thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-09--On May Day, the “opposition” again acted foolishly and irresponsibly

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
May Day in Hong Kong , and here it happened again !
Several media outlets reported that “ hundreds of protesters did gather in small groups at a shopping mall in the town of Sha Tin , chanting slogans and holding protest flags ” .
A few other groups of rioters were spotted at various other locations in the city .
They were holding banners , and singing and chanting slogans that were described @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ anti-Beijing ” .
As Hong Kong is still fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic , the police , naturally , sent the rioters packing .
There are two points to be made .
First , the rioters are thoroughly confused , logically and ideologically .
I have already mentioned this fact in several of my earlier articles , but now it has become even more obvious .
What a day they had chosen to celebrate , and to commemorate !
Well , actually , a very fine day for me and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
For people who hate everything communist and who glorify everything Western , all that comes out of North America and Europe ?
May 1 , or May Day , is a communist or at least socialist holiday .
This is when the workers of the world come together , and show their unity and solidarity in fighting the extreme forms of capitalism .
This is how it has been for more than a century .
Just to revisit the definition by Philip Foner ( and this description is carried by various encyclopedias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1889 , May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers ’ Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago.
” And the “ Haymarket affair ” itself ?
At least 50 workers , but most likely many more , were murdered by the police in Chicago , in 1886 , at Haymarket Square .
The workers protested , demanding an eight-hour working day .
An anarchist threw a grenade .
Then , the police , which were defending the interests of big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of workers were wounded .
Many died .
This event shook the world .
Now , is this what the Hong Kong rioters went to commemorate at Sha Tin , on May 1 ?
I doubt it .
The Hong Kong rioters , instead , marched into New Town Plaza , one of the city ’ s upmarket shopping plazas , and began to demand the dismantling of the system in the biggest and most successful socialist country on earth .
That is quite bizarre , but the insanity of the extremists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intellectual muddles , are not novel whatsoever .
It is also obvious that their handlers in Washington , London and elsewhere are convinced that the Hong Kong inhabitants are too busy to pay attention to the details .
But details are important , and we are here to remind them that they are .
The second point to be made is the COVID-19 social distancing !
They wanted it , the rioters .
They wanted lockdowns , the closing down of the city to the outside world ( read : closing the borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted all that the United Kingdom was doing .
Last month , the Hong Kong opposition kept attacking , relentlessly , the pandemic response by both Beijing and the Hong Kong SAR administration .
Nothing was good enough for them .
The UK was doing , according to them , a much better job than their own city , than the People ’ s Republic of China , which very quickly and so efficiently defeated the virus in its entire territory !
Apparently for no other reason than because , by definition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries always do a much better job than China .
Now , it is obvious that many Western countries , the UK and the United States in particular , have totally failed .
In different ways , but failed .
Tens of thousands of people are dead , irreversibly and unnecessarily .
While China has come out from the battle more united and more confident than ever .
Weeks ago , critics in Hong Kong , including some doctors , were saying that if their city had impose UK-style social distancing earlier , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , following their “ logic ” , one could ask : What were you , the people , doing in a Sha Tin mall , gathering and yelling , breaking all the rules of social distancing that you yourself were demanding ?
Don ’ t you know what would have been done to you in London or Paris , if you were to dare break the lockdown rules , by forcing yourself , in hundreds , into Harrods or Gallerie Lafayette , while yelling that you truly want to overthrow Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Emmanuel Macron ?
No , seriously , don ’ t you know ?
Have you ever tasted the boots of the British or French riot police ?
Let me repeat once more : The rioters in Hong Kong have been demanding strict measures in the fight against COVID-19 .
The Hong Kong administration and police delivered precisely that .
Now , they have been breaking the rules , confronting those measures .
Apparently , nothing , absolutely nothing , will satisfy them , as long as it comes “ from Beijing ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , the police are “ bad ” again .
It appears that the rioters are carrying an excessively heavy bag of thoroughly contradictory demands .
It is not easy to follow their “ rationality ” , when it comes to May Day , social distancing , or the direction in which they want their city to travel .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
Andre Vltchek
May Day in Hong Kong, and here it happened again!
Several media outlets reported that “hundreds of protesters did gather in small groups at a shopping mall in the town of Sha Tin, chanting slogans and holding protest flags”. A few other groups of rioters were spotted at various other locations in the city.
They were holding banners, and singing and chanting slogans that were described by Western journalists as “pro-democracy” and “anti-Beijing”.
As Hong Kong is still fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, the police, naturally, sent the rioters packing.
There are two points to be made.
First, the rioters are thoroughly confused, logically and ideologically. I have already mentioned this fact in several of my earlier articles, but now it has become even more obvious.
What a day they had chosen to celebrate, and to commemorate!
Well, actually, a very fine day for me and for people like myself. But for them? For people who hate everything communist and who glorify everything Western, all that comes out of North America and Europe?
May 1, or May Day, is a communist or at least socialist holiday. This is when the workers of the world come together, and show their unity and solidarity in fighting the extreme forms of capitalism. This is how it has been for more than a century.
Just to revisit the definition by Philip Foner (and this description is carried by various encyclopedias’ ad sites):
“In 1889, May Day was chosen as the date for International Workers’ Day by the Socialists and Communists of the Second International to commemorate the Haymarket affair in Chicago.”
And the “Haymarket affair” itself? At least 50 workers, but most likely many more, were murdered by the police in Chicago, in 1886, at Haymarket Square. The workers protested, demanding an eight-hour working day. An anarchist threw a grenade. Then, the police, which were defending the interests of big business conglomerates, opened fire. Hundreds of workers were wounded. Many died. This event shook the world.
Now, is this what the Hong Kong rioters went to commemorate at Sha Tin, on May 1? I doubt it. The Hong Kong rioters, instead, marched into New Town Plaza, one of the city’s upmarket shopping plazas, and began to demand the dismantling of the system in the biggest and most successful socialist country on earth.
That is quite bizarre, but the insanity of the extremists in Hong Kong, as well as their intellectual muddles, are not novel whatsoever.
It is also obvious that their handlers in Washington, London and elsewhere are convinced that the Hong Kong inhabitants are too busy to pay attention to the details. But details are important, and we are here to remind them that they are.
*
The second point to be made is the COVID-19 social distancing!
They wanted it, the rioters. They wanted lockdowns, the closing down of the city to the outside world (read: closing the borders with the Chinese mainland). They wanted all that the United Kingdom was doing.
Last month, the Hong Kong opposition kept attacking, relentlessly, the pandemic response by both Beijing and the Hong Kong SAR administration.
Nothing was good enough for them. The UK was doing, according to them, a much better job than their own city, than the People’s Republic of China, which very quickly and so efficiently defeated the virus in its entire territory! Apparently for no other reason than because, by definition, the US, UK and other European countries always do a much better job than China.
Now, it is obvious that many Western countries, the UK and the United States in particular, have totally failed. In different ways, but failed. Tens of thousands of people are dead, irreversibly and unnecessarily. While China has come out from the battle more united and more confident than ever.
Weeks ago, critics in Hong Kong, including some doctors, were saying that if their city had impose UK-style social distancing earlier, the losses would have been much smaller.
So, following their “logic”, one could ask: What were you, the people, doing in a Sha Tin mall, gathering and yelling, breaking all the rules of social distancing that you yourself were demanding?
Don’t you know what would have been done to you in London or Paris, if you were to dare break the lockdown rules, by forcing yourself, in hundreds, into Harrods or Gallerie Lafayette, while yelling that you truly want to overthrow Britain’s Boris Johnson or France’s Emmanuel Macron? No, seriously, don’t you know? Have you ever tasted the boots of the British or French riot police?
Let me repeat once more: The rioters in Hong Kong have been demanding strict measures in the fight against COVID-19. The Hong Kong administration and police delivered precisely that. Now, they have been breaking the rules, confronting those measures. Apparently, nothing, absolutely nothing, will satisfy them, as long as it comes “from Beijing” or from the Hong Kong government.
Now, the police are “bad” again.
It appears that the rioters are carrying an excessively heavy bag of thoroughly contradictory demands. It is not easy to follow their “rationality”, when it comes to May Day, social distancing, or the direction in which they want their city to travel.
*
[First published by China Daily Hong Kong]


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-09--RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS REPORTEDLY SUPPORT VENEZUELA’S OPERATION SHARK 2020 AGAINST US REGIME CHANGE ATT

RUSSIAN SPECIALISTS REPORTEDLY SUPPORT VENEZUELA’S OPERATION SHARK 2020 AGAINST US REGIME CHANGE ATTEMPTS. MORE DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT OPERATION “GIDEON”

Since the start of the US attempts to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Venezuela in 2019 , mainstream media outlets and US diplomats have repeatedly cried foul about the Russian and Chinese ( and even Iranian ) presence in the country that allegedly prevent Washington from bringing ‘ democracy ’ there .
According to local media , the patrol took place in the area of Carayaca in the La Guaira state ( formerly Vargas state ) of the country .
Reports claim that the Russians provided Venezuelan forces assistance in the field of the drone management and the monitoring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gideon is underway ; an incursion of Venezuelan and U.S. mercenaries who aim to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro .
Several of them have already been arrested and killed in the last 48 hours .
The orders come from Washington .
The mercenary action against Venezuela was due to begin on March 10 .
The plans failed because the local opposition failed to activate the necessary street scenario .
The arrival of the pandemic and the quarantine disrupted plans for what finally became known as Operation Gideon on Sunday , May 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coast of La Guaria , in the town of Macuto , a short distance from Caracas .
There , a deployment of the Bolivarian National Police , the Special Action Forces , the Bolivarian Intelligence Service , the Military Counter-Intelligence Directorate and the Bolivarian National Armed Force ( FANB ) , particularly the Navy , was waiting for them .
The speedboat where the mercenaries were coming opened fire .
It was a dark night .
The response of the Bolivarian Government managed to deactivate the members of the boat that capsized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunships with experts in night combat were deployed over the coast in search of the second boat .
This Monday 4th , the second deactivation action of another group of mercenaries took place .
This time on the coast of Aragua , in the town of Chuao , an area connected through the mountains to the capital of the country .
Eight members were arrested there , among them two Americans , Luke Denman and Aaron Berry , former officers of the US Special Operations Forces .
With them was one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ captain , Antonio Sequea , who had participated in the attempted coup of April 30 , 2019 .
The day before , another chief of the operation , fugitive captain Robert Colina , aka Pantera , had died in the confrontation .
In the following hours on Monday , another arrest took place , this time of two former police officers , Rodolfo Rodriguez and Yeferson Fernandez , who were carrying logistical materials , such as weapons and vests .
Thus , less than 48 hours after the start of Operation Gideon , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 8 were killed .
They had all left from Colombia , in the Guajira area .
Venezuelan intelligence knew what was coming and had prepared to deal with it .
The name given by the Government to that defense action was Operation Black First Crush of the Enemy .
Caracas achieved the first victories to deactivate the coup plan .
According to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro , between April 19 and May 3 they had proceeded to dismantle part of the mercenary support base inside the country in other words Operation Gideon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many members does this mercenary action have ?
On the afternoon of Sunday , May 2 , a video was broadcast on social networks in which two men took the lead : fugitive captain Nieto Quintero and U.S. military contractor Jordan Goudreau , owner of the mercenary Silvercorp USA .
Both stated that the operation was still underway and called on the FANB to join in its objectives of capturing Maduro and the leadership of the political process .
Goudreau gave an interview in the evening to tell his version of events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Special Forces stated that he had been in charge of the planned actions for months from Colombia and that this operation had been initially agreed on with Juan Guaidó , with whom he had signed a contract for 212 million dollars , but Guaidó had never fulfilled his part .
The existence of that contract , which Goudreau showed , had been denied by Guaidó since March when former Major General Cliver Alcalá had confessed that he was leading an attempted military incursion from Colombia in which Guaidó was involved .
That incursion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coast last Sunday morning .
In this way Guaidó was exposed in what Goudreau confirmed as his initial involvement and then betrayal .
Both the self-proclaimed president and the opposition sector surrounding him denied the existence of Operation Gideon and accused the government of having carried out a montage to cover up the difficulties in the country .
So according to the contractor ’ s explanation , and later that given by Quintero , the operation was developed almost without financing , without support from the U.S. Government , Colombia , or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mercenary self-management that would have gathered , according to Quintero , “ about 3,000 members among officers , noncommissioned officers , troops in exile ” .
Two days before the start of Operation Gideon , an article was published in the AP news agency , in which Goudreau ’ s existence , his relationship with Cliver Alcalá and part of the mercenary plot was noted .
Both were presented as isolated actors within an attempted armed incursion into Venezuela .
The attempt was to remove all U.S. , Colombian and Guaidó fingerprints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The aim was to exonerate the political actors from zero hour and relieve them of all responsibility in the face of such an act of war and probable defeat .
Thus , neither the contractor nor the mercenary training camps – denounced on several occasions by Maduro – would have been developed in Colombia without anyone knowing it .
This prefabricated version was dismantled by the Venezuelan president on Monday night when he gave an account of those involved .
The operation was armed by the United States and operated through its anti-drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where U.S. instructors trained the teams that entered Venezuela .
[ Fighting narcotics has long been a cover for the US war against insurgents in Latin America .
That kind of pseudo-explanation sits well with most of the scandalusly misinformed US public . ]
According to Maduro , during Colombian President Ivan Duque ’ s last visit to the White House on March 2 , U.S. President Donald Trump gave him the order to initiate the actions which , after some delays , were carried out .
As for financing , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cartels of the Colombian Upper Guajira , ” said Maduro , the area where most of the military training centers were located .
They also relied on criminal gangs from several Venezuelan states , including Falcón , La Guaira , Caracas and Miranda .
It was never a question of mercenary self-financing motivated by altruism , as Goudreau and Quintero pointed out , but rather a format implemented by the United States for many years and that is the privatization of war .
The scheme goes as follows : Washington tightens the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heads of Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello , reinforces its military presence in the Caribbean Sea , announces a transition framework , gets diplomatic support , and works the covert military operations through a contractor and Venezuelan deserters from the rear which is in the territory of Colombia .
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday , as expected , that he was not aware of the operation and denied that his government was involved .
Are we at war ?
One of the most striking photographs was that of a militiaman in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand in the front of the boat with the mercenaries in Chuao .
The role of what is called popular intelligence has been central , as Diosdado Cabello explained .
The Venezuelan civil-military deployment is on high alert to the development of what is not yet over .
According to the government , 56 mercenaries tried to enter the country , 54 Venezuelans and two Americans , some of whom have been arrested and others killed in Sunday morning ’ s confrontation .
The objective of these groups was to attack the DGCIM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The structuring of the final plan to asphyxiate Venezuela The strategy of Caracas is to deactivate the actions before they happen , to avoid the execution of the coup plans .
The captures , so far , have been early : before the mercenary ’ s entry and during the arrival of part of the boats .
Venezuela is facing a new phase of an uninterrupted siege .
The bet of the United States is to achieve that the set of variables with guerrilla type attacks to finally succeed in overthrowing Nicolás Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the strategy designed from Washington can begin .
The Government and Chavism are facing a scenario with three simultaneous fronts : the fight against the pandemic , which is under control due to the measures implemented ; the economic situation , which is largely delicate due to the US blockade ; and the mercenary incursion of Operation Gideon .

Since the start of the US attempts to overthrow the internationally recognized government of Venezuela in 2019, mainstream media outlets and US diplomats have repeatedly cried foul about the Russian and Chinese (and even Iranian) presence in the country that allegedly prevent Washington from bringing ‘democracy’ there.
According to local media , the patrol took place in the area of Carayaca in the La Guaira state (formerly Vargas state) of the country. Reports claim that the Russians provided Venezuelan forces assistance in the field of the drone management and the monitoring of forestlands.
By Marco Teruggi
Submitted via resumen-english.org
In Venezuela, Operation Gideon is underway; an incursion of Venezuelan and U.S. mercenaries who aim to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro. Several of them have already been arrested and killed in the last 48 hours. The orders come from Washington.
The mercenary action against Venezuela was due to begin on March 10. The plans failed because the local opposition failed to activate the necessary street scenario. The arrival of the pandemic and the quarantine disrupted plans for what finally became known as Operation Gideon on Sunday, May 3.
That morning a boat arrived at the coast of La Guaria, in the town of Macuto, a short distance from Caracas. There, a deployment of the Bolivarian National Police, the Special Action Forces, the Bolivarian Intelligence Service, the Military Counter-Intelligence Directorate and the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB), particularly the Navy, was waiting for them.
The speedboat where the mercenaries were coming opened fire. It was a dark night. The response of the Bolivarian Government managed to deactivate the members of the boat that capsized, and the patrol boats and helicopter gunships with experts in night combat were deployed over the coast in search of the second boat.
The balance was eight mercenaries killed, two detained and one country that woke up in shock. High-caliber weapons, satellite phones, vehicles were seized. Diosdado Cabello, president of the National Constituent Assembly, took the floor and explained the scenario of the armed incursion in progress. He stated that it was not over.
This Monday 4th, the second deactivation action of another group of mercenaries took place. This time on the coast of Aragua, in the town of Chuao, an area connected through the mountains to the capital of the country. Eight members were arrested there, among them two Americans, Luke Denman and Aaron Berry, former officers of the US Special Operations Forces.
With them was one of the heads of the operation, the fugitive captain, Antonio Sequea, who had participated in the attempted coup of April 30, 2019. The day before, another chief of the operation, fugitive captain Robert Colina, aka Pantera, had died in the confrontation. In the following hours on Monday, another arrest took place, this time of two former police officers, Rodolfo Rodriguez and Yeferson Fernandez, who were carrying logistical materials, such as weapons and vests.
Thus, less than 48 hours after the start of Operation Gideon, the Government managed to capture 12 mercenaries and 8 were killed. They had all left from Colombia, in the Guajira area. Venezuelan intelligence knew what was coming and had prepared to deal with it. The name given by the Government to that defense action was Operation Black First Crush of the Enemy.
What is Operation Gideon?
Caracas achieved the first victories to deactivate the coup plan. According to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, between April 19 and May 3 they had proceeded to dismantle part of the mercenary support base inside the country in other words Operation Gideon was infiltrated.
But who commands and how many members does this mercenary action have? On the afternoon of Sunday, May 2, a video was broadcast on social networks in which two men took the lead: fugitive captain Nieto Quintero and U.S. military contractor Jordan Goudreau, owner of the mercenary Silvercorp USA. Both stated that the operation was still underway and called on the FANB to join in its objectives of capturing Maduro and the leadership of the political process.
Goudreau gave an interview in the evening to tell his version of events. The former member of the US Special Forces stated that he had been in charge of the planned actions for months from Colombia and that this operation had been initially agreed on with Juan Guaidó, with whom he had signed a contract for 212 million dollars, but Guaidó had never fulfilled his part.
The existence of that contract, which Goudreau showed, had been denied by Guaidó since March when former Major General Cliver Alcalá had confessed that he was leading an attempted military incursion from Colombia in which Guaidó was involved. That incursion was the one that reached the Venezuelan coast last Sunday morning.
In this way Guaidó was exposed in what Goudreau confirmed as his initial involvement and then betrayal. Both the self-proclaimed president and the opposition sector surrounding him denied the existence of Operation Gideon and accused the government of having carried out a montage to cover up the difficulties in the country.
So according to the contractor’s explanation, and later that given by Quintero, the operation was developed almost without financing, without support from the U.S. Government, Colombia, or the Venezuelan opposition. It would have been a mercenary self-management that would have gathered, according to Quintero, “about 3,000 members among officers, noncommissioned officers, troops in exile”.
The privatization of war
Two days before the start of Operation Gideon, an article was published in the AP news agency, in which Goudreau’s existence, his relationship with Cliver Alcalá and part of the mercenary plot was noted. Both were presented as isolated actors within an attempted armed incursion into Venezuela.
Colombia denies responsibility in “alleged invasion attempt” in Venezuela
The attempt was to remove all U.S., Colombian and Guaidó fingerprints before the first action was taken. The aim was to exonerate the political actors from zero hour and relieve them of all responsibility in the face of such an act of war and probable defeat.
Thus, neither the contractor nor the mercenary training camps – denounced on several occasions by Maduro – would have been developed in Colombia without anyone knowing it.
This prefabricated version was dismantled by the Venezuelan president on Monday night when he gave an account of those involved. The operation was armed by the United States and operated through its anti-drug agency in Colombian territory, the DEA, where U.S. instructors trained the teams that entered Venezuela. [Fighting narcotics has long been a cover for the US war against insurgents in Latin America. That kind of pseudo-explanation sits well with most of the scandalusly misinformed US public.]
According to Maduro, during Colombian President Ivan Duque’s last visit to the White House on March 2, U.S. President Donald Trump gave him the order to initiate the actions which, after some delays, were carried out.
As for financing, a central part came from the “capos and cartels of the Colombian Upper Guajira,” said Maduro, the area where most of the military training centers were located. They also relied on criminal gangs from several Venezuelan states, including Falcón, La Guaira, Caracas and Miranda.
It was never a question of mercenary self-financing motivated by altruism, as Goudreau and Quintero pointed out, but rather a format implemented by the United States for many years and that is the privatization of war.
The scheme goes as follows: Washington tightens the economic blockade, puts a price on the heads of Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello, reinforces its military presence in the Caribbean Sea, announces a transition framework, gets diplomatic support, and works the covert military operations through a contractor and Venezuelan deserters from the rear which is in the territory of Colombia.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, as expected, that he was not aware of the operation and denied that his government was involved.
Are we at war?
One of the most striking photographs was that of a militiaman in civilian clothes with a gun in his hand in the front of the boat with the mercenaries in Chuao. The role of what is called popular intelligence has been central, as Diosdado Cabello explained.
The Venezuelan civil-military deployment is on high alert to the development of what is not yet over. According to the government, 56 mercenaries tried to enter the country, 54 Venezuelans and two Americans, some of whom have been arrested and others killed in Sunday morning’s confrontation. The objective of these groups was to attack the DGCIM, SEBIN and the Miraflores Palace.
The structuring of the final plan to asphyxiate Venezuela
The strategy of Caracas is to deactivate the actions before they happen, to avoid the execution of the coup plans. The captures, so far, have been early: before the mercenary’s entry and during the arrival of part of the boats.
Venezuela is facing a new phase of an uninterrupted siege. The bet of the United States is to achieve that the set of variables with guerrilla type attacks to finally succeed in overthrowing Nicolás Maduro so that the restoration and revenge foreseen within the strategy designed from Washington can begin.
The Government and Chavism are facing a scenario with three simultaneous fronts: the fight against the pandemic, which is under control due to the measures implemented; the economic situation, which is largely delicate due to the US blockade; and the mercenary incursion of Operation Gideon.
Source: Sputnik News, translation Resumen Latinoamericano, North America bureau


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-08--US pulling Patriot missiles from Saudi oil facilities: Report

The United States is pulling its Patriot missile systems from Saudi soil as part of broader curbs on its military support for the Arab kingdom , a report says .
Citing unnamed US officials , The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that four Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and dozens of military personnel will be removed from Saudi oil facilities .
The officials said the US will also reduce its Navy presence in the Persian Gulf soon , adding that two jet fighter squadrons have already left the region .
The US intensified its military presence in the region last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Part of the military hardware was deployed in September last year after a series of attacks on Saudi oil facilities .
The developments come over two week after President Donald Trump said his administration will review a proposal to block Saudi crude oil shipments to the US to try to save its struggling shale industry suffering from an unprecedented slump in demand and prices due to the novel coronavirus , and as fuel storage runs short .
In mid-April , Frank Fannon , the US assistant secretary of state for energy resources , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Saudi oil .
Trump had also warned Saudi Arabia earlier that month that he would end American military support for the kingdom if Riyadh did not end its oil price war with Russia and cut production .
In a phone call on April 2 , the US president told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that unless his country started cutting oil production , he would be unable to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw US troops from the kingdom .
Trump warned Saudis to cut oil production or lose US @ @ @ @

The United States is pulling its Patriot missile systems from Saudi soil as part of broader curbs on its military support for the Arab kingdom, a report says.
Citing unnamed US officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that four Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and dozens of military personnel will be removed from Saudi oil facilities.
The officials said the US will also reduce its Navy presence in the Persian Gulf soon, adding that two jet fighter squadrons have already left the region.
The US intensified its military presence in the region last year amid growing tensions with Iran. Part of the military hardware was deployed in September last year after a series of attacks on Saudi oil facilities.
Aramco attack costs Saudi $2bn of oil output Saudi Arabia loses $2 billion worth of its oil output after Yemen's September attacks on its infrastructure.
The developments come over two week after President Donald Trump said his administration will review a proposal to block Saudi crude oil shipments to the US to try to save its struggling shale industry suffering from an unprecedented slump in demand and prices due to the novel coronavirus, and as fuel storage runs short.
In mid-April, Frank Fannon, the US assistant secretary of state for energy resources, said the country could also impose tariffs on Saudi oil.
Trump had also warned Saudi Arabia earlier that month that he would end American military support for the kingdom if Riyadh did not end its oil price war with Russia and cut production.
In a phone call on April 2, the US president told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that unless his country started cutting oil production, he would be unable to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw US troops from the kingdom.
SEE ALSO:
Yemeni attack on Aramco facilities costs Saudi regime $2bn.
Trump warned Saudis to cut oil production or lose US military support: Reuters


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-09--Pandemic Intensifies Divisions Among US Elite

Meanwhile , the other big names among the Trump camp are also suffering .
AmWay , the multi-level marketing scheme that enriched Trump ’ s billionaire Secretary of Education , Betsy DeVos , has watched its sales plummet .
Hobby Lobby , whose CEO , David Green , was one of Trump ’ s most outspoken supporters , closed all of its stores until further notice on April 7th .
NASCAR is hoping to resume its season in late May , but its CEO , Jim France , son of outspoken Trump supporter , Brian France , has undoubtedly lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ races and lost advertisement revenue .
While Home Depot , owned by Trump supporter , Bernie Marcus , has managed to stay open as an essential business , it has been forced to accept limited hours , and sales have significantly decreased in the spring months that usually generate about 30 % of annual sales The desperation to end the lockdown on the part of many millionaire and billionaire capitalists is quite real .
They face financial ruin .
Meanwhile , they are very well aware that certain competitors are fortified enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the lockdown ?
Amazon CEO , Jeff Bezos is an outspoken opponent of Donald Trump .
He owns the Washington Post , a publication that has been harshly critical of the administration .
While the lockdown has been bad for most US businesses , on April 14th , Amazon ’ s stock reached its all-time high .
Amazon is hiring new employees to deliver products , and Bezos has made billions .
The big four super-major oil companies that dominate the New York Stock exchange and function like a mini-cartel , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drilling suffer amidst the oil price drops .
With the elimination of frackers , Exxon-Mobile , BP , Chevron , and Shell Oil would walk out of the lockdown with an even more well established monopoly than before .
Social media giants are certainly not suffering as Americans sit at home , updating their status , tweeting , posting pictures and watching ads .
These types of corporations that already function as a natural monopoly are quite happy to see a large percentage of the US population working from home .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a hoax focus on Bill Gates , the billionaire founder of Microsoft .
Bill Gates is an outspoken Malthusian who believes the human population must be decreased .
In the conspiracy theories , Bill Gates has become a stand in poster boy for a faction of the US ruling class long-labelled “ The Eastern Establishment.
” The Rockefeller Family , whose Standard Oil is now reincarnated as Exxon-Mobile , the Morgans , the Duponts , the Mellons , and the “ old money ” elite that has been the most powerful faction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a more managerial wing of the American elite .
These are the elements that worked with Cecil Rhodes ’ Round Table Group , and eventually gave birth to the Council on Foreign Relations .
Rockefeller money worked to create the Trilateral Commission , Planned Parenthood , the Asia Society , and many of the other institutions that have crafted US government policy in a long-term and strategic way .
These forces favor stability and long-term hegemony over their own short-term economic growth .
They are closer to the Intelligence Agencies than the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to retail owners and industrialists .
The ideological right-wing has long targeted this wing of American politics , from the 1950s when the John Birch Society accused the Rockefellers of being Communists , up to the rants of Alex Jones denouncing Goldman Sachs and calling for “ real capitalism.
” These forces have entrenched themselves well enough , and built up enough of a monopolistic position , that the pandemic will not put them out of business .
Rather , the pandemic is a convenient way to clear out their competitors and secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of capital bleed , they call out their powerful nemesis with rage , realizing that while they have much to lose , the Eastern Establishment is likely to emerge even more powerful and dominant .

Meanwhile, the other big names among the Trump camp are also suffering. AmWay, the multi-level marketing scheme that enriched Trump’s billionaire Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, has watched its sales plummet. Hobby Lobby, whose CEO, David Green, was one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters, closed all of its stores until further notice on April 7th. NASCAR is hoping to resume its season in late May, but its CEO, Jim France, son of outspoken Trump supporter, Brian France, has undoubtedly lost significant amounts of money from the cancelled races and lost advertisement revenue. While Home Depot, owned by Trump supporter, Bernie Marcus, has managed to stay open as an essential business, it has been forced to accept limited hours, and sales have significantly decreased in the spring months that usually generate about 30% of annual sales
The desperation to end the lockdown on the part of many millionaire and billionaire capitalists is quite real. They face financial ruin. Meanwhile, they are very well aware that certain competitors are fortified enough to ride out the storm.
Who benefits from the lockdown?
Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos is an outspoken opponent of Donald Trump. He owns the Washington Post, a publication that has been harshly critical of the administration. While the lockdown has been bad for most US businesses, on April 14th, Amazon’s stock reached its all-time high. Amazon is hiring new employees to deliver products, and Bezos has made billions.
The big four super-major oil companies that dominate the New York Stock exchange and function like a mini-cartel, are happily watching their competitors in fracking and drilling suffer amidst the oil price drops. With the elimination of frackers, Exxon-Mobile, BP, Chevron, and Shell Oil would walk out of the lockdown with an even more well established monopoly than before.
Social media giants are certainly not suffering as Americans sit at home, updating their status, tweeting, posting pictures and watching ads. These types of corporations that already function as a natural monopoly are quite happy to see a large percentage of the US population working from home.
Many of the conspiracy theories that claim the pandemic is a hoax focus on Bill Gates, the billionaire founder of Microsoft. Bill Gates is an outspoken Malthusian who believes the human population must be decreased. In the conspiracy theories, Bill Gates has become a stand in poster boy for a faction of the US ruling class long-labelled “The Eastern Establishment.” The Rockefeller Family, whose Standard Oil is now reincarnated as Exxon-Mobile, the Morgans, the Duponts, the Mellons, and the “old money” elite that has been the most powerful faction in US politics for generations, represents a more managerial wing of the American elite. These are the elements that worked with Cecil Rhodes’ Round Table Group, and eventually gave birth to the Council on Foreign Relations. Rockefeller money worked to create the Trilateral Commission, Planned Parenthood, the Asia Society, and many of the other institutions that have crafted US government policy in a long-term and strategic way.
These forces favor stability and long-term hegemony over their own short-term economic growth. They are closer to the Intelligence Agencies than the military, and friendlier to Silicon Valley than to retail owners and industrialists. The ideological right-wing has long targeted this wing of American politics, from the 1950s when the John Birch Society accused the Rockefellers of being Communists, up to the rants of Alex Jones denouncing Goldman Sachs and calling for “real capitalism.” These forces have entrenched themselves well enough, and built up enough of a monopolistic position, that the pandemic will not put them out of business. Rather, the pandemic is a convenient way to clear out their competitors and secure their position. As the lower levels of capital bleed, they call out their powerful nemesis with rage, realizing that while they have much to lose, the Eastern Establishment is likely to emerge even more powerful and dominant.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-10--Syria Spinmeisters Fumble Attempts To Narrative Manage OPCW Leaks

It ’ s been over 72 hours since The Grayzone published new leaks further exposing how the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) has been lying about its investigation into an alleged chemical attack in Douma , Syria two years ago .
These new documents make it abundantly clear that OPCW leadership were just plain lying when they claimed that a ballistics expert named Ian Henderson was not a part of the Fact-Finding Mission ( FFM ) in Douma and played only a “ minor supporting role ” there .
Henderson disagrees with the organisation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a chlorine gas attack , finding instead that the gas cylinders on the scene were “ manually placed ” , indicating that the crime scene was staged and the dozens of civilians killed were the victims of a still-unsolved mass murder .
The silence on these revelations from the OPCW and its usual narrative managers has been deafening .
Peter Hitchens , one of the only high-visibility journalists to cover the OPCW scandal , tweeted when the documents first emerged : “ I have today formally requested OPCW public affairs to comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question an important statement made by the organisation ’ s chief and retailed by lapcat Bellingcat about the status of Inspector Ian Henderson.
” “ No reply yet from OPCW public affairs , to my query about Greyzone allegations , devastating if true both to official position of OPCW and to lapcat Bellingcat , ” Hitchens tweeted a day later .
This silence makes it clear that the OPCW , Bellingcat , and all the other empire-aligned propagandists responsible for managing the mainstream narrative about Syria have opted for the strategy of simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to avoid drawing attention to them .
This is actually a very clever ( albeit sociopathic ) tactic , because western mass media have already clearly demonstrated a collective conspiracy of silence on the OPCW scandal , which is its own scandal in itself .
They know they can keep these leaks out of mainstream attention , thereby nullifying their massive implications for western imperialism going forward , simply by ignoring them .
You can understand their frustration , then , when an immensely popular celebrity uses her giant platform to amplify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Susan Sarandon has highlighted the latest revelations in the ever-mounting OPCW scandal on Twitter , and the frantic reaction from Syria spinmeisters makes a perfect illustration of the primacy of narrative control for western warmongers .
War reporter Janine di Giovanni , whose promotion of imperialist narratives and fawning puff pieces over the White Helmets propaganda operation have seen her showered with access and awards by establishment institutions , admonished Sarandon to “ refrain from talking about Syria ” , making no other argument than the fact that the two have mutual celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of my favorite actresses , ” said di Giovanni in a now-deleted tweet .
“ We have friends in common in France via Louis Malle .
Please , please refrain from talking about Syria – those of us who worked on the ground documenting war crimes for years ( NOT on the regime side ) find it excruciatingly .
Please stop.
” Again , this is an award-winning professional reporter who frequently publishes in some of the most high-profile outlets in the world like The New York Times and The Guardian .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ so esteemed would find it perfectly normal topublicly cite her friendship with celebrities as a reason for a Hollywood actress to be silent about western imperialism tells you everything you need to know about the state of journalism today , and the “ authoritative sources ” that are being amplified by Silicon Valley tech giants over voices which actually challenge power like The Grayzone .
When di Giovanni was called out for her freakish behavior , her response was to accuse every single one of her critics of being “ Russian trolls ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you look at what people are saying about Sarandon ’ s post on Twitter right now , that is all you will find : mountains of vitriol and precisely zero facts or arguments .
These people have no interest in truth , only in controlling the narrative about what ’ s happening in a nation that has long been targeted for regime change by the US-centralized empire .
“ I ’ m sorry it has come to this , Susan .
But having explained to you many times why your conspiracy theories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I can say without a shadow of doubt that you are an idiot without a conscience , ” said the despicable Idrees Ahmad , whose narrative management on Syria is so insanely aggressive that it has literally seen him threaten oppositional journalists with menacing phone calls in order to scare them away from reporting on Syria .
A quick glance through Ahmad ’ s previous tweets to Sarandon reveals that the reasons he has been giving her for why her “ conspiracy theories are wrong ” are actually “ reasons ” which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just shared .
“ Ian Henderson , a disgruntled OPCW employee , sent his speculative assessment to the ‘ Working Group ’ .
But when the working group tried to establish his credentials , the OPCW confirmed that he was NOT part of the Fact Finding Mission , ” Ahmad tweeted at Sarandon when she shared an article of mine on the Henderson leak last year .
“ Did you read the OPCW statement where it says the man who wrote it is not part of the fact finding mission ?
Which means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the site , ” Ahmad tweeted to Sarandon elsewhere .
Ahmad has no interest whatsoever in truth or facts , but only in trying to mitigate the damage done to the establishment narrative control agenda that Sarandon ’ s tweet caused .
Which will surprise no one who knows anything about him .
The only narrative manager who to my knowledge has made any attempt at all to even address the contents of the new OPCW leaks has been Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins , who took the somewhat bizarre approach of telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence that is directly in front of their faces .
“ No , it doesn ’ t show he was in the FFM , this issue is addressed in the OPCW report , he was asked to support the work of the FFM , but he wasn ’ t part of the FFM , ” Higgins tweeted about Henderson under Sarandon ’ s post .
This claim is of course directly refuted by the leaked mission personnel list in the Grayzone article Sarandon shared which very clearly and explicitly lists Ian Henderson as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Title ” .
So it ’ s been a very revealing ride .
We were lied to about Syria , and the narrative managers responsible for manipulating public perception of that lie have been falling all over themselves trying to conceal this obvious fact .
Here ’ s hoping the truth keeps coming into the light , and that those with platforms large enough to punch through the propaganda matrix continue to do so .

It’s been over 72 hours since The Grayzone published new leaks further exposing how the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been lying about its investigation into an alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria two years ago.
These new documents make it abundantly clear that OPCW leadership were just plain lying when they claimed that a ballistics expert named Ian Henderson was not a part of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Douma and played only a “minor supporting role” there. Henderson disagrees with the organisation’s official findings implicating the Syrian government in a chlorine gas attack, finding instead that the gas cylinders on the scene were “manually placed”, indicating that the crime scene was staged and the dozens of civilians killed were the victims of a still-unsolved mass murder.
The silence on these revelations from the OPCW and its usual narrative managers has been deafening.
No reply yet from "OPCW public affairs, to my query about Greyzone allegations,m devastating if true both to official position of OPCW and to lapcat @Bellingcat. : https://t.co/aDYLiy7YQw — Peter Hitchens (@ClarkeMicah) May 8, 2020
Peter Hitchens, one of the only high-visibility journalists to cover the OPCW scandal, tweeted when the documents first emerged: “I have today formally requested OPCW public affairs to comment on these allegations, which call into question an important statement made by the organisation’s chief and retailed by lapcat Bellingcat about the status of Inspector Ian Henderson.”
“No reply yet from OPCW public affairs, to my query about Greyzone allegations, devastating if true both to official position of OPCW and to lapcat Bellingcat,” Hitchens tweeted a day later.
This silence makes it clear that the OPCW, Bellingcat, and all the other empire-aligned propagandists responsible for managing the mainstream narrative about Syria have opted for the strategy of simply not responding to the damning leaks in order to avoid drawing attention to them. This is actually a very clever (albeit sociopathic) tactic, because western mass media have already clearly demonstrated a collective conspiracy of silence on the OPCW scandal, which is its own scandal in itself. They know they can keep these leaks out of mainstream attention, thereby nullifying their massive implications for western imperialism going forward, simply by ignoring them.
You can understand their frustration, then, when an immensely popular celebrity uses her giant platform to amplify this highly unauthorized news story.
“The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has made false and misleading statements about two veteran inspectors who challenged a cover-up of their investigation in Syria, leaked documents show.”https://t.co/k8ziZSPVVt via @TheGrayzoneNews @aaronjmate — Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) May 8, 2020
Actress Susan Sarandon has highlighted the latest revelations in the ever-mounting OPCW scandal on Twitter, and the frantic reaction from Syria spinmeisters makes a perfect illustration of the primacy of narrative control for western warmongers.
War reporter Janine di Giovanni, whose promotion of imperialist narratives and fawning puff pieces over the White Helmets propaganda operation have seen her showered with access and awards by establishment institutions, admonished Sarandon to “refrain from talking about Syria”, making no other argument than the fact that the two have mutual celebrity acquaintances.
“Susan, you are one of my favorite actresses,” said di Giovanni in a now-deleted tweet. “We have friends in common in France via Louis Malle. Please, please refrain from talking about Syria – those of us who worked on the ground documenting war crimes for years (NOT on the regime side) find it excruciatingly. Please stop.”
Again, this is an award-winning professional reporter who frequently publishes in some of the most high-profile outlets in the world like The New York Times and The Guardian. The fact that someone so elevated and so esteemed would find it perfectly normal topublicly cite her friendship with celebrities as a reason for a Hollywood actress to be silent about western imperialism tells you everything you need to know about the state of journalism today, and the “authoritative sources” that are being amplified by Silicon Valley tech giants over voices which actually challenge power like The Grayzone.
When di Giovanni was called out for her freakish behavior, her response was to accuse every single one of her critics of being “Russian trolls” and delete her post.
The regime changers are desperately lobbying @SusanSarandon to refrain from sharing journalism that contradicts their pro war narrative about Syria. Others are resorting to bullying. It’s pathetic. These people can’t engage with the facts, all they can do is try to silence https://t.co/CAatf0ZnJk — Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) May 9, 2020
See For the blocked and For the record's other Tweets Di Giovanni babbled about Russian trolls and cited her friendship with mutual celebrity friends of Sarandon because she did not have any actual facts or arguments to cite against the information Sarandon was sharing. This is because such facts and arguments do not exist. There is no legitimate reason why people should not be publicly discussing and amplifying important authentic documents, so all they’re left with is various iterations of “shut up”.
And indeed if you look at what people are saying about Sarandon’s post on Twitter right now, that is all you will find: mountains of vitriol and precisely zero facts or arguments. These people have no interest in truth, only in controlling the narrative about what’s happening in a nation that has long been targeted for regime change by the US-centralized empire.
“I’m sorry it has come to this, Susan. But having explained to you many times why your conspiracy theories are wrong, dangerous, and hurtful, I can say without a shadow of doubt that you are an idiot without a conscience,” said the despicable Idrees Ahmad, whose narrative management on Syria is so insanely aggressive that it has literally seen him threaten oppositional journalists with menacing phone calls in order to scare them away from reporting on Syria.
A quick glance through Ahmad’s previous tweets to Sarandon reveals that the reasons he has been giving her for why her “conspiracy theories are wrong” are actually “reasons” which are debunked in the very article Sarandon just shared.
“Ian Henderson, a disgruntled OPCW employee, sent his speculative assessment to the ‘Working Group’. But when the working group tried to establish his credentials, the OPCW confirmed that he was NOT part of the Fact Finding Mission,” Ahmad tweeted at Sarandon when she shared an article of mine on the Henderson leak last year.
“Did you read the OPCW statement where it says the man who wrote it is not part of the fact finding mission? Which means he had no direct access to evidence or the site,” Ahmad tweeted to Sarandon elsewhere.
Where is the statement from OPCW that Ian Henderson’s report is just his personal dissenting opinion? The only statement I’ve seen is this one they gave saying they’re looking into how his report got leaked. pic.twitter.com/VWu1rdYGbn — Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) May 18, 2019
Ahmad has no interest whatsoever in truth or facts, but only in trying to mitigate the damage done to the establishment narrative control agenda that Sarandon’s tweet caused. Which will surprise no one who knows anything about him.
The only narrative manager who to my knowledge has made any attempt at all to even address the contents of the new OPCW leaks has been Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins, who took the somewhat bizarre approach of telling people that they cannot see the evidence that is directly in front of their faces.
“No, it doesn’t show he was in the FFM, this issue is addressed in the OPCW report, he was asked to support the work of the FFM, but he wasn’t part of the FFM,” Higgins tweeted about Henderson under Sarandon’s post.
This claim is of course directly refuted by the leaked mission personnel list in the Grayzone article Sarandon shared which very clearly and explicitly lists Ian Henderson as “FFM” under the column labeled “Title”.
So it’s been a very revealing ride. We were lied to about Syria, and the narrative managers responsible for manipulating public perception of that lie have been falling all over themselves trying to conceal this obvious fact. Here’s hoping the truth keeps coming into the light, and that those with platforms large enough to punch through the propaganda matrix continue to do so.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-05-10--From Overstretch to Collapse

From Overstretch to Collapse

Quite right .
But how and why did this pitiable condition come about ?
Is it all Donald Trump ’ s fault as so many now assume ?
Or did the process begin earlier ?
The answer for any serious student of imperial politics is the latter .
Indeed , a fascinating email suggests that the tipping point occurred in early to mid-2014 , long before Trump set foot in the Oval Office .
Sent from U.S. General Wesley Clark to Philip Breedlove , Clark ’ s successor as NATO commander in Europe , the email is dated Apr .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Ukraine that had recently begun spinning out of control .
A few weeks earlier , the Obama administration had been on top of the world thanks to a nationalist insurrection in Kiev that had chased out a mildly pro-Russian president named Viktor Yanukovych .
Champagne glasses were no doubt clinking in Washington now that the Ukraine was solidly in the western camp .
But then everything went awry .
First , Vladimir Putin seized control of the Crimean Peninsula , site of an all-important Russian naval base at Sevastopol .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Luhansk , two Russian-speaking provinces in the Ukraine ’ s far east .
Suddenly , the country was coming apart at the seams , and the U.S. didn ’ t know what to do .
It was at that moment that Clark dashed off his note .
Already , he informed Breedlove , “ Putin has read U.S. inaction in Georgia and Syria as U.S. ‘ weakness.
’ ” But now , thanks to the alarming turn of events in the Ukraine , others were doing the same .
As he put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
China will have four aircraft carriers and airspace dominance in the Western Pacific , within 5 years , if current trends continue .
And if we let Ukraine slide away , it definitely raises the risks of conflict in the Pacific .
For , China will ask would the U.S. then assert itself for Japan , Korea , Taiwan the Philippines the South China Sea ?
… [ I ] f Russia takes Ukraine , Belarus will join the Eurasian Union , and , presto , the Soviet Union ( in another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baltics nor the Balkans will easily resist the political disruptions empowered by a resurgent Russia and what good is a NATO ‘ security guarantee ’ against internal subversion ?
… .
And then the U.S. will find a much stronger Russia , a crumbling NATO and [ a ] major challenge in the Western Pacific .
Far easier to [ hold ] the line now in Ukraine than elsewhere later ” [ emphasis in the original ] .
The email speaks volumes about the mentality of those in charge .
Conceivably , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things around – if , that is , it had shown a bit of flexibility , a willingness to compromise , and a willingness as well to stand up to the ultra-nationalists who had led the anti-Yanukovych upsurge and opposed anything smacking of an even-handed settlement .
But instead it did the opposite .
Back in the 1960s , cold warriors had argued that if Vietnam “ fell ” to the Communists , then Thailand , Burma , and even India would follow suit .
But the proposition that Clark now advanced was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding that a minor ethnic uprising in a part of the world that few people in Washington could find on the map was intolerable because it could cause the entire international structure to unravel .
NATO , U.S. control of the western Pacific , victory over the Soviets – all would be lost because a few thousand people insisted on speaking their native Russian .
Why such rigidity ?
The real problem was not so much a confrontation mindset as a phenomenon that the historian Paul Kennedy had identified in the late 1980s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empires before it , the U.S. had allowed itself to become so over-extended after twenty-five years of “ unipolarity ” that strategists had their hands full keeping an increasingly rickety structure together .
Nerves were on edge , which is why an ethnic uprising that might have been accommodated at an earlier stage of U.S. imperial development was no longer tolerable .
Because the rebels had run afoul of U.S. imperial priorities , they constituted a fundamental threat and therefore had to be bulldozed out of the way .
Except for one thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each new bulldoze operation only made matters worse .
Insurgents continued to hold their ground in Donetsk and Luhansk thanks to Russian backing while the government grew more and more corrupt and unstable back in Kiev .
In the Middle East , the situation was so confused that U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar were channeling money and arms to ISIS as it rampaged through eastern Syria and northern Iraq and advanced on Baghdad .
Thanks to the turmoil that U.S. policies were unleashing , millions of desperate refugees would soon make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spark a powerful nativist reaction that continues to this day .
U.S. hegemony was turning into a nightmare .
It was no different in an America shaken by Wahhabist terrorism and dismayed by wars in the Middle East that went nowhere yet never seemed to end .
Donald Trump rode a wave of discontent into the White House by promising to “ drain the swamp ” and bring the troops home .
Conceivably , he could have done just that once he was in office – if , that is , he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was capable of standing up to the CIA .
But the “ intelligence community ” struck back by launching a classic destabilization campaign based on the theme of Russian collusion while Trump ’ s foreign-policy ideas turned out be even more of a mess than Obama ’ s .
So the collapse intensified , which is why America is now such a helpless giant .
A crazy man is at the helm , yet the best Democrats can do is put up a candidate suffering from the early stages of senile dementia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No one knows how things will play out from this point on .
But two things are clear .
One is that the process did not start under Trump , while the other is that it will undoubtedly continue regardless of who wins in November .
Once collapse sets in , it ’ s impossible to stop .

“Over more than two centuries, the United States has stirred a very wide range of feelings in the rest of the world: love and hatred, fear and hope, envy and contempt, awe and anger. But there is one emotion that has never been directed towards the U.S. until now: pity.”
Quite right. But how and why did this pitiable condition come about? Is it all Donald Trump’s fault as so many now assume? Or did the process begin earlier?
The answer for any serious student of imperial politics is the latter. Indeed, a fascinating email suggests that the tipping point occurred in early to mid-2014, long before Trump set foot in the Oval Office.
Sent from U.S. General Wesley Clark to Philip Breedlove, Clark’s successor as NATO commander in Europe, the email is dated Apr. 12, 2014, and concerns events in the Ukraine that had recently begun spinning out of control. A few weeks earlier, the Obama administration had been on top of the world thanks to a nationalist insurrection in Kiev that had chased out a mildly pro-Russian president named Viktor Yanukovych. Champagne glasses were no doubt clinking in Washington now that the Ukraine was solidly in the western camp. But then everything went awry. First, Vladimir Putin seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, site of an all-important Russian naval base at Sevastopol. Then a pro-Russian insurgency took off in Donetsk and Luhansk, two Russian-speaking provinces in the Ukraine’s far east. Suddenly, the country was coming apart at the seams, and the U.S. didn’t know what to do.
It was at that moment that Clark dashed off his note. Already, he informed Breedlove, “Putin has read U.S. inaction in Georgia and Syria as U.S. ‘weakness.’” But now, thanks to the alarming turn of events in the Ukraine, others were doing the same. As he put it:
“China is watching closely. China will have four aircraft carriers and airspace dominance in the Western Pacific, within 5 years, if current trends continue. And if we let Ukraine slide away, it definitely raises the risks of conflict in the Pacific. For, China will ask would the U.S. then assert itself for Japan, Korea, Taiwan the Philippines the South China Sea?… [I]f Russia takes Ukraine, Belarus will join the Eurasian Union, and, presto, the Soviet Union (in another name) will be back.… Neither the Baltics nor the Balkans will easily resist the political disruptions empowered by a resurgent Russia and what good is a NATO ‘security guarantee’ against internal subversion?…. And then the U.S. will find a much stronger Russia, a crumbling NATO and [a] major challenge in the Western Pacific. Far easier to [hold] the line now in Ukraine than elsewhere later” [emphasis in the original].
The email speaks volumes about the mentality of those in charge. Conceivably, the Obama administration still had time to turn things around – if, that is, it had shown a bit of flexibility, a willingness to compromise, and a willingness as well to stand up to the ultra-nationalists who had led the anti-Yanukovych upsurge and opposed anything smacking of an even-handed settlement.
But instead it did the opposite. Back in the 1960s, cold warriors had argued that if Vietnam “fell” to the Communists, then Thailand, Burma, and even India would follow suit. But the proposition that Clark now advanced was even more extreme, a super-Domino Theory holding that a minor ethnic uprising in a part of the world that few people in Washington could find on the map was intolerable because it could cause the entire international structure to unravel. NATO, U.S. control of the western Pacific, victory over the Soviets – all would be lost because a few thousand people insisted on speaking their native Russian.
Why such rigidity? The real problem was not so much a confrontation mindset as a phenomenon that the historian Paul Kennedy had identified in the late 1980s: “imperial overstretch.” Like other empires before it, the U.S. had allowed itself to become so over-extended after twenty-five years of “unipolarity” that strategists had their hands full keeping an increasingly rickety structure together. Nerves were on edge, which is why an ethnic uprising that might have been accommodated at an earlier stage of U.S. imperial development was no longer tolerable. Because the rebels had run afoul of U.S. imperial priorities, they constituted a fundamental threat and therefore had to be bulldozed out of the way.
Except for one thing: the structure was so weak that each new bulldoze operation only made matters worse. Insurgents continued to hold their ground in Donetsk and Luhansk thanks to Russian backing while the government grew more and more corrupt and unstable back in Kiev. In the Middle East, the situation was so confused that U.S. allies like Saudi Arabia and Qatar were channeling money and arms to ISIS as it rampaged through eastern Syria and northern Iraq and advanced on Baghdad. Thanks to the turmoil that U.S. policies were unleashing, millions of desperate refugees would soon make their way to Europe where they would spark a powerful nativist reaction that continues to this day. U.S. hegemony was turning into a nightmare.
It was no different in an America shaken by Wahhabist terrorism and dismayed by wars in the Middle East that went nowhere yet never seemed to end. Donald Trump rode a wave of discontent into the White House by promising to “drain the swamp” and bring the troops home. Conceivably, he could have done just that once he was in office – if, that is, he had been serious about downsizing U.S. imperialism and was capable of standing up to the CIA. But the “intelligence community” struck back by launching a classic destabilization campaign based on the theme of Russian collusion while Trump’s foreign-policy ideas turned out be even more of a mess than Obama’s.
So the collapse intensified, which is why America is now such a helpless giant. A crazy man is at the helm, yet the best Democrats can do is put up a candidate suffering from the early stages of senile dementia, who may be a rapist to boot. No one knows how things will play out from this point on. But two things are clear. One is that the process did not start under Trump, while the other is that it will undoubtedly continue regardless of who wins in November. Once collapse sets in, it’s impossible to stop.