Europe Re-Arming? What could go wrong?
Let’s see… what mistakes from the past can we revisit all at once. Stoke tensions with Russia. Check. Bring back Donald Trump? Enticing. Ooh, I know. How about entertaining the idea of a militarized Europe with Germany running point again! That only went badly twice in the last century. Now that Henry Kissinger is finally worm food, Donald Trump has taken up the mantle of worst foreign policy theorist in the country by suggesting that Europe pay more into NATO to prevent a Russian attack that he then encouraged in the same speech. America. Seriously. Are you ready for round two with this fucking guy?
From the article:
“In response to Trump’s comments, European politicians have demanded that this go even further, openly broaching the militarization of the entire economy, the introduction of conscription and now also the possibility of a European nuclear weapon.
“This is a recipe for war against the working class, for state repression and for far-right reaction. It cannot be implemented democratically. It will provoke an intensification of the class struggle, which is linked to the mass resistance to imperialism already manifested in the protests against the genocide in Gaza.”
WSWS: European governments demand massive arms buildup after Trump’s threats to withdraw support for NATO members
No Wonder Tucker Went So Easy on Putin
Though he appeared healthy in his last video court appearance, one of the top critics of Vladimir Putin was found dead in a remote Russian prison. Aleksei Navalny was a vibrant and outspoken critic of Putin’s regime and now he has paid the ultimate price, having been pronounced dead after a walk in the prison yard. More proof that Putin is the world’s most powerful living gangster. Next to Hillary Clinton, of course.
From the article:
“‘If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong. We need to utilize this power, to not give up, to remember we are an enormous power that is being oppressed by these bad people. We don’t realize how strong we actually are. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. So don’t be inactive,’ Navalny said at the end of the Oscar-winning documentary that carried his name.”
Radio Free Europe: Aleksei Navalny, Putin's Staunchest Critic, Found Dead In Prison, Russia Says
As Only Chris Hedges Can
I began this week’s podcast with a quote from Hedges’ book War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, which prompted me to catch up on some articles. He just announced that he’s traveling to cover the final appeal in the extradition trial of Julian Assange. But he published this column just a few days before to provide a snapshot of the desperation now facing Gazans who are being driven to starvation.
From the article:
“More than half a million Palestinians – one in four – are starving in Gaza, according to the U.N. Starvation will soon be ubiquitous. Palestinians in Gaza, at least 1.9 million of whom have been internally displaced, lack not only sufficient food, but clean water, shelter and medicine. There are few fruits or vegetables. There is little flour to make bread. Pasta, along with meat, cheese and eggs, have disappeared. Black market prices for dry goods such as lentils and beans have increased 25 times from pre-war prices. A bag of flour on the black market has risen from $8.00 to $200 dollars. The healthcare system in Gaza, with only three of Gaza’s 36 hospitals left partially functioning, has largely collapsed. Some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians live on the streets of the southern city of Rafah, which Israel designated a “safe zone,” but has begun to bomb. Families shiver in the winter rains under flimsy tarps amid pools of raw sewage. An estimated 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.”
Substack: Let Them Eat Dirt
