Thank you for the quoted material and commentary. Your substack is always worth reading. I just wish it weren't true, but unfortunately is. My "loss of confidence" in so-called "American exceptionalism" began in 1992. I was working in HQ Centag/HQ USAREUR. We recommended mission complete, return USAREUR forces to the US. Albright and Wolfewitz (sp) vetoed that plan. I was in Hungary (V corps HQ forward) when we broke up Jugoslavia and bombed Serbia. The final blow was when we lied about WMD and ended up killing a couple of million Iraqis over their oil. Now, I get my "truths" from substack and non-MSM news sources. The internet gives access, but, you still have to "kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince/princess".
"that will not be an easy task given the resistance that will come from those believing in their exceptionalism" - I would add that resistance will also come from those who have experienced the perfidious actions of the West and will always, understandably, see them as a threat.
That would be my mindset in their place; as many have pointed out, once trust is destroyed it's almost impossible to restore it. Much can be resolved between honest brokers but for too many people straight dealing, meaning what you say and matching actions to words seems to have become quaint artifacts of a bygone age. Leo Strauss's idea of the "noble lie" seems to have replaced it and we see this with the neocons and the zionists.
Thank you, I had recently come across that term but hadn't explored it further. This from Wikipedia:
"Its name is taken from its opening words, which mean "all vows". The formula, depending on rite, either proactively annuls any personal or religious oaths or prohibitions which are made between oneself and God in the course of the next year, so as to preemptively avoid the sin of breaking vows which are made to God but are not or cannot be upheld, or annuls any vows taken in the preceding year."
This contrasts with what I've always understood about Quakers' refusal to swear oaths in court or legal proceedings: they believed that their every word was a vow to God and singling out some occasions to aver this was directly contrary to that belief.
What's especially interesting to me is the contradiction: that such a deception would ever pass muster with an all-powerful God. It implies that their God is either weaker than claimed or as deceptive as they are and therefore unworthy of any claim to righteousness.
And thus the problems with all exceptional beings. Some may be “gifted” with better abilities, but that doesn’t make them exceptional since many others are similarly “gifted.”And so on. IMO, what’s Exceptional is Life.
And what's missing from the Exceptionalists is humility. I don't consider myself particularly religious but I absolutely believe in the truth of the Proverb that pride goeth before destruction, an haughty spirit before the fall. I think some of the setbacks I've experienced in my own life can be attributed to having forgotten this simple truth but console myself with the thought that at least I didn't harm anyone but myself.
For some reason the following was deleted by b from today's main MoA thread. Perhaps too harsh about Nazis since MoA is located in Germany:
Newbie | May 12 2025 20:40 utc | 107--
You're correct to a degree in saying the SMO wasn't about territory. As announced, it was/is about demilitarizing and denizifying Ukraine AND attaining a security agreement satisfactory to Russia. The NATO Nazis played directly into the SMO's goals as a great portion of the NATO Nazi armed forces and weapons are now gone, but the Nazis haven't been visited with very much damage and clearly remain the primary backers of Zelensky and his clique. What's more is they move about unhindered globally unlike German Nazis during WW2. Fascism as a form of political-economy is one thing while Nazism is totally different as it preaches Exceptionalism and that doesn't qualify as freedom of speech or freedom of ideas. Nazism utterly contradicts the UN Charter's philosophy and aside from its practitioners was/is recognized universally as the evil it was at the time and remains.
IMO, my comment is too important to allow it to waste away unread. It appears a number of comments were erased, including the one to which I replied.
As Putin pointed out in your post from yesterday about leaders like Fico being subjected to intimidation for attending the May 9th celebration: "And who tried to intimidate them? Those who stand to attention in front of and salute and applaud former SS soldiers? And elevates to the rank of national heroes those who collaborated with Hitler during the Second World War?"
Everything the EU/NATO does just proves how justified Russia was in launching the SMO. They exhibit the same exceptionalist attitudes that the Nazis did; maybe they have little swastikas emblazoned on their underwear. The topper is the demand by Macron, Starmer, Merz and Trump (via video) that Russia accept an unconditional ceasefire. Russia, the side that's winning. These clowns are proof that we've truly entered Bizarro World. One wonders what else the the 3 stooges were up to in Kiev with cokehead Zelensky because this demand of theirs sure does sound like cocaine-induced delusion.
Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to read or listen to these outstanding words of historical facts. I've mentioned before many times actually. I suppose it's because it makes me do proud. That my both Grand fathers fought the Nazi's. I'm not ashamed to admit it, that I have a burning hatred of fascism. In fact I'm very proud of feeling that way. Maybe that's a big reason I have such an admiration for what the Red Army achieved against Hitler best trained & equipped forces. While suffering untold hardship, something we can't comprehend today. I risk an ever increasing chance of being visited by the modern day brown shirts with my outspoken but factual rants against my own traitorous government. Simply put, they're that far down the road of becoming modern day Nazi's. Not a single one of them would dare debate me in public. They'd do what all facist rulers do. Imprison those who dare to speak out against their extremist agendas. Gladly the population in im my country are growing wiser by the day. Despite the most censored & propagandused media in the Western World. Being crammed down their throats 24/7 for year after year. It's for this reason the words spoken at the UN by the Russian representative, are so important today. They're needed more now than they've ever been.
People are often surprised when they discover so many share their POV. The vast number of decent humans greatly outnumber the indecent but because of their pacifism find confrontation difficult, often because they think they’re alone or too few. IMO, that’s a form of anomie that must be overcome if decency is to prevail.
Totally agree Karl, Ive always never been afraid to say what I believe is the morally correct position to take. To my detriment on many occasions. It's withheld me in my career over the years. I'm now not far from retirement. I can honestly say I do not regret anything that I've said to those in higher positions than myself. As a result now in my later years. I tend to be more often than not. More qualified than most in positions above myself. But I'm very happy & I can sleep at night with a clear concience
Long ago a film was made about the moral issues related to “Yes Men” that still applies today and I used during by short teaching tenure, “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,” whose lead players are excellent. Once upon a time, America produced good films and stage productions that pointed in the correct moral direction.
If Nebenzia had listed all such retainers, the speech would’ve been 20-minutes longer. IMO, the Global Majority understands the main conflict is against Nazism and Exceptionalism as writers from those lands tell us so. The link with Colonialism is explicit as it is with unilateral hegemony. Global Times published an outstanding editorial that I’ll be posting that spells out the goals of the newly stated Russia-China Strategic Partnership that’s even more focused than those of the past. The ultimate aim is Global Harmony based on the philosophy embodied in the UN Charter—a daunting task to be sure but not impossible.
The good news among all the sorrowful historical facts laid out is that the influence of the western dying Empire(s) is eroding exponentially to the extent the Imperialists are being evicted from their former colonies, their parasitic genocidal endeavours seriously curtailed.
In essence they're scared shitless watching years of pillage and plunder used to stabilise their own institutions at the expense of suppressing, in some cases destroying, weaker nations, is nearing its ugly end.
A good example of this is the French troops eviction from parts of West Africa where they spent decades protecting/aiding the looting of mineral resources. Already bankrupt, France's loss of these wealth-cows is certain to accelerate their economic decline further with the resulting civil unrest within. The British-Euros and Americans-Canadians are seeing similar uprisings against their mineral extraction/mining companies, hastening their demise also.
Hence the desperation, the antagonism, the economic-military war against Russia & China, the main beneficiaries of the rush/push to/for economic freedom.
I'm familiar with the use of slave, or more accurately 'slav' labour by the nazis. The term 'slav', of course, goes back centuries ... and yes, it signified 'slave' then.
Just a reminder to those Corporate fellow-travellers of fascism ... I have to repeat it ...
'We should not forget about the millions of "Ostarbeiters", citizens of the Soviet Union, forcibly deported to Germany. Their slave labor was used by such well-known companies as Daimler-Benz, Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Volkswagen, BMW, Bayer and Hugo Boss. Ordinary Germans did not disdain the use of slave labor either. They applied for these people and came to distribution points, and, in fact, slave markets deployed in Germany in the 20th century.'
Thank you for the quoted material and commentary. Your substack is always worth reading. I just wish it weren't true, but unfortunately is. My "loss of confidence" in so-called "American exceptionalism" began in 1992. I was working in HQ Centag/HQ USAREUR. We recommended mission complete, return USAREUR forces to the US. Albright and Wolfewitz (sp) vetoed that plan. I was in Hungary (V corps HQ forward) when we broke up Jugoslavia and bombed Serbia. The final blow was when we lied about WMD and ended up killing a couple of million Iraqis over their oil. Now, I get my "truths" from substack and non-MSM news sources. The internet gives access, but, you still have to "kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince/princess".
"that will not be an easy task given the resistance that will come from those believing in their exceptionalism" - I would add that resistance will also come from those who have experienced the perfidious actions of the West and will always, understandably, see them as a threat.
That would be my mindset in their place; as many have pointed out, once trust is destroyed it's almost impossible to restore it. Much can be resolved between honest brokers but for too many people straight dealing, meaning what you say and matching actions to words seems to have become quaint artifacts of a bygone age. Leo Strauss's idea of the "noble lie" seems to have replaced it and we see this with the neocons and the zionists.
Yes, the “noble lie” and the “just war” and turning usury into interest—all products of “schoolmen.”
And of using flowery words to describe that which reeks.
Leo Strauss was repeating Kol Nidre dictum in a truncated version.
Thank you, I had recently come across that term but hadn't explored it further. This from Wikipedia:
"Its name is taken from its opening words, which mean "all vows". The formula, depending on rite, either proactively annuls any personal or religious oaths or prohibitions which are made between oneself and God in the course of the next year, so as to preemptively avoid the sin of breaking vows which are made to God but are not or cannot be upheld, or annuls any vows taken in the preceding year."
This contrasts with what I've always understood about Quakers' refusal to swear oaths in court or legal proceedings: they believed that their every word was a vow to God and singling out some occasions to aver this was directly contrary to that belief.
What's especially interesting to me is the contradiction: that such a deception would ever pass muster with an all-powerful God. It implies that their God is either weaker than claimed or as deceptive as they are and therefore unworthy of any claim to righteousness.
And thus the problems with all exceptional beings. Some may be “gifted” with better abilities, but that doesn’t make them exceptional since many others are similarly “gifted.”And so on. IMO, what’s Exceptional is Life.
And what's missing from the Exceptionalists is humility. I don't consider myself particularly religious but I absolutely believe in the truth of the Proverb that pride goeth before destruction, an haughty spirit before the fall. I think some of the setbacks I've experienced in my own life can be attributed to having forgotten this simple truth but console myself with the thought that at least I didn't harm anyone but myself.
For some reason the following was deleted by b from today's main MoA thread. Perhaps too harsh about Nazis since MoA is located in Germany:
Newbie | May 12 2025 20:40 utc | 107--
You're correct to a degree in saying the SMO wasn't about territory. As announced, it was/is about demilitarizing and denizifying Ukraine AND attaining a security agreement satisfactory to Russia. The NATO Nazis played directly into the SMO's goals as a great portion of the NATO Nazi armed forces and weapons are now gone, but the Nazis haven't been visited with very much damage and clearly remain the primary backers of Zelensky and his clique. What's more is they move about unhindered globally unlike German Nazis during WW2. Fascism as a form of political-economy is one thing while Nazism is totally different as it preaches Exceptionalism and that doesn't qualify as freedom of speech or freedom of ideas. Nazism utterly contradicts the UN Charter's philosophy and aside from its practitioners was/is recognized universally as the evil it was at the time and remains.
IMO, my comment is too important to allow it to waste away unread. It appears a number of comments were erased, including the one to which I replied.
As Putin pointed out in your post from yesterday about leaders like Fico being subjected to intimidation for attending the May 9th celebration: "And who tried to intimidate them? Those who stand to attention in front of and salute and applaud former SS soldiers? And elevates to the rank of national heroes those who collaborated with Hitler during the Second World War?"
Everything the EU/NATO does just proves how justified Russia was in launching the SMO. They exhibit the same exceptionalist attitudes that the Nazis did; maybe they have little swastikas emblazoned on their underwear. The topper is the demand by Macron, Starmer, Merz and Trump (via video) that Russia accept an unconditional ceasefire. Russia, the side that's winning. These clowns are proof that we've truly entered Bizarro World. One wonders what else the the 3 stooges were up to in Kiev with cokehead Zelensky because this demand of theirs sure does sound like cocaine-induced delusion.
Dismaying that your important and eloquent comment was removed. Thank you for reposting it here.
Thanks again for giving us the opportunity to read or listen to these outstanding words of historical facts. I've mentioned before many times actually. I suppose it's because it makes me do proud. That my both Grand fathers fought the Nazi's. I'm not ashamed to admit it, that I have a burning hatred of fascism. In fact I'm very proud of feeling that way. Maybe that's a big reason I have such an admiration for what the Red Army achieved against Hitler best trained & equipped forces. While suffering untold hardship, something we can't comprehend today. I risk an ever increasing chance of being visited by the modern day brown shirts with my outspoken but factual rants against my own traitorous government. Simply put, they're that far down the road of becoming modern day Nazi's. Not a single one of them would dare debate me in public. They'd do what all facist rulers do. Imprison those who dare to speak out against their extremist agendas. Gladly the population in im my country are growing wiser by the day. Despite the most censored & propagandused media in the Western World. Being crammed down their throats 24/7 for year after year. It's for this reason the words spoken at the UN by the Russian representative, are so important today. They're needed more now than they've ever been.
People are often surprised when they discover so many share their POV. The vast number of decent humans greatly outnumber the indecent but because of their pacifism find confrontation difficult, often because they think they’re alone or too few. IMO, that’s a form of anomie that must be overcome if decency is to prevail.
Totally agree Karl, Ive always never been afraid to say what I believe is the morally correct position to take. To my detriment on many occasions. It's withheld me in my career over the years. I'm now not far from retirement. I can honestly say I do not regret anything that I've said to those in higher positions than myself. As a result now in my later years. I tend to be more often than not. More qualified than most in positions above myself. But I'm very happy & I can sleep at night with a clear concience
Long ago a film was made about the moral issues related to “Yes Men” that still applies today and I used during by short teaching tenure, “The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,” whose lead players are excellent. Once upon a time, America produced good films and stage productions that pointed in the correct moral direction.
Hitler enjoyed the sympathy and support of a number of members of the British royal family,
Left out Amerika, Prescott Bush was a supporter as was many other elites.
Thanks K
If Nebenzia had listed all such retainers, the speech would’ve been 20-minutes longer. IMO, the Global Majority understands the main conflict is against Nazism and Exceptionalism as writers from those lands tell us so. The link with Colonialism is explicit as it is with unilateral hegemony. Global Times published an outstanding editorial that I’ll be posting that spells out the goals of the newly stated Russia-China Strategic Partnership that’s even more focused than those of the past. The ultimate aim is Global Harmony based on the philosophy embodied in the UN Charter—a daunting task to be sure but not impossible.
Oh look, beachfront properties, location Middle-East, overlooking Israeli machine-gun dugouts.
Contact - Kush'n'Bibi Dachas
All our properties have bulletproof windows
Previous residents need not apply
The good news among all the sorrowful historical facts laid out is that the influence of the western dying Empire(s) is eroding exponentially to the extent the Imperialists are being evicted from their former colonies, their parasitic genocidal endeavours seriously curtailed.
In essence they're scared shitless watching years of pillage and plunder used to stabilise their own institutions at the expense of suppressing, in some cases destroying, weaker nations, is nearing its ugly end.
A good example of this is the French troops eviction from parts of West Africa where they spent decades protecting/aiding the looting of mineral resources. Already bankrupt, France's loss of these wealth-cows is certain to accelerate their economic decline further with the resulting civil unrest within. The British-Euros and Americans-Canadians are seeing similar uprisings against their mineral extraction/mining companies, hastening their demise also.
Hence the desperation, the antagonism, the economic-military war against Russia & China, the main beneficiaries of the rush/push to/for economic freedom.
Excellent, thank you.
Telling it as it was....
I'm familiar with the use of slave, or more accurately 'slav' labour by the nazis. The term 'slav', of course, goes back centuries ... and yes, it signified 'slave' then.
Just a reminder to those Corporate fellow-travellers of fascism ... I have to repeat it ...
'We should not forget about the millions of "Ostarbeiters", citizens of the Soviet Union, forcibly deported to Germany. Their slave labor was used by such well-known companies as Daimler-Benz, Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Volkswagen, BMW, Bayer and Hugo Boss. Ordinary Germans did not disdain the use of slave labor either. They applied for these people and came to distribution points, and, in fact, slave markets deployed in Germany in the 20th century.'