Home » Posts tagged 'empire' (Page 18)
Tag Archives: empire
Hope on the Horizon and It Comes from Greece
Hope on the Horizon and It Comes from Greece
Washington in its arrogance, seeing itself as “indispensable,” poses a continuing threat to the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The extraordinary number of dead that Washington has murdered in the 21st century–”The American Century”–is dismissed as “collateral damage” in the “war on terror.”
The war on terror is a hoax. It is a creation of the evil neoconservatives who intend Washington’s world hegemony and Israel’s hegemony from the Nile to the Euphrates. The rest of mankind has realized that Washington’s drive for world hegemony means the entire human race will be dismissed as “collateral damage” as Washington establishes itself as the “exceptional, indispensable country.” The country whose will is above the rule of law and whose morality is non-existent.
The stark reality is that America, which wore the White Hat during the Cold War, now wears the Black Hat, and Russia and China have traded the Black Hat for the White Hat. The hope for mankind no longer resides in the West, which has entered a militarized gestapo existence conducting war against its own citizens and the world at large.
Aggression is the hallmark of 21st century Washington and its captive European vassal states. There has not been a 21st century year without slaughter of innocents by “Western civilization.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Meet the Overseas Contingency Operations Account – Washington D.C.’s Crony Capitalist War Slush Fund
Meet the Overseas Contingency Operations Account – Washington D.C.’s Crony Capitalist War Slush Fund
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain has called it a “gimmick,” and Democrats complain that larding up the separate war funding bill with extra spending amounts to an “abusive loophole.” Yet so far, the massive increase is likely to remain in this year’s budget.
Another major criticism of the process has been its common use to fund favored projects and other items not directly tied to the war — a trend that has steadily grown over the years as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on and the Pentagon loosened the definition of war-related spending.
From 2001 to 2014, nearly $71 billion of nonwar funding was provided through war appropriations, according to the Pentagon’s own definition, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service reported in December.
– From the Politico article: War Budget Might be Permanent ‘Slush Fund’
Many people will read this post, and posts like it, and shrug their shoulders saying that there’s always going to be corruption. True; however, there are degrees of corruption. When empires such as the U.S. attain a certain level of corruption that reaches the point where it becomes engrained within the fabric of society, and you couple that with zero accountability for the super rich and powerful, you have the ingredients for societal collapse. We are rapidly approaching this point, and I personally don’t think there’s any way to stop it.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Regime Change: US’ Failing Weapon of International Deception
Regime Change: US’ Failing Weapon of International Deception
For years, Winston Churchill’s famous quote, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried,” has served as Americans’ last word in any political discussion which requires validation of the US government, no matter how corrupt or flawed in its behavior, as the best in the planet, comparatively or by default. Never mind the meaning that Mr. Churchill had intended back in 1947, or how the international political panorama has changed during the past seven decades.
These remarks were made by Britain’s prime minister before the House of Commons a few months before there was a changing of the guards in the “Anglo-Saxon Empire” as the Brits gave away their colonial hegemony in favor of the super-influential economic and military power represented by the United States. And that was symbolically marked by Britain’s relinquishing its mandate in Palestine, and the creation of Israel.
Such reference to democracy in the quote, explicitly defining it as a “government by the people,” basically applied to Britain and the United States at the close of World War II; but such condition has deteriorated in the US to the point where the “common people” no longer have a say as to how the nation is run, either directly or through politicians elected with financial support provided by special interests, undoubtedly expecting their loyalty-vote. Yet, while this un-democratization period in our system of government was happening, there were many nations that were adopting a true code of democracy, their citizens having a greater say as to how their countries are governed. Recognizing such occurrence, however, is a seditious sin for an American mind still poisoned by the culture of exceptionalism and false pride in which it has been brainwashed.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Cracks In Washington’s Empire
Cracks In Washington’s Empire
Washington’s EU vassals might be finding their backbone. Britain, Germany, France, and Italy are reported to have defied Washington’s orders and applied to join the Chinese-led Asian Investment Bank. Australia, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Luxembourg might also join.
Washington uses its development banks such as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, along with the IMF, in order to exercise financial and political hegemony. These banks are crucial elements of American economic and political imperialism.
The Chinese-led bank will, of course, be much more effective. The Chinese will use the bank to actually help countries and thereby make friends and grow trust, whereas Washington uses its banks for domination by force.
This new bank, together with the BRICS Bank, will provide countries with escape routes from Washington’s domination.
The Evil Empire is beginning to crack. It will crack more as the Russian-Chinese alliance unfolds its potentials and when European capitals understand that hegemonic Washington has put their existence at risk in order to try to prevent Russia’s rise. The crazed American and British neocon nazis, and their dupes among the populations, comprise the greatest human threat that the world has ever known. The sooner the Evil Empire collapses, the safer the world will be.
Here is the report:
http://thebricspost.com/eu-allies-defy-us-to-join-china-led-asian-bank/#.VQe4BCkRW-M
The REAL Reasons We’re At War With Russia
The REAL Reasons We’re At War With Russia
The Empire Doesn’t Like to Be Questioned
We’re at war with Russia.
Specifically, we’ve launched:
- A sanctions war
- A currency war
- A hot war in Ukraine
Indeed, it appears that U.S. leaders have targeted Putin for regime change.
Why?
Syria
Initially, the U.S. targeted Syria for regime change – for the second time – many decades ago.
Putin derailed the imminent American war against Syria by brokering a deal wherein Syria destroyed all of its chemical weapons. The U.S. was very unhappy with the deal … and tried to backtrack.
George Friedman – CEO and founder and CEO of Stratfor, the “private CIA” – said in December that the United States is behind the coup in Kiev … which he called the “most blatant coup in history”. Friedman said that the coup came in response to Russia’s peacemaking in Syria:
[Friedman:] Russia had begun to take certain steps that the United States considered unacceptable. Primarily in Syria. It was there that Russians demonstrated to the Americans that they are capable of influencing processes in the Middle East. And the US has enough problems in that part of the world already without the Russians.
Russians intervened in the process in the Middle East among other reasons because they had hoped to get leverage to influence US policy in other areas. But they miscalculated. The United States thought that it was Russia’s intent to harm them.
***
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Rise of the Oligarchs
The Rise of the Oligarchs
Empire examines the rise and role of the new oligarchs and the decline of democracy in the United States and beyond.
Wealth inequality has risen to stratospheric heights. The statistics, the real statistics, sound like fragments spun off from a madman’s dream.
Eighty-five people have as much money as three and a half billion other people. Look at it like this: 85 people = 3,500,000,000 people.
Forbes Magazine, which used to gleefully refer to itself as a “capitalist tool,” creates an annual list of the richest 400 people in the world. Ten years ago, their combined wealth was $1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars). Now, after a world wide crash and all sort of bailouts, their combined worth is $2,000,000,000,000. They have doubled their money. How have you done?
Did their money come to them because the magic of the market realised how ultra-special talented they were? Or because of power? Manipulating laws, buying politicians, even taking over governments. Has the power of money in the United States grown so great that democracy is just a charade? A large, frenetic, incredibly expensive one, but still, just play-acting and a dumb show for the public?
While all the real decisions come from a small group of the ultra-wealthy, to some degree very consciously, but to an even larger degree by the sheer weight of their incredible wealth, the Oligarchs.
That much money, it has to be about power.
…click on the above link to view the video…
The Golden Age of Black Ops – In Fiscal 2015 U.S. Special Forces Have Already Deployed to 105 Nations
The Golden Age of Black Ops – In Fiscal 2015 U.S. Special Forces Have Already Deployed to 105 Nations
During the fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2014, U.S. Special Operations forces (SOF) deployed to 133 countries — roughly 70% of the nations on the planet — according to Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bockholt, a public affairs officer with U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). This capped a three-year span in which the country’s most elite forces were active in more than 150 different countries around the world, conducting missions ranging from kill/capture night raids to training exercises. And this year could be a record-breaker. Only a day before the failed raid that ended Luke Somers life — just 66 days into fiscal 2015 — America’s most elite troops had already set foot in 105 nations, approximately 80% of 2014’s total.
Despite its massive scale and scope, this secret global war across much of the planet is unknown to most Americans…”We want to be everywhere,” said Votel at Geolnt.
– From Nick Turse’s article in the Huffington Post: The Golden Age of Black Ops
The following article is one I’ve wanted to highlight for over a week, but the news has been so overwhelming I simply haven’t had a chance. Until now.
As someone who spends much of his time trying to understand the world around him, I’m always astounded to be floored by something I read. While regular readers of this site are well aware of how aggressively and irresponsibly the U.S. empire deploys military assets abroad, I think some of the following information will still shock you.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Why Governments Love Terrorism “Wars”
Why Governments Love Terrorism “Wars”
Telltale Signs
Dow down a little on Tuesday. Gold almost unchanged. Oil kept slipping.
From Bloomberg:
“Oil fell below $45 a barrel amid speculation that US stockpiles will increase, exacerbating a global supply glut that’s driven prices to the lowest in more than 5½ years.
Oil slumped almost 50% last year, the most since the 2008 financial crisis, as the US pumped at the fastest rate in more than three decades and OPEC resisted calls to cut production.
Goldman Sachs said crude needs to drop to $40 a barrel to “re-balance” the market, while Societe Generale also reduced its price forecasts.”
We’re studying the drop in the oil price. Is it an isolated phenomenon – the product of fracking technology, petro politics and other special circumstances? Or is it, too, a feature of the worldwide credit bubble?
We will write up our conclusion in this month’s Bill Bonner Letter. But you can probably guess. The more we look, the more we find telltale signs of the credit bubble at every accident and crime scene.
Through a Glass, Darkly
Tomorrow, we’ll start a new series on practical investing. Today, let’s look further at how the global credit bubble has distorted investment markets, perverted the economy and corrupted our government. They all now depend on something that should never have happened… and can’t continue for much longer.
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t squint through a glass, darkly, to try to see what the end of the credit expansion will mean for stocks, bonds and other asset classes. Today, we look at what it will mean for the US Empire of Debt.
Typically, empires succeed by conquest. They take property… women… slaves. The loot is then parceled out like a federal budget – with big portions for the honchos and cronies… and lesser portions to the foot soldiers.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
Empire v Mere State | Armstrong Economics
Empire v Mere State | Armstrong Economics.
QUESTION: Marty, your insight into the failure of Austrian and Keynesian economics was really eye opening. At your conference you said that Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand applied internationally not just domestically. I believe I have reached the level of understanding you have been teaching us. It is indeed global and clearly everything is connected. Is China now in the early stage of Rome when it was growing in the shadow of the Greeks?
ANSWER: Absolutely.China is in the current growth stage. It will take time. It took Rome 72 years to complete the second phase of monetary growth. Its first silver and gold coinage was struck in Greek denominations illustrating that the Greeks were still the financial capital of the world. Like an emerging market nation today who issues debt in dollars to facilitate their economy, the Romans adopted the Greek monetary system to facilitate trade.
Previously, the Roman monetary system began with bronze, for it was the metal of tangible value since it could be made into a plow or a weapon. Bronze coinage, known as Aes Grave, appeared during the 4th century BC and that standard weight system is still with us today. The Roman As was one pound and this was divided into 12 units called “uncia” or ounces.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Rutherford Institute :: The Game Is Rigged: Why Americans Keep Losing to the Police State
The Rutherford Institute :: The Game Is Rigged: Why Americans Keep Losing to the Police State.
“The truth is that the State is a conspiracy designed not only to exploit, but above all to corrupt its citizens.”—Leo Tolstoy
My 7-year-old granddaughter has suddenly developed a keen interest in card games: Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Blackjack, and War. We’ve fallen into a set pattern now: every time we play, she deals the cards, and I pretend not to see her stacking the deck in her favor. And of course, I always lose.
I don’t mind losing to my granddaughter at Old Maid, knowing full well the game is rigged. For now, it’s fun and games, and she’s winning. Where the rub comes in is in knowing that someday she’ll be old enough to realize that being a citizen in the American police state is much like playing against a stacked deck: you’re always going to lose.
The game is rigged, and “we the people” keep getting dealt the same losing hand. Even so, we stay in the game, against all odds, trusting that our luck will change.
The problem, of course, is that luck will not save us. The people dealing the cards—the politicians, the corporations, the judges, the prosecutors, the police, the bureaucrats, the military, the media, etc.—have only one prevailing concern, and that is to maintain their power and control over the country and us.
It really doesn’t matter what you call them—the 1%, the elite, the controllers, the masterminds, the shadow government, the police state, the surveillance state, the military industrial complex—so long as you understand that while they are dealing the cards, the deck will always be stacked in their favor.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
ClubOrlov: The Only Way to Stop the Empire
ClubOrlov: The Only Way to Stop the Empire.
Dear friends,
The final days of US empire are fast approaching. Perhaps its end will pass slowly and gradually, or perhaps the event will unfold rapidly and catastrophically. Maybe chaos will break loose, or maybe its demise will be organized well and proceed smoothly. This nobody knows, but the end of empire is coming as surely as day follows night and sun follows rain. Overexpansion, overreach and over-indebtedness will take their toll—as all past empires have discovered. Empires are like bacteria in a Petrie dish; unthinking, unseeing, unfeeling, they expand until they run out of food or contaminate their environment with their waste, and then they die. They are automatons, and they just can’t help it: they are programmed to expand or die, expand or die, and, in the end, expand and die.
What does the empire feed on? It feeds on money and fear; your money and your fear, both obtained with your cooperation. It is bigger now than when it faced an actual adversary in the Soviet Union. Russia is no adversary; all it wants is to be a normal country, at peace with the world. But the empire won’t let it, will it? It must create enemies. Who are our enemies? According to the authors of endless war they are North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Islamic terrorists. Are any of them actually capable of threatening the US? Well, yes, but they are all quite easy to deter. But the plan of the authors of endless war is not to deter them; it is to back them into a corner with political instability and sanctions, while whipping up the population on both sides into fear-filled frenzy.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
The Need to Escape Collapsing Empires | International Man
The Need to Escape Collapsing Empires | International Man.
Jeff Thomas: What is your present residential/citizenship situation worldwide?
Ron Holland: I’m an American citizen, living, working, and playing in Canada and elsewhere.
Jeff: What countries have you previously lived or spent significant time in?
Ron: I’m adopted, but I think I was born in North Carolina. I’ve lived in several countries: Switzerland; the US; and now Canada, plus I spent a lot of time in Colombia, Austria, and Italy. My favorite state is South Carolina, where I graduated from the University of South Carolina in banking and finance. Later I headed up a trust department and decades later retired to Hilton Head Island before getting bored and taking a position as CEO with a firm in Canada in 2011.
South Carolina has quite an independent spirit and has been a nation not once but twice, seceding first from the British Empire then later from the US following the election of Lincoln. As we all know, this didn’t work out too well, and one Washington supporter said, “South Carolina is too small to be a nation and too large to be a lunatic asylum.”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
BREAD, CIRCUSES & BOMBS – DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE – PART TWO « The Burning Platform
BREAD, CIRCUSES & BOMBS – DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE – PART TWO « The Burning Platform.
In Part One of this article I discussed the similarities between the Roman Empire and the American Empire at a high level. In this article I’ll delve into some specific similarities and rhymes between the fall of the Roman Empire and our modern day empire of debt, decay and decline. I’ll address our expansive level of bread and circuses and how defects in our human nature lead to people willingly sacrificing their liberty for promises of safety and security. All empires decline due to the same human failings and ours is no exception. If anything, ours will be far more spectacular and rapid due to our extreme level of hubris, arrogance, willful ignorance and warlike preference for dealing with foreign powers.
It seems there were a few visionary thinkers in the late 1950s who foresaw the dire course our former Republic was setting. Their writings were a prophecy and a warning. There was still time to change course and avoid the pitfalls that led to the Roman Empire collapse. In Brave New World Revisited, Aldous Huxley warned against allowing a few amoral men using propaganda, scientific advancements, technology, brainwashing, and economics to control and manipulate a willfully ignorant populace into a dystopian dictatorship. The Soviet and Chinese dictatorships of the late 1950s are long gone, but Huxley foresaw how modern propaganda techniques would be used by the state to drown the masses in a sea of triviality, irrelevance, and consumerism.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
ClubOrlov: Peak Empire, Take Two
ClubOrlov: Peak Empire, Take Two.
Based on the lessons of history, all empires collapse eventually; thus, the probability that the US empire will collapse can be set at 100% with a great deal of confidence. The question is, When? (Everyone keeps asking that annoying question.) Of course, all you have to do is leave the US, go some place that isn’t plugged into the US economy in non-optional ways, and you won’t have to worry about this question too much. Some people have made guesses but, as far as I can tell, no one has come up with viable methodology for calculating the date. In order to provide a remedy for this serious shortcoming in collapse theory, I once tried to outline a method for figuring it out in an article titled “Peak Empire,” which was based on Joseph Tainter’s theory of diminishing returns on complexity—or diminishing returns on empire. It’s a perfect problem for differential calculus, and all those microeconomics students who are busy calculating marginal cost vs. marginal revenue, so that they can look for work in the soon-to-be-defunct shale gas industry, might take it up, to put their math talents to better use. In the meantime, here is an update, and a revised estimate.
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
