Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Washington’s World: February 16th, 2015

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

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Washington’s World: February 16th, 2015 – February 22nd, 2015

Click here to access article from Swoop.

I occasionally check out this news summary from a source that makes the following claim which I think could very well be accurate:

Swoop is produced by the Washington Assessment and Analysis Service (WAAS). WAAS brings together seasoned practitioners – American and European – who enjoy insider access to the centers of power in Washington DC. Having occupied positions that afford them intimate knowledge of how US policies are formulated and how outcomes are determined, Swoop’s writers have established expertise in interpreting US positions to global audiences.

Well, this morning I was rather startled to see the following quote in this passage which made reference to the recently concluded Minsk 2 ceasefire agreement:

...the US Ambassador to Ukraine did not wait for the ceasefire to come into effect before posting evidence of Russian violations. With suspicion of President Putin’s intentions deeply embedded in the US foreign policy establishment, it seems certain that US voices will be among the first to fault Moscow. A senior NSC official commented privately to us: “I cannot see us giving the ceasefire a chance to succeed. This may turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

This seems to lend support for Finian Cunningham's article entitled "Washington Wastes No Time to Sabotage Minsk" in which he argues:

...the US-backed regime-change operation in Ukraine that brought the Kiev junta to power last February is fundamentally predicated on Washington’s long-term objective of destabilising Russia. That is why the prospects of a ceasefire being implemented are something of an oxymoron. A peace settlement in Ukraine would only be an impediment to Washington’s geopolitical objective of undermining Russia.

For those of you who might have stumbled onto this website and tend to believe what you see in major media, you probably should read this article entitled "The Putin-Did-It Conspiracy Theory" to bring you up to date on reality.