The Interregnum

For the US, this is an interregnum.

The throne in Washington is as vacant as Biden’s mind. So ‘policy” is just a reflex of the body politic.

A new emperor will take over in January. And what then?

In the meantime throughout the Empire everyone is struggling to take advantage, seeing to position themselves. Some want to win the favor and support of Emperor Donald; some want to free themselves from him.

Israel Failing

Israel, as this video points out - and many others have also remarked — is doing poorly in Lebanon, repeating the mistakes of their ill-fated campaign of 2006.

Overall, beyond the scope of this video, things are getting worse by the day for Israel.

It’s a long list of failures.

Hezbollah and the Houthis are gradually upping their game with new weaponry. The Axis of Resistance is on the move, targeting US bases in Syria. The strike on Iran was a failure and merely served to weaken the monarchy in Jordan, setting it up for a long overdue overthrow. The death of Sinwar has not only inspired Palestinians in Gaza - but in the West Bank and throughout the Palestinian diaspora. The entire Arab world is now Sinwar.

Suddenly, Turkey has broken relations with Israel.

The Saudis are carrying out joint military exercises with Iran and clearly don’t care what the Americans think anymore—or at least don’t care as they used to.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has said Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza in the first such condemnation by the kingdom’s de facto ruler since the start of the war.

The prince and other Arab leaders criticised Israel for its attacks in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran at a joint summit by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Conference held in Riyadh as they demanded an immediate ceasefire.

"This summit is held as an extension to the previous summit in light of the continued heinous Israeli aggressions against our brotherly Palestinian people and the extension of aggressions on the brotherly Republic of Lebanon," the crown prince, who is also known as MBS, said in his keynote speech. The Independent.

The criticism of Israel is also a criticism of the US.

This is what happens in interregnums.

Israel has always been an extension of US power. The 51st State.

But now the union of states that we call the “United States of America” is collapsing— as surely the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics did, albeit with a different trajectory. It leaves Israel as a bastard child that cannot survive on its own.

The Israelis are trying hard to create facts on the ground which will force the US to come to its aid.

So a new front in Syria….

Which will provoke a Russian response.

While the Russians want to project an image of rationality and even-handedness enhancing their relationship with China as well as maintaining their role mediating between BRICS countries and others in Africa and the Middle East, Israel is crossing red lines— recently forcing Russia to shoot down missiles overflying its airbase in Syria . The MSM doesn’t talk about it. The Russians don’t publicize it other than to warn Israel against jeopardizing Russians . The Israelis continue to bluster, thinking perhaps there is nothing they cannot do. Rather like the Nazis in WWII. It is the weak point of supremist ideologies.

Yet, Russian military expansion gives it a lot of leeway should it want to respond. .

It’s bad enough having the Turks in Syria and the Americans. The Israelis already have a buffer zone in the form of the Golan.

Russian patience is not unlimited. A “second front” would be resisted

Trump?

Trump, as Putin says, is unpredictable. He doesn’t like war, he says. I guess that depends on our understand of “war”.

War is nothing but the continuation of policy with other means Clausewitz,

We all know that one. But war was different in Clausewitz’s day.

I would offer corollaries to good ol’ Claus’.

War as the continuation of economics

Policy is the continuation of economics with other means.

And:
War is the continuation of economics with other means.

In other words, it is economics that determines “policy”, shaping politics — and resulting in wars and other forms of violence.

The character of empires and hegemonies are determined by economic factors, which therefore predicate their politics and policies —and all forms of international conflict including wars.

The American Revolution started with the Tea Party. Why?

America’s war on Iraq ? Why? (Oil of course)

HItler attacked Russia because he wanted its resources. The US launched its proxy war on Russia for the same reason. Why did it start with the Ukraine? Could it be the 12 trillion dollars in resources? Which are mostly in Russian Ukraine!

Even the US’s siege war against Cuba is economic - for Cuba’s economic system not only works but is independent of American control. The US feared it would catch on elsewhere —feared correctly. Countries like Bolivia and Venezuela and Nicaragua learned from the Cubans. Their societies benefited.

The US strategy is not to put boots on the ground, if possible. But to use proxies. In South America it uses right wing fascists. Elsewhere it sets up color revolutions - or encourages terrorists or various kinds of extremists. If you cannot bomb a country into the ground there are other ways to destroy it. After that you move in.

Therefore the big question is : what will Trump do? He is a corporatist —and therefore by definition—an economic hegemonist. If he follows the pattern set for him by all those who came before he will eschew real “war” - meaning American boots on the ground. As his predecessors did, he will use economic weapons of one kind or another, including tariff attacks, but also “color revolutions”. Failing that: subversion or setting up coups and revolutions.

Or will he?

We won’t know until next year.

Chappy’s Friends

Chappy has lots of friends. I want to donate a little extra to the Shelter if I can, so buy us coffees. Click here. Yes, I am working on another special article!