My wife and I will be shortly be heading out for the Botanic Gardens on this beautiful morning (the window project has been put off till next week). Thanks for the many thoughtful comments overnight. I understand that some may be put off by bans, but I do that—rarely, I hope—because I want to provide space for thoughtful reflections that won’t be drowned out by those who refuse to engage with the content here. Of course, readers won’t be aware of some of what goes on ‘behind the scenes’, but that’s my rationale. Seeing the thoughtful comments like those overnight reaffirm my commitment.
Anyway …
In a remarkably candid statement the Prime Minister of Georgia laid out what has been going on in his country (please refer to Mearsheimer: American Imperial Ambitions; British Elections; Georgia On Our Mind for background). Overnight, commenter Joanne Wasserman pointed to Andrei Martyanov’s and Garland Nixon’s contention that Prof. John Mearsheimer is no more than another Neocon. In a comment, I expressed a degree of understanding for that view, but attempted to distinguish Mearsheimer from the Neocon style of ideologues who run American and so much of the West. This example of Georgia may provide an example of that distinction. Subject to correction, I’ll simply assert here that I believe that Mearsheimer—unlike our Neocons—does have a conscience and a degree of empathy for his fellow human beings that would lead him to recoil from the cynical destruction of struggling nations like Ukraine and so many others—including, now (and for some decades in the past), Georgia. This is the face of America to much of the rest of the world, the inhumanity of which most Americans wouldn’t recognize, but which is lavishly funded by those who claim to “represent” us.
Megatron @Megatron_ron
NEW:
 There is a global war cabal trying to open a second front against Russia through Georgia, says Georgian Prime Minister
"Since the beginning of 2022, there has been serious interest in opening a second front in Georgia, which would weaken Russia's position, but this would destroy our country. Such interest remains today.
The law On Transparency of Foreign Influence adopted by parliament, which has received so much attention throughout the Western world, is only a reason for demands for Georgia to open a second front with Russia.
In today's world there is a global war party that is not at all interested in the fate of Georgia and its only interest is in weakening Russia's position."
The new Ukriane is boiling.
http://t.me/megatron_ron
5:16 AM · May 23, 2024
In a totally related matter, ICC prosecutor provided another remarkable interview, this time with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Below, I’ve located the Youtube version and cued it for the passage that Megatron has in his tweet. Megatron’s version, while accurate in spirit, is not totally accurate in a literal sense, so I’ve provided a transcript of that portion. You may wish to listen to more. Mr. Khan is very articulate.
Megatron @Megatron_ron
NEW:  Western politicians told the ICC prosecutor that 'This court is built for Africa and thugs like Putin, not for Israel and the West'
This is madness
4:21 PM · May 22, 2024
It’s hard to exaggerate the despicable cynicism, arrogance, and lack of decency that Mr. Khan describes. Sadly, Khan, in speaking of the threats the ICC has received, is surely including the disgraceful, mercenary, conduct of the members of the American Knesset, people like Cotton, Cruz, and others:
And of course, I've had some elected leaders speak to me and be very blunt. This court is built for Africa and for thugs like Putin, was what one senior leader told me. We don't view it like that. This court is the legacy of Nuremberg. This court is a sad indictment of humanity. This court should be the triumph of law over power and brute force—grab what you can, take what you want, do what you will. And we're going to simply be and we're not going to be dissuaded by threats or any other activities, because in the end, we have to fulfill our responsibilities as prosecutors, as the men and women of the office, as judges, as registry to something bigger than ourselves, which is the fidelity to justice. And we're not going to be swayed by the different types of threats, some of which are public and some maybe are not.
This discussion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ2i7RvMed8&pp=ygUTYWxleGFuZGVyIG1lcmNvdXJpcw%3D%3D between Alexander Mercouris and Dmiti Lascaris (not on TheDuran) was informative for me as to the timing and rationale behind the ICC action.
Before the current celebrity status of the ICC, back in the day when it was starting, one of the justifications for an imperfect ICC (ex excluding jurisdiction over the USA etc), was that this was better than no ICC.
Right now the hegemon is flailing and many actors are pushing with their elbows to get ahead.
The ICC isn't perfect. Just like UN agencies (or committees) like the UNHCR or UNICEF are not perfect.
But the world's a better place because they exist. So maybe this indictment is a step in the right direction for the ICC. Mistakes will be made and political calculations will always exist, but maybe the international space needs actors who are not Nation-states.