"In an era marked by resurgent militarism, rampant disinformation, and the commodification of conflict, the need for clear-eyed, ethically charged testimony about the realities of war has never been more acute. The world’s leading arms manufacturers reported a record $679 billion in sales in 2024, driven by ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and a global climate of insecurity. Meanwhile, the psychological and moral injuries suffered by veterans and civilians alike continue to mount, often unaddressed by policy or public discourse. Against this backdrop, three works—Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, Smedley Butler’s War Is a Racket, and Sean Griobhtha’s X Rubicon (alongside his Crossing Rubicons Substack archive)—stand as essential reading for educators, civic leaders, and engaged citizens. Each offers a unique but complementary lens on the trauma, propaganda, profiteering, and moral injury that define both historical and contemporary warfare."
Powerful dissection of manufactured consent in real time. The framing as a 'supreme international crime' cuts through all the euphemisms that typically obscure these events. I noticed the same pattern with Libya in 2011, where humanitarian language masked regime-change objectives. The institutional memory of journalism seems to reset every few years, or maybe that's teh point.
Jonathon Cook, it is not just a supposedly leftist paper like The Guardian that has been sounding the drumbeats for war against Iran.
.
For the last month, during which the CIA, the Mossad and MI6 have been conducting their insidious False Flag operation with Iran, attempting to foment an insurrection by reportedly burning down hundreds of Mosques and Fire Stations and Ambulances, and assassinating over a thousand police officers {shades of exploding pagers, anyone?}, Democracy Now, and Amy Goodman – who claim to be progressives – to my everlasting horror, have insisted on reporting these events by repeating the Empire’s propaganda that it is the State of Iran that is propagating the violence against their own people.
.
The U.S. assaulted Iran, first by economic sanctions that provoked what were indeed initially peaceful portests (that the State of Iran allowed to proceed peacefully), then by infiltrating the peaceful protests with agent provovateurs, with guns bombs to assassinate Iranian police officers and Iranian citizens, and destroy the mosques, fire stations and ambulances; and now by bringing war to their doorstep.
Democracy Now and Amy Goodman are great examples of the US reactionary class pretending to be liberal progressives in order to pacify the population and shepherd them away from uproar.
Possibly, Kojo. Possibly. Nevertheless, on the basis of some of Democracy Now and Amy Goodman's other good reporting, I extend them the benefit of the doubt and am willing to presume that, in the case of Iran -- as well in several other cases (such as under-reporting the deaths in Gaza, and promoting AOC and Bernie as actual progressives) -- they are simply being duped.
.
I think it is fair to say that there is a spectrum here. You know? At one end, Fox News; at the other, Democracy Now. Yet the spectrum itself is still part of the American Empire's establishment perspective.
.
Amy and DN believe that they are "the Exception to the Rulers," but actually they end debating over the terms of the Empire's rulership. They don't challenge the fundamentals of Empire. Like Donald Trump's Imperial-given right to take the U.S. fleet to the borders of Iran and threaten them with violence.
.
Nor do they challenge the propaganda that the mass murders carried out inside the borders of Iran by Mossad, and the CIA, and MI6, are -- according to the Empire -- actually murders inflicted by the Iranian State. In fact, they present that propaganda as though it were actual news and facts. Which it is NOT.
.
Personally speaking, however, I believe they are actually sincere. I believe they are sincere dupes.
".... extend them the benefit of the doubt and am willing to presume that, in the case of Iran -- as well in several other cases (such as under-reporting the deaths in Gaza, and promoting AOC and Bernie as actual progressives) -- they are simply being duped..."
Well no. Because they constantly do this. So it´s not a mistake or error or being deceived. Amy Goodman and "Democracy Now" consistently spread all the imperial propaganda as to whom is a "regime" and whom is not, while pretending to be progressive left. It´s a con game. They are sincere yes - sincerely imperial tools.
BTW
I now use the FRAMEWORK
Libertarian SOCIALISM is MUTUAL socialism
Proudhon style
society
social
association
socialism
socialist
ALL FORMS of Socialism
socialism WITHOUT a state !!!!!!!!
Voluntary socialism
as in SOCIALIST PARTIES 😃
SHAME to "The Guardian' !!
Beware ' Perfide Albion' !!! Recall british 's historical responsability for blowing war fires on our planet !!
"In an era marked by resurgent militarism, rampant disinformation, and the commodification of conflict, the need for clear-eyed, ethically charged testimony about the realities of war has never been more acute. The world’s leading arms manufacturers reported a record $679 billion in sales in 2024, driven by ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and a global climate of insecurity. Meanwhile, the psychological and moral injuries suffered by veterans and civilians alike continue to mount, often unaddressed by policy or public discourse. Against this backdrop, three works—Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, Smedley Butler’s War Is a Racket, and Sean Griobhtha’s X Rubicon (alongside his Crossing Rubicons Substack archive)—stand as essential reading for educators, civic leaders, and engaged citizens. Each offers a unique but complementary lens on the trauma, propaganda, profiteering, and moral injury that define both historical and contemporary warfare."
https://griobhtha1.substack.com/p/the-unbearable-weight-of-knowing
Powerful dissection of manufactured consent in real time. The framing as a 'supreme international crime' cuts through all the euphemisms that typically obscure these events. I noticed the same pattern with Libya in 2011, where humanitarian language masked regime-change objectives. The institutional memory of journalism seems to reset every few years, or maybe that's teh point.
I prefer the New Statesman and have given up on the Guardian
.
Jonathon Cook, it is not just a supposedly leftist paper like The Guardian that has been sounding the drumbeats for war against Iran.
.
For the last month, during which the CIA, the Mossad and MI6 have been conducting their insidious False Flag operation with Iran, attempting to foment an insurrection by reportedly burning down hundreds of Mosques and Fire Stations and Ambulances, and assassinating over a thousand police officers {shades of exploding pagers, anyone?}, Democracy Now, and Amy Goodman – who claim to be progressives – to my everlasting horror, have insisted on reporting these events by repeating the Empire’s propaganda that it is the State of Iran that is propagating the violence against their own people.
.
The U.S. assaulted Iran, first by economic sanctions that provoked what were indeed initially peaceful portests (that the State of Iran allowed to proceed peacefully), then by infiltrating the peaceful protests with agent provovateurs, with guns bombs to assassinate Iranian police officers and Iranian citizens, and destroy the mosques, fire stations and ambulances; and now by bringing war to their doorstep.
.
Democracy Now and Amy Goodman are great examples of the US reactionary class pretending to be liberal progressives in order to pacify the population and shepherd them away from uproar.
.
Possibly, Kojo. Possibly. Nevertheless, on the basis of some of Democracy Now and Amy Goodman's other good reporting, I extend them the benefit of the doubt and am willing to presume that, in the case of Iran -- as well in several other cases (such as under-reporting the deaths in Gaza, and promoting AOC and Bernie as actual progressives) -- they are simply being duped.
.
I think it is fair to say that there is a spectrum here. You know? At one end, Fox News; at the other, Democracy Now. Yet the spectrum itself is still part of the American Empire's establishment perspective.
.
Amy and DN believe that they are "the Exception to the Rulers," but actually they end debating over the terms of the Empire's rulership. They don't challenge the fundamentals of Empire. Like Donald Trump's Imperial-given right to take the U.S. fleet to the borders of Iran and threaten them with violence.
.
Nor do they challenge the propaganda that the mass murders carried out inside the borders of Iran by Mossad, and the CIA, and MI6, are -- according to the Empire -- actually murders inflicted by the Iranian State. In fact, they present that propaganda as though it were actual news and facts. Which it is NOT.
.
Personally speaking, however, I believe they are actually sincere. I believe they are sincere dupes.
.
".... extend them the benefit of the doubt and am willing to presume that, in the case of Iran -- as well in several other cases (such as under-reporting the deaths in Gaza, and promoting AOC and Bernie as actual progressives) -- they are simply being duped..."
Well no. Because they constantly do this. So it´s not a mistake or error or being deceived. Amy Goodman and "Democracy Now" consistently spread all the imperial propaganda as to whom is a "regime" and whom is not, while pretending to be progressive left. It´s a con game. They are sincere yes - sincerely imperial tools.
the Guardian failed all measures of decency when it delivered Assange to the wolves.
They should have been prosecuted not Assange. The Editor and those two journalists who released unredacted info should be in Max security still.
can I read this rather than listen to it?
Yes, there's a link to the written article immediately below the podcast.
What Marcello said. #TheGuardianisnowmorallybankrupt
The Guardian that lives on past reputation is a morally failed paper now. Just another capitalist rag in disguise, which makes it worse😳
...., and the John and Jane Q. Normies of this world are incapable of wrapping their heads around that fact.