WHEN OLIGARCHS FIGHT
First oligarchs can be defined as such, rather than in the gently pandering Western phraseology. Crack down on the general public along with indulgence of hierarchy is embarrassingly Western.
Tax oligarchs. Sign the petition if you wish—https://act.demandprogress.org/sign/tax-the-rich-bezos/?t=1&referring_akid=28927.2565437.iKvTv0 –How do you know someone has too much money? When they can legitimately threaten a city to remove an historic bridge so their mega-yacht can reach the sea.Jeff Bezos’s new yacht is so large that the Dutch city of Rotterdam was considering partially dismantling an historic bridge and national monument to accommodate it. –end of demandprogress info–
Capitalism works effectively in its capacity of hierarchical pandering devoid of competition. We are watching this in the war of oligarchs as those at the top are vying for supremacy. An example? ……U. S., Russia, and the Ukraine.
https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/antitrust-cops-handcuffs-are-coming?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyMTU0NTE0LCJfIjoiK0tpOG4iLCJpYXQiOjE2NDY0MzA2NjAsImV4cCI6MTY0NjQzNDI2MCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTExNTI0Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.X9UcaBVZknUOi46Wr3CVGTzLHCr_g4aeAn_Qr09qMzE&s=r –Right now, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are being sued for antitrust violations, with substantial amounts of evidence put forward by regulators, Congress, and policymakers that these firms harm small business and consumers. Dominant firms today take laws as mere suggestions; Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg might have engaged in insider trading and fraud, and Google’s Sundar Pichai seems to have facilitated price-fixing over ad markets. And yet, these men, and their firms are unchastened.–end of mattstoller info–
Free Trade, in contrast, wouldn’t promote such trade agreements as TPP, attempted fast-tracked by past Presidential Administrations in which Joe Biden simmered, and which trade agreement included language violating local-community human and environmental rights by multi-national corporations.
The USA is not behind in jailing those they find to be “the other” while the well-heeled are not troubled by even laws that challenge some of their criminal activities. In other words, the lower classes are subjected to laws to monitor annoying behavior while no laws are enacted to challenge actual criminality by the upper classes. And yes, the USA functions in 2022 according to class distinction. Costs are borne by those who don’t display favorably to Establishment. PETITION—-Sign if you wish—-https://action.aclu.org/send-message/stop-criminalizing-poverty –Many of the wealthiest New Yorkers pay very little in taxes. Meanwhile, our state puts the onus of funding the legal system and other government services on the backs of our poorest residents.Across the state, courts rely on revenue from mandatory fees and fines imposed on criminal defendants and those with traffic violations. Courts charge up to $300 for every conviction, even for minor offenses. There’s no way to have these mandatory court fees excused, so those who can’t afford to pay them are forced to carry hundreds or even thousands of dollars in debt for life.–end of aclu info–
The following link was an excellent discussion with Ryan Evans with whom one doesn’t entirely agree while recognizing well-thought-out information and perspective backed by experience.The topic of seeming reluctance of many Russian soldiers to participate in a war against Ukraine isn’t surprising if the history of Russia was known. It is said that the Russian Revolution began when the military decided to join with the general public and ignore the orders of hierarchy. The military apparently had recognized relationship to the general public over hierarchy. This was the backdrop for ridding of privileged and ignorant leadership by throwing Tsar Nikolai down a well. As is ubiquitous, the pain and drudgery of lives of the general public stems from hierarchical Establishment. This is not restricted to Russia.https://www.c-span.org/video/?518205-5/washington-journal-ryan-evans-discusses-russian-invasion-ukraine — MARCH 5, 2022 | PART OF WASHINGTON JOURNAL 03/05/2022
Washington Journal
Ryan Evans Discusses the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
“War on the Rocks” host Ryan Evans discusses the Russian invasion of Ukraine and his podcast on strategy, defense, and foreign affairs–end of c-span info–
The USA is sending unprecedented amounts of funding to the Pentagon which would be fine if the Pentagon was actually addressing our hugest national security risk rather than lining the pockets of global oligarchs. For those wondering what our national security risk is, one suggests Climate Change—–https://countercurrents.org/2022/03/climate-breakdown-2/ –The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change –IPCC- has issued its direst warning of all-time: “Climate breakdown is accelerating rapidly.” Additionally, they readily admit to overly conservative predictions: “Many impacts will be more severe than originally predicted.” (Source: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Working Group II Sixth Assessment Report, 2022)The crowning blow of this heavy-hitting report is a chilling statement: “There is only a narrow chance left of avoiding its worst ravages.”–end of countercurrents info–Recall the oligarchical wet dream of inhabiting outer space after they have wrung the resources out of Mother Earth, and weep.
Frankly, war is a great distraction by oligarchs behind which they can continue exploitation of people and nature. Could this possibly be a strategy?—-https://popularresistance.org/in-these-days-of-great-tension-peace-is-a-priority/ –It is impossible not to be moved by the outrageousness of warfare, the ugliness of aerial bombardment, the gruesome fears of civilians who are trapped between choices that are not their own. If you read this line and assume I am talking about Ukraine, then you are right, but of course, this is not just about Ukraine. In the same week that Russian forces entered Ukraine, the United States launched airstrikes in Somalia, Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen, and Israel struck Syria and Palestinians in Gaza.–end of popularresistance info–
Received from popularresistance — https://mailchi.mp/popularresistance/x9d0u2sp2d?e=1b0a9c0541 —
People’s Movements Across The World Demand Freedom For Julian Assange
Gwich’in Steering Committee Responds To AIG’s New Policy On Arctic Drilling
US Support For Self-determination In Ukraine Is Political And Conditional
Media Ignore Conflicts Around The World To Focus On Ukraine
Ukraine And The New Al Qaeda
The Reincarnation Of The American Indian
–end of popularresistance info–
As one who spoke out as vociferously against the “war in Iraq” as one does about military action (including NATO imposition around the globe) in 2022, there’s this—https://mronline.org/2022/03/04/its-different-theyre-white/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-different-theyre-white&mc_cid=f7257e2e4c&mc_eid=2833cdb99b –Weeks after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, for example, the chairman of CNN sent a memo to all staff advising them in no uncertain terms to downplay the suffering of Afghans, stating that it “seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan.” Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange went to prison for releasing images of victims of U.S. wars. Yet Russia’s victims are front and center, with media even going so far as to approvinglyreport on Ukrainian civilians making and using Molotov cocktails on Russian forces.This, for Palestinian journalist Mohammed El-Kurd, was a revelation. “It is insanely surreal to realize that mainstream news outlets–and settler politicians alike–possess the linguistic capacity to call occupation by its name. A capacity that is made staggeringly absent in the context of occupied Palestine, often under the guise of objectivity,” he said, adding:‘Hypocrisy’ doesn’t describe this adequately. The appropriate word is psychosis. They live in a parallel universe where Europeans, who take up arms to defend their lands and families, are called resistance fighters but Palestinians doing the same damn thing are ‘terrorists.’ There is a separate set of rules for different people.While racism is clearly a factor in the coverage, it should be remembered that the bombing of Yugoslavia–a white nation comparable to Ukraine–was celebrated, not rejected. This was in large part because it was NATO itself that was the aggressor.–end of mronline info–
Dare one state that white racism is a bromide that too repulsively defends racial outrage in the USA that doesn’t include the entirety of the globe and too often profits from The Military-Industrial Complex and the campaign contributions generated.
To understand even on a minute level, the history and culture of other people would be an excellent beginning to understanding and empathy. What too many people don’t know about cultures around the globe would blow their minds, to use an old phrase. Books are a short cut to this expansive journey.
As one who is Eastern European, one recognizes the responsibility and love for animals that seems to be endemic in these regions, from personal viewpoint—-https://www.facebook.com/sandra.ballew.75/posts/5638089026206069 –The next time you hear someone say “I’m moving and can’t take my pet with me”, show them these photos of Ukrainians fleeing with their pets. –end of facebook info–
In FACT, any presumption that the children should be prioritized may ignore the reality of a culture in which children as actively participate as family members for the care of everyone. It’s a different thing….
———————–We can do better———-