Feliz Año Nuevo para ti! (Happy New Year to you, Julian.)
It's never been more true that "Justice is our responsibility." May 2024 bring justice to all the oppressed peoples of the world. (And may Israel and the US get what's coming to them. It's about time. The stinking gasbags!)
Oops. Iran and the other resistance nations stand for national sovereignty, not democracy. The US empire cannot tolerate any nation asserting its sovereignty. That's what's at stake.
The sad part of this, is that for the American working and middle classes, there is not a reason why a multi-polar world should be a threat for their lives. Despite the decadence, the US still has enough industrial and agricultural production, infra-structure and natural resources to give all their population nordic country living standards, with free healthcare and good public education, if it were not from the parasites from the MIC and Wall Street.
It still could have rich people, even millionaires, and a couple of billionaires, no need to go full maoism, but let all this crazy speculative pyramid fall, let hedge fund managers jump from high-rises and start it all over again under new bases.
Quite correct. When you look at the IMF rankings of countries by GDP per capita, the US is ridiculously rich. And at a total scale far beyond other countries.
But then the World Bank rankings of countries by inequality, yet the US is a laggard - almost a third world country - on those measures. OECD measures of social development - the same. It’s a horror story of unbounded greed spoiling the lives of a nation of 300 million people who could all be living very rich lives, together.
I think you are absolutely right. Forget "states ". What we call "America" is really a federation of regions, each a republic in its own right. Together, they have the resources to give the entire population better living standards, free healthcare and good public education. Parasitism is a problem for all large civilizations, where wealth and power are allowed to accumulate in the hands of a few, to the detriment of the many. As you say you don't need Maoism to correct that – just a lot of common sense
Thank you for the well wishes. The primary earthquake was 7.6. There were 29 aftershock earthquakes after that. People here are not happy. This comes at a time when social services and emergency services were mostly on holiday and the government was embroiled in a major scandal. The current Prime Minister has a support rating of less than 20%. Japanese are not ideological – they are practical. When things get bad and they are affected directly, they will respond. The question is how.
Feliz año from Cuenca, Ecuador! Here in this celebratory culture, I knew it was a foolish notion to go to bed early (as is my custom) on New Year's Eve. Good decision. The entire city was an explosion of fireworks. I'm sure the many dogs of the city wished they had noise cancelling headphones.
John Henry Newman (1801–1890) said, “Here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” When you look at the petulant leaders that make our wars you see how grotesquely they are stuck in an adolescent, bullying stage of life. They have never matured into any kind of elder wisdom. If they ever had any idealism of value, any vision for a more just world, any compassion, they have left it behind and for what? Hubris, death, destruction.
The great question for 2024 (it seems to me) is this. Can the US and/or Israel resist the great temptation to go nuclear? I certainly have no difficulty imaging that to "win" in Ukraine, Biden is dumb enough and mean enough to resort to the nuclear option. (Of course, Bliken will encourage the use of smaller nukes). And I have no doubt, Netan-the-yahoo is drooling over the escalatory possibility of nuking Iran.
“Here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” I guess I am God then. LOL Trouble is, no matter how often I change I never quite get it right.
Your question about the US and Israel resisting the temptation to go nuclear-- I don't think you have to worry about that. The rich people who own these countries don't want to lose everything with a suicidal tantrum. Attacking Iran would devastate the world economy and destroy the economies of both the US and Israel. Rich people don't like losing money. Right now they're making money for more. The only moneymaking sectors of the US economy are weapons development and drugs that don't work. They need war and they need disease – but they don't need annihilation.
The Suez and Panama canals were two projects completed not on behalf of the respective area's residents but to facilitate trade and labor arbitrage for Western corporations. Corporate capitalism is going to turn on Israel if their behavior continues to shunt traffic away from the Suez canal. For it is all about money, especially when stresses are starting to make it obvious that money cannot buy you everything.
My hope for the New Year is that these inconveniences in shipping encourage those of us mired in Western countries under the thumb of oligarchs to start living locally. It will be far better for our favorite planet and better for our self esteem.
Just one minor issue: this link does not work - "assuming that Hezbollah doesn't just use its missile power to cut off all commercial shipping to Israel".
I read the poem and I was reminded of William Blake's 'London' which I first heard spoken by Joan Baez on her album "Baptism". It still gives me a faint shiver.
Fantastic write up. We in the west need a sustained effort of speaking the truths of all sides. Decades of lies and deceit have put western minds to sleep. Thank you for doing your part.
You start the new year with an excellent analysis. Thank you, Julian
Yes, Iran serves revenge cold and doesn't skimp on portions either.
A long time ago Israel started its campaign to convince the world (and its Enforcer in particular) that Iran was a threat
to Israel (synonymous with "the world”).
I recall Netanyahu presenting his own work of art at the UN, a hand-drawn image of something that looked like a hand grenade. Since Iran had not attacked another country without provocation in some 200 years I thought at the time that a better argument would have been,
“Look, we understand the psychological mechanism of Iran’s impending attack better than anyone”: not having waged any war of unprovoked aggression in two centuries, their pent up desire to kill must be tremendous and an explosion is imminent. Look at us… No, I wait, I mean, look at us, about to be victimized again.”
Anti-Iranan propaganda has one thing in common with anti-Russian propaganda, namely, the inherent contradiction in depicting them as
inept, not only militarily inferior, but as backward barbarians. Nevertheless, they are a serious, powerful threat to our “civilization.”
The Russians keep “running out of ammunition," take chips out of washing machines (or was it refrigerators?) to power their rockets.
The Iranians are trying to develop nuclear weapons but in the meantime make drones.
I assume those drones are an adaptation on the bow and arrow technology which they, famous archers, have relied on for ever. Above all, they both hate us for our values.
And that’s the root of our problem right there: we don't know how to read, much less how to deal with, barbarians who don't share our values.
Congratulations and thanks for this gift you gave us on the first day of the new year. We expect one article more from you than last year because there is an extra day in February this year!
Remember, readers, those cats cannot thrive without coffee!
Last and least:
Please fix the following:
1. Add “matter” after “doesn’t” in “But it doesn’t who’s President of a Banana Republic without bananas.”
2. Change “last” to “latest” (unless you broke up with Southfront) in "My last Southfront report was about the assassination of Quds commander ..”
A very happy new year to you and those dear to you (with two and four legs) !
I wasn't a soldier BTW. I was just a stringer. And a total wimp. But I learned to shoot as a kid. There is many guns in Canada per capita as there are in the US I think – but they are mostly long guns. I corrected the parts you mentioned. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for the grammatical corrections . They really help. What would I do without you guys. I need to buy YOU a coffee!
Those who truly matter – those with four legs – thank you for the New Year's greeting..
I like your point about bows and arrows. Let us remember that Benjamin Franklin wanted to bring back the longbow because the firing rate and range was so much better than that of muskets. The problem was training, it took more than 10 years to train an English archer and to build the musculature necessary to handle longbow. Anybody including a child could handle a musket.
Still simpler weapons are often best. Back during the Vietnam War where I was no soldier with any sense wanted an M16. An AK was heavier and not as accurate – but it didn't let you down when you needed it.
In the event of a , radiation would spread to the GCC countries. In just 15 hours affecting more than half of the population in Iran radiation from a single explosion would affect less than 10% of the population. The nuclear attack on Iran would essentially destroy the oil-producing nations.
I would like to support SOUTHFRONT but their methods of payments are not available to me. I can only do bank transfers with, eg, IBAN. But, they could not provide it to me. Ah well, c'est la vie. Or, as they say here in Greece, etsai einai - so be it. Happy New Year.
Yes, I noticed their payment system looks really, really complicated. I guess that's because they are banned from the US dominated financial system. No coffee for them!
On one hand, I'm happy if Iran is supplying kebabs to Hezbollah and flatbread to the Houthis. On the other, their treatment of women appalls me. Geopolitics trumps human rights? The bitch of trying to be a bastard realist?
"On one hand, I'm happy if Iran is supplying kebabs to Hezbollah and flatbread to the Houthis.”
To each his own. I’d be happy if the US would supply Israel’s military only with Pampers.”
"On the other, their treatment of women appalls me. Geopolitics trumps human rights?”
I could not care less how other nations govern themselves. It is not my prerogative but only the business of the citizens of those countries.
It is not my business if Israel has jabbed its citizens 4 and 5 times with the Pfizer juice, bringing their immunological systems down to the same level as their moral sense. Will the Israelis be smart enough to realize that the deadly fungus that now mows down the IOF soldiers who entered the tunnels but leaves unaffected the un-jabbed Palestinians is an opportunistic infection that affects only those with weak immune systems? It is not my business.
It is not my business either that Israel beats up anti-zionist orthodox Jews who protest the genocide. Appalling but not my business.
But it is everybody's business that Israel is committing open and declared genocide on the Palestinians and that the US is supporting it financially, militarily and diplomatically. Worried about those human rights, or are you just blowing hasbara smoke like a troll?
It's interesting how the content of/and motive for my comment has been distorted by three people in a row. I bet when you meet, you play cover songs like 'Sampari'? But I've been cyberstalked by my government so you need to work harder to gaslight me e.g., I've mentioned Palestine many times before - https://substack.com/search/gaza?focusedPublicationId=1023805&searching=focused_posts
Their treatment of women is apalling according to who? We know many Iranians, and the treatment women receive is no better or worse than that dished out in the west - don't beleive everything dished out by western media with a narrative.
Feliz Año Nuevo para ti! (Happy New Year to you, Julian.)
It's never been more true that "Justice is our responsibility." May 2024 bring justice to all the oppressed peoples of the world. (And may Israel and the US get what's coming to them. It's about time. The stinking gasbags!)
"who oppose international democracy."
Oops. Iran and the other resistance nations stand for national sovereignty, not democracy. The US empire cannot tolerate any nation asserting its sovereignty. That's what's at stake.
Insightful article and well explained.
Thanks for sharing.
Well could have been clearer about some things such as the concept of "international democracy". I hope to do better this year.
Oh diddums.
LOL. Love that expression. As one autist to another we are all diddums.
The sad part of this, is that for the American working and middle classes, there is not a reason why a multi-polar world should be a threat for their lives. Despite the decadence, the US still has enough industrial and agricultural production, infra-structure and natural resources to give all their population nordic country living standards, with free healthcare and good public education, if it were not from the parasites from the MIC and Wall Street.
It still could have rich people, even millionaires, and a couple of billionaires, no need to go full maoism, but let all this crazy speculative pyramid fall, let hedge fund managers jump from high-rises and start it all over again under new bases.
Quite correct. When you look at the IMF rankings of countries by GDP per capita, the US is ridiculously rich. And at a total scale far beyond other countries.
But then the World Bank rankings of countries by inequality, yet the US is a laggard - almost a third world country - on those measures. OECD measures of social development - the same. It’s a horror story of unbounded greed spoiling the lives of a nation of 300 million people who could all be living very rich lives, together.
I think you are absolutely right. Forget "states ". What we call "America" is really a federation of regions, each a republic in its own right. Together, they have the resources to give the entire population better living standards, free healthcare and good public education. Parasitism is a problem for all large civilizations, where wealth and power are allowed to accumulate in the hands of a few, to the detriment of the many. As you say you don't need Maoism to correct that – just a lot of common sense
I appreciate your analysis of the global situation, and the poetic touches in your post.
I saw pictures of the earthquake and hope that not too many people were harmed amidst the damage caused.
Justice and peace are what we need now. I hope we can achieve those things.
For what it's worth, happy new year!
Thank you for the well wishes. The primary earthquake was 7.6. There were 29 aftershock earthquakes after that. People here are not happy. This comes at a time when social services and emergency services were mostly on holiday and the government was embroiled in a major scandal. The current Prime Minister has a support rating of less than 20%. Japanese are not ideological – they are practical. When things get bad and they are affected directly, they will respond. The question is how.
"Vengeance belongs to God" - and it's our duty, to send these scum to God for judgement......
God helps those who help themselves
A great Geopolitical article again.
I cannot spread SouthFront links using X (Twitter).
Their video's are gone from YouTube and the ones that come there are difficult to find and keep track off.
I used Archive to present a good copy of their articles.
But much of their work is in the very good Video reports (started about the Syria War and still).
Clicking the Video links in the Archive copy doesn't work.
So i had to abandon that.
From a Substack document a link to SouthFront works. I've gotta think about that and do some trials.
https://www.occupyschagen.nl/Div/Sheep.jpg
Sander
Feliz año from Cuenca, Ecuador! Here in this celebratory culture, I knew it was a foolish notion to go to bed early (as is my custom) on New Year's Eve. Good decision. The entire city was an explosion of fireworks. I'm sure the many dogs of the city wished they had noise cancelling headphones.
John Henry Newman (1801–1890) said, “Here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” When you look at the petulant leaders that make our wars you see how grotesquely they are stuck in an adolescent, bullying stage of life. They have never matured into any kind of elder wisdom. If they ever had any idealism of value, any vision for a more just world, any compassion, they have left it behind and for what? Hubris, death, destruction.
The great question for 2024 (it seems to me) is this. Can the US and/or Israel resist the great temptation to go nuclear? I certainly have no difficulty imaging that to "win" in Ukraine, Biden is dumb enough and mean enough to resort to the nuclear option. (Of course, Bliken will encourage the use of smaller nukes). And I have no doubt, Netan-the-yahoo is drooling over the escalatory possibility of nuking Iran.
“Here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.” I guess I am God then. LOL Trouble is, no matter how often I change I never quite get it right.
Your question about the US and Israel resisting the temptation to go nuclear-- I don't think you have to worry about that. The rich people who own these countries don't want to lose everything with a suicidal tantrum. Attacking Iran would devastate the world economy and destroy the economies of both the US and Israel. Rich people don't like losing money. Right now they're making money for more. The only moneymaking sectors of the US economy are weapons development and drugs that don't work. They need war and they need disease – but they don't need annihilation.
"The IDF has threatened to bomb Beirut just like it has Gaza..."
Been there, done that, got the body armour. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1982_Lebanon_War
Worked out well that time.
Hezbollah is organized and efficient – too bad the rest of the country isn't
The Suez and Panama canals were two projects completed not on behalf of the respective area's residents but to facilitate trade and labor arbitrage for Western corporations. Corporate capitalism is going to turn on Israel if their behavior continues to shunt traffic away from the Suez canal. For it is all about money, especially when stresses are starting to make it obvious that money cannot buy you everything.
My hope for the New Year is that these inconveniences in shipping encourage those of us mired in Western countries under the thumb of oligarchs to start living locally. It will be far better for our favorite planet and better for our self esteem.
Interesting article, as always.
Just one minor issue: this link does not work - "assuming that Hezbollah doesn't just use its missile power to cut off all commercial shipping to Israel".
Peaceful New Year!
I think I fixed it.
Once again thank you so much. I will fix that link right away
Well done, Julian.
I read the poem and I was reminded of William Blake's 'London' which I first heard spoken by Joan Baez on her album "Baptism". It still gives me a faint shiver.
Just heard that John Pilger died.
I wander thro’ each charter’d street,
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg’d manacles I hear
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls
But most thro’ midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
John Pilger's death is a loss to us all and to real journalism. So sad.
Fantastic write up. We in the west need a sustained effort of speaking the truths of all sides. Decades of lies and deceit have put western minds to sleep. Thank you for doing your part.
Thanks are really due to my Palestinian friends, who advise me on a lot of things
You start the new year with an excellent analysis. Thank you, Julian
Yes, Iran serves revenge cold and doesn't skimp on portions either.
A long time ago Israel started its campaign to convince the world (and its Enforcer in particular) that Iran was a threat
to Israel (synonymous with "the world”).
I recall Netanyahu presenting his own work of art at the UN, a hand-drawn image of something that looked like a hand grenade. Since Iran had not attacked another country without provocation in some 200 years I thought at the time that a better argument would have been,
“Look, we understand the psychological mechanism of Iran’s impending attack better than anyone”: not having waged any war of unprovoked aggression in two centuries, their pent up desire to kill must be tremendous and an explosion is imminent. Look at us… No, I wait, I mean, look at us, about to be victimized again.”
Anti-Iranan propaganda has one thing in common with anti-Russian propaganda, namely, the inherent contradiction in depicting them as
inept, not only militarily inferior, but as backward barbarians. Nevertheless, they are a serious, powerful threat to our “civilization.”
The Russians keep “running out of ammunition," take chips out of washing machines (or was it refrigerators?) to power their rockets.
The Iranians are trying to develop nuclear weapons but in the meantime make drones.
I assume those drones are an adaptation on the bow and arrow technology which they, famous archers, have relied on for ever. Above all, they both hate us for our values.
And that’s the root of our problem right there: we don't know how to read, much less how to deal with, barbarians who don't share our values.
Congratulations and thanks for this gift you gave us on the first day of the new year. We expect one article more from you than last year because there is an extra day in February this year!
Remember, readers, those cats cannot thrive without coffee!
Last and least:
Please fix the following:
1. Add “matter” after “doesn’t” in “But it doesn’t who’s President of a Banana Republic without bananas.”
2. Change “last” to “latest” (unless you broke up with Southfront) in "My last Southfront report was about the assassination of Quds commander ..”
A very happy new year to you and those dear to you (with two and four legs) !
I wasn't a soldier BTW. I was just a stringer. And a total wimp. But I learned to shoot as a kid. There is many guns in Canada per capita as there are in the US I think – but they are mostly long guns. I corrected the parts you mentioned. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for the grammatical corrections . They really help. What would I do without you guys. I need to buy YOU a coffee!
Those who truly matter – those with four legs – thank you for the New Year's greeting..
I like your point about bows and arrows. Let us remember that Benjamin Franklin wanted to bring back the longbow because the firing rate and range was so much better than that of muskets. The problem was training, it took more than 10 years to train an English archer and to build the musculature necessary to handle longbow. Anybody including a child could handle a musket.
Still simpler weapons are often best. Back during the Vietnam War where I was no soldier with any sense wanted an M16. An AK was heavier and not as accurate – but it didn't let you down when you needed it.
In the event of a , radiation would spread to the GCC countries. In just 15 hours affecting more than half of the population in Iran radiation from a single explosion would affect less than 10% of the population. The nuclear attack on Iran would essentially destroy the oil-producing nations.
I would like to support SOUTHFRONT but their methods of payments are not available to me. I can only do bank transfers with, eg, IBAN. But, they could not provide it to me. Ah well, c'est la vie. Or, as they say here in Greece, etsai einai - so be it. Happy New Year.
Yes, I noticed their payment system looks really, really complicated. I guess that's because they are banned from the US dominated financial system. No coffee for them!
On one hand, I'm happy if Iran is supplying kebabs to Hezbollah and flatbread to the Houthis. On the other, their treatment of women appalls me. Geopolitics trumps human rights? The bitch of trying to be a bastard realist?
"On one hand, I'm happy if Iran is supplying kebabs to Hezbollah and flatbread to the Houthis.”
To each his own. I’d be happy if the US would supply Israel’s military only with Pampers.”
"On the other, their treatment of women appalls me. Geopolitics trumps human rights?”
I could not care less how other nations govern themselves. It is not my prerogative but only the business of the citizens of those countries.
It is not my business if Israel has jabbed its citizens 4 and 5 times with the Pfizer juice, bringing their immunological systems down to the same level as their moral sense. Will the Israelis be smart enough to realize that the deadly fungus that now mows down the IOF soldiers who entered the tunnels but leaves unaffected the un-jabbed Palestinians is an opportunistic infection that affects only those with weak immune systems? It is not my business.
It is not my business either that Israel beats up anti-zionist orthodox Jews who protest the genocide. Appalling but not my business.
But it is everybody's business that Israel is committing open and declared genocide on the Palestinians and that the US is supporting it financially, militarily and diplomatically. Worried about those human rights, or are you just blowing hasbara smoke like a troll?
It's interesting how the content of/and motive for my comment has been distorted by three people in a row. I bet when you meet, you play cover songs like 'Sampari'? But I've been cyberstalked by my government so you need to work harder to gaslight me e.g., I've mentioned Palestine many times before - https://substack.com/search/gaza?focusedPublicationId=1023805&searching=focused_posts
Review your comment before wailing victimhood.
Bwah ha ha. I'm no victim. My only regret is that you're messing up Julian's comment section so best I leave you to your band.
Their treatment of women is apalling according to who? We know many Iranians, and the treatment women receive is no better or worse than that dished out in the west - don't beleive everything dished out by western media with a narrative.
Sure, I believe fake profiles who haven't done their research, into the topic and me.
Research into you?! Why would anyone care about you?
Sure, gaslighting requires effort lest it appears silly :)
Not appearing silly (or worse) is obviously not a concern of yours.
https://x.com/aryjeay/status/1602702373327101954?s=46&t=y6oNMuRlA05SmDXZA1sw4Q
Curious if you have traveled to Iran? Have you witnessed in-person their appalling treatment of women?
Cheesy. Sure you can do a better comment.
And it appears you cannot. Wish you a better ‘24.