EDITOR—The fall of Fascism, subsequent nationalizations, the entrance of the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) into government, the rise of workers’ commissions, the mobilization of urban and rural protest, and land occupations held the world in thrall, if only for a short time. In the end, the corporatist bureaucratic state apparatus and its economic partners emerged renewed, chastened, and not unscathed. Chilcote singles out the durability and continuity of the state apparatus as a major factor in the prevailing hegemonic bloc and blames the fractiousness of the Left for failing to replace it. Nevertheless, in the final analysis, the attempts to create a counter-hegemonic bloc paved the way for democratic, pluralistic politics in Portugal.
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EDITOR—In probably one of the best and most eloquent and important interviews granted by Prof. Marandi to the alternative media, he explains the current conflict between US/Israel and Iran, its origins, its evolution and the outcome of the latest round of hostilities which, contrary to the loud victory proclamations by the Western media was in effect a tactical and strategic defeat for the West and its Zionist client as few of the missiles launched by the Israeli air armada penetrated Iran’s AD wall, the latter probably boosted by Russian ISR, S-400 batteries or better, and perhaps even Russian pilots in advanced aircraft. Prof. Marandi reminds the audience that Israel, per se, is not a real threat to Iran, as it is a small state utterly dependent on US/EU financial, military, diplomatic and media support to remain afloat, and is at present severely overextended. Iran has been preparing for an all-out attack by the US since 1979, notes Marandi, and has built literally ENTIRE military cities underground across the country where not even US bunker buster bombs can reach. In the process, it has also developed its scientific and techno-military industrial capabilities to rate today as one of the world’s leading powers, capable of producing its own missiles, tanks, drones, and advanced AD systems.
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CAITLIN JOHNSTONE—Those who bravely resist the US war machine or make themselves inconvenient for western empire managers don’t get to become popular heroes. You don’t see the westerners who work to stop weapons shipments to Gaza being celebrated for their efforts on CNN and the BBC. You don’t see antiwar activists getting Hollywood movies made about their work — at least not until the wars they were protesting lie safely in the distant past. You don’t see journalists who work to expose the most egregious crimes of the empire being elevated to fame and fortune.
The only figures who get elevated to fame and fortune in this fake plastic dystopia are those who either actively serve the interests of the empire or who passively distract people from its abuses. Donald Trump. Elon Musk. The Kardashians. Taylor Swift. Spider-Man and SpongeBob. [And a huge mob of obscenely paid sports figures and their media chroniclers and sycophants.—Ed)
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EDITORS—For the past 10 months, Gaza’s Palestinians have faced what can be described as a war of extermination, with the Israeli occupation targeting all facets of Palestinian life and systematically eliminating resistance leaders both domestically and abroad.
Thus, the announcement of Yahya Sinwar’s election as Haniyeh’s successor in Gaza was both a surprise to the Israeli occupation and a cause for celebration among Palestinians and their factions.
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BRIAN BERLETIC—Israeli missile strikes on Iran appear to have been limited, in part to the limitations of Israel’s long-range conventional military power;
This and a previous strike conducted in April may be providing Israel with information toward a larger more devastating attack on specific facilities;
The geo-strategic shift of power in the region has limited US-Israeli military power;
Iran’s ballistic missile forces and asymmetrical military power including through organizations like Hezbollah and Ansar Allah continue to expand as US military power, including through its Israeli proxies, diminishes.
