We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, June 19, 2017

Syrian-Kurdish clashes: new conflict or “new Détente”?

Click here to access article by Andrew Korybko from The Duran

Hopefully I may be forgiven for running so many articles (see this, this, this, this, and this) involving the Syrian Kurds. In my defense I argue that I felt deceived by the series of reports, which I often posted, run by "Reflections on a Revolution" in 2014 when the website was under the control of Jerome Roos and associates. Also the Syrian Kurds could be a major factor in the outcome of the Syrian conflict and a potential flashpoint for a nuclear war.

Korybko carefully parses the geopolitical interests of all the players in this conflict and suggests possible outcomes. It is very much like a deadly game of "chicken" with worldwide implications, and by far the most aggressive player is the armed-to-the-teeth US Empire.

If you have the time, you might also be interested in two additional articles from The Duran: "Israel could regret its support for Kurds" and "Leftist fighters in Syria have become useful idiots of neo-imperialism" both by Adam Garrie. A quote from the latter article:
What would one call a group of left and far-left armed militants who are actively fighting with a singular radical ethnic faction in order to destabilise and ultimately partition a legally recognised state whose government is ironically socialist and anti-imperialist in nature? Furthermore, what would you call it when these leftists are fighting under proxies of the United States who are supported by the genocidal state of Israel and now also the backward, terrorist sponsoring Wahhabi Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

The words: hypocrites, useful idiots and controlled opposition come to mind.