Yes, I’m trying to figure what reason Iran’s leadership may have for talking this way if they didn’t plan on backing it up with action, and I can’t think of any. Even if they wanted to speak in a way that kept pressure on the US and Israel to stop the genocide but didn’t commit them to action, different words and softer language could have been chosen (I’m admittedly relying on US subtitles but I’m not sure that matters).
Regardless, stay safe comrade.
Based on what you’ve told us about decision-makers in China, I wonder if even they are able to see how the US moves their own pieces across the board (moves like you describe above). And if Chinese decision-makers struggle to see the whole picture, then I highly doubt decision-makers in other countries like Nigeria, Brazil, Vietnam, etc can see it, too.
I really don’t like to assume irrationality or that people don’t act on broadly available information… but I don’t think I have any other explanation. In sports, when a team comes up with a new style of offense, it may take a few seasons for opposing defenses to adjust, but eventually they do. That doesn’t seem to be happening when it comes to the geopolitical maneuvers of the United States.
I don’t mean to sound like an idealist, but if all this is true then I feel like the only solution to eventually checkmate Western hegemony is for the nations of the periphery to develop a proper understanding the situation as it is, and developing the right tools to counter. Specifically, Marxism is the truly the only toolset that I think can both identify these issues and come up with solutions. I would feel uncomfortable saying the CPC needs more Marxists and Marxist analysis since I’m a westerner who is very ignorant of how “Marxist” the CPC is; except that this seems to broadly be an analysis of the situation that you share. But even broader than that, I wonder if there is a role for rigorous Marxists, who’ve been equipped with the right tools (i.e. they’ve read volume 3) to go to the capitalists nations of the periphery and to try to advise them on the situation. Again, this is somewhat idealistic but I think Marxist analysis can show decision-makers in the periphery how they are getting screwed and what they might be able to do about it without even doing a full socialist conversion of their economy. Or at least, what the periphery needs to do collectively since one nation trying to stand up by itself against western hegemony is likely to get crushed.
Not that anyone buys the “rules based order” thing… but this is about as big of a violation of the UN’s peacekeeping mission as you can get. To use your position as a neutral peacekeeper to clandestinely assist one side in a conflict is honestly evil.
“Can you imagine a world where America never existed?”
Yep. Zionist settler colonialism began over 20 years before the Holocaust, and on the eve of WWII it was in full swing.
Just to add, the idea that western countries do not subsidize their exports is laughable. I don’t doubt that in many sectors, western governments - both now and in the past - have subsidized their industries to far greater degree than China ever has with theirs.
Glad to hear, thank you for checking in!
The following analysis could not be more vibes-based. My socio and geo-political knowledge of West Asia is limited. But I just have this… gut feeling, this hunch… that when the final story of Palestinian liberation is told, Iraq will play a decisive role (after the Palestinians themselves, of course). Is that a completely off-base hunch?
Edit: the US election thing, it’s literally a coin flip right now. Most of the swing state polls are within the margin of error. I do think rhe Puerto Rico thing will give Pennslyvania to Harris but I also think Trump will win Michigan because of Harris’ support of genocide. But neither of those are by themselves decisive for either candidate.
UN report accuses Israel of ‘deliberate war crimes’ against Gaza’s healthcare system
Navi Pillay, a member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, says an independent investigation found Israel is carrying out a “concerted policy” to destroy Gaza’s health system.
“This is just not reporting what we see on social media, but a very carefully fact-checked account of the destruction of hospitals, the deliberate targeting of doctors,” Pillay told Al Jazeera.
“It’s also the first United Nations report that … drew the conclusion there is the deliberate targeting of healthcare workers, the healthcare system in itself – which is a crime, a war crime.”
Israel makes it difficult to probe its deadly attacks by denying entry to independent investigators, Pillay added.
The report, delivered on Wednesday, concluded: “Israel has perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system as part of a broader assault on the Strip, committing war crimes and a crime against humanity of extermination with relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities.”
Just more undeniable evidence of war crimes and genocide that the US will do their “it doesn’t look like anything to me” bit.
My back went out just thinking about lifting that TV to move it around.
I was gonna suggest Celtic when I saw the title of this post and saw you had already done so. By far the most pro-Palestine soccer team in the UK and probably the most left wing club in general, too. Liverpool is up there too if you want to stay in England.
there are libertarians with good intentions, but most of them lack theory or just don't like to think to much beyond "good vibes for everyone"
I’ve listened to some of what Chase Oliver (Libertarian Party presidential candidate) has to say. Unlike most LP politicians I’ve heard (or adjacent ones like Rand Paul), he seems like a nice guy who genuinely means well. For example, he’s spoken out pretty vociferously against the the genocide in Gaza; and he mentioned the invasion of Iraq was what got him into politics.
But when he starts to get into the details of Israel/Palestine, you can tell he just doesn’t know much of the context. He doesn’t understand the purpose Israel serves for the US. I think he has good intentions but the libertarian ideals really don’t have a good theory of imperialism like we do.
Good analysis.