupid for yelling now!” after downing a 12 pack and taking the kids on the freeway in the back of the pickup truck.

~

USA: Want to stop being a sovereign nation?
Iraq: No. Get the fuck out.
USA: [invades, kills a million Iraqis, kills Saddam, tears apart Ba’ath party, tears apart Iraq’s military, installs puppet regime, declares Iraq and USA “partners”] How about now?
Iraq: No. Get the fuck out.

~

Assassinating a nation’s top general after arbitrarily designating him a “terrorist” is just assassinating a nation’s top general with a thin layer of narrative overlay. Yet such is the power of narrative that Trumpites have been regurgitating this exact justification like it’s a real thing.

~

Every single time Trump does something evil I get drooling QAnon cultists telling me to calm down and trust the plan. Every single time, without a single, solitary exception. And his actions get more and more depraved. This is what a propaganda construct looks like.

~

No analyst can name an appropriately comparable US general whose assassination would enrage the public like Soleimani’s did in Iran. This is because hardly any living American can remember a time when their military could be said to have rescued them from an existential threat.

~

Whenever I criticize the US president his supporters come up babbling about how Hillary would have been worse. So? Believing Trump is good because Hillary Clinton is bad is like believing cancer is good because heart disease is bad.

~

America’s two-party sock puppet show is always fake. Always. Buying into any part of it supports the whole fake show. “But the red puppet acts different from the blue puppet!” Yes. That’s how puppet shows work. Characters act different. Cheering for either is endorsing the lie.

You can absolutely make the case that one of the puppets acts less reprehensibly than the other during the show. But the show always ends the same: everyone in the audience gets a punch in the mouth and has to give all their money to the military.

~

The only real “welfare queen” that’s ever existed is the US military. Not even Reagan’s most dementia-addled fantasies ever dreamed up a welfare moocher this minted.

~

MSM can create false narratives without even speaking them explicitly, just by giving a certain impression. After the Iraq invasion 70% of Americans still believed Saddam was responsible for 9/11, just because reporters and politicians kept mentioning the two in the same breath.

~

Schrodinger’s superpower: America is simultaneously (A) an unstoppable military and economic force that ought to be in charge of the entire world, and (B) the poor widdle victim of a big, mean bully on the other side of the planet.

~

It’s crazy how many so-called anarchists wind up advocating the same regime change agendas as the CIA and the US State Department. Like “Yeah I’m so anti-authoritarian I want the single most powerful authoritarian force on the planet to shore up even more control over the world.”

~

The ideologies of fundamentalist Christianity and Zionism have been used to manufacture consent for the movement of far more military firepower than Islam ever has. All religions are ultimately toxic, but only idiots pretend Islam occupies a uniquely violent position among them.

~

“Trump is fighting the Deep State.”
“Really? Why does fighting the Deep State always look exactly the same as advancing the longstanding objectives of neoconservatives and the CIA?”
“It’s called strategy. You must not play chess.”

~

I started this gig around the same time as a few other lefty indie commentators who later ended up going full MAGA. I understand the motivation: abandoning your principles for more mainstream politics is an easy way to get shares and clicks. But it can’t possibly feel good these days.

~

It’s weird how parents and teachers tell kids that fighting is always wrong no matter who started it when we all know damn well the question of who started it is of immense importance in any real conflict.

~

I dislike strangers who condescendingly tell how to do my job.
Nobody knows how to do what I do better than me.
I do me better than anyone else in history.
I am the Michael Jordan of being Caitlin Johnstone.

___________________________

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76 responses to “Iran, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix”

  1. Exaktly! Possibly even Mr. Trump will have had believed in written “President” on the packaging, real power is in, and not a dancing bear led by the globally dominating SFO. That nice old belief in the power of the powerful knows the two versions of a good and an evil person in power. QAnons believe in a good President, critical subjects in an evil one. Goddamned, at least there’s the climate change left in real!

  2. Joe Van Steenbergen Avatar
    Joe Van Steenbergen

    Caitlin: I can’t imagine how difficult your life is, by your own choice, clearly, when dealing with detractors. You have my undying admiration and my sincere hope that you are able to persevere. I find the experience dealing with Trump supporters, with their unquestioning loyalty, both trying and exasperating. I don’t push too hard. How they cannot see that he has turned out to be the same kind of fraud that all bought-and-paid-for politicians also are is beyond me, but I do understand it is difficult to abandon every belief you hold dear, even in the face of evidence. Please keep doing what you’re doing; yours is the most lucid and readable voice of reason in a turbulent world.

    1. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      A delightful comment – and seconded.

      “Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.”

      Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (1920-2012)

      We all need to suffer an injury to our self esteem from time to time –
      – and admit we were w-w-w-w … :

      https://youtu.be/WkqgDoo_eZE

      It is actually quite liberating.

    2. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      In case anyone is still in doubt …
      **Trump pimps out US military to Saudi Arabia**

  3. “But the show always ends the same: everyone in the audience gets a punch in the mouth and has to give all their money to the military.”
    Now, finally, I understand why it’s called the punchline. The red puppet and the blue puppet just act differently in order to get us to gather around, making us easy marks.

  4. You are wonderful, and smart and courageous and brave.
    Thank you !

  5. “Those who advance war propaganda are participating in that war just as much as the people who actually go and fight in it. They’re just playing a much safer and more cowardly role.” So true. “All religions are ultimately toxic….” Only partially true, with respect to the reactionary religious right in all faith traditions. BUT, what about MLK’s kind of Christianity, Malcolm’s kind of Islam, Gandhi’s kind of Hinduism, Heschel’s kind of Judaism, etc.? The genuine left, the one that fights for people and planet, needs a big tent, a united front, comradery and solidarity to the max. We don’t get there with blanket statements of condemnation that obscure crucial differences and run the unnecessary risk of turning off potential allies.

    1. Antoon van Maris Avatar
      Antoon van Maris

      ALL religions ARE ultimately toxic, even the one’s you mention, simply because they ALL either coerce or treaten or argue, the believers their own responcibility, for their own actions
      “away” ! Every religions ultimate responcibility, will always be with the “god” !
      “I have to kill/love/treaten/fuck ya, for god tells me to !”
      And the risks of turning off allies, I understand that point, but ultimately everybody that will stop the lying and stop lying, will be our allie and the rest, not so much, but they will simply die out in the end !

      1. Giant Meatier Impact Avatar
        Giant Meatier Impact

        It is easy for religions – and governments – to control the masses.

        Virtually all of our ancestors were submissive to the alpha-male. Even if they themselves aspired to be the alpha.

        For thousands of years the majority (believers) were killing the non-believers and selecting against anarchists and atheists.

        That’s why there are so many government lovers and very deeply flawed religious people and so few of the opposite mindset.

    2. Solidarity is a call of the weak for to become strong. But when strong, what to do with solidarity!? I thought it over. Solidarity is not a need, it’s the way of life of the strong. So I wished to become strong. It’s easy, it’s only stopping! Stopping to feel weak. People get ready, there’s a train comin’…

  6. Evidence favouring the crash of the Ukrainian airline flight, PS-752, being a faked event rather than real. Also, in tandem with that hypothesis is that they make it clear it’s fake with obvious signals and obvious lack of realism. Please reply with comments arguing that the points below are faulty and/or with evidence favouring real over faked.

    1. According to their website, UIA does not run scheduled flights out of Tehran, yet Wikipedia tells us that PS-752 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Tehran to Kiev.
    https://book.flyuia.com/

    2. There are no images of the crashed plane that convincingly show a white plane that looks like this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine_International_Airlines_Flight_752#/media/File:UR-PSR_(B738)_at_Ben_Gurion_Airport.jpg

    3. There are images that actively contradict images of the image above, eg, an image provided by CNN of a green indeterminate object: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/middleeast/plane-crash-iran-intl-hnk/index.html

    4. The footage of the plane crashing is not convincing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxTSWScqhW0.

    5. Trump says: “It was flying in a pretty rough neighbourhood”. These words are nonsensical in relation to a plane. https://youtu.be/vYFAeJDEE8k

    6. The man standing next to Trump (Point 5) ostentatiously hides a smile. (I do not regard this as “duping delight” but deliberate pretence of smiling and hiding it (these people are consummate actors after all) – a typical sign of staged events.)

    7. There is a CBC interview with Ramin Alaen in Toronto whose wife delivered a baby on January 8 (the day of the crash) whose sister, Iman, and her husband, Paniraz, both allegedly died. Some of the anomalies it contains are listed below. youtube.com/watch?v=KCtPRid8KHY

    — Paniraz is a woman’s name meaning “charming and beautiful”, from the words Pari (“fairy”, “extremely beautiful woman”) and naz (“charm”, “beauty”) – https://quranicnames.com/parinaz/

    — Ramin says: “They were on holidays for two weeks and – I don’t know – somehow they rushed to go back … They were to arrive in Toronto at 3pm and then they had another flight arranged to take a cruise because Parinaz won the prize from RBC [seemingly, the company he worked for]”.
    Comment: Why does Ramin express ignorance of not knowing the reason for their hasty return when he expresses the knowledge that they were going to take another flight from Toronto to go on a cruise. We might also ask if Iman really had to take that cruise at that time (and where it was happening in the North American winter) when her sister was having a baby.

    — The interviewer then, seemingly confused, refers to “her” winning the prize although Ramin has said it was her husband, Parinaz, who won it.

    — Then Ramin speaks of Iman having a conversation with her sister but refers to her as “he”. I know that it is common for foreign speakers to confuse pronoun gender but Ramin refers to Iman as “he” about 10 times which seems a little odd, especially considering that as soon as he starts speaking about his newborn girl, he refers to her no problem as “she”.

    — Then the interviewer refers to Parinaz again, confusing him with Iman, and asks if Ramin and his wife had considered naming the baby Parinaz after his sister-in-law. Ramin responds that they did consider it. This makes sense if we consider that Paniraz is a girl’s name but not if we consider the fact that Paniraz is, allegedly, the sister’s husband. (At this point I stopped watching the interview but if others are interested they may find more anomalies in the last couple of minutes or so.)

    Inference: This is a collusion between Rouhani (and his mates) and – at the very least – the US, Canada and the Ukraine and the seeming assassination (perhaps Soleimani agreed to disappear) was also a collusion.

    1. Apologies. I sometimes misspell Parinaz as Paniraz.

  7. While Iran admits shooting down a commercial airliner, the US Sociopaths In Charge are yet to admit shooting down TWA 800 off Long Island back in 1996. Covered up by the FBI, no matter how many witnesses they had to kill, and interview summaries they forged. To this day, the FBI DOES NOT RECORD interviews, relying on notes taken instead. On form “I forget the number/ID”. Blatant demonstration of their deceit. I must say, I am shocked at the flood of comments at Zero Hedge, RT, and others, that praise murder being done in their name, with no reasoning whatsoever, other than Trump did it so it must be good, and all Muslims are bad. Never mind them being lied to in getting the hired guns of the Sociopaths In Charge to invade Iraq, and the plethora of lies getting them to invade elsewhere in the world. Never mind thousands of sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives have died in the process, in the US and the Middle East. Gang rape is democracy in action.

    1. Strange to use the TWA flight as your example considering the US shot down an Iranian commercial airplane in 1988 due to high tensions between their governments. However, unlike the Iranian president admitting and apologizing for it, Bush Sr. basically told them tough luck if they didn’t like it by saying, “”I will never apologize for the United States – I don’t care what the facts are.” An informal apology was actually offered by Reagan, but no official apology has ever been issues by the US government.

  8. William Harrell Avatar
    William Harrell

    Well, it’s hard to believe that a writer from Australia is the only person I know that I agree with about the whole damn mess. I live in MAGA country and not a minute goes by that I don’t cringe at hearing/seeing another sock puppet going through their “patriot” act. I’ve honestly come to the personal conclusion that 99% of my friends, enemies, associates, workmates, and customers are bloodthirsty, blithering idiots. Thanks for being there Caitlin.
    Signed,
    All Alone in Georgia

    1. William Harrell, you’re not totally alone. For a US voice for sanity, check out Lee Camp: https://leecamp.com/

    2. Check out the Libertarian Party. There’s a lot of infighting about what libertarian really means, but one thing that is almost universally agreed upon is a non-interventionist foreign policy/antiwar stance. We’re certainly a minority, but we do exist even in GA. I don’t know where you stand politically, but Obama’s warmongering is what opened me to libertarian philosophy when someone gave me Ron Paul’s book, The Revolution (I recommend no book more than this one for anyone even remotely curious about libetarianism – it covers so much in an easy to read book). GA Libertarian Party:
      https://lpgeorgia.com/

  9. > EMERGENCY PROTEST on Monday 13th at 9.30am Westminster Magistrates Court where Julian Assange will be appearing in person. Bring your banners!
    https://twitter.com/DEAcampaign/status/1215586319914631168
    .
    > PROTEST: Don’t let Trump jail Assange for 175 years for publishing the truth! Julian Assange will attend in person for another preliminary hearing, this Monday 13th at Westminster Magistrates Court, 9.30am.
    https://twitter.com/SomersetBean/status/1215736062259204098
    .
    If wars can be started by lies, peace can be started by truth.
    — Julian Assange, speech at Trafalgar Square, 2011
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2owVwlXGM-8
    .
    It appears this hearing has been brought forward from Tuesday 14th to Monday 13th. Old hearing dates:
    .
    “After brief negotiations, the trial judge, Vanessa Baraitser, and Assange’s lawyers agreed on the dates of the upcoming hearings to take place on 14 and 23 January, as well as 7 and 24 February. The dates of the hearings in February are subject to change.”
    .
    London Court Sets Dates for Assange Extradition Hearings — Sputnik International — 2019-12-19
    https://sputniknews.com/amp/europe/201912191077638526-london-court-sets-dates-for-assange-extradition-hearings/

    1. Julian Assange still at Westminster Magistrates Court today (this tweet about 55 minutes ago, 12:58 PM in London):
      .
      > Historian John Reese (@JohnWRees), @DEAcampaign, says Judge Baraitser seems to appreciate #Assange isn’t receiving enough time with his lawyers. She left his hearing to be adjourned later in the day so he would have more time w/ his lawyers before being taken back to Belmarsh.
      .
      https://twitter.com/MElmaazi/status/1216706084783763458

    2. Live now (2020-01-13)
      Assange expected to appear in court: stakeout

    3. Irish Examiner (January 13, 2020):
      .
      > We haven’t had enough time, Julian Assange’s lawyers tell court . . .
      .
      > Ms Peirce told the court there had been a lack of contact time to speak with her client at high-security Belmarsh, something which threatened to delay the serving of evidence ahead of the trial, she said.
      .
      > She said: “We have pushed Belmarsh in every way – it is a breach of a defendant’s rights.”
      .
      > The district judge agreed to adjourn the hearing until the end of the day, in order to allow Assange and Ms Peirce a chance to sign off papers and go over their case together at court, rather than have Assange sent back to prison.
      .
      https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/we-havent-had-enough-time-julian-assanges-lawyers-tell-court-975164.html

  10. “Be assured of one thing: whichever candidate you choose at the polls in November, you aren’t just electing a president of the United States; you are also electing an assassin-in-chief… In previous eras… presidents either stayed above the assassination fray or practiced a kind of plausible deniability about the acts. We are surely at a new stage in the history of the imperial presidency when a president (or his election team) assembles his aides, advisors, and associates to foster a story that’s meant to broadcast the group’s collective pride in the new position of assassin-in-chief.” Please read this article here:
    http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176649/tomgram%3A_allegra_harpootlian%2C_droning_the_world/#more

  11. Absolutely brilliant **CJ**
    `
    If you ever figure out how the deep-state
    managed to get Dem-libs to support regime change in Syria
    but not Iran,
    and Repub-cons to support regime change in Iran
    but not Syria,
    so that the shadow-gov gets any war it wants,
    I’ll dance at your Pulitzer Prize Award ceremony.

  12. I have an alternative narrative. I heard early on that Soleimani’s death shook Trump. Then that story disappeared. Maybe Trump was in secret negotiations with Iran. It was going well, sanction were effective, the Mullahs were scared. Soleimani was on a peace mission to Saudi Arabia. Some deep-stater or MIC thug took Soleimani out, so that the peace deal would fail. Trump called Iran, and they made up the current story, so Trump and Mullahs wouldn’t seem out of control. Wouldn’t this explain both sides backing down? Why do you ever believe mainstream media? I’m just guessing of course, time will tell. October surprise?

  13. Trump’s defense secretary admits he ‘didn’t see’ evidence about Soleimani planning attacks against US embassies — RT USA News — Jan 12, 2020
    https://www.rt.com/usa/478078-trump-soleimani-esper-evidence/
    .
    .
    Javad Zarif, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
    .
    “Well, they’re either based on misinformation or the like, because General Soleimani’s mission was to contain the anger in Iraq following the United States’ murder of about 25 Iraqis.
    .
    “This is a very clear information that we had, clear information that the Iraqi government had. The government of Iraq has been on the record saying what he was doing.
    .
    “General Soleimani was the greatest force for stability in Iraq. He was the hero of the fight against Daesh along with his companions, particularly Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. . . .
    .
    “[President Trump] has to realize that he has been fed misinformation. And he needs to wake up and apologize. He has to apologize. He has to change course. He cannot add mistake upon another mistake. He is just making it worse for America.”
    .
    Interview: Iran’s Foreign Minister — CNN — Jan 7, 2020

  14. Cheers Caitlin, I love your articles and stories. You first hooked me with: “Lisa and the stranger.” I look forward to reading your stuff each day. Although some articles that go deep into personalities of the US two party political charade I have skimmed over or skipped reading altogether, and to put it in your own words: “America’s two-party sock puppet show is always fake. Always. Buying into any part of it supports the whole fake show.” Sort of leaves me scratching my head about some of your articles.
    As for anyone cheering on Bernie or Tulsi or anyone else, who say exactly what the masses want to hear. Just remember all the things Trump promised and then did the opposite. Works every freakin time.

  15. peter kellington Avatar
    peter kellington

    Don’t forget it was Trump’s murder of Iran’s top general that resulted in Iran firing missiles at American bases in response. No illegal assassination no downed plane.

  16. Anyone who would love to vacation in Nazis Germany should check out this time machine;
    http://canadianpatriot.org/atoms-for-peace-vs-atoms-for-war-the-only-fix-for-iran-u-s-relations/

  17. “It’s crazy how many so-called anarchists wind up advocating the same regime change agendas as the CIA and the US State Department.” Really? Anarchists? Who are these violence promoting anarchists? I don’t think that word means what they think it means

    1. Giant Meatier Impact Avatar
      Giant Meatier Impact

      As a former anachist, now panarchist, the term seems to be more often used incorrectly than correctly. This is common for inconvenient words and fvor the stupefying of a society in general.

      Personally, I support the separation of the State from existence.

      1. Yes, that seems to be a prerequisite for calling oneself an anarchist. I’m still interested to know where Caitlin is seeing this. Seems odd to feel the need to lambast anarchists who as far as I am aware are wholly against any form of control and above all believe there is no justification for violence, ever, unless in self defence.

        1. Giant MeatierImpact Avatar
          Giant MeatierImpact

          Nuremberg concluded that a war of aggression was the worst crime for a country.

          Between people, or groups of people, I consider the initiation of aggression towards others as the worst crime.

          Self-defense is entirely necessary and appropriate, though.

  18. Thanks, Caity. Another keeper going on the top shelf.

    1. I second that big time….

  19. The great mass of humanity just want a daddy. To challenge or contest what they have been taught is terrifying.

    It is not coincidental that torturers control their victims by reducing them to a state of learned helplessness. From an early age we are taught to give up our autonomy. We are rewarded for joining the herd and ostracized for stepping outside of it.

    Cognitive dissonance is a defense mechanism. It is infantilized individuals who are terrified and lack the courage to look logically and rationally at their belief system, and reality as it exists.

    Who but frightened children, seeking the protection and comfort of a daddy or mommy, could possibly believe an omniscient and omnipotent God created and watches over the “armed madhouse,” and absolute insanity of everyday life. No truly autonomous adult.

    I look at the elites who rule us here and throughout the world, and say to myself: who but emotionally infantilized individuals could possibly acquiesce to these psychopaths and believe the shit that comes out of their mouths.

    Rational and thoughtful dialogue will not change people who fear looking at the world the way it is.

    1. Giant Meatier Impact Avatar
      Giant Meatier Impact

      Oh so true. In general, people capable, or somewhat capable, of abstract logical thinking are being demonized. They are the modern era’s heretic.

      I ascribe this to a couple things: one, millions of years that our ancestors relied on ‘our’ alpha-male and ‘our’ tribe for survival, and two, ten thousand+ years of relying on our rulers and our government for survival. Most of us are innately domesicated animals. Very, very few of us are not, simply because they are the circumstances that promoted our current existence.

      Not that they are good or holy or just and certainly not because it is the best way.

      We live in a world where Skynet, minus the AI part, rules.

  20. Walllace McMillan Avatar
    Walllace McMillan

    Caitlin, thanks so much for the article. At least I know I’m not alone.

  21. Way WAY too much common sense there Caitlin.
    But thanks for highlighting just how stupid people can be, and how dangerous that is.
    We really need to have a global time out and everyone everywhere go home, rebuild, reconnect with their roots, hug a lot and be happy.

  22. I’m just simply going to say, “Drop the mic” and Thank You…Love You…

  23. If you get confused, just listen to the music play. 🙂

    Del McCoury Band and Friends
    “For what Its Worth” (orig by Buffalo Springfield)

  24. The third tool of discipline or technique of dealing with the pain of problem-solving, which must continually be employed if our lives are to be healthy and our spirits are to grow, is dedication to the truth. Superficially, this should be obvious. For truth is reality. That which is false is unreal. The more clearly we see the reality of the world, the better equipped we are to deal with the world. The less clearly we see the reality of the world — the more our minds are befuddled by falsehood, misconceptions and illusions — the less able we will be to determine correct courses of action and make wise decisions. Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life. If the map is true and accurate, we will generally know where we are, and if we have decided where we want to go, we will generally know how to get there. If the map is false and inaccurate, we generally will be lost.– M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled [1978]

  25. I admire your courage, Ms Johnstone, it has inspired me to question more. Become the crazy lady, at times. I don’t aim for your kind of audience…but I force my husband and parents to question what they’re believing and why if they’re going to criticize my opinions.

    This whole Iran missile controversy, for me, began when Trump said a missile struck the plane by mistake. I still think it was an American missile despite Iran’s admission of blame. Which sounds so stupid. But, I found it so weird, to the point of unbelievability, that Trump said Iran made a mistake. No gloating. No over-excited rhetoric. No big deal that IRAN made a mistake. The man was almost sympathetic–so, I figured he’s knows somethings up. For that guy to be so uncharacteristically mature….recent news would have to made him. He’s an idiot and swayed by the most recent idea; the CIA operating in Iran? I am probably totally wrong. But didn’t you find it weird?

    You write interesting articles. I like reading them.

    1. Yes I do find that weird as well. also that they made such a “mistake” at all seems weird. Makes me wonder who else was on that plane.

  26. The shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner was at least unintentional. while the downing by missile cruiser USS Vincennes of Iran Air flight 655, July 3, 1988, was very much intentional.

    Iran could use the tragedy last week to refresh peoples memory about thiss incident.

  27. ” I do me better than anyone else in history. I am the Michael Jordan of being Ms Caitlin Johnstone. ” Yes you are Ms Johnstone, and I thank the ” heavens ” for that! President Donald Trump may have ” opened a Pandora’s Box ” by killing Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in the fashion that he did. This killing just might unite all Muslims the world over and this killing just might cause all ” suicide bombers ” to seek out ” politicians ” instead of bombing the public at large.

  28. I have not seen anyone mention the obvious fact that Trump is indirectly responsible for the accidental shooting down of the plane in Iran. Without the assassination, tensions would not have been so high that the error was made.

    1. Engineers use a term “root cause”.
      It appeared briefly in the early reports looking into the downing of MH17 over former Russian territories. It only appeared briefly because the report accurately assigned that ‘root cause’ to the decision by air traffic control to route the plane over a battlezone. Without that decision, the plane does not get shot down.
      In the same manner, the ‘root cause’ in the recent shootdown near Tehran was the ultra-aggressive American military actions that put everyone on a hair trigger. Without that, the plane does not get shot down.

    2. Alternative media has pointed this out.
      Don’t expect any sensible comments or truth from MSM.

  29. “The ideologies of fundamentalist Christianity and Zionism have been used to manufacture consent for the movement of far more military firepower than Islam ever has. All religions are ultimately toxic, but only idiots pretend Islam occupies a uniquely violent position among them.”
    ———
    There have been four Terrorist attacks near me in my lifetime. Every single one of them was committed by a radicalized, fundamentalist, fanatical Christian. Beginning with Eric Rudolph at the Atlanta Olympics.
    As such, it is the radicalized, fundamentalist, fanatical Christians who really scare me. Mainly because I am forced to live near to them and they have tried to kill me on several occasions ……including one near miss that was way too close for comfort.

  30. “Those who advance war propaganda are participating in that war just as much as the people who actually go and fight in it. They’re just playing a much safer and more cowardly role.”
    ———
    People who advanced Nazi war propaganda prior and during WW2 were arrested and put on trial at Nuremberg. The role only seems to be a ‘safer’ one until they reach the end of the hangman’s rope.
    ——–
    “Remember that all through history, there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Always.” — Mahatma Gandi
    Always
    Always
    Always!

    1. Spot on, Ashby. There’s a good old-fashioned unambiguous word for ‘those who advance war propaganda’ – collaborator.

      Wars since WWII could not have happened without the false flags unquestioningly ‘reported’ by collaborators in the MSM.

    2. The Nuremberg Trials were a deceptive show trial designed to get everyone to believe Allied propaganda. Your incorrect knowledge of the Nuremberg Trials is a big part of that Allied propaganda, showing how well it has worked.

    3. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      “Atrocity propaganda is how we won the war. And we’re only really beginning with it now! WE WILL CONTINUE THIS ATROCITY PROPAGANDA, WE WILL ESCALATE IT until nobody will accept even a good word from the Germans, until all the sympathy they may still have abroad will have been destroyed and they themselves will be so confused that they will no longer know what they are doing. Once that has been achieved, once they begin to run down their own country and their own people, not reluctantly but with eagerness to please the victors, only then will our victory be complete. IT WILL NEVER BE FINAL.

      Re-education needs careful tending, like an English lawn. Even one moment of negligence, and the weeds crop up again – THOSE INDESTRUCTIBLE WEEDS OF HISTORICAL TRUTH.”

      – Sefton Delmer (1904-1979), former Jewish British Chief of `Black propaganda’:

    4. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      • “The truth is always stronger than the lie.”
      • “We would never make propaganda so far from the truth.”
      • “This is a struggle between light and dark, between truth and falsehood, between true humanity and inhuman barbarism.”
      • “The truth cannot be stopped by lies or force. It will get through.”
      • “a truth is no less valid because it is expressed daily.”

    5. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      • “Good propaganda does not need to lie, indeed it may not lie. It has no reason to fear the truth. It is a mistake to believe that people cannot take the truth. They can. It is only a matter of presenting the truth to people in a way that they will be able to understand. A propaganda that lies proves that it has a bad cause. It cannot be successful in the long run.”
      Source: Goebbels at Nuremberg Rally, 1934
      from
      https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/goebmain.htm

  31. Absolute GOLD quotable thoughts. I posted it on our county LP page and when the warmongers and Trumpies respond I think I’m going to reply by just posting quotes from it. As a libertarian I don’t always agree with you, but damn you are awesome on war and media. One of my favorite authors.

  32. My thoughts exactly, thanks for providing my sentiments through your voice Caitlin, a moment of clarity from you reduces some of the temporary burden of this insanity from my own psyche…

  33. PNAC, Project for the New American Century, released Sept 2000, stated US must overthrow seven mid east nations, but would require a New Pearl Harbor for that to happen > PRESTO > “Breathtaking: Solving Nuclear 9/11” at VeteransToday(.)com > WTC vaporization declassified, false flag for Afghanistan & Iraq.

    Then Obombie & Reptillary launched CIA Operation Zero Footprint to overthrow Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, Libya > the Operation Timber Sycamore to overthrow Syria. All part of the Yinon Plan.

  34. “ The ideologies of fundamentalist Christianity and Zionism have been used to manufacture consent for the movement of far more military firepower than Islam ever has. All religions are ultimately toxic, but only idiots pretend Islam occupies a uniquely violent position among them.”

    Generally you’re right, islamic civilisation has been the loser in the global powergame and as such has not been able to inflict wars, sanctions and occupations upon the world to the same degree that US, Israel and the European powers have.

    Nonetheless, Saudiarabia and some of the Gulf States has been major forces in transforming the Middle East, regime changing and fighting everything that smelled socialist or just a little bit progressive. Or was shia islamic.

    Muslims, though, would probably not have been any better, if an islamic superpower had ruled the world.

    1. Wahabbi’ism is not true Islam. It’s a construct and colonial Britain had a hand in it.
      The Sauds are not arabs.
      Everyone in the Middle East knows this.
      Never think about the Sauds when you think about Islam.

      1. There is no such thing as a ‘true islam’, like there’s no true christianity.

        If the Sauds aren’t arab, then what are they?

    2. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
      Julius Skoolafish

      Further to HelenB’s comment– for general interest …

      See *The Dönmeh: The Middle East’s Most Whispered Secret* (in Strategic Culture)

  35. i “support” Trump for very different reasons, and i’m sure i’m not alone. Caitlin, you just do not want to see the zionist imperialist parasitic war criminals (pardon the redundancy) committing suicide unintentionally, partially thanks to Trump the elephant in the china shop, maybe because you’re a closet zionist, or you just don’t have the capacity to realize your limit in critical thinking, maybe due to the propaganda you have been subject to but unaware of?

    1. If, after the last few days, a person can not see that Trump is a “zionist, imperialist, parasitic war criminal”, then, well, as Charlie Brown used to say, “Good Grief!”
      ——-
      Have you not noticed that Trump and Netanyahu are joined at the hip? The President who openly says that he is out to “steal the oil” is not an imperialist? And, throughout his entire lifetime, the word “parasite” definitely fits Trump to a Tee, as surely no one can point to anything that he’s produced or created of benefit to society. Reality TV? Really?
      Good Grief!

    2. I wanted to believe Trump would make a difference. I really did.
      I’m afraid the Swamp is just too entrenched to drain, short of a meteorite on Washington DC, and I’m praying for that. He can be at Mar-el-Lago if you want, but the Swamp needs blatting: he’s not doing it, not even close.
      And all those “sealed indictments” ?!? Thousands of them ?!? What was that about?
      Now he’s talking about making criticising “Israel” a crime.
      Sadly, it looks as though it was all a con job

    3. Giant Meatier Impact Avatar
      Giant Meatier Impact

      “you just don’t have the capacity to realize your limit in critical thinking”

      Look in the mirror much? Apparently not.

    4. Supporting the Zionist Adelson puppet to fight Zionism. That’s some 4-D chess shit right there.

    5. Project much?

      I’m still waiting for a link that backs up your asssertion that Israel is looking at Ukraine as a “second home”. Ukraine being a country which is home to a sizable vocal, extremist, neo-Nazi contingent known as the Azov battalion and the Banderists.

      I’m not here to defend Israel; there is plenty enough to criticize them very heavily for. But your fanatical lunacy is over the top. I will use your own words against you: “… you just don’t have the capacity to realize your limit in critical thinking, maybe due to the propaganda you have been subject to but unaware of…”.

  36. Very good Caitlin. I suppose you have to waste your time talking to American sociopaths, but if a group of people eat their own children, no matter how noble the reason; is there really any reason left to talk to them? Or why they do the things they do? As you say, ‘sociopaths’, nothing left to say, Americans are 90% sociopaths, the same drugs that they use on the the so-called terrorists at Guantanamo to cause intense pain, they use on us citizenry, and none of us here have any problem with it. Other than your soul mate; why waste your breath talking to us?

  37. We in America will have a chance this November to rearrange the deck chairs and some of the crew on the USS Titanic. Unfortunately it will most assuredly not change the course as we head towards that inevitable iceberg.

    1. Vote Gabbard!!!!!!!
      That’s the thought that sends Internet characters into a panic. A great deal of effort goes into painting her out of the picture so the propaganda narratives can claim “they are all the same, so don’t bother to vote. Just stay home and let the Oligarchs decide.”

      1. That’s IF she gets the nomination, and I doubt that.
        She would have to go independent.
        I suspect she would then pick up votes from all over the spectrum.

        1. Vote for any candidate and you lend credence to their tyranny. They are all Sociopaths, or they wouldn’t be spending more on their campaign than the job pays. Without votes they are exposed as the monsters they are, to everyone, morons or not.

  38. Caitlin, one of your most brilliant offerings!

  39. Julius Skoolafish Avatar
    Julius Skoolafish

    “propaganda and false flags to manufacture consent for military agendas”
    Please read and share John Colemen’s “The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations”

    https://archive.org/details/Tavistock_201601

    (along with the Century of Lies video Caitlin posted recently.)

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