The empire’s behavior is no more changed with a new president — Trump or Harris — than a corporation is changed with a new secretary at the front desk of its main office, writes Caitlin Johnstone.
Listen to a reading of this article (reading by Tim Foley):
By Caitlin Johnstone
CaitlinJohnstone.com.au
President Joe Biden has caved to mounting pressure to drop out of the presidential race due to widespread concerns about his obvious neurological decline, bowing out and endorsing his exact ideological clone Kamala Harris. Apparently the consensus is that he’s too demented to run for president, but is not too demented to actually be president for the next six months.
This means nothing and changes nothing, other than perhaps arguably somewhat diminishing the likelihood of a Republican empire manager being sworn into the White House in January. Harris differs from Biden only in voice and appearance, and has been an enthusiastic supporter of Biden’s genocidal atrocities in Gaza over the last nine and a half months.
Harris, assuming she wins the nomination, will campaign on the promise of continuing Biden’s incineration of Gaza, continuing Biden’s “ironclad” support for Israel, continuing Biden’s proxy war in Ukraine, continuing Biden’s escalations against Russia and China, continuing Biden’s expansion of the US war machine, continuing Biden’s facilitation of ecocidal capitalism, and continuing Biden’s dehumanizing policies of worldwide exploitation and imperialist extraction. If she gets into the White House the face of the operation will change, but the operation itself will not.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
And the same will be true if Trump gets in. Every few years the US empire has this weird little festival where it pretends the government is changing hands and will now begin operating in a way that is meaningfully different from the way it was operating before. But then exploitation continues, the injustice continues, the ecocide continues, the wars continue, the militarism continues, the imperialism continues, the propaganda indoctrination continues, the authoritarianism and oppression continues.
The behavior of the empire is no more changed by getting a new president than a corporation is changed by getting a new secretary at the front desk of its main office.
Biden, joined by Harris and senior advisers, speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abou attacks by Hamas Oct; 10, 2023, in Oval Office. (Official White House Photo/ Adam Schultz)
Much will be made of Kamala Harris’ race and gender. Much will be made of the fact that she is not Donald Trump. Much emotion will surround her campaign. And then, whether she wins or loses, nothing much will change. You won’t be able to tell by looking at the machinery of the empire who took office in January. Its behavior will remain the same.
Nothing real is happening on the level of electoral politics in America. The protests are real. The activism is real. The efforts to fight the imperial propaganda machine and wake people up from their indoctrination are real. The efforts to give rise to a real revolutionary zeitgeist are real. But the elections themselves are a performative ritual put on to help people feel good about themselves, like a religious sacrament performed by a priest.
A genocide monster has bowed out and endorsed another genocide monster. That’s the whole entire story here. That’s all the commentary and attention this new development deserves.
Caitlin Johnstone’s work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, following her on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, YouTube, or throwing some money into her tip jar on Ko-fi, Patreon or Paypal. If you want to read more you can buy her books. The best way to make sure you see the stuff she publishes is to subscribe to the mailing list at her website or on Substack, which will get you an email notification for everything she publishes. For more info on who she is, where she stands and what she’s trying to do with her platform, click here. All works are co-authored with her American husband Tim Foley.
This article is from CaitlinJohnstone.com.au and re-published with permission.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
The military industrial world wide protection racket is attempting to dominate all of planetary civilization for their profits as protectors of the super wealthy rule. Permanent warfare welfare.
.. and, Blind Man’s Bluff” A partial history of submarine epionage;
“Phantom” – In the “Extras”, a Naval Historian discribes the evidence.
Variants of the good old ‘lesser evil’ argument seem to be popping up here today. The late Glen Ford used to characterize the Democratic establishment as ‘the more effective evil’ because it was so proficient at keeping any decent progressive challenges at bay and retaining the loyalty of its well-indoctrinated party members and like-leaning independents.
Well, that’s just how we got to where we are today, which is why the unwashed masses got sufficiently upset to decide to kick out the bums who got us here.
What if we kicked out that more effective evil and let those evil Repubs call the shots until they shaped up out of self-preservation or EVERYONE got sufficiently disgusted to vote in more worthwhile representation and begin a better attempt at democracy than the duopoly has gotten us to any time lately.
Caitlin is correct in the main. But the situation in Gaza is urgently critical. If the world doesn’t stop the onslaught and open up venues for basic necessities soon, in 6 months Harris or Trump won’t be worried with “continuing” the genocide. It will have largely taken place.
Harris came up as the prison-for-profit queen in California. She’s not your friend. And yes, that’s why she is where she is.
“A genocide monster has bowed out and endorsed another genocide monster. That’s the whole entire story here. That’s all the commentary and attention this new development deserves.” Agreed. However, Mrs. Johnstone, no offense; but, it’s the day after the ol’ “shock & awe”some……..
…… * “The earth was born in a storm. The waters receded, the mountains were formed. The universe loves a drama, you know; And, ladies and gentlemen, this is the show…”
“Welcome,” to the Malarky Factory’s, Center’s of Democrat Control (CDC) PSA, public service announcements: 1) the campaign to “Dump, Biden,” aka coup d’jour, is done & dusted. 2) In progress, on high f/speed, the DNC’s Primary 2024. Coming in “hot,” answers, to the CDC’s Robo-Calls via the MSMedia’s “River of $eduction, “We, did it, Joe!”
Questions: Is it legal? Biden’s the DNC’s “presumed” nominee, for President, 2025-??? However, Biden bailed, endorsing Comma La Harris, on his way down. Harris, was on board, before the evening news. Harris is all about replacing the “Party of War’s” broken, bankrupt, jackass. Basically, FJB, prior to the DNC’s August Convention. Is it legal?
Granted, IMO, the most convenient work-around the formalities, BIDEN’s multiple bouts w/Covid. Once, again, isolating Biden in REHABoth w/his doctor, FLOTUS, is a best practice. To be expected, sometime between or after Netanyahu’s drops in, POTUS will shuffle to an open mic & repent. Concluding, “the one who rides the horse of greed at a gallop, will arrive at the door of shame.” IMO, Joseph Robinette Biden, has arrived! And, FLOTUS will be leaving POTUS, for Paris, the Olympics.
And, Caitlin Johnstone’s & Tim Foley’s “audio” rocks! TY. “Keep It Lit!” Ciao
* “I Don’t Believe,” Paul Simon
See hxxps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/04/kamala-harris-israel-idf-gaza-catastrophe-ceasefire-hamas-hostage-deal?CMP=share_btn_url&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2ldyzmvWDCD309wcVlBxBkbQzMgcBa7lncKo_mtPXUDLdWqKf3DJ7rMAU_aem_gUcmYYfyad78uGC0L-ji1g
So long as our elections are decided by money, those who enact policies will remain beholden to those who provide it. Those who provide the money will do so only so long as the enacted policies are profitable. As long as a policy remains profitable, it will not be tampered with.
Therein lies the inertia that resists change in the government machine.
Exactly !
A very good terse description of the mask that capitalism uses to look, prima facie, as if it is a democracy and the government is decided by the masses. But when mistakes are made and the POTUS has somehow fails to ingest these rules they either die in office or are demonised and lose office. And the show goes on Trump or no Trump fading senile, Biden or his young deputy. Better looking and talking but same talking head basically
Re foreign relations, spot on, except Trump doesn’t even pretend to want anything short of genocide, said “Let Israel finish.” Domestically, Harris would be far better for women, especially if she gets to make SCOTUS appointments. Yes, above all else the duopoly perpetuates ecocidal empire, which may be the worst evil, yet there are significant differences between evil dumb Dims and evilest dumbest Rethugs. So vote Dem in swing states. In safe states (and in swings for folks who can’t bring themselves to vote blue), vote for the Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, the only serious candidate who strongly opposes the genocide etc. She recently made many of the points in this article.
Correct, MissNDemocracy, on the Genocide in Gaza and West Bank. Whether Harris or Trump, Dems or Repubs, there is basically no difference in their abhorrent support of the Genocide. But, unless the Deep State gets to him, all indications are that Trump would bring the Ukraine atrocity to an end.
…nod nod, wink wink, $ay no more:
In An Insane World, Madness Looks Moderate And Sanity Looks Radical
Caitlin Johnstone
hxxps://caityjohnstone.medium.com/in-an-insane-world-madness-looks-moderate-and-sanity-looks-radical-635d9a3dce95
Generally correct, but there is a significant difference in the policies of Trump and Harris that will affect generations to come and that is over our response to the climate crisis. Biden’s response to the climate crisis did not go far enough, but Trump would reverse even those vital measures. In the area of healthcare, Harris did endorse some watered down version of Medicare-for-All, which would be a significant step in the right direction for America.
I agree that it is likely that Harris will continue Biden’s awful policies. But Trump is worse. He even wants to get rid of Social Security and Medicare.
Only a democrat will be allowed to get rid of (or modify to death) Medicare and SS … remember: it took a Clinton to do NAFTA and Glass-Steagall repeal …
As for climate, unless you think us all boiling off a decade or two sooner or later makes a difference, I wouldn’t choose a D vs R on that issue. The oil is continuing to get pumped and burned now under Biden and we already have warming baked in for decades and centuries. This is going to take a radical new energy path and civilization, not dickering with rules and taxes a la Dems.
Ranked Choice Voting may be a solution: hxxps://rankthevote.us/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhvi0BhA4EiwAX25ujxeEvEW2VJyggW3qplKEiP3MwHl6PLlqbpfJon4GI5axHzB5L-zA2RoCepIQAvD_BwE
I am a strong proponent for RCV, but the reality is that it’s not likely to happen. In order for it to happen, the legislators have to change the laws and RCV is a direct threat to the incumbents who write the laws. No incumbent who wishes to remain in office will support a law that threatens his career.
It could be implemented in those (21) states that have the right to initiative where voters can enact laws independent of the states’ legislatures. In the remaining states, the chances of enacting RCV are nil.
I hope that Johnstone publishes a follow-up article detailing Harris’ A.I.P.A.C. ties.
We need more political parties in the US. It is incredibly hard work for the third party to get traction in the US. But this is the work must be done. The best opportunities are in congressional, state and local elections. We need to get people into office and show that they can perform in order to build name recognition and reputation.
While generally agreeing with Caity as usual, there is a fine point to be made that the particular superficial qualities of the “president” does make a difference re the narrative the empire builders can better promote and project. So they do tack to the wind using the equipment at hand.
As an example, it took a famous cold warrior in charge as in Nixon to get China opened up and arms control agreements made with the old SU and it took the availability of a Clinton (with able assistance from other “Democrats” like Biden) to remove the Wall Street protections in the 90’s, thus creating the framework for ludicrous profits as well as the crash of 2008.
So it does matter who is president … the “left” person with be more credible with certain narratives and the “right” person with others. The empire is patient and will wait for the right person to make requisite changes.
There is much in what you say.
This is why it’s important to understand the difference between Doctrine and Policy. That Doctrine is what a politician says. Policy is what a politician does.
What a politician says means absolutely, or even less than nothing.
What a politician does is the only thing that matters.
I do not get caught up in “narratives” today. I did at one time.
Like Clinton when he used traditional Democrat ties to the working class to pass NAFTA and repeal Glass-Steagall.
And like Obama who gave me “access” to healthcare that when I went to use it for significant surgery, I was laughed at.
The underlying drive for profit on behalf of their corporate donors does not change.
…sadly, repetition of the “nixon opening of China”, ignorance of actual events becomes propaganda:
(as KGB attempted nuke Honolulu–then scapegoat China–(one of key russian password holders chose to sacrifice selves, rather than):
Red Star Rogue: The Untold Story of a Soviet Submarine’s Nuclear Strike
(the Howard Hughes / 2nd Glomar Challenger confirms story)
hxxps://www.amazon.com/Red-Star-Rogue-Submarines-Nuclear-ebook/dp/B001NIT7KC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2K9UZ5BR45BI0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.26gzHeF91GTu5jGVvfUPr0K_Y8Fk4ikyqS48k3pRomQg8fsf9QIHT4q4jdRvG404sbP64EnNen9eBsEdxj40Fdp6klDCXseztCurWrvTY6tWuc1Wz0LdSff61kf8On8H_l_k7AMpTE53nvZUhbckz4CPVcVsCrMFI6Q7vW-UzEE2-6FmMXGLcfs9FSVbY1I2EVfqhoUpTheBvCJQzKYxLsiAoBKa6GZq9FxBuGIGzDk.3GLen1vsQuyR7X0SQcYIHLY2tHNgssSYz_3kpQkg-bE&dib_tag=se&keywords=books+red+star+rogue&qid=1721664530&sprefix=books+red+star+rogue%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1
(also confirmed by maritime engineers involved with recovery)