The Summer of the Apocalypse
Another beautiful summer is on its way. What a shame if it's our last, and the Earth's last for a 100 years. How could that happen? It is because a few men have too much power and too little sense.
The recent attack on Iran by Israel took us one step closer to a conflagration in the Middle East or even a world war. The attack by Israel could not have been accomplished without the support of the Trump administration. In addition, the leadership bodies in Russia and China are aware that the attack on Iran was also designed to weaken their power.
Recently, both Russia and China have made alliances with Iran, which while not military, include a broad base of economic and trade issues. Iran has become a key ally of both superpowers.
It is true that Israelis flew the planes and aimed the missiles that killed many in the June 12 decapitation raid against Iran’s leadership. Israel is at least as paranoid as our leadership, and believes that Iran is it’s number one foe. That might be true as Israel becomes ever more belligerent.
Iran’s state policy is to oppose genocide, bombings and war. Iran has a record of peaceful relations as compared with the incessant wars of Israel and the United States. Iran’s only recent war was one of defense when Iraq, under President Saddam Hussein, invaded Iran and began an eight year war during the 1980s.
The attack on Iran creates a dilemma for both Russia and China. They are confronted with a loss of prestige if they do nothing, and with heightened tensions with the U.S. if they come to Iran’s aid. Either outcome can lead us to military conflict between nuclear powers.
Russia has recently been attacked in several parts of its country by Ukraine, which could not have happened without the technological expertise of the U.S. That attack could have triggered a war with the U.S., but Russia did not retaliate. Now, only a few weeks later, Russia’s, and China’s, close ally is under attack, again with U.S. military equipment. Isn’t Trump pushing his luck? Is this the behavior of an anti-war President?
Donald Trump, who thinks he has extreme powers in the government does not realize the enormous power wielded by the entrenched Deep State. The agenda followed by the Deep State is to smash any country that it views as a potential threat to its unipolar world rule.
The Deep State includes the military Industrial Complex, Intelligence Community, Wall Street, Mainstream Media, and elements of the Tech Community including Palantir Technologies, among others. I would also add the Israel Lobby to this august group.
Trump, who was elected as an anti-war president, who was anti-Deep State, probably doesn’t even realize that his power is slipping away. Veteran neo-Conservatives John Bolton, and Bill Kristol, the architects of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, still hold some sway with Trump, although Kristol has converted to the Democratic Party where he feels more comfortable.
Even more influence on Trump is exerted by additional neo-cons, such as, Robert O’Brien, Trump’s National Security Advisor in his first administration; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is once again in the headlines; Special Representative for Iran and Pompeo crony, Brian Hook; Mark Dubowitz, the CEO of the neo-conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies; David Wurmser, an anti-Iran “expert;” and Senators Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton.
Graham’s recent comment about hoping Greta Thunberg could swim, which was a threat that the Gaza aid ship she was on would be sunk, won him more notoriety but not popularity. All of the above neo-cons are anti-Iran to one degree or another. Some favor crushing sanctions on Iran, while others want to skip the pleasantries and just go to war.
As seen from space, the Earth appears to be a blue paradise. Sadly, that view is mistaken. The Earth is an armed camp in which somewhat intelligent primates are eager to start killing primates who live in other parts of the globe. Not all of these moderately smart animals want to kill. Millions of them are peaceful and loving. Yet, they are too passive to stand up to the killers among them and prevent their worthless wars.
On Other Fronts
The peaceful, laid-back City of Angels is so dangerous, according to the President Trump, that it requires supervision by both the National Guard and the Marines. When squads of ICE (the migra) showed up in Paramount in Greater L.A., across from the Home Depot, on June 8, immigrants looking for work and customers looking for building supplies, were outraged.
Word went out on social media that ICE was planning something major. Hundreds of people responded to the news, and soon ICE was penned up behind a fence at their headquarters in an office building. Then, with reinforcements, ICE was on the march. They shot gas cannisters at the protesters. Some of the outraged protesters responded by burning cars (not Teslas this time). The next few days found large crowds gathering outside at the Metropolitan Detention Center, in Downtown L.A. Some of those arrested had been taken there and there were more arrests that day.
It became clear that California was not to be treated as just another state with undocumented workers living in it. No, California was a foreign country where an insurrection was taking place that required the insertion of U.S. Military forces. No one was safe from ICE troopers who were grabbing people without a warrant and sending them to a deportation jail. No one was safe. The ICE troopers even raided a Ralphs Grocery Store in my neighborhood.
Not even the President of the California Service Employees Union, David Huerta, was safe. He was arrested and became the victim of lies that he was preventing officers from doing their nefarious jobs.
Then California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla happened on the scene and was manhandled by various ICE troopers, pushed to the floor and handcuffed. How can this happen to a U.S. Senator, even if he is from Califoria? Oh, I get it. Both Padilla and Huerta are Latinos. What are they doing in a country of Northern Europeans? No wonder Trump hates Californians.
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