Surviving Capitalism (Not) : US Concerns Over “Election Interference” May Backfire

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, January 4, 2017

US Concerns Over “Election Interference” May Backfire

Click here to access article by Joseph Thomas from New Eastern Outlook.

While the US has little evidence regarding Russia’s role in leaking what were genuine e-mails revealing very real impropriety among American political circles, nations like China, Malaysia and Thailand have verified evidence that opposition fronts are funded, backed and even directed by US organisations like NED. What has been perhaps preventing these nations from dismantling these foreign-backed networks, has been the illusion of America’s pro-democracy stance. However, with the US now cracking down on whistle-blowers, opposition media and shifting tides amid American politics all based on allegations of “Russian” involvement, what is preventing other states from cracking down on verified US interference in their own internal politics?

Thomas only barely scratches the surface of US interference in other countries' political processes by focusing only on recent interference--and this omits a lot. If he were to elaborate on US interference since the end of WWII, it would require hours of reading. Ever since the fascist element of the US ruling capitalist class came out of the woodwork after WWII (previously they hid in the woodwork of "isolationism") to promote their own empire after the Nazis, who they helped fund (see this, this, this, and this) failed, they interfered in the political affairs of nations wherever they could; and when such interference using unaccountable secret services and NGO fronts that didn't work, they brought in the jackals of armed forces to secure the governments they wanted.