The Mask is Off. After Ukraine, imperialism is now the norm

NB: Whereas I agree with Professor Mehta’s arguments about the sinister significance of Trump’s treatment of President Zelenskyy; the following is where I disagree. He says the Russian invasion of Ukraine was only the second time since World War II that one country had claimed an entire other country… It was a war to erase… Read More The Mask is Off. After Ukraine, imperialism is now the norm

Norman Solomon: How the Warfare State Paved the Way for a Trumpist Autocracy

Costs of War Project at Brown University indicated that the “war on terror” persisted on several continents. “The war continues in over 80 countries,” said Catherine Lutz, the project’s co-director. The war’s cost to taxpayers, the project estimated, was already at least $8 trillion…. Supplementing the automatic $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel, special new… Read More Norman Solomon: How the Warfare State Paved the Way for a Trumpist Autocracy

India’s appeasement of Donald Trump comes to nought

Anticipatory obedience did not then take India very far. The promises of purchasing defence goods, underwater technology co-operation, etc. that were given away for free, should have been used as bargaining chips during the trade and tariffs discussions Bharat Bhushan Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington DC to meet United States President Donald Trump — the fourth world… Read More India’s appeasement of Donald Trump comes to nought

Chris Hedges: The Empire Self-Destructs / How the Left Destroyed Itself (AV interview with Yanis Varoufakis)

Christian fascists come out of a theocratic sect called Dominionism. This sect teaches that American Christians have been mandated to make America a Christian state and an agent of God. Political and intellectual opponents of this militant Biblicalism are condemned as agents of Satan. Chris Hedges The billionaires, Christian fascists, grifters, psychopaths, imbeciles, narcissists and… Read More Chris Hedges: The Empire Self-Destructs / How the Left Destroyed Itself (AV interview with Yanis Varoufakis)

Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War

In this video, Yanis Varoufakis delves into the seismic developments of January 2025, spotlighting the transformative impact of DeepSeek—a groundbreaking Chinese AI company that has sent shockwaves through the global tech and financial landscapes. By releasing free, open-source AI models, DeepSeek has not only disrupted the American stock markets but has also outperformed proprietary giants… Read More Yanis Varoufakis on Cloud Capital vs AI: DeepSeek, Technofeudalism, Capitalism and the New Cold War

What went wrong with ‘Pakistan’s Dubai’? – inside the Chinese initiative that is prompting terror attacks

Among the projects in Gwadar that have been met with local distaste is a donkey slaughtering factory – not yet operational – where up to a million donkeys imported from Africa are to be killed to harvest products, including an ingredient used in traditional Chinese medicine. Shah Meer Baloch in Gwadar and Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi As the… Read More What went wrong with ‘Pakistan’s Dubai’? – inside the Chinese initiative that is prompting terror attacks

Biden has paved the way for Trump’s egregious flouting of international rules

The Biden administration has repeatedly undermined international institutions and law to shield Israel. This will come back to haunt them Mohamad Bazzi Donald Trump wants to revive American imperialism. For weeks, the president-elect has threatened to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal, possibly by military force. And he promised supporters that he would pressure Canada, through economic warfare,… Read More Biden has paved the way for Trump’s egregious flouting of international rules

How Elon Musk and Taylor Swift Might Solve US-China Relations

By Thomas Friedman ; New York Times; December 17, 2024 I just spent a week in Beijing and Shanghai, meeting with Chinese officials, economists, and entrepreneurs, so let me get straight to the point: while we sleep, China has made tremendous leaps in high-tech manufacturing.  If no one has told Donald Trump, then I will: his… Read More How Elon Musk and Taylor Swift Might Solve US-China Relations