Hillary Clinton is American, owned by financial interests to whom she is completely in thrall, a rabid neo-conservative warmonger, completely uncritical of Israel and focused for any claim to be progressive entirely on identity politics. Which is also a precise description of today’s Guardian newspaper. The once august and intellectual title is now a shrill cheerleader for far right Blairites and wealthy American feminists.
The Guardian is as unabashed in its support for Clinton as in its support for the Blairites. The stream of “feminist” articles about why it would advance the cause of women to have a deeply corrupt right winger in the White House is steadily growing into a torrent. It is a perfect example of what I wrote of a month ago, the cause of feminism being hijacked to neo-conservative ends.
Bernie Sanders is not perfect – nobody is. But he understands that obscene and still burgeoning wealth inequality is the greatest problem of western society, and that the state framework supporting crazed banking structures is the root cause of this. The support for him is a sign of the inevitable popular reaction to the extreme inequality of society. Sanders is channelling that reaction effectively.
The establishment therefore circles its wagons around Hillary Clinton. The hope is that women can be persuaded it is an act of misogyny simply to stand in her way. The other great establishment hope is that the Democrat party machinery is so strong in black communities, that black Americans can be in effect ordered to vote for a woman who epitomises the system which disadvantages them, rather than an apostle of genuine change in the economic order. I retain hope the establishment may find that black Americans are cleverer than that.
The machinery used to manipulate identity politics – racial and gender – is all that Clinton has. If Clinton beats Sanders, it will be the perfect demonstration of the fact that identity politics has become the enemy of progress in society.
In the field of identity, Bernie Sanders would be the first non-Christian President of the United States. Would that not be wonderful in a country whose politicians feel the need to genuflect to swarms of religious evolution-denying nutters who believe foreign wars are good because they presage the Rapture?
And would it not be great if the first President since Carter not in thrall to Israel were Jewish?
@Kempe,
Will the USA, UK, France, Turkey and House of Saud come to Hong Kong’s assistance, given the majority want a real democracy, which is denied us by Beijing.
Further, should we not look at Turkey and what its mad leader is up to?
As stated, its horses for courses, but in the case of Hong Kong the Yanks and British would not lift a finger, something to no with the Chinese having nukes and a competent military – any war with China, as with Russia, will lead to armageddon, is this really what you want at the end of the day?
Further, was it not Western-backed NGO’s, as with the case in the Ukraine causing trouble, and indeed Libya, many backed by one George Soro’s!!!!
Essential truth; a prerequisite to understanding the treachery in Syria:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvq0JmzqR_8
I made comment only regarding the elections and non-eections in Syria. I fail to see what relevance Turkey or Hong Kong or any failings in our own system have here.
Chris Rogers (are you the reporter Chris Rogers by any chance?) I can see the analogy in your link. He is probably right that cognitive dissonance can be an ailment of governments as well as individuals, and the classic symptoms of denial, lying to yourself, blaming others and thinking things are better than they are can be seen on an wholesale scale in US briefings.
@Anon1 13 Feb, 2016 – 9:47 am
‘Macky
I would also venture to suggest that you agree with more than just one of the UKIP’S positions. It can be hard coming to terms with that. Why not pick up the phone and let one of the charming UKIP girls guide you through the membership process?’
Do they make house visits?
BBC focuses on BAFTAS when Syria apparently slips into something more serious. Even Sky appears radical by contrast.
John,
There are several Chris Roger’s in Asia alone, and a few are indeed in Journalism, whilst I am published and have written on IT/Telecoms issues, I’m actually on the publishing and events side with a focus on financial services. I’d like to say business is going well, but without a benefactor like Soro’s, this is not the case. Regrettably times are tough, regardless of the hard work I’ve undertaken over 12 years – must keep my pecker up though as depression gets me no where, hence keeping myself busy blogging until I can fathom what the hell to do, which ain’t easy at 50!!!!!!
Kempe, if there are no other candidates and an election goes ahead with one candidate, Assad could still have been voted out. There were votes against Assad in 2007 (nearly 20,000) with a turnout of above 90% of the voting populace. Whether Assad is a dictator is hard to determine. He has introduced reforms but claims the establishment has prevented him from introducing more. When I have heard him speak (his English is good) he has sounded fair.
Kempe; “I made comment only regarding the elections and non-eections in Syria”
Still waiting for you to say something about the 10 million Syrians who defied the head-choppers & other such “moderates”, and voted for Assad.
@Kempe,
You claimed that Assad effectively is a dictator and that people have not had a choice of who to vote for in Syria – despite elections taking place, elections anywhere that can be rigged. Shall we just look at Florida in November 2000? Will you apply the same reasoning to George W Bush?
As stated, Turkey allegedly has elections, it does not have a free press, nor for that matter does much of the West anymore.
Again, Hong Kong’s chief executive (leader) is chosen by Beijing, in order to stand in Hong kong you must abide by set of criteria imposed by Beijing, and then an electoral college, and not the people get to decide who runs the Territory-. It ain’t democracy but the legitimate government of Hong Kong is chosen that way and its authority is recognised globally – but obviously none of this has anything to do with your critique of Assad an alleged lack of true democracy. I take it you favour regime then if you are that opposed/offended by the bloke, the same bloke the Sunday Times used to wax lyrically about. Well just fancy that!!!!!
Chris, I hope things pick up for you. The last time I was in Hong Kong (1990) it was probably a different place. I stayed at Discovery Bay on Lantau Island (nice golf course). The airport was on mainland Hong Kong then and that flight over the rooftops was pretty hairy! 😀
Hope things pick up for you. It does get tougher as we get older. When the dollar pops its clogs we, or those if any left alive, need to make sure that those who fleeced the world are never allowed to get to the top again. Any suggestions as to what could be done with them. (RobG we know yours). An island somewhere not too close to land would be my suggestion so they can see who can accumulate the most nuts. How long before theyr’e stealing from one another?
John,
I know Disco Bay and the old flight path you are referring too – it was hair raising.
Things have changed greatly since 1990 and you’d be in for a shock. That said i reside on a small Island and don’t get out much anymore due to the Internet and modern communications, most of the stuff I do can be undertaken from home, so really only need to fly to my venues when I pull stuff off. But past 18 months have been a disaster financially and me and the family are suffering I’m ashamed to say.
As for what to do about those that cause the mess, we’ll look at my posts, as stated I’m no liberal and aghast at what’s been happening and what ‘we the people’ allow to happen. Indeed I’d be s blind myself if it were not for sites like this that allow uncensored dialogue and an exchange of ideas.
The usual idiots are back lying for their cause again with all this Assad was democratically elected garbage, just so they can justify the invite to Putin to come and bomb away for his rescue. The same garbage was of course used to justify the invitations to do similar deeds in Prague, Budapest and Warsaw.
Remember how they kept the lies going on Katyn for many years – and still some do.
Remember how they kept the lies going on the Holodomor for so many years (despite comtemperaneous accounts such as these http://www.garethjones.org/soviet_articles/soviet_and_the_peasantry_2.htm
And of course they still carry on lying.
Remember how they lie about MH17 ( I still don’t think we have an answer to the recent claim as to how the Dutch all now accept MH17 was shot down by a Ukrainian fighter)
Remember how they lied about Russian troops and hardware being involved in Eastern Ukraine – a claim that even their masters no longer seriously make.
Remember their lies about their Rothschilds, 9/11 etc. etc.
I’m afraid lying for the cause is what they have always done, what they are still doing and will continue to do in the future. Since they like a bit of doggerel, I though they might just enjoy the following!
Matilda told such Dreadful Lies,
It made one Gasp and Stretch one’s Eyes;
Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,
Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth,
Attempted to Believe Matilda:
The effort very nearly killed her,
And would have done so, had not She
Discovered this Infirmity.
For once, towards the Close of Day,
Matilda, growing tired of play,
And finding she was left alone,
Went tiptoe to the Telephone
And summoned the Immediate Aid
Of London’s Noble Fire-Brigade.
Within an hour the Gallant Band
Were pouring in on every hand,
From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow.
With Courage high and Hearts a-glow,
They galloped, roaring through the Town,
‘Matilda’s House is Burning Down! ‘
Inspired by British Cheers and Loud
Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,
They ran their ladders through a score
Of windows on the Ball Room Floor;
And took Peculiar Pains to Souse
The Pictures up and down the House,
Until Matilda’s Aunt succeeded
In showing them they were not needed;
And even then she had to pay
To get the Men to go away,
It happened that a few Weeks later
Her Aunt was off to the Theatre
To see that Interesting Play
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.
She had refused to take her Niece
To hear this Entertaining Piece:
A Deprivation Just and Wise
To Punish her for Telling Lies.
That Night a Fire did break out-
You should have heard Matilda Shout!
You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To People passing in the Street-
(The rapidly increasing Heat
Encouraging her to obtain
Their confidence) – but all in vain!
For every time she shouted ‘Fire! ‘
They only answered ‘Little Liar! ‘
And therefore when her Aunt returned,
Matilda, and the House, were Burned.
And isn’t it just blatant racism to believe that all Syrians are either for Assad or the “hand choppers” and incapable of wanting something better than either alternative. As we found out when the Soviet Empire collapsed there were rate a lot of decent people who were not too keen on their rulers – even though they too voted in elections with turnouts near and above 100% and who didn’t organise themselves into militias.
“I made comment only regarding the elections and non-eections in Syria. I fail to see what relevance Turkey or Hong Kong or any failings in our own system have here.”
You would be right were it not for the fact that the US, the NATO satellite system and Israel ( to say nothing of the Gulf tyrannies) are all deeply committed to ‘regime change’ in Syria.
It matters not at all to any of them whether Syria is a democracy, a monarchy or a constitutional oligarchy- they are perfectly content with Saudi Arabia’s internal arrangements and indeed those of Jordan or Egypt where Assad’s relatively mild regime would be welcomed as a breath of fresh air and liberty.
But Obama, Clinton etc (not to mention Kempe himself) seems to think that public opinion is so unenlightened and sheep like that all that is necessary before visiting Al Qaeda, ISIS and their even more corrupt auxiliaries (the ‘moderates’) on a population is to claim that the government being attacked-largely through terror attacks on civilian bystanders- is undemocratic.
There are exceptions, of course. In Yemen the current ‘President’- a friend of the USA- ‘won’ an election is which his name was the only one on the ballot. The recently retired President of Haiti failed to make it to the run off election until Hillary intervened and bounced the second place finisher in order to ensure that Bill’s friend (and Duvalier’s heir) Martelly was elected. And that is not to mention that the mass party Lavellas- founded by Aristide- was banned from running in that election and is still not allowed to put up candidates.
The reality is that one has to be close to comatose not to see the significance of the fact that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have financed and armed the bulk of Assad’s opponents while the media in the west has concerned itself with examining the detail of Assad’s mandate while completely disregarding that the militias vying to replace him regard democracy or even citizen participation in government as heresies punishable by death- and their are severed heads all over Syria to prove it.
Syrian Kurds currently under attack from western backed Turkey (NATO).
https://www.facebook.com/ReeceHardingNews/videos/1140009869365915/?
“When the dollar pops its clogs we, or those if any left alive, need to make sure that those who fleeced the world are never allowed to get to the top again.”
Talking of currency popping their clogs
http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=USD&to=RUB&view=10Y
“And isn’t it just blatant racism to believe that all Syrians are either for Assad or the “hand choppers” and incapable of wanting something better than either alternative. ‘
Ughh, no it isn’t.
But it is fairly blatant racism to attack Syria, to terrorise its people and to drive millions of refugees into exile on the curious grounds that they might prefer another government. Indeed they might, and so might you and the rest of the UKs citizenry but that would be no justification for arming mercenary gangs to invade your land, shell your cities and terrorise the inhabitants of captured regions into obeying wahhabi rules.
Or would it be OK, if Cameron’s culling of the electoral register and gerrymandering of constituency boundaries; his cutting of financial support for the Opposition and his flagrant corruption in rewarding Tory contributors (hello there Google!) with sweetheart taxbreaks, were found to be prejudicial to fair elections, to ask Al Qaeda to force a rethink in Westminster?
Of course what Turkey is doing to the Kurds is totally reprehensible – but of course when Saddam was gassing and bombing them, or when Assad was attacking them (all with Russian/Soviet weapons) did we hear a scintilla of protest from those now complaining. If you want to read a true and consistent supporter of the Kurds, I would recommend Christopher Hitchens and not these opportunist turds.
@Resident Dissident
‘Piss Off Troll’ I believe is the correct way to show one’s contempt of your clap trap on these boards.
Please do correct me if I’m wrong?
Bevin
Look at the facts – Assad was creating millions of refugees well before the “mercenaries” got involved in any substantial numbers – in fact at the time when I was pointing it out you and your ilk were denying the UNRWA’s numbers, attacking doctors who were providing humanitarian assistance – the record is here on this blog. As always you are lying just to provide cover to your man Assad and his master – your log did it in 1956. 1968 and on numerous other occasions.
This site was brought down earlier today due to a story it was working on regarding the swine flu virus acquired by Turkey from Georgia. Turkey threatening to close the Bosporus. The real nasty Saudis joinging them and may be about to becme sacrificial lambs instead of executioners. The House of Saud makes Assad look like a saint.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/02/13/breaking-saudi-arabia-moves-planes-to-turkey-joint-attack-on-russian-syrian-and-kurdish-forces-begins/
Why don’t you piss off yourself Chris Rogers – if anyone is behaving like a troll it is yourself. In democracies – people disagree and are allowed to do so, those with a totalitarian mindset don’t like it I’m afraid.
“the record is here on this blog.” And the record is also here on this blog who blamed Assad for the chemical attack on civilians. 😀
Erdogan hasn’t suddenly become a nasty piece of work – although to read Mr Goss you would hardly think so. Mr Goss’s recent animus of course has nothing to do with the “decent and honourable” Mr Putin having taken against Turkey.
And the record is also here on this blog who blamed Assad for the chemical attack on civilians.
Well yes he did – the fact that some Saudi backed nutters may have also done so as well, doesn’t change the record.
Mr Goss
“The United States of America has taught the world the meaning of greed.”
_____________________
Greed was unknown before the founding of the United States?
Our Transatlantic Friend to comment, please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Even the military commanders of US forces are convinced that the US would be defeated very quickly (one says within 3 days) should the situation escalate into full-scale war.”
_____________________
I detect a note of hope – even longing – in the above. Am I mistaken?
Our Transatlantic Friend – he of the vast naval experience – to comment, please (with special reference to sea power).
@Resident Dissent.
You are if truth be told full of shit, and to reinforce my own assessment shall we utilise some facts, namely those provided by the EU charting the numbers seeking Asylum in the EU since 2000. You’ll note in the third chart focusing on Syria, Afghanistan and Kosovo that prior to 2011 as far as the numbers seeking EU Asylum was concerned that Syrian EU asylum seekers remained low and steady, only to spike drastically after 2011 – I wonder why this was. Obviously fuck all to do with your neocon friends.
Now these are official figures, please go and dispute them.
Here’s the link and please have fun: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/6751779/3-20032015-BP-EN.pdf/35e04263-2db5-4e75-b3d3-6b086b23ef2b
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=assad+gas+attacks&ie=&oe=
RD; I don’t know if you enjoy being the gadfly, but it does seem you wish to reach some comity or some limited agreement.
Assad is certainly no angel, but how long would an angel last in the Middle East? Compassion is seen as a weakness in many cultures and a strong hand is the only source of respect. A wise man once was asked if it is better to be loved or to be feared. His answer was that fear was better than love because of the nature of humanity.
Find some small points of agreement within your debate, if comity and understanding is your goal. Otherwise you are regarded as no better than anon or hab, who clearly have a lust for creating discord.