Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Aleppo prepares for a major battle and the Kurds in Syria are attracting everybody’s animosity.

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

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Aleppo prepares for a major battle and the Kurds in Syria are attracting everybody’s animosity.

Click here to access article by Elijah J. Magnier from his blog.

I believe that this journalist, who I remember is a Kuwaiti journalist, offers what I believe is a most accurate portrayal of a very confusing war situation in Syria. US corporate media takes advantage of this confusion by adding more confusing reports to cover for US's balkanization strategy by attempting to create "safe zones" in Syria to weaken the Syrian government. One major component of this strategy is their support of Syrian Kurds with air support and ground military advisors. Magnier also gives an updated report on the Syrian situation following the recent deterioration of relations between Turkey and the US.

Numerous articles started appearing in alternative websites--and I have posted some of them (here, here, here, and here)--which saw the Syrian Kurds as very progressive, frequently comparing their struggles with the republican left during the Spanish Civil War and portraying the region as a bastion of women's rights. Earlier this year I began to form a more accurate picture of what was really going on.

Such groups present ideal opportunities for US Empire strategists to support (or cynically use) them because their aspirations fit well with the Empire's strategy of balkanization of independent countries. So when the struggles of these groups in the latter countries no longer align with the hegemonic goals of the Empire, they will inevitably be betrayed.

So I think there is a lesson to be learned from this and the many cases of NGOs/non-profit organizations that have been funded by the rich ruling class or indirectly from the US government: never take money or other support from such sources under any circumstances.