Establishment narrative managers distracted attention from a notable antiwar contender, seizing instead the chance to marshal an old smear against her, writes Caitlin Johnstone.
In the race to determine who will serve as commander in chief of the most powerful military force in the history of civilization, night two of the CNN Democratic presidential debates saw less than six minutes dedicated to discussing U.S. military policy during the 180-minute event.
That’s six, as in the number before seven. Not 60. Not 16. Six. From the moment Jake Tapper said “I want to turn to foreign policy” to the moment Don Lemon interrupted Rep. Tulsi Gabbard just as she was preparing to correctly explain how President Donald Trump is supporting Al-Qaeda in Idlib, approximately five minutes and 50 seconds had elapsed. The questions then turned toward the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 elections and impeachment proceedings.
Night one of the CNN debates saw almost twice as much time, with a whole 11 minutes by my count dedicated to questions of war and peace for the leadership of the most warlike nation on the planet. This discrepancy could very well be due to the fact that night two was the slot allotted to Gabbard, whose campaign largely revolves around the platform of ending U.S. warmongering.
CNN is a virulent establishment propaganda firm with an extensive history of promoting lies and brazen psyops in facilitation of U.S. imperialism, so it would make sense that they would try to avoid a subject which would inevitably lead to unauthorized truth-telling on the matter.
But the near-absence of foreign policy discussion didn’t stop the Hawaii lawmaker from getting in some unauthorized truth-telling anyway. Attacking the authoritarian prosecutorial record of Sen. Kamala Harris to thunderous applause from the audience, Gabbard criticized the way her opponent “put over 1,500 people in jail for marijuana violations and then laughed about it when she was asked if she ever smoked marijuana;” “blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the court’s forced her to do so;” “kept people in prisons beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California;” and “fought to keep the cash bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way.”
Harris Folded Under Pressure
Harris, who it turns out fights very well when advancing but folds under pressure, had no answer for Gabbard’s attack, preferring to focus on attacking former Vice President Joe Biden instead.
Later, when she was a nice safe distance out of Gabbard’s earshot, she uncorked a long-debunked but still effective smear that establishment narrative managers have been dying for an excuse to run wild with.
“This, coming from someone who has been an apologist for an individual, Assad, who has murdered the people of his country like cockroaches,” Harris told Anderson Cooper after the debate, referring to the president of Syria. “She who has embraced and been an apologist for him in a way that she refuses to call him a war criminal. I can only take what she says and her opinion so seriously and so I’m prepared to move on.”
That was all it took. Harris’s press secretary Ian Sams unleashed a string of tweets about Gabbard being an “Assad apologist,” which were followed by a deluge of establishment narrative managers who sent the word “Assad” trending on Twitter, at times when Gabbard’s name somehow failed to trend despite being the top-searched candidate on Google after the debate.
As of this writing, “Assad” is showing on the No. 5 trending list on the side bar of Twitter’s new layout, while Gabbard’s name is nowhere to be seen. This discrepancy has drawn criticism from numerous Gabbard defenders on the platform.
“Somehow I have a hard time believing that ‘Assad’ is the top trending item in the United States but ‘Tulsi’ is nowhere to be found,” tweeted journalist Michael Tracey.
It really is interesting how aggressively the narrative managers thrust this line into mainstream consciousness all at the same time.
The Washington Post‘s Josh Rogin went on a frantic, lie-filled Twitter storm as soon as he saw an opportunity, claiming with no evidence whatsoever that Gabbard lied when she said she met with Assad for purposes of diplomacy and that she “helped Assad whitewash a mass atrocity,” and falsely claiming that “she praised Russian bombing of Syrian civilians.“
Met with Assad to Talk Peace
In reality all Gabbard did was meet with Assad to discuss the possibility of peace, and, more importantly, she said the U.S. shouldn’t be involved in regime change interventionism in Syria. This latter bit of business is the real reason professional war propagandists like Rogin are targeting her; not because they honestly believe that a longtime U.S. service member and sitting House representative is an “Assad apologist,” but because she commits the unforgivable heresy of resisting the mechanics of America’s forever war.
MSNBC’s Joy Reid gleefully leapt into the smearing frenzy, falsely claiming that “Gabbard will not criticize Assad, no matter what.” Gabbard has publicly and unequivocally both decried Assad as a “brutal dictator” and claimed he’s guilty of war crimes, much to the irritation of anti-imperialists like myself who hold a far more skeptical view of the war propaganda narratives about what’s going on in Syria.
It really is just weird how Gabbard will not criticize Assad, no matter what. That and the Trump/Russia crowd cheering her on are things that should have come up at these now two debates she has participated in. https://t.co/uUFd1KdI6v
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 1, 2019
At no time has Gabbard ever claimed that Assad is a nice person or that he isn’t a brutal leader; all she’s done is say the U.S. shouldn’t get involved in another regime change war there because U.S. regime change interventionism is consistently and predictably disastrous. That’s not being an “Assad apologist,” that’s having basic common sense.
“Beware the Russian bots and their promotion of Tulsi Gabbard and sowing racial dischord [sic], especially around Kamala Harris,” tweeted New York Times and CNN contributor Wajahat Ali.
All the usual war cheerleaders from Lindsey Graham to Caroline Orr to Jennifer Rubin piled on, because this feeding frenzy had nothing to do with concern that Gabbard adores Bashar al-Assad and everything to do with wanting more war.
Gabbard just publicly eviscerated a charming, ambitious and completely amoral centrist who would excel at putting a friendly humanitarian face on future wars if elected, and that’s why the narrative managers are flipping out so hard right now.
To repeat: There is no quote in which Tulsi praises, supports, or otherwise "apologies for" Assad. I checked the record a long time ago, and it doesn't exist. This is just a smear intended to delegitimize diplomatic engagement https://t.co/Iyww1C5Ew0
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 1, 2019
To repeat: There is no quote in which Tulsi praises, supports, or otherwise “apologies for” Assad. I checked the record a long time ago, and it doesn’t exist. This is just a smear intended to delegitimize diplomatic engagement
War is the glue that holds the empire together. A politician can get away with opposing some aspects of the status quo when it comes to healthcare or education, but war as a strategy for maintaining global dominance is strictly off limits. This is how you tell the difference between someone who actually wants to change things and someone who’s just going through the motions for show; the real rebels forcefully oppose the actual pillars of empire by calling for an end to military bloodshed, while the performers just stick to the safe subjects.
The shrill, hysterical pushback that Gabbard received last night was very encouraging, because it means she’s forcing them to fight back. In a media environment where the war propaganda machine normally coasts along almost entirely unhindered in mainstream attention, the fact that someone has positioned themselves to move the needle like this says good things for our future. If our society is to have any chance of ever throwing off the omnicidal, ecocidal power establishment which keeps us in a state of endless war and soul-crushing oppression, the first step is punching a hole in the narrative matrix which keeps us hypnotized into believing that this is all normal and acceptable.
Whoever controls the narrative controls the world. Whoever disrupts that narrative control is doing the real work.
Caitlin Johnstone is a rogue journalist, poet, and utopia prepper who publishes regularly at Medium. Follow her work on Facebook, Twitter, or her website. She has a podcast and a new book “Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.”
This article was re-published with permission.
Before commenting please read Robert Parry’s Comment Policy. Allegations unsupported by facts, gross or misleading factual errors and ad hominem attacks, and abusive language toward other commenters or our writers will be removed.
Spot on. Fantastic analysis and article. And, Americans wonder “why we can’t do better” every election cycle. How about educating yourself to the facts instead of being led by emotional triggers and identity politics like lambs “bah, bah-ing” all the way to the slaughterhouse that promised rivers of chocolate? Examine all sides of a coin before drawing conclusions that could potentially comeback to haunt us all. Expose false narratives, talking points and political rhetoric that claims to stand for diversity, hope and equality while eradicating individual thought and creativity in the name of collectivism. Free speech or their speech?
There seems to be some confusion regarding Tulsi’s seemingly contradictory positions on Palestine and Israel. About the origin of this confusion, it is often assumed that if a person is pro-Palestine then he/she is also necessarily anti-Israel (e.g. if you don’t agree with Netanyahu’s politics, then you are called an antisemite; of course this smear means that half the Israeli population is comprised of antisemites). Or if, on the contrary, you are pro-Israel, then you are expected to be anti-Palestine.
The “confusing” thing is that Tulsi supports the rights, mutual recognition, and safety of both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples, although she doesn’t necessarily agree with every policy of their governments.
For details, see the following video from Tulsi’s YouTube channel (it includes a good transcript in “see more”):
Watch this for why I voted for HRes246 and why I’ll always defend our right to free speech — Tulsi Gabbard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XTBBrTs3e8
Thanks for the link.
Thank you, jmg.
I didn’t catch the debates. Did they ever decide just how they imagine Russia “interfered with” the election? The last I heard, Democrats had returned to claiming that all of us who spoke out on social media against Hillary Clinton’s long record of work on behalf of the right wing agenda (pro-war, anti-poor, etc.) were really Russians pretending to be Americans.After all, what real American doesn’t support that agenda?
Also, how is it determined that the US has the “most powerful military force in the history of civilization?” We certainly aren’t the only nuclear armed country, and how many wars has the US won since the end of WWll? In 2003, the US launched the longest, most costly war in this country’s history, draining us out militarily and economically, leaving us in a greatly weakened situation. We can’t rebuild because, since the ’80s, we lost a massive chunk of our manufacturing jobs, and the country overall has grown much poorer.
This is rank hypocrisy on full display. This is the respect we pay to an active duty officer of the armed forces of the United States.
She has guts, actual experience and obviously is not under the control of the Empire. She is our modern day Smedley Butler. She is a threat greater than Trump was because they do not have an unlimited supply of Blackmail on her, the way they do on him.
As a Vet I am appalled at the way they are ganging up on this woman. They are piling on as if they were the ones who served and sacrificed.
We can add this to Julian Assange’s abandonment as the reasons we actually deserve the fall that awaits our continued blindness to reality.
The Tulsi Gabbard controversy puts us back to 2008 and 2016, with the “yeah I trusted him dammit” and what happened with Obama and Sanders. She is strong, convincing, and somewhere outside the Dims Establishment, but “a work in progress”? Do we now understand her recent support of Resolution 246 as principled on idealism toward solving the Palestinian crisis? Perhaps. Here is Resolution 246:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/246/text
The work in progress also applies to positions she has taken that are puzzling, as with support of the notion Crimea was “seized” by the Russians, thoroughly debunked here at CN, for example, by Robert Parry. The following (in a poster-like advertisement for her) from the Saker indicates some of her questionable positions.
http://thesaker.is/what-tulsi-gabbards-caving-in-to-the-israel-lobby-really-shows/
Here we are with the “fool me once, fool me twice, but the third time watch out” proverbial wisdom. I’m fighting it, I like her, she makes sense, obviously a dynamic presence at this time. Maybe that’s her chief value–as the spoiler, the exposer, including the warts under all that beauty . . .
Fool me once Shame on You, Fool me Twice, Shame on Me, Fool me 3 times, I must like it, Fool me 4 times, That’s is a lifestyle choice. Question? What alternative presents itself if you believe in Truth , Justice and the American Way, Democracy and therefore , The Vote?
Well, there we are on the thorny thicket in the “lesser evil” morass. Good question, if I’m understanding you. What alternative do I have? I’m scratching here on that one, fumbling right along.
One thing that occurs to me, that I’m sure people here will set me straight on, is I think we need to be careful not to demonize all Israelis as being in the grip of the Zionists the same way now ALL Americans are being consistently demonized as stupid morons etc. etc. (noted often right here at CN by various commenters). Looks to me there could be a distinction here. Remember Uri Avnery (died August, 2018, age 95)? Fought Netanyahoo right up to the last in Counterpunch. That Gabbard supports Israel needs to be carefully sorted through as to just how she’s doing that.
Note that in last week’s CN Live it came out that Mike Gravel received a phone call from Tusli right as he was speaking to Joe Lauria and almost blurted her phone number. Joe stopped him. Apparently Mike and Tulsi are buddies. Maybe Joe you could get Gabby on to CN Live and we could get more of her views on this matter?
Enjoyed the Saker piece, hetro
do take note of the Mondoweiss piece
“Tulsi Gabbard voted to condemn BDS, but she’s become a cosponsor of Ilhan Omar’s boycott bill”
She, with warts-‘n-all is fine by me.
bowl of fresh air!
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/08/gabbard-condemn-cosponsor/
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/08/gabbard-condemn-cosponsor/
Yes, those bills show that Tulsi doesn’t agree with the BDS way, but supports the right of others to agree with it.
It also happens that, while BDS’s Omar Barghouti supports a one-state solution (Palestine) and Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu another one-state solution (Israel), Tulsi Gabbard supports a two-state solution (Palestine and Israel).
And about the sanctions proposed by BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), a problem of that aggressive method — also very popular in Washington, D.C. — is that sanctions are usually ineffective with governments, and just hurt the population.
I think that, also in Palestine and Israel, many people like Tulsi supporting peaceful understanding between peoples and countries are the ones who should receive the massive support that people promoting conflict are receiving now instead, especially in the US.
Thank you for the link! Here’s Tulsi’s explanation of her vote for Rez 246:
“Now I voted for H.Res. 246 because I support a two-state solution that provides for the rights of both Israel and Palestine to exist and for their people to live in peace with security in their homes. I don’t believe BDS is the way to accomplish that. However, I will continue to defend those who choose to exercise their right to free speech without any threat of legal action. Now H.Res.246 does not in any way limit or hinder our First Amendment rights. In fact, it affirms every American’s right to exercise free speech for or against U.S. foreign policy, as well as the right of Israeli and Palestinian people to live in safe and sovereign states free from fear and violence and with mutual recognition. The right to protest the actions of our government is essential if America is to truly be a free society. So no matter what our disagreements are about various political positions or choices that our government makes, we can all agree that every American should have the freedom to make those disagreements known and protest peacefully in support of their views.”
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/08/gabbard-condemn-cosponsor/
Tulsi is a cosponsor of Ilhan Omar’s resolution:
H.Res.496 – Affirming that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/496/text
Assad is a hero and an outstanding statesman. His country was targeted for destruction by the Neocohens from the 1990s, long before 9/11, one of a list of 7 countries scheduled for destruction in 5 years in the $7 trillion crazy illegal wars for Talmudistan.
Syria was submerged under a tidal wave of hundreds of thousands of the most barbaric terrorist scum on the planet from over a hundred countries, cannibal head choppers and throat slitters, with a licence to murder, rob, rape, burn, torture and enslave to their hearts’ content. All of them recruited, trained, armed, transported, paid, and orchestrated by the criminal terrorist sponsoring regimes of the US, UK, France, Turkey, Israel, and the puppet Gulf Dictatorships.
The UK alone gave billions to their pet terrorists. They created the terrorist White Helmet propaganda group and funded its 150 strong PR department. A single arms deal Qatar did with Croatia to arm them cost $5 billion. Saudi Arabia bought batches of 100 tanks at a time for them from Ukraine. The Zionist Regime spent millions building holiday camps for them on the Golan Heights (which new Home Secretary Patel wanted to fund out of the UK foreign aid budget.)
But the Syrian Army and People and their allies fought back heroically to save their country from western imposed terrorism and barbarism. They fought back with 50 year old T54s and MIG21s. They shot down Zionist aircraft with 50 year old museum piece S200s. Syria is the rock on which western imperialism and Zionist intrigue have foundered, a latter day Stalingrad, though at great cost to Syria itself.
Most of that terrorist scum is now dead. Those who survive will eventually ooze back to the countries that sponsored them to practise their killing and terror where it originated. Hundreds and hundreds of billions have been expended to no effect. Tidal waves of millions of immigrants have flooded into Europe and destabilised the whole continent. The aggression against Syria is a busted flush. It is going nowhere. And the fall out from these failures will take many years to work their way through, like ripples in a pond.
Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, Ukraine – a consistent record of failure and disaster.
Assad is a hero to the Alawite people. They have his picture on the walls not only in public places but in their homes. It is worthy of remembering that Assad was a practicing Nedical Doctor. , Oxford educated eye doctor in England of all places when his older brother, who was to succeed his father to the President of Syria, died in a car crash. Assad returned home to what he saw as a higher obligation…. I do not make this stuff up. Search it for yourself. The 6’7″ tall multi language speaking Doctor Assad ogre went to Oxford University. It’s hard to demonize such a man but it pays well,
Much truth there, although the US also has sponsored Islamic militancy in the Mideast since Truman was bribed to twist arms at the newly-formed UN to create Israel from the never-ratified “mandate” that UK seized after WWI and gave up due to zionist terrorism. I recommend Dreyfuss’ Devil’s Game for the details, although he conspicuously omits any involvement of Israel, due to his own ethnicity (note surname).
Agreed, fascinating article on this subject from Voltairenet, who incidentally, has been recognized by France as a legitimate media outlet: https://www.voltairenet.org/article207189.html. (As such, this should not be screened CN bot.)
I am completely unconvinced that this or any other “gatcha” article such as this one, or in fact any exchange at a debate over a year from election day will have any effect what-so-ever on the vote of anyone.
It just seems to be in the pattern of reporting, here at Consortium News and around the honest press that even though it is clear that “democracy” is nothing more than a macabre pantomime without the slightest effect on the demands and desires of the underlying Empire of Western oligarchs who fully captured the US government decades ago.
The problem, as I see it, is that the intelligentsia of the West from “far left” to “far right” refuses to let go of the idea that “democracy” is the ultimate form of governance – there are no new ideas which can possibly replace “democracy.”
I suggest one take pause and review the record of “democracy” the US has operated as an Empire ever sense the Spanish-American War. This is well established – you can’t have a “democratic” empire the two are mutually exclusive. But in reality the US State has never been the “king” of the empire the oligarchy and its huge and very influential block of capital has been around for 500 years. Thomas Piketty demonstrated clearly that the block of capital (now exceeding 50 trillion dollars) has existed for centuries, has profited year in and year out sense the “wars of religion” after “the reformation” (which were funded by the oligarchy).
As a direct result of the aggression by the ruling oligarchy and its use of the US government and military as its own over just the last 200 years has resulted in the deliberate impoverishment of billions of people who lived, suffered and died without a chance of any kind to improve their lot. The vast poverty around the world today is be design, keep people poor and unable to resist imperial power.
This is not down to just the US centered empire, it is down to Western civilization and its fixation on individual power.
With all the lofty talk about “freedom” Western civilization has never evolved beyond feudalism. The US constitution does not replace authoritarianism with “democracy.” It says that god told them (our leaders, the oligopoly) – not us that we are free free free without bothering to justify this in any other way that the claim that god grants “rights” at birth (as far as I know there are no statements of this in the “holy scripture”). THE OLIGARCHY said we have god given “rights” while simultaneously saying that god’s will is threatened in the rest of the world who are evil.
No god is involved here THE OLIGARCHS say we are free, THE OLIGARCHS say it is god’s will (the so called Christian god) THE OLIGARCHS tell us in lofty language that we have ‘rights” given to us by god and it is their rightful place to protect them against all evil (evil = not under the control of the empire).
I don’t remember the origin of this quote but it sums thing up quite nicely: There are no gods, there is lust for power.
Religions are human creations by human beings with all that means. The powerful lusting after ever more power use religion as one of their most potent weapons of controlling vast populations – the three “great” religions of the empire, Christian Calvinism, Wahabbi Islam, and Zionist Jews all extremist “pure” forms of their dogmas.
Western civilization places a god, a single god, the “one and only” god at the center of its mythology, culture ans society. This established and inoculated Western culture and society with an effective “king” who is all powerful and who MUST BE OBEYED. It has been working for more or less 3000 years. One god means one authority, a single all powerful god which must be obeyed is the ultimate form of authoritarianism. And yes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Religious institutions have so much power (in conjunction with wealth) that Western society and culture is fully prepared to let the Catholic Church rape the children in our communities with virtual impunity. Any “secular” institution shown to molest children would be dismantled and put out of existence but because of the power of the oligarchy which controls religious doctrine in conjunction with religious officers (their interests in ultimate power over the entire earth are perfectly aligned) this institutional child rape and worse which has gone on for thousands of years will continue.
Holy men are anything but holy, they lust for power beside the oligarchy and they demand that their ideologies of subjugation and domination prevail over the entire earth.
I’m beyond overjoyed that Tulsi has the guts to stand up to the pro-Israel, pro-war US major media right to their faces in the debates!!!! Some info, though, that’s just come through ‘Jacobin’ to me, includes Tulsi Gabbard’s receiving the Sheldon Adelson (Edelson?) Champion of Freedom Award some years back. We need to know more about that! Bernie’s long record for working for economic justice and the basic human need for that justice could never be denied. Let’s hope Tulsi’s the next real thing to come our way… but she’s got some explaining to do first.
She also backpedaled on BDS.
Josef, Take Heart!
Mondoweiss is on the right side of history..
https://mondoweiss.net/2019/08/gabbard-condemn-cosponsor/
Her rhetoric against Yankee Military Adventurism should more than cover her not rebuffing the Adelsons’ recognition.
After reading this terrific piece, I am reminded of something Hunter S. Thompson said decades ago. As best I can remember, it was “ How long, oh Lord, how long can this terrible shit go on?” Evidently, forever.
gabbard is the only DNC elected to be worthy of a vote since JFK! RNC will not allow a candidate of her integrity to ever get on the ballot, and neither will DNC.. Studies show GHOST VOTERS out number actual registered in USA by at least 18%. Both gangs primaries are always rigged to only allow who the $ boys want to get on the ballot. Enough states do not allow write ins , that even that will not work unless voter turnout against 2 party at least quadruples. It can happen if USA accepts both are evil and all main media is fake
Perhaps if elections were truly tallied, a revolutionary election “can happen if USA accepts both [parties] are evil and all main media is fake.” But that awakening would require impoverishment of the middle class and desperation of lower middle and lower classes, which can be avoided by the rich for many generations. But there is no reason to suppose that elections are truly tallied, and any risk of populism would end that immediately.
Gabbard has it all over Harris…
America is a hopeless case. Period. The mass insanity, bamboozlement, ignorance, and manipulation has rendered the effective population impotent. Kaczynski was right about technology. The first coffin nail for the average American is driven the minute they give a two or three year old an electronic device. Done. It’s over. They will be subjected to every manner of senseless, atrophy producing drivel. Soon after, they will be physically and psychologically addicted to the damn thing. Constantly exposed to a barrage of rubbish. A few will avail themselves of some knowledge, but too few. Open, courteous, honest debate is almost extinct. Replaced by bullsh*t laden, visceral attacks, based on lies.
At 57, I will live out my remaining years removed from this madness. It is a cancer. The world is burning, and we will not stop it. The cities will be the worst imaginable traps in the not too distant future. I choose to stay rural, local, and conservative (not the media/political definition).
Good luck to all.
When I was a young man I spent 6 months on The Big Rock Candy Mountain. You can’t get anywhere near it anymore. Security gates everywhere , Nowhere to park except at the WALMART and at an Indian Gaming Casino. No sidewalks . No loitering .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqowmHgxVJQ
…
I think a good education is all you need to keep a level head — a good foundation of critical thinking skills. One of the big problems is the psychological threshold that must be crossed to abandon all reliance on what the mainstream media is saying and what most leaders in the federal government are saying. Seeing those parties as totally untrustworthy is a major step that most people cannot take, even as they know the country is way off course.
…
How is it that the most rabid Russiagaters tend to not only have good educations, but were graduates of our most prestigious universities? The “deplorables” seem to have much better critical thinking skills than our Ivy Set.
Very few so-called “educated” people ever develop critical thinking skills. Most education now-a-days involves specialization in some area that will produce an income. They are trained servants. The days of the liberal arts education are over. The so-called “deplorables” have to live by their wits, and by necessity have to develop some critical thinking skills. They have to “fix it” themselves. The “educated” ones call a repairman. Many of them don’t even cook their own food.
Don’t blame the crimes and flaws of the USA on “America.” I suppose to you Holland is the Netherlands and only Jews are Semites? America is several times larger than the USA, Exceptionalstan, Gringoland.
“. . . the fact that Gabbard is being smeared as viciously and baselessly as she is by all the right people on both the left and the right is all the proof you need that she is 1) the real deal and 2) they are scared of her. . . .
“That’s good. As a soldier she knows that when you’re taking flak you are over your target. Now let’s hope she’s capable of sustaining herself to push this election cycle away from the insanity the elite want to distract us with and make it about the only thing keeping the world from healing, ending the empire of chaos.”
The Empire Is Coming for Tulsi Gabbard
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/08/02/empire-coming-for-tulsi-gabbard/
I was just about to post a message very much the same.
Yes the establishment is scared as hell of Tuilsi Gabbard and will stop at nothing to demonize her .
Lies coming from people that call themselves journalist , and insult to the profession.
Am not a US citizen , but I know who I would vote for if I was.even if she voiced a statement regarding the zionists that I don’t support.
Wow . another 30 people killed in mass shootings and all of you are talking about how many angels fit on a pin. Don’t you think RP would want to investigate these mass shootings? Argue amongst yourselves.
Should sensational events suppress public discourse on root causes and solutions?
Argue amongst yourself.
america is famed for its ‘killing spree’ agenda both at home and abroad – it’s not news anymore – america is a basketcase
As long as there are guns on the streets and stupid people using them – there will be deaths…
…
I think this article was written before the shootings.
…
Oh come on with “the latest killing spree.” Just what do you propose would make one whit of difference discussing this here? Every talking head, every print journalist on a daily paper, every hand-wringing sycophant in the msm is all over this and it just gets further numbed and dumbed-down and is added to the dismal toll this psycho nation full of sickos, this armed madhouse keeps blithely toting up, whether in our streets or schools or in any number of overseas nations. It’s what we do best. We are a nation of violence-drunk killers.
We’re going over the edge into the abyss and there’s nothing to be done for it. The Owners of this country in their obsessive drive for profits, their concomitant desire to put ALL of the world under their neoliberal domain by neoconservative military acts, are driving this bus, our bus, full of innocent bystanders to a destination that ends in misery and death, and these latest domestic victims of Psychosis USA are part of their entire wretched business plans for further repression, further militarized police forces, you name it.
The fact is, the facts are, our reach has exceeded our grasp as tech + propaganda has already irrevocably stolen what patina of democracy we might have once held. It is gone, gone, gone now. and the sonsabitches are coming to take more and more until there is nothing left. They (the Owners) started this “Homeland” spree on November 22 1963. After that, why do you (if you do) think that they give a rat’s ass about what happens to the rest of us? They’re operating on a code once attributed to Joseph Stalin: “One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.”
And I appreciate Caity’s perspective as ever, she turns out an immense trove of work, she’s on fire. And she writes from Australia, where they solved their mass-shooting massacre problem quite some time ago. But since we have no way out of our own issue similar to Oz’s confiscation of firearms, it will take a civil war to likely make a dent in our own problems to which we are forced to bear witness to on a monthly, if not weekly basis. Solving the gun problem with guns. It’s that effed-up.
I’m sorry to say, and I feel for your being distraught, but… that’s just the way it is in this overcrowded, hyper-information surfeited, truth-deprived, rat race world of today. People are only going to continue to snap until some kind of dam breaks. Something akin to the Great Flood and Noah’s Ark? Or perhaps by thermonuclear annihilation; that seems to be gaining in popularity, especially among the Democratic War Party.
Again, I’m sorry for the pain and loss so many, including yourself, are experiencing. This truly sucks, indeed.
Wag the Dog. It is no coincidence that the killing sprees help to constantly remind the public that racism is the number one issue of the democratic party platform, and don’t you forget it. And it’s all Trump’s fault, see. So vote Dem in 2020. Expect more of the same between now and Election eve.
Do you NOT understand that behavior comes from the “TOP?”
US military permeates the US society- it’s all about war! Might you not SEE that these mass shooting are but an extension of this?
Don’t tell others what they should be talking about unless you actually UNDERSTAND the Big Picture.
Oh, and Gabbard is going straight to the hear of the matter. People need to step up and support her message. This might be the last “peaceful” opportunity to do so.
Super short clip from the Kim Iversen interview.
Why did Tulsi Gabbard Meet with Assad? Let’s Hear it From Her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ5_wLmgXfM
Thank you b.grand .Not a US citizen ,but I sincerely hope that the citizens of the US are waking up to the truth of the matter .
We need peace in the world and I hope that is what the people want.
Missing in all the reports is Major Gabbard’s continuing service in the National Guard. Gabbard shows the same loyalty to the establishment Harris is accused of with her volunteering to join the US military and deployments to Iraq. Gabbard is an insincere security state mole who has fooled anti-war advocates into supporting her presidential candidacy. Rep. Gabbard has no actual legislative record documenting her anti-war rhetoric; she voted for the anti-BDS bill last week.
Gabbard is clever. She has used the unpopularity of America’s Middle East wars as the platform for her presidential aspirations while being a staunch supporter of the warrior class. Not only did she say in the first debate she would defend LGBQ soldiers (by killing foreign insurgents defending their homelands from invaders like her) and defended Trump’s appointment of Mattis Sec. Defense. Gabbard does not think the butcher of Fallujah should be hanged for using white phosphorus bombs against Iraqi civilians. Gabbard is a war pig. Her continued service in the military is just as bad, if not worse, than Clinton’s and Biden’s votes for the AUMF.
What is this about? Are you a Kamala-bot? A Bernie-bro? Tulsi has her critics, but you’re way over the top.
This is about convincing anti-war advocates not being fooled into supporting a presidential candidate, Major Gabbard, who is clearly in love with the military. The comment also disparaged Harris, who, as a prosecutor, should be disqualified by progressives as a competent presidential candidate.
Only Gabbard had the courage to go to Syria and question Mattis about Syria
VIDEO: Gabbard Questions Mattis On Potential Syria Strike
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2018/04/12/video-gabbard-questions-mattis-on-potential-syria-strike/
WaPo Publishes Gabbard Smear Piece Filled With Blatant Lies
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-03/wapo-publishes-gabbard-smear-piece-filled-blatant-lies
She wasn’t the only one who went to Syria, Dennis Kucinich also traveled with Tulsi.
LOL. Tulsi is the only Member of Congress. Kucinich isn’t in any office now. He went as a private citizen, and he’s not the only one who’s done that.
If you want to cite a sitting legislator, see Virginia State Senator Richard Black.
The invasion of trolls/concern trolls here like Idi Malink shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. It’s just a thinly disguised display of fear by the establishment scum over Tulsi Gabbard. Expect to see a lot more troll droppings as we go further into the campaign season. Sanders and Warren will also be targets of said trolls.
It would be a nice to be able to read past comments. A bother to implement, but in this case, t would be interesting to see that he joined comments specifically to bad mouth Tulsi after she dissed the charming Kamala.
To remind you, Tulsi volunteered to serve in a medical unit, and continued that as a member of reserve. No record of any complains about her actions in that capacity. Kamala served as a prosecutor, which is a position with a noble mission and vast opportunities for abuse, and there are accounts that she took part in the latter.
Society needs medical staff, including medical staff in armed forces, and prosecutors.
I will complain about Gabbard’s actions as a member of the reserve. She deployed twice to Iraq. Her joining the military should disqualify her as a candidate for any office for anti-war advocates. I also say the same thing about Harris. Being a prosecutor in America is just as bad as being an American soldier who obeys orders to deploy to unlawful war zones.
As a member of a medical unit, Gabbard gave aid to war crimes perpetrators. She is unable to identify US soldiers as the enemy. Something many anti-war advocates are also unwilling to do.
There are no live saints. Join reality.
Oh, and if you are being this picky then there ought not be ANY US citizens running for POTUS because, as taxpayers, they are ALL complicit.
Anti-war advocates who reject Clinton’s and Biden’s excuses for voting for the AUMF should reject Gabbard’s reasons for volunteering to join the military and her obedience to deploy twice. Gabbard is still an active officer in the National Guard and her supporters naively disregard her loyalty to the military because of her anti-regime change rhetoric. Gabbard voted for the anti-BDS bill in Congress just last week, yet anti-war progressives consider anti-war. She is not anti-war and has no history of doing anything to stop America’s wars.
It’s a good reminder that we need to copy a page from the trolls and leave our comfort zone/echo chamber and post opposing viewpoints on MSM websites, such as WaPo and NYTs, the Guardian, etc. We’re just singing to the choir here. Lets go forth and spread the truth.
The strategy you are imputing to Gabbard is not “clever,” it would be the height of stupidity if she were simply using anti-war sentiment as a ruse to worm her way into the pinnacle of power in American politics.
Look at the reaction she has gotten from the entrenched political establishment, the wealthy and powerful insider elites, and from the mouthpieces in the media who serve both the aforementioned. They have savaged her and conspicuously intend to end her career in politics.
Most American voters, since they casually rely only on the propagandist “mainstream media” for all their news (which skews and censors the truth with impunity), don’t receive the straight facts on all the wars this country has immersed itself in and therefore do not have accurate or even well formulated opinions on them.
When the talking heads on the networks or the wind-bag celebrities who shower them with follow-the-herd opinion tell them an individual, like Tulsi, is an enemy of the people–especially because she has (heaven forbid!) actually communicated verbally with a foreign leader chosen for demonisation by the entire American power structure–those voters will reflexively take the path of least resistance and believe the slander… at least long enough, the power brokers hope, to see that person’s public career irrevocably destroyed.
That is what Tulsi RISKS by taking this path, she doesn’t gain any easy advantage, not in the minds of most thoroughly brain-washed Americans who have seen so much continuous warfare that they are far too habituated to it to care or put their own interests in jeopardy by actively opposing it. “Peaceniks” are a damned small base upon which to build a political movement in the United States of America.
Listen to Tulsi in her own words. Video is 21 minutes listen to it in 5 minute segments…. that’s why there’s a pause button. Seriously though try to give Tulsi a listen… you just might like what you hear.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5ybH9p2uFiE
Images for Gabbard in the National Guard. Her actions as a soldier mean more than her rhetoric.
https://disq.us/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fchannel%3Dmac_bm%26q%3Dgabbard%2Ba%2Bmajor%2Bin%2Bnational%2Bguard%26tbm%3Disch%26source%3Dhp%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26ved%3D2ahUKEwjJ6M_47eTjAhUlLX0KHQuAD3wQsAR6BAgDEAE%3A6jROzIhdpnQJlFuMZ3_7rgaUSE0&cuid=97631
The sad thing is that being an ‘Assad apologist’ is to be on the right side of History. He did not ‘gas his own people’. Seymour Hersh showed that the first ‘gassing’ was carried out by the rebels. The other two were almost as preposterous as Russiagate, with the same ridiculous ‘logic’ and lack of evidence. In Khan Shekoun, the US had just announced it would no longer support ‘Assad must go’, and a day later Assad ‘gasses his own people’ conveniently reported by the jihadis. At the time I had to laugh at an image posted on the web with a statue of Sun Tzu and the words, ‘When your enemy is nearly defeated, and final victory is at hand, gas your own people so that nations greater than yours will intervene and destroy you’ … Sun Tzu, The Art of War, Page: Never. In the third ‘gassing’ at Douma, Robert Fisk was able to go there in person, as in this case the jihadi’s had been driven out immediately after afterward, and his reporting showed conclusively that Assad did not launch a gas attack (which once again, would have made no sense whatever).
The reality is that Assad and the Syrian people have been fighting the most vicious, psychotic killers on the planet, sent by us to destroy their country, for 8 years. He is a hero to the majority of Syrians, and would win any election.
My guess is that Tulsi Gabbard actually understands all this, but obviously it’s impossible to claim this, and run for President, in the propaganda-saturated West, since everyone knows that Assad … say it with me one more time, ‘gassed his own people’.
Well put, especially that last paragraph. Some truths must remain unspoken for justice to prevail in an insane world.
Watching Sanders and Warren refusing to admit they would raise taxes, but would also eliminate insurance premiums and co-pays for universal health care (which every other industrialized country gets for half price; Israel for one third price), it is obvious who the MSM works for.
Reagan and his controllers came up with the idiot plan to turn the US from a manufacturing economy to a service economy, implemented with great gusto (and huge profits!) by all following Presidents, who then led us to transmogrify into a financials-based economy. It is not a Democrat-Republican divide. Labor/ the working class (which no party represents, and both squash at every opportunity) is looking at offshoring, automation and 20+ million illegal aliens as competition for jobs. With no industry, there is no innovation, no superior products and technologies. America has been sold out by Reagan and every President since, along with our powerful politicians (there are no poor Senators). They gave us Trump. People desperate for change may give us someone smarter and more dangerous next.
Oy vey! Contrary to your opening assertion, Sanders has explicitly and repeatedly stated that taxes on middle class families will go up as a result of M4A. Sanders is recognized as being blunt and honest even by his opponents. Even the sleazy moderator, Jake Tapper, explicitly recognized that Sanders stated that taxes will go up. He asked Warren if she would admit the same. Why are you being more sleazy than Tapper?
Admittedly Warren was more coy, but, even so, she didn’t make any false statements. The fact is that M4A will save middle income families substantial money on health care. The fact that taxes go up a bit is more than compensated by the absence of premiums, deductibles, copays and other payments.
The comparison is between two cellular plans: a cheap plan with excellent service and no service fees but a slightly more expensive phone and an expensive plan with poor service, high service fees, and a slightly less expensive phone. Why do you insist on harping about the cost of the phone?
As I noted, without premiums and co-pays (including deductibles) universal health care will be much cheaper, about half like other OECD countries , if paid by taxes rather than through insurance. Maybe I was too obtuse? But so were Bernie and Warren who refused to state that they would raise taxes, but the costs for the majority of people would go DOWN. They did not want to admit that taxes would go up for some asinine reason. I was waiting for them to state that, but they dodged the question rather than dealing with it directly. It doesn’t matter if Bernie has said it a thousand times, he needs to say it again and again when interviewed by the corrupt main stream media.
She has no chance of being in the finals, nor has Harris who is one of the corporate war mongering favs. Harris sold out and that becoming more and more clear who she really is, and that is another dog on a leash for those who do not want change. Harris can’t support her record and she knows it as do her backers. She’s like others who have lots of bad shit in their past, keep throwing other shit against the wall to see what sticks in order to keep us looking a the real Harris. It’s the same bait and switch BS. The centrists conservative Dems are still behind Biden, so they have learned nothing unless they really want another 4 of the Destructor in Chief Agent Orange. At the end of the day, it’s always about the money and these monsters never have enough of it. They are all hogs feeding at the trough, gorging, never getting enough of it. These debates are not even entertaining and most of them will be gone by the end of the year or sooner, and that includes Sanders who has no chance but will be allowed to continue his wasted efforts…The show must go on. Warren should bask in the spotlight and fame. She’ll be under the bus when the real controllers of our system are done with her.
So, we have an election … and the they spend the next 4 years fighting anther one … ad infinitum …. usa is a basket case, these people are foul looneys and the eworld would do better without any of them …. stop giving america and americans the air – we are all sick of them
Gabbard’s attack over Harris is a taste of what Joe Biden felt during the first debate when aggressively and repeatedly Harris has attacked him. You should not be dog-eat-dog in that desperate battle to overthrow the one at the White House.
These are the maniacs in the Deep State that a President Gabbard would have to take on should she be elected to the office over the machinations of the entire entrenched establishment. They are all locked and loaded for a hot war with Russia and China. The ongoing kabuki dance is just to get all their troops, naval taskforces, subs and missile batteries deployed exactly where they want them when the shooting begins… at their command. They have no intention of giving an inch anywhere along the line of contact they have established around the entire globe. There will be no negotiations, no compromises, no peace talks, no detente with anyone. It will be world conquest or bust. The reality is, the former does not come without the latter, even if they use nuclear first strikes against their targets. These are bigger psychos than any axis of good or evil the world has ever seen. They speak like they are the reincarnations of Genghis Khan, Atilla the Hun, Pol Pot, Caesar, Hannibal, Napoleon, Mao, Chung Kai Shek, Pizzaro, Cortes, Der Fuehrer and Vlad the Impaler assembled together again in one bad ass street gang. With this mentality, survival of the human race does not look promising. The gods be merciful and drop an asteroid on the DC metro area, please.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-03/citadels-americas-elites-fractured-and-odds-each-other
Tulsi should actually sue Harris for liable, now that would shut everyone up about her Assad apologist bs.
I said it a few weeks ago, just after the google suit was announced, she needs to threaten everyone in the media, tell them anyone who slanders and liables me and my positions will find lawsuits in the morning. No issue challenging my record, but liable me and ill end your careers or your company. You just need to start threatening ahead of time now Tulsi, thats the world you joined for 2020.
If the media succeed in quickly derailing Ms. Gabbard’s campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency, the Green Party should DRAFT her as theirs. If she accepted, she has some possibility of winning. With the Dems, probably never… until they collapse and rebuild.
Are you sure you’re a realist? The Greens are a basket case. (I know, I am one.) They’re probably running Howie Hawkins. :(
Now, if Tulsi were the Dem nominee (or not), and the Greens, Libertarians, Constitution, etc. ……. But they’re not that smart. They’ll all back their hopeless unknowns.
Note I didn’t say a “good” possibility, but only “some” possibility.
If we use a baseball analogy where the Astros and Dodgers have a calculated 17% chance of winning the world series, the Indians or the Braves a 5% chance, the Twins or Phillies a 1% chance, and the White Sox or Reds have essentially a 0.00% chance, as a Dem (meaning off the ticket) she would be comparable to the White Sox or Reds, as a Green maybe she’s up there with the Twins or Phillies.
Being on any ticket she has some opportunity to influence the outcome through debates, adverts, interviews and the like. Given campaign coverage till election day, both she and the Greens might be able to improve their public standing in the future. Who knows, the Dems might totally collapse like the Whigs and be replaced by the Greens or some other party. She might lead such a party down the road or move in and try to rebuild a disgraced Dem party. If a draft spot is given to her by another party it might be advantageous to accept it, especially if the Dems seem to be conspiring against her en masse as all evidence seems to suggest. If the Dems are determined to shut her out, I would prefer she throw in with whomever is willing to keep the anti-war movement alive and focused in the public view. To use the baseball analogy again, she’s among the best young talent in the political game right now. Both the GOPers and Dems are all clowns… dangerous clowns.
While I support the Green Party platform, I am not sure that Tulsi’s platform aligns enough with theirs. Also, Tulsi has a lot of support among independents, some of whom may be put off by the “Green” label. She might be better off running as an Independent.
I think the biggest thing we should accomplish for the future of humanity is to stop the war machine. Once that happens, many other things become much more doable.
Thanks for this piece of sensibility and even-handedness. Go Tulsi!
A well-done article, clear and comprehensive. I’m finally over my amazement at how readily Joy Reid and the folks at MSNBC simply lie, brazenly lie. But that’s real life. That’s how deeply the tentacles of corruption are in fact deployed. Tom Paine complained about war profiteers back in 1791.
“That there are men in all countries who get their living by war, and by keeping up the quarrels of nations, is as shocking as it is true.”
“War Profiteer Story”
A well-done article, clear and comprehensive. I’m finally over my amazement at how readily Joy Reid and the other folks at MSNBC (who I used to watch) simply lie, brazenly lie. But that’s real life. That’s how deeply the tentacles of corruption are in fact deployed. Tom Paine complained about war profiteers back in 1791.
“That there are men in all countries who get their living by war, and by keeping up the quarrels of nations, is as shocking as it is true.”
http://warprofiteerstory.blogspot.com
Willow is the the same Dennis Kucinich who said he hardly knows Goofie, aka Rudi Guilliani?
Tulsi has the steeled poise of self confidence. A good sign.
I’m with you P.M.G.
The dimocraps need to wake up. They have a very strong short list of candidates. All would be well advised to make serious arguments for challenging the current republican driven debacle in D.C. and stop their sibling like bickering. It is as show of bad form much like we see with the repugniklan inter-party treachery.
The best showing I witnessed was Tulsi more than aptly handling a weasle-ish acting Anderson Cooper, in an after debate interview.
The dims have a lot of work to do they all need to band together now they have a great “bench” for the near future but they have to beat the repugs and their frighteningly inept leader first.
See “Kamala Harris Has a Distinguished Career of Serving Injustice,” https://truthout.org/articles/kamala-harris-has-a-distinguished-career-of-serving-injustice/
It’s all pretty much the theater of the absurd – I gave up watching, actually.
I HAD some respect for Gabbard – that is ‘had’ in the past tense.
But when she joined her fellow cohorts in congress and voted in support of H.Res. 246 on July 23 any such respect was thrown right out of the window. She’s a hypocrite – like all the rest. When she condemns BDS – which seeks to peacefully censure israel for its crimes against humanity – she joins in with all the slaves of the masters that control the u.s. government.
None of the ‘debtes’ nor the ‘election’ will change anything about this corrupt government and its lackeys.
Period.
Tulsi goes on:
2019-08-02
Tulsi Gabbard Surpasses 130K Individual Donors, Meets One Threshold For Next Democratic Debate | TULSI 2020
https://www.tulsi2020.com/press/2019-08-02-tulsi-gabbard-surpasses-130k-individual-donors-meets-one-threshold-next-democratic
Unfortunately, her or should I say our fate, now lies with our utterly discredited and rigged polling systems.
I agree that the MSM is a tool of the MIC and war or the threat of it is required to justify the ever increasing now 666 billion dollar 2019 defense bill.
What the US is doing to a whole bunch of countries all over the World via sanctions, tariffs, covert operations and military interventions (invasions) has been disastrous and Harris, like Obama, is all too willing to go along with the theory that the disaster in Syria is all 100% Assad’s fault. Obama actually said that.
There are currently over 4,000,000 Syrian Refugees in Turkey alone straining our relationship. There are hundreds of thousands dead. This is what happens when we supply weapons to religious extremists in order to ouster a government we don’t like. We continually underestimate the staying power of leaders and also appear to have no concern for collateral damage even if the price tag is 500,000 dead children. Just ask Madeline Albright.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s reply to Lesley Stahl’s question on “60 Minutes” on May 12, 1996:
Stahl: “We have heard that a half a million children have died [because of sanctions against Iraq]. I mean that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And–you know, is the price worth it?”
Albright: “I think this is a very hard choice, but the price–we think the price is worth it.”
Makes one wonder what are we doing with all these sanctions. How many millions of people are we impoverishing how many millions of children are we killing. You might think that at some point as we advance technologically we might advance ethically and morally too but the opposite appears to be the case. News of the carnage in Syria is for the most part not covered to the point that even a national candidate, Gary Johnson was not even aware of the situation in Aleppo.
Trump is a handful. Ever time he says he wants out of Syria we have to kill a few more children and wave their lifeless bodies around on TV to let Trump, and more importantly Ivanka, see just why we need to stay and fight against Assad.
Unfortunately it is a very hard thing to fight as Trump is finding out.
It is sad that the democrats have become such complete tools for the MIC. We are to the World what the Romans once were to the rest of the World but from our vantage point in Rome we are quite happy about that and if we try just a little we will never be bothered by it.
Tulsi is doing the right thing. She went there to see for herself because from here you will not get to the truth. Perhaps that is what they are really freaking out about. The fact that she went outside to see what it was like with her own two eyes. Imagine how horrifying it must have been watching someone leave the set of The Truman Show they have prepared so long for us all. It does not mean she is a Hanoi Jane. But the spin masters know how to keep pols in their lanes and if they don’t they know how to destroy them too. Just ask Howard Dean what happens if you promise to regulate the propagandists.
So we are trapped in this sick sick system where anyone who tries to get off the war train is in for a thrashing especially with weaponized social media outlets adding multipliers to the pain to the point that only someone guided by principle would be willing to take the beating knowing it was coming. Her continued refusal to recant her alleged ? with Assad and denounce him reveals a personality that is more interested in truth and principles rather than the amorphous, oily morality that can sign up for wars of our own making where 500,000 dead children is a shame but worth every penny.
I am tired of the behavior exhibited by Harris and others. I don’t want a sharp lawyer with a quick tongue and no ethical conflict with regurgitating the talking points of the propagandists. It is a disease that the Democratic Party has had for quite some time with Clinton on. I do not want another democrat like Obama with his go along to get along approach as he signed up for overthrowing the Assad regime completely releasing himself from any blame or taking any responsibility. Notice how no blame of him has been alleged by MSM outlet? They reward good soldiers.
On the other hand I fear that the control over the minds of Americans by the propagandists will erect such a strong barrier to election path that it will not be possible to overcome. Still I admire the courage of Tulsi. It is refreshing to see someone with such a vision of peace for our future.
Wonderfully put once again Citizen One.
What I would like to add is found inside this video of Tulsi Gabbard being interviewed by Kim Iversen. Tulsi is a lot more than just a single issue candidate and by saying that I would recommend anyone interested in learning more about Tulsi take 21 minutes or pause & resume at your leisure but please give Tulsi Gabbard the benefit of her stands on so many different issues that trouble our beleaguered society today.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5ybH9p2uFiE
We here in the alternative must endorse candidates such as Gabbard as the Tulsis among us get the MSM false narrative treatment and that must end. This campaign season will be more about getting out the truth than going along with some old status quo thinking that’s electable… this isn’t all about strategy it’s about a way of living and treating our environment intelligently.
There are very, very few honest lawyers guided by principle, and almost none in government service.
Slick deceptions are their primary skill, and subversion of rights is their goal, for personal gain alone.
Harris is very likely just playing the Obama/Clinton card while betraying minorities and women.
The perfect Judas goat or sheepdog to mask the sell-out of the Dems to the rich.
If she were the rare good lawyer, she would have a record of fighting vested interests for human rights.
Such a person would never be hired as a government lawyer, or would be quickly discharged.
Nearly all lawyers are the enemies of America and its Constitution, and should never hold elected office.
Perhaps an article going over the fraud about “Assad gassing his own people” would be a valuable addition to the national discussion. It would of course make note of McCain meeting with ISIS a month before both the 2013 and the 2016 gas incidents, and the evidence that both were done by the so called rebels with help from countries illegally attacking Syria. I am so sick of watching MSM propagandists feigning shock at Tulsi questioning the truth about lies that shouldn’t have been taken seriously for a week, much less several years. Tulsi rocked at the debate, and it was great to watch the squirming of the disgusting Kamala Harris, whose criticism of Trump (first debate) was that he wasn’t hawkish enough in Korea. How could people watch the dramatic contrast between Kamala and Tulsi, and still support the vastly inferior candidate?
“The few Bernie has made indicate to me that he is sympathetic to the Palestinian problem, but smart enough to keep quiet on the subject until, God willing, he is in a position to actually do something about it. ”
We had too many “smart people” in the past. My first experience was being excited by Howard Dean who was shellacked for “anti-semitic codewords”, to wit, that “we should be even-handed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. “Even-handed” was singled out as the most egregious. But Dean became “wiser” in subsequent years. For that matter, Obama and Biden made sympathetic indication and even tried to “do something about it” for whopping few months, only to give up. Tulsi seems to be a bit of a simpleton, she just repeats “all we did made things worse, and we lost a lot of money that we could use at home”. Unfortunately, the public seems convinced that yes, all we did made things worse, how an average person can understand all the subtle reasons to be engaged in strife for more than 15 years. Luckily for the imperialist, the public did not care about it, but Tulsi has the temerity to talk about trillions that could be spend at home. One cannot rebut such stupid arguments directly.
One could try to be snide and ask what do we think about the dashing (if a bit chubby) Prince Muhammad bin Salman? Slicing his enemies into small pieces only occasionally, usually he dispatches them more discretely. And massacring weddings and funerals without any barbaric barrel bombs but with the most civilized precision weapons. But he is sooo progressive, allowing women to drive! Shouldn’t that count for something? As it is, the dashing Prince may visit USA anytime without the danger of heckling.
For example, as he is interested in supporting science, he visited a top genomic research institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and police closed the entire street, lest his highness suffer any inconvenience. However, the welcome was modest, red carpet was not rolled out on the street (perhaps inside?). One cannot stress enough that Assad is not legitimate as he is not reigning Dei Gratiae. Absolute monarchy warms our cockles.
brilliant comment. you should send it to her on her Tulsi 2020 Facebook page
the next time Tulsi is smeared with an Assad apologist, she should point out the glowing hypocrisy that Trump , Obama and Hillary all appeased, rubbed the glowing orb, shook hands with and dined with the dictators of the regime of Saudi Arabia, who unlike Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Iran, actually DID attack us by sending 15 of the 17 suicide hijackers to attack us on 9.11
Dennis Kucinich also went with Tulsi to Syria on their fact finding mission to Syria
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2017/01/syria_has_become_proxy_war_for.html
Skip, I had the same revulsion to Gabbard, who I admire and is the best antidote to the Hillary Hyena clones, when she decided to make herself an accomplice to Israel’s crimes; Jimmy Dore said it was like a punch in the gut. Not sure if she sees the Palestinians as Sunni terrorists, or just wants to keep in AIPAC’s good graces. Her explanation for her vote was gibberish (the anti-BDS vote “affirms our right to free speech”? Really?) While DC equates Israel with the US (even more so than with the Saudis), it was a stupid political move on Tulsi’s part, even if only a non-binding resolution (which of course passed in the House with bi-partisan support for apartheid). Other House members running for the Democratic nomination disappeared before the vote (as did Pelosi).
michael wrote, “Her explanation for her vote was gibberish (the anti-BDS vote “affirms our right to free speech”? Really?) ”
Yes, it does. From the actual text of H.Res. 246,
“Whereas it is a hallmark of American democracy for citizens to petition the United States Government in favor of or against United States foreign policy;
“Whereas the United States Constitution protects the rights of United States citizens to articulate political views, including with respect to the policies of the United States or foreign governments; …
“…Now, therefore, be it
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives— …
“…affirms the Constitutional right of United States citizens to free speech, including the right to protest or criticize the policies of the United States or foreign governments;”
The SCOTUS has clarified that the right of protest and free speech includes the right to boycott. No where does the resolution seek to limit the definition of free speech and protest to not include that right. The resolution is clear that it supports the right of citizens to exercise their free speech in protest of Israel, the only ‘foreign government’ pertinent in the discussion.
michael also wrote, “Other House members running for the Democratic nomination disappeared before the vote (as did Pelosi).”
At present there are only two other Representatives who are candidates- Moulton and Ryan. It is true both were absent. Delaney, O’Rourke, and Sestak are former members of the House. Rep. Swalwell, no longer a candidate, vote for the resolution.
You can verify the text I shared above at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/246/text
You can verify the rollcall at http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2019/roll497.xml
Is this the Joy Reid who made anti-gay remarks on her Twitter account and then claimed it was hacked – all before the same remarks were magically erased? She is a true tool of the establishment, nothing more. The establishment will make a deck of cards portraying all Progressives and call them terrorists if given the opportunity. The Democratic Party must be cowed into submission by any Progressive running for office. The DNC will not help a Progressive – they will only hope to subvert their causes.
It is perhaps unfortunate that the democratic candidates have been splintered into factions even by this article. How can any democratic candidate hope to rise up against the monolithic republican party which has the corporate and financial powerhouses aligned with Trump? It is even likely that the “free press” main stream media corporations will fall in line with support for Trump since their corporate bottom lines and top lines have benefited from tax breaks and the faux populist campaign strategy painting Trump as the defender of traditional values like hating minorities and hating the government and hating socialists and hating liberals etc.
The democrats will get nowhere without a hugely wealthy and powerful sponsor. The last election saw republican candidates each backed by wealthy donors and also backed by small donors who were mostly for Trump. Trump actually raised more in small donations than the democrats even though the republican party was perceived by most in the 2012 election as out of touch with the populist dreams republican voters.
For republicans the 2012 election defeat was a well learned lesson and the learning was that the image of Mitt Romney callously stating in a leaked video that he did not care for half of Americans since they paid no taxes was a message that was music to the ears of the wealthy but fell flat and angered wage earners with a family who fell neatly into the “They pay no taxes” category. These families adjusted their dependents and withholding so they would not owe a check to Uncle Sam come tax time. Hence they officially paid no federal income tax because withholding is money garnished prior to income received and so is not tax paid from a wage earners income. It is a tax on wages that are withheld by the employer and paid to the federal government prior to the receipt of any income. See what Mitt Romney meant? Every working family that got a refund based on their dependents and how much their wages were garnished by the payroll withholding tax at the end of the year officially were just one more freeloading parasitic tax dodging welfare monkey that paid no federal income tax that Mitt Romney officially announced to his wealthy donors he did not give a damn about.
That is how Mitt Romney arrived at the “Over one half of all Americans pay no federal income tax” claim.
But Mitt’s ploy to portray working families as tax freeloaders backfired especially in Ohio where his attacks on Obama Motors auto industry bailout loans also threatened many jobs. Not to mention that he was buying up the depressed stocks at rock bottom prices.
What to do? What to Do? The republicans had failed and now they need a new plan. What they realized was that the republicans had an image problem. Ordinary people had seen through the clumsily rehashed speeches of Mitt Romney that were no different than the speeches he had delivered to stockholders of the corporations he was rolling up and shipping to China at Bain Capital. My job is not to worry about the employees of the company but to worry about you the stock holders was the basic pitch to the shareholders to allow Bain to do what it did best which was to roll up US corporations and ship them overseas.
The republicans needed a plan for the next election. No doubt they were disillusioned by the messaging coming from the Wall Street crowd but they were also inspired by political events in Europe which showed the backlash against global capitalism and the likes of Bain that were sore points for partisans and nationalists. The saw the rise of nationalist parties and came to the conclusion that if they were to succeed they needed to model the trends of nationalism, patriotism and populism that were gaining ground in other industrialized nations. The republicans came up with a plan. They needed a populist outsider with wide recognition who could deliver a populist based campaign devoid of the corporate speak that sunk Romney but who could be counted on as a true businessman devoted to deregulation and dismantlement of all the obstacles that the rich felt were unfair burdens.
So the question is this. How are the democrats going to recapture the mantle of populism based on their current position of being seen as the bastions of the tax and spend bureaucrats commuting wanton and wasteful spending based on their socialist agendas going to find a populist platform that resonates with voters? More to the point how will they recapture the flag they lost?
The republicans suffered defeat and came up with a winning plan that got them what they wanted. It was such an effective strategy that they are now on top and the democrats seem like a bunch of factions trying to shame each other for issues that the voters cannot easily grasp. Sparring over Syria and foreign policy and who likes Assad and who believes he is our eternal enemy seems like a long shot to win over voters. The nuances over the history of the support for Assad by one democratic candidate versus the support for our military actions by another and the tests of which candidate is right seems like a fantasy to most Americans. I do not argue it is fantasy. It is not fantasy but fact and surely there have been terrible consequences of our actions but will it move voters to press the button?
Watching Sanders and Warren refusing to admit they would raise taxes, but would also eliminate insurance premiums and co-pays for universal health care (which every other industrialized country gets for half price; Israel for one third price), it is obvious who the MSM works for.
Reagan and his controllers came up with the idiot plan to turn the US from a manufacturing economy to a service economy, implemented with great gusto (and huge profits!) by all following Presidents, who then led us to transmogrify into a financials-based economy. It is not a Democrat-Republican divide. Labor/ the working class (which no party represents, and both squash at every opportunity) is looking at offshoring, automation and 20+ million illegal aliens as competition for jobs. With no industry, there is no innovation, no superior products and technologies. America has been sold out by Reagan and every President since, along with our powerful politicians (there are no poor Senators). They gave us Trump. People desperate for change may give us someone smarter and more dangerous next.
More BS from michael. Bernie has clearly said there would be tax rises and they would be repaid by savings. Warren is just a POS fake. Michael you couldnt fart and chew gum at the same time.
Those who wish to have a substantial progressive effect on the 2020 election at low cost should consider donating $3 to the Tulsi Gabbard campaign, whether you agree with her, doubt her, or doubt her chances. Her website is https://www.tulsi2020.com and the donation link is https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tulsi2020?refcode=web-nav.
A fine article showing Caitlin Johnstone and Tulsi “punching a hole in the narrative matrix.”
I too am a Gabbard donor, and will continue to help her get to the debates despite concerns.
Also wrote to her that she should not compromise with the MIC or the anti-BDSers.
An antiwar president must be prepared to replace the admin of all military/intel agencies.
Sjurzen would be a good candidate for such positions, with other antiwar retired officers..
The Ganja Queen bristled and sputtered with rage, her mirror implied she’d be fairest on stage.
The debate left her rattled and kindled her wrath, apparently pollsters had fudged all the math.
Jake Tapper had tapped her and baited the trap, then Snow White responded igniting a flap.
The Queen would return to her mirror irate. Joe Biden got slack and Delaney would skate,
Buttigieg seemed well prepared and astute, and Marianne Williams was hard to refute.
“Anderson, Anderson, Cooper appear”, she summoned her mirror, suppressing a sneer.
“You promised me triumph and said I was fair, the MSM pundits would treat me with care”!
The mirror responded in tones to appease, “We rigged up the questions, but answers displease!
When it comes to complexion you’re both the same shade, we had no idea she’d toss a grenade”!
“Mirror, you must make amends with a fraud: you must claim Snow White is in love with Assad!
He murders and tortures and bombs people too, with gusto just like those Republicans do!
There’s Leningrad Lindsey and old Moscow Mitch, she’s a puppet for Putin, despicable…witch!
Prison slave labor saves tax payer bucks, with progressive ‘tough love’ I can beat Donald’s…ducks”!
“Your Highness we’ll do every thing that we can, we’ll shadow her Twitter, and Google will ban,
We’ll keep all her Facebook friends tied up in knots, we’ll claim that they’re Putinoid Internet Bots.
At Youtube she won’t get a monetized ad, we’ll troll her with click bait and praises from Vlad!
The deep state is eager to make sure you run, those big defense budgets will pay for our fun!
We’ll do all we can to get you in the race, if you lose we keep Trump, it’s the second best case!
Snow White is fairest in all of the land, but…we’ll lose lots of money if she’s in command!
Thanks, FG, very well done!
(it took me a few lines to identify Harris as Ganja Queen (due to the “Ga” beginning) and Gabbard as Snow White; perhaps non-viewers of a debate can be given clues)
Mean spirited but downright hilarious. Well played, good sir.
F.G. Sanford:
Well done! Your ability to toss off these writings in such a timely manner suggests that you’ve cultivated your skills over a lifetime.
F. G. Sanford:
Well done! I admire your ability to come up with these verses on such a timely basis.
Your cool.
I’m going to venture a guess and say that the media fixers for the Deep State’s political song and dance show are not going to allow Tulsi back on that stage for the next installation of “Killer Klowns on Parade.” Just as she had the right to skewer Harris for her sweeping dishonesty and hypocrisy in public office, she has just as much right to proactively respond to the smears and slanders directed against her by both the party establishment and its media colluders.
Her immediate response to the first question directed to her, regardless of topic, should be prefaced with something like “I would appreciate the media and the opposition please refrain from deliberately misrepresenting my policies and remarks, most notably trying to tar me with more of the fallacious war propaganda they both dispense so freely and without any foundation. It is beneath all dignity to attempt to win elections with lies and deceptions, just as it is to use them as pretexts for wars of choice that bring no benefit to either America or the countries being attacked. As I’ve repeatedly made clear, I only want to stop the wasteful destruction and carnage, but you deceitfully try to imply that I’m aligned with one of the several foreign governments that our leaders have needlessly and foolishly chosen to make war upon. You’ve done so on this stage and you’ve continued this misrepresentation throughout the American media. Please stop it. Play fair. Confine your remarks only to the truth.”
That would raise a kerfuffle, but one that is distinctly called for. Going gently towards exit stage right consequent to their unanswered lies will accomplish nothing. If the Dems choose to excommunicate her for such effrontery, she should run as a Green, or an independent. This is a danger the Dem power structure dare not allow to happen. They don’t even want the particulars of the actual history of these wars discussed in public. Thus, they will not even give her the chance to offer a rejoinder such as I outlined above. They will simply rule that she does not qualify for any further debates based on her polling numbers (which can be faked) and/or her financial support numbers. That is nominally how they’ve already decided to winnow down the field to the few who are acceptable to the Deep State–preferably Harris, Biden or Booker. Someone high profile but owned entirely by the insider elites. Yes, this rules out Bernie and maybe even Warren unless she secretly signed a blood pact with Wall Street to walk away from her platform if elected.
Gabbard has any chance to be elected only if she starts vigorously throwing over the tables of the money-lenders in the temple, so to speak.
It strikes me as sad that we would need to have this kind of reminder, as though reassuring children, be fair, now, be nice, children. Take another look at Brainwashing Job # whatever. The sheer, ugly crudeness of it disappoints me. Laugh them out of the house. That’s my suggestion. On your last point, I believe she’s getting a good start. As someone else pointed, taking flak is a good sign of getting noticed and being provocative.
brilliant comment. you should send it to her on her Tulsi 2020 Facebook page
the next time Tulsi is smeared with an Assad apologist, she should point out the glowing hypocrisy that Trump , Obama and Hillary all appeased, rubbed the glowing orb, shook hands with and dined with the dictators of the regime of Saudi Arabia, who unlike Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Iran, actually DID attack us by sending 15 of the 17 suicide hijackers to attack us on 9.11
Dennis Kucinich also went with Tulsi to Syria on their fact finding mission to Syria
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2017/01/syria_has_become_proxy_war_for.html
Great point about the actions of her would-be predecessors.
She could also object to the dishonest tendency of the American media to tar public figures with the actions of anyone they have ever spoken with. Without open communication conflicts will never be settled. Is that what they want? (Actually, I think it is.) I wish we would have a real outbreak of so-called “Putin apologists,” “Xi apologists,” “Maduro apologists” and “Rouhani apologists.” It might improve this world’s chances for long-term survival.
Yes, some variant of that very nice preface would help Gabbard, something too quick and punchy to be interrupted by the DemRep operatives asking the questions. Possibly delivered in several quick prefaces to other comments. She now has the 130,000 donors needed for the next debates. But they gave her very little airtime in the second “debate.”
Nice reply but they would tear that apart too. They are never going to be wrong. So they say (hypothetically)in reply, “I distinctly heard her say we need to tell the truth. Well she could start by telling the truth that she’s an Assad apologist and has caused the deaths of innocents by giving aid and comfort to our enemies of freedom.” “Don’t forget our troops who were put in harms way because Assad was emboldened to attack his own people just as Ms. Gabbard was extending an olive branch to that torturer and butcher of innocent women and children.”
I mean it just goes on and on. Caitlin is correct that he who owns the microphone controls the world. Or the quote, “It is unwise to wage a war of words with men who buy ink by the barrel.” or the oldest of them all, “The pen is mightier than the sword”.
Is that why Reagan claimed, “I paid for this microphone” in the 1980 primaries vs Ford?
The implication is if you’re the one paying you should be the one deciding, I suppose.
Good to remember that.
There is a big difference between “PRINCIPLES” and “POLICY”. Principles should never change, but policy must.
This is where I believe Tulsi can not only make a big difference, but ultimately even win. – Not this time around perhaps, she is young and this difference will take time to reveal itself.
You know, Harris and most Americans have a lotta damn gall running around criticizing Assad. Sure, Assad has tortured people. We ought to know – we sent people to him to be tortured. So who’s worse? The torturer or the person that ordered the torture? Ask Harris the persecutor how American law looks at the person who does a contract hit vis-a-vis the person who ordered the hit. I also find it amusing that she refers to Assad’s torture as if it were some sort of stand out vile thing done by the Syrian government. But the US has tortured people in Iraq and Afghanistan in some of the vilest form of torture devised by twisted members of the medical community who are supposed to be using their knowledge to heal people’s minds, not break them. I hate to break this news to Ms. Harris but once you’ve tortured, you lose all moral authority to criticize anybody else.
I also loved the killed his own people like cockroaches. You know who really killed people like cockroaches? The United States. The 24 unarmed men, women, and children those marines murdered in Haditha (for which they never paid a price) in fewer minutes constitute a war crime. At least the Syrians that Assad is killing are shooting first with weapons that the United States provided them. The United States has murdered hundreds of thousands of mostly innocent men women and children in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The United States needs to have a serious look in the mirror.
Sorry to correct a very worthy contributor here, but the notion that you/we/I, ACTUALLY know who killed how many and why, is a bit “American” ?
So true Jeff Harrison. And thank you for putting it clearly.
I would only add another small item – and that because on the BBC World Service this a.m. had (well, of course, gotta keep up the anti-Syrian, anti-Russian propaganda) Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council speaking about the bombing – by “Russian backed Syrian forces” – of the “civilians” of Idlib (on the BBC Idlib is never spoken of as a province so one gets the impression that it is a city) and of their (the Syrian air force) “deliberate” targeting of hospitals and schools, the numbers of children killed, maimed.
Nary a whisper about the remnants of Al Nusra/Al Qaeda forces in Idlib (but they’re *all* civilians), perhaps even some remnants of ISIS. Not a dicky bird about that. Not to mention that we only have the word of such so-called “impartial” but concerned groups (information via people like the White Helmets???).
As for “deliberately targeting hospitals and schools – hmmm. I seem to recall that is exactly what the US Air Force did in Afghanistan (a hospital). That soon dropped out of the Beeb’s news cycle. And then there’s all those bombs that the Saudi forces have (deliberately) dropped on Yemeni hospitals, schools, school buses etc… at best only passing mention of those (if that) by the BBC or NPR. But the Saudis buy our weapons and war machines and so benefit our MIC thus are above and beyond reproach.
Frankly Assad is no more brutal as a head of government than say Obama who wanted – and did – decided personally on who would be targeted and killed by shells/bombs dispensed by drones. Who did not close Guantanamo; who deported more undocumented immigrants than the Strumpet (so far) including that wave of unaccompanied children (aided and abetted by his stalwart side kick, HRC); who launched the attack on Libya and so on and on. And where were Obama’s indictments of the previous admin and their torture and illegal invasion actions? Not to mention his use of the Espionage Act against whistleblowers…
Grotesque. All of it.
I hate it when the propagandists say, “Gabbard met with the war criminal Assad.”
God, that galls me.
In the past twenty years there are a half a million people who have died in the Middle East. Why don’t the propagandists note Hillary Clinton’s involvement in turning Libya from the most prosperous nation in Africa to a failed state? Why don’t they point out that the US if occupying a part of Syria in clear violation of international law? Why don’t they talk about waging aggressive war against Iraq based on lies? That was a clear violation of the rules for international order laid down at Nuremberg.
For that matter, why don’t they point out the attempt to overthrow the elected leader of Venezuela in violation of the UN Charter?
All of these are war crimes and Gabbard is running for President to bring it to an end.
The hypocrisy of calling her an “Assad apologist” or criticizing her for failing to denounce a “war criminal” is truly appalling.
She’s pretty clear. She’s just against reime change war. That leave a whole lotta room for war making.
Look the war machine is the basis for the US economy.
I don’t think anyone running is going to change that. Only collapse will allow for space to begin anew.
“War making” is about offensive wars. It’ll be harder and harder to initiate these.
You start the path toward dismantling the MIC once block at a time. First is to knock off the “regime change wars” block.
Keep in mind that ruling out “all” wars would include defensive ones too. Although allowing defensive wars provides the ugly loop-hole that is “fighting terrorism,” most such are traceable to the intent for regime change. Afghanistan, as poorly as that has turned out, is the only war that could fall in the “acceptable” category as it was (as packaged) to “fight those that attacked us [on 9/11].”
I fear that “collapse” will unleash a lot of weaponry, with nukes being the scariest. This is why I’ve always advocated for destroying nukes.
Among humans, there’s enough sociopaths and enough idiots to keep this while mess going. It’s sad.
Hide the empire in plain sight, that way no one will notice it. Then someone like Tulsi Gabbard goes and talks about it on national TV. Can’t have that, can we? People might begin to see it if we do that…
http://osociety.org/2019/08/02/how-to-hide-an-empire-a-history-of-the-greater-united-states/
What is happening to Tulsi (the extraordinary spate of lies about her relationship with Assad coming from all directions) provides a good explanation why Bernie and Elizabeth have been smart not to make many comments about foreign policy. The few Bernie has made indicate to me that he is sympathetic to the Palestinian problem, but smart enough to keep quiet on the subject until, God willing, he is in a position to actually do something about it. It will be interesting to see if debate questions force them to be more forthcoming about their opinions.
Well we have heard this time and time again. Our favored candidate is making political calculations and playing coy right now, but once in there, will ( insert flying hopefully here) start to really show his or her true colors and begin in earnest to work for the people. Haven’t really ever seen it, least of all from Sanders. I suppose heaping praise on John McCain is simply Bernie playing the game, but he doesn’t, however, actually mean it.
“The few Bernie has made indicate to me that he is sympathetic to the Palestinian problem, but smart enough to keep quiet on the subject until, God willing, he is in a position to actually do something about it. ”
We had too many “smart people” in the past. My first experience was being excited by Howard Dean who was shellacked for “anti-semitic codewords”, to wit, that “we should be even-handed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. “Even-handed” was singled out as the most egregious. But Dean became “wiser” in subsequent years. For that matter, Obama and Biden made sympathetic indication and even tried to “do something about it” for whopping few months, only to give up. Tulsi seems to be a bit of a simpleton, she just repeats “all we did made things worse, and we lost a lot of money that we could use at home”. Unfortunately, the public seems convinced that yes, all we did made things worse, how an average person can understand all the subtle reasons to be engaged in strife for more than 15 years. Luckily for the imperialist, the public did not care about it, but Tulsi has the temerity to talk about trillions that could be spend at home. One cannot rebut such stupid arguments directly.
One could try to be snide and ask what do we think about the dashing (if a bit chubby) Prince Muhammad bin Salman? Slicing his enemies into small pieces only occasionally, usually he dispatches them more discretely. And massacring weddings and funerals without any barbaric barrel bombs but with the most civilized precision weapons. But he is soo progressive, allowing women to drive! Shouldn’t that count for something?
The American population is into fascism, as in blaming and killing “the Other.” Fascists expect to keep the population of “colored people” down so white folks have hegemony – the Bible calls it “dominion” – over the earth. Therefore, in America, most people simply don’t want to hear what someone like Tulsi Gabbard has to say about the white man’s burden or the workings of empire. Sad but true.
http://osociety.org/2019/07/30/american-fascist-x
Pro war democrats are now using the Russian ruse to go after anti war candidates like Gabbard.
It’s despicable to even insinuate Gabbard is working for Putin or had any other rationale for going to Syria than seeking peace.
This alone proved Harris unfit for the presidency.
Her awful record speaks for itself.
Excellent article Caitlin.
Tulsi is the most original and interesting candidate to come along in many years.
She’s authentic, something not true of most of that pack.
And not true of most of the House and Senate with their oh-so-predictable statements on most matters and all those crinkly-faced servants of plutocracy.
She has courage too, a rare quality in Washington where, indeed, cowards often do well. Witness Trump, Biden, Clinton, Bush, Johnson, et al.
If there’s ever going to be any change in a that huge country which has become a force for darkness and fear in much of the world, it’s going to come from the likes of Tulsi.
But I’m not holding my breath. It’s clear from many signals, the establishment very much dislikes her.
So, the odds are, they’ll make sure she doesn’t win.
Still, I admire a valiant try.
Just as I admire honesty, something almost unheard of in Washington, but she has it, in spades.
And she has courage.She quit the DNC to support Bernie and went to Syria to seek the truth and peace.
She is unique.
The media is trying Ron-Paul-Type-Blackout on her, lest the public catches on to the fact that she is exactly what the country needs.
Here is an article that looks at the level of support from American voters for yet another war in the Middle East:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2019/07/main-street-america-and-another-war-in.html
Warmonger candidates had better reconsider their positions if they believe that voters will back their stance. Just ask Hillary Clinton how that worked out for her and her warrior mentality in 2016.
The population did not want to enter WWI or WWII, but there we were anyway. Those in power have ways of maneuvering us into wars that they want and we don’t. The plan to invade Afghanistan was in place long before we actually went there. It took Sept. 11 to maneuver us into it. So far, blown up drones and tankers and tanker seizures haven’t gotten us on the side of the warmakers against Iran, so watch for some particularly spectacular fireworks against maybe our carrier strike group (which is sitting over there like an innocent little duck waiting to be attacked) and then the brainwashed here in America will be howling for blood. They’ve done these things before and know how to whip up the idiots.
Tulsi is the most promising candidate to successfully run against Trump for 2 reasons. 1. She has a sane, knowledgeable foreign/military policy promoting peace and non-intervention. 2) She understands the disastrous consequences of the WTO and “free” trade deals on the US economy. No other Democratic candidate has these 2 policies. Unfortunately, these policies are so dangerous to the real rulers of the world, her message is already being shut down and distorted.
And she has cross over appeal with republicans who want out of the wars.People like Tucker Carson and Paul Craig Roberts support her.
Thats why the DNC hate her..
I read this article over on Medium this morning. Thanks for re-printing it here. I made the following comment there as well.
I was a somewhat enthusiastic supporter of Tulsi until just recently when she voted for the anti-BDS resolution. I guess “speaking truth to power” has its limits. What I fear is that the war machine will manipulate her if she ever gets elected. Once you accept any of the Empire’s propaganda narrative, it is a slippery slope to being fully co-opted. Tulsi has said she is a “hawk” when it comes to fighting terrorists. All the MIC would have to do is another false flag operation, blame it on the “terrorists”, and tell Tulsi it’s time to get tough. Just as they manipulated the neo-liberals with the R2P line of bullshit, and Trump with the “evil Assad gasses his own people” bullshit, Tulsi could be brought to heel as well.
I will probably continue to send small donations to Tulsi just to keep her on the debate stage. But I’ve taken off the rose colored glasses.
With regard to your statement, “What I fear is that the war machine will manipulate her if she ever gets elected. ”
Upon entering the WH, Trump did not have the same level of foreign policy experience as Gabbard presently has.
If you go to Chris Cuomo’s interview of Gabbard following this Thursday debate, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO9EV3-fd1o , you can note that Gabbard has an excellent grasp of what’s going on in Syria, which signifies that she has a good organization behind her, making sure she’s up to date. I think we can assume that Gabbard would bring much of this organization with her into the WH; and, it will be much more difficult to employ false flags to sway her.
With regard to the above video, I made the following comment:
At time 3:30, Cuomo asks why Gabbard has information on her website which disagrees with what the “US Intel and UN Intel” believes Assad is responsible for. He is referring to supposed chemical weapons attacks on Syrians that these intel agencies allege were carried out by Assad. At time 5:35, Gabbard points him, firstly, to a report by the UN’s OPCW that essentially refutes such allegations for one such attack and, secondly, to analyses by an MIT professor emeritus, Dr. Theodore Postol, an expert in such weapons, which also refute such allegations. – As Gabbard is speaking about these two points, at time 5:49, Cuomo lowers his gaze and it appears he is listening to a rebuttal being given to him via his earpiece (you can see him nodding his head that he understands how he should respond); and, at time 5:59, Cuomo cuts off Gabbard by saying, “Nobody’s exonerating Assad”; and, he quickly changes the subject; because, he knows full well that there’s no hard evidence that Assad carried out any of the missile attacks alleged by the Intel agencies. But, most Americans, getting their news primarily from the MSM, are clueless to these facts; and, the fact that our Intel agencies, via the corporate owned MSM, have been lying to Congress and to the American public, in hopes of eventually accomplishing a regime change within Syria. – One needs to understand here that the corporate parents of the various MSM outlets are heavily invested in the MIC. It’s all about the Benjamins.
Thanks for the link. Tulsi does a fairly good job of noting the OPCW report and Postol’s research, but I think she could have gone further. I would like to also see her point to Vanessa Beeley, Eva Bartlett, and Robert Fisk’s reporting on Syria, and encourage people to investigate for themselves what independent journalists and sites like CN are reporting. She could also point out the lie of the “White Helmets”. I would like to see her call out MSM outlets like CNN for their history of supporting government propaganda. Instead she is trying to walk a fine line, probably weighing speaking the full truth against continued MSM access.
I will continue to make small donations to her campaign to keep her in the fight, but I am leery of her acquiescing to power. It is a slippery slope.
Well said Skip. That’s where I’ve ended up also. I’ve made multiple donations, but the anti-BDS vote is pretty hard to get my brain around. Actions speak louder than words as they say. I love hearing that Tulsi is against regime-change wars, but I respect her “actions” introducing the “Stop Arming Terrorists” bill more than her words. Her actions are where the rubber hits the road. What are we to make of Tulsi taking a stance that criticizes a non-violent grass roots movement (BDS) in attempting to end Israeli occupation and brutality, especially when it is clear no Western government has any intention whatsoever of doing anything to pressure Israel to change it’s behavior and policies? Do I still think Tulsi is the best candidate? Yes. Do I think some serious questions need to be answered regarding her anti-BDS vote? Absolutely!
A boycott of and divestment from Israel is a good tactic to pressure Israel to end its occupation of the West Bank and to end US support for the Israeli occupation, but I think the BDS goes beyond the boycott as a tactic and rejects the two state solution which is the official policy of the UN, the consensus of nations around the world and based on international law. The House resolution will have no effect on BDS, it does not do anything to restrict the right to boycott. I think Tulsi signed it because she believes that the two state solution is the only one that has any chance. I think she could have maintained her support for the existence of Israel based on the 1967 borders yet refused to endorse the House Resolution because it did nothing to criticize Israeli occupation and settlement of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza which are the greatest barriers to a two state solution.
Skip, I had the same revulsion to Gabbard, who I admire and is the best antidote to the Hillary Hyena clones, when she decided to make herself an accomplice to Israel’s crimes; Jimmy Dore said it was like a punch in the gut. Not sure if she sees the Palestinians as Sunni terrorists, or just wants to keep in AIPAC’s good graces. Her explanation for her vote was gibberish (the anti-BDS vote “affirms our right to free speech”? Really?) While DC equates Israel with the US (even more so than with the Saudis), it was a stupid political move on Tulsi’s part, even if only a non-binding resolution (which of course passed in the House with bi-partisan support for apartheid). Other House members running for the Democratic nomination disappeared before the vote (as did Pelosi).
Skip Scott wrote, “I was a somewhat enthusiastic supporter of Tulsi until just recently when she voted for the anti-BDS resolution.”
Then Gary Weglarz wrote, “Well said Skip. That’s where I’ve ended up also. I’ve made multiple donations, but the anti-BDS vote is pretty hard to get my brain around.”
After that michael wrote, “Skip, I had the same revulsion to Gabbard, who I admire and is the best antidote to the Hillary Hyena clones, when she decided to make herself an accomplice to Israel’s crimes; Jimmy Dore said it was like a punch in the gut. Not sure if she sees the Palestinians as Sunni terrorists, or just wants to keep in AIPAC’s good graces.”
I want to add to Sean A Ihern’s point.
There is a difference between boycotting Israel, divesting from companies who do business in Israel, and encouraging governments to sanction Israel (BDS) -AND- what H.Res calls the “Global BDS Movement (GBDSM,)” that is an actual organization led by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, whose website is: https://bdsmovement.net/bnc
I believe that most people in the USA who engage in or simply support BDS also believe in a two state solution. As Sean says, most folk see BDS as “a good tactic to pressure Israel to end its occupation of the West Bank and to end US support for the Israeli occupation.” I think they also see it as a non-violent way to oppose the unjust actions of Israel against Palestinians, the bull dozing of their homes, the double standard of letting off soldiers and settlers that engage in violence up to and including murder of Palestinians, and the repeated shelling of Gaza and sniping of protesters there. But I think they see this in the context of a just two state solution where Israel withdraws to the pre-1967 borders and a sovereign, safe, secure, and independet Palestine is established along side Israel. I think these people would deny they want the end of Israel as a sovereign, safe, and secure homeland for the Jewish people.
I think the ‘revulsion’ to this resolution is confusing BDS with GBDSM. I say this because GBDSM has specific goals:
“1. Ending its [Israel’s] occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
“2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
“3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.” ~ https://bdsmovement.net/call
The first two goals are congruent with a two state solution if you interpret “all Arab lands” to mean the occupied territories not all of historic Palestine. But the third goal is not, it in fact is the first step to the end of Israel as a Jewish majority Democracy as the reality is that if all the Palestinain refugees were able to return to their homes in what is now Israel, not just the occupied terriroties, but Israel proper, the state of Israel would go from a Jewish majority to a Palestinian one. With equal rights for all, as outlined in goal 2, this means a secular state that would cease to be what Israel is now and which would no longer need a second Palestinian state. That is a one state solution.
Let me say now that I support a one state solution. I support the end of the idea of a Jewish majority state to be replaced by one state with equal rights for all its citizens. I do so precisely because the only way such a stae can exist is through artificial means of excluding the indigenous people from their home. As soon as you allow them to return to their homes, the artificiality vanishes.
But most USAians do not support a one state solution. Most support a two state solution. Most Democrats on the national stage support a two state solution. A two state solution is the national policy of the USA. I’m not even sure if Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib aren’t officially for a two state solution. The only candidate for the Democratic nomination that might be for a one state solution would be Mike Gravel, and I’m unsure on that.
Bernie Sanders is for the two state solution. Elizabeth Warren is for the two state solution. And Tulsi Gabbard is for the two state solution.
One can officially be for a two state solution and not really care about how Israel treats Palestinians and keeps denying them their own state and keeps using shennigans to keep from real negotiations as more and more settlements in the occupied territories are built.
On the other hand one can be for a two state solution and oppose Israel’s actions. One can go so far as to engage in BDS in that opposition. Many who do so will not realize that GBDSM is not congruent with their support of the two state solution.
H.Res. supports a two state solution, as is the policy of the USA and which, supporting a two state solution,can be congruent with being in opposition to Israel’s behavior. H.Res. supports a sovereign state for Palestine that is safe and secure. It’s right in the text of it. (It also, as a supporting a two state solution supports such for Israel.) H.Res. supports negotiations between Israel and Palestinians to achieve the two state solution.
“…reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states—a democratic Jewish State of Israel, and a viable, democratic Palestinian state—living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition.”
H.Res. supports the right of USAians to free speech and protest in opposition of Israel and puts no limitations on that. H.Res. does not ‘criminalize’ or add a ‘chilling effect’ to that free speech, which includes the SCOTUS defined right to boycott, putting no shade or limitation on free speech or the right to protest.
H.Res., however, does “oppose” GBDSM. Note, it doesn’t “condemn” it “opposes.” In other words it is saying, “We are not for it, we oppose it but we also don’t condemn you for exercising your free speech and conscience, in fact we support that right.”
This is why Tulsi Gabbard and the one squad member who voted for the resolution are both co-sponsors of Ilhan Omar’s resolution, H.Res 496, that states,
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
“(1) affirms that all Americans have the right to participate in boycotts in pursuit of civil and human rights at home and abroad, as protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution;
“(2) opposes unconstitutional legislative efforts to limit the use of boycotts to further civil rights at home and abroad; and
“(3) urges Congress, States, and civil rights leaders from all communities to endeavor to preserve the freedom of advocacy for all by opposing antiboycott resolutions and legislation.” ~https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/496/text
The list of cosponsors of H.Res. 496 is at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/496/cosponsors
Back to H.Res 246. It isn’t anti-BDS in the sense of opposing others to engage in BDS, it really isn’t even anti-BDS for the House, it is anti-GBDSM, ie not supportive of supporting the organization that promotes doing BDS until Israel no longer exists.
My own radical support of a one state solution and thus my support of GBDSM and the right of return does not lead me to reject a two state solution with compensation for refugees if that can be done. That’s much better than the current situation. It does not lead me to reject supporting a candidate like Tulsi Gabbard or Bernie Sanders who supports a two state solution if I am supportive of their other views.
I am convinced by her previous statements and her cosponsoring of H.Res 496 that Tulsi is supportive of my right to support GBDS and opposes Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
Miranda, thank you for this comment and your thinking on this matter.
Thanks
Well said, Caitlin! There’s an obvious effort to Jane Fodarize Tulsi before she threatens the favorites. She seems to keep a cool head, so much of it is likely to backfire and bring the narrative back where it belongs.
Great article! Anderson Cooper in his post-debate interview with Gabbard appeared to be demanding a loyalty oath from her: “Will you say the words ‘Bashar Assad is a murderer and torturer’?” In contrast to Gabbard, a service member with extensive middle east combat experience, Cooper is a chickenhawk and a naif to murder and torture; in that context his attack was inappropriate and disrespectful, and as he kept pressing it I thought he appeared unhinged. Gabbard could have done more to call out Cooper’s craven attack (personally I think she could have decked him and been well within her rights), but she handled it with her customary grace and poise.
Seems to me Caitlin is right on, and her final statement is worth emphasizing:
“Whoever controls the narrative controls the world. Whoever disrupts that narrative control is doing the real work.”
I read “narrative control” as brainwashing.
Note also that Caitlin is careful to qualify she does not fully agree with Gabbard, in context with year after year of demonizing Assad amidst the murk of US supported type militants, emphasis on barrel bombs, etc etc, all in the “controlling the narrative/propaganda” sphere.
Another interesting piece to consider on the smearing of Gabbard:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-02/empire-coming-tulsi-gabbard
….
“A soldier knows when you are taking flak you are over your target.” nice.
…
This is the quote of the day from that 0-hedge article:
“The true third rail of US politics is empire. Any candidate that is publicly against the empire is the enemy of not only the state, it’s quislings in the media, the corporations who profit from it and the party machines of both the GOP and the DNC.
That is Gabbard’s crime. And it’s the only crime that matters.
When the Empire is on the line, left and right in the US close ranks and unite against the threat. The good news is that all they have is their pathetic Russia bashing and appeals to their authority on foreign policy.
Foreign policy, by the way, that most people in America, frankly, despise.”
Caitlin Johnstone, once again, excellent journalism!