Middle East royal calls for end to Western ‘dominance’
RT | December 7, 2023
The current unfair world order dominated by the West needs to end, Omani Crown Prince Prince Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said said on Thursday, speaking with President Vladimir Putin.
Prince Theyazin was in Moscow for the ‘Russia Calling’ Forum hosted by VTB Bank. He met with the Russian leader on the sidelines of the investment conference.
“I listened very carefully to your opening speech,” said the prince, according to translated remarks published by the Kremlin. “I share all your assessments of the current international situation, primarily with regard to the need to end the current unfair world order and the dominance of the West, as well as to build a new fair world order and economic relations without double standards.”
In his opening remarks, Putin had described globalization as a phenomenon used by the US and the collective West to exploit both its allies and the “global periphery” instead of giving every nation an opportunity to develop and thrive.
That system is currently undergoing “radical and irreversible” changes into a more democratic and multipolar order, the Russian leader said.
Prince Theyazin said it was necessary to create new mechanisms for trade and international relations that would not “impose any ideologies,” and develop new economic centers in Africa and Asia. The Middle East was strategically positioned to play a promising role in strategic infrastructure projects, he added.
Oman is located on the southeastern tip of the Arabian peninsula, across the mouth of the Persian Gulf from Iran. Its longtime ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said, died in 2020 without any children – leaving the kingdom to his cousin Haitham bin Tariq. His son Prince Theyazin currently serves as Oman’s minister of youth, culture and sports.
Guyanese military helicopter missing near Venezuelan border
The Defense Forces personnel aboard the lost chopper had been sent to inspect the area amid rising tensions with Caracas
RT | December 7, 2023
A military helicopter with five senior Guyanese officers and two soldiers onboard vanished in stormy weather on Wednesday near Guyana’s contested border with Venezuela.
Rescue operations had to be called off due to adverse weather conditions, according to Guyana Defense Forces (GDF) Chief of Staff Brigadier Oman Khan. The helicopter sent out an emergency signal shortly after refueling. The signal may have been triggered by the crew and may suggest a crash landing, he added.
The suspected crash happened as border tensions between Guyana and Venezuela are on the rise.
The territory, which Guyana refers to as Essequibo, has been disputed by the two countries since the 19th century.
In 1899, the US stepped in to arbitrate the dispute, and, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, assigned the territory to British Guyana, at the time a colony.
Venezuela never accepted the decision as legitimate, and the dispute was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2018.
After a referendum on Sunday about incorporating the territory as a new state in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro has unveiled a new map with the area, dubbed Guyana Essequiba, now shown as part of the country.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali replied that Maduro was displaying “blatant disregard” for the ICJ, which forbade Caracas from disturbing the status quo in the region.
The dispute is further exacerbated by the recently discovered oil reserves in the waters off the coast of the Atlantic, which both countries claim.
Maduro warned that foreign companies exploiting resources in the region without permission from Caracas have three months to “comply with the law.”
Caracas has since mobilized troops and sent them to the Guyanese border in preparation for claiming the 160,000 square-km territory.
Venezuelan Authorities Coordinate Actions for Guayana Esequiba
teleSUR – December 7, 2023
On Wednesday, the Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino met with Alexis Rodriguez Cabello, the temporary sole authority of the state of Guayana Esequiba, to coordinate actions aimed at ensuring security in the new Venezuelan state.
“We are gathered with Major General Alexis Rodriguez Cabello, making tangible the mandate of the people for the defense of our territorial integrity. The Esequibo is ours!” Padrino said.
“Through collaborative work, the sole authority and the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will deploy all their logistical and human potential in the sector,” he added.
“We are already coordinating to promptly fulfill the mandate of the people with all the social policies towards the territory of Guayana Esequiba. There is no rest, no break, and we work for our Esequibo.”
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, “The Venezuelan people gave an unequivocal mandate for President Nicolas Maduro to present the rescue plan for our Guayana Esequiba. The voice of the people will be heard and respected! Guyana must abide by international law instead of threaten us with the imperial hegemons. The sun of Venezuela rises in the Essequibo!”
Previously, on Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro appointed Rodriguez Cabello as the temporary sole authority of the state of Guayana Esequiba.
Provisionally, his operations center and a Comprehensive Defense Zone (ZODI) will be established in Tumeremo, in the state of Bolivar, near the Guayana Esequiba.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly unanimously approved the Defense of Guayana Esequiba Bill. Presented by President Maduro, this project is aimed at advancing the creation of the state of Guayana Esequiba, which was approved in the referendum held on December 3.
Steps to Be Taken in New Phase of Defense of Guyana Essequiba
teleSUR | December 5, 2023
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced on Tuesday a set of actions to be taken by the Government to implement the result of the referendum, that is, the will of the Venezuelan people.
Following are the seven actions for the new phase in the defense of Guyana Essequiba:
1. Creation of a new High Commission for the Defense of Guyana Esequiba, coordinated by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
2. Immediately activate the debate in the NA for the approval of the Organic Law for the defense of the Essequiba Guyana.
3. Create the Zone of Integral Defense of the Guayana Esequiba with 3 areas and 28 sectors of integral development, to be located in Tumeremo.
4. Designate MG Alexis Rodríguez Cabello as Sole Authority of the Guayana Esequiba whose political and administrative headquarters will be located in Tumeremo.
5. To create the divisions of PDVSA Esequibo and CVG Esequibo for the exploration and exploitation of gas, oil and mining.
6. To publish and disseminate in schools, high schools and universities of the country the new Map of Venezuela that includes the Guayana Esequiba.
7. Activate an Integral Social Attention Plan for the entire population of Guayana Esequiba that includes a Census and the opening of a Saime office for the delivery of identification cards to the population based in Tumeremo.
Venezuela Rejects Statements by the President of Guyana
teleSUR | December 6, 2023
On Wednesday, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the statements made by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali regarding the Essequibo region. The text of the Venezuelan response is presented below:
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela condemns the recent statements made by President Irfaan Ali, who, in a reckless manner, has given the green light to the presence of the United States Southern Command in the territory of the Guayana Esequiba region, over which Guyana maintains a de facto occupation and a territorial dispute with Venezuela.
This dispute is meant to be resolved through the 1966 Geneva Agreement, the only valid legal instrument between the parties.
Venezuela denounces, before the international community, and especially before the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the imprudent attitude of Guyana.
Acting under the mandate of the U.S. transnational Exxon Mobil, Guyana is opening the possibility of establishing military bases for an imperial power, thereby threatening the Zone of Peace outlined in this region.
The Cooperative Republic of Guyana recklessly violates international law, taking actions that exacerbate the territorial dispute and add to its illegal conduct of granting oil exploitation rights to Exxon Mobil over a sea area pending delimitation with Venezuela.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, true to its doctrine of Bolivarian Diplomacy for Peace, urges the Government of Guyana to abandon its erratic, threatening, and risky behavior and to resume the path of direct dialogue through the Geneva Agreement.”
Open Defiance
By William Schryver | imetatronink | November 30, 2023
In my view, the single most meaningful consequence of the NATO/Ukraine proxy war against Russia is that most of the major geopolitical players outside the imperial realm are suddenly in open defiance of the capricious “rules-based international order” and its rapacious monetary system.
The catalyst for this rebellion was that Vladimir Putin’s Russia stood alone amongst the kings, princes, presidents, and prime ministers of a trembling world, turned to the masters of empire, and said, “Not an inch further. In fact, you must withdraw to your 1997 status, and take all your armaments with you, beginning with your missiles in Poland and Romania.”
The masters of empire laughed him to scorn, and then encouraged their #MotherOfAllProxyArmies in Ukraine to concentrate to the Donbass and the Azov pursuant to conquering Novorossiya and Crimea once and for all … then on to Moscow.
This war was anything but “unprovoked Russian aggression”. This war was spawned and nurtured for decades in the secret chambers of the imperial dark lords in London and Washington. It was a war the empire knew Russia would fight. The imperial suzerains simply deceived themselves into believing it was a war Russia could not win.
As was imperative, Russia did choose to fight — notwithstanding there were many reasons to suppose they were insufficiently prepared to win in the event the full weight of the NATO countries were thrown against them.
As it has turned out (and contrary to the fantastical western narratives of Russian humiliation and massive losses), the Russians have prosecuted a remarkably economical destruction of not one, but three successive iterations of increasingly NATO-armed and NATO-trained armies.
And they have done so while assembling, equipping, and thoroughly training a reserve army twice the size of the one they have used to methodically wreck the armies arrayed against them in Ukraine.
They have achieved the greatest industrial mobilization since the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Their massive increases in production of the implements of industrial-scale warfare dwarfs the combined capabilities of their adversaries.
They have also quickly adapted to changing battlefield realities, and are innovating and mass-producing new war tools previously seen only as novelties, but now acknowledged as essential.
In short, the Russians are not only winning this war in an impressively decisive fashion, but they will emerge from it as the single most formidable and battle-hardened military force on the planet.
Most significantly, Russia has exposed for all to see that the empire not only has limitations, but that it is vastly weaker and more vulnerable than hardly anyone had previously been willing to believe.
THAT is why so much of the rest of the world is now emboldened to defy imperial edicts.
THAT is the reason new alliances are solidifying between heretofore reluctant friends.
Nothing unites the human playground quite like one intrepid soul willing to stand, fight, and humble the bully.
The tripartite alliance of Russia, China, and Iran is an adversary more than adequate to roll back imperial rule by leaps and bounds, and in a relatively short span of time.
Many of the “middle powers” can also see which way the wind is blowing, and are positioning themselves accordingly. Spheres of influence are being aggressively pursued and secured in every quarter of the earth.
And perhaps most meaningful of all, they are cooperating to progressively repudiate the empire’s debt notes as the coin of the realm. They have come to understand that a prerequisite to “fixing the world” is to return its money system to a much more equitable and sustainable basis.
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.
The empire of debt and lies has been weighed in the balances and found wanting. All that remains is to see if it will go gently into that good night, or in a fit of humiliated rage, set the world on fire.
Hamas Military Wing Says Released 2 Russian Citizens in Response to Request of Moscow
Sputnik – 29.11.2023
MOSCOW – The military wing of the Palestinian movement Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades said on Wednesday that it released two Russian citizens in response to Moscow’s request.
Earlier in the day, the i24 broadcaster reported, citing Hamas, that the movement will release two Israeli women with Russian citizenship, in addition to 10 Israeli hostages whose release was agreed upon, as a sign of gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Al-Qassam Brigades [will] release two Russian detainees in response to a request from the Russian leadership,” the statement said.
Last week, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a four-day truce and an exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Qatar announced that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Hamas on a two-day extension of the truce.
Over the five days of the truce Israel was able to secure the release of 61 Israelis and 25 foreign citizens held hostage by Hamas.
On October 7, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and abducting people. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, cutting off supplies of water, food, and fuel. On October 27, Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. The conflict has so far resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,200 people in Israel and over 16,000 in the Gaza Strip.
Russian aircraft for Iran and multipolarity
By Drago Bosnic | November 29, 2023
After months of speculation whether Iran would acquire Russian weapons, particularly advanced fighter jets, on November 28, Deputy Defense Minister of Iran Mehdi Farahi dispelled previous rumors about the deal supposedly falling through and confirmed that Tehran had finally inked the contract to procure Su-35 air superiority/multirole fighters, Yak-130 light fighter/advanced trainer jets and Mi-28 attack helicopters from Russia. The announcement comes amid an enormous increase in the already massive American military presence in the Middle East, which includes everything from carrier strike groups (CSGs) to fighter jets and even strategic bombers. The tensions have escalated significantly in the context of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, prompting Iran to urgently modernize its aging fighter jet fleet.
Speculation about the acquisition has been ongoing since last year, specifically after Egypt withdrew from the deal to buy Russian jets. Cairo’s fear of getting on America’s bad side pushed it to stifle its sovereignty (and security), an opportunity that Tehran took to make a deal that would otherwise take years to finalize. Western sources have been speculating about the Su-35 deal with Iran even before the special military operation (SMO). Rumors about the acquisition continued throughout 2022, followed by speculation about the deal allegedly not going through. However, by September, it became clear that the military cooperation between Moscow and Tehran would include even more than Su-35 fighter jets, particularly after the Yak-130 light fighters/advanced trainers were spotted in Iran.
The Yak-130 can double as both attack jets and advanced trainer aircraft, but their primary role is the latter, meaning they were especially indicative of the deal going through. Namely, the Yak-130 is used as the stepping stone in flight training for pilots preparing to fly the Su-35. Getting advanced fighter jets for the Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) has been a point of contention for decades as the country was under a strict Western arms embargo that prevented any advanced weapons acquisitions. This had its perks, as it forced Tehran to develop a plethora of indigenous industries, including a very robust and highly cost-effective drone production, and now it’s clear that Tehran’s advanced military industry is perfectly capable of going toe to toe with the world’s most powerful countries in terms of developing and deploying unmanned systems.
However, despite these advances that also include a plethora of other weapons, such as surface combatants, transport aircraft and long-range SAM systems (mostly based on Russian designs), Iran is sorely lacking in the manned combat aviation compartment. This is hardly surprising, given that only a handful of countries in the world have fully indigenous aerospace industries. Even Asian giants such as China and India still rely heavily on Russia to acquire top-of-the-line aircraft, although their respective advances in this regard are certainly commendable. By getting the Su-35, Tehran is pushing the capabilities of the IRIAF well into the 21st century. Various reports indicate that at least 24 fighter jets have been ordered to replace the aging F-14 “Tomcats”, while there’s speculation that it would acquire over 60 in follow-up orders.
Almost the same could be said for the Mi-28 attack helicopter. The advanced Russian rotorcraft has very few equivalents abroad and would certainly revolutionize Iranian capabilities. Namely, Tehran currently relies on its ancient Vietnam War-era AH-1 “Super Cobra” attack helicopters which are decades behind technologically, even with the incremental upgrades and overhauls that the Iranian military has been applying. Reports indicate that Iranian forces operating in Syria were impressed by the performance of Iraqi and Russian Mi-28s in both Iraq and Syria, which was a major contributing factor to the decision to acquire them. The superb flight characteristics and armament of this Russian helicopter are rivaled only by the less conventional coaxial rotors-equipped Ka-52 “Alligator”.
It’s important to note that the ongoing procurement is of the utmost importance to the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and BRICS+ frameworks. Namely, Iran is already a member of the former, while it’s poised to join the latter in just over a month. With the US escalating tensions in the region, the primary target of which is precisely Tehran, the belligerent thalassocracy is looking to disrupt multiple peace processes in the region. Attacking Iran seems to be a very tempting prospect for Washington DC, as it would effectively “kill two birds with one stone” by making both SCO and BRICS+ look “weak” and unable (or even unwilling) to defend their new members. The US very likely believes this could be a deadly blow to the rapidly emerging multipolar world that will inevitably dismantle the existing “rules-based world order.” By arming Iran, Russia is making sure that any such attack would not only be a costly endeavor, but also a failed one.
Drago Bosnic is an independent geopolitical and military analyst.
Israeli detainee thanks resistance fighters for kind and humane treatment
Palestine Information Center – November 28, 2023
GAZA – Israeli ex-detainee Daniel Aloni has thanked the resistance fighters from al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas for treating her and her 6-year-old daughter Emilia kindly and humanely during their presence in captivity.
This came in a letter she wrote in Hebrew while she was in detention, in which she expressed her gratitude for al-Qassam fighters who were escorting and guarding her and her daughter during the days they had spent in Gaza.
Daniel and her daughter were among the first group of captives who were released on Friday by al-Qassam Brigades.
Below is the full text of the letter as translated from Hebrew and provided by the Brigades’ military media.
“To the commanders who have accompanied me in recent weeks, it seems that we will part ways tomorrow, but I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your extraordinary humanity that you have shown towards my daughter Emilia. You treated her like your own. You welcomed her in your room whenever she walked in. She says that you are all her friends, not just acquaintances. You are her true and good loved ones. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the countless hours you spent with her as caregivers. Thank you for being patient with her and showering her with sweets, fruits, and everything available, even if it wasn’t readily accessible. Children should not be in captivity, but thanks to you and other kind-hearted individuals and leaders we have met during our presence in her, my daughter considered herself a queen in Gaza and felt like she was the center of the world. We did not meet a single person, whether a member or leader, during our long stay [in Gaza], who did not treat her with kindness, tenderness, and love. I will forever be a captive of gratitude because she will not leave this place with a permanent psychological trauma. I will remember your kind manners, which you showed in here despite the difficult situation you were coping with yourselves, and the heavy losses that befell you here in Gaza. I wish in this world that we could be really good friends one day. I wish you all good health and well-being. Health and love to you and your families. Thank you very much. Daniel and Emilia.”
Iran finalizes purchase of Russian military aircraft
The Cradle | November 28, 2023
Iran has finalized arrangements to purchase Russian-made fighter jets and attack helicopters, Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Mahdi Farahi revealed to Tasnim News Agency on 28 November.
Farahi says the plans for the purchase and process of arrival of Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Mil Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of the Iranian Armed Forces have been signed and finalized.
“In some areas, we are among the top countries; in others, we are on the path to maturity. In this way, in addition to the development of endogenous capabilities, we must also use shortcuts to complete the defense capability, and one of these areas is the field of air technology,” Farahi said in the interview with Tasnim.
“We have good capabilities in the field of helicopters; that’s why we are the best in quantity in the region, but the qualitative improvement of helicopters is on the agenda,” Farahi added.
Talks for acquiring Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets have been ongoing since late last year as part of joint military cooperation efforts between Tehran and the Kremlin.
Despite decades-long sanctions against Iran, the nation is still a major military power in West Asia and has over half a million active personnel.
Defense, trade, and banking ties between Iran and Russia have been growing over recent years despite western sanctions imposed on the two nations.
The central banks of both nations signed an interbank transfer deal earlier this year, allowing 52 Iranian banks to connect and transfer with 106 Russian banks.
Iran is also expected to join BRICS at the start of 2024, a group in which Russia is a key organizer.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said at the 15th annual BRICS summit that the bloc expansion is “a new step towards establishing justice, ethics, and sustainable peace in the world.”
Iran has not made any significant purchases to its fighter aircraft arsenal in recent years besides purchasing a few Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters in the 1990s.
Western embassies receive ‘suspicious’ arms deliveries in Lebanon: Al-Akhbar Report
The Cradle | November 20, 2023
Lebanon has been witnessing a “suspicious security movement,” Al-Akhbar reported on 18 November, as several Western military planes carrying weapons have arrived at Beirut International Airport since the outbreak of the Gaza-Israel war last month.
According to the Lebanese daily, some of these planes have also landed at a decommissioned airstrip in the Hamat military base.
The deliveries reportedly come in the wake of “requests sent by foreign countries to Lebanon to allow the entry of weapons and ammunition, under the pretext of enhancing the security of its embassies and evacuating its nationals and diplomats.”
Aircraft recently landed in Lebanon include US, British, French, and Canadian planes. The report adds that some of these planes came from Israel.
Sources told the newspaper that Lebanon recently rejected a French request to “agree on the entry of a ship carrying about 500 soldiers and approximately 50 vehicles.”
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry also received a request to grant two permits for a Canadian plane and a Belgian plane to arrive at Beirut airport, which was rejected.
However, Al-Akhbar’s sources say that “the Canadian plane had already landed at Beirut Airport and was found to be carrying various types of weapons (including silencers and detonators).”
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati listed these western requests on the agenda of the last cabinet meeting. However, nothing was decided on.
Western and Arab states reportedly sent requests to Lebanese security services expressing “fear that their employees or nationals would be exposed to attacks against the backdrop of what is happening in Gaza.”
Western embassies have not answered any questions about these shipments, the report says, adding that diplomats have referred all questions to military attaches “who coordinate all steps with the Lebanese army and security forces.”
In a statement last week, the Lebanese army command claimed these movements aligned with the routine transport of military aid.
However, Al-Akhbar’s sources say there are “suspicions regarding the aircraft entering and unloading their cargo, as it is not known to whom this equipment is going, and whether the destination is actually limited to the army.”
“What is happening has put the current army commander, Joseph Aoun, under the microscope … and has put question marks about the extent of his cooperation with Westerners nations,” the sources added, highlighting a possible “attack on the principle of sovereignty” in Lebanon.
Aoun has often been accused of having a very close relationship with the US embassy and Ambassador Dorothy Shea.
European liberals lose it over Hungarian government’s latest billboard campaign
BY THOMAS BROOKE | REMIX NEWS | NOVEMBER 20, 2023
Liberal lawmakers in the European Parliament have expressed their outrage at a recent billboard campaign by Hungary’s governing party ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections targeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Hundreds of billboards have been erected across the country depicting von der Leyen with Alex Soros, the son of U.S.-Hungarian billionaire George Soros whom Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party claims is the financier of several liberal organizations attempting to discredit the Hungarian government and undermine conservative administrations across the West.
Images of the duo are shown alongside the caption, “Let’s not dance to their tune,” a quote taken from a speech by Orbán last month in which he labeled the European Union a “bad parody” of the former Soviet Union. He also insisted his administration would continue to run Hungary as it saw fit despite attempts by Brussels to wrestle control from national governments.
Budapest has ramped up its rhetoric against the European Commission in recent weeks, and Orbán again targeted the bloc’s executive during a speech at his party’s congress on Saturday as he called for the current model of EU governance to be replaced.
“The Union must not be left but changed, but this is only possible if there are radical changes in Brussels. Otherwise, the end will come. If it continues like this, the Union will not explode, it will simply fall apart,” he told attendees.
The advertising campaign appears to have angered all the right people as far as Fidesz is concerned, with arch-Eurofederalist MEP Guy Verhofstadt calling it “scandalous” and accusing Orbán of “dangerous Putinism and despicable anti-semitism,” the latter accusation borne solely from the fact that Alex Soros is Jewish.
Similarly, German Green MEP Daniel Freund, seemingly perennially enraged by the conservative administration in Budapest, called for the European Commission to suspend Hungarian’s upcoming presidency of the European Council.
“For von der Leyen, there is only one reaction to this dirty campaign: Suspend all preparatory meetings for the council presidency between the EU Commission and the Hungarian government,” he raged.
Von der Leyen, at least publicly is understood to have been unfazed by the campaign, according to the European Commission’s spokesperson Eric Mamer.
“I showed the pictures to the president. She didn’t bat an eyelash … completely unfazed. Let’s be clear: We know this is not the first time, it’s probably not the last time, we have business to do,” he told journalists at Monday’s press briefing.
“We have crises to manage, we have policies to implement, Hungary is part of the European Union … It sits at the table,” he added.
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From the Archives
Allies Don’t Need Lobbies
By Jay Knott | Dissident Voice | September 24, 2013
In a recent article on Counterpunch, Rob Urie defended the traditional Marxist analysis of US policy in the Middle East. He argues that support for Israel is driven primarily by economic interest, not the Jewish lobby.
He starts by paying tribute to the idea that Western societies are uniquely racist. He says that the “Western narrative” claims there is an “Arab character”, and that this is “antique racist blather”. He gives no definition of these terms. Further, he establishes his credentials as part of the dominant current in the American left by claiming that “over a million people in Iraq died so ‘we’ in the West can drive SUVs.”1
When he tries to criticize bourgeois economics, he makes it clear he doesn’t understand the developments it has made since Marx’s day, using the mathematical discipline known as “game theory”. He dismisses the basic abstraction of economic theory, the idea of the rational individual, on the grounds that it is “devoid of history, culture and political context”. But abstractions are always devoid of something.
He defends a more concrete economic theory, mostly Marxist, with some input from another theorist of capitalist crisis, Hyman Minsky. This concrete theory leads him to the view that US activity in the Middle East is primarily driven by rational capitalist motives, the need to secure a supply of oil.
“Taking the totality of circumstance — former oil company executives launching war on an oil rich nation on a pretext they publicly proclaimed they didn’t believe shortly before taking office — and that upon launching their war proved to be non-existent, requires a willingness to overlook the obvious — that the war on Iraq was for oil, that is difficult to support.”1
Perhaps I’ve misunderstood him, but based on what he says in the rest of the article, this convoluted sentence seems to argue that, because president Bush and vice-president Cheney attacked Iraq on false premises, and they also said it was all about oil, and they are former oil executives, and Iraq has a lot of oil, it’s difficult to deny US attacks on Iraq are all about oil.
In fact, it’s not hard at all. As Urie points out, at times Bush and co. said that attacking Iraq was “protecting the world’s supply of oil.”1 But, as he also points out, they are congenital liars. Why should we believe them when they say they are trying to “protect” the oil supply? Protect it against what? When politicians “admit” attacks on Middle Eastern countries are wars for oil, they are parroting the neo-con party line, feeding the public, both left and right, with a plausible-sounding pretext. For right-wingers, “it’s a war for oil” is a reason to support war, and for leftists, it’s a way to feel better by complaining impotently about corporate greed. Both approaches help the war drive. … continue
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