How the left became cheerleaders for US imperialism
jonathancook.substack.com
Figureheads like the Guardian’s George Monbiot have wrecked the left’s ability to think critically, encouraging an analysis of power politics more suited to the playground
Very simple. The Lifestyle Left were offered the whip hand, but they cannot criticize the MIC or question the way the economic pie is sliced without offending their new-found friends.
Note how in the US, the neocons effortlessly shifted allegiances from Team R to Team D and now talk about making war on Iran because gay rights or whatever.
'Twas ever so: the Labour Party , like most Social Democrats everywhere and throughout the last 150 years , has been generally run by imperialists and managerialists {e.g., Fabians}rather than by revolutionaries . Mr Monbiot is in that tradition, naturally, and is probably afraid of the accusation of "curmudgeonly Stalinist" which one of his smart-a--ed colleagues in the Guardian has damned others with. The media world is rotten to the core, yet Mr Monbiot could- of course- do the right thing and, say, join the Media Lens team, where he would struggle to make a living, but could hold hid head high. The destruction of Yugoslavia by vicious NATO thugs marked .,transparently, the shameless "Drang nach Osten" of the US . [see youtube interview on growing German bellicosity] It's as if the neo-cons etc still hate the Russians for winning the war against Nazi Germany; after all, their forebears were ready to do a deal with the latter to destroy the USSR...
Thank you, Jonathan. I just want to recommend the short book "How The West Brought War to Ukraine" by Benjamin Abelow. It should be widely read and shared. Likewise, everyone should watch the 2015 talk by Professor John Mearsheimer "Why Ukraine Is the West's Fault" and share it widely. We need to do everything that we can to educate people about what's really going on in this situation - the more complicated reality to which Jonathan refers in this article. People being woefully misled, and it is incredibly dangerous for the whole world.
Great article. Would be good to understand more on Monbiot’s motives, just to keep his job at the Guardian does not seem enough to accept his damaging his integrity in such a manner.
“Whatever the situation around the world is, you side against the oppressor, and with the oppressed."
And yet, Monbiot does not view the brutal attack on Donbas civilians, the ban on their language, the atrocities meted out to them by the Aidar and Azov criminals, the constant shelling of schools hospitals and civilians areas in Donetsk as part of the Kiev's ATO (Anti Terrorist Operation. Yes, Kiev views all the people of the Donbas as terrorists and separatists) since 2014.
8 years of oppression. Don't the civilians of the Donbas need saving? They are not the right kind of oppressed like the Palestinians it seems.
Since Trump came to power, my go-to websites increasingly focused on repeating establishment talking points with my favourite authors disappearing. Inconsistencies were ignored like the s.upport for BLM marches (I took part as well) paired with ferocious denouncing of some people's opposition to lock downs. To many prominent members of the Left, the people's concerns about economic survival took a backseat to tow the official line on Covid measures and now the war in Ukraine. It's easy money. When you side with big corporations, reelection is a breeze.
Very simple. The Lifestyle Left were offered the whip hand, but they cannot criticize the MIC or question the way the economic pie is sliced without offending their new-found friends.
Note how in the US, the neocons effortlessly shifted allegiances from Team R to Team D and now talk about making war on Iran because gay rights or whatever.
The thing I appreciate most about Jonathan Cook is his hatred of that security state slimeball George Monbiot
'Twas ever so: the Labour Party , like most Social Democrats everywhere and throughout the last 150 years , has been generally run by imperialists and managerialists {e.g., Fabians}rather than by revolutionaries . Mr Monbiot is in that tradition, naturally, and is probably afraid of the accusation of "curmudgeonly Stalinist" which one of his smart-a--ed colleagues in the Guardian has damned others with. The media world is rotten to the core, yet Mr Monbiot could- of course- do the right thing and, say, join the Media Lens team, where he would struggle to make a living, but could hold hid head high. The destruction of Yugoslavia by vicious NATO thugs marked .,transparently, the shameless "Drang nach Osten" of the US . [see youtube interview on growing German bellicosity] It's as if the neo-cons etc still hate the Russians for winning the war against Nazi Germany; after all, their forebears were ready to do a deal with the latter to destroy the USSR...
Thank you, Jonathan. I just want to recommend the short book "How The West Brought War to Ukraine" by Benjamin Abelow. It should be widely read and shared. Likewise, everyone should watch the 2015 talk by Professor John Mearsheimer "Why Ukraine Is the West's Fault" and share it widely. We need to do everything that we can to educate people about what's really going on in this situation - the more complicated reality to which Jonathan refers in this article. People being woefully misled, and it is incredibly dangerous for the whole world.
Monbiot read your article and responded:
"Liar, Liar, pants on fire!"
Great article. Would be good to understand more on Monbiot’s motives, just to keep his job at the Guardian does not seem enough to accept his damaging his integrity in such a manner.
“Whatever the situation around the world is, you side against the oppressor, and with the oppressed."
And yet, Monbiot does not view the brutal attack on Donbas civilians, the ban on their language, the atrocities meted out to them by the Aidar and Azov criminals, the constant shelling of schools hospitals and civilians areas in Donetsk as part of the Kiev's ATO (Anti Terrorist Operation. Yes, Kiev views all the people of the Donbas as terrorists and separatists) since 2014.
8 years of oppression. Don't the civilians of the Donbas need saving? They are not the right kind of oppressed like the Palestinians it seems.
Brilliant, thank you!
Since Trump came to power, my go-to websites increasingly focused on repeating establishment talking points with my favourite authors disappearing. Inconsistencies were ignored like the s.upport for BLM marches (I took part as well) paired with ferocious denouncing of some people's opposition to lock downs. To many prominent members of the Left, the people's concerns about economic survival took a backseat to tow the official line on Covid measures and now the war in Ukraine. It's easy money. When you side with big corporations, reelection is a breeze.