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, August 8, 2021

Posts that I especially recommend for Sunday, August 8, 2021

  • 💥Top Democrats Unite With Christian Far Right to Bash China [part one of four three] by Alex Rubinstein from his weblog at Substack. This is a best post. (Note: I couldn't find anywhere in the article when this conference was confined in Washington, D.C.  I had to look up the actual conference of the "2021 International Religious Freedom Summit" to find out when it was held--July 13th, 14th, and 15th of 2021.) My reaction: You likely didn't learn of this conference from watching TV newscasts from media corporations. This article, and presumably the series, serves as an illustration of many insights. First, it is an illustration of the hypocritical propaganda that is daily spread throughout the USA by media corporations to create "reality" for ordinary Americans and people throughout the de-facto US/Anglo, Zionist Empire. It is another illustration of the evil of our masters in the Deep State, an informal board of directors of the ruling capitalist classes of the Empire. It is also an illustration that justifies my arguments that they are the root of most of the evil that exists in today's world because of their addiction to profits and power (read my posts: this (commentary only) and this).
How could such prominent Democrats agree to speak at a conference sponsored mainly by individuals and organizations they are supposed to be the antithesis of? How could the leading champion of humanitarian interventionism in the Obama Administration, Samantha Power, or Anthony Blinken for that matter, feel comfortable participating in a conference alongside anti-gay and alleged insurrectionist legislators, the kind of characters that they may have otherwise used to justify US intervention had they belonged to another country's legislative body? It was a question that I kept asking myself throughout the affair, but I quickly learned that the beat of the war drums against China was loud and that it drowned out all other issues.

The event was a rare, unvarnished glimpse into the moral hypocrisy of Democratic Party leaders, showcasing their willingness to ally with those they claim to otherwise oppose ostensibly in the name of protecting "religious freedom," a concept which these ruling class factions can't even agree on a common definition of — even if ultimately it was all just cover for advancing an imperial agenda against a rising superpower.  
Nearly 1,800 family members, survivors, and first responders who were affected by the September 11 attacks are intensifying pressure on the federal government to declassify information that they believe points to Saudi leaders' involvement in or support for the attacks, with the group calling on President Joe Biden to stay away from next month's 20th anniversary memorial events unless he releases the documents first.
 
The family members and survivors say PENTTBOM, the FBI's investigation that wrapped up in 2016, uncovered support provided by Saudi officials for the attackers.
  • Here Comes China, a weekly update about all things China, by Godfree Roberts from his weblog ($ subscription, but free for a temporary period) Here Comes China.
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