Drowning in the Cesspool

“The simple fact that occupying armies, whether allied or enemy, always become unpopular hardly ever figures in official calculation.” I.F. Stone

Being an American isn’t easy these days, not with an imbecile in the White House who barely knows that the Constitution is a document with actual meaning. A number of corporate media pundits have discovered, as shocking as this may seem, that Trump is unfit for office. Why it took them so long is anyone’s guess. Our would-be emperor has been debasing his office since Day 1.

Why does the New York Times believe that Iran is Israel’s foremost enemy? Is it because Netanyahu said so and the Times, like the rest of the mainstream herd, must repeat it for fear of offending the Israel lobby? Sober analysis of the military capabilities of Israel and Iran might lead one to conclude that Iran has more to fear from Israel than vice versa.

The Republicans shudder and turn a blind eye to Trump’s ineptitude, while Democrats chase Russian shadows like they are the Holy Grail.

The corporate media, propaganda arm of the corporate-state, warns us that Russia is a dangerous enemy, but how many sovereign nations has Russia invaded and occupied in the last fifteen years? The US has at least seven notches in its belt. How many military bases does Russia operate around the world? One, in Syria. And the US? Between 750 and 800, dotting the entire globe. Plus aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines. But it is the US that shakes with fear in the face of Russia and Iran…and Venezuela. I’ll tell you what, I’m 1,000 times more afraid of the Trump administration and the American war machine than I am of Russia, Iran, ISIS or North Korea, and tiny Venezuela doesn’t even appear on my radar.  

American citizens are played for fools. The Pentagon calls for more troops for the failed war in Afghanistan, a war that can’t be won, ever, and the citizenry yawns. This is year 16 of our misguided attempt at nation building in a country that simply refuses to be built by any foreign power. Billions of dollars have been dumped into Afghanistan for all sorts of purposes, from road construction to training local security forces. The Afghans are always on the cusp of taking over their own security, almost ready to graduate to total self-sufficiency, if we only provide another five, ten or twenty million dollars. Our exalted generals can break the stalemate and wipe out the Taliban if only...you get the picture.

On a recent podcast of Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill, Pulitzer prize winning author Tim Weiner said, “We are living in Trump-world folks. You must be able to hold two opposing ideas in mind in order to stay sane.” In the same discussion, Scahill noted that it feels like Trump has been in office for four years, not four months, with mounting scandals, ever more erratic behavior, sheer stupidity, blatant lies, and total incoherence.

If you’re still waiting for Trump to find his footing, I feel sorry for you. The orange buffoon is drowning in a cesspool of his own incompetence.

The great Amy Goodman, one of my personal heroes, and her writing partner Denis Moynihan, were at La Caza de La Raza in Santa Barbara last night, in support of community radio station KCSB and independent media. La Caza, a community hub for decades in Santa Barbara was packed with more than 400 people. Goodman spoke about the stand-off at Standing Rock, and recounted how private security guards unleashed attack dogs on peaceful water protectors. Goodman herself was absurdly charged with the crime of rioting, a charge that was quickly dropped, but it shows the hostility of the corporate state for independent media. “Dissent,” Goodman said, “will save us.” Amen to that.