The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. @BruceKGagnon
A regular segment deals with the ongoing militarization of
space. As the US continues to withdraw from international arms treaties,
will the weaponization and militarization of space bring the world
closer to catastrophe?
Global Network founders (1992) journalist Karl Grossman and organizer Bruce Gagnon answer questions about Trump's proposal for the 'Space Force'.
Congress will have to agree to appropriate the funds Trump requests that would ensure a new arms race in space.
A Yellow vest in France, who was trying to push other people to throw stones, was grabbed by the police.
He then says, “No, no, guys, I’m with you”. Of
course the police don’t believe him and keep pulling him. An officer
arrives, says a few words to them and, then, they simply release the
guy. This video shows that the police are blending in with the Yellow
vests and trying to stir up violence.
Do you see it Macron? The movement is drastically loosing steam
See much more on the Yellow vest movement in this report from France here.
How come the US government and media don't apply the same standard to France's repression of protests that they do in so many other nations where Washington supports regime change?
Putin's message to the Federal Assembly on the 20th of February included
a number of interesting statements including a comment on Russia's
existence as a state and sovereignty. According to Putin, Russia
cannot exist without its sovereignty.
That of course means that Russia refuses to sign on as a corporate appendage and surrender its natural resources - which of course explains why Moscow is on the US-NATO shit list.
The United Nations charter backs up what Putin is saying about sovereignty. Every country should be free from the shackles of corporate domination. But sadly Mr. Big thinks he can take down anyone who dares stand up to Washington-London-Paris-Brussels.
Everyday I read another story of another country that the US-NATO are destabilizing in order to install a puppet government that will do the bidding of Mr. Big. Just today I read this one about the goings on in Macedonia. See it here
The article includes these words:
The way things are shaping up down south (viewed from Belgrade) the
tiny, helpless, beleaguered new Balkan state of Macedonia could be the
trigger for a wider regional conflict. It is well to remember the adage
of veteran politician Franklin Delano Roosevelt, especially in the
present context: If it turned out a certain way, it is probably because
that is the way it was planned.
Both the present-day authorities and the opposition which until two
years ago ruled the country are under the command of the US Embassy in
Skopje and ambassador Jess Baily.
I have no doubt that the US is a failed state and a collapsing empire. That is what makes it so dangerous. Washington is wrecking havoc all over the planet as it desperately tries to hang onto empire by hook or by crook. The mobster-like knee smashing that the US is doing to ensure it gets its way is causing lots of pain and chaos.
Trump's announcement that Washington was taking down the sovereign Venezuelan government has the support of most Democrats in the Congress. While Trump says he wants out of Syria the Democrats are pressuring him to stay there - largely as a base to force regime change in Iran and help Israel expand its reach.
Master of Space
Trump's call this week for a 'Space Force' must first be approved by the House of Representatives which is controlled by the Democrats. We all need to apply pressure on Congress not to fund a new arms race in space. The Pentagon has long said that who ever controls space will control the Earth below - on behalf of corporate interests. Russia and China won't stand aside and allow the US to 'control and dominate space' - something the aerospace industry understands as they line up with their silver cup in hand ready to rake in even more profit$.
So the US collapse will fall hard on the world. The dark side is pushing endless war and next war in the heavens. Many people have given up hope. The activist menu is already full: climate change, growing global income disparity and poverty, declining health of our Mother Earth - and now we add Star Wars into the equation. Who can cope with it all?
Global Network co-founder Karl Grossman (journalist and professor) and I were on the Loud & Clear radio/podcast show this morning talking about the weaponization of space. I told the story how years ago the aerospace publication Space News editorialized that the industry was sending their lobbyists to Washington to secure a dedicated funding source for 'everything space'. They said it was the 'entitlement programs' that are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and what is left of the already tattered social safety net. These are the programs the war machine has targeted for defunding in order to move the money into their greedy coffers.
The public has to connect the dots here - want to save Social Security? Then you'd better help kill a space arms race or else plan to move in with your neighbors when you get older. Stop the endless wars if you want to have Medicare when you hit 65 years old.
Sadly the global media has been comfortably secured inside Mr. Big's hip pocket. Few options are available to critics of this corporate criminal syndicate as the playing field shrinks and democracy is drowned. Carry the light
But we still have our mouths to speak and our hands to hold banners and our legs to march. We must step up these activities and not allow ourselves to be silenced.
Inside of our hearts beats the love for one another and our beautiful spinning planet Earth. Let that love continue to carry us forward. Become the light in the darkness.
When have you ever heard an American politician say anything like this?
I heard in recent days that the Democrats, wanting to keep Tulsi out of the primary debates, have come up with a new policy to require any candidate wishing to get into the debates needing to have 63,000 individual donors.
Two days ago the Democrat party front group Daily Kos sent around an online poll of the Democrat candidates for president. They left off Tulsi's name but had the names of three other party politicians who have not even announced for president. So clearly the Democrats are already trying to internally steer the process to their desired outcome.
I'm not a big fan of Bernie Sanders but having just declared that he is running for president he is already being slammed by insider Dems for not supporting the Trump take down of Venezuela. See an article on that here.
In the last election
I was often critical of Bernie Sanders who was frankly terrible on
foreign policy. But I did give him his due on his domestic policies
which were largely excellent. In the end I didn't vote for him.
I've not
voted for a Democrat for president since Walter Mondale. I'm not likely
to vote for one anytime soon either. But I am anxious to see the
Democrats challenged internally by anyone willing to call them out on
endless war. So I think it would be good to have Sanders and Tulsi in the debates - otherwise there will be no real discussion because the rest of the pack are pretty much all corporate approved Dems. Thus MB and I donated to Tulsi's campaign to help ensure she gets into the debates. There is great value in having her question US endless war policies. Bruce
Leave Venezuela alone - join local protests on February 23
At a days-long anti-intervention protest in Caracas, The Grayzone’s
Aaron Maté speaks to a Venezuelan teacher about the impact of US
sanctions and fears that the Trump administration wants to stoke a civil
war.
Leave Venezuela alone - let the people figure it out - that is what democracy is supposed to be about.
Regime change is imperialism - coup d'etat - fascism - authoritarianism - colonialism - call it what you wish. Anyway you cut it what the US is doing in Venezuela today is illegal under international law.
Local protests are being organized all over the world on February 23. Check out this list and join one.
Here in Maine we'll protest in Brunswick on the town green at 11:00 am.
If you are not upset about this then you are likely not paying close enough attention.
Jimmy Dore is proving to be one of the most consistent critics of corporate rule these days. Corporations are cracking down on free speech because Alternative Media is becoming so popular.
It helps that Dore makes you laugh now and then while he is revealing the horrors of our time.
"Our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity, but a matter of national security." ~ President Donald J. Trump
ESTABLISHING THE SPACE FORCE: President Donald J. Trump’s Space Policy Directive-4 is a bold, strategic step toward guaranteeing American space dominance that sets the framework for establishing the United States Space Force.
Space Policy Directive-4 calls on the Secretary of Defense to develop a legislative proposal establishing the Space Force as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces.
The Space Force will initially be established within the Department of the Air Force.
The legislative proposal will embody President Trump’s vision for the Space Force by requiring this new branch of the Armed Forces to:
Strengthen America’s ability to compete, deter and win in an increasingly contested domain.
Organize, train and equip our space warfighters with next-generation capabilities.
Maximize warfighting capability and advocacy for space while minimizing bureaucracy.
A VITAL NATIONAL INTEREST: Our use of space is necessary to keep our country safe, protect lives, and support our way of life.
The United States is the best in space, and our adversaries know it.
Space is a key source of strategic advantage for the United States, and potential foreign adversaries are determined to restrict our access to it.
America has the most capable military in the world, but we must address the looming threats from foreign adversaries in space to maintain our leadership and outpace competitors.
America will always seek peace through strength, and we will work with our allies and partners to secure that peace in space.
United States space forces will be ready to win in a competitive multi-domain environment against increasingly competitive adversaries.
To meet and deter challenges in space, Space Policy Directive-4:
Launches a joint interagency review by the National Space Council and the National Security Council to recommend changes to space operational authorities in order to address the threats posed by foreign adversaries.
Requires the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community to create collaborative mechanisms to improve space capabilities and operations.
LEADING IN A NEW WARFIGHTING DOMAIN: President Trump knows warfare is changing – space is now a warfighting domain just like the air, land and sea.
No branch of the Armed Forces has been created since the United States Air Force was established in 1947, more than 70 years ago. The world has changed significantly since then.
Establishing the Space Force is critical to preparing the Department of Defense for the evolving warfighting environments of the twenty-first century.
President Trump is dedicated to protecting the Nation and preparing America’s military to deter and defeat threats in space.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke about ISIS, the Iran Nuclear Deal and NATO at the 2019 Munich Security Conference.
Vice President Mike Pence mentioned his boss in a speech Saturday, and he may not have gotten the reaction he expected.
As
he spoke to attendees of the Munich Security Conference, he noted that
he was there on behalf of a "great champion of freedom and of a strong
national defense."
"I bring greetings from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump," Pence said.
Pence paused, perhaps waiting for a reaction.
The response? Silence.
After about five seconds, Pence continued with his speech.
Pence twisted arms demanding that NATO members do more in increase military contributions to the 'alliance'. It's not a popular idea across Europe to cut more social spending and give more money to the likes of Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, etc.
Pence also carried water for the US-based energy corporations that are pushing Europe not to buy natural gas from Russia. Instead the US is demanding that Europe purchase more expensive fracked gas from America to be shipped across the Atlantic at great cost on huge LNG ships. Europe can count the Euros and appears to be resisting such a foolish notion.
All in all the Trump administration's arrogance is not going over well around the world. (Of course there are some exceptions. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, grandson of one of imperial Japan's fascist war cabinet ministers, has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.)
The US goal is to keep Europe separated from Russia. It's all part of Trumps MAGA (Make America Great Again) strategy. But it is not working and the opposite appears to be happening.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany delivered a strong rejoinder on
Saturday to American demands that European allies pull out of the Iran
nuclear deal and gave a spirited defense of multilateral institutions in
a world increasingly marked by great-power rivalry.
Trump is learning that it is lonely at the top of a collapsing military empire.
Bruce Gagnon and Will Griffin of the Global Network will speak about Trump's recent Missile "Defense" review. Why is missile "defense" important? How will Space Force impact the country and policies? And what can people do to oppose it?
We will continue to do these interviews every 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. Come join us and bring questions with you!
Here is the link to the live stream which will begin on Feb 18th at 7pm EST:
