Not too long ago I did a post that discussed Alastair Crooke’s most recent essay. Glenn Diesen and Alexander Mercouris (The Duran) got together with Crooke yesterday to discuss that essay. The full Youtube video is here: Hotel Ukraine - You can never leave w/ Alastair Crooke, Alexander Mercouris and Glenn Diesen
When you listen to Diesen, Crooke, Mercouris and Wauck explain the complexities of the economic, political and military crises swirling around us it is easy to despair. Thus, the pessimistic close to the video.
But, really, the solutions, at least as far as the USA is concerned, are knowable and implementable. Here are six things we can start to do right now. I am sure there is more.
1. We need to end the Endless War, and recover our moral compass. With a military of 1.4 million or more, a defense budget of $2.4 trillion or more, and 700 or more overseas bases, we are a killing machine and an enemy of the rest of the world.
2. We need to restore manufacturing and productive labor to the US workforce. This means diminishing the importance of financialization in wealth creation and the creation of real and productive jobs which pay a living wage for American workers. This would begin to close the gap in standards of living between the wealthy and everybody else in America.
4. We need to restore respect for the sanctity of life in America.
5. We need to recommit to the principles of the US Constitution, the rule of law, due process of law and the enforceability of contracts. We can survive political disagreements over time but we cannot survive the destruction of the fundamental legal framework of our nation. This includes insuring the fairness of all elections.
6. We need to balance the US budget, arrest inflation, and start paying down the national debt. Only then will there be an incentive for Americans to save and invest for the future.
Things are rather gloomy at present, so well done to Alex M for ending on a reasonably upbeat note. An evil system is in its death throes. As he says, that will bring turmoil but also some wonderful opportunities to clear the decks and build something better.
Wow...I need to listen to the entire podcast on a long walk. Complex & dynamic forces at play. I am encouraged by your final comment. Historically, great wealth and influence develop by those able to see over the horizon....hopefully we can find those individuals and position them to guide US through the transition to a more peaceful & stable world.
"Once it's gone, if it's handled properly, if we come out of it in an intelligent way, it could actually be a liberating moment. We can start doing things which we are preventing ourselves from doing in a way that could actually enhance our prosperity and our security. What it needs is imagination and planning, but there's very little of either at the moment. ...
Regarding the statement of Britain “riding the coattails of the US” I’m surprised more of them have subscribed to the WWII adage of “the problems with American soldiers is, they are overfed, oversexed and over here”.
US taxpayers are born into lifelong slavery to the Pentagon. "Both" political parties are happy to be powerless over the big, bad US war machine, are fine with the fact that, without provocation, US has annexed one third of Syria and won't even allow starving Syrians to grow crops on the land.
Additionally, it seems to me that the tyrants who have been running things in the USA, having run the gamut of others to tyrannize, are now having fun tyrannizing the citizens of the USA.
Thanks Mark! I watched the Duran video earlier and had wanted to detail the specific points about the global economy and The USA's hegemonic destruction of its vassal states or other counties in order to procure other countries resources. I have watched a good bit of Tom Luongo's videos and have read several of his posts on his blog Gold, Goats, and Guns. While I appreciate many of his points, his ego gets in the way of his clarity. I also watched The Duran post with Professor John Mearsheimer. It was an excellent complement to the post with Alastair Crooke. For me, in the midst of the current gloom, at least a small amount of understanding of what has brought us to this current sad state of affairs is sinking in to my small intellect. The confusion remains as to the way out of the Gordian knot.
Excellent overview of where the worldwide economic warfare is leading all of us.
When you listen to Diesen, Crooke, Mercouris and Wauck explain the complexities of the economic, political and military crises swirling around us it is easy to despair. Thus, the pessimistic close to the video.
But, really, the solutions, at least as far as the USA is concerned, are knowable and implementable. Here are six things we can start to do right now. I am sure there is more.
1. We need to end the Endless War, and recover our moral compass. With a military of 1.4 million or more, a defense budget of $2.4 trillion or more, and 700 or more overseas bases, we are a killing machine and an enemy of the rest of the world.
2. We need to restore manufacturing and productive labor to the US workforce. This means diminishing the importance of financialization in wealth creation and the creation of real and productive jobs which pay a living wage for American workers. This would begin to close the gap in standards of living between the wealthy and everybody else in America.
3. We need to restore the centrality of the family in the US. This means requiring Americans to work to support their families and ending dependency on welfare and transfer payments. https://budget.house.gov/resource/budget-staff-working-papers-a-growing-culture-of-government-dependency/#:~:text=The%20federal%20government%20spent%20a,to%2016.3%20percent%20of%20GDP. We should create incentives for parenta to stay together and raise their children.
4. We need to restore respect for the sanctity of life in America.
5. We need to recommit to the principles of the US Constitution, the rule of law, due process of law and the enforceability of contracts. We can survive political disagreements over time but we cannot survive the destruction of the fundamental legal framework of our nation. This includes insuring the fairness of all elections.
6. We need to balance the US budget, arrest inflation, and start paying down the national debt. Only then will there be an incentive for Americans to save and invest for the future.
Things are rather gloomy at present, so well done to Alex M for ending on a reasonably upbeat note. An evil system is in its death throes. As he says, that will bring turmoil but also some wonderful opportunities to clear the decks and build something better.
Wow...I need to listen to the entire podcast on a long walk. Complex & dynamic forces at play. I am encouraged by your final comment. Historically, great wealth and influence develop by those able to see over the horizon....hopefully we can find those individuals and position them to guide US through the transition to a more peaceful & stable world.
"Once it's gone, if it's handled properly, if we come out of it in an intelligent way, it could actually be a liberating moment. We can start doing things which we are preventing ourselves from doing in a way that could actually enhance our prosperity and our security. What it needs is imagination and planning, but there's very little of either at the moment. ...
My Sunday morning prayer.
Regarding the statement of Britain “riding the coattails of the US” I’m surprised more of them have subscribed to the WWII adage of “the problems with American soldiers is, they are overfed, oversexed and over here”.
Thank you for doing the work and sharing the output.
US taxpayers are born into lifelong slavery to the Pentagon. "Both" political parties are happy to be powerless over the big, bad US war machine, are fine with the fact that, without provocation, US has annexed one third of Syria and won't even allow starving Syrians to grow crops on the land.
Mercouris' comments, particularly toward the end of this post, bring to mind the "prophecies" discussed in "The Fourth Turning" (Strauss & Howe).
Additionally, it seems to me that the tyrants who have been running things in the USA, having run the gamut of others to tyrannize, are now having fun tyrannizing the citizens of the USA.
Thanks Mark! I watched the Duran video earlier and had wanted to detail the specific points about the global economy and The USA's hegemonic destruction of its vassal states or other counties in order to procure other countries resources. I have watched a good bit of Tom Luongo's videos and have read several of his posts on his blog Gold, Goats, and Guns. While I appreciate many of his points, his ego gets in the way of his clarity. I also watched The Duran post with Professor John Mearsheimer. It was an excellent complement to the post with Alastair Crooke. For me, in the midst of the current gloom, at least a small amount of understanding of what has brought us to this current sad state of affairs is sinking in to my small intellect. The confusion remains as to the way out of the Gordian knot.