CITIZEN TOOLS

EDITOR—The Israeli government presents this invasion as a “limited” one, but as many have pointed out the same was said about the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. That led to years of brutal warfare and an occupation that lasted nearly until the end of the century. The Israeli government often describes its aggressive operations as “limited” to gain support in the West, but somehow they never stay “limited.”

Akbar Shahid Ahmed spoke to a career U.S. official who said that the administration was permitting “a nihilistic regional murder spree.” That is unfortunately all too accurate. Among other things, Israeli forces recently bombed Yemen by targeting critical civilian infrastructure once again. They seem to delight in devastating the vital infrastructure of the poorest parts of the region. The Netanyahu government’s first instinct appears to be to inflict collective punishment of the civilian population of other countries.

EDITORS—Visibly moved upon Israel’s assassination of an exemplary revolutionary leader, Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, Laith struggles to describe the feelings of sadness and devastation among the anti-imperialist activists in Lebanon, Palestine and beyond, explaining that, however painful this blow is, it will not stop the work to liberate Palestine and defeat the imperialist scourge blighting the world. Hezbollah will continue its attacks on the Zionist entity until a new Middle East arises.

OLIVER BOYD-BARRETT—This incident has the gravest possible significance. It has blind-sided Hezbollah on the very eve of a war that Israel has declared on Hezbollah. If, as seems possible, Hezbollah defenses are significantly impaired as a result, then of course the anticipated Israeli assault has more chance of winning. That possible eventuality, its probable chances now greater than before, may be sufficient to force Iran’s hand in the defense of Hezbollah and, also, Lebanon and Syria, igniting the regional war that Netanayu badly wants.

EDITOR—A MUST-WATCH roundtable discussion of the rapidly deteriorating situation in the conflict between the “collective West” (the US Hegemon plus its vassals), and Russia and its multipolar bloc allies, chiefly China, Iran, North Korea, etc., over the shape of the emerging new world dedicated to national sovereignty for every nation, and non-exploitative trade relations. Ritter and Johnson provide superb explanations for Turkiye’s gradual drift away from the EU/US/NATO bloc and Recip Erdogan’s moves to rebuild the glory of the Ottoman empire. Both analysts agree that Turkiye’s departure from NATO will weaken that organisation considerably and precipitate its dissolution. Turkiye, despite its modernity thanks to Kemal Ataturk’s reforms, is and remains an Islamic nation and civilisation, something that many Western leaders and analysts forget at their own peril. Turkiye’s values are essentially incompatible with the West’s, and its fiercely independent heritage clashes with the American empire’s demand to bow before its hegemony. Larry Johnson and Scott Ritter also eloquently describe the problem the world faces in Ukraine, a nation long-recognised as a grifter’s paradise, now turned into a malignant instrument for reckless (and typically devious) Anglo-American policy. With the public in Europe and the US anaesthetised by massive ignorance and propaganda about the actual situation, and an Anglo-American leadership brimming with moral mediocrity, alarming insularity, and reckless imperialist arrogance, it was not surprising that Russia’s just demands in 2021 for an international order grounded in mutual security were swiftly rejected by “the West”.  This criminal posture spawned the Ukraine war, which is now pushing the world literally to the edge of the nuclear abyss, warns Ritter, with Johnson concurring.

EDITOR—Join us for a new show hosted by Midwestern Marx called The Global Class Struggle. International Affairs analyst and host of The Critical Hour Garland Nixon will break down the latest defeats for U.S. imperialism, from Ukraine to Venezuela.