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December 20, 2023
Palestine Open Thread 2023-309
Comments
Apocalyptic advocates
I am good with the global challenge to end this cancer of elitism in our species even if it results in our planet becoming a nuclear waste zone for an eon.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 20 2023 17:59 utc | 37
Posters who talk like this are, typically, near the end of their lives. How old are you? Can you imagine that for someone as old as Greta Thunberg, your nuclear result is totally unacceptable?
I’m old enough to be spared most of the imminent climate catastrophe. But I will not be as cynic as making light of it, since it does destroy the planet’s beauty, and impairs its capacity of harbouring life, for eons to come, along with extinguishing many of today’s species forever.
Posted by: grunzt | Dec 20 2023 22:43 utc | 101
bevin 97:
“I see that Malaya has followed, despite the fact that its government is one that the US is said to have helped install.”
_______________________
Could the loss of two Malaysia Airlines jets in the context of the Ukraine “conflict” and general world conflict influence their decisions now regarding Israeli shipping?
Could they connect Israel with these two events?
Or is this purely an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Muslims (obviously not all Palestinians are Muslims)?
I would expect that there would be more than one reason for Malaysia to take action against Israel.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 20 2023 22:43 utc | 102
I’m old enough to be spared most of the imminent climate catastrophe. But I will not be as cynic as making light of it, since it does destroy the planet’s beauty, and impairs its capacity of harbouring life, for eons to come, along with extinguishing many of today’s species forever.
Posted by: grunzt | Dec 20 2023 22:43 utc | 100
++++++++++++
Never fear. Nature will bat last.
But we won’t be around to see—or comprehend—Nature’s response. It is occurring even now, but too slowly for impatient humans.
What we should do is just stop trying to steer nature. Because we don’t know where we are going, so there is no point in steering. We have to follow our own human nature. We cannot change that. Nature must and will deal with its creation.
Der Mensch denkt.
Gott/die Natur lenkt.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 20 2023 22:47 utc | 103
I don’t understand why some are so upset with Maria: “In order to feel empathy for a suffering child, do you need to know their nationality? If so, you are sick.”
Who is she referring to if not the Zionists of whatever religion who are ecstatic at the sight the massacre of children as long as they can be certain the children are Palestinian whereas we don’t see the same kind of exultation in the other camp if they see something similar happen to Israeli kids. The same logic applies to Ukraine: Russia feels no joy killing Ukies whereas the west and the Ukies are emotionally invested in the deaths of Russians. Examples abound and they are indeed sick. This moral asymmetry shows whose cause is just.
But it is possible she knows something we don’t. I suspect it may be that the US is using Hamas against Netanyahu as much as it is using Israel against Hamas. The US wants both Netanyahu and Hamas gone. What that may entail in practice was suggested in another thread.
Posted by: Jonathan W | Dec 20 2023 22:48 utc | 104
Posted by: bevin | Dec 20 2023 22:35 utc | 97
The Shah was anti communist. The nationalist matter you mention can only map to internal Iranian state activity against Kurdish (mainly) but that sort of ethnic unrest. External to Iran there is no basis to that claim that he was “tasked” with anti-nationalist anything. The shah’s error was that he bought into the Cold War narrative and the b.s. from his supposed allies in the West (which he swallowed due to his vanity).
Not sure why you are directing the China comment to me. Of course China is not going to do anything and I disagree it is just practical considerations. China is not going to be OK with hot heads continuing to run around in ME. They have a lot of big plans and all of them require peace and quiet. Russians are playing their usual two faced game in context of the Zionist Project. Nothing new. So I don’t blame China for not wanting to be involved in a war. However, China has economic power and they can use this leverage. That they don’t is some sort of input: -: they are all in. ~+: they actually are not that powerful.
Bevin, the awakening of the Umma will be spectacular. But first, we need to out the Cabal role players – assets, in spook speak. We live in the age of deception and we must be on guard.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 22:48 utc | 105
S p r i n t e r
@Sprinter99800
Tankers carrying Russian oil are not afraid of Houthi shelling
Despite the fact that the largest European companies have suspended the transit of oil through the Red Sea due to the increasing frequency of attacks by the Houthis, the largest Russian oil companies continue to actively transport raw materials along this route with the help of a shadow fleet. Thus, shortly after the attack on a Norwegian tanker on December 18, a cargo of Russian raw materials crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and several more such cargoes are now actively moving in this direction. In addition, a number of Russian tankers are already preparing to pass through the Suez Canal.
At the moment, the Russian Federation is the only major exporter west of Suez that has not seen a decrease in activity in the use of the Red Sea: even in November-December, the transit of Russian oil remains at the level of 1.5 million bpd, decreasing only to the extent that Turkey increased its purchases of Russian oil.
https://twitter.com/Sprinter99800/status/1737246364667449691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Posted by: Menz | Dec 20 2023 22:52 utc | 106
Hamas is cheating!
They kill Zionist Merkava4 tanks with US made Javelin and then tell the world that it was done by their own Yassin 105.
https://t.me/syriankhabar/35415
Well, at least some Nato arms is being used for a fair cause.
Posted by: Framarz | Dec 20 2023 23:03 utc | 107
Posted by: bevin | Dec 20 2023 22:35 utc | 97
& p.s.
You mentioned CENTO. I wrote CENTCOM.
There would be no CENTCOM in Persian Gulf , and certainly no American bases in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Bavarian, if Shah had remained in power. Not a chance.
He already openly told interviewers in early 70s that if West refuses to help Iran arm and industrialize he would turn “elsewhere” and everyone knew that was Soviet Union. He had already done this with the steel industry. His father too was refused help by the West to industrialize which is why he turned to Nazi Germany and got us Iran’s first railroads. Overall, since early assessments made by the British Empire in the 19th regarding various lands to loot, Iran was categorized in an undesirable box: both for colonization (never even attempted) and industrialization (always resisted).
A developing Iran, to its full potential, was and remains an unacceptable matter to Russia, Arabs, West, Turkey, and possibly (not sure) India. China too knows that an industrial Iran is yet another smart nation ready to complete along with Indians.
In 1979, Iran pumped 6 million barrels per day. It has never even come close to that in the past 44 years. That income was to fuel Iran’s development. And the rest of the ~2mbp has had to be sold to Globalist projects China and India (so *they* can industrialize)
So tldr; kindly spare me the puppet shah nonsense. And certainly don’t tell me you care for Iran and Iranians more than me. That is my motherland. And for this son of Iran, the matter and intent of all actors involved are clear. And our king was an Iranian patriot. His regime was flawed to put it mildly but the intent was 100% for Iran’s benefit.
It is very telling when the entire world has ganged up on a single man and not a single one says a good word about the man, specially considering his accomplishments. The Cabal wanted the Shah gone. They sent a Mullah from Paris who said “Shah must go” and he did and here we are.
=—
Btw, did you see the link I posted a couple of weeks ago to a fictional story than ran in New York Magazine in early 70s? A breathless story of how the Shah of Iran blitzed the oil fields of Arabs and becomes the “strongman of the world”. A ‘fantastic’ read. This is what they were saying about Shah in 70s. And that fear of “Persian empire 2.0” is what got the Arabs to sign the Petrodollar agreement.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:04 utc | 108
82 karlof1. Russia wants to cleanse itself of memories of Jewish programs and driving Russian Jews to other countries like Israel?
” It is very telling when the entire world has ganged up on a single man and not a single one says a good word about the man, specially considering his accomplishments. The Cabal wanted the Shah gone. They sent a Mullah from Paris who said “Shah must go” and he did and here we are.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:04 utc | 107 ”
Heres one major reason why.
https://youtu.be/9RH2wXQtFdo?t=48
Posted by: Moonie | Dec 20 2023 23:12 utc | 110
79 Karlof1. It is true, however imo, that ordinary US Jews are in more danger here than they were before the situation in the ME was highlighted by Israel’s bestial war on Palestinians. Numbskull Biden threatened US Jews when he said he was protecting US Jews by supporting Israeli Zionists. With friend like him US Jews don’t need enemies.
So tldr; kindly spare me the puppet shah nonsense. And certainly don’t tell me you care for Iran and Iranians more than me. That is my motherland. And for this son of Iran, the matter and intent of all actors involved are clear. And our king was an Iranian patriot. His regime was flawed to put it mildly but the intent was 100% for Iran’s benefit.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:04 utc | 107
You have been smoking that strong stuff again … tsk, tsk, tsk!
Posted by: Framarz | Dec 20 2023 23:22 utc | 112
Karloff 1. Dec. 19. Russia and China are “quasi-socialist/communist states.” Definitely quasi. — not internalism just globalisation.
In response to
”
Apocalyptic advocates
I am good with the global challenge to end this cancer of elitism in our species even if it results in our planet becoming a nuclear waste zone for an eon.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 20 2023 17:59 utc | 37
Posters who talk like this are, typically, near the end of their lives. How old are you? Can you imagine that for someone as old as Greta Thunberg, your nuclear result is totally unacceptable?
I’m old enough to be spared most of the imminent climate catastrophe. But I will not be as cynic as making light of it, since it does destroy the planet’s beauty, and impairs its capacity of harbouring life, for eons to come, along with extinguishing many of today’s species forever.
Posted by: grunzt | Dec 20 2023 22:43 utc | 100
”
You are incorrect in characterizing anyone standing up to the God Of Mammon bully cult as being an apocalyptic advocate. I am 75 and didn’t make any children to have skin in the game but I am a MoA barfly with a I Support Public Banking sign pointing to http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org in my front yard on a college bus route….and you?
I studied the future with a cultural anthropologist for a year almost 50 years ago and we tried to do public policy planning and watched it shut down by the cult.
I am not the only one standing up to the sick form of social organization that is the West and I am not the one with nukes in my back pocket.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 20 2023 23:41 utc | 114
Heres one major reason why.
https://youtu.be/9RH2wXQtFdo?t=48
Posted by: Moonie | Dec 20 2023 23:12 utc | 109
++++++++++
I don’t understand “here’s one major reason why.”
A reason why the whole world has ganged up on “the shah”?
How does the Mike Wallace interview show that? I don’t see it. Or, I misunderstand the intent of Moonie’s comment.
A very interesting interview. It shows the arrogance of Western media stars and their general smug know-it-all demeanor. The Shah held his own pretty well, I think. Most of Wallace’s questions are based on rumors someone has written. Zero evidence. Wallace’s little half smile of incredulity that the Shah pushes back is silly. He doesn’t have anything to say that isn’t prepared for him by his researchers. He doesn’t know anything on his own.
I’m not a fan of the Shah of Iran—probably I am a victim of propaganda—but IMO Wallace comes off in this interview not much better than the cringe-inducing BBC, CNN, Charlie Roses, and other interviewers of our time who see it as their job to make their guests look bad and themselves, look good.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 20 2023 23:46 utc | 116
Yes i know this is the Palistine thread.
Now about Putin… we need to know he’s the president of Russia, he’s done a pretty good job of defending Russia too.
If only the west had a few more men of his caliber and moral strength.
He’s not our wet nurse, he’s done his bit, and indirectly helped the western public more than our own reptilian polititans.
So lets cut him some slack shall we.
Perhaps by not weighing in against the izzies he’s teaching us the hardest lesson ie how to stand up for our selfs and survive or fall.
We voted these vermin in.
I have said before this fight wont be won by Russia and it wont be won in the Middle East it will be won or lost in America and england.
Lets all grow a pair and not whine about the great Vladimir Putin.
Posted by: Mark2 | Dec 20 2023 23:46 utc | 117
What are the enemy’s weapons, capabilities, location, morale and disposition? Likewise, same questions regarding us and our friendly units. These are the no bullshit questions that the military leader at the operational level asks himself every minute of the day. These questions can only be objective because if they’re not you will get your men killed.
Apply this objective assessment to Israel. Bibi is either a fool or he is a man desperately trying to keep himself and his wife out of prison. Or maybe both. Regardless, Bibi has doomed Israel and possibly Jews in general.
Refer to the first sentence of this post. Israel is populated by 7 million Jews with an additional 2 million Muslims and Christians. The Muslim countries bordering Israel number 500 million. It’s always been the case in the past that Israel could temporarily lash out at those 500 million Muslims without repercussions because the indomitable USA military was there to back them up.
Bibi has grossly miscalculated. The US hegemony is over. The US military is a joke. Russia and China are at least 30 years ahead of us in terms of military capabilities. Mostly Russia. How do our astronauts get to the space station? We hitchhike rides from the Russians! Even two months ago Putin allowed it in spite of Biden’s belligerence so maybe we stop calling Russia a backwards unsophisticated country. Especially since our “diversified” NASA can’t even build a viable rocket anymore. But NASA does have women, blacks and trannies in spades.
The Eisenhower and Ford carrier groups exist at China and Russia’s pleasure. At any moment of the day there could be two carrier groups along with twenty thousand dead sailors and Marines at the bottom of the What are the enemy’s weapons, capabilities, location, morale and disposition? Likewise, same questions regarding us and our friendly units. These are the no bullshit questions that the military leader at the operational level asks himself every minute of the day. These questions can only be objective because if they’re not you will get your men killed.
Apply this objective assessment to Israel. Bibi is either a fool or he is a man desperately trying to keep himself and his wife out of prison. Or maybe both. Regardless, Bibi has doomed Israel and possibly Jews in general.
Refer to the first sentence of this post. Israel is populated by 7 million Jews with an additional 2 million Muslims and Christians. The Muslim countries bordering Israel number 500 million. It’s always been the case in the past that Israel could temporarily lash out at those 500 million Muslims without repercussions because the indomitable USA military was there to back them up.
Bibi has grossly miscalculated. The US hegemony is over. The US military is a joke. Russia and China are at least 30 years ahead of us in terms of military capabilities. Mostly Russia. How do our astronauts get to the space station? We hitchhike rides from the Russians! Even two months ago Putin allowed it in spite of Biden’s belligerence so maybe we stop calling Russia a backwards unsophisticated country. Especially since our “diversified” NASA can’t even build a viable rocket anymore. But NASA does have women, blacks and trannies in spades.
The Eisenhower and Ford carrier groups exist at China and Russia’s pleasure. At any moment of the day there could be two carrier groups along with twenty thousand dead sailors and Marines at the bottom of the ocean.
Thankfully, the Chinese, the Russians and all of the Middle East only want to have peace and do business and prosper. For now.
It is only two belligerent little brats, the USA and Israel, against 95% of entire global population, that want to have their genocidal privilege and are dissenting. Sickening and sad for me. My family lives in the USA. My apologies to the rest of the world.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 20 2023 23:47 utc | 118
Posted by: Moonie | Dec 20 2023 23:12 utc | 109
This is 76 and you can see he is slurring at times and seems fatigued. This is, even the comments in that link express admiration, the shah at the top of his game. He was a very intelligent man and as can plainly be seen an human being with a heart.
He was wrong regarding the corruption in his family. The same Sabeti (Savak #2 — think smiley) had in fact repeatedly presented reports regarding the matter and he would not hear of it. It was interesting to see how animated he became when the matter of arms deal corruption (per Shah, USA is one of the most corrupt countries btw) came up. “I pick the systems” But unknown to many, one of the main tasks of Savak was in fact chasing corrupt generals and royals. Sabeti’ s book (In the midst of the Arena) goes in depth regarding Savak and Iran’s politics from Sabeti’s POV. As for the complaining from his security services regarding non cooperation of American services with Iranian dissidents, the man was not aware that a future revolutionary, Ghotbzadeh the spokesman for Imam in Paris, was allowed to remain in US due to direct intervention of RFK.
The Coming Oil War: How the Shah Will Win the World”
Paul E. Erdman, New York magazine, December 2, 1974
https://iranian.com/History/2002/October/Crash/index.html
A selection:
Around 10 AM. on the morning of February 19, 1976, another limousine came through the Maloja Pass, which connects the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, Ticino, with the Engadin Valley in the Grisons. This time it was a Fiat, the driver an Italian, and the two passengers Russians’the minister of defense of the Soviet Union. Marshal Andrei Grechko, and his interpreter.The trip had originated in Turin, here Grechko had been spending the week as the guest of Fiat.
The Russians knew that the huge truck plant which Fiat built in Togliattigrad in the early 1970’s was also eminently suitable for manufacturing such items as tanks, armored personnel carriers, even aircraft frames in a pinch. It required only a conversion job costing around a billion dollars, and a contractor that had the know-how and the spare engineering capacity. Fiat had both, thanks to the fact that for decades it had been one of the major suppliers of arms to NATO, and the further fact that as a result of Italy’s disastrous economic situation, half of Fiat’s capacity lay idle.
So Fiat had tendered a bid that at best would cover its overhead. The Russians knew this, and Grechko had been fully prepared to sign the deal the very first day in Turin. But Russians never sign anything the first day. So the five-day visit. This Thursday had been scheduled as Grechko’s day off, a day to be spent privately. enjoying the unique beauty the Alps in winter.
The Fiat entered the grounds of the Suvretta House. and headed directly for the shah’s villa. The two Russians had barely emerged from the car when General Khatami and Commander Fereydoun Shahandeh appeared. Four handshakes, a dozen words, and they disappeared inside. The shah was standing in front of the fireplace in the library when they entered. He extended a hand to each Russian, and indicated that they would be seated on the sofa behind a massive wooden coffee table. He himself chose an armchair on the opposite side.
The two Iranian military men remained standing to the shah’s rear. “We shall speak English,” were his first words. Marshal Grechko nodded his agreement, so the shahanshah continued. “I do appreciate your agreeing to this rather unusual arrangement. You understand that it would have been impossible for me to come to Moscow, and very awkward to receive you in Teheran.”
“We fully understand, Your Majesty,” replied Grechko through his interpreter and both nodded their heads slightly as the words were beingrepeated. Russians are as much in awe of royalty as are Americans. “The subject I wish to discuss is Iraq. It is not the first time that that country has come up in our talks over the years.” Silence from the sofa. “You are, of course, aware that Iraq has attacked Iran at least a dozen times during the past five years. It is preparing to attack again, this time on a massive scale,” Still silence. “We further believe that the Americans will use this military conflict as excuse for intervention, in order — as they so nicely put it’to ‘stabilize’ the Middle East.”
“How?” asked Grechko through his translator.
“There are 12,000 American military ‘advisers’ in Saudi Arabia. For yearsthey have been trying to convince Faisal that Iran, not the United States, is the real enemy of the Arab people. And what better proof than a major Iranian-Iraqi armed conflict? Now to answer your question: the Saudi/American armed forces would move immediately to ‘secure their northern flank.’ Which means their occupation of the entire western coast of the Persian Gulf, up to and including Kuwait. But, all this can be prevented.”
“How?” repeated Grechko.
“Very simply, though at great sacrifice to my country. Iran would make a preemptive strike. Not just against Iraq. We would simultaneously neutralize Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, as well as the northern tip of Oman. We will have the entire Persian Gulf — both sides — in our hands before the Americans even find out. After that they, and their friends the Saudis, will be finished in the Middle East.”
The shah paused, and then added six further words: “Provided your country does not intervene.”
“We could not stand idly by,” said Grechko immediately. “Iraq is our friend.”
“But so is Iran. And it is I, only I, who can stop the Americans from gaining control of the Gulf.”
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:51 utc | 119
Posted by: Moonie | Dec 20 2023 23:12 utc | 109
The US complaining about torture in the mid-70s, its almost quaint. It’s too bad our pearl-clutching US journalist wasn’t focused on the killing fields of the Khmer Rouge and its CIA operation at that time instead of creating brown boogeymen.
Posted by: Turk 152 | Dec 20 2023 23:52 utc | 120
An article about the situation in Yemen from a US perspective.
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/20/middleeast/us-destroyers-houthi-drones-red-sea-intl-hnk-ml/index.html
According to the article, Djibouti seems to be important for the supply of US ships.
It is within reach of the Houthis.
The question of whether neighbouring countries will make their territory, airports and seaports available to the Pentagon mob is probably more important.
Otherwise Saudi Arabia will block the land side.
However, the USA has many bases in the region anyway.
The buck has already stopped here.
Hopefully the Houthis have sufficient and effective air defences. Or an even better concept…
Posted by: 600w | Dec 20 2023 23:55 utc | 122
Fat callused fingers and TBI mate. Probably some ignorance of technology. Possibly some whiskey as well.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 20 2023 23:57 utc | 123
Correction: he was obviously under medication here and -not- at the top of his game. By 78 he was very ill and mentally weakened.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:58 utc | 124
It took some time but “Seasons Greetings: Maria Zakharova’s Briefing Selections” is now available for perusal. In my epilog, I pointed to the commentary made earlier on this thread, but there’s much more than just the Palestine Crisis in the selections. Perhaps I should’ve suggested watching the video after reading instead of before, that way it would end on an positive note.
Lavieja | Dec 20 2023 23:33 utc | 112–
Thanks for your replies. As to your @108, I see nothing in current Russian policy that’s driven by any sort of guilt or remorse from the past. Rather, as I’ve pointed to before, Russia has a Constitutional duty to its citizens that reside in Palestine, which is why it acted so strongly and quickly to evacuate those who wanted to leave not just Gaza but Occupied Palestine too. Ukraine on the other hand does involve the historical past as Putin just talked about yesterday and many times previously.
As to your @112, In researching, observing and writing about Russia’s current political-economy, I’ve used several different terms that are close to being equivalent, Socialism with Russian Characteristics being perhaps the most apt; but recently, I thought Publicly Owned Capitalism might be more accurate since socialism is basically capitalism with public ownership of most means of production. But as Putin has said over the last week or so on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Russia’s Constitution and its Parliamentary System that Russia’s still evolving and remains a work-in-progress with a very large amount of work to do.
@robinthehood
You are again going off-topic. Once it is “Bad Ayatollah” story then you come up with “Son of Iran, Shah” fairy tail.
To answer your question, if Shah of Iran was a puppet or not:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7coh9-MpFJo
Posted by: Framarz | Dec 21 2023 0:12 utc | 126
“Terror in Iran” — Reza Baraheni, 1976
>No historian of the Middle East and Iran will deny that the CIA overthrew the legally elected government of Dr. Mossadeq in August 1953, brought back to the country the Shah, his wife, his brothers and sisters who had run away earlier, and reinstalled the present monarch on the throne.
>Thousands of men and women have been summarily executed during the last twenty-three years. More than 300,000 people have been in and out of prison during the last nineteen years of the existence of SAVAK; an average of 1,500 people are arrested every month. In one instance alone, American-trained counterinsurgency troops of the Iranian Army and SAVAK killed more than 6,000 people on June 5, 1963.
>According to Amnesty International’s Annual Report for 1974-1975 “the total number of political prisoners has been reported at times throughout the year [1975] to be anything from 25,000 to 100,000.”
Martin Ennals, secretary general of Amnesty International, reports in his introduction to the above book: “The Shah of Iran retains his benevolent image despite the highest rate of death penalties in the world, no valid system of civilian courts and a history of torture which is beyond belief.” . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21 2023 0:17 utc | 127
[Sorry for OT – last but need to answer this]
Posted by: Framarz | Dec 21 2023 0:12 utc | 125
Reading comprehension Framarz. Work on it.
It is not a question in my mind regarding his relation to the Western powers. The puppet story is pure propaganda. The Shah was far less a puppet of the West or US than most “international community” PMs and presidents. Japan, Germany come to mind. It is a ludicrous charge that only work on the historically illiterate. & that ain’t me sweetheart.
As for your love of this Ali Agha, that is a very strange thing indeed. 🙂
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 0:17 utc | 128
https://sputnikglobe.com/20231220/yemens-houthis-say-carrying-out-general-mobilization-to-possibly-send-soldiers-to-gaza-1115703930.html
Posted by: Surferket | Dec 20 2023 14:42 utc | 2
Aha! We’ve been speculating about this for a while.
Through tunnels under the Egyptian border they go!
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 0:24 utc | 130
God created war so that Americans would learn geography. (Mark Twain)
Ha! So true! That’s me! Oh man. I am admittedly a product of the American public school system.
I learned geography by being deployed for war to kill folks. Sad testament of our public schools. No excuse. Sadder testament of me. I’ve got a world map on the wall. I’m finally learning.
And I’m teaching my kids. I won’t allow them to be ignorant like me.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 21 2023 0:32 utc | 131
🤔
To consider:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/amid-un-security-council-intrigue-us-privately-moves-to-block-another-option-for-international-accountability-for-gaza/ar-AA1lO6fP
“Amid U.N. Security Council Intrigue, U.S. Privately Moves To Block Another Option For International Accountability For Gaza”
***Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists are supporting the call for an urgent conference.
The Biden administration wants to ensure 2024 does not see a similar event.
By early January, American diplomats plan to lobby their Swiss counterparts to reject the request from the Palestinians and watchdog organizations.
Internal documents seen by HuffPost direct U.S. officials to convey “serious concern” about the Palestinian effort and make a series of arguments against it. The American diplomats should say the U.N. General Assembly has not since the start of the Gaza war passed a resolution calling for such a conference to be held, and the Conventions do not include directions for the procedure of calling conferences, per the documents.
https://tass.com/world/1724527
The ministers call for the convening of an international peace conference, as soon as possible, from which a credible peace process will be launched on the basis of international law,” according to the joint declaration
A couple of highlights… but needs thorough read:
World looks “done” with US/Israel non-compliance.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Dec 21 2023 0:35 utc | 132
UNSC vote delayed another day over continuing US objections to specific language. Blinken tries to make it appear the US is merely concerned with getting the aid rolling efficiently:
“At a news conference on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the White House’s goal was to negotiate a resolution that “actually advances” efforts to deliver aid “and doesn’t do anything that could actually hurt the delivery of humanitarian assistance, or make it more complicated…I hope we can get to a good place,” he said.”
More detail is offered by Reuters:
“After more than a week of negotiations and several days of vote delays, diplomats said the U.S. is unhappy that the draft asks UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to establish a UN mechanism “to exclusively monitor all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through land, sea and air routes of those States that are not parties to the conflict.” During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, asked for a delay to allow for U.S. diplomacy with Egypt. She also raised concerns that the aid monitoring proposal could slow deliveries, diplomats said.”
The hold-up, then, is based on the draft plan’s language overriding Israel’s insistence on screening all goods entering Gaza – I.e. the UN will establish means to “exclusively monitor” all the aid. Under the ridiculous pretext that such monitoring will somehow “slow deliveries”, the US is frantically strong-arming Egypt to back off its support for this plan, so Israel and its supporters (I.e. the genociders) maintain all control over the territory.
Posted by: jayc | Dec 21 2023 0:37 utc | 133
more on Mark Twain…
In writing about an attack on a tribal group in the Philippines, Twain refers to American troops as “our uniformed assassins” and describes their killing of “six hundred helpless and weaponless savages” as “a long and happy picnic with nothing to do but sit in comfort and fire the Golden Rule into those people down there and imagine letters to write home to the admiring families, and pile glory upon glory.” . . .Twain and America’s “Uniformed Assassins”
They’re still “keeping us safe” with a million dead Iraqis, and others.
Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21 2023 0:49 utc | 134
United we stand devided we fall.
Posted by: Mark2 | Dec 21 2023 0:17 utc | 128
Distributed, we prosper …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 0:55 utc | 135
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 20 2023 23:51 utc | 118
Off topic, but:
You realize the Ayatollahs are the best thing to happen to Iran in 5000 years of Irani history, right?
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 0:59 utc | 136
Spain has dropped out of the coalition of the unwilling.
Something about the EU not approving the paperwork.
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 0:59 utc | 137
Link in support of @136
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/spain-denies-us-claims-it-will-help-patrol-red-sea/3087182
Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 21 2023 1:12 utc | 138
I would expect that there would be more than one reason for Malaysia to take action against Israel.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 20 2023 22:43 utc | 101
More to the point, will we soon see more mysterious Malaysian Airlines “incidents” as a consequence of Malaysia’s stance … ?
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 1:19 utc | 139
Posted by: Jane | Dec 20 2023 21:28 utc | 86
I disagree with you on this, Jane. Maria is right, and karlof1 also for supporting her. This tragedy affects both Palestinians and Jews; it is a death for both. The Zionist leadership is killing Jewish culture. And as for the children- a spiritual death is being suffered by Israeli children who have been brainwashed at such an early age. Better for those who have done this to them that they have a millstone around their necks and be cast into the sea.
But even the adults, their parents — they will be suffering a spiritual death which is only just beginning. Their culture is dead now, dead to the world and dead for them as well. This is Jerusalem we are discussing here. This distortion of their religion, their heritage – even if they think that is right- will affect them as much as it will their children.
It is a tragedy for all the Jewish people. Just think: who in their right minds could be happy with what is being done in their name?
And Maria is correct about where the blame lies. As in Ukraine, if weapons were not being supplied this would not have happened. It is not Russia that has done this, any more than it is Russia who lit the match, supplied the kindling, for Ukraine’s tragedy.
Posted by: juliania | Dec 21 2023 1:22 utc | 140
> 5000 years of Iranian history
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 0:59 utc | 135
You’ve mentioned this before. Am interested in your thoughts on this matter. Make the case Arch and don’t bungle it.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 1:40 utc | 141
50 tunnel flooding success stories. I think once idf realised the world saw 5 levels of tunnels with cars driving in some they killed the narrative/ pictures. It was only a matter of time before some engineering apprentice showed the maths equation for the size of pumps and volume of water required to do the job. Then compare the buckets and line of men from sea to a tiny hole all done in sandy soil by the sea.
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 1:44 utc | 142
Organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, “Epic Iran” showcased how civilized life emerged in Iran around 3,200 BC, and how a distinctive Iranian identity, formed 2,500 years ago, has survived until today, expressed through artistic continuities, religious affiliations, and the Persian language.
Lots of acheology that’s accepted as 7k old. Pottery statues, etc. Is that the sort of info sought? Art shows the culture over 5000 years of continuous flourishment
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 1:54 utc | 143
Posted by: jayc | Dec 21 2023 0:37 utc | 132
delayed by what?
Israel wants to fast-track humanitarian aid to Gaza via Cyprus says foreign minister, Dec 20
Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen said Israeli and Cypriot technical teams would spend Wednesday and Thursday finalising the details of the initiative, which would allow aid shipments to depart as soon as possible from Larnaca, a coastal city almost 400 kilometres away from Gaza.
[…]
Sea vessels will be tasked with delivering aid directly to the Gazan shoreline after shipments have been thoroughly inspected at Larnaca port in the presence of Israeli officials and international personnel. Cyprus has confirmed that several countries, including Britain, have dispatched aid that is currently stored at the port. Britain has also sent a vessel to help with deliveries.
“It is a commitment to commence now and evolve into what, we hope, will be a long-term enterprise,” Kombos said of the preliminary agreement. “Cyprus stands ready. We look forward to your green light for the first voyage,” he told his Israeli counterpart.
Daily Sabah did not mentioned that arrangement, but I suppose MoD has eyes on. Türkiye’ been flying relief from mainland and northern Cyprus air bases for at least 6 weeks.
Posted by: sln2002 | Dec 21 2023 1:56 utc | 144
Jane | Dec 20 2023 21:28 utc | 86
*** Her [Zakharova’s] comments sound like pilpul. She is obviously trying to avoid “offending” Jewish Russians. IMO it is high time that all Jews were put on notice the same as the Germans: Which side are (were) you on? Are (were) you a “good Jew” or a “genocidal Jew”?
If you as a Jewish Russian are pissed off or righteously offended, tough s— for you.
Go to Israel to defend the Zionists and help them with their genocide.
Here is a plane ticket and a pair of boots. So long.
I say the same for Jewish Americans.***
Agreed.
But a decade or more ago, didn’t Russia sign up to imposing at least one of the international Zionist modular handcuffs (since intensified, piece by piece and usually featuring “the holocaust”) which combine towards basically making it illegal in thus afflicted countries to seriously criticise Israel or “Jews” (aka Zionists and Zionism) at all, no matter how vile their behaviour?
Which might effectively censor what could be said by her now….
Posted by: Cynic | Dec 21 2023 1:56 utc | 145
We have to expect a big escalation against Yemen/ Lebanon/ Iran soon.
But there is talk of another ceasefire/ prisoner exchange.
This might provide cover for a Zionist retreat from Gaza,
Posted by: anon | Dec 21 2023 2:02 utc | 146
You’ve mentioned this before. Am interested in your thoughts on this matter. Make the case Arch and don’t bungle it.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 1:40 utc | 140
No need to do much. It’s self evident.
The current life expectancy for Iran in 2023 is 77.33 years, a 0.25% increase from 2022.
vs.
The current life expectancy for U.S. in 2023 is 79.11 years, a 0.08% increase from 2022.
For a nation that’s essentially the “Cuba of the Middle East” to be only within ~2 years of the life expectancy of the most privileged, ‘most free’, ‘most exceptional’, ‘most powerful’ nation on earth is both a glaring indictment of the Ersatz Democracy practiced in the West and a stunning validation of the system of government implemented by the Ayatollahs.
(Those extra 2 years the Americans have are probably spent rotting away without medical aid abandoned in an old-age home, or on the streets in a cardboard box)
I won’t get into the security, technology, democratic, education, and sovereignty advances fostered under the care of Khomeini and Khamenei as I’ve done so on this site before. Suffice to say that in all these eras the Ayatollahs have brought Iran to the forefront of many fields while Iran is essentially under Western siege.
Imagine where Iran could be without having to deal with the concentrated malevolence of the entire ‘Free World’
By contrast, under the Shah, Iran was merely a highly paid whore for the Americans, Brits and Izzraelis.
The Ayatollahs returned to that whore her dignity, salvation and independence.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 2:16 utc | 147
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 1:54 utc | 142
No, I am awaiting our friend’s thesis on why the Mullahs, these are the learned men who are superior to the garden variety Muslim who are indeed immature and infirm as orphans and the retarded and thus need ‘adult’ supervision by the Mullahs, these very same special creatures of almighty, who if I may dare so publicly wonder may have in this one instance granted too much liberty to the devil to wage war against innocent children of Adam, are indeed, per our witty and possibly ironic and undeniably prolific commentator Arch Bungel — take a bow Arch — are the “best thing to happen to Iran” in “5000 years”. Naturally curiosity is piqued as what possible benefit does one see in the specie of Satan we have just mentioned. We wait for the wisdom of the Supreme or rather Arch Bungler.
> “ the Victoria & Albert Museum” [oh dear ..]
That said, I’ll take you up on your offer with a query: Did the ever suspect Limeys of that blighted island, the aptly named Perfidious Albion, managed to construe that Elam’s history is part of “Iranian” history? I bet they did. Those bastards. In general it’s a safe bet to always triple check an Englishman or British institutions’ claims. They have been known to have a ‘difficult’ relationship with truth.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 2:16 utc | 148
Gee, I see while I was compiling my selections I was getting roasted on the first page of comments. Well, as I said to Sean the Troll who was trying to disrupt the commentary thread on one of my substacks, “You stated your opinion and I’m letting it stand. I have no need to refute your opinion.” And that seemed to really rile as its further comments reflected. I addressed the entire issue in my epilogue to that article, which again is here.
As a young soldier I remember that when the shah was visiting the US he was asked about torturing citizens, and him responding yes, and when I get back I’ll do some more. The colonel that related that to me was impressed by the Shah’s sense of humor.
. . .and the beat goes on in Persia. . .
CNN Special Report – Feb 2023
How Iran used a network of secret torture centers to crush an uprising . . .here
Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21 2023 2:19 utc | 150
Quds News Network
@QudsNen
A little child finally finds his mother following an Israeli strike on their house Al Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, #Gaza.
https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1737265349051953300
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 2:22 utc | 151
No, I am awaiting our friend’s thesis on why the Mullahs, these are the learned men who are superior to the garden variety Muslim who are indeed immature and infirm as orphans and the retarded and thus need ‘adult’ supervision by the Mullahs, these very same special creatures of almighty, who if I may dare so publicly wonder may have in this one instance granted too much liberty to the devil to wage war against innocent children of Adam, are indeed, per our witty and possibly ironic and undeniably prolific commentator Arch Bungel — take a bow Arch — are the “best thing to happen to Iran” in “5000 years”. Naturally curiosity is piqued as what possible benefit does one see in the specie of Satan we have just mentioned. We wait for the wisdom of the Supreme or rather Arch Bungler.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 2:16 utc | 147
Seriously, robin? Word Salad? What do you think this is, Reddit?
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 2:24 utc | 152
The denial of the Global American Empire and all the vassal states therein. What you “want” to do is irrelevant now. It’s so funny to witness from an operator’s standpoint. You have no power anymore.
Me, the lowly trigger-puller. Who has fought your wars for the last thirty years I must apparently explain these facts of life to you. You, aka “we” are done being the global hegemony. It’s over.
Moreover, me and my white children are going to sit this next one out. Send in the women blacks and trannies against those white- alpha male Russian-Christian soldiers or those alpha male Chinese Han soldiers. Get it on with that diversity strength.
I got my popcorn. Me and my white children are going to sit back and watch the show.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 21 2023 2:34 utc | 153
Hankster@154
Quite right. One can perceive the status of a culture, whether it is evolving or devolving, by both artistic expressions and architecture. Currently here in the U$$A…aka the ruptured republic…its not too difficult to determine that following our involvement in WWI, taking the wrong side, even, overall aesthetic sensibilities tended to gradually deteriorate. We may attribute that to the establishment of the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank in 1913 and next the lies which brought the country into the war; that connective with the immense amounts of taxpayer dollars which went into hyperventilating the industrial prowess of the Dupont Crime Clan…to the extent that they still are the primary shareholders in General Motors.
Those Roaring Twenties was a period when materialism, industrialization and centralization on the corporate level virtually skyrocketed. With exceptions such the Art Deco phenomenon, as best expressed architecturally in the Chrysler building; it generally could be said that the skyscraper craze in Manhattan totally changed the vibe of that largest of all American cities. You could witness the gradual but accelerating devolution of the fine arts in the 20’s and 30’s, even though the now finally being recognized work of Norman Rockwell began to thrive during that era.
Come the FDR administration, public buildings frequently took on a fascistic, New Deal Cubism formulation. Automobiles during that era did happen to present the world with some amazing advancements, not only mechanically, but also aesthetically, as the previous boxy look tended to become more and more flowing. Yet, architecture and the building trades moved along in their steady devolution. Boxy structures, perhaps that stoopid Bauhaus nonsense, tended to become more and more degrading, even excepting for the work of conceptual genius such as the works of Frank Lloyd Wright.
With the onset of WWII, things began going to hell in the proverbial hand basket. You could see it in the magazines of the day which began switching from artist designed covers and even advertising to more and more schlocky early stage color photography. Life became one of hurry up and wait centering on a feeling of Bureaucracy gone crazy and more of the WarDefense industry transforming once magical California into freeways and suburban sprawl, by all those “defense” industry jobs and mass migration on the parts of war-workers and returning soldiers and sailors…most particularly from those areas now known as “fly over country”. Unfortunately, those migrants included many of the very people who could have been instrumental in their home regions in reconstruction of their own countryside and hometowns.
Postwar and even though there were remaining tendrils of cultural enhancement and development; the mass effect tended towards simplistic and even tawdry architecture in the orbs, burbs and countryside, along with a dearth of the Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton artistry which depicted both human and landscape harmony and beauty. With the onset of the boobtoob, the whole scene devolved into mass hypnotic dissociation from any forms of aesthetic harmony. Beauty was overcome by the beastliness of plexiglas and neon hysteria, as never-never lands such as Lost Wages never there erupted in previously serene desert environments. Concrete, steel and aluminum boxes, ever soaring higher and higher until an apotheosis of that devolutionary spin sent egos into overdrive in the Twin Towers.
Even airplanes lost their picturesque charm as jet travel became too streamlined to be real. Meanwhile in the automotive dimension and along with household appliances began taking the easy way out by craftily designed instant obsolescence. Object, throw out the old stuff…it’s outta fashion. Lets buy the newest and brightest…exemplified by the tailefin phenomenon and going completely hyper with bigger and bigger along with muscle cars on amphetamines.
Bonfire of the vanities, anyone? Check out those new “Side-by-Sides” and hundred thousand dollar pickemup trucks now dominating the vast reaches of rural America. Adulterated boys need their one-up on you toys along with nest-feathering interiors favored by too many womenfolk. The kids are senselessly rebelling with cellphone mania, to the point where even a couple on a dinner date spend much of their time on their “devices”…failing mostly to even make eye-contact.
Left-brain overload and materialistic mantras are all indications of accelerating cultural dementia. Once upon a time America had become a dreamland, a destination for folks right across the planet. The devastation of the aesthetic dimension has played a leading role in the devolution of the American Dream.
Posted by: aristodemos | Dec 21 2023 2:43 utc | 154
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 2:16 utc | 146
It’s amazing what they have done to the US. Systems built on lies. Yes, a sad end awaits all these liars.
(& thanks for the effort arch. thou doth froth a lot at the mouth. Here is a napkin, take a wipe.)
Posted by: Rrobinthehood | Dec 21 2023 2:45 utc | 155
Who had Yemen takes down the US empire on their bingo card?
The Houthis have zero fucks to give. They dealt with the US via KSA as a proxy for years, and they won by not only “not losing” but their ability to credibly threaten geostrategic and geoeconomics nodes. They’re not scared of the US and its naval task force. It’s also worth noting that the regional actors and heavyweights like Russia and China aren’t even asking the Houthis to quiet down. (They may have over missile attacks traversing Saudi territory.) The Houthis seem to have the green light to be the sharp end of the spear right now, and to their credit they’re willing to fight for the cause.
The problem for the US is that it can’t, even with two carrier groups, really eliminate the Houthi threat to marine traffic in the Red Sea. But attempting to carries significant risk of losing a plane or a ship or a detachment of SOF troops … or even just significantly damaging a ship. And then what can the US do? It can escalate but it doesn’t have the logistical staying power for prolonged, naval aviation and missile warfare. It would take months to gear up for a credible land invasion of Yemen and it would strain US capability to the breaking point, while likely being unsuccessful and deeply damaging to other US military adventures, current and planned.
So what does DC do? Back down? Throw itself against the rock of Yemen? Fire all the missiles on board and say, “take that, we’ll probably be back in three weeks for more”? Keep an undercrewed carrier group already on extended deployment on the Red Sea indefinitely? What about the Vinson that’s supposed to be protecting Taiwan that already got called to Yemen? Who covers that?
Posted by: Lex | Dec 21 2023 2:49 utc | 156
Send in the women blacks and trannies against those white- alpha male Russian-Christian soldiers or those alpha male Chinese Han soldiers. Get it on with that diversity strength.
I got my popcorn. Me and my white children are going to sit back and watch the show.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 21 2023 2:34 utc | 152
I laud your decision, RLTW.
But I wish someone would do something about the old white men (and old white women) who now are sending womyn, blacks (I assume you mean all non-whites here unless you have a particular animus for blacks?) and trannies into battle to die.
Could you perhaps try not voting for the old white masters who run your plantation, or the house niggers that run it on their behalf?
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 2:52 utc | 157
thou doth froth a lot at the mouth. Here is a napkin, take a wipe.)
Posted by: Rrobinthehood | Dec 21 2023 2:45 utc | 154
But robin, measured in froths per line your pie-hole is frothier than mine!
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 3:04 utc | 158
> (Those extra 2 years the Americans have are probably spent rotting away without medical aid abandoned in an old-age home, or on the streets in a cardboard box)
In this case, your energies if you were a sincere man, would be solely focused on your troubled land, not carrying water for the “Ayatollahs” of Iran.
> I won’t get into the security, technology, democratic, education, and sovereignty advances fostered under the care of Khomeini and Khamenei as I’ve done so on this site before. Suffice to say that in all these eras the Ayatollahs have brought Iran to the forefront of many fields while Iran is essentially under Western siege.
Please do. They have had control over Iran, a major country, for nearly half a century. We can compare other nations and see what they accomplished in 44 years. Any metrics, in any vent, are meaningless when speaking of Iran with system A or B since we have only one specimen here and there is no way to meaningfully compare. Based on the trajectory of Iran’s development in 60s and 70s there is every reason to expect it would be even further ahead.
> Imagine where Iran could be without having to deal with the concentrated malevolence of the entire ‘Free World’
They provided the pretext for this. This is their role. Ali Agha for once has spoken the truth. Iran is just like Cuba. They could have done what CPC did, mind their own business and built up their nation. But no.
> whoring
First, every Iranian needs to note this Arch Bungler uses the same misogynist language as the mullah. Iran was a “whore” and these lying priests have restored here “dignity”. This must be referring to Dugin erasing Iran from “Asian civilizations”. As for the insult to my people, same to you and yours.
You and the rest of the useful idiots repeating puppet and now whore calumnies should show, one instance or two, of decision Iran made that were against Iran’s interest and solely served the interests of US, Uk, or Israel. Let’s hear it.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 3:05 utc | 159
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 3:05 utc | 158
That’s a whole lot of froth, robin.
Let’s churn it on a future thread.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 3:09 utc | 160
Video Stroll through various Iranian Cities
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dey8ArtNCpM&t=23s&pp=2AEXkAIB
Posted by: Exile | Dec 21 2023 3:12 utc | 161
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 2:16 utc | 146
>>The current life expectancy for Iran in 2023 is 77.33 years, a 0.25% increase from 2022.
vs.
>>The current life expectancy for U.S. in 2023 is 79.11 years, a 0.08% increase from 2022.
I am going to guess that the Iranians are not yet wealthy enough to be living in the style of Americans. If so, there is a simple explanation for their life span that is covered very well in the book, The China Study. It is an easy case that most Americans die from diseases that arise from how Americans live. Most all humans prefer easy to digest high energy foods. When people become wealthy enough to afford it, they end up shortening their life span owing mainly by what they eat, the greatest problem simply eating too much. That along with some want of exercise is what ultimately kills most people in America. I am modestly surprised that the Iranians don’t out live us Americans.
Posted by: Jmaas | Dec 21 2023 3:13 utc | 162
147 Robinhood. It didn’t get past me the irony of British museum doing the cultural exhibition . No doubt long past the Rothschild’s zoo with humans on display. I leave the theological arguments for those that care. When haven’t a ruling class claiming ability to speak to boogey men taken advantage of the ordinary folk. For science types there’s neurotheology which is probably a field your looking towards
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 3:31 utc | 163
@Hankster
https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/epic-iran
There is a concerted effort to erase the identity of an Iranian people. The device used for this is a fairly recent reframing of “Iranian history” as the history of the piece of land, the real estate, and not the people. So we see as the first image something that is clearly Semitic because it is Elamite. Iranians are not a Semitic people.
The history of my people, the Iranian people, begins with the parting of ways between the tribes that came down to settle the what is now called the Iranian Plateau, and those whom we know now as Indians. This parting was apparently spiritual in nature and centers around the figure of Zoroaster. This has left its mark in the shared language of the two people with telling examples of similar words having opposite meanings: Deva is ‘divine’ but is ‘Deev’ or devil for Iranian.
These tribes, as they came down from what is now Khorasan to the central regions settled different areas of what is now Iran. The first premier tribe of Iranians were the Medes and subsequent to that the Persians. The recorded history of Iranians begins with the Persian Empire.
Given that this was a newly arrived empire and (relatively) newly arrived people, a great deal of cultural borrowings, mainly in artifacts and structures, did occur from the nearby Semitic cultures, such as Babylon, of course.
This perfectly reasonable use of a conquered people’s artisans to create Persian Empire major structures, such as winged bulls of Persepolis, is the device that is used to argue that there never was any such thing as an Iranian civilization that was ‘national’.
So in tandem with the consistent efforts of the multi-polar actors to absorb “Iran” into something they call “Islamic Civilization” — ask Dugin for the maps — on the Western front, the Cabal academics and cultural ‘editors’ are doing the “God’s work” on their end with telling the (gullible) Iranians that “Your civilization is not 2500 years old. No! It is 5000 possibly even 100000 years old. Look at this pottery and be proud”.
Interested parties in this genocide (it is per the “academic” definition) of Iranian identity include Turkey (who were here “from beginning”). So the label “Iranian” will stay but its meaning has been completely and utterly changed.
Iran btw is the feminine of Iraj. The tribes that left the company of the others called themselves Aryanman. Krishna mentions us in the GIta.
They are truly devils.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 3:32 utc | 164
I am modestly surprised that the Iranians don’t out live us Americans.
Posted by: Jmaas | Dec 21 2023 3:13 utc | 161
I suspect the denial of key medical resources to Iranians by the Anglo-Zionist Empire contributes at least in part to this.
As I said, without the artificial constraints placed upon Iran by the West, I believe it would match the U.S in both the utopian and dystopian aspects of modernity.
All under the auspices of the Ayatollah’s ‘Theocratic’ Guidance …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 3:32 utc | 165
The history of my people, the Iranian people, begins with the parting of ways between the tribes that came down to settle the what is now called the Iranian Plateau, and those whom we know now as Indians.
Posted by: robinthehood | Dec 21 2023 3:32 utc | 164
Which “Indians” specifically?
Telegu?
Tamils of the Tamil Nadu?
Other Dravidians?
Descendants of the Mughals?
Tai Ahom people of Assam?
Parsis?
Basically your statement sounds like the typical Orientalist hogwash we read printed in the White Man’s theory of how races came to be …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 3:47 utc | 166
Posted by: karlof1 | Dec 20 2023 21:07 utc | 79
In short, the Outlaw US Empire’s entire actions over the decades of its interference in trying to establish the internationally agreed upon solution for Palestine are blatantly Anti-Semitic, thus overturning decades of Establishment Narrative.
I think perhaps MZ is deliberately joining America with Zionism and then sarcastically salting the wound by painting them as equally anti-semitic. Indeed, as long as they are joined at the hip, it matters not which is tail, which is dog for they both are going down with the sinking hegemonic ship together.
This of course according to the ‘Hegemon vs Multipolar Geotectonic Clash’ narrative we are apparently living through, though some suspect it ain’t quite that black and white. One way or another, we’ll be finding out fairly soon…..
“robinthehood” is as Iranian as my left nut.
How many of the US navy ships are at full complement? https://news.usni.org/2022/02/09/cnp-nowell-navy-short-more-than-5000-sailors-for-at-sea-billets
Posted by: Suresh | Dec 21 2023 4:06 utc | 168
Posted by: aristodemos | Dec 21 2023 2:43 utc | 153
Left-brain overload and materialistic mantras are all indications of accelerating cultural dementia. Once upon a time America had become a dreamland, a destination for folks right across the planet. The devastation of the aesthetic dimension has played a leading role in the devolution of the American Dream.
Fantastic post, enjoyed every word. Thank you very much! (I suggest adding to the closing sentence: ‘into an American Nightmare’.)
Your post eloquently expressed why, when I had to move South for health reasons from Atlantic Canada a few years ago, I ended up drawn to Mexico instead of the originally intended US sunbelt. Although America is fantastic in many ways I find the obvious ongoing decline combined with unrelenting exceptionalism too unsettling to live with on a daily basis and so opted for the far more human realm of Mexico, even if it is often a tad messy and sub-par with more blatant extremes between rich and poor.
A little child finally finds his mother following an Israeli strike on their house Al Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, #Gaza.
https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1737265349051953300
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 2:22 utc | 150
++++++
OMG. Must-watch.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 21 2023 4:40 utc | 170
Scorpion @ 421
Thanks for your kind words. Sometimes I become some form of channeler and am enabled to speak from the heart. I’m nearing 80 in the coming year and have gradually been able to walk that long and twisty road which is the spirit path, known to Native Americans as “walking the Red Road. Though I have no native DNA, it is comforting to know that my Grand Niece and Nephew do possess a bit of that heritage as well as the Scandinavian, Irish and German backgrounds from the European sides.
Curious. Is the part of Mexico in which you reside mostly Mestizo, with that mixed heritage, along with relatively few of European descent and also perhaps some tribal folks who have maintained elements of their aboriginal culture? I’m quite fascinated with the Huichol people in Oaxaca. Not very many expats down there, I’d imagine…but quite a few visitors. Though financial resources are a bit short for such a trip, it would be fun to party down for 80 years on Mexican Independence Day…and I don’t mean Cinco de Mayo…that being more of an occasion here in the states.
Posted by: aristodemos | Dec 21 2023 4:47 utc | 171
g.@3:20
Even the males in that Islamic land do not have COMPLETE male genitalia. Do you? Was your man-hood removed at the ripe old age of 8 days…unlike amongst the Muslims who generally lose that most nerve-ending rich element of maleness at ages ranging from 3 to 8 years. The difference is development of the conscious mind and to not have an impositionally scared psyche.
Posted by: aristodemos | Dec 21 2023 4:56 utc | 172
In response to various comments about China’s lack of responsiveness to the Gaza issue and Operation Prosperity Garden (heh), I’ll just say that time too is tactical — sometimes you just have to let things play out, to wait for it. No one understands this better than those who planned Al Aqsa Flood, who know to give time to Israel to do what they surely must, and to the ROTW to respond as they surely will.
Posted by: mastameta | Dec 21 2023 4:58 utc | 173
And who are the spokespersons of truth in this new age of media? Tucker? Bannon? Treehouse? You self proclaimed wizards of the truth.
Tucker. You speak so much about truth and how we must speak truth. Yet I’ve heard nothing from you about the genocide of the Palestinians by the Jews.
I’ve heard nothing about the fact that everyone in Biden’s Cabinet is a Jew. Excepting those who are not but who have a Jewish deputy or are married to a Jew.
So yes Tucker. Let’s tell the fucking truth. Jews own this country. They run this country. Bibi brags about it. The Mossad fawns over the accomplishments of Epstein’s child-rape blackmail videos regarding all of our members of Congress.
All while these same child- raped video blackmailed demon Congressmen continue to send tens of thousands of bombs to carry out their Jewish master’s genocide.
Posted by: RLTW | Dec 21 2023 5:28 utc | 174
China ignores Gaza issue.
Hmm this kind of ignore?
https://www.newsweek.com/china-navy-gulf-aden-piracy-attack-us-navy-1847499
Israeli cargo ship issues SOS for piracy , 3 chinese vessels in vicinity do not respond as part of the anti piracy group off Africa. us and Japanese ships have to go to the rescue from further away.
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 5:37 utc | 175
In the US, there is hardly any way to influence the government. Our government is supposedly representative, but it is really only representative of the elites. After calling my representative, my senators and the president multiple times, it is clear that they don’t listen to average people. I am communicating with my money now. I eschew credit/debit cards and I am not spending any money on anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. There is no reason to support a system that benefits from genocide. This empire needs to fall if it can’t find it’s moral compass.
Posted by: foggytowers | Dec 21 2023 5:42 utc | 176
G probably should remain silent rather than gloat that 150,000 get water from Israel’s generosity . That only leaves 2.185 million
without, give or take 30,000 souls that won’t be drinking anymore.
Gold meir ” we will never forgive the Arabs for making us kill their children”.
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 5:42 utc | 177
Israeli cargo ship issues SOS for piracy , 3 chinese vessels in vicinity do not respond as part of the anti piracy group off Africa. us and Japanese ships have to go to the rescue from further away.
Posted by: Hankster | Dec 21 2023 5:37 utc | 177
The lovely thing about Chinese apathy is that they’re consistently apathetic.
They may not be very active in helping the Palestinians but they’re not active in helping the Izzraelis either.
Other than squeezing cash out of them, that is …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 5:56 utc | 179
The IDF enabled a tactical pause for humanitarian purposes to allow civilians to replenish stocks such as food and water in the Al-Shaboura neighborhood in Rafah from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Posted by: g | Dec 21 2023 4:42 utc | 172
… At which point they resumed bombing babies in their cribs again.
You should hang long and hard alongside the Nazis you shill for.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:03 utc | 180
Trubind1 46
Maria’s logic reminds me how long it took for us to realise that the creation of Nazism in Ukraine was going to be a USUKIS attack on Europe.
How can Israel attack Israel? The same way Israel simultaneously supports Zelensky and complains about Azov Nazis.
In fact is there a single Muslim country in the region that is not 100 % controlled by USUKIS at the same time as articulating bullshit about supporting Palestine?
USUKIS always supports both sides in any regional conflict. This is the real hegemony process, divide and rule.
It can be understood by comparison to a mobile where the screen turns according to gravity.
Both are true, Israel controls the USUK and USUK controls Israel, both having male and female metaphorical sexual organs. Sorry about the metaphor. There are no disgusting metaphors disgusting enough to describe the disgustingness of Western politics.
Posted by: Giyane | Dec 21 2023 6:07 utc | 181
153 Aristodemus Never mind my question. I have looked more into Rockwell’s work, thank you for pointing him out.
ivyhn X is `down’ worldwide.
This just after X user ID verify contractor outed as former ShinBet.
Do the math.
Posted by: Laurence | Dec 21 2023 6:24 utc | 184
The accusation of the Jewish Zionists being Nazis seems to hold a lot more water than I first thought:
1. Master Race complex? Check.
2. Aspirations of Lebensraum? Check.
3. Willingness to commit ethnic cleansing to achieve it? Check.
4. Classification of a people as “untermenschen”? Check.
5. Glorification of technology and science as a means to achieve domination? Check.
6. Perpetual search for “wunderwaffen”? Check.
…
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:34 utc | 185
Israel needs a cease fire, in order to survive. Here’s why.
Start with the Yemen-Saudi war. It had gone on for 6-8 years. The Houthis, supported and armed by Iran, were viewed by many as an Iranian proxy army aimed at Saudi Arabia. With years of actual combat experienced under their belt, they are a seasoned army.
Next, the Chinese enter the picture, and broker a peace agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Peace is a good thing, for some, but perhaps not so much for others. The end of hostilities between Iran and the Saudis is followed quickly by a truce between the Houthis and the Saudis. You now have a trained militia sitting idle.
But not for long, because, with perfect (bad) timing, the Israelis begin ethnic cleansing in the Gaza strip, committing war crimes, and other barbarity, inflaming the entire Arab world against themselves. (In recent times Israel’s army has experienced a 30% force reduction coupled with a sharp drop in compulsory conscription). Israel, with a population under 10 million, has believed it could accomplish its goal, opposed only by Hamas and the Palestinian population of 2 million.
But, the Houthis are now back in action, this time against Israel. Behind them is the nation of Yemen, with a population of 33 million. And behind them is Iran, with a population of 90 million, providing advanced military technology. The Houthis have begun seizing Israeli ships, closing the Red Sea to them, and their fighters are now beginning to enter Gaza directly.
And we haven’t even considered Hezbollah in the north of Israel, also backed by Iran. That makes two proxy armies aimed at Israel. Hmm, I wonder where Iran learned that trick? Regardless of how you feel about the morality or immorality of Israel’s objective, the demographics do not look good.
Israel’s ally is of course the United States. But the US ability to project force in the middle east is much reduced from the 1990s. Would the US be willing to put boots on the ground in Gaza? Probably not. Would the US be willing to shoot missiles and shells into Gaza from its mighty carrier group offshore? Not a good look, so again probably not. Would the US turn its carrier group against Iran (now closely allied with Russia)? This looks like the worst option of the three.
The longer Israel’s war goes on the more Houthis will oppose them, and the more angry Arab youth will join their ranks. My advice would be to end the conflict before Israel starts losing territory.
Posted by: spindz | Dec 21 2023 6:50 utc | 186
I was a little skeptical of the claim that Hamas had fully operational workshops underground but this convinces me:
Al Qassam’s locally made rifle inflicts losses on the IDF
You mean Palestinians actually make stuff?
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:50 utc | 187
ZH has a posting up with the title
Most Large Container Ships Abandon Red Sea As Key Trade Route Freezes
So much for the Operation Prosperity Guardian outlook
Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 21 2023 6:53 utc | 189
Posted by: spindz | Dec 21 2023 6:50 utc | 188
Well reasoned.
You might want to include the proxy groups in Iraq (Hashd Al Shaabi Hezbollah in Iraq) and Syria (unnamed).
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:54 utc | 190
Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:34 utc | 187
It does not take an Einstein to see that, or maybe it does….
Albert Einstein: Israel Freedom Party closely akin to Nazi-Fascism
Posted by: circumspect | Dec 21 2023 7:05 utc | 191
Posted by: circumspect | Dec 21 2023 7:05 utc | 193
Aha! Great minds think alike!
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 7:12 utc | 192
Fiona Edwards
@Fio_edwards
In defiance of the repressive German state which has sought to ban protests in solidarity with Palestine, pro-Palestinian activists occupied Berlin Central Station ✊🇵🇸
The world stands with Gaza!
https://twitter.com/Fio_edwards/status/1737613044094796131
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 7:37 utc | 193
Malaysia could have taken their (allegedly) mostly symbolic action two months ago, one can’t accuse them of acting quickly. Comparing such lack of speed with the flood of crypto-zioinist apologism in Russian English-language media and official statements one is left to wonder how long it will take before Russia understands what they’re doing. Might be way too late for them already, but the clock is ticking for the rest of the world too.
How am I or anybody else supposed to have any trust in nations that can’t stand up for the weak in such an obvious case of wrongdoing?
We all know the US has no credibility but it astounds me that most nations have decided that they too don’t want any credibility! It’s all the new rage apparently.
Meanwhile the genocide continues.
Meanwhile with every passing day there’s even less respect left for all the obfuscators who are not even any good at talking or making sense.
Suddenly RT and Sputnik manages to sound no better than the shit MSM that drove me to them. When they open their mouth on the topic an unbearable stench emanates.
Two months and two weeks! There’s no defense for neither the genocide nor the inaction. They are all complicit now.
If I defended them I would feel complicit too, so I will not.
“Operation Protecting Genocide” (Operation Prosperity Guardian) clearly has many more participants than the ones officially listed; Russia might as well admit they’re in on Israels side.
The insanity of Russia’s position is driving me mad; they’re essentially doing the same as if they equated ex-Ukrainian nazi murderers with ex-Ukrainian Russians dead at the hands of those nazis and then talking about them as equal victims. No, words genuinely fail me.
Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Dec 21 2023 7:39 utc | 194
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 6:50 utc | 189
Arya – آریا 🇮🇷 reposted
Arya – آریا 🇮🇷
@AryJeay
⚡️Hamas (teasing a new video)
“We made with our own hands what reaps your heads. We will continue kiIIing your soldiers by our locally manufactured sniper rifles.”
https://twitter.com/AryJeay/status/1737514112672841908
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 7:40 utc | 195
spindz,
Indeed – the Likud is still using the mow-the-lawn playbook. They haven‘t yet figured out that they have fallen into the trap of a war of attrition lasting years.
A paradox is that all over the Levant there are many hundred thousands of battle hardened Arab fighters, who are slowly joining in the war on various fronts. The Likud fostered these fighters in their knuckle headed attenpt to weaken the Levant through death and destruction. Sow the wind reap the whirlwind.
Finally, also note the 75,000 – 100,000 Muslim veterans of The Ukrainian Civil War. The Chechens, etc have already said they are only waiting for Moscow to release them to help liberate the Levant.
Agreed – The Likud‘s best path towards lasting peace and security for the Jewish State. is accepting UNR 181, 194, and UNSC 2334.
Finally – it was illuminating to read the IDF daily SITREP. We should thank G for posting it. It shows that the IDF press agents are 20 years behind the times. They haven‘t figured out that a billion Tik Tok users see a utterly different reality in real time videos.
Pray for the Likud to see the writing on the wall and sue for peace as soon as possible. Einstein and Arendt warned us that the Likud strategy was going to eventually lead to a castastrophe.
Posted by: Exile | Dec 21 2023 7:54 utc | 196
While others have mere balls of steel, check the titanium balls on this guy:
The leader of Yemen’s Houthis warned on Wednesday (Dec 20) they would strike US warships if the Iranian-backed militia was targeted by Washington, which this week set up a multinational force to counter Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
“We will not stand idly by if the Americans are tempted to escalate further and commit foolishness by targeting our country or waging war against it,” Abdel-Malek al-Houthi said.
“Any American targeting of our country will be targeted by us, and we will make American battleships, interests, and navigation a target for our missiles, drones, and military operations,” he said in a televised speech.
“As long as the Americans want to enter into a direct war with us, they should know that we are not those who fear them, and that they are facing an entire people,” al-Houthi said.
He warned the Americans against sending soldiers to Yemen, saying they would “face something harsher than what they faced in Afghanistan and what they suffered in Vietnam.”
He seems to be suggesting Ansar Allah are committed to long term resistance warfare against a potential Western coalition.
Well, can’t doubt him, he has been at war for the last decade after all …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 7:58 utc | 197
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 7:40 utc | 197
That’s a sweet lathe Santa’s elf has in the corner there …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 21 2023 8:00 utc | 198
The League of Nations failed in part because the US never joined it. If the UN fails it is for a similar reason. The US is bypassing it. I don’t know what some expect Russia and China to do. If we stick to the UN Charter, the use of force is only allowed if the Security Council so decides. Just look at the protests and taunts when Russia undertook its own “humanitarian intervention” in Ukraine. It cannot afford being seen as another edition of the US hegemon.
Posted by: Jonathan W | Dec 21 2023 8:13 utc | 199
Gaza: Woman plays oud for displaced children to block out sound of war:
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/20/woman-plays-oud-for-displaced-children-to-block-out-the-sound-of-war/
Posted by: Menz | Dec 21 2023 8:23 utc | 200