CRIMINAL FOREIGN POLICY

WJ ASTORE—As if the intelligence “community” isn’t already politicized! And who sees Gabbard as allegedly “soft” on Russia and Syria? Hillary Clinton? The “queen of warmongers,” as Gabbard memorably described her?

Wow. We might get “some really questionable actions” by the IC (intelligence community). I’m glad we’ve never had any of those before.

Tulsi has a wealth of experience in the military (she remains a lieutenant colonel), she’s a former Congresswoman who’s served on important committees dealing with national security, and she’s tough as nails, having survived ruthless attacks on her character by the Neocon Clinton wing of the Democratic Party. She is an excellent choice as Director.

EDITOR—Global activists and thinkers, dreamers and doers came together during IGNITE! to chart a path towards a society built on justice, equity, democracy, peace, and liberation. The Transnational Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary with a festival of radical ideas! We live in dark times — obscene levels of inequality, uncontrolled corporate greed, rampant militarization, a rising far-right, and ecological breakdown. Most disturbing of all, Western governments’ complicity with the ongoing genocide in Palestine has normalised brutal levels of dehumanisation with profound consequences for all vulnerable people worldwide. We need radical, systemic change.

THE GRAYZONE—The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal, Anya Parampil and Wyatt Reed assess Trump’s initial round of Israel First foreign policy picks, and how top donors like Miriam Adelson dictated the selections through his transition team.

CJ HOPKINS—Elon Musk did not “save free speech” or “rescue Twitter” from a “Woke Mind Virus.” He purchased a corporation and rebranded its product for new market demographic. In so doing, he corralled and neutralized most of the conservative populist resistance to the evolution of the global-capitalist system … which is what the system needed to happen. It makes no difference whether Elon Musk understood his role. He played it perfectly. He is continuing to play it perfectly.

BRIAN BERLETIC—Despite US voters hoping the incoming Trump administration will end America’s wars abroad, citing apparent interest in divesting in Ukraine as proof of change to come, President-elect Trump and his vice president pick JD Vance have vowed even while campaigning to shift US attention overseas from Ukraine to a much larger and more dangerous confrontation with China.