Thank you -- in the US the situation might be even worse than in France. "Russia-gate" is more than just a political ploy against Trump by the DNC that distracted the media from reporting the innumerable horrible things Trump was actually doing for four years.
Russia-gate hoax is a new term for (and the continuation of) "McCarthyism" which began immediately after WWII and is currently fueling our unilateral incredibly dangerous cold wars with both China and Russia. Blaming Russia for everything that’s wrong in the US is absurd on its face, yet like a cancer this narrative has invaded every cell of the so-called liberal media and is ever-increasing since the Obama-Biden-Hillary lying team is back in full power (note Kamala is Hillary's protégé).
Politically it derailed both the Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard campaigns and gave Americans what was close to a “single choice menu” in the 2020 election.
The Iraq War clearly revealed that our top military & intelligence officials are engaged in a disinformation campaign aimed at American citizens in service of fabricating enemies to increase their funding and justify our "interventionist" wars. During the 2020 presidential campaign Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Dr. Jill Stein were accused by no less than Hillary Clinton as “Russian assets”. When Clinton asked if she meant this literally she replied, “absolutely”. Clinton’s remarks were so wildly absurd and vicious that her political standing and reputation should have been forever damaged, however this didn’t happen -- the massive War party was behind Hillary (and now Biden).
Given the fact that the US has surrounded Russia's southern borders with nuclear missiles, whatever feeling Russia now has towards the US is more than understandable. Everything Dwight Eisenhower warned the public in his famous farewell address has occurred and -- "progressive" neoliberals don't care. Arms industry is immensely profitable for ALL players involved.
“Russia-gate” is FAR MORE dangerous to American democracy than is Russia.
Left still unexplored is the huge role of UK in concocting the Russia-gate hoax, including Scripal and Navalny "poisonings" and US+UK fabrications of OPCW reports on Syria -- fully exposed by top experts at OPCW. Note how, in desperation, DNC/CIA handlers instructed e.g., TYT's despicable Cenk & Ana to go on maximal / unhinged attack on the Gray-zone high-integrity team and, especially on Aaron Mate
No - it will continue and amplify. Remember big trials are coming (for 2022 elections) of "armed insurrection" (no arms were confiscated) at Capitol riot -- all instigated by - Russia. The lying and incredibly corrupt team doesn't have an exit...
Remember:
The “Russia-gate” hoax is FAR MORE dangerous to American democracy than Russia will ever be. And arms industry is VERY profitable -- for all players involved
One more difference: the “liberals” supported the Generals here and lined up behind their opposition to withdrawal while I doubt that this was so in France. The liberal support for the CIA and the defense “grown ups” is one of sad consequences of the Trump era.
Perhaps, in April 1961, the Generals/Army were “saving the nation from itself…”
Today why would the Army is pure and autonomous? There has been a rising unrest growing in France: both against the centrist austerity measures and from the far-right.
What’s to say the army would keep autonomy? Does anyone believe that?
Your reference to the movie makes the lead photo all the more relevant as both de Gaulle and JFK did indeed have problems with dangerous renegade generals. (Thanks for introducing me to a new word.)
That struck me as well. There's really only two things I think are missing from Mr. Carden's post. Sparta and the Praetorian Guard. Sparta is a fine example of what happens when the military takes over. They had probably the finest military force in the ancient world (European anyway). But what happened to them? They faded into pecuniary irrelevance because the whole of the state was focused on the military which was consuming most of the efforts and cash of the state.
The Praetorian Guard was the ultimate arbiter of who would become emperor of Rome in the later empire. And we saw that beginning at least in the 2016 election if not before. Only it wasn't the military. It was our alphabet soup of clandestine spook and covert action organizations plus our secret police (you may know them as the FBI). No matter. Gibbon describes the actions of the guard in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. You'll recognize them.
At the end of the day, I think the framers of our constitution were well aware of the risks of having military men in key civilian positions of the government. I think that's a major part of our problem now.
Yeesss. A Spartiate was a full citizen which you could get to be by being descended from one of the original Spartans (and there were a few exceptions to this) AND you had to successfully complete the (apparently) expensive and difficult education called the Agoge. However comma that's not why I said faded into pecuniary irrelevance. Spartiates were forbidden from trade or manufacturing so what you had was the wealthy of Sparta (which, like the US, was an oligarchy) couldn't use their wealth in trade or manufacturing. Not a really wise approach.
Thank you -- in the US the situation might be even worse than in France. "Russia-gate" is more than just a political ploy against Trump by the DNC that distracted the media from reporting the innumerable horrible things Trump was actually doing for four years.
Russia-gate hoax is a new term for (and the continuation of) "McCarthyism" which began immediately after WWII and is currently fueling our unilateral incredibly dangerous cold wars with both China and Russia. Blaming Russia for everything that’s wrong in the US is absurd on its face, yet like a cancer this narrative has invaded every cell of the so-called liberal media and is ever-increasing since the Obama-Biden-Hillary lying team is back in full power (note Kamala is Hillary's protégé).
Politically it derailed both the Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard campaigns and gave Americans what was close to a “single choice menu” in the 2020 election.
The Iraq War clearly revealed that our top military & intelligence officials are engaged in a disinformation campaign aimed at American citizens in service of fabricating enemies to increase their funding and justify our "interventionist" wars. During the 2020 presidential campaign Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard and Dr. Jill Stein were accused by no less than Hillary Clinton as “Russian assets”. When Clinton asked if she meant this literally she replied, “absolutely”. Clinton’s remarks were so wildly absurd and vicious that her political standing and reputation should have been forever damaged, however this didn’t happen -- the massive War party was behind Hillary (and now Biden).
Given the fact that the US has surrounded Russia's southern borders with nuclear missiles, whatever feeling Russia now has towards the US is more than understandable. Everything Dwight Eisenhower warned the public in his famous farewell address has occurred and -- "progressive" neoliberals don't care. Arms industry is immensely profitable for ALL players involved.
“Russia-gate” is FAR MORE dangerous to American democracy than is Russia.
Left still unexplored is the huge role of UK in concocting the Russia-gate hoax, including Scripal and Navalny "poisonings" and US+UK fabrications of OPCW reports on Syria -- fully exposed by top experts at OPCW. Note how, in desperation, DNC/CIA handlers instructed e.g., TYT's despicable Cenk & Ana to go on maximal / unhinged attack on the Gray-zone high-integrity team and, especially on Aaron Mate
Looks like the Russia-gate hoax outlived its usefulness, so time to slowly drop it. Matt Taibbi is picking up the right signals: https://taibbi.substack.com/p/has-the-medias-russiagate-reckoning
Probably it will be replaced by "China covered Wuhan lab-leak" hysteria.
No - it will continue and amplify. Remember big trials are coming (for 2022 elections) of "armed insurrection" (no arms were confiscated) at Capitol riot -- all instigated by - Russia. The lying and incredibly corrupt team doesn't have an exit...
Remember:
The “Russia-gate” hoax is FAR MORE dangerous to American democracy than Russia will ever be. And arms industry is VERY profitable -- for all players involved
Thats a good point. I believe the first "generals letter" did sympathetically address the Yellow Vests movement. Thanks for reading and writing in. jc
One more difference: the “liberals” supported the Generals here and lined up behind their opposition to withdrawal while I doubt that this was so in France. The liberal support for the CIA and the defense “grown ups” is one of sad consequences of the Trump era.
Perhaps, in April 1961, the Generals/Army were “saving the nation from itself…”
Today why would the Army is pure and autonomous? There has been a rising unrest growing in France: both against the centrist austerity measures and from the far-right.
What’s to say the army would keep autonomy? Does anyone believe that?
Nice peroration. I have four words for you.
Seven Days in May
Your reference to the movie makes the lead photo all the more relevant as both de Gaulle and JFK did indeed have problems with dangerous renegade generals. (Thanks for introducing me to a new word.)
That struck me as well. There's really only two things I think are missing from Mr. Carden's post. Sparta and the Praetorian Guard. Sparta is a fine example of what happens when the military takes over. They had probably the finest military force in the ancient world (European anyway). But what happened to them? They faded into pecuniary irrelevance because the whole of the state was focused on the military which was consuming most of the efforts and cash of the state.
The Praetorian Guard was the ultimate arbiter of who would become emperor of Rome in the later empire. And we saw that beginning at least in the 2016 election if not before. Only it wasn't the military. It was our alphabet soup of clandestine spook and covert action organizations plus our secret police (you may know them as the FBI). No matter. Gibbon describes the actions of the guard in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. You'll recognize them.
At the end of the day, I think the framers of our constitution were well aware of the risks of having military men in key civilian positions of the government. I think that's a major part of our problem now.
I thought the other part of Sparta's problem was that the Spartiates were a hereditary caste and they weren't reproducing in sufficient numbers.
Yeesss. A Spartiate was a full citizen which you could get to be by being descended from one of the original Spartans (and there were a few exceptions to this) AND you had to successfully complete the (apparently) expensive and difficult education called the Agoge. However comma that's not why I said faded into pecuniary irrelevance. Spartiates were forbidden from trade or manufacturing so what you had was the wealthy of Sparta (which, like the US, was an oligarchy) couldn't use their wealth in trade or manufacturing. Not a really wise approach.
IIRC, Sparta's problem wasn't so much a lack of dough as a lack of dudes.
There was that. See the revolt of the Heliots.
Remember the Yellow Vests?
France's fundamental problem is not Islamicists vs. France. It is the elites vs. everyone else.