I came across this interesting transcript of a conversation between two fairly well known liberals who dissent from the Zhou regime’s policy of aggression against Russia—Robert Scheer, a journalist, and Michael Brenner, an academic. In essence, Brenner maintains that the root cause of the crisis of Russia and the West is to be found in a crisis of the American soul. There is nothing in this conflict that couldn’t be or couldn’t have been worked out through negotiations. Instead the American elites have embraced a policy of deliberate aggression and provocation—stretching back to the end of the Cold War. Brenner traces this crisis to America’s rejection of history and its assertion of hegemonic privileges that are quasi religious in nature.
"..there’s something wrong with society and culture as a whole. But even saying that, it's up to your political leaders and elites to protect you from that, to protect the populace from that, and to protect themselves from falling prey to similar fantasies and irrationalities, and instead we see just the opposite."
Brenner gets this exactly backwards. And it reflects the attitude and class assumptions that fuel so much of the corruption and dysfunction in America. The political leaders are not designed to protect we the people from heretical thinking,but they certainly believe that's their role. Brenner at least recognizes the demented psychosis of the oligarchy but he assigns its origin to the broader American culture. I.e., these poor leaders have fallen prey to a sick American society.
I reject that notion as overbroad. In fact, we generally condemn our society as sick and corrupt in broad brush when the truth is that we have a perverse and evil subculture manifesting through dominance in media which gives the illusion of broad adoption. For most Americans, however, we are pretty traditional and normal. Our fault is that we don't want to get involved so the sickos are left free to fester and multiply.
"...the discourse as it has crystalized is not only uniform, but it is in so many respects senseless, lacking any kind of inner logic, whether you agree with the premises and the formally stated objectives or not."
The same for discourse around Covid-19, and almost every subject of any consequence to our society it seems.
Pseudonymous DC foreign policy establishment insider's epic take on what the Ukraine scuffle means to China and NWO 2.0. Not endorsing, just cross-pollinating. Enjoy!
Ok, what I gleaned from this is that the “elites” are hell bent on taking this country and the world over the edge of the cliff in pursuit of their nihilistic fantasy. Those with a dissenting opinion need to keep their mouths shut lest they be ostracized and personally vilified. Furthermore, there appears to be absolutely nothing that we lowly peasants can do to stop this irrational insanity.
Have I missed something?
I’ve had the suspicion for some time that we are already in free fall in the US, but no one wants to say it out loud. We have a demented old fool as CinC, the last election does not pass the smell test,
free speech is now seen to be a horrible idea and should be eliminated, men can be pregnant, there are umpteen genders and we are now governed by “rules” rather than laws. I sincerely wish I could see some glimmer of hope, but quite frankly it seems that we are definitely in the “nothing short of a miracle can save us now” period of this country’s history.
Great find, Mark. This may be the best big picture perspective on the Russia-Ukraine-USA events that I've read anywhere. Scheer and Brenner both are way too complacent--and purblind--about the CCP towards the end but, hey, lefties gonna lefty.
If anybody doesn't know who Robert Scheer is, he got fired or let go by the LA Times and Barbra Streisand threatened to move or at least give up her subscription. The guy is extremely Left and I say this as a native Angelino somehow avoided becoming a California commie like so many others out here.
In my view, a major part of the problem is that none of our current leaders, on either side of the political spectrum, have "felt the heat". By that I mean the heat of a nuclear explosion. It used to be a practice to bring new members of an in-coming administration, and especially Presidents, out to the Nevada test site to witness an atmospheric nuclear test in person - to" feel the heat" of a nuclear fireball on their faces. JFK was the last, and it apparently had a profound effect on him. It led directly to the atmospheric test ban treaty and probably saved civilization from escalation of several conflicts between the US and the Soviet Union - apparently Soviet leaders had also "felt the heat" and pulled back from the ultimate conflict. Today, none of our leaders have "felt the heat" of even a large-scale conventional war, let alone the "shock and awe" of a nuclear exchange. And they, in their hubris, seem oblivious to the danger. God help us.
Here’s a mind like Cohen’s, Crooke or Mearshimer- tx for doing the slicing and dicing Mark - it is just so disheartening that his voice is not heard - terrible the way he feels alienated from his “ peers.” It does seem that this mania for hegemony will be our undoing. Brenner gets the psychology right too -
Many have hope in November elections. It seems to me a wishful thinking, because to make a meaningful change, GOP would have to cleanse itself before the elections. There is not enogh time....
Dr. Brenner has diagnosed the USA's problem, and suggests a cure (this blog is part of that cure):
"ALL DEMOCRACIES GENERATE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF TRASH. THAT IS ESPECIALLY SO IN AMERICA. THE KEY TO A HEALTHY DEMOCRATIC POLICY IS TO PROVIDE SHOVELLING CAPACITY TO MATCH. WE NO LONGER DO. THEREFORE, IT BECOMES EVERY CARING CITIZEN’S RESPONSIBILITY TO GRAB A SHOVEL."
"..there’s something wrong with society and culture as a whole. But even saying that, it's up to your political leaders and elites to protect you from that, to protect the populace from that, and to protect themselves from falling prey to similar fantasies and irrationalities, and instead we see just the opposite."
Brenner gets this exactly backwards. And it reflects the attitude and class assumptions that fuel so much of the corruption and dysfunction in America. The political leaders are not designed to protect we the people from heretical thinking,but they certainly believe that's their role. Brenner at least recognizes the demented psychosis of the oligarchy but he assigns its origin to the broader American culture. I.e., these poor leaders have fallen prey to a sick American society.
I reject that notion as overbroad. In fact, we generally condemn our society as sick and corrupt in broad brush when the truth is that we have a perverse and evil subculture manifesting through dominance in media which gives the illusion of broad adoption. For most Americans, however, we are pretty traditional and normal. Our fault is that we don't want to get involved so the sickos are left free to fester and multiply.
H/T to Stephen McIntryre, whom I criticized not long ago:
https://twitter.com/ClimateAudit/status/1520252900651372545?cxt=HHwWgsCogaz9gpkqAAAA
"...the discourse as it has crystalized is not only uniform, but it is in so many respects senseless, lacking any kind of inner logic, whether you agree with the premises and the formally stated objectives or not."
The same for discourse around Covid-19, and almost every subject of any consequence to our society it seems.
Pseudonymous DC foreign policy establishment insider's epic take on what the Ukraine scuffle means to China and NWO 2.0. Not endorsing, just cross-pollinating. Enjoy!
http://theupheaval.substack.com/p/the-world-order-reset/comments
Ok, what I gleaned from this is that the “elites” are hell bent on taking this country and the world over the edge of the cliff in pursuit of their nihilistic fantasy. Those with a dissenting opinion need to keep their mouths shut lest they be ostracized and personally vilified. Furthermore, there appears to be absolutely nothing that we lowly peasants can do to stop this irrational insanity.
Have I missed something?
I’ve had the suspicion for some time that we are already in free fall in the US, but no one wants to say it out loud. We have a demented old fool as CinC, the last election does not pass the smell test,
free speech is now seen to be a horrible idea and should be eliminated, men can be pregnant, there are umpteen genders and we are now governed by “rules” rather than laws. I sincerely wish I could see some glimmer of hope, but quite frankly it seems that we are definitely in the “nothing short of a miracle can save us now” period of this country’s history.
Great find, Mark. This may be the best big picture perspective on the Russia-Ukraine-USA events that I've read anywhere. Scheer and Brenner both are way too complacent--and purblind--about the CCP towards the end but, hey, lefties gonna lefty.
If anybody doesn't know who Robert Scheer is, he got fired or let go by the LA Times and Barbra Streisand threatened to move or at least give up her subscription. The guy is extremely Left and I say this as a native Angelino somehow avoided becoming a California commie like so many others out here.
In my view, a major part of the problem is that none of our current leaders, on either side of the political spectrum, have "felt the heat". By that I mean the heat of a nuclear explosion. It used to be a practice to bring new members of an in-coming administration, and especially Presidents, out to the Nevada test site to witness an atmospheric nuclear test in person - to" feel the heat" of a nuclear fireball on their faces. JFK was the last, and it apparently had a profound effect on him. It led directly to the atmospheric test ban treaty and probably saved civilization from escalation of several conflicts between the US and the Soviet Union - apparently Soviet leaders had also "felt the heat" and pulled back from the ultimate conflict. Today, none of our leaders have "felt the heat" of even a large-scale conventional war, let alone the "shock and awe" of a nuclear exchange. And they, in their hubris, seem oblivious to the danger. God help us.
Here’s a mind like Cohen’s, Crooke or Mearshimer- tx for doing the slicing and dicing Mark - it is just so disheartening that his voice is not heard - terrible the way he feels alienated from his “ peers.” It does seem that this mania for hegemony will be our undoing. Brenner gets the psychology right too -
Certainly it looks like a fall of the empire!
Many have hope in November elections. It seems to me a wishful thinking, because to make a meaningful change, GOP would have to cleanse itself before the elections. There is not enogh time....
Dr. Brenner has diagnosed the USA's problem, and suggests a cure (this blog is part of that cure):
"ALL DEMOCRACIES GENERATE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF TRASH. THAT IS ESPECIALLY SO IN AMERICA. THE KEY TO A HEALTHY DEMOCRATIC POLICY IS TO PROVIDE SHOVELLING CAPACITY TO MATCH. WE NO LONGER DO. THEREFORE, IT BECOMES EVERY CARING CITIZEN’S RESPONSIBILITY TO GRAB A SHOVEL."
https://sites.pitt.edu/~mbren/Welcome.htm