Posts that I especially recommend today: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020

• Does fighting climate change require postponing the fight for system change? by John Molyneux from Climate & Capitalism. (Note: a best post.) My commentary follows:
  

Long time followers of my website know that I have resigned to the position that the climate crisis is now irreversible. But I and all other animals and species will fight to the death to survive. And, that is what I am doing by continuing this website. 

Guy McPherson, a retired scientist who also believes that the crisis is irreversible, continues living with the notion that "only love remains" by which he means living in the present and deepening the connection with other people in our lives. That is the solution that he and others of the upper-middle-class can have that is not available to those of the working class. The latter face homelessness, despair of loss of loved ones and friends, extreme discomfort, and likely death. 

• CNN Proclaims National Panic Day as Rally of 500,000 (!) Bikers in South Dakota Linked to a Whooping 22 Additional Test Positives by Harmeet Kaur from Anti-Empire. (Note: They reproduce a CNN article to lampoon it.)
  

• Has the post-Covid future already been decided? by Simon Marcus from Spiked (Britain). (My reaction: The answer is "yes" because the Davos crowd is the transnational capitalist ruling class of the US/Anglo/Zionist Empire. They are the "deciders".)

• People Who Are in Denial About Coronavirus by Eric Zuesse from Strategic Culture Foundation. My commentary follows:
  

Zuesse in this essay reveals his basic support for our class structured society by affirming his commitment to the way the ruling class that is imposing its draconian policies on entire nations. He does this by describing the opposition to be laissez faire or libertarian and the government policies as "socialistic" or "(legally enforced governmental policies)". Then he goes on to cite statistics that have been challenged by skeptics of ruling class policies. Zuesse has no idea what socialism is because he has been trained ("educated") to believe the social-welfare policies in past capitalist societies (like under FDR's administration) were "socialistic". 

The current "pandemic" is beneficial in the sense that it forces people of varying nominal political views to finally affirm their basic commitment to authoritarianism or genuine democracy. The latter position needs some elucidation in this era of authoritarianism or fascism (its capitalist version).  

Democracy, that is, genuine democracy, means that all people have been given access to positions of authority. Authoritarianism means that only some of the people will be "sufficiently knowledgeable" to determine the policies that will be imposed on others. Democracy means that all people will have equal access to education, health, work, and other institutions to support their well-being. Such equal access is counter to the capitalist system which facilitates the concentration of wealth and, therefore, power. The basis of capitalist societies is private ownership of the economy, and is obviously forbidden in socialist societies. Thus, capitalism inevitably results in class structured societies that are riven with class conflicts. History has demonstrated in capitalist societies ownership, and therefore, control of economic property are in the hands of a ruling class which inevitably results in greater and greater concentration of wealth, therefore power, in fewer and fewer hands. This inevitably leads to fascism, that is, government controlled by a tiny ruling class who impose greater and greater authoritarian methods to impose their control over the rest of societies.

The great mass of people have societal values which help to insure policies of equal access to education and free, independent media to inform people. Contrast this with rule by the self-serving capitalist class, the owners of economic property. Their values are constrained by what is good for their families or extended families. (Recall Margaret Thatcher's comment on this.)  

All ruling classes have historically justified their privileged position by self-serving justifications: they are wiser and more educated, therefore they are entitled to rule over the rest of the populations. It is also frequently observed that they justify all of their policies by claiming to be a "democracy". Censorship and propaganda are frequently used to prevent the rest of the population knowing what they are really doing.  

This is all obvious to genuine socialists; but to many supporters of class rule, it is not obvious. They try hard to disguise their political views. In the case of Zuesse and many others, they pretend to be critical of existing society; but "when push comes to shove" (def.), they support capitalist rule and will engage in all sorts of fake arguments to justify their views. 

(Edited for clarity at 3:35 PM CT)   

• LEE CAMP: We Gawk at Nonsense Political Theater While the Real Enemies Go Unnoticed from Consortium News. (My reaction: If you believe government authorities of the ruling class give serious priority to your health and well-being, I have a couple of fine bridges to sell you.)
  

• Only Sociopaths Reject the New Normal! – #PropagandaWatch by Canadian James Corbett from his website.
  

• The Fatal Attraction of Techo-Fascism by Mark Petrakis from Off-Guardian. (Note: This is another best post.)
  

• Reminder: The US Empire Tortures Journalists And Whistleblowers by Caitlin Johnstone from her weblog.

• US govt-funded Coda Story smears American journalists who undermine new Cold War propaganda by Ben Norton from  The Grayzone.
  

• How Come It Was Japan That Was Defeated in WWII, but Korea That Was Partitioned by the Victors? by Chung Byung-ho from Anti-Empire. (Note: This is an interesting and novel take on the history of Japan's surrender.)