JOHN CHUCKMAN COMMENT: THE EQUALITY OF NATIONS – AMERICA’S FIERCE OPPOSITION TO THE PRINCIPLE – THE CASES OF RUSSIA AND CHINA AND IRAN – I BELIEVE THE CORONAVIRUS-INDUCED DEPRESSION WILL LIKELY BECOME A WATERSHED EVENT TOWARDS MAJOR CHANGES IN THE WORLD – SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT AN AMUSING IMAGE FROM TRUMP’S JULY-THE-FOURTH RALLY AT THE BASE OF MOUNT RUSHMORE, AN IMAGE LOADED WITH THE CONTRADICTIONS OF AMERICAN SOCIETY

John Chuckman


COMMENTS POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY PATRICK LAWRENCE IN CONSORTIUM NEWS


Embracing the Equality of Nations

The decline of the West should come as no surprise, yet the U.S. still wages a ferocious fight against the prospect of equality among nations.



"But it is inarguably the case that the U.S. stands alone in waging so ferocious a fight against the prospect of equality among nations."


I don't agree with all the words of Patrick Lawrence's article, but it contains some fine insights, and that is one of them.

I think of the way Putin in all his talks, speaks of the "partners," and I like that very much. No politician in America would speak that way. Not one.

Russia is an ancient state, roughly a thousand years old, although not nearly as old as the civilizational states of Persia and China, yet America has contempt for them all. And I think “contempt” is the right word.

None of these three states is guilty of any aggression or threat today. They all just want to go about their business, but the United States is determined not to let them. The Russia we see today is a Russia America would have been amazed by had it emerged from communism in the 1960s and allowed enterprises and business to flourish and demonstrated no inclination to threaten anyone, only to defend itself, and with a highly intelligent leader always ready to strike a deal on any matter of concern.

But is America amazed? No, quite the opposite, it is filled with hatreds and takes every opportunity to undermine Russia.

China I regard as one of the miracles of my lifetime. The changes, over, say, fifty years, are stunning. China also threatens no one, and China also is ready to do business with anyone. Even though it is a nuclear power, China keeps a minimal arsenal, about one-twentieth that of the United States so as to not suggest an effort to dominate and just sufficient to ward off a surprise attack. Like Russia, it is developing many defensive weapons, such as powerful anti-ship missiles to protect its huge coast from American armadas. China also has a truly remarkable leader in Xi, its wonderful Silk Road Project being his initiative.

But does America regard China as a miracle and take full advantage to build the strongest and most mutually beneficial connections? No, again now it is the opposite, hostility and resentment, resentment over China’s competitiveness. The former Maoists have proven superior at what were supposed to America’s key abilities, innovating and building things to serve the world. Most well-informed analysts expect China to emerge as the world’s leading economy within not many years.

Iran, since its revolution, has been constantly plagued by the United States, which encouraged the hideous Iraq-Iran War in the 1980s and saw to it that Saddam had enough poison gas weapons to even the odds with Iran’s much larger population. And Saddam used them on tens of thousands. By rights the United States should have been charged with a grave war crime, but it wasn’t, as it never is in its countless aggressions, owing to its financial power and influence. Since then, Iran has simply not been allowed to develop normally. It has been under constant harassment and abuse from the United States, despite the fact that modern Iran has attacked no one. But it has managed by skill and intelligence to develop missiles with pin-point accuracy which make the United States think twice about attacking. Allowed to flourish peacefully, I believe Iran, too, would amaze us.

Why is America so hateful towards Iran? Simply because its size – a population the size of Germany’s - and oil wealth make it the natural hegemon for the region, a position Israel arrogantly regards as its own by virtue of its American connection and armaments. Iran has never threatened Israel, never attacked Israel, and all experts agree that its nuclear program was never about weapons.

In all three cases, it is America which leads the charge. The Europeans go along because they are traditional allies and they are under virtual occupation, but with no great enthusiasm. Again, America’s financial power serves as a club ready to be used against them if they do step out of line.

I do believe that the coronavirus-induced depression is going to become a watershed event towards major change, the United States having shown no leadership of any kind but only making constant demands and threats. It has also lost immense moral authority, having many dark aspects of its society revealed.

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https://consortiumnews.com/2020/07/06/patrick-lawrence-embracing-the-equality-of-nations/

I just love that image selected for the article. It contains so many of America’s contradictions and even reminds me a little of the old Mad Magazine.

There’s the President and his wife, people who are husband in wife in name only according to many witnesses, standing much like the figures on top of an expensive wedding cake.

Both with their showboat Patriotic salutes during the anthem being played, of course, by a military band.

A President who avoided military service during a war through a flimsy excuse and a man whose whole career is built on devious manipulations of taxes and debts and reportedly even the odd bit of help from a Mafia.

An altogether shabby man dressed in extremely expensive clothes, as he always is, with one of his almost laughable red “power neckties.”

His wife of course is wearing an expensive dress, although this one looks to have been selected less for its haute couture than a suggestion of down-hominess, considering the nature of the crowd and the location in the Midwest.

The stage for their performance sits at the base of Mount Rushmore, a monument built on someone else’s land, a Sioux tribe.

Lots and lots of flags.

It does look like a Disneyland tableau.