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

Saturday, August 7, 2021

Posts that I especially recommend for Saturday, August 7, 2021

On July 28, CNN reported that Pfizer, one of the primary issuers of the coronavirus vaccine, indicated that they believed that a third vaccine dose would be beneficial. For context, two doses are considered a full vaccination. Pfizer cited its own data, which have yet to be peer-reviewed, stating that a third dose increases the number of antibodies in the recipient’s system. Of course, that begs the question, if you really want to supercharge your immune system, with this sort of logic, why not take four? Or heck, get one every two weeks!

In all seriousness, and I’m not saying this because I got the Moderna vaccine, but this seems to be a slick attempt at leveraging the hysteria and fear that has been so embedded in every inch of society regarding Covid-19 for profit.
Imagine a country where there’s no separation between the government, the military, and the media. A lot of Americans would think of China, Russia or North Korea, but it’s a perfect description of the United States today. And here in Washington, the think tank inside this nondescript building – Center For A New American Security (CNAS) – is the clearest example of just that.

CNAS is a premier militarist think tank in the nation’s capital, especially for Democratic Party administrations. It is funded by the State Department and Pentagon and has taken more money from weapons companies over the last several years than any other think tank. On top of that, it’s funded by oil companies, big banks, and right wing governments – basically the most destructive forces on the planet.
  • New World Next Week with James Evan Pilato featuring James Corbett (and from his website) and Pilato discussing the following issues: Story #1: Bank of America Calls CBDCs ‘More Effective’ Than Cash In Research Note; Story #2: Whistleblowers Expose Corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office; Story #3: “Punk” Band The Offspring Fires Drummer for Refusing to Take COVID Vaccine. 
  • Denmark: Bernie Sanders’ Socialist Utopia Functions as Banana Spy Kingdom for U.S. Empire by Ron Ridenour from CovertAction Magazine. (Note: This article reveals the collusion between the spy services in Denmark with the de-facto US/Anglo/Zionist Empire by an independent American journalist currently living in Denmark.) My reaction: The much touted social democrats of Scandinavia by "leftists" in the USA collaborates with the spy services of the Empire proving once again which side they are on. The governments in all these social-democratic nations in Scandinavia serve the Empire because they are part of the capitalist Empire.
ASEAN nations have increasingly turned to Russia and China to meet more traditional national security threats, purchasing military equipment like tanks, warplanes, helicopters, and naval vessels. However, Russia and China – who have successfully defended their own respective information spaces – have the human and technical resources to potentially “export” the means for ASEAN states to defend their information space as well – not only in the form of “information warfare,” but also in the form of helping build local social media alternatives to US-based corporations – breaking the monopoly these foreign corporations hold over ASEAN’s information space, and giving the power to governor and protect it back to the region itself. [I think this last clause contains some kind of typo error--RH]
Capitalism is a roadblock on the path to mitigating this huge crisis for humankind. It will take a global environmental movement that is revolutionary — conscious of the need to eradicate imperialism — to stop the crisis of global warming and climate change.