Exclusive: For the past couple of decades, the neocons have ruled the roost of American foreign policy, but they have now suffered some stunning reversals that have left them fuming, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
America’s extended Christmas holiday season, stretching through much of November and all of December, has not been a happy time for Official Washington’s dominant neoconservatives and their liberal-interventionist sidekicks.
First, they had to lick their wounds over the defeat of their preferred U.S. presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton; then they had to watch as their “moderate” Syrian rebel proxies and their Al Qaeda allies were routed from east Aleppo; and finally they watched in disbelief as the Obama administration permitted passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian lands.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking with supporters at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, March 21, 2016. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)
To say that the neocons and liberal hawks have not taken these reversals well would be an understatement. They have pretty much blamed Clinton’s defeat on everyone but themselves and Clinton herself. They have been apoplectic over Aleppo and their lost dream of “regime change” in Syria. And they have sputtered in outrage over President Obama’s failure to veto the Israeli anti-settlement resolution.
Regarding Clinton’s defeat, her embrace of the neocon/liberal-hawk “regime change” obsessions siphoned off enthusiasm among the peace faction of the Democratic Party, a significant and activist part of the progressive movement.
Clinton’s alignment with the neocon/liberal hawks may have helped her with the mainstream media, but the MSM has lost much of its credibility by making itself a handmaiden in leading the nation to wars and more wars.
Average Americans also could feel the contempt that these elites had for the rest of us. The neocons and liberal hawks had come to believe in the CIA’s concept of “perception management,” feeling that the American people were items to be controlled, not the nation’s sovereigns to be informed and respected. Instead of “We the People,” Official Washington’s elites treated us like “Us the Sheep.”
Though this “perception management” idea took hold during the Reagan administration – largely in reaction to the public’s distrust of U.S. foreign policy following the Vietnam War – it became a bipartisan practice, extending through George W. Bush’s WMD sham about Iraq and into the behavior of the Obama administration in manipulating public opinion about Syria, Libya, Ukraine and Russia, pretty much any country targeted for “regime change.”
So, when this establishment tried to force Hillary Clinton’s coronation down the nation’s throat, enough Americans choked at the idea – even to the extent of voting for the eminently unqualified Donald Trump – to deny Clinton the White House. Indeed, many Americans who reluctantly did vote for Clinton did so only because they considered Trump even more unfit to lead the nation. The two candidates were in a fierce competition for who would arouse the most public revulsion.
No Self-Reflection
But the neocons and liberal hawks are not ones for self-reflection and self-criticism. They move from one disaster to the next, finding others to blame and justifying their own failures by publishing self-apologias in the editorial pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
New York Times building in New York City. (Photo from Wikipedia)
Thus, for the past several weeks, we have witnessed daily meltdowns across the mainstream media as neocons and liberal interventionists fume about all the forces that conspired to deny them their God-given right to select who runs America.
The mainstream media ranted about a few incidents of “fake news” – concocted stories designed to get lots of clicks from Trump supporters – despite its own long history of publishing false and misleading stories. The MSM then tried to tar with that “fake news” broad brush serious independent Web sites that simply displayed professional skepticism toward propaganda emanating from the U.S. State Department.
The smear blurred the “fake news scandal” with what was deemed “Russian propaganda.” Anyone who wouldn’t march in lockstep with the State Department’s messaging must be a “Kremlin stooge.” Mainstream media outlets even began demanding that major technology companies, such as Facebook and Google, join in establishing a modern-age Ministry of Truth for the Internet that would punish independent Web sites that didn’t toe the Official Line.
Then, there was the hysteria over the CIA’s still-unproven claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a scheme to hack into Democratic emails and expose embarrassing facts, such as the Democratic National Committee’s tilting the primary playing field to favor Clinton over Sen. Bernie Sanders, the contents of Clinton’s paid speeches to her Wall Street benefactors, and pay-to-play features of the Clinton money machine.
Though this information all appeared to be true — and revealed dubious or improper actions by Democratic officials and the Democratic presidential nominee — this truth-telling was also mixed in with the “fake news scandal” and other excuse-making for why Clinton lost. Her defeat was Putin’s fault. It was also FBI Director James Comey’s fault for chastising Clinton for her “extremely careless” handling of U.S. government secrets because she insisted on using a private email server as Secretary of State. And, of course, there was the supposed over-reaction to Clinton calling many Trump supporters a “basket of deplorables.”
In other words, the Clinton campaign appears to have been done in by various people telling the truth about a variety of unsavory aspects of Hillary Clinton’s behavior and decision-making. If none of these facts had come out before the election, the thinking was that Clinton would have won and the neocons/liberal hawks could have continued and even expanded their dominion over U.S. foreign policy.
Yet, to me, the biggest head-scratcher about Clinton’s disastrous campaign was why – after she left the State Department in 2013 – did she jump into the sleazy business of collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars for brief speeches to Wall Street and other special interests.
Her prospective presidency was crucial to the Clinton business model of soliciting huge donations and fees from corporations and foreign governments to the Clinton Foundation and to allied consulting firms, such as the Podesta Group. These corporate and foreign leaders were pre-paying for “access” to the future U.S. president. However, instead of shielding Clinton from the grubby business of collecting the money herself, she was dispatched to join in the money grabbing.
This greed or hubris left millions of Americans troubled by what a restoration of Clinton control of the Executive Branch might mean. Whether Trump was sincere or not, he hit a nerve when he talked about “draining the swamp.”
‘Regime Change’ Reversals
The neocons and liberal hawks also watched their “regime change” plans for Syria – something that has been on their agenda since the mid-1990s – collapse with this month’s fall of east Aleppo to Syrian government troops, backed by Russia and Iran.
A heart-rending propaganda image designed to justify a major U.S. military operation inside Syria against the Syrian military.
In the battle for Syria, the Obama administration, other Western governments and Persian Gulf states illegally armed a melange of rebels and terrorists. But the West and its allies also deployed state-of-the-art propaganda techniques in which government agencies and like-thinking private foundations invested tens of millions of dollars in training Syrian activists to use social media to rally international support.
This propaganda strategy reached its apex in Aleppo, which was portrayed in Western media as a case of the Syrian government and its allies willfully slaughtering helpless children. The fact that the “moderate” rebels were operating under the command structure of Al Qaeda and other jihadist groups, such as Ahrar al-Sham, was almost blacked out from the West’s mainstream media coverage.
The last piece of coal in the neocon/liberal-hawk stocking came last week with the U.N. Security Council’s repudiation of Israel’s illegal settlement building on Palestinian lands. Though the Obama administration only abstained from the vote, the lack of a U.S. veto enabled the resolution to pass unanimously, 14-0.
Again, the neocons erupted in fury. Rather than acknowledge that Israel had brought this condemnation on itself by its illegal actions, the neocons lashed out at Obama and the world for not taking Israel’s side. The neocon editors of The Washington Post decried Obama’s decision as “a dangerous parting shot at Israel.”
“It will encourage Palestinians to pursue more international sanctions against Israel rather than seriously consider the concessions necessary for statehood, and it will give a boost to the international boycott and divestment movement against the Jewish state, which has become a rallying cause for anti-Zionists,” the Post lamented.
“At the same time, it will almost certainly not stop Israeli construction in the West Bank, much less in East Jerusalem, where Jewish housing was also deemed by the resolution to be ‘a flagrant violation under international law.’”
Similarly, the neocon editors of the Wall Street Journal labeled Obama’s abstention his “Anti-Israeli Tantrum,” claiming that the non-vote was simply an extension of his “personal pique at adversaries,” in this case toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Like virtually all neocons, the Post’s and Journal’s editors insist that the U.S. government always stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel though that usually means that Netanyahu stands wherever he wants and U.S. officials sidle up to him.
Though neocons always blame the Palestinians for not making the concessions that Israel demands – and thus holding them at fault for the moribund peace process – the reality is that the Israeli leadership has no intention of reaching a reasonable two-state solution with the Palestinians and hasn’t for at least two decades.
A Fig Leaf
The mirage of a two-state solution has simply been a fig leaf for neocons and their liberal allies to cite as an excuse for allowing Israel’s steady gobbling up of Palestinian land to continue apace.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking to a joint session of the U.S. Congress on March 3, 2015, in opposition to President Barack Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran. (Screen shot from CNN broadcast)
The reality is that Israel is on a steady march to become a full-scale apartheid state in which Palestinians are kept as either stateless or second-class citizens indefinitely. When these facts on the ground can no longer to obfuscated or denied, then the world will have little choice but to engage in the sort of moral and economic pressure that confronted racist South Africa in the 1980s.
At that point, peaceful pressure, such as boycott and divestiture, will be the most reasonable steps to convince Israel that it has veered off onto a dangerously racist course that can’t be justified simply by mystical allusions to ancient biblical text.
But the American neocons and their liberal-interventionist junior partners seem more committed to defending Israeli interests than American interests. So, they denounce any international criticism of Israel as “anti-Israel” or “anti-Semitic,” a smear that has for years terrified politicians and journalists in Official Washington but may now be so overused and abused that it is no longer taken seriously.
The other grave danger from this neocon manipulation of America on behalf of Israeli interests is that this behavior will revive the historical evil of actual anti-Semitism, a threat that could be avoided now by convincing Israel to act like a responsible global partner, not a racist rogue state.
There is some hope among hardline pro-Israeli Americans that Donald Trump will support Israel as it encroaches more and more onto Palestinian lands. But the neocons and liberal hawks recognize that Trump’s “America First” rhetoric is implicitly critical of undertaking more “regime change” projects against governments on Israel’s enemies list.
By appointing a pro-settler American lawyer, David Friedman, as ambassador to Israel, Trump also may be, in effect, giving Netanyahu encouragement to cast aside the “two-state” fig leaf and reveal his territorial ambitions in all their nakedness.
The neocons, of course, would still find arguments to defend Israeli apartheid – we’d hear about what animals the Palestinians are, much as we heard about the savagery of South Africa’s blacks from defenders of white supremacy – but that might finally be pushing beyond what the modern world could tolerate.
Thus, 2016 is ending on a decidedly sour note for the neocons and liberal interventionists. They had high hopes that 2017 would mark the beginning of an escalated “regime change” adventure in Syria and the start of their “mother of all regime change” schemes for destabilizing nuclear-armed Russia and somehow staging a “color revolution” in Moscow, all while Hillary Clinton took the relationship with Israel “to the next level” as she promised in her speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Now, the neocons and liberal hawks find themselves on the outside looking in and one can expect their anger to be voiced at increasing decibels across the mainstream media. But whether anyone still takes them seriously is another question.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com).
parmenion: In response to your comment, I will say some of an earlier post I made.
Mr. Parry says: “The other grave danger from this neocon manipulation of America on behalf of Israeli interests is that this behavior will revive the historical evil of actual anti-Semitism…” In fact, Zionists push anti-Semitism constantly, deliberately keeping it alive to gain sympathy for the victimhood of the Israeli Jews, without which they would be exposed for their continued and determined genocide of the Palestinians.
To all who care about the Palestine/Israel issue, please read Tom Sharez’s “State of Terror.”
[BTW, the Jews of Israel are not Semites; the Palestinians are, however.]
You had me until you started the Israel bashing.
“this behavior will revive the historical evil of actual anti-Semitism”
When exactly did anti-semitism die down in the middle east? was it before or after they said they envied Hitler for having the chance to do the holocaust?
THE MOST EGREGIOUS OF ALL IS HOW THE NEO CON AIPAC CROWD IS RAILING ABOUT THE U.N. RESOLUTION.THEY ARE HAVING A HISSY FIT.THE ENTIRE MSM S LAST NIGHT ON THE EVENING NEWS [[ALL CHANNELS]] SPENT 15M OF THE 30 M ON HOW TERRIBLE ITS AS “”ISRAEL””IS OUR GREATEST ALLY AND FOX IN PARTICULAR SPENTR THE ENTIRE EVENING FROM 6;00 ON TROTTING OUT EVERY NEO CON AIPAC ,PUNDIT;POLITICIAN;LAW PROFESSOR ;THINK TANK TALKING HEAD ,AND I THINK EVEN THE GARBAGE MAN WAS ON.ALL DENOUNCING AND DECRYING AND SUPPORTING “”NETTY””BIBI”” ON HIS RANT.I LOVE IT TO SEE THEM CRAWL LIKE SPOILED CHILDREN OF WHICH WE HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO BECOME.
Great article, with two comments. First, who says Trump is “unqualified”? I think we will find that, to make the changes he has promised he is completely qualified and will prove to be better at the game than the “qualified” and “experienced” candidates. That is why he bear the pantsuit off of Hillary. As for apartheid and South African blacks, time has shown the blacks to be pretty much the animals the Boers said they were. Sorry if the truth hurts.
Neocons bet against Trump, bigly. They cut deals with Hillary, who was quite willing as she showed ever since the vote on Iraq. Then she lost.
When Trump might have needed them, they spurned him. He bears grudges. It is the one good thing about the outcome, in terms of foreign policy.
TRUMP AND THE SECTOR OF THE RULING CLASS HE REPRESENTS– BY THE CHOICE OF HIS CABINET–HAVE DROPPED ALL PRETENSE THAT THIS COUNTRY IS RULED BY ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PLUTOCRATIC OLIGARCHY.
Nobel peace prize for saint Donald and saint Putin. Ok, not Nobel but Gandhi peace prize?
Why do i think that Donald is a saint? Because he has allayed the fears of a nuclear war breaking between the two antagonistic blocs.
Ok, DT has insulted a few women; caused me some grief and a lot of it more than me to neocons, clintons, NYT….an di was praying for that top my very own goddevil!
PS, don’t fret about women! They are the small heads and small egos. It is us who who are big heads and huge egos!
“Trump should …tell the American people that their Congress and Senate (their country) are being controlled by Israel and Jewish money.”
Easier said than done when you consider that most of MSM is controlled by Sayanim; media might even not take paid ads to this effect. If there’s any attempt at disclosure media will be busy publishing Trump’s past indiscretions, failures, conflicts of interest, pushing for impeachment with which Congress will go along since its members got into office with the help of Jew organizational and funding in their election campaigns. Trump is wise enough not to poke at a hornets’ nest. Kind of a Catch-22.
There are two competing groups.
There is the “Establishment” which consists of members of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the Legislative and Executive branches who have acted on behalf of the legions of think tanks, lobbyists, media moguls, and large corporations who depend on government spending for their cash flow such as defense contractors, healthcare providers, insurance companies, banks etc and the other cadre of large corporations who directly benefit from our government’s profligate spending such as subsidized industry, foreign national powers, global governance organizations, energy companies, pharmaceutical companies etc.
These agencies have relied on a steady diet of misinformation and disinformation flowing from political, governmental and corporate interests to reinforce a kind of Neo-Kingdom where the government acts to serve all of that power and cares not one wit about “We the People” of the United States of America.
And then there is the as yet to be explored new kingdom of “Trumplandia”. This new kingdom is shaping up to be a more corporate friendly kingdom based on new alliances and associations. Perhaps nowhere is this more clear in the appointment of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.
The media smear machine is already going full tilt with stories such as how he advocated for allowing homosexuals in the Boy Scouts of America etc. What that has to do with anything we will never know but you can be sure “dad” will be afraid of the Boy Scouts from now on.
There is every likelihood that Trump’s nominees will face a hail storm of opposition based on stories like this. Trump himself could face Impeachment by the party he heads.
This election is really a coup d’etat for the establishment and they are rightfully frightened of the potential consequences for their grip on power.
My feeling is that Trump will become the egalitarian advocate for corporatism.
What you say? Let me expound on this.
Egalitarianism holds all humans to be equal and Trump’s corporatist egalitarianism will level the playing field for corporations on a global scale. He will fight “free trade” as it is anything but free trade. He will open our markets to formerly politically banned competitors such as the Russians and their corporations while showing no favoritism towards our “friends” the Chinese or any other nation such as Israel or Pakistan.
Wall Street will have to adapt to a new economic reality where former contenders waiting in the penalty box will now be allowed to play in the markets. Our former agreements with other nations seeking preferred status will be nullified. This no doubt will overturn the apple cart of the Defense Industries and others who have played by special rules imposed by our own agencies such as the CIA who have had a free hand in determining who we would trade with and who were our enemies to be strangled by economic sanctions.
It will at least have the effect of realigning our national and economic interests along new lines not bound by Cold War thinking and strategy. It may seem like a dangerous path to economically align with Russia our old Cold War enemy but there is a precedent.
The historical success of the Marshall Plan after WWII in strengthening our former enemies and in so doing creating enduring alliances by creating economic health and wealth for former war torn enemy nations was a seminal movement against punitive post war reparation acts like the Treaty of Versailles which ultimately caused the fragmentation of Germany and gave rise to Nazi Germany and The Third Reich. The Marshall Plan was conceived out of the failure of former punitive treaties imposed on vanquished nations which had proven to only sow the seeds for the next war.
No doubt that the current Neocon forces would like nothing more than to till the Earth and seed it with policies leading to future wars they would financially benefit from. Hillary Clinton was busy doing just that in Ukraine and Syria while the Obama Administration was willing to play into the hands of Al Qaeda to create a wealth stream of weapons to overthrow another old Soviet Pet Leader.
The fact that Trump has turned over operations in Syria to Russia and has backed away from the Neocon regime change plans of Obama and Clinton signals an abandonment of the old Cold War relics governing Washington seeking to reignite an old war.
The complete failure of Obama resulting in Aleppo and other tragedies has been completely reversed by Trump easing tensions in Russia and giving them hope that the USA might actually have a leader who has a clue as to how the New World Order actually has to be realigned to ensure peace.
If we are actually going to win The War on Terror, we would be wise to enlist the help of other Western Nations like Russia who have had their fair share of terrorist campaigns designed to bring them down such as the Chechen War and the Islamic fundamentalists who wreaked havoc on their nation.
But what about corporate egalitarianism? Can we place our faith in global corporations to solve our problems? I do not know the answer to this question. All I can say is that the history of governments to accomplish solutions to our problems and avoid costly and unnecessary wars is not a very good one. You might say that other than enlightened plans like the Marshall Plan which might as well have been labeled the “Corporate Egalitarian Plan” was one of the few plans that actually worked to secure enduring World Peace after a major World War.
Recently, Mr. Trump has come under some suspicion that his Tweet about rebuilding Nuclear weapons strength might have a destabilizing effect. But M.A.D. or Mutually Assured Destruction was perhaps the only counterbalance that prevented Nuclear War during the Cold War. One might actually argue that the elimination of the Nuclear threat reduces the moral hazards of conventional war and encourages profligate defense spending on expensive conventional weapons systems and their use in various theaters of operations. Mr. Trump has also been critical of those programs as wasteful.
No doubt the defense contractors banking on the promise of conventional weapons deemed to be more “humane” than nuclear weapons has had the effect of making the decision to go to war more palatable to the American public with the assurance that the “surgical” strikes on foreign nations will minimize collateral damage. As a result, we have seen the rise of “contained” or “limited” wars proliferate as the new technology of more humane precision conventional weapons has flourished. The human death toll however does not tally with the promise of a more humane form of war.
Anyone who believes this should go visit any war memorial other than Hiroshima and Nagasaki and determine for themselves if “conventional war” is the more humane option. Two nuclear bombs killed several hundred thousand people and ended a world war three days later. Tens of millions were killed by conventional means during the same war for many years before then. Any questions class?
But what about this global corporate coalition? Will it help or hurt us? The answer is probably it will help us in the end. The World has faced many wars, scourges, famines, civil wars, plagues etc but not any of those were caused by corporations. There are examples of bad corporations like tobacco companies but they never held a gun up to anyone’s head and said “smoke this or I will kill you”. I can think of lots of governments who have done that to their populations over which politician to “smoke”. If one had to choose between corporations or governments, you only have to read the history of war to realize that governments kill way more people than corporations.
Sure, there are corporate propagandists but Rex Tillerson was elected as CEO of the biggest global warming corporation and worked from a top level to change the position of the corporation from complete denial of global warming due to combustion of their product to one that at least acknowledged it had some role. That is progress. Not only that, it is progress led from within a corporation which is the most effective kind of progress or change
But will my vote still count?
Ultimately, as long as corporations require the profits derived from our spending they are ultimately bound to our will. We have the power as consumers to make them do whatever we want them to do and they will do it. If we do not like their business model, we have only to blame our own complacency and lack of concern for their own similar positions. In short. If we don’t care, they won’t care either and if we do, they will as well.
Someone once said, we get the government we deserve. Getting a government that is really just a bunch of companies not headed by a militaristic regime might actually be good. Military Juntas have had a long reputation of ignoring the will of the people and imposing dire consequences on their populations. Corporate Egalitarianism might be just what we need to avoid the wars we have had for so long and a way to provide an commercial solution for our problems. That is if we care about that sort of thing.
Social activism and consumer choices have immediate and profound impacts on a corporations thinking. Companies constantly strive to pivot on a dime and adapt to the will of the consumer. They are more responsive to our collective will than periodic elections. They are more like the fashion industry which looks to the latest fad and immediately tries to capitalize on it.
Social networking has become the new lever to move corporate positions and if you have seen the “like us on Facebook” button explosion, you realize they have their ears firmly pressed against our lips. All we have to do is whisper in their ear.
So what do you say to collective corporatism? It’ll be different for sure!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. We have been engaged with “crazy” for quite some time.
Let’s give Mr. Tillerson a try. Mr. Trump too. It is what America is all about. We elect new leaders and hope for different results. That is not a crazy proposition. Sticking to the old rules of engagement that brought us the last few world wars is.
Good article Mr. Parry.
CitizenOne, you make some great points with your speculation of the coming Trump events to be seen. The best approach to a business problem, is falling back on ‘fairness’ to acquire a solution. I might add besides fairness that you have the best legal council, but using these tools instead of military weapons, could and should work well enough to create a good geoworld business community.
Consider that Obama’s UN abstaining vote wasn’t meant to hurt Israel as much, as it was to hand Trump a pissed off Israel along with a Russia who voted against Israel’s cruel treatment of the Palestintian’s. If Trump flips the U.S. abstained vote to a veto one has to wonder how Russia may react to this.
What does it mean when a Russian Ambassador is assassinated, and a Russian plane with renown Russians on board go mysteriously down? This doesn’t look to good for Americans who talk out loud about sending Putin dark messages, for him to get it straight and finally wise up…aka; Mike Morell, John Kirby, and Barack Obama. Throw in today’s McCain/Graham fist shaking tirade at Russia, along with Hillary’s campaign bluster against Russia, and you have done a great Neocon job and made Russia your perpetual enemy….Cold War 2.0 accomplished.
http://www.pravdareport.com/hotspots/disasters/27-12-2016/136527-tu_154_crash-0/
If Trump even privately entertains going against Israel on this UN vote he will have the U.S. Congress (both Houses) working against him. Our politicians will say this is all about Russia, while the truth is that this is all about Israel. Trump would stand a better chance at throwing off Saudi Arabia, but have no chance at anything against what Israel wants. If Netanyahu is disturbed by Obama’s abstaining on the vote at the UN, imagine how he views Russia’s voting against him. The Neocon’s aren’t going away they will only morph into becoming congresspeople and lobbyists for Israel.
On another level, Trump should team up with Vladimir Putin, and both of them take Bibi to the wood shed.
Joe – “Consider that Obama’s UN abstaining vote wasn’t meant to hurt Israel as much as it was to hand Trump a pissed off Israel, along with a Russia who voted against Israel…”
I think so too. They want Trump to show his hand, trying to force him to choose. This IS all about Israel. I agree that Trump should show his hand, drain the swamp, tell the American people that their Congress and Senate (their country) are being controlled by Israel and Jewish money. Time to take Bibi to that wood shed and put the Jewish money through the shredder.
If I were a betting man I would put my money on Trump flipping the vote from abstaining to a veto. If you need proof then just take a look at Breibart, and Drudge, and considering how these two sites were always in Trump’s corner, then it would be safe to assume that the Trump Administration will get behind Netanyahu, and be done with it.
Let’s all hope that something miraculous and stunning will happen, and Trump will allow the abstaining vote to hold, but then there is the opposite of that, and we should all prepare ourselves for the letdown which will no doubt come.
Thanks for posting. Yours is (to me) a highly agreeable comment…
“Now, the neocons and liberal hawks find themselves on the outside looking in and one can expect their anger to be voiced at increasing decibels across the mainstream media. But whether anyone still takes them seriously is another question.”
However, as Paul Craig Roberts (www.paulcraigroberts.org) pointed out: “As the Coup Against Trump Fails, the Threat Against His Life Rises”.
I mean to say, the neocons and their neoliberal ‘democrat’ puppets don’t really feel the need to be taken seriously and might just get it their way after all.
Trust assured……The neocons are making deals….the path of least resistance …..until they break resistance down….they are masters with an agenda …..react accordingly…….The Big Dog of The Holidays speaks !
Good point. Donald Trump’s support for the Israeli Government’s ongoing program to steal lands from Palestinians in order to build Jews-settlements on those lands is an “Israeli Government First” policy, NOT an America First policy.
CNN had a program last night on Obama’s legacy in which there was a scene of Obama shedding a tear for the 20 children murdered at Sandy Hook. Fair enough. But did he ever shed any tears for the hundreds of children slaughtered in Gaza by Israeli forces? Or those who were collateral damage during drone assassinations?
This Obama charade of caring for Palestinians is just as feeble as his charade of caring for African-Americans. With Orwellian confusion everywhere, to me, this is just more selling. The conservaDems and UN are being packaged, once again, as if they are fighting for humanity. So eat it up.
David F
What a great article by Robert Parry!
If the global Neoliberalist movement and their US based Neocon spearhead think 2016 was bad, then all I can say is, bring on 2017…….
“you aint seen nothin yet”!
You are dead right about the “Orwellian confusion everywhere”…if you listen to Greg Hunter’s rant on USA Watchdog in his final WNW for 2016, you will see a great illustration of this. It is very sad to see this sort of confusion in an alternative news site that fancies itself as a leader in waging war against the Neocons.
Cheers and seasons greetings
Col
From one angle we are very fortunate that Hillary and her neocon friends were set back by the Electoral College, but there are two points we would do well to pay attention to:
1. The Clintons and their neocon friends may be down but they are not out and will continue to strive for their ignoble goals.
2. The Trump presidency is the price we and many other parts of the world will have to pay for dodging the Clinton/neocon bullet. Given the people Trump has enlisted for his administration, especially those who are pathologically hostile to Muslims, the future for many parts of the world is cause for great concern.
Unlike most Americans in the United States of Amnesia whose historical memories rarely go past last month’s news, many Muslims have a much more extensive knowledge of history going back at least to The Crusades. Also, recent history shows that when it comes to resistance and retaliation Muslims appear to be much more aggressive than people from Catholic-oriented nations such as in Latin America. Don’t be surprised if we are on the receiving end of another event on the scale of 9/11.
I agree, we’ll probably see another false flag like 9/11. They’re going to need a reason to annihilate the Middle East in favor of Israel.
Well put. The warmongers have had much luck without bothering to stage large false flag events. Many “liberals” still believe in zero-evidence claims like Russian aggression in Ukraine, MH-17, Syria sarin gas attack, bombing civilians in Aleppo, etc. As long as money controls mass media it needs only a string of small false-flags or just false claims. The dark state can simply allow an attack whenever it wants more money. I would expect more airliner downings and US-supported terror group attacks attributed to the diabolism du jour.
We came. We saw. She lost, HAHAHAHA.
You are so right Robert Parry. Hillary is the “mother of regime change”. Gotta keep the War Machine well fed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called United Nations Security Council 2334 (2016) “shameful” and alleged that President Obama had conspired with the Palestinians to push for the resolution’s adoption.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, called the resolution an “evil decree,” citing the “Holy Book” and the Maccabees (who expanded Judea by conquest during 164 BCE to 63 BCE) as evidence of the “righteousness” of the Jewish claim to Jerusalem.
East Jerusalem, the capital of Palestine, was annexed by Israel in 1980, but this annexation is not recognized by any other country. Of the 456,000 people in East Jerusalem, roughly 60% are Palestinians and 40% are Israelis.
In June 2016, Danon was elected chairman of the UN General Assembly’s Sixth Committee, which deals with legal issues, including measures to eliminate international terrorism.
When he received the position, Danon declared “Israel is a world leader in international law and in fighting terrorism. We are pleased to have the opportunity to share our knowledge with the countries of the world.”
Israel provides direct support for the Jahbat Al-Nusra brand of Al-Qaeda terrorist forces battling the government of neighboring Syria. Israel seeks permanent annexation of the Golan Heights in violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions.
Resolution 2334 follows UN resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 452 (1979), 465 (1980), 476 (1980), 478 (1980), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003), and 1850 (2008) in reaffirming, inter alia, the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force.
Resolution 2334 reaffirms the obligation of Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the August 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, and recalls the July 2004 advisory opinion rendered by the International Court of Justice.
Resolution 2334 condemns all measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, including, inter alia, the construction and expansion of settlements, transfer of Israeli settlers, confiscation of land, demolition of homes and displacement of Palestinian civilians, in violation of international humanitarian law and relevant resolutions,
Israeli settlement activities have dangerously imperiled the viability of the two-State solution based on the 1967 lines.
Following the UN resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu summoned the US and British ambassadors to Israel and eight other envoys to be reprimanded.
US ambassador Daniel Shapiro was particularly called to discuss the US decision to abstain in the UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement-building.
The envoys from 10 of the 14 countries that voted for the resolution and have embassies in Israel were summoned to the foreign ministry, namely China, Russia, France, Egypt, Japan, Uruguay, Spain, Ukraine and New Zealand.
What happens if the “summoned” ambassadors just don’t follow the summoner’s orders?
And stay home?
Litchfield – that just slays me, they’re “summoned…..to be reprimanded”. They’re being called out on their illegal activity, and yet they’re going to do the reprimanding? Bring on the sanctions.
Trump had his enemies at arm’s length during this campaign. Now he’s got them close. Is that to keep them under control or is it because he doesn’t recognize an enemy when he sees one?
Regarding “Average Americans also could feel the contempt that these elites had for the rest of us.” — an ominous, totally revealing, truly Orwellian (but, as its reality realized), Ayn Randian, and sickeningly clear quote (which presents a heart at the absolute Truth of their views): Katharine Graham, former owner of the Washington Post: “We live in a dirty and dangerous world. There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn’t. I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows.” Key: “There are some things the general public does not need to know and shouldn’t.” To what degree? It’s key because most of us know (by now) how far they have gone with this mentality — like the NYT withholding the surveillance story for a year, like absolute proofs opposing and exposing the worldwide Hoax/Fraud/Lie of WMDs, and like thousands of other instances — where the Press, as result, is presently considered only as as stenographers of controlled Narratives (as in many other countries we used to read about and ponder how horrible that must be). That quote also wholly relates to another ominous quote, of which the substance has become fulfilled:
The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” … “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
As far as the leak having “revealed dubious or improper actions by Democratic officials,” that type of MSM statement (it was only “improper” or “dubious”) is the weakest possible way of referring to what was a (proven) nationwide Scandal (against Senator Sanders) — including collusion between the DNC, the MSM, the Establishment, and more. I have yet to ever read a single story explaining how corrupted and scandalous it all truly was. And that, the latter, is what we look to people like you for, Mr. Parry.
Your last paragraph is spot on, Mr. Harper.
That vile conspiracy, connivance, collusion by the DNC is the trick that undermined We The People’s true desire. Mr. Sanders represented a sort of ‘new birth of freedom’ – as it were. The derisive activities of the DNC have placed us on a negative path that we’re doomed to tread another three or four election cycles. Their cheating and subversion is cause for the horrid price American citizens, especially millennials and teens, will pay in the coming years under right wing rule.
Thank you for your supportive response, J’hon. And, I totally agree with your summary. Senator Sanders was inspiring a new movement among millions (which you noted as a ‘new birth of freedom’). Without all the “vile conspirac[ies],” he would have had an actual chance of growing it three times moreover. Then, undoubtedly, he could have won the presidency (as “We The People’s true desire”) — and changed our path to one that was most critically needed. Instead, we are now facing what you summarized. Finally, in the least, I hope someday someone will (as I wrote/emphasized) be courageous enough to write even “a single story explaining [and exposing] how corrupted and scandalous it all truly was.”
Sent to Mr. Parry via Contact:
In response to A Sour Holiday Season for Neocons, I left a main comment — as well as a reply in relation to that comment. The focus was on the final area of my original comment regarding Senator Sanders and the DNC corruption scandal. I am sending this message directly to you so that your serious consideration might be given to being the one who writes a certain, detailed story. Following are excerpts from my comments, which I hope will inspire you to follow through — for the unwritten article/story is of a wholly significant need. Since it (the leaked scandal) first came out, it has only been lightly referenced, and/or basically shelved into the dust — which was a goal of the MSM, the Establishment, and the Clintonian machine, evidenced by their immediate (and ongoing) Russia (propaganda) reactions. That was (and is) a concerted diversion, which has succeeded in keeping the warranted articles quashed.
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/12/27/a-sour-holiday-season-for-neocons/#comment-239076
https://consortiumnews.com/2016/12/27/a-sour-holiday-season-for-neocons/#comment-239163
One of your best articles this year Robert. Way to go out with a bang. I noticed Obama just signed the newest edition of the NDAA which has provisions meant to deal with “fake news.” The only change we got with this guy is even more secrecy and state power. This year’s choices for President were the worse yet…but one can only hope Trump attempts to drain the swamp and can live through it. I am not holding my breath, but we shall see. As for Clinton, she has completely devolved into a chickenhawk war monger and a money grabber. I shudder to think what the next 4 years would have been with the neocons behind this woman who seemed intent on showing she had more testosterone than any male regarding foreign policy. Obama seems intent on handing Trump WWIII before he leaves office IMO…
A very interesting story about Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon Mobil, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State. He was chosen for jury duty (which he did not try to get out of) nine years ago, a sexual assault case involving a young girl. When asked if he wanted to be jury foreman, he declined, saying he did not like the spotlight. If he acts like he did on this jury, then the U.S. will be in good hands with Rex Tillerson. This story is told by a fellow juror, who at the time was in her 20’s. Read it.
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2016/12/23/learned-exxon-ceo-rex-tillerson-spending-week-jury-duty
I see the picture in a very different way than the writer……On the surface, yes, it appears that the Neocons are interested in Regime Change is a place like Syria. To me, what they are Really interested in is the TOTAL DISINTEGRATION of Syria…….As long as Syria is being DESTROYED, then they are HAPPY with that……..Of course, they would not say that publicly because it becomes so very obvious……….The writer does not seem to be going beyond the skin!! He takes the Neocons at face value in terms of they say rather than what they really want………..As for Hillary, remember Trump kept saying that he will be NEUTRAL regarding the Palestinian/Israeli issue…….so much for that given his reaction to the EVEN TOOTHLESS UN Resolution about the settlements AND his choice of the US ambassador to the Jewish Country!!
I very much appreciate Consortium News but sometimes I feel that the articles are not reflecting DEEP UNDERSTANDING of the issues…….I am not sure how to explain that……………Please see this article and see if the neocons plan is working or not…….http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/pdf/The%20Zionist%20Plan%20for%20the%20Middle%20East.pdf
The news just keep’s coming in. December 27, 2016 Israeli Police call for criminal probe into Netanyahu Corruption
Police have called for a full-blown criminal investigation into a corruption case involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a report aired by Israel’s Channel 2 on Monday, police have recently gained access to a new document in a secret case which was opened some nine months ago.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/12/27/israeli-police-call-for-criminal-probe-into-netanyahu-corruption/
Is Netanyahu approaching dictator status after 20 years calling the shots and undermining/strong-arming other, less militaristic candidates?
Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949. In 1963 his family moved to the US when his father Benzion, the historian and Zionist activist, was offered an academic post.
Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to secure a fourth term in office, putting him on track to become Israel’s longest serving leader.
A shrewd political operator, he called snap elections in late 2014, scoring a dramatic win despite losing ground in opinion polls right up to the day of the vote in March.
For Mr Netanyahu, the number one issue has long been Israel’s security, and he has taken a tough line towards the Palestinians, seeing land-for-peace as too dangerous to accept.
His third term shifted from renewed peace talks, which collapsed in acrimony, to war with militants in Gaza just three months later.
Israeli history – FYI;
In 1937, Winston Churchill said of the Palestinians: “I do not agree that the dog in a manger has the final right to the manger even though he may have lain there for a very long time. I do not admit that right. I do not admit for instance that a great wrong has been done to the Red Indians of America or the black people of Australia. I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly-wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.” That set the trend for the Israeli state’s attitude towards Palestinians. In 1969, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said, “Palestinians do not exist.” Her successor, Prime Minister Levi Eshkol said, “What are Palestinians? When I came here [to Palestine] there were 250,000 non-Jews, mainly Arabs and Bedouins. It was desert, more than underdeveloped. Nothing.” Prime Minister Menachem Begin called Palestinians “two-legged beasts”. Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir called them “grasshoppers” who could be crushed.
This is the language of Heads of State, not the words of ordinary people.
Prime Minister Levi Eshkol said, “What are Palestinians? When I came here [to Palestine] there were 250,000 non-Jews, mainly Arabs and Bedouins. It was desert, more than underdeveloped. Nothing.”
An outrageous lie.
“The two candidates were in a fierce competition for who would arouse the most public revulsion.”
That is a recipe for turn out problems. Low turnout has always favored Republicans in national elections.
It is amazing that they did not see that coming, when they chose a candidate so unpopular with a base whose enthusiasm was so essential. It is the thinking that goes before a fall. Well deserved.
My 1:06 post is being “moderated” despite having only one link. I suppose this means I’ve got to stop providing any functional links. Instead of those, the drill will be to type news.google.com/news and let people who want to examine that site prefix either “www.” or “https://” as required.
Perhaps you can add a footnote of links in response to your own comment, to appear later.
All the neocons have created is a new word, imPUTINy.
Regarding Trump’s extreme support for Israel, I can imagine a tiny chance that after he has given them the keys to the safe and everything inside, he might ask for something tangible in return. Probably a pipe dream, but a person can daydream.
Just because the neocons have had a setback in Syria doesn’t mean they’re finished. I’ve noticed that Muslim Democrat Kieth Ellison is now slithering into the Zionist camp.
jta.org/2016/12/22/news-opinion/politics/keith-ellison-in-letter-to-conservative-rabbis-regrets-past-positions
The amounts of money the Zionists have available to throw at wavering politicians are not trivial sums.
As he prepares to depart, Obama is planting minefields and baiting traps for incoming Trump. One such is the passage of a National “Defense” Authorization Act with a tiny change: the word “limited” has been removed from language describing US Missile Defense work. For those who believe the “Defense” Department is wasting money now with stuff like the F-35, this one will leave them all in its dust. Missile Defense – as in the Israeli Iron Dome – doesn’t work, and can’t be made to work. But if Trump takes the bait, Big Weapons are going to get a whole lot more prosperous at the expense of the rest of us.
latimes.com/nation/la-na-missile-defense-signing-20161223-story.html
Finally, the Zionist Campaign isn’t limited to Syria. There is always Iran, and of course the festering Ukraine. Paranoid people believe the neocons may give Trump an early test with a big Ukrainian attack on the rebels. This could rival what was done to the babe-in-the-woods Kennedy in 1961 after he took office.
https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/nato-ramps-up-ukraine-war-after-defeat-in-syria/
If Trump follows recent tradition and doesn’t thoroughly clean house, his woes are likely to multiply, for numerous “Victoria Nulands” are lying in wait for him.
Ellison’s flip flops just a reminder that every one is for sale. Sure there are exceptions, but they don’t last long. Howhave Ellison aspired to Democrat leadership.
Pleased that the neo-con and liberal-interventionist (sounds like an oxymoron or even moronic to me) agenda has hit a bit of a setback but on the basis of Trump’s personal qualities and cabinet picks I hardly envision any improvement. The only positive I see is that modeling NoDAPL, peaceful, dare I say it, “regime” change is a little closer in this country.
The neocons can take comfort in the just-passed Bill S.2692 “To counter foreign disinformation and propaganda, and for other purposes.” The Act states that “It is the sense of Congress that – ….(5) the United States Government should develop a comprehensive strategy to counter foreign disinformation and propaganda and assert leadership in developing a fact-based strategic narrative….”
Nowhere is “propaganda” defined.
Without a definition, the word could include foreign attempts to expose U.S. disinformation. In other words, perfectly truthful communication designed to counter deceptions such as the “weapons of mass destruction” rationale for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Only $20,000,000 is provided in the Bill, but the new Center for Information Analysis and Response will have the job of coordinating some neocon-oriented organizations and of subsidizing media beyond those subsidized by, e.g., the $5 billion to Ukraine, revealed by Victoria Nuland. Specifically mentioned in relation to coordination are included the NATO Center of Excellence on Strategic Communication and the European Endowment for Democracy.
Truthful claims detrimental to neocon-conceptions of U.S. interests are not the only concern. Earlier this year I asked a visiting Russian economist about Russian propaganda. In response he quoted some philosopher: “If others are telling the truth, I will tell the truth; but if others are lying, I must also lie.” In the mind of Congress “(4) the challenge of countering disinformation extends beyond effective strategic communications and public diplomacy, requiring a whole-of-government approach leveraging all elements of national power.” Mention of “all elements of national power” can be intimidating of free speech despite inclusion of the qualification in (6) that “an important element of this strategy should be to protect and promote a free, healthy, and independent press in countries vulnerable to foreign disinformation.”
Is it possible the “Countering Information Warfare Act of 2016” (short title} will promote one-sided exposure of foreign deceptions without any admission about U.S. domestic or foreign-targeted deceptions that might have triggered such a response?
The times ahead will require the greatest vigilance.
I am pretty sure that Israel’s actions are already provoking renewed, or even new, anti-Semitism.
And with justice. Because many American Jews have become Zionistic in their thinking who used to be mainly secular Jews. They now support the Israeli narrative about the land they own, which IMO is simply nonsense and has no basis in rational thought. You can’t not be a tribe (under Nazi persecution for being a “race”) and then also yes be a race/tribe when it suits you.
All government officials, elected or appointed, and federal and maybe also state employees, and contractors and all of their employees, and all paid and unpaid lobbyests such as AIPAC types, for all of these, dual citizenship should be expressly forbidden, and they should be obliged to swear a loyalty oath to the United States of America. A list should be published of all such dual Israeli-American citizens.
Yes, but loyalty oaths won’t help. One must get money and insider control out of the mass media, elections, and public debate, with constitutional amendments and laws regulating mass media corporations. But with these tools of democracy already controlled by economic power, the only hope is executive overreach by a progressive president, to investigate political corruption, toss out corrupt politicians and judges, shut down rogue agencies, downsize the military, hold new elections, and demand constitutional amendments. With Hillary down, Trump may discredit himself enough to bring a true progressive to power, unless the Democrats destroy the Left again with more fashion issues and a fake liberal to catch the backlash. If so, the US has an incurable disease. The only constructive future role for the US may be its containment by others.
“Yes, but loyalty oaths won’t help.”
Yep that is always the first “yes but.” Actually, your post seems to wander completely off the topic.
Loyalty oaths would help to raise public aware of this issue and generate pressure on poeple to show their true colors—and make a clear choice as to where their loyalties lie. After all, the people in the groups I mention are taxpayer-funded.
In general I am not a fan of the idea of loyalty oaths (say, imposed on civilian members of a certain political party). But in the case of dual citizenship with Israel, but my impression is that the disloyalty of many of our top govt. etc. is really flagrant, and damaging. So much so that when it comes to Israel: Yes, prohibiting dual citizenship and loyalty oaths are appropriate.
If your topic is merely claims of tribal loyalty, expect people to move on to the real issues. The proofs of loyalty to humanity and the broad interests of the nation are not any sort of claim, they are found in one’s work, and the focus of one’s life.
The notion that Israel’s actions provoke renewed or new anti-Semitism is a staple of Zionist propaganda that reinforces the Israeli narrative about the land they have illegally occupied and annexed.
Opposition to Israel’s actions does not equal discrimination against Jews as a religious or ethnic group, nor does opposition to Israel’s ally Saudi Arabia equal discrimination against Muslims as a religious or ethnic group.
Exactly. Thank you.
“The notion that Israel’s actions provoke renewed or new anti-Semitism is a staple of Zionist propaganda that reinforces the Israeli narrative about the land they have illegally occupied and annexed.”
Actually, I think that is backwards. Your post confuses action and reaction. Israel charges those who criticize it with preexisting AS—more or less invents this putative anti-Semitism as a motivation in order to justify its actions. The fact is that at this point in history Israel’s actions, not its REactions, are generating increased anti-semitism generally—in addition to criticism of its specific policies. But Israel cannot acknowledge this point. It just continues blindly, until finally (I hope) the world will have had enough of this farce and the consequences for Israel will be harsher than they would be if Israel were not so dishonest and clueless as to how most of the world currently views the Zionist project and state.
Litchfield – yeah, I just don’t think Israel really cares. They will bully until they can bully no longer, until the $38 billion offered them is rescinded, until sanctions bring them to their knees. Then they can rock back and forth shouting “anti-semiticism” and no one will be listening. Go wail at the wall!
Abe, perfectly stated. Thanks.
That neoCons will be taken seriously is irrelevant – were not heeded prior to election; will not be heeded now.
“taken seriously” means usa must rouse itself from consumerism & greed; compassion – based on knowledge – locally and beyond is an antidote.
That neoCons will be taken seriously is irrelevant – were not heeded prior to election; will not be heeded now.
“taken seriously” means usa must rouse itself from consumerism & greed; compassion – based on knowledge – locally and beyond is an antidote.
I agree with a lot you say, but I do not think Obama is every going to be viewed as you describe in the history books. I would say the opposite. He was strapped in what he could do, so doing what he did was a feat in itself.
@ “He was strapped in what he could do, so doing what he did was a feat in itself.”
If Obama was strapped in what he could do, the straps were of his own making. The man is not a fighter. He had the enormous advantage of the presidential bully pulpit but never used it. His style was to offer compromises as his opening positions, then allow himself to be bargained down from there.
Case in point: when the neocons pushed for war with Iran because of the purported Iranian nuclear weapon threat, Obama could have ended the debate by publicizing the consensus position of all U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran had no nuclear weapons program. Instead, the “threat” went unchallenged and Iran was forced to abandon rights it had under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Agreement to refine uranium to 20 per cent purity in order to get minor lifting of trade sanctions. And the Agreement remains vulnerable because the underlying lie was never exposed.
If Obama was strapped in what he could do, the straps were of his own making. The man is not a fighter.
Obama’s “straps” were paid for by Wall Street and the Israel Lobby. I have observed on a limited basis that young men raised by single mothers tend to be less inclined to fight than those raised by fathers. If they do achieve some social or professional success it probably comes from learning how the system works and how to manipulate it. No doubt there are many exceptions to this scenario, but it does appear to occur frequently. I’ll leave it to others more qualified to determine if this single-mom trait applies to Obama.
Bill Bodden – I’ll go you one further and say that Obama was “less inclined to give a sh*t”. I do not think he actually cared, not really. I believe he’s counting the days to be rid of the White House. His draw was that he looked the part of a President: dressed well, spoke well, read a good teleprompter. He was chosen precisely because he wouldn’t put up a fight, and that’s because he is not a passionate man about anything except himself. I view him as a very self-centered man. I’ll just bet his wife would back me up here. He went along and did what he promised to do: maintain the status quo.
Obama did have a step-father and he did have a grandfather who he lived with.
Bill – and I believe Obama was always waiting to cash in on his Presidency. I wonder how long it will be until the favors he provided to people will be repaid by lucrative job offers. Perhaps a bank? A hedge fund? We’ll see, but I think this was paramount in Obama’s mind. That’s why he never ruffled any feathers. He cared about his potential benefactors more than the country.
His handling of the financial crisis, the people he surrounded himself with, and his duplicitous health care “reform” are other cases in point. Or did he have no choice in any of it?
Remember, the first task of a community organizer is to seek consensus. Add to that the “mahalo” spirit of Hawaiians, and you have B. Obama pegged.
The demise of the neocon/r2p agenda is about the only thing I can feel happy about these days. As I see it, an alliance of “bad” corporations got Trump elected, defeating an alliance of “good” corporations who picked Hillary to take over as puppet from Obama. Obama is only now, safely, doing some things he should have had the courage to do long ago, and these are little things. He probably won’t have the courage or desire to pardon Manning, Snowden, and the other heroes of the resistance. The abstention of voting on the Israel resolution is something Netanyahu should easily understand because it is payback for the rude treatment and obstructions of the past. Paltry payback, however, and typical of mild-mannered Obama. His popularity is high now, but in ten years he will be set beside Jimmy Carter in the standings. I read this morning that progressive organizations are getting record contributions this year-end. I hope that the Wapo story about Russophile news organizations result in a windfall for Consortium News, Truthout, Truthdig, and others that I have been supporting for years now. Thanks to Robert Parry and the writers on this site for maintaining the truth throughout this spectacular year of events.
Bang fucking on! Best and most accurate assessment of the truth that I have read yet. Thank you so much & all the best in 2017.
I have been reading the Iran Wars, a triumphalist history of forcing Iran to surrender it’s right under international treaty at the behest of a nonsignatory to such treaty.
I don’t know whether it’s a lack of perspective,empathy, or the extremes of group think, but Mr. Solomon really doesn’t seem to “get it”. Why don’t the Iranians realize how nice we are?
Then, all the Putin talk. 60% of Americans condemn Putin type thing. At least Donald Trump admits he doesn’t know the first thing about his stablemate Putin. I haven’t heard him say much about Marie Le Pen either.
The only thing I know about Putin or Le Pen is what I read in the New York Times! Sometimes I think that the Office of War Information was never disbanded. ?
I have been reading the Iran Wars, a triumphalist history of forcing Iran to surrender it’s right under international treaty at the behest of a nonsignatory to such treaty.
I don’t know whether it’s a lack of perspective,empathy, or the extremes of group think, but Mr. Solomon really doesn’t seem to “get it”. Why don’t the Iranians realize how nice we are?
Then, all the Putin talk. 60% of Americans condemn Putin type thing. At least Donald Trump admits he doesn’t know the first thing about his stablemate Putin. I haven’t heard him say much about Marie Le Pen either.
The only thing I know about Putin or Le Pen is what I read in the New York Times! Sometimes I think that the Office of War Information was never disbanded. ?
I would say, “Why don’t Americans realize how nice the Iranians are?” They haven’t wanted nor attempted to build a nuclear warhead since 2003. That year, the Ayatollah sent a Swiss diplomat to G. W. Bush to tell him that, and in exchange Iran simply wanted to trade with Europe, not be called part of an “axis of evil,” and see some help for Palestinians. George W. sent the Swiss diplomat packing and never told the American people about the offer because he, along with the Project for a New American Century-type folks, had Iran among six other M-E countries on its hit list for war. If you are getting your information about Iran and Putin/Russia from the New York Times, you are getting government propaganda. I suggest, if you can, go to Palestine and talk to them in person; go to Iran and talk to the people in person. Same with Russia. When you do, you will never want to see those people bombed, ever, and you will never again believe the lies about them.
An extremely accurate recap of 2016. Great article.
Combining news articles like this one, with the massive, extensive, detailed coverage, on EIR about the Silk Road/World Land Bridge Movement, I begin to see the “Changing of the ZeitGeists”, as geopolicitical game-playing and war-fighting slowly moves off-stage, and World cooperation in massive development projects takes hold upon humanity’s imagination…exactly what FDR envisioned for the post-war World; what JFK endeavored to revive, after the “out-from-nowhere” Red Scare paralysis of the late 40s and 50s. That it is Trump who’ll get to lead us into that new era of peace and development is Coyote’s joke upon us and those “respectable, serious,important people” of the Wall Street/DC Establishment.
Two points:
1) Unfortunately, Pizzagate is not “fake news”, which is why fake news was invented. Everybody says it’s not true and been debunked without debunking it. How can that be? We know of other pedophile rings, why not look into it like a good journalists?
2) neocon and neoliberals are the same thing. It’s the deep state that matter and to which they answer.
https://therulingclassobserver.com/2016/12/23/16402/
You mean you actually believe Hillary Clinton is running a child sex ring out of a pizza shop?
Have you seen the evidence surrounding this controversy? Who said anything about run a child sex ring out of a pizza shop except the mainstream media. Shouldn’t we at least get our facts straight if we’re going to dismiss Pizzagate out of hand?
It’s strange what people accept as “normal”. Look at the evidence and say that it’s a “normal” environment for kids to be around.
Like you, I don’t know if it’s real or not. But what explains Pizzagate’s growing visibility and staying power? Is it proper to say it’s just a bunch of fools? Or would be more reasonable to ask if something isn’t there with all the growing attention?
Don’t be like the media. Look at the evidence.
Bill Cash: Read the articles at the Unz Review before you act so “smart” and know-it-all, in particular, the third one in the series.
It must have really irked Samantha Power to not veto the resolution against Israeli settlements. I just love it.
But I wouldn’t count on Trump to not kiss up to Netanyahu once he’s in. The Deep State will have their way or Trump will wind up like JFK. Obama is just getting a pass because he’s on his way out.
The Deep State can hide from the people, but they can’t hide from the Gods, or, as Paul Von Ward calls them; ABs (for Advanced Beings, be they Gods, Angels, extra-terrestrials, depending upon ones’ polytheistic,monotheistic,or atheistic proclivities). His book is “Gods, Genes, and Consciuosness: Non-Human Intervention in Human History.” His book fails to live up to the grand theme he is wrestling with, but I get his drift, and agree with it. To me, the crop circles and sky-spirals cannot be talked away, and humans may be just one, and the most humble, example of an entire range and category of “Advanced Beings” that are part-n-parcel of this local area of the Creation, and we do not walk alone, upright, a singularly naked ape, upon this planet. Just sayin’.
But Trump’s cabinet is comprised of members of the deep state. The oligarchs are the government now. Maybe what we are seeing is a power battle among the plutocracy.
Skip Scott – Obama might have done this as part of his legacy, knowing full well that Trump will quickly undo what he did. “Look, I tried to help the Palestinians, but Trump fell in line.” No doubt Obama would forget to mention that he fell in line until the very end. Trump had better not undo this. If Trump has time to find out the history and has good advisors, not just pro-Israel people, I can’t see that he will go along with Israel. We shall soon see.
Trump is not interested in history lessons, because he’s already smarter than everyone else. As for his advisors, they’re a collection of racists, billionaires and hawkish generals. Hoping for anything positive from that bunch is wishful thinking. Yes, Trump may reduce tensions with Russia, which would be good, but otherwise, the damage he is likely to inflict on the nation and the world will be incalculable. It would be nice if Robert Parry would at least acknowledge the negative potential of a Trump administration.
Thanks Rob. I don’t like the love fest for Trump out here. They are going to be bitterly disappointed. Trump is willing to let Netanyahu run our mid east policy. I’m worried that both he and Putin are advocating expanding their nuclear arsenals but neither is complaining about the other. Are we going to see an alliance in the future? It’d be the worse alliance since Germany, Italy and Japan in the 30s. He’s already hinted that he won’t be a strong support for NATO. The Europeans always depended on us and they will be in quite a fix if they suddenly can’t.
The belief in a few Trump words is ridiculous. His words mean nothing. Even his own people say that and he will contradict the words you liked.
Bill Cash – LMAO. Netanyahu has been running Mideast policy for how long now? Israel owns the Congress and Senate. Obama hands the Israelis $38 billion over ten years, but somehow Trump will be the one who does all the damage?
Bill Cash – Putin has already said he is going to downsize Russia’s military, that he is not going to spend more than the country has.
“Russia, which is also modernizing its nuclear forces, won’t spend more than it can afford on the re-armament program, Putin said. Defence spending will fall from 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product this year to 2.8 per cent in 2018 and remain at that level for the next few years, Putin said.”
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/putin-says-russia-alone-in-believing-trump-would-go-all-the-way-denies-hacking-to-help-him
“According to SIPRI, in 2015 Russia increased its defense spending by 7.5 percent and the Defense Ministry’s budget reached $66.4 billion. The world’s biggest military spender, according to SIPRI [Stockholm International Peace Research Institute], is the United States, which spent $596 billion on defense in 2015. It was followed by China, with $215 billion, and Saudi Arabia, with $84.2 billion.”
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mo-budget.htm
Putin stated that Russia is going to “cut back” on military spending.
“It would be nice if Robert Parry would at least acknowledge the negative potential of a Trump administration.”
But everyone else is already doing that! No need for Parry to go over it all again.
I think Parry i s trying to provide some fresh thinking. I am sure Parry recognizes the problems with Trump. But Parry also recognizes that the American electorate did decide they might be better off with Trump than with Clinton, so I think Parry is trying to avoid the knee-jerk condemnations and “mourning” (literally) that are to be found in, for example, The Nation and Harpers. Trump has not even taken office.
Rob – well, there’s history and then there’s history, depending on who you choose to read. “…the damage he is likely to inflict on the nation and the world will be incalculable.” Likely? You don’t know that. Maybe, but let’s give him a chance.
Robert Parry HAS slaughtered Trump many, many times. It’s just that the others are making Trump look good at the moment. Obama is coming off as the clown that he is, and Clinton? Say no more.
Post-election, it seems that the Deep State propaganda focus is on drumming up conflict with Russia and support for more bombers, ICBMs, and CIA covert cyber ops, etc….perhaps even some military stand-off somewhere around the Black Sea. This is more important to the Deep State than Israel is at the moment…because there are more marginal dollars to be added to the Security State budget based on those initiatives. It follows that weakening rather than strengthening the US connection to the UN is the tune of the day. Israel already got their $40 billion dollar aid package renewed last year (has to be redeemed with US arms mfgs.), so they are good for a few years while we buff the missile silos and hire more CIA to figure out more ways to make the IOT work for them.
Josh Stern – exactly.
Trump has already entered the fray. It seems he does not know the difference between West Bank and “West Wall”, but he has made a threat of what happens after the 20th.
Indeed. Although I think the Deep State has refined its techniques since 1963. If they decide to take Trump out, it will be done in such a way as to appear to be an accident or natural causes.
“Yet, to me, the biggest head-scratcher about Clinton’s disastrous campaign was why – after she left the State Department in 2013 – did she jump into the sleazy business of collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars for brief speeches to Wall Street and other special interests.”
Because enriching themselves has always been the number one priority of the Clintons. It takes precedence over everything else. Once you get your head around this idea it explains a lot.
Jonathan – exactly right.
They event stole billions of $ from Haiti – one of the poorest countries in the world.
They suck money from Goldman sucks as well as from the homeless!
Very good summary of a possible trend reversal for the neocons.
I hope that this downward spiral continues and gathers momentum.
Seeing the neocons screech and squeal in pain and fear is music to any ears that reject their hateful ideology.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all
“It (Obama’s abstention on the resolution) will encourage Palestinians to pursue more international sanctions against Israel rather than seriously consider the concessions necessary for statehood,…”
Netanyahu considers the only concession necessary for Palestinian statehood is that the Palestinians give up all lands to the Israelis. Without any land, statehood then becomes meaningless.
“neocons always blame the Palestinians for not making the concessions that Israel demands” ie ALL concessions to recover a bit of the remaining 22% of their stolen land, but NEVER an attempt at fairness from Israel.
There’s a damned good reason that Clinton’s obsession with regime change siphoned off enthusiasm of the progressive faction of the Democratic Party. Not only is regime change inconsistent with progressive values, but neocon policies siphon off all the money available for progressive programs. Neocon policies will ensure that the only domestic program to get any funding will be the police state.
Here is a great article on the habits of those holding real power in the US/EU: http://www.unz.com/article/precedents-for-pizzagate/
The paper gives very clear indication of the boundaries of democracy in the west: There is a circle of the untouchables that cannot be prosecuted even in the well-documented cases of child-murder and sexual abuse. The article documents the story of numerous coverups of pedophile rings in the US and Western Europe. People in the highest echelon of government in the US and UK were able not only to stall the investigations of the pedophile rings but to intimidate and even murder the investigators and witnesses.
“There’s a damned good reason that Clinton’s obsession with regime change siphoned off enthusiasm of the progressive faction of the Democratic Party.”
Are you positive on the veracity of that statement, W.R.Wright?
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Donald Trump lost the popular vote by a much bigger margin than any other president in history.
Hillary Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump in the US presidential election popular vote soared to 2.8 million – despite her losing the overall election.
W. R. Wright is correct. Clinton won by 4 million votes in California. Trump won the popular vote in the 49 other states. Clinton campaigned heavily there among celebs and Soros followers. Her popular vote margin is not very significant; in fact, it betrays a real weakness in the nation as a whole. Wright is also correct to point out that the neo-con policies of permanent war starve the rest of government programs that might actually help people.
Even a foreigner knows that the Electoral College vote is what counts, and Trump said it himself. Why have 4 million excess votes in California?
All the reasons for potential voters being against Clinton probably combined with the gerrymandering and voter suppression in in Red States that Greg Palast has written about for years but could not get the MSM to publicise. Surprise??
Absolutely. If the Democratic Party had nominated Sanders, they would have won both the popular vote and the electoral vote by a landslide. It was Clinton’s nomination that siphoned off the votes that would have gone to Sanders in the general election.
They probably would have taken back the Senate as well as popular presidents always help members of Congress and unpopular candidates hurt members of Congress.
Clinton won Califorina by 4.3 million votes. That one state accounted for her popular vote win, and she got the 55 electoral votes from it.
http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/california
The results in California were so lopsided that it adds credence to the value of the Electoral College, for sure.
I’ll match your hyperbolic “…Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump in the US presidential election popular vote SOARED to 2.8 million…” with this:
TRUMP FIGURATIVELY KICKED CLINTON’S ASS BY BEATING HER VOTE TOTALS IN 60% OF THE STATES TO HER WINNING IN THE VOTE COUNT IN ONLY 40% OF THE STATES.
Please understand that I think NONE of the presidential candidates in the general election were worth entrusting the future of our progeny. Based on the innocuity of what passed as political debate, the vacuity and fatuity and banality of what passes for accurate and informative presentation of the really important events affecting the lives of miollions here and abroad the nation took another giant leap toward utter ruin.
MSM refused coverage of Jill Stein, the best candidate for knowledge of what changes are necessary in foreign policy, health care, medicare, social security, infrastructure, education. If all voters had had access to her interviews, she would be president. Also, everyone knows Sanders could have easily beaten Trump.
On another note, Mr. Parry says: “The other grave danger from this neocon manipulation of America on behalf of Israeli interests is that this behavior will revive the historical evil of actual anti-Semitism…” In fact, Zionists push anti-Semitism constantly, deliberately keeping it alive to gain sympathy for the victimhood of the Israeli Jews, without which they would be exposed for their continued and determined genocide of the Palestinians. To all who care about the Palestine/Israel issue, please read Tom Sharez’s “State of Terror.” [BTW, the Jews of Israel are not Semites; the Palestinians are, however.]
I keep running into people who call themselves ‘liberals’, but they buy into this Anti-Russia stuff 100%. People only protest wars when Republicans start them I guess.
Absolutely correct. It simply amazes me that anyone has ever even bothered to try to portray Clinton as anything remotely progressive. She is the exact reverse in all her policies and real world actions.
Aleppo did not “fall.” it was liberated. As a Christmas tree was hoisted in Aleppo’s central square for the first time in four years, it is a cause for joy among all Americans.