Further expansion of yesterday’s essay is provided by Sergey Lavrov’s speech and answers to questions posed to him at today’s Tenth Primakov Readings Session where his portion of the program lasted just under two hours. Lavrov’s speech contains some critical information about the formation of Multipolarism that was omitted from yesterday’s essay yet clearly enhances it. A slight digression is required given the release of Julian Assange from Prison, flight to freedom and embrace by his family in Australia. Here are two short excerpts from Pepe Escobar’s
Pepe Escobar is incorrect at the end of his article for which you provided a hyperlink. Pepe says Assange would need the permission of the US to travel outside Australia. The judge in Saipan said Assange had completed his sentence. Although a term of supervised release, often 3 or more years, is given to about 75% of US federal prisoners who have completed their sentences, according to the Guardian, this is a matter of judicial discretion. In Assange’s case the judge said, “I am not setting terms of supervised release. You are a free man .”
I have not had time to read Lavrov’s comments yet. But on the rapidly developing multipolarity, I have been thinking that from another frame of reference, there is a simultaneous contradictory bipolarity deepening and hardening as well: on the one hand the European countries, Australia, Japan, Canada and South Korea under the tight grip of the hegemonic Outlaw US Empire; on the other hand, the multipolar majority…
I also have been lamenting my lack of understanding, my blindness, back in the 90’s when I thought the formation of the EU was a positive development and indicated Europe moving AWAY from US influence—boy, was I wrong. Others were not as blind, as Glen Ford describes tightening US hegemony over Europe in 2014 at about minute 4 of this 7 minute talk at I think a Jacobin conference:
Too many jumped the gun and speculated on what Assange might face in the future; Maria was correct to say no comment until I learn more. A close examination of US-European relations since 1900 shows ***everything*** was done to further US interests regardless the cost to Europe. Kolko's "Politics of War" reveals the start of the US ability to own European politicians as it made certain the liberated governments were Conservative and 100% Pro-US, a practice the Soviets mirrored--and was agreed to at Yalta. The reason the Soviets "lost" Eastern Europe was due to the immense costs of rebuilding because the Soviet economy was never able to recover from due to mismanagement. Russia's dynamism under Putin today was entirely possible in the post-war decades but never appeared.
IMO, there are other earlier manifestations present in world history, and also from the pre-colonial Western Hemisphere. It seems that human unity isn't as favored a topic as human strife.
Pepe Escobar is incorrect at the end of his article for which you provided a hyperlink. Pepe says Assange would need the permission of the US to travel outside Australia. The judge in Saipan said Assange had completed his sentence. Although a term of supervised release, often 3 or more years, is given to about 75% of US federal prisoners who have completed their sentences, according to the Guardian, this is a matter of judicial discretion. In Assange’s case the judge said, “I am not setting terms of supervised release. You are a free man .”
I have not had time to read Lavrov’s comments yet. But on the rapidly developing multipolarity, I have been thinking that from another frame of reference, there is a simultaneous contradictory bipolarity deepening and hardening as well: on the one hand the European countries, Australia, Japan, Canada and South Korea under the tight grip of the hegemonic Outlaw US Empire; on the other hand, the multipolar majority…
I also have been lamenting my lack of understanding, my blindness, back in the 90’s when I thought the formation of the EU was a positive development and indicated Europe moving AWAY from US influence—boy, was I wrong. Others were not as blind, as Glen Ford describes tightening US hegemony over Europe in 2014 at about minute 4 of this 7 minute talk at I think a Jacobin conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySZL3g1A1uI
By the time I discovered this video, Mr Ford had passed.
Too many jumped the gun and speculated on what Assange might face in the future; Maria was correct to say no comment until I learn more. A close examination of US-European relations since 1900 shows ***everything*** was done to further US interests regardless the cost to Europe. Kolko's "Politics of War" reveals the start of the US ability to own European politicians as it made certain the liberated governments were Conservative and 100% Pro-US, a practice the Soviets mirrored--and was agreed to at Yalta. The reason the Soviets "lost" Eastern Europe was due to the immense costs of rebuilding because the Soviet economy was never able to recover from due to mismanagement. Russia's dynamism under Putin today was entirely possible in the post-war decades but never appeared.
I loved learning about the origins of the idea of a multipolar world. Thanks for sharing this, Karl.
IMO, there are other earlier manifestations present in world history, and also from the pre-colonial Western Hemisphere. It seems that human unity isn't as favored a topic as human strife.
What a shame.