Israel isn't eradicating 'the terrorists'. It's turning Gaza into a wasteland, a hellscape, where doctors no longer exist, aid workers are a memory, and compassion a liability
A self evident truth that both MSM & our politicians refuse to accept. If our elites refuse to accept decisions made by International Courts, why should we, the common people consent to any national Laws? Bring out the pitchforks & tumbrils & sharpen Madame Guillotine.
The behaviour of Western leaders has been unpardonable. They have been complicit in Israel's endless acts of destruction of cultures, people, buildings, institutions - and our taxes have been used for this. Western leaders should bow their heads in shame, which is the best we can hope for when they actually more or less deserve to lose them.
Thank you,Jonathan Cook for showing such a devastating picture of the terror that is being unleashed on the Palestinian people by Israeli forces, and the complicity of Israel and the rest of us remaining silent and feeling helpless in the face of this genocide.
You can't fix something so broken. Neither the perpertrators, nor the enabelers. Beyond any redemption. As it may likely turn out true, for our species, which could just stop doing anything unnecessary which profits either, to stop it. Inexcusably, it's all known and humanity just carries on.
Mass media control is the apex power in society & there's no meaningful democracy in rich elites' owned & run Western media, all controlled by a handful of billionaires & giant corporations.
The only way to fix this & avoid our species' mass extinction is to give citizens at least an equal sized sector of mass media they control (directly), not 'money'.
Surprisingly easy to do for our *currency issuer* governments.. (yes, denying govs' money/system creation is another grand lie told to the public..) - eg. an exclusively Common Ownership structured citizens' Commons sector.
The media Commons is funded only by Gov (currency creation) - no other income allowed - but not directly. Instead, Gov gives every citizen an annual Commons media voucher, which they can use to sponsor the Commons eligible media provider(s) of their choice.
The media providers then redeem the vouchers they've collected for cash from Gov.
Simple, inherently democratic citizen participation in the public discourse that elevates politics to power.
Eligibility is written into the legislation - Commons media providers must be incorporated as member (not share value) controlled entities whose assets cannot be sold to benefit members/workers & can only be bought as going concern by similarly constituted Commons media entity.
These are typical legal structures used by co-ops & community businesses as used to be provided off the shelf by eg. ICOM (Industrial Common Ownership Movement), now provided by the Co-operative movement. (In UK, but other countries have similar structures.)
As the funding/voucher issues are annual, citizens themselves will weed out any scammers/poor quality pretty quickly.
As with all incorporated under the Companies' Acts, annual financial audits are mandatory & public records kept, which also includes directors' & senior managers' remuneration.
This robustly excludes the power of big money/capital from any part in it, & is only controlled by citizens.
The aggregate funding for the commons (divided between citizens/voucher value) is also specified in the legislation as a formula based on private the media sector's aggregate GDP - eg. adjusted each year to, say, be equal to the private sector.
Commons controlled media 50%, Capital controlled media 50% - seems more than fair? (And imo quite adequate to provide proper diversity of views and analysis in the News, Current Affairs & Documentaries that elevates politics to power.)
Well, if we want meaningful 'democracy', we can't leave control of all the information we see in the hands of less than 1% of the electorate with only a profit/self-serving motive.
Our votes are (demonstrably) worthless without comprehensive & accurate information - all we get now is partial, often wrong & simply propaganda masquerading as 'news'.
In fact, as the last ~50yrs I've witnessed shows, it's pointless appealing to the existing media-politics-complex to address any of the myriad shortcomings, callous inhumanities, wars & even genocides against the labour class, all totally unnecessary, for the whim & profit of less than 10-15% of the population.
Nothing by Govs for the vast majority (labour class) interests can progress - in the Western world of my acquaintance - *until* we get a citizens' controlled mass media sector.
For example, you are probably not aware that our Govs (none of them) have any 'money' constraint at all in deciding whether they can or should purchase or hire something. They are all fiat currency issuers - an operational fact every time they spend, issuing new 'money' every time.
Yet all western media & politicians continue to falsely claim they must either tax or 'borrow' from the Non-Gov sector to pay for Gov expenditure.
A handful of academics (notably incl. Bernie Sanders Chief Budget Committee economist, Stephanie Kelton) & thousands of activists like myself, worldwide, have been trying to correct this 'fake news' for the last 15+ yrs & got precisely nowhere.
On every topic of any real importance we've been universally, across the West, gaslit to hell & back. This is the reality. MSM & by extension mainstream politics has proven 100% impervious to facts or reality.
Media control is the apex power - always has been - so if we're not happy with rule by increasingly psychopathic/self-serving rich elites in 100% fake 'democracy', there really is only one place to start to change any of its ills...
Obviously, it will be extremely difficult to achieve in face of all the mainstream of media & politics, self-serving opposition.
To succeed, we'll need to put aside for now all the other grievances until it's achieved - whereupon we then would have the reach & access to the public discourse to put all our other grievances fully & properly before the public, to let meaningful 'democracy' decide our priorities.
Then, we'd have a chance, where none whatever exists now - one simple solution to open the door for everything else.
It's just 'systems' logic to identify & address the root cause & blockage to resolving everything else with true democratic legitimacy.
But so far, I have to conclude that humans just don't do 'systems' thinking well, if at all - this underlying system of societal governance is unchanged in 1000s of years, regardless of whatever confected 'ideology' or 'political science' label has been attached.
'Couldn't see the wood for the trees' would be a fitting epitaph to our species' nuke powered, climate changed bleak & mass extinction future if we fail to correct the governance system now.
Israel produced a video of a janitor who worked at Kamal Adwan claiming that the Hospital was a terrorist hub. Why don't they show a video of Dr Abu Safiya proving that he is alive and well?
I've come to a different conclusion. I don't think Israel's aim in any "consciousness" construction involves deadening of feelings. The most valuable lesson to learn from both Gaza and Syria is that all nations on Earth are afraid of the U.S.A. and will not substantively confront the U.S. on any issue. They've allowed a clearly presented genocide to begin and continue under their watchful gaze. HTS conquered Syria? Pshaw. Sanctions and isolation from the world stage effectuated the fall of a leader. Certainly Syrians fled because of Assad but equally because of the lack of fuel for their economy caused by U.S. theft; usurpation of food by the U.S. in their wheat fields; and abject poverty into which they were driven by U.S. sanctions and which the world observed rather than rising up in rebellion against the U.S. Exorbitantly fund any militia to enter a starving country and you rule.
I have said many times and people fail to truly understand this point that what we see in Gaza can be laid upon any country in this world or any group of people in this world. The Gaza Genocide doesn't stop in Gaza. This is the blueprint for your future.
The old aphorism is apt. Nothing succeeds like success. They will recycle the campaign in Gaza again and again until the ruler/leader and people submit.
Truly, people, wise up. The ICC, UN et al. are completely powerless entities. They're for show and for the people gullible enough to believe in fairy tales. Nothing occurs in this world except through enforcement via a military.
I've recently encountered this observation again which bears repeating. The center for control of religion resides in the Vatican; for financial control in the City of London; for military control in Washington, D.C. All three are regions which are technically not part of the country in which they reside but geographic entities in their own right.
Yes Honeybee, I believe Gaza is a harbinger of future 'wars' for those who have the economic capacity and the hi tech AI assisted industrialised military. When international law and human rights are mere inconveniences to a Super Power you know we're in trouble. This is not looking good for our species.
I've pointed to this fact in some of my substacks, and you are quite correct. "I believe Gaza is a harbinger of future 'wars' for those who have the economic capacity and the hi tech AI assisted industrialised military." I don't think people appreciate how much of this extinction in Gaza is occurring through AI-driven algorithms. Their systems are "sync'ed" from what I've read. E.g., their tanks, drones, planes, and IDF units are linked up via AI, and they can be directed to stop one course of action and begin another instantaneously. Drones and planes can be diverted to any area with precision and annihilate people there because Hamas weapon fire has been detected.
People simply don't understand the ramifications of this change in warfare. AI has taken asymmetric war to another level where no "asymmetric war" occurs--only slaughter. This is what we're seeing in Gaza. I can well intuit when the U.S. .gov designates an enclave in Montana as "terrorist" and sends AI-driven extinction via national guard, state police, or local police...who coincidentally have purchased "excess military equipment" from the U.S. military. Perhaps such an episode won't occur under Trump, but Trump is only four years. Who assumes the presidency afterwards?
Honeybee, for the military industrial complex this is ‘progress’, for the rest of humanity it represents a slide into barbarism on a scale not seen before.
Interestingly you cite the possibility of the US using it against its own people, alarm bells should be ringing for US citizens as the armed wing of US ‘democracy’ is clearly facilitating/learning from the slaughter of innocents in Gaza.
excellent documentation of the present genocidal actions against everybody in Gaza during more than a year now. So incredible and painful to confirm that these crimes are desperately trying to hide or minimize by the western median and the western politicians. Thanks for keep writing about this holocaust we will never forget nor forgive.
Pope Francis has bravely stood up against the genocide and for Palestine, more than any other major religious leader. Millions of Catholics, and many others, are with him 100%. If only other religions would follow suit. And if only the media would give them the forum they deserve.
Time to make the Holy Land holy again. The best thing Pope Francis could ever do is to make his stand in Gaza, or Bethlehem. He has an opportunity that is unequalled, to say "no" to genocide. If Gaza is no longer an option, thanks to the total blockade by Israel. He could even go to the West Bank, Beirut, or even Teheran.
May it be his road to Damascus moment, and say, “Not in our name, not on our watch.”
A self evident truth that both MSM & our politicians refuse to accept. If our elites refuse to accept decisions made by International Courts, why should we, the common people consent to any national Laws? Bring out the pitchforks & tumbrils & sharpen Madame Guillotine.
Thank you
The behaviour of Western leaders has been unpardonable. They have been complicit in Israel's endless acts of destruction of cultures, people, buildings, institutions - and our taxes have been used for this. Western leaders should bow their heads in shame, which is the best we can hope for when they actually more or less deserve to lose them.
Thank You Jonathan
Thank you,Jonathan Cook for showing such a devastating picture of the terror that is being unleashed on the Palestinian people by Israeli forces, and the complicity of Israel and the rest of us remaining silent and feeling helpless in the face of this genocide.
Jonathan, thank you for your unflinching reporting of the horror being perpetrated
upon the Palestinian people by the insane, genocidal Israeli government and by proxy
our own genocidal US government.
I claim to be a follower of the Prince of Peace, and yet so many so-called professing
Christians continue to cheerlead this despicable, Satanic, and murderous onslaught of
the Palestinian people, all in the name of some devilish, false eschatology.
All is not well as we go into 2025. The lovers of war, death, and destruction remain in
control. The blood of many hapless victims is on the hands of many American evangelical
churches. Judgment is at hand. May God help us!
You can't fix something so broken. Neither the perpertrators, nor the enabelers. Beyond any redemption. As it may likely turn out true, for our species, which could just stop doing anything unnecessary which profits either, to stop it. Inexcusably, it's all known and humanity just carries on.
Thank you, Mr. Cook. Copious tears for Palestine: tears of frustration, anger, hatred of Colonial Zionism.
Mass media control is the apex power in society & there's no meaningful democracy in rich elites' owned & run Western media, all controlled by a handful of billionaires & giant corporations.
The only way to fix this & avoid our species' mass extinction is to give citizens at least an equal sized sector of mass media they control (directly), not 'money'.
Surprisingly easy to do for our *currency issuer* governments.. (yes, denying govs' money/system creation is another grand lie told to the public..) - eg. an exclusively Common Ownership structured citizens' Commons sector.
The media Commons is funded only by Gov (currency creation) - no other income allowed - but not directly. Instead, Gov gives every citizen an annual Commons media voucher, which they can use to sponsor the Commons eligible media provider(s) of their choice.
The media providers then redeem the vouchers they've collected for cash from Gov.
Simple, inherently democratic citizen participation in the public discourse that elevates politics to power.
Interesting Mike, first question that comes to mind is who decides which providers are eligible?
Eligibility is written into the legislation - Commons media providers must be incorporated as member (not share value) controlled entities whose assets cannot be sold to benefit members/workers & can only be bought as going concern by similarly constituted Commons media entity.
These are typical legal structures used by co-ops & community businesses as used to be provided off the shelf by eg. ICOM (Industrial Common Ownership Movement), now provided by the Co-operative movement. (In UK, but other countries have similar structures.)
As the funding/voucher issues are annual, citizens themselves will weed out any scammers/poor quality pretty quickly.
As with all incorporated under the Companies' Acts, annual financial audits are mandatory & public records kept, which also includes directors' & senior managers' remuneration.
This robustly excludes the power of big money/capital from any part in it, & is only controlled by citizens.
The aggregate funding for the commons (divided between citizens/voucher value) is also specified in the legislation as a formula based on private the media sector's aggregate GDP - eg. adjusted each year to, say, be equal to the private sector.
Commons controlled media 50%, Capital controlled media 50% - seems more than fair? (And imo quite adequate to provide proper diversity of views and analysis in the News, Current Affairs & Documentaries that elevates politics to power.)
Definitely like the sound of that Mike but surely removing the profit incentive from MSM would likely unleash some terrible dystopian conflagration.
Well, if we want meaningful 'democracy', we can't leave control of all the information we see in the hands of less than 1% of the electorate with only a profit/self-serving motive.
Our votes are (demonstrably) worthless without comprehensive & accurate information - all we get now is partial, often wrong & simply propaganda masquerading as 'news'.
In fact, as the last ~50yrs I've witnessed shows, it's pointless appealing to the existing media-politics-complex to address any of the myriad shortcomings, callous inhumanities, wars & even genocides against the labour class, all totally unnecessary, for the whim & profit of less than 10-15% of the population.
Nothing by Govs for the vast majority (labour class) interests can progress - in the Western world of my acquaintance - *until* we get a citizens' controlled mass media sector.
For example, you are probably not aware that our Govs (none of them) have any 'money' constraint at all in deciding whether they can or should purchase or hire something. They are all fiat currency issuers - an operational fact every time they spend, issuing new 'money' every time.
Yet all western media & politicians continue to falsely claim they must either tax or 'borrow' from the Non-Gov sector to pay for Gov expenditure.
A handful of academics (notably incl. Bernie Sanders Chief Budget Committee economist, Stephanie Kelton) & thousands of activists like myself, worldwide, have been trying to correct this 'fake news' for the last 15+ yrs & got precisely nowhere.
On every topic of any real importance we've been universally, across the West, gaslit to hell & back. This is the reality. MSM & by extension mainstream politics has proven 100% impervious to facts or reality.
Media control is the apex power - always has been - so if we're not happy with rule by increasingly psychopathic/self-serving rich elites in 100% fake 'democracy', there really is only one place to start to change any of its ills...
...or just forget about it?
Agree but seems like an impossible struggle but I’m glad to hear your voice
Obviously, it will be extremely difficult to achieve in face of all the mainstream of media & politics, self-serving opposition.
To succeed, we'll need to put aside for now all the other grievances until it's achieved - whereupon we then would have the reach & access to the public discourse to put all our other grievances fully & properly before the public, to let meaningful 'democracy' decide our priorities.
Then, we'd have a chance, where none whatever exists now - one simple solution to open the door for everything else.
It's just 'systems' logic to identify & address the root cause & blockage to resolving everything else with true democratic legitimacy.
But so far, I have to conclude that humans just don't do 'systems' thinking well, if at all - this underlying system of societal governance is unchanged in 1000s of years, regardless of whatever confected 'ideology' or 'political science' label has been attached.
'Couldn't see the wood for the trees' would be a fitting epitaph to our species' nuke powered, climate changed bleak & mass extinction future if we fail to correct the governance system now.
But if you like the idea, spread the word?
Israel is not psychotic. It is just straight-out evil.
Israel produced a video of a janitor who worked at Kamal Adwan claiming that the Hospital was a terrorist hub. Why don't they show a video of Dr Abu Safiya proving that he is alive and well?
I've come to a different conclusion. I don't think Israel's aim in any "consciousness" construction involves deadening of feelings. The most valuable lesson to learn from both Gaza and Syria is that all nations on Earth are afraid of the U.S.A. and will not substantively confront the U.S. on any issue. They've allowed a clearly presented genocide to begin and continue under their watchful gaze. HTS conquered Syria? Pshaw. Sanctions and isolation from the world stage effectuated the fall of a leader. Certainly Syrians fled because of Assad but equally because of the lack of fuel for their economy caused by U.S. theft; usurpation of food by the U.S. in their wheat fields; and abject poverty into which they were driven by U.S. sanctions and which the world observed rather than rising up in rebellion against the U.S. Exorbitantly fund any militia to enter a starving country and you rule.
I have said many times and people fail to truly understand this point that what we see in Gaza can be laid upon any country in this world or any group of people in this world. The Gaza Genocide doesn't stop in Gaza. This is the blueprint for your future.
The old aphorism is apt. Nothing succeeds like success. They will recycle the campaign in Gaza again and again until the ruler/leader and people submit.
Truly, people, wise up. The ICC, UN et al. are completely powerless entities. They're for show and for the people gullible enough to believe in fairy tales. Nothing occurs in this world except through enforcement via a military.
I've recently encountered this observation again which bears repeating. The center for control of religion resides in the Vatican; for financial control in the City of London; for military control in Washington, D.C. All three are regions which are technically not part of the country in which they reside but geographic entities in their own right.
Yes Honeybee, I believe Gaza is a harbinger of future 'wars' for those who have the economic capacity and the hi tech AI assisted industrialised military. When international law and human rights are mere inconveniences to a Super Power you know we're in trouble. This is not looking good for our species.
I've pointed to this fact in some of my substacks, and you are quite correct. "I believe Gaza is a harbinger of future 'wars' for those who have the economic capacity and the hi tech AI assisted industrialised military." I don't think people appreciate how much of this extinction in Gaza is occurring through AI-driven algorithms. Their systems are "sync'ed" from what I've read. E.g., their tanks, drones, planes, and IDF units are linked up via AI, and they can be directed to stop one course of action and begin another instantaneously. Drones and planes can be diverted to any area with precision and annihilate people there because Hamas weapon fire has been detected.
People simply don't understand the ramifications of this change in warfare. AI has taken asymmetric war to another level where no "asymmetric war" occurs--only slaughter. This is what we're seeing in Gaza. I can well intuit when the U.S. .gov designates an enclave in Montana as "terrorist" and sends AI-driven extinction via national guard, state police, or local police...who coincidentally have purchased "excess military equipment" from the U.S. military. Perhaps such an episode won't occur under Trump, but Trump is only four years. Who assumes the presidency afterwards?
Honeybee, for the military industrial complex this is ‘progress’, for the rest of humanity it represents a slide into barbarism on a scale not seen before.
Interestingly you cite the possibility of the US using it against its own people, alarm bells should be ringing for US citizens as the armed wing of US ‘democracy’ is clearly facilitating/learning from the slaughter of innocents in Gaza.
excellent documentation of the present genocidal actions against everybody in Gaza during more than a year now. So incredible and painful to confirm that these crimes are desperately trying to hide or minimize by the western median and the western politicians. Thanks for keep writing about this holocaust we will never forget nor forgive.
Thank you for your diligence against all the odds. I've signed one of your fans petition to Pope Francis. The church has been appalling.
Pope Francis has bravely stood up against the genocide and for Palestine, more than any other major religious leader. Millions of Catholics, and many others, are with him 100%. If only other religions would follow suit. And if only the media would give them the forum they deserve.
Write on Jonathan! So grateful for your insightful analysis. onward in solidarity from Hornby Island BC Canada.
Time to make the Holy Land holy again. The best thing Pope Francis could ever do is to make his stand in Gaza, or Bethlehem. He has an opportunity that is unequalled, to say "no" to genocide. If Gaza is no longer an option, thanks to the total blockade by Israel. He could even go to the West Bank, Beirut, or even Teheran.
May it be his road to Damascus moment, and say, “Not in our name, not on our watch.”
Please sign the petition and share widely.
https://chng.it/gkvBfY44rq