They never get a look-in. Are not considered as part of the equation really, being not a variable but a constant with a value of zero.
All discussion is in terms of 'nations' that upon investigation turn out to defined totally by the machinations of small power groups.
Much fuss often made of imminent cosmetic alterations in precedence of those groups.
But overall total implicit and even overt commitment to the idea that all the current and future state of the human race will be defined by these power groups.
Because, as I say, the value of the people is zero.
My idea is that will all change sooner rather than later.
The people now are imminently more than they have ever been.
Within their group body, their mass, now containing functions never before possible, knowledges, capacities... every thing.
We can contemplate the internet and computers and smartphones and say the human race is on the brink of a phase shift.
And it is true. And when we say 'human race' these traditional manipulators about whom all the narrative today is concerned, will overnight become as the naught that they are.
It is only a question of realisation.
The 'human race', i.e. the people, as yet do not understand their own power.
Used to be said often in the past. Referring to the crude and basic, the brute strength, the numbers etc.
Today is applies in a completely different area: in the consciousness of people, who and what they are on this planet, en masse and how the capacity is right there here and now to self govern.
To know what is happening and to control what is happening.
THAT is totally left out of all calculations. Why? Because even those who 'do the calculations', the overseeing, the analysing and the forecasting, are themselves deeply steeped in this old anachronistic paradigm and totally fail to see the new.
The only real solution to me is to end fascism and zionism. Maybe the war against fascism was incomplete and now we have it again in Ukraine and against zionism in Gaza. We can only hope that this time we finally overcome the core believe that underlies both forms of thinking and the "jungle" overcomes the "garden".
Sadly I don’t see much chance for substantial change in the near term. This Administration is incompetent but I’m not sure there are enough supporters for changing things on the other side either. Even if Trump is installed again I don’t see him doing anything but giving Israel anything it wants. Eventually the tide will turn as the Boomercons die off but that’s going to be a process.
It does seem like the Boomers are the Old Guard Deep State, but they grew out of what came before them as proven by the continuity of policy. Sullivan, Blinken, Nuland, et al are not Boomers, nor are some of the Neoliberal Top Dogs who are likely embroiled in this too. I presume that's why Pepe's as pessimistic as he is. Perhaps we'll get lucky and he'll drop a comment here as I left one at his VK he'll certainly read.
Your point is well taken. Blinken and Sullivan seem as much political operatives as hard core Neocons. Nuland is a true believer along with Graham and some of the senators. One can only hope their ranks shrink or the voices on the other side get louder so they crawl back under their rocks.
I think those are related, the latter a subset of the former. But let's be honest: when has any modern western nation's government heeded the wishes of its populace? Yes, officially they are all 'representatives', but our politicians are all owned, bought and paid for by corporate interests, blackmailed by the deep state (Epstein, anyone?), or just money-grubbers with their snout in the trough.
In my opinion, until we realize that Ephesians 6:12* tells us who and what is in charge then we'll see this blood sacrifice again and again. We've seen it in Yugoslavia, Iraq (twice), Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and now Palestine.
*Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. "
The old saying "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" has never been more true. Democracy is a Nazi globalist fantasy with no "of" the people ever in it. (Found where that redacted of belongs!) While we continue to give these Masters and Commanders control over our lives by "electing" them they continue to take that acquiescence and run in this direction every time. Until we wrest their power from them by refusing to "play the game" we will continue down this same path to extinction.
"..I don’t have Simplicius’s audience size with its many hundreds of comments, but some deep constructive reactions to all this would be very welcome."
Simplicious is a fake, a copy and paste guy who milks the Russian military sites verbatim to glue them to his posts.
Your analysis of Pepe's groundbreaking j'accuse is crucial for the understanding of the present war in Gaza, and the future for both the Israeli-Palestinian conundrum, and the nascent multipolar world.
Coalescing Pepe's, Crook's, and Bhadrakumar's insights into making pertinent questions was a fit worth of a Russian gymnast, key words being " We must re-configure our thinking – onto the longer plane – to take account of the intrusion of shifting dimensions in consciousness."
"...shifting dimensions in consciousness..." by way of 10,000 + massacred Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children. Ultimately, "reality" unfolds in the realm of the unseen first, and its manifestation in human "consciousness" is a slow process. Who knows how many more thousands of Palestinians will be butchered by war criminal Israel before the "shifting dimensions in consciousness" take place.
I just subscribed to your substack. I found your article highlighted by Pepe on his TG channel.
I became aware of you from a posting on The Duran.
You have created a fine synopsis by pulling together a wide range of comments from the likes of Pepe Escobar and others.
From perhaps my lesser informed position, I can only see the situation being exhumed into a wider regional war since this is what the neocons have been planning all along.
Thanks for your reply and info that I in some manner appeared at The Duran. As for the Neocons, it would appear you're correct, which is why we see the sort of response from Hezbollah, et al. The Global Majority is now almost completely arrayed against the Outlaw US Empire and the Zionists, which has importance from the Big Picture perspective. We shall soon see what happens next.
Great article, and many thoughtful comments. My problem is that a one-state Palestine (which I agree is morally best) would be a defeat for the US and Israel regimes, which would almost certainly not be achievable without a world war. As I see it, China and Russia want to see an end to US hegemony without world war, which will happen naturally as economic and military realities develop over perhaps 20 years.
For Palestine, the best way (for China and Russia, and for humanity as I see it) is to get a fighting standstill including large Israel losses, before negotiating on a 2-state Palestine.
Ideally for humanity, a standstill could come if Hamas and allies cause large Israel losses. Sadly, that seems unlikely. But large US and Israel losses could come at the next escalation 9f Lebanon and Syria, if as I expect Iran and Russia (China diplomatic cover mainly) help. Large losses should strengthen anti-war US and Israel parties.
What about an eventual negotiation proposal of A long-term 1967 borders, B immediate cease-fire on present borders, and C parts of 1967 Palestine now occupied by Israel a demilitarised zone, so in effect a buffer zone, protecting all individual property rights, with police and constitution in the buffer zone initially Indian (police, judges, laws) but variable at any time if agreed by both Israel and Palestine, and approved by UN General assembly majority?
The infusion of Indian officials at this stage was a heated discussion topic at MoA where the nature of Hindutva extremism was the main issue. IMO, there's a clear need for Peacekeepers, but they must be more powerful than recent Blue-helmet deployments in the region. But to get to that stage at the UNSC, the Outlaw US Empire and its vassals must cease their obstruction.
So, the alternatives seem to break down to the possibilties of war or peaceful negotiations.
WRT WAR: will it be regional or WWIII?
will it remain conventional or 'go nuclear'?
It seems to me WRT the current 'posturing' by Washington DC that they certainly want to convey the impression that they are willing to escalate the Israel Crisis militarily. However, the 'Ukraine manoeuvre' has demonstrated the inability of the US MIC to sustain any longterm war effort. While simultaneously the 'gunboat' posturing of it's somewhat ancient naval assets in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Persian Gulf is an archaic response to a 21st century situation.
It seems to be intended to either intimidate the regional nations into a state of submission to it's professed hegemonic authority, or impel those regional nations to attack those very vulnerable naval assets and initiating a war in order to unite popular opinion in the USA to Washington's own agenda.
As long as the latter does NOT happen the US' reputation as 'a paper tiger' will contribute to Israel's increasing isolation WRT the RoW as well sections within 'the evil empire' itself.
If the US does initiate conflict or the regional nations do react to it's intimidation, the economics of 'financial capitalism' and 'fiat money' will be demonstrated to be the reason why the US empire is now, more than ever before a paper (money) tiger.
The qualitative difference between national economies that produce real/tangible value from those nations that have financialised their economies and consequently became producers of predominantly 'service value', seems to me, to be that the former can wage a longterm military campaign. Whereas the nations who measure their productivity using 'service value' are only capable of using proxies, these are either non-governmental groups (often variously defined as 'good terrorist' or 'bad terrorist' groups) or corrupted nations via colour revolutions.
I was particularly intrigued by Mr Crookes use of "... to take account of the intrusion of shifting dimensions in consciousness." WRT a longterm solution. So I googled the phrase and fell down a rabbit hole... The simplest model involved four dimensions: the phenomenological, the semantic, the physiological, and the functional. Mr Crooke used the phrase "onto the longer plane" that I initially interpreted as 'longterm', which I now realise may have missed the point he was making.
Dimensions of conscousness change over time due to changing circumstances, changes of available information, and other factors, which would, no doubt, form the basis of a lecture by someone more informed than me. However, it seems to me that Mr Crooke seems to suggest that the Israel/Palestine issue and any real solution, beyond the US' foreign policy fantasies, may in fact be a long process that serves as a litmus test of the hegemon's demise and its replacement by the multi-polar World alongside 'changing dimensions of consciousness'.
All the above might be nonsense, but it does represent my particular work out in karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium. ;o)
MoA has reproduced another De Villepin interview which prompted my following comment,
"De Villepin really has no choice but to condemn Netanyahu as the great mass of genuine Global Majority is calling for an end to the Genocide. So, he's just going with the flow, although he still pushes Zionist propaganda. He's also adopted the POV that escalation WILL happen unless the Zionists stop. He also speaks the previously unmentionable truths related to genuine security, that the Zionists undermined themselves. I must commend him for putting forth a solution that no other Western voice has to my knowledge--the Zionists must withdraw from Palestine to allow the long planned international solution going back to the 1923 Mandate. But there's one aspect that's missing and that's the DeZionification of the settler populace, which is similar to the DeNazification that must occur in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world. Afterall, it's Zionist ideology married to Western Imperialism that is at the root of this conflict, and both must be removed for the just settlement to occur."
So, we see an example of thinking outside the box, which IMO is the essence of Crooke's conclusion--some new idea(s) is/are required for a solution. Yes, the Zionists will reject the idea and continue to cut their own throats while killing many more innocents. Politically within the Empire, the heat is rising on Team Biden for backing the wrong side and for its responsibility in this Genocide. Today, Putin met with Deputy Head of the Central Military Commission of China Zhang Youxia where Palestine was certainly discussed. Lavrov today addressed a meeting of Global South diplomats about Ukraine which was already on the agenda. Some additional development may happen later. We shall see.
I really have no idea as to how it will all play out as there seems to be a myriad of strands and a lot depends on which strand snaps first.
The biggest issue to my way of thinking is that both Israel and the US believe that they get to decide how things will pan out and that all they have to do is continually escalate and the problem solves itself without the bluff being called. I don't think that this anymore the case as there is a lot of dissent in unexpected areas and this is increasing and will continue to increase as the destruction of Gaza continues.
The US is no longer in the drivers seat as can be seen by the Israeli contempt for both Biden and Blinken. Both of them look totally out of their depth as their rhetoric fails to match reality. The same thing occurred in Ukraine where the Russians took their rhetoric seriously and made counter moves.
I don't think that the Middle East problem can be kicked down the road much further as everyone there has had a gutful and would like the issue sorted once and for all. I doubt that it will be the Two State solution as there isn't enough land left to enable this.
Several years ago, the musical group Asia wrote a song that's appropriate for the war and its coming escalation and is appropriately dark. Humanity must excise extremism or fall victim to it.
Nov 7, 2023·edited Nov 7, 2023Liked by Karl Sanchez
thanks karl... as your article notes - 'its complicated'.... one has to think like a criminal sometimes, to get a leg up on criminals.. israel/usa presenting the idea of resuscitating the palestine authority and getting rid of hamas is a beautiful stalling tactic on the part of israel/usa.. and they know it.. continuing to murder countless innocent palestinians is also a stalling tactic, but aimed in the same direction - full ethic cleansing or genocide of the remaining palestinians... yes - they also say '2 state solution' another beautiful and never ending stalling tactic when a one state solution is the only one that makes sense here... and finally - ignoring all the un resolutions or having sugar daddy be the only and permanent dissenting voice on the un security council.. again - all beautiful acts of criminals or worse... call them nazis or criminals - it is much the same...
until someone figures out a way to untangle this knot that is intentionally kept in place by these same criminals - it is war, or the threat of war moving forward... the time is ticking down on both israel and palestine here, and it is like a race of the clock too... they must all know this... time is on the non criminals side in some respects, but in other respects it isn't.... you can't have a winning end when you are dealing with a side that is non negotiable, or negotiation unfriendly... this describes both the usa and israel in spades.. most see this, but don't know how to move to the next step.. it is coming regardless and it might not be pretty how it all comes about either.. it isn't right now.. that is for sure..
Thanks for your insightful comment, james. I see Biden has invited both Russia and China to the APEC Summit in San Francisco. Oriental Voice opines Xi should refuse. If Russia sends someone, I doubt it will be on the level of Lavrov, and certainly not Putin.
thanks.. i saw that note about the apec invites.. i am curious to know what if anything comes out of that.. as i said about.. working with a non negotiable player is essentially impossible.. i don't like to paint anyone in a black and white manner like that, but at a certain point, a players track record ( usa) can't be ignored..
Response to Karl Sanchez' "Commentary to Escobar's "Law & Order" Article"
The only solution is the elimination of the Zionist regime, just like the only solution in Ukraine is the elimination of the Nazi regime there. The two are essentially identical, and I saw an article where it was pointed out that back in the day the religious Jews despised the secular Zionists and vice-versa for the Zionist attitudes that resembled Nazism,
So the question devolves how to remove the Zionist regime - preferably without war or at least a war that involves the US.
The only way to do this without war is as I've said before: the UNSC and UNGA have to reverse the decision to 1) partition Palestine, and 2) recognize the Israeli state, and then create a bi-national state. The two-state solution is dead as long as Zionists rule in Israel.
The problem is 1) how to get such a resolution without the US vetoing it. This is not possible in the UNSC. I believe the UNGA could do it with an overwhelming vote, but I don't know that. If it's not possible, then war is the only option to prevent Palestinian genocide or ethnic cleansing, as I am on record as saying for many years,.
The UN can not enforce its decisions without the participation of the US, poor and simple.. And the US will not do that until a major change in the US government - which won't happen.
So the question devolves to who is going to defeat Israel in the war and how. Only the Muslim countries in the region can be effective, which essentially means Hezbollah, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The rest are too far away or too weak. So some combination of those countries will have to attack Israel.
Now the question devolves to how to deal with a US military intervention in support of Israel. In my view, this depends on how many Muslim countries get involved. The US can NOT effectively fight ALL of the countries I listed above - especially Turkey which has the largest, best equipped and trained and motivated army in the region. If Hezbollah, Turkey and Iran unite, that would be sufficient to defeat Israel and US forces in the region, assuming the US would not resort to nuclear weapons.
The next question is how to deal with Israel's "Samson Option" - the use of Israel's nuclear arsenal. In my view, this can only be countered by Russia and China working together. Russia probably knows the location of Israel missile sites and can take them out with Kinzhal missiles which can reach Israel and possibly missiles launched from Black Sea or Caspian Sea missile ships. This is a sufficient threat to force the US to back down its involvement, assuming the US is not ready to risk WWIII with Russia and China over Israel (perhaps a problematic assumption?). Perhaps Chinese missile ships entering the region could assist in this.
That leaves us with the problem of Israel's German-made diesel submarines with cruise missiles with reported nuclear warheads. The only solution I see to that is Russian and Chinese attack subs locating the Israeli subs and taking them out, or threatening nuclear retaliation against Israel if those subs are used.
The only other option to dealing with Israel's nuclear arsenal is a direct threat of nuclear attack on Israel by Russia, China and/or Pakistan (Pakistan's missiles do not have the range to hit Israel, so they would have to transfer nuclear missiles to Turkey - a problematic exercise.) This would have to be communicated to the Israeli state - and the US - in advance of its potential defeat in order to forestall them using their nukes.
Obviously this is all problematic. Otherwise however we''re looking at either the Muslim world backing down, allowing the Gazans to be genocided or ethnically cleansed - soon to be followed by the West Bank Palestinians - or we're looking at a major war between the Muslim countries and the US/Israel which could last a couple years and devastate every country in the region (including Israel - which might prove to be a Good Thing) and will massively weaken the US economy and military (which might prove to be a Good Thing.) In the worst case, Russia and China get involved too late in the game to prevent Israel from using nukes and/or the US defeating the Muslim countries, and they end up confronting the US in a game of nuclear chicken.
Too many mistakes were made by all parties for the last 70 years to be fixed now by any sort of negotiations - much like Ukraine (and likely Taiwan.) Various parties should have acted much sooner and more definitely to resolve the issue.
As William S., Burroughs said: "Battles are fought to be won. And this is what happens when you lose."
As an aside, I'm still struggling with computer issues, so my own take on the overall situation will have to wait still longer.
All you really needed to write was your first sentence, to which I agree. Hegemony in all its forms must be eliminated, and IMO that's the fundamental goal Putin and Xi have agreed upon, but I can't confirm that without directly asking them, although we do have Putin's Vow. Putin's absolutely critical address to Russia's Security Council Escobar cites took place 8 days ago but has only been viewed just under 2,000 times when it needs to be seen and understood by 2 Billion+ people. Escobar cites the more important parts for more people to read, but we're still falling way short of what IMO's required. IMO, the Global Majority must understand why war is really the only solution to this problem that can no longer be solved using political methods.
But if I'd only written one sentence, we'd not have a clear exposition of what likely lies ahead.
You suggested two things need to happen to change things, and you know my opinion of how likely that is to happen. Certainly not in 2024, which means another four years of the same, and assuming the usual party switch in 2028, another four years beyond that. Do you see literally ANY human being anywhere in US society that is likely to achieve a public position and the ability to articulate what is going on and what needs to be done and get enough support to achieve a political position? And then be able to do anything from that position against the system? If so, name them.
I don't see it happening until 1) the US suffers a major military defeat, and 2) has suffered a huge downgrade of its economy equivalent to the Great Depression. Either could happen at any time, but until they do, nothing will change.
Years ago I wrote how Russia and China's position wrt US imperialism was to just stay back and let the hegemon destroy itself, was a bad idea. The worst thing you can do to a bully is to try and ignore him, it drives him even more insane and forces him to strike out wildly.
We are told that the US has over 800 military bases and countless covert operations all around the world because “the world is a dangerous place” and we need to keep the peace.
The truth is the world is only dangerous because of US presence around the world militarily, covertly, financially, and more.
This has been necessary in order to both secure the lions share of the worlds finite natural resources for the west and to keep others from growing their economies and consuming those resources themselves whereby depleting them much faster and driving up the prices significantly. One must understand how reliant western “civilization” is on controlling and consuming these resources. Everything in the whole world is 100% dependent on the cheap almost free energy and other critical resources.
The Multipolar progression spells the end of this global dynamic. The growth happening in the Global Majority Countries, where 70 to 80% of the worlds resources reside, is increasing the consumption of those resources and has the potential to more than make up for the decline in those resources being funneled to western countries. There have been several efforts by the global majority to say no to colonialism throughout history, all have been violently crushed killing millions.
This time is different. This time the effort is spearheaded by several of the worlds largest and most powerful countries who have themselves made great leaps in developing and helping others develop. This can not be stopped.
This represents the total collapse of western countries, not recession or depression but collapse. This is the analysis that is missing from all of the internet pundits which makes all analysis incomplete and mostly wrong.
This explains the seemingly belligerent and so called “failing” wars and foreign policy of the US over the last 25+ years.
Israel is completely dependent on the unipolar US dominance of the world to exist. It has zero chance of existing in a Multipolar world. Israel has screwed over all of the surrounding countries, killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Muslims, displaced millions, it is beyond any sort of amicable agreement without the threat of the US destroying all who dissent.
What is happening is the US and Israel are fighting for their lives. Europe too but they don’t seem to fully understand and are not able to agree with each other and act.
You decieve yourself and your audience with the use of the term that has become a shorthand for supreme evil in this world. 80 years of relentless brainwashing, propaganda, lies, obfuscations and subconscious implantations has left the mind of the average media consumer almost completely inverted as to the reality of the 20th century.
Have an honest look at who surrounds Biden in his cabinet, who constitutes the Neocons, who actually owns all the money in your pocket(as it is all borrowed into existence, you do not own that which is borrowed - you only have a temporary usage), who owns and runs Blackrock(which has a controlling interest in all the major corporate and financial institutions that matter in the west) and who really originated, maintains and presently controls Christian-Zionism?
A great number of very talented researchers have made Zionism equivalent with Nazism. I've also made the connection with Team Biden and the controlling oligarchy, but you haven't read those words of mine.
This is absolutely the crucial question: "Would it not be better for them to lose the war and be forced to arrive at some accommodation with those they have tried so hard to eliminate?" Thank you for posing it so clearly. I just don't see how that will happen unless others get involved in a wider war. Even so, the basic problem is that, at every turn—from the very beginning—the core of mainstream Zionist ideology has denied Palestinian reality on an equal basis & I don't see how that will change as the State is based upon a perpetual "re-charging" of victim-hood & it's a very tough bind to emerge from.
I've put forth the notion that DeZionification is required similar to the need for DeNazification in Ukraine which is one of Russia's SMO goals. When I provide some selections from Zakharova's briefing, the subject of "nationalism" and its rise will be broached. Zionism is a very radical form of nationalism just as Nazism was, but for some reason that truth isn't acknowledged by what are otherwise very smart and informed people.
Very well said—unfortunately, I think the job of DeZionification will be much harder because it hasn't been broadly identified as a negative concept, like Nazism... But, yes, it is much needed!
Way to go Karl in keeping the conversation going!
You're performing a most helpful service to all, will now subscribe.
Thanks for your support. That's the aim of my Gymnasium.
I think the way out is via the people.
They never get a look-in. Are not considered as part of the equation really, being not a variable but a constant with a value of zero.
All discussion is in terms of 'nations' that upon investigation turn out to defined totally by the machinations of small power groups.
Much fuss often made of imminent cosmetic alterations in precedence of those groups.
But overall total implicit and even overt commitment to the idea that all the current and future state of the human race will be defined by these power groups.
Because, as I say, the value of the people is zero.
My idea is that will all change sooner rather than later.
The people now are imminently more than they have ever been.
Within their group body, their mass, now containing functions never before possible, knowledges, capacities... every thing.
We can contemplate the internet and computers and smartphones and say the human race is on the brink of a phase shift.
And it is true. And when we say 'human race' these traditional manipulators about whom all the narrative today is concerned, will overnight become as the naught that they are.
It is only a question of realisation.
The 'human race', i.e. the people, as yet do not understand their own power.
Used to be said often in the past. Referring to the crude and basic, the brute strength, the numbers etc.
Today is applies in a completely different area: in the consciousness of people, who and what they are on this planet, en masse and how the capacity is right there here and now to self govern.
To know what is happening and to control what is happening.
THAT is totally left out of all calculations. Why? Because even those who 'do the calculations', the overseeing, the analysing and the forecasting, are themselves deeply steeped in this old anachronistic paradigm and totally fail to see the new.
That's how dumb they are.
As manifest all through the Covid years.
Yes, solidarity to be sure, and that seems to be on the rise again in response to this crisis.
The only real solution to me is to end fascism and zionism. Maybe the war against fascism was incomplete and now we have it again in Ukraine and against zionism in Gaza. We can only hope that this time we finally overcome the core believe that underlies both forms of thinking and the "jungle" overcomes the "garden".
Yes. I've argued that WW2 never really ended as the Outlaw US Empire kept Nazism alive. That issue will be made again in the coming weeks.
Sadly I don’t see much chance for substantial change in the near term. This Administration is incompetent but I’m not sure there are enough supporters for changing things on the other side either. Even if Trump is installed again I don’t see him doing anything but giving Israel anything it wants. Eventually the tide will turn as the Boomercons die off but that’s going to be a process.
It does seem like the Boomers are the Old Guard Deep State, but they grew out of what came before them as proven by the continuity of policy. Sullivan, Blinken, Nuland, et al are not Boomers, nor are some of the Neoliberal Top Dogs who are likely embroiled in this too. I presume that's why Pepe's as pessimistic as he is. Perhaps we'll get lucky and he'll drop a comment here as I left one at his VK he'll certainly read.
Your point is well taken. Blinken and Sullivan seem as much political operatives as hard core Neocons. Nuland is a true believer along with Graham and some of the senators. One can only hope their ranks shrink or the voices on the other side get louder so they crawl back under their rocks.
IMO, what must occur are two things: Voter awareness of their behavior, and candidates that out that behavior and use it to oust them from office.
I think those are related, the latter a subset of the former. But let's be honest: when has any modern western nation's government heeded the wishes of its populace? Yes, officially they are all 'representatives', but our politicians are all owned, bought and paid for by corporate interests, blackmailed by the deep state (Epstein, anyone?), or just money-grubbers with their snout in the trough.
In my opinion, until we realize that Ephesians 6:12* tells us who and what is in charge then we'll see this blood sacrifice again and again. We've seen it in Yugoslavia, Iraq (twice), Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and now Palestine.
*Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. "
The old saying "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" has never been more true. Democracy is a Nazi globalist fantasy with no "of" the people ever in it. (Found where that redacted of belongs!) While we continue to give these Masters and Commanders control over our lives by "electing" them they continue to take that acquiescence and run in this direction every time. Until we wrest their power from them by refusing to "play the game" we will continue down this same path to extinction.
"..I don’t have Simplicius’s audience size with its many hundreds of comments, but some deep constructive reactions to all this would be very welcome."
Simplicious is a fake, a copy and paste guy who milks the Russian military sites verbatim to glue them to his posts.
Your analysis of Pepe's groundbreaking j'accuse is crucial for the understanding of the present war in Gaza, and the future for both the Israeli-Palestinian conundrum, and the nascent multipolar world.
Coalescing Pepe's, Crook's, and Bhadrakumar's insights into making pertinent questions was a fit worth of a Russian gymnast, key words being " We must re-configure our thinking – onto the longer plane – to take account of the intrusion of shifting dimensions in consciousness."
"...shifting dimensions in consciousness..." by way of 10,000 + massacred Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children. Ultimately, "reality" unfolds in the realm of the unseen first, and its manifestation in human "consciousness" is a slow process. Who knows how many more thousands of Palestinians will be butchered by war criminal Israel before the "shifting dimensions in consciousness" take place.
I just subscribed to your substack. I found your article highlighted by Pepe on his TG channel.
Keep up the good work.
And forget about Simplicious.
He's just a simpleton.
Lone Wolf
I became aware of you from a posting on The Duran.
You have created a fine synopsis by pulling together a wide range of comments from the likes of Pepe Escobar and others.
From perhaps my lesser informed position, I can only see the situation being exhumed into a wider regional war since this is what the neocons have been planning all along.
Thanks for your reply and info that I in some manner appeared at The Duran. As for the Neocons, it would appear you're correct, which is why we see the sort of response from Hezbollah, et al. The Global Majority is now almost completely arrayed against the Outlaw US Empire and the Zionists, which has importance from the Big Picture perspective. We shall soon see what happens next.
Great article, and many thoughtful comments. My problem is that a one-state Palestine (which I agree is morally best) would be a defeat for the US and Israel regimes, which would almost certainly not be achievable without a world war. As I see it, China and Russia want to see an end to US hegemony without world war, which will happen naturally as economic and military realities develop over perhaps 20 years.
For Palestine, the best way (for China and Russia, and for humanity as I see it) is to get a fighting standstill including large Israel losses, before negotiating on a 2-state Palestine.
Ideally for humanity, a standstill could come if Hamas and allies cause large Israel losses. Sadly, that seems unlikely. But large US and Israel losses could come at the next escalation 9f Lebanon and Syria, if as I expect Iran and Russia (China diplomatic cover mainly) help. Large losses should strengthen anti-war US and Israel parties.
What about an eventual negotiation proposal of A long-term 1967 borders, B immediate cease-fire on present borders, and C parts of 1967 Palestine now occupied by Israel a demilitarised zone, so in effect a buffer zone, protecting all individual property rights, with police and constitution in the buffer zone initially Indian (police, judges, laws) but variable at any time if agreed by both Israel and Palestine, and approved by UN General assembly majority?
The infusion of Indian officials at this stage was a heated discussion topic at MoA where the nature of Hindutva extremism was the main issue. IMO, there's a clear need for Peacekeepers, but they must be more powerful than recent Blue-helmet deployments in the region. But to get to that stage at the UNSC, the Outlaw US Empire and its vassals must cease their obstruction.
So, the alternatives seem to break down to the possibilties of war or peaceful negotiations.
WRT WAR: will it be regional or WWIII?
will it remain conventional or 'go nuclear'?
It seems to me WRT the current 'posturing' by Washington DC that they certainly want to convey the impression that they are willing to escalate the Israel Crisis militarily. However, the 'Ukraine manoeuvre' has demonstrated the inability of the US MIC to sustain any longterm war effort. While simultaneously the 'gunboat' posturing of it's somewhat ancient naval assets in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Persian Gulf is an archaic response to a 21st century situation.
It seems to be intended to either intimidate the regional nations into a state of submission to it's professed hegemonic authority, or impel those regional nations to attack those very vulnerable naval assets and initiating a war in order to unite popular opinion in the USA to Washington's own agenda.
As long as the latter does NOT happen the US' reputation as 'a paper tiger' will contribute to Israel's increasing isolation WRT the RoW as well sections within 'the evil empire' itself.
If the US does initiate conflict or the regional nations do react to it's intimidation, the economics of 'financial capitalism' and 'fiat money' will be demonstrated to be the reason why the US empire is now, more than ever before a paper (money) tiger.
The qualitative difference between national economies that produce real/tangible value from those nations that have financialised their economies and consequently became producers of predominantly 'service value', seems to me, to be that the former can wage a longterm military campaign. Whereas the nations who measure their productivity using 'service value' are only capable of using proxies, these are either non-governmental groups (often variously defined as 'good terrorist' or 'bad terrorist' groups) or corrupted nations via colour revolutions.
I was particularly intrigued by Mr Crookes use of "... to take account of the intrusion of shifting dimensions in consciousness." WRT a longterm solution. So I googled the phrase and fell down a rabbit hole... The simplest model involved four dimensions: the phenomenological, the semantic, the physiological, and the functional. Mr Crooke used the phrase "onto the longer plane" that I initially interpreted as 'longterm', which I now realise may have missed the point he was making.
Dimensions of conscousness change over time due to changing circumstances, changes of available information, and other factors, which would, no doubt, form the basis of a lecture by someone more informed than me. However, it seems to me that Mr Crooke seems to suggest that the Israel/Palestine issue and any real solution, beyond the US' foreign policy fantasies, may in fact be a long process that serves as a litmus test of the hegemon's demise and its replacement by the multi-polar World alongside 'changing dimensions of consciousness'.
All the above might be nonsense, but it does represent my particular work out in karlof1’s Geopolitical Gymnasium. ;o)
MoA has reproduced another De Villepin interview which prompted my following comment,
"De Villepin really has no choice but to condemn Netanyahu as the great mass of genuine Global Majority is calling for an end to the Genocide. So, he's just going with the flow, although he still pushes Zionist propaganda. He's also adopted the POV that escalation WILL happen unless the Zionists stop. He also speaks the previously unmentionable truths related to genuine security, that the Zionists undermined themselves. I must commend him for putting forth a solution that no other Western voice has to my knowledge--the Zionists must withdraw from Palestine to allow the long planned international solution going back to the 1923 Mandate. But there's one aspect that's missing and that's the DeZionification of the settler populace, which is similar to the DeNazification that must occur in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world. Afterall, it's Zionist ideology married to Western Imperialism that is at the root of this conflict, and both must be removed for the just settlement to occur."
So, we see an example of thinking outside the box, which IMO is the essence of Crooke's conclusion--some new idea(s) is/are required for a solution. Yes, the Zionists will reject the idea and continue to cut their own throats while killing many more innocents. Politically within the Empire, the heat is rising on Team Biden for backing the wrong side and for its responsibility in this Genocide. Today, Putin met with Deputy Head of the Central Military Commission of China Zhang Youxia where Palestine was certainly discussed. Lavrov today addressed a meeting of Global South diplomats about Ukraine which was already on the agenda. Some additional development may happen later. We shall see.
Thanks for the article Karl.
I really have no idea as to how it will all play out as there seems to be a myriad of strands and a lot depends on which strand snaps first.
The biggest issue to my way of thinking is that both Israel and the US believe that they get to decide how things will pan out and that all they have to do is continually escalate and the problem solves itself without the bluff being called. I don't think that this anymore the case as there is a lot of dissent in unexpected areas and this is increasing and will continue to increase as the destruction of Gaza continues.
The US is no longer in the drivers seat as can be seen by the Israeli contempt for both Biden and Blinken. Both of them look totally out of their depth as their rhetoric fails to match reality. The same thing occurred in Ukraine where the Russians took their rhetoric seriously and made counter moves.
I don't think that the Middle East problem can be kicked down the road much further as everyone there has had a gutful and would like the issue sorted once and for all. I doubt that it will be the Two State solution as there isn't enough land left to enable this.
We watch, we wait.
Bhadrakumar is not the normal Indian, born to hate China regardless of real facts. A Gem.
Unfortunately, he is right. The Root of All Evil lies with the Hegemon. Without it's death and dismemberment the World cannot know Peace.
We of the Global South community can see it but of course not those born in the Hegemon as that's the end of their "known" history.
Several years ago, the musical group Asia wrote a song that's appropriate for the war and its coming escalation and is appropriately dark. Humanity must excise extremism or fall victim to it.
thanks karl... as your article notes - 'its complicated'.... one has to think like a criminal sometimes, to get a leg up on criminals.. israel/usa presenting the idea of resuscitating the palestine authority and getting rid of hamas is a beautiful stalling tactic on the part of israel/usa.. and they know it.. continuing to murder countless innocent palestinians is also a stalling tactic, but aimed in the same direction - full ethic cleansing or genocide of the remaining palestinians... yes - they also say '2 state solution' another beautiful and never ending stalling tactic when a one state solution is the only one that makes sense here... and finally - ignoring all the un resolutions or having sugar daddy be the only and permanent dissenting voice on the un security council.. again - all beautiful acts of criminals or worse... call them nazis or criminals - it is much the same...
until someone figures out a way to untangle this knot that is intentionally kept in place by these same criminals - it is war, or the threat of war moving forward... the time is ticking down on both israel and palestine here, and it is like a race of the clock too... they must all know this... time is on the non criminals side in some respects, but in other respects it isn't.... you can't have a winning end when you are dealing with a side that is non negotiable, or negotiation unfriendly... this describes both the usa and israel in spades.. most see this, but don't know how to move to the next step.. it is coming regardless and it might not be pretty how it all comes about either.. it isn't right now.. that is for sure..
Thanks for your insightful comment, james. I see Biden has invited both Russia and China to the APEC Summit in San Francisco. Oriental Voice opines Xi should refuse. If Russia sends someone, I doubt it will be on the level of Lavrov, and certainly not Putin.
thanks.. i saw that note about the apec invites.. i am curious to know what if anything comes out of that.. as i said about.. working with a non negotiable player is essentially impossible.. i don't like to paint anyone in a black and white manner like that, but at a certain point, a players track record ( usa) can't be ignored..
"one has to think like a criminal sometimes, to get a leg up on criminals.."
That would be me... :-)
Response to Karl Sanchez' "Commentary to Escobar's "Law & Order" Article"
The only solution is the elimination of the Zionist regime, just like the only solution in Ukraine is the elimination of the Nazi regime there. The two are essentially identical, and I saw an article where it was pointed out that back in the day the religious Jews despised the secular Zionists and vice-versa for the Zionist attitudes that resembled Nazism,
So the question devolves how to remove the Zionist regime - preferably without war or at least a war that involves the US.
The only way to do this without war is as I've said before: the UNSC and UNGA have to reverse the decision to 1) partition Palestine, and 2) recognize the Israeli state, and then create a bi-national state. The two-state solution is dead as long as Zionists rule in Israel.
The problem is 1) how to get such a resolution without the US vetoing it. This is not possible in the UNSC. I believe the UNGA could do it with an overwhelming vote, but I don't know that. If it's not possible, then war is the only option to prevent Palestinian genocide or ethnic cleansing, as I am on record as saying for many years,.
The UN can not enforce its decisions without the participation of the US, poor and simple.. And the US will not do that until a major change in the US government - which won't happen.
So the question devolves to who is going to defeat Israel in the war and how. Only the Muslim countries in the region can be effective, which essentially means Hezbollah, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The rest are too far away or too weak. So some combination of those countries will have to attack Israel.
Now the question devolves to how to deal with a US military intervention in support of Israel. In my view, this depends on how many Muslim countries get involved. The US can NOT effectively fight ALL of the countries I listed above - especially Turkey which has the largest, best equipped and trained and motivated army in the region. If Hezbollah, Turkey and Iran unite, that would be sufficient to defeat Israel and US forces in the region, assuming the US would not resort to nuclear weapons.
The next question is how to deal with Israel's "Samson Option" - the use of Israel's nuclear arsenal. In my view, this can only be countered by Russia and China working together. Russia probably knows the location of Israel missile sites and can take them out with Kinzhal missiles which can reach Israel and possibly missiles launched from Black Sea or Caspian Sea missile ships. This is a sufficient threat to force the US to back down its involvement, assuming the US is not ready to risk WWIII with Russia and China over Israel (perhaps a problematic assumption?). Perhaps Chinese missile ships entering the region could assist in this.
That leaves us with the problem of Israel's German-made diesel submarines with cruise missiles with reported nuclear warheads. The only solution I see to that is Russian and Chinese attack subs locating the Israeli subs and taking them out, or threatening nuclear retaliation against Israel if those subs are used.
The only other option to dealing with Israel's nuclear arsenal is a direct threat of nuclear attack on Israel by Russia, China and/or Pakistan (Pakistan's missiles do not have the range to hit Israel, so they would have to transfer nuclear missiles to Turkey - a problematic exercise.) This would have to be communicated to the Israeli state - and the US - in advance of its potential defeat in order to forestall them using their nukes.
Obviously this is all problematic. Otherwise however we''re looking at either the Muslim world backing down, allowing the Gazans to be genocided or ethnically cleansed - soon to be followed by the West Bank Palestinians - or we're looking at a major war between the Muslim countries and the US/Israel which could last a couple years and devastate every country in the region (including Israel - which might prove to be a Good Thing) and will massively weaken the US economy and military (which might prove to be a Good Thing.) In the worst case, Russia and China get involved too late in the game to prevent Israel from using nukes and/or the US defeating the Muslim countries, and they end up confronting the US in a game of nuclear chicken.
Too many mistakes were made by all parties for the last 70 years to be fixed now by any sort of negotiations - much like Ukraine (and likely Taiwan.) Various parties should have acted much sooner and more definitely to resolve the issue.
As William S., Burroughs said: "Battles are fought to be won. And this is what happens when you lose."
As an aside, I'm still struggling with computer issues, so my own take on the overall situation will have to wait still longer.
All you really needed to write was your first sentence, to which I agree. Hegemony in all its forms must be eliminated, and IMO that's the fundamental goal Putin and Xi have agreed upon, but I can't confirm that without directly asking them, although we do have Putin's Vow. Putin's absolutely critical address to Russia's Security Council Escobar cites took place 8 days ago but has only been viewed just under 2,000 times when it needs to be seen and understood by 2 Billion+ people. Escobar cites the more important parts for more people to read, but we're still falling way short of what IMO's required. IMO, the Global Majority must understand why war is really the only solution to this problem that can no longer be solved using political methods.
But if I'd only written one sentence, we'd not have a clear exposition of what likely lies ahead.
You suggested two things need to happen to change things, and you know my opinion of how likely that is to happen. Certainly not in 2024, which means another four years of the same, and assuming the usual party switch in 2028, another four years beyond that. Do you see literally ANY human being anywhere in US society that is likely to achieve a public position and the ability to articulate what is going on and what needs to be done and get enough support to achieve a political position? And then be able to do anything from that position against the system? If so, name them.
I don't see it happening until 1) the US suffers a major military defeat, and 2) has suffered a huge downgrade of its economy equivalent to the Great Depression. Either could happen at any time, but until they do, nothing will change.
Years ago I wrote how Russia and China's position wrt US imperialism was to just stay back and let the hegemon destroy itself, was a bad idea. The worst thing you can do to a bully is to try and ignore him, it drives him even more insane and forces him to strike out wildly.
We are told that the US has over 800 military bases and countless covert operations all around the world because “the world is a dangerous place” and we need to keep the peace.
The truth is the world is only dangerous because of US presence around the world militarily, covertly, financially, and more.
This has been necessary in order to both secure the lions share of the worlds finite natural resources for the west and to keep others from growing their economies and consuming those resources themselves whereby depleting them much faster and driving up the prices significantly. One must understand how reliant western “civilization” is on controlling and consuming these resources. Everything in the whole world is 100% dependent on the cheap almost free energy and other critical resources.
The Multipolar progression spells the end of this global dynamic. The growth happening in the Global Majority Countries, where 70 to 80% of the worlds resources reside, is increasing the consumption of those resources and has the potential to more than make up for the decline in those resources being funneled to western countries. There have been several efforts by the global majority to say no to colonialism throughout history, all have been violently crushed killing millions.
This time is different. This time the effort is spearheaded by several of the worlds largest and most powerful countries who have themselves made great leaps in developing and helping others develop. This can not be stopped.
This represents the total collapse of western countries, not recession or depression but collapse. This is the analysis that is missing from all of the internet pundits which makes all analysis incomplete and mostly wrong.
This explains the seemingly belligerent and so called “failing” wars and foreign policy of the US over the last 25+ years.
Israel is completely dependent on the unipolar US dominance of the world to exist. It has zero chance of existing in a Multipolar world. Israel has screwed over all of the surrounding countries, killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Muslims, displaced millions, it is beyond any sort of amicable agreement without the threat of the US destroying all who dissent.
What is happening is the US and Israel are fighting for their lives. Europe too but they don’t seem to fully understand and are not able to agree with each other and act.
You decieve yourself and your audience with the use of the term that has become a shorthand for supreme evil in this world. 80 years of relentless brainwashing, propaganda, lies, obfuscations and subconscious implantations has left the mind of the average media consumer almost completely inverted as to the reality of the 20th century.
Have an honest look at who surrounds Biden in his cabinet, who constitutes the Neocons, who actually owns all the money in your pocket(as it is all borrowed into existence, you do not own that which is borrowed - you only have a temporary usage), who owns and runs Blackrock(which has a controlling interest in all the major corporate and financial institutions that matter in the west) and who really originated, maintains and presently controls Christian-Zionism?
Nazis? Please.
Cowards.
A great number of very talented researchers have made Zionism equivalent with Nazism. I've also made the connection with Team Biden and the controlling oligarchy, but you haven't read those words of mine.
This is absolutely the crucial question: "Would it not be better for them to lose the war and be forced to arrive at some accommodation with those they have tried so hard to eliminate?" Thank you for posing it so clearly. I just don't see how that will happen unless others get involved in a wider war. Even so, the basic problem is that, at every turn—from the very beginning—the core of mainstream Zionist ideology has denied Palestinian reality on an equal basis & I don't see how that will change as the State is based upon a perpetual "re-charging" of victim-hood & it's a very tough bind to emerge from.
I've put forth the notion that DeZionification is required similar to the need for DeNazification in Ukraine which is one of Russia's SMO goals. When I provide some selections from Zakharova's briefing, the subject of "nationalism" and its rise will be broached. Zionism is a very radical form of nationalism just as Nazism was, but for some reason that truth isn't acknowledged by what are otherwise very smart and informed people.
Very well said—unfortunately, I think the job of DeZionification will be much harder because it hasn't been broadly identified as a negative concept, like Nazism... But, yes, it is much needed!