John Chuckman
COMMENTS – RECENT BITS AND PIECES FROM VARIOUS PUBLICATIONS
The Neocons, an extreme and influential American political faction, have been a deadlier disease even than COVID.
They are responsible for millions of deaths and injuries through the Middle East and tens of millions of refugees. Plus, several well-running societies being turned into chaos.
They are strongly anti-Russian, too, because they view Russia as an obstacle to America's having its way in the world, their fundamental belief being America should use its great military strength to get its way.
Victoria Nuland, to receive a Biden appointment, is an especially nasty representative of the political faction.
Even the classy and gracious Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, once was photographed avoiding shaking her hand.
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Virtually the day before this announcement by American
security services, again suggesting Russia as a source, independent experts
announced that the big “Solar Winds” hack very much did originate in the United
States.
Of course, that independent announcement received little corporate press in the US or Europe.
I would suggest this security-agency announcement, with all its heavy press coverage, was motivated by the independent finding.
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If you study American history in some detail – as I have
over years – you will find remarkably little concern for human rights inside
the country and even less outside the country.
When you read or hear the phrase “human rights” coming from official American sources, it should be a red flag that something else is going on.
That country was founded in slavery, gained its territory by the mass slaughter of Aboriginals, endured countless killings and abuses even after slaves were technically free, a place where lynching was a way of life into the 1930s, had scores of race riots and a number of massacres of Blacks, has police today who kill an average of three citizens every day, has prisons where hundreds disappear every year, has the world’s largest prison population, has some of the world’s most brutal prisons, displayed sizable sympathies for Hitler before WWII with Hitler even keeping a photo of Henry Ford over his desk, had a longstanding set of prejudices against “yellow people,” passed laws against Chinese immigration, sent Japanese-Americans to prison camps during WWII while stealing their property, and has created wars and destruction almost non-stop since WWII.
Words written on a piece of parchment which is kept as a museum display have meant remarkably little.
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What on earth are Canadian Forces wasting time and resources
in Latvia?
But, of course, I forgot, we’re faithfully following American foreign policy.
If Russia really meant to be aggressive in the Baltics, these forces and the Baltic countries would be over run in days. But Russia has no such intention.
Please, modern Russia has attacked no one. It threatens no one. It offers to cooperate with anyone.
The United States, by contrast, has a dozen countries under various forms of threat, and it has been at war, almost continuously, since WWII.
It has ripped up a number of important and hard-won nuclear
treaties recently despite Russia’s pleas not to do so.
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‘This is a time for extreme courage,’ says - “incites” might
be a better word – the man who never once has displayed any.
He leaves office in a suitably ridiculous fashion and having achieved virtually nothing but insulting and hurting a lot of people.
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What a memorable and fitting exit for the worst President in
history.
An absurd man receives an absurd send-off.
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Kim Jong-un may well be right.
Trump's blundering efforts in North Korea, which produced zero results, gave the leadership more exposure in the world press than it has ever had.
Kim, I think, has made a mildly favorable impression on many.
He is always willing to talk. He has a sense of humor. He is dedicated to the purposes of his country.
Meanwhile, the country’s weapons programs have made steady progress.
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Yes, indeed.
Jimmy Carter – former President and nuclear engineer, a true expert on the topic – told us some years ago that Israel had about 90 nuclear warheads plus fissile material for about 60 more.
We also saw in the Sunday Times actual photos of the Israeli bomb-making labs and work places smuggled out by Israeli nuclear technician, Mordechai Vanunu. He was later captured and sent to prison.
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This absurd clown, this obscene bully, Trump, leaves office,
after days of inflammatory language, with his “Proud Boys” storming the United
States Capitol Building, with shooting inside, with five people dead, with both
Houses of Congress first locked-down and then evacuated by emergency means. You
just could not imagine a more fitting end to a truly shabby political career.
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China’s use of large UAVs for weather modification is simply
ingenious. The vehicles can linger in the skies over a region for very long
periods.
And how much more creative than the way the United States uses its fleet of comparable UAVs – for its day-in, day-out systematic extrajudicial killings with Hellfire missiles, killing thousands of people in a number of countries without trial or even legal charges and often killing bystanders.
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This man offers a perfect example of just how confused America’s Right Wing is.
He fights and opposes what he regards as government interference in his own election, but then he completely buys into the lies of that same government concerning Venezuela.
It doesn’t even occur to him that the government of Venezuela – including the current President’s late predecessor – was elected seven times in clean elections with international observers.
It is the very government he opposes that says otherwise, including the absurd man he supports as President in the US.
https://www.rt.com/news/511776-maga-viking-venezuela-freedom/
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"Traitor" is a very strong word, and one with a
specific meaning. Lately, a number of those on America’s Extreme Right have taken
to recklessly abusing it, conflating personal loyalty to Trump with loyalty to
their country.
A person guilty of treason is known as a traitor. The US Constitution gives a very specific definition of what treason is in its “treason clause”.
If you read it, I think you will find breaking with a political associate is not part of the definition.
It is this kind of harsh, thoughtless language which drives the violence of American politics.
Anyone who genuinely cared about his nation would not use it. It is destructive of society.
Trump uses such language, but Trump, always and everywhere, cares only about himself, as he has demonstrated countless times.
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Iran has been treated very unfairly in this.
The destruction of Iran Air Flight 655 by Americans over Iranian territory in 1988 and killing 290 people, saw no punishment for any of the ship's crew.
Indeed, the captain of the American warship responsible was awarded a medal.
No apology was ever given. Eventually, long afterward, some compensation was awarded quietly.
No one who understands the circumstances of the recent case, the accidental downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran, can regard Iran as a truly bad actor.
Iran was under immense pressure from the US after the US murdered General Soleimani, a national hero for his fight against terror. It murdered a number of others in Iraq too over a short period.
People make mistakes when terrorized, as the US terrorized Iran with threats from fighters, bombers, cruise missiles, and an armada of ships.
Iran has apologized and has now offered compensation. Remember, this is not a rich country, and the US has had it under severe illegal sanctions for years. It cannot even buy medicines thanks to Trump.
The government of the United States surely has the major responsibility for the crash.
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China’s “Global Times” online today offers an article with
an excellent selection of contrasting quotes and photos to make a powerful
point about the attitudes of American leaders.
But, truly, how can you not exude hypocrisy when you run a brutal global empire while claiming to be a democracy concerned with human rights?
Contemporary America is, in fact, a plutocracy with democratic window-dressing running an empire to enrich itself.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202101/1212080.shtml
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I have not watched the video. I never watch such videos.
Of course, it was wrong to kill the woman. Those responsible should be charged.
But, sadly, that is what so many American police do regularly, shoot people. They kill an average of three citizens each day with many more injured.
Indicative of just how intense this whole post-election mania has been, it is reliably reported that the woman’s last TWEET was, “Nothing will stop us.”
That is the kind of 1930s street-fighting politics Trump has encouraged, and he takes no responsibility at all for what he has done. He resembles a man who walked through a tinder-dry forest, tossing matches as he went, afterwards recognizing no connection with the ensuing wildfires.
He is reliably reported to have asked his staff to research his granting himself a pardon before he leaves office – a terrible precedent because he faces all kinds of legal action – civil, criminal, and taxes – once he leaves office. I view the power of granting pardons as just one of many flaws in the American Constitution. It has encouraged almost nothing but a long record of corruption and shame by both parties. The Justice Department has said in the past this is not possible because you cannot be both judge and defendant, but who knows what scheme Trump might come up with?
By the way, if you glance at some Extreme Right news sources online, you’ll see the idea promoted that they were provocateurs from the Left who assaulted the Capitol Building. A good measure of just how twisted American politics have become.
