From the genocide in Gaza, to AI data centres, to the skyrocketing cost of living, here in the west we citizens are not the priority of those who control our systems of governance and economics.

What’s government for anyways? Isn’t democracy supposed to mean something like government ‘for the people, by the people’?

We have no say about increased austerity while the elite class gets richer every day, while AI data centres with no business case spring up all around us, and while our countries wage senseless wars and support an ongoing genocide.

Yesterday I was talking with someone else who pays attention to geopolitics, and we discussed what will probably soon happen to our community, and what we need to do. I wonder how many other conversations like this are happening all over the world.

Our western governments are complicit in Trump’s stupid war against Iran, and that has caused the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz for the products our economies depend upon, which will most likely result in a global depression.

Yes, it’s Trump who bears the responsibility, but western and many other political leaders have been complacent if not downright supportive of his war against Iran, and support his and Israel’s genocide in Gaza. They kill, torture children, women, health workers, reporters and anyone else they can get their hands on. It’s unimaginably terrible for them, and a moral injury to those of us helplessly watching these atrocities take place on our screens.

Our mainstream media makes excuses for them, and blames Iran for this mess that was initiated by the USA’s and Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran.

And let’s be clear: the USA lost the war, signed an MOU agreeing to Iran’s terms, and has violated almost every single one of those terms. Trump had no plan, and did not have an accurate understanding of Iran’s capabilities, and now we witness the man boy’s lies and bluster as he tries to find a way out of this situation. Iranians are fed up with this, as are so many of the rest of us.

Now he and his team are lying, saying that Iran is breaking the agreement, and they expect the rest of us to believe him. This guy, who went bankrupt six times before running for office, who is implicated in the Epstein files and violates all laws — national, international; he doesn’t care — calls this 5D Chess.

He and Netanyahu are joined at the hip even though they’re reportedly upset with each other. The USA and many of our countries supply Israel with the weapons it’s using and send Israel money, while our mainstream media makes excuses for Israel and its allies.

Meanwhile, AI data centres are springing up everywhere, even though they have no business case, and no way of making their investment back. Western governments are pouring our tax dollars into a technology designed for war and for spying on us. It sucks up our precious water — even while communities go without drinking water — and our electricity, with the rest of us paying higher utility bills because of this.

And now here we are, looking over the cliff we’re all about to fall over. To top it off, it’s July, and many of us in the western hemisphere are packing our go bags in case of wildfire. We can’t wait to see the end of summer, a season we once looked forward to, and cross our fingers that our homes and communities won’t be burnt down. The heat is stifling and we’re checking online for wildfires, especially on days when it’s hot and windy.

Go ahead and call me bitter. It’s true. In this moment, I’m beyond pissed off. At the stupid governments we call democracies, on the economy that funnels our money to the rich while so many of us are hungry and homeless, and at the senseless wars which are the only way left for the rich to continue making money.

As Avi Lewis says, it’s time for our governments to God damn govern. It’s time for public options for food and housing so we can afford them. It’s time for a green care economy, so that no one has to die of exposure to sky high temperatures, or wildfire smoke inhalation, or other kinds of natural disasters. And it’s time for real diplomacy.

We have the money, but our governments have different priorities. It’s time to change those priorities.

And, yes, it pisses me off that so many of us are gullible or indifferent, and are going to be shocked when the next next shoe drops. Admittedly, we’re awash in propaganda, and it’s harder to find accurate information about what’s going on. I’ve felt like a voice in the wilderness for decades.

This was so predictable. We’ve had lobbyists and moneyed interests making de facto government policies while we have faux democratic processes that mean nothing. There are no qualifications for those running for office. Many of them promise peace and prosperity and then deliver more goodies to the rich, the military and the fossil fuel industry, despite our worsening environmental conditions. Look at Canada’s Prime Minster, Mark Carney, who exemplifies this phenomenon.

If there’s a silver lining it’s that the western elite have revealed themselves and their values for what they are. Many are named in the Epstein files, support Israel as it commits genocide, and support wars that kill its own citizens and citizens in other countries for no good reason, and support AI data centres.

These people have no right to be in charge of anything, let alone our economies and governments. How do we move to a place where we have societies that are based on care and democracy, that stop sending our tax dollars to the rich and that rebuild our infrastructure and support systems instead? How do we make healing ourselves, our societies and our environment a priority instead of war?

How long will it take us to assimilate this information and create an effective resistance?

Here’s what I want to see out of all this:

• an end to Israel’s and the USA’s wars on Iran, Palestine and Lebanon

• Trump, Netanyahu and all those who supported them on trial in the Hague

• money out of politics

• release of the Epstein files and all who are named for crimes in them prosecuted

• highly regulated corporations so they can no longer cause harm

• money out of the military and into our infrastructure, social support systems and environmental restoration

• green jobs installing heat pumps and creating robust electrified public transit

• good, just relationships with other countries.

And I want to see every single person on earth with a roof over their head, good food to eat and opportunities for a meaningful life.

This is doable. We have the technology, the information, and the people power to do this. But we have to harness this power, plan accordingly, and then follow that plan. This is just common sense. It’s the way people want to live — with dignity, health and community.

And I want to see a free and restored Palestine where the people there can heal themselves and their land in exactly the way they want to, with full reparations from the USA, Israel, and Zionist organizations.

We owe Palestinians so much! They’re the ones who exposed what Empire is all about, and they’ve paid such a huge cost. We are forever in their debt.

In the meantime, let’s prepare ourselves for what seems inevitable at this point. Build community, grow and preserve food, and find ways of helping each other. We need to be prepared.

#FreePalestine

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

Here are some tips for hard times that might come in handy.

And you can find links to news sources I trust here and here.

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

In very broad strokes, this is how it looks to me: times of plenty are gradually followed by times of economic hardship, followed by times of war.

During times of plenty, profiteers behind the scenes encourage us to be self-absorbed and to distract us. Then, while we’re not paying attention, over decades these profiteers deregulate and privatize our economies to make it easier to send our tax dollars to them instead of where they’re needed, for infrastructure and social supports like hospitals and schools.

Then when things fall apart for the rest of us they deflect from what they’ve done.

The formula is to blame others — immigrants, women, people of different races and religions — for these hardships. But really, it’s the system that funnels money to the rich until our once robust economies have been whittled down to the bare bones. Like they are now.

Then the sabre rattling begins, and we reach times like the ones we’re in now.

I’ve been watching this decline, but my alarm bells really went off with the most recent episode of genocide in Gaza, with the accusation that those who opposed it were antisemitic for criticizing Israel.

Most leaders in the western world reinforced this framing, and supported Israel with weapons, diplomatic cover, and our tax dollars. Mainstream media wouldn’t use the ‘G’ word until recently, and mostly expressed sympathy for Israel.

Since ordinary people continue to strongly oppose genocide, more politicians and media outlets started reading the writing on the wall, and parroted the rest of us. They realized that not condemning the genocide would make them lose credibility. The way they’re behaving now strikes me as performative. If it was so obvious to so many of us, why wasn’t it to them?

The answer lies somewhere between willful blindness and colonialist indoctrination, with a dash of greed and lust for power. These past few years, we’ve seen the values of those in charge that are usually hidden. It makes what the Epstein files reveal less surprising, and exposes the key players in a centuries old story for who they really are.

Through this lens, it’s unsurprising that Bari Weiss and others thought the reason most people oppose Israel’s genocide was just a messaging problem. The reason: it worked in the past. The west demonized the people who they were killing and whose land and resources they were stealing and, pre-internet, most people in the west believed it.

There was a story about how the west was bringing civilization to the barbarians who didn’t live in the west, and many soaked it up.

But now we know better, and we have to come to terms with that.

Wars are huge money makers for the already rich, and they dispose of the people in their own countries and in the countries they attack who might object to their profiteering. Wars are essentially class wars.

The wars the west is waging right now are all unnecessary. Iran has never wanted nuclear weapons. Russia doesn’t want to invade Europe. China isn’t a threat to anyone; it’s just very successfully rebuilt its economy.

But you wouldn’t know that with all the fear mongering we’re bombarded with about these countries.

For information about the situation with Iran and the surrounding region, the sources I trust are Rock the Cradle, Professor Marandi and Laith Marouf. All come out of the area and give us a more accurate picture of what’s going on there.

When it comes to China, my favourite sources are KJ Noh and Carl Zha who are both very familiar with China and the surrounding area.

For news on Russia, I appreciate the Duran and Karl Sanchez.

Here’s a brand new geopolitical news site — Transition Protocol — that has shown itself to be very good so far.

And we can never forget about Palestine. Francesca Albanese has exposed so much about the situation there at great personal cost.

These countries all want peace. It’s the western ruling class that wants war so it can solve its economic problems in a way that’s profitable to them, and detracts from their crumbling societies and low polling numbers.

But they’re also at risk when we have nuclear powers sabre rattling, and when we’re reaching alarming environmental tipping points. But it’s amazing to see European leaders wildly accusing Russia while refusing to take responsibility for their broken Minsk Agreements, or the coup it helped to orchestrate in Ukraine.

Trump doesn’t even bother with a story about Iran most of the time, and makes it clear that he just wants to bomb that country back to the Stone Age and take control of the oil in the region.

And China? It relies on planning and helping its trading partners with their infrastructure and clean energy issues. And somehow this is supposed to be a threat.

The threat is that it invests in the well-being of its population, as do Russia and Iran. They’re all committing the sin of setting a good example that the western ruling class doesn’t want to follow.

And then there’s BRICS. Nations that have been the targets of western wrath are organizing to support each other economically. This group represents more than 48 percent of the world's population and roughly 39 percent of global GDP measured in purchasing power parity. To say that western nations feel threatened by this group that wants peace and prosperity for their citizens is an understatement.

But back to peace. Now NATO has gotten member countries to commit 5% of their GDP towards it because of an off the cuff remark made by Donald Trump. Here in Canada, Carney is on track to do this by 2035 despite our struggling economy, crumbling infrastructure and devastating weather events, to the point where many of us dread summer. The money he’s committing to war could be put to so much better use.

We need to change direction, and even those who profit from war should know this.

I dream of people gazing into each other’s eyes with this new understanding, and wish I had a magic potion or just the right words to convince those beating the drums of war that they’re only harming themselves.

Like a snake shedding its skin, or a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, we need to outgrow this insanity.

What is more money compared to a liveable future? It’s nothing. Paying a fair share of taxes wouldn’t affect anything about the lifestyles of the rich. All of us need to do what we can to move towards a peaceful future where our ailing planet can be restored and the rest of us can heal.

Including those who have been profiteering from our misery. I wonder if they ever realize what they’re missing. Human connection, connection with the earth, concern for all living beings — these are the things that make life truly meaningful. Imagine the pride they’d feel at helping to create societies where all could thrive, the art and music that would result, and the beautiful landscapes and innovative technologies.

Where are the visionaries in this group?

We could bring about a true renaissance as we all relaxed into plenty, safety, care and healing. With technological development being where it is, we could have ways of living and getting around that polluted much less than what we have now. We could leave the boring, mechanical jobs to these technological advances, and could instead have a care economy where fixing what we have and helping each other to heal would give us meaningful work. We could grow food and beautify the world as we restore all that’s been broken.

Imagine the tears we’d shed, as we looked at what we were achieving, and the horror we avoided. Imagine how much we’d grow on all levels — spiritually, intellectually and emotionally, our hearts opening, our planet thriving.

We’d need to get money out of politics, come up with qualifications for people running for office, re-regulate corporations and restore all the services that have been so severely cut.

Imagine the stories we’d tell the young about how we once lived, and how we changed course. And what we’d warn them about. Because making sure we have healthy societies and economies should be as much a part of our lives as brushing our teeth.

There is no need for us to fight wars. It’s bad for all of us, even those who have traditionally profited from it.

The good news is that times of great upheaval give us the opportunity to make big changes. I hope we will all make the best of this unique opportunity, and get onto a better path, a path where all can flourish.

We have to do all we can to encourage peace. It has to become normalized, and not be seen as the radical thing it has been up until now. We’re living through a do or die moment, and humanity needs to choose a liveable future over war.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

Here are some tips for hard times that might come in handy.

And you can find links to news sources I trust here and here.

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

The Epstein files, western support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and our worsening standards of living have made it clear that those who run things in the west are in it for themselves. These people should not be in positions of power. So what do we do about this?

They say it only takes 3.5% of us to create meaningful change. Many of us are already doing what we can, and more people are joining us every day. It feels like change is inevitable, but we have to keep at it, and encourage others to join us.

It’s essential that we in the western world accurately see where we are, how we got here, and what we need to do about it.

The world as we’ve known it is imploding. Neoliberalism encouraged deregulation and privatization, which has funnelled — and continues to funnel — public funds into private hands. This means ordinary people have been squeezed to the breaking point, our social supports have been slashed, and environmental issues haven’t been addressed even as temperatures rise precipitously and we witness ever more natural disasters. All to make the rich richer.

It’s also important to see how things that are presented as separate issues are inter-connected. For example, austerity and being on a war footing is a policy choice to invest in military instead of in the well-being of people, and in their support systems.

I used to refer to the military industrial/fossil fuel complex, since they’re so deeply woven together. Wars are fought over fossil fuels, and we see this in the most recent military operations: the bombing of the Nord Stream Pipeline, the kidnapping of Venezuela’s president so that the USA can control Venezuela’s oil, and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz that keeps fossil fuels and their derivatives from reaching their destinations.

Both war and fossil fuels devastate our beautiful home planet that gives us everything we need in order to live. It’s urgent that we transition away from both.

In the case of fossil fuels, if the environmental argument doesn’t work for some, maybe the desire for peace will. The Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones, and by transitioning to green energy like solar and wind, we can seriously reduce the demand for fossil fuels, so they’re no longer worth fighting wars over.

We’ve reached so many tipping points and dead ends that those who have profited from the exploitation of the past few decades can’t find a way out. Our countries are in debt, our manufacturing base has been exported along with our jobs, and those who created this situation don’t know what to do.

In desperation, they’re trying to start wars so they can continue to make money and to distract us from our impossible living standards. They’re relying heavily on propaganda to convince us that their enemies are evil and that war is necessary.

They also encourage fascism and more ‘belt tightening’ by the rest of us, even when we’re squeezed to the breaking point.

We need to see beyond their grim narrative, and envision the kind of world we want: a world of peace, plenty and restoration. And we need to take the steps that will lead us to that world.

We in the west need to do all we can to stop our countries from investing in more military. It takes us in exactly the wrong direction. It puts people in a position where the poverty draft has them killing and being killed. In other words, we’re made disposable, so the rich can make war profits.

We also need to challenge austerity, and do everything we can to restore our economies, democracies, infrastructure, and social safety nets.

This means using every tool in the toolbox to support alternatives to war and austerity, to build community and support systems, and to use our money in ways that support our values.

It also means electing politicians who don’t just promise these things, but have a track record of standing up for peace and social progress, and who aren’t funded by war profiteers or the corporate class. Pay little attention to the words of those running for office, and more attention to their past history and funders. That will give a much more accurate picture of what their values and intentions are. If they’re funded by AIPAC or large corporations, this should be a red line, and we should not vote for them. They will serve their funders’ interests.

And we have to embrace solidarity. Some people think politicians give us the false impression that there is a political solution to our problems. But why not at least let them do what they can? We can continue our work on the ground to make things better and hold these politicians accountable. And we can disagree, but not to the point where we tear our movements apart. We have to remember that all of our efforts are towards a better world. Solidarity is essential in these times.

On the other hand, the ruling classes are clashing right now, and that’s a good thing. Europe is feeling abandoned by Trump, the Gulf states weren’t protected by the USA when Iran destroyed American bases on their territories, and western leaders are losing the support of their populations. In previous times, things have changed for the better when the ruling classes have been divided.

We who live in the western world have the potential to be a powerful force. But we need to recognize and embrace our power, cut through the propaganda so we know what’s really going on, and act accordingly.

That means rejecting war and military spending, embracing peace and diplomacy, getting money out of politics, and transitioning to economies where the wealth is more evenly distributed. It means restoring our social safety nets, infrastructure, and public institutions. And it means moving to more environmentally friendly ways of living and getting around, and encouraging healing and restoration on all levels.

There are so many ways of addressing these things, so we need to find the ones that are most meaningful to each of us.

Here are a few things many of us already do:

• make sure we have as accurate a picture as possible about what’s really going on in the world. The west is being so propagandized right now that many are blaming the wrong people for their problems. I’ve listed some of the news sources I trust here and here.

• move our money out of banks and into credit unions or local banks. This keeps money out of the corporate class and military industrial complex, and in our communities where it’s needed.

• support local businesses whenever possible, since this also keeps our money in our communities and out of the hands of the corporate class.

• become conscientious objectors. All of the wars the west is fighting are unjust and unnecessary, and we can’t let ourselves be tricked into fighting in them.

• build support networks such as community gardens, places where people can share food and clothing, and where they can gather freely.

• wildcraft, buy second hand, create free boxes, and make our own products. This costs less and unplugs us from the system and saves us money.

• vote for people who have our interests at heart whenever possible. Here in Canada, some campaign on the left and govern on the right like in other countries, and we have to be aware of these types. Taking note of candidates’ history and funders gives us an accurate picture of how they’ll perform in the political arena. We have a great opportunity to support Avi Lewis, who has worked for decent values his entire adult life before entering politics.

• demonstrate, write letters, sign petitions, talk to people including political representatives. Making our voices heard puts pressure on politicians.

Imagine if more of us did these things. It could bring about a lot of change, couldn’t it?

This is an incredible time to be alive, and when we find our role in this momentous time, our lives will be energized by a sense of purpose. Working towards the kind of future we want is profoundly meaningful.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

Here are some tips for hard times that might come in handy.

And you can find links to news sources I trust here and here.

* * * * * * *

I wonder what neoliberalism has done to us ordinary people, with its emphasis on branding, marketing and messaging. Where exactly does honesty and truth fit into this? How compromised have some of us become? Did putting our best foot forward slowly turn into outright deception?

I also wonder how the way we’ve been conditioned over the decades has affected our perceptions of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. A lot of media glossed over it, told people it was complicated, fake news or that it wasn’t as bad as people said. Or that we were antisemitic to even think such a thing.

If we were taken in, but now we’re understanding that, yes, it really is genocide, what should we do differently? After all, the fact that so many were convinced that it wasn’t a genocide, or that if we accused Israel of committing genocide we were antisemitic, allowed it to continue. And, sickeningly, it still continues.

Retracing our dawning realization, what formed our beliefs, and the excuses that we relied on to let ourselves be fooled? Were there certain media outlets that made sense to us at the time? How do we feel about them now?

To me, moral clarity begins with honesty with ourselves and with each other. It means doing our best to understand situations, whether personal or political. And it can be hard. We all have biases and blind spots.

Cutting through the junk, noise and fake news takes us to what is of real value. Living our truth, and being honest and decent brings us life’s treasures, while getting distracted by this other stuff wastes our time and energy.

I once asked someone who lived through the transition away from South Africa’s apartheid system what advice he had for people going through these kinds of times. His answer? Keep your relationships clean.

For me that implies building trust. And I think trust is the new gold: relationships built on trust, trusted news sources, trust in ourselves, our abilities, and our values.

From what I can gather, humanity is going through tectonic changes right now. It looks like the old, unipolar world is caving in, and the multipolar world is rising. And the old world that is used to getting its way won’t go down without a fight.

The western world is starting wars at every opportunity, and the multipolar world is being strategic and restrained. The western world is inundating its populations with propaganda, and we need to resist this at every step. If a country or a group is being demonized, we need to recognize that doing this is a way of deflecting the attention away from those who have been profiting from war and austerity, and onto various scapegoats instead. Fascism is always supported by the profiteers, and we need to reject it outright.

Part of moral clarity is taking care of ourselves and each other as we go through tough times. Community is what will save us if anything will; a community of all of us helping us to be our best selves.

And we need to cut through the crap in all ways, intellectually and materially. That’s how we discover what is of value: life’s necessities, honest connection with others, good food and shared resources.

And when we cut through the fake news and find out what’s really going on, it becomes easier to figure out the way forward.

To me, it seems only natural to want to cut through the overwhelm, the noise, fakery and plastic crap that we’re surrounded with. The more money poured into propagandizing us, the more I think we’ll experience this.

I hope we’ll all keep cutting until we get to a place of clarity, good health, caring relationships and right actions.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

Here are some tips for hard times that might come in handy.

And you can find links to news sources I trust here and here.

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

I’m sure that more than 3.5% of us want a world that is kinder, healthier, more fair and more affordable. Now how do we find and use our power together to make the changes we need?

We’re in big trouble, and the writing’s on the wall. The other day I placed a bulk food order with friends. So much was sold out, and the price of one food item went up by $3 in about two weeks. It looks like other people are also paying attention to geopolitics, and stocking up too.

As we watch dramatic geopolitical events unfold, what can ordinary people in the western world do to help a better world emerge?

This has been on my mind lately, and I wish I knew the answer.

When we pay attention to geopolitics, we can see that those who hold power in the western world are self serving and don’t have our best interests at heart. The genocide in Gaza, which most of them quietly support, and the Epstein files are evidence of this.

For generations the western public has been presented with stories justifying atrocities around the world; stories of bringing democracy, of evil dictators, of bringing civilization to barbaric and backward cultures; stories of nationalism, and our country right or wrong.

Meanwhile, western powers have had people murdered and enslaved while stealing their land and resources, and taken control of their governments.

Now that we have social media, and more people travel, people can see for themselves what’s going on, and it has been harder to sell these lies.

And that’s why people like Bari Weiss think we just need better messaging to convince people of the rightness of the genocide in Gaza. That’s what worked until recent years.

Those who orchestrate the systems we live under consider the rest of us gullible and expendable. (Speaking of which, I’ve heard a few commentators say they expect a false flag of some magnitude to be blamed on Iran. We should keep our eyes open for something like this.) In their eyes, we’re all amalek, and they’d just as soon trot us off to wars to be killed or see us live in dire poverty. If you need proof, just look around your community.

The rest of us are collectively wising up and waking up. But how do we organize ourselves to make sure we’re on the right side of history?

Some obvious things are making sure we get our facts straight, building community and identifying and using the power we have effectively: our words, actions and money.

And food is a whole category unto itself. Buying bulk food with others, cooking mostly from scratch, and gardening all keep us fed, saves money, and keeps that money out of the hands of big corporations.

If there are any verifiably good political candidates to choose from, we can throw our weight behind them. Here in Canada, I can’t stop raving about Avi Lewis. We’re so lucky to have him as leader of the NDP.

But what more can we do to stop the genocide, support the multipolar world as the unipolar world collapses, raise awareness, and align ourselves with the kind of transition we yearn for?

How do we help society to move away from the fascist leanings that have been cultivated by those who profit from war and austerity for the western world? Sure, we can remind people that immigrants aren’t the problem, or women, Muslims or people of colour or any other identifiable group. But what else?

When so many are broke, lonely and exhausted, it’s easy to convince people to blame easy targets. But we can’t afford to be fooled. There’s too much at stake.

How do we encourage an ethic of caring, a felt sense of solidarity, and help each other to take bold action that will lead to the kind of change we want and need? How do we become more inclusive without compromising our values?

Something I’ve learned straddling environmental/social justice and working class/middle class groups is to put relationships first. Navigating the world as a caring person who listens to others makes life pleasant and broadens our perspective.

Caring relationships with others make life enjoyable and meaningful. They create actual solidarity, and the give and take that occurs enriches all involved. And good people come in all ages, genders, races, religions and orientations. Replacing suspicion of those who are different with curiosity goes a long way. If you click with someone, and they’re kind and honest, their packaging shouldn’t be a problem. Caring relationships can happen anywhere, in person and online.

As well, in times like these, we need to take care of ourselves: eat well, appreciate the simple beauty around us, and do what’s needed to stay healthy. This will ensure that when we figure out what needs to be done, we’ll be capable of doing it.

We’ve already had some successes, even if they’re not entirely visible to all of us. To me it seems that the whole argument about being antisemitic if you oppose the genocide in Gaza has been deflated.

It’s worth unpacking what that argument shows us about those who support Israel’s genocide, which includes most western politicians, and most of the mainstream media. They’ve exposed themselves as the support systems of the exploiting class. When someone implies that objecting to genocide means you’re antisemitic, they’re demonstrating their alignment with a system that justifies genocide. We should stop voting for these politicians and stop paying attention to these media outlets.

In this age of AI and algorithms, what’s emerging as most valuable is honest reporting. We need to know what’s really going on and when we discover that we’re getting fake news, we should find better sources. And, let’s face it, who wants to be mired in confusion? Being grounded in reality is a good feeling, and is absolutely necessary to effectively navigate our lives.

According to DeepSeek, my preferred AI source, “Roughly 6 out of 10 people worldwide (60%) oppose Israel's military campaign in Gaza, but that number drops to about 4 out of 10 in the US and rises to 9 out of 10 in the Middle East.”

And speaking of AI, here in North America there is no business case for it, it’s sucking up our precious water and electricity, and it’s intended to deliver biased news. I hardly ever use AI, but when I do I choose DeepSeek. It’s open sourced and based in China. I hope you’ll consider using DeepSeek instead of North American AI. It’s an easy way to help this toxic North American trend become irrelevant.

Getting back to that 3.5% of people it takes to create societal change, the above figures show us that we have more than enough people around the world to make big changes.

How do we organize ourselves effectively? How do we bring about the world that is entirely possible, but that is being badly mismanaged? What stands in the way of peace and plenty for all?

This is the more than million dollar question. It is the question we need to answer if we’re to have a liveable future.

There is enough for all of us, but not enough to satisfy the insatiable greed of those at the top. And they will use every trick in the book to be able to keep doing what they do. They’ll pit us against each other, they’ll tell us lies, create false flags, and stoke fear. They’ll murder, cheat and steal as they’ve always done. Fascism and war are some of their favourites, and we have to reject both.

So we need to find and claim our power, and use it effectively. Our collective future is too precious for us not to.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

Here are some tips for hard times that might come in handy.

And you can find links to news sources I trust here and here.

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

The USA and Israel felt like bombing Iran with no plan, no good reason, just felt like it because they thought they could win. And to help with the Greater Israel project.

But those two belligerent countries didn’t know what they were up against. After years of being slandered, and seeing what the Americans had done to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and any other country they could get their hands on, Iran saw the writing on the wall. And they prepared itself militarily for an American invasion.

Iran never wanted and still doesn’t want nukes, and anyone who pays attention to accurate news sources knows this. But Iran’s supposed possession of nuclear weapons was an excuse to invade, just like Iraq’s supposed WMDs, or the make believe story about liberating girls in Afghanistan.

Although Iran doesn’t have nukes, it has something even more powerful: control of the Strait of Hormuz. According to Craig Murray, Iran has every right to close the Strait of Hormuz to nations with which it is in armed conflict under international law. He states that:

And Iran’s military prowess and its control of this Strait has the USA over a barrel; actually, over literal barrels of oil. Ouch!

So, predictably, the war didn’t go so well for the USA, and the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of Trump. He was the first president stupid enough to agree to invading Iran under pressure from Israel and the Zionist lobby. He took his chances, gambling the global economy and his personal legacy on faulty intelligence and his gut feeling.

And lo and behold, the Americans lost!

Remember how this came about when the predicted economic crash hits you hard.

After months of mediated negotiations, the USA and Iran have agreed to a memorandum of understanding to end hostilities, with a formal signing ceremony scheduled for June 19, in Geneva, Switzerland. Currently, the terms and conditions of this MOU are as follows:

I can’t help but notice that these provisions are very favourable to Iran.

This should put some wind in all of our sails. If Iran was able to defeat the bully of the globe, then what else is possible?

This is just a first step in the right direction, and there are so many things that could still go wrong. Who knows what Israel will do? It’s committing genocide in Gaza and now in Lebanon, and Netanyahu is furious about this deal. And there seems to be no limit to the amount and variety of dirty tricks the west is capable of using. And then there’s the possibility of nuclear escalation…

Those of us with a conscience and a beating heart have been sickened by the genocide in Gaza, and America and its allies support for it. And, to add insult to moral injury, we’re told that we’re anti-semitic if we’re offended by Israel’s genocide. Israel isn’t getting a drop of sympathy from the vast majority of people over its current plight no matter how much is spent on marketing and other forms of perception management.

In fact, it’s wonderful to see the power of Israel and its allies restrained by Iran. Israel is hated all around the world for its ongoing genocide, the torture, killing and sexual abuse it commits and its trashing of international law.

If Trump wants to reign in Israel he can simply stop the supply of weapons to it. And I hope he will, although I highly doubt that he’ll do it.

In the meantime, I hope we can all relish this moment. It’s like someone returning our stolen lunch money, or apprehending the schoolyard bully. Or like seeing someone actually arrested and doing jail time for what was discovered in the Epstein files, and their victims compensated. Or seeing a former tech billionaire in a breadline. Or those considered amalek and disposable finally being treated with respect and being adequately paid.

If you’re pissed about immigrants, please climb out of your online rabbit hole. Immigrants, women, and people of colour are all mostly worse off than you are because of this rotten system. Put the blame where it belongs: on the elite class of people who orchestrated this situation and who have profited from it. They want you to blame others and deflect the blame away from themselves so they can keep reeling in the big bucks.

Come and join the resistance. Not only does it make sense, but it’s fun and sexy. Complaining about being an incel online is boring and useless. The resistance is where you’ll find meaning, excitement and maybe even a companion. And you’ll be helping to change the world for the better.

I look at what it’s taken to get us to this point with so much sadness. My heart is heavy when I think of all the deaths, torment, destruction, and tragedy it’s taken to get us here.

Thank you, Palestine. Thank you, Iran. Thank you, Hamas and Hezbollah. Thank you, Ansar Allah. Thank you to all the ordinary people of all countries who have suffered so many losses. You’re the Davids that are bringing down Goliath. You are the martyrs and heroes. Thanks to all who have sacrificed so much. Thanks to all who have the courage to stand up to the rich, corrupt and powerful. I’ve witnessed so many of your losses online, and am so very sorry that the rest of the world has let you down. Some of us have tried and continue to try.

You are ushering in a new world. May we all be worthy. May we all do our part to enable this crucial transition.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya:

https://www.kufiya.org/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Then October 7, 2023, came along, and the extent of Israel’s genocidal intent soon became clear. And very soon after that, the whole western world announced that condemning Israel for its genocide amounted to anti-semitism.

What?! Genocide is genocide no matter who is committing it. I’ve never had anything against Jewish people, and this western chorus came as a rupture to my sense of morality. Truly, watching the every day horrors of what Israel was doing and continues to do to Gaza, and now to the West Bank and Lebanon, is a moral injury to all who pay attention.

The western world had up to that point committed enough atrocities so that I wasn’t completely disillusioned, but this was over the top. And I was already somewhat familiar with geopolitical issues.

Consortium News, which won the Julian Assange Award in 2023 among others, has been my go to international news source since before Robert Perry, its founder, died in 2018. Also, my brother and I discussed geopolitics a lot before he died two Januaries ago, and I learned of some other good sources from him. I’ve listed some of them here and here. This is not a comprehensive list; there are many others, many just emerging.

It’s so important to know what’s going on, and paying attention to geopolitics is a perspective changer. My perspective has certainly changed. And so many others need to be.

If you’re trying to make sense of the war against Iran, here are the sources I trust who are from Iran and the surrounding region. Professor Marandi is a wealth of information and he helps us understand the context. Sharmine Narwani of The Cradle is brilliant, as is Laith Marouf of Free Palestine TV.

We can’t forget that the war on Iran was started by an unprovoked attack initiated by the USA and Israel, killing close to 170 girls in their first targeted strike against Iran.

But Iran has been preparing for war with the USA for many years, and it was ready to strike back militarily and economically, since it’s been demonized and threatened for many years. It knew this was coming.

Why should we care about what’s going on in a place half way around the world? Because our western dollars are funding the genocide Israel is committing, the west is providing much of Israel’s military equipment, and because the war in Iran will affect us directly.

Iran is regulating traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and not allowing American and Israeli and allied nations ships through the strait. This means the fossil fuels and related products like fertilizer have been reduced to a trickle of what they were before the war. The planting season is almost over, and because of the lack of fertilizer, food shortages are expected. As well, the price of gas will dramatically affect prices at the pump, and skyrocketing shipping costs will make prices of everything soar.

Many are predicting that because of this, the west is heading for a major depression. I’m stocking up on dry goods as are many of my friends. It’s something to consider.

Among other things, Iran is demanding a lifting of all sanctions against it, the return of the billions of dollars in stolen money, all American military bases removed from the region and an end to Israeli and American aggression in the region.

Iran wants peace and has put forward its conditions which you can see here. As Trump vacillates between agreeing to them and bombing Iran the situation becomes ever more dire.

Once you start paying attention to geopolitics, it’s easy to get hooked. We start to see that we’re living in a point in time that is historic, terrifying and that feels like an action/adventure movie.

But this is real life. Geopolitically, we’re in the midst of a tectonic shift. TINA (There Is No Alternative), the phrase popularized by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, resulted in runaway neoliberalism. The emphasis on the free market, deregulation and privatization gutted our societies, funnelled public funds to the rich and away from the public purse, and devastated our environment and social safety nets. This left our countries depleted and in debt, and exported our jobs to places with lower labour and environmental standards. And we’re at the end of that line.

Those who profited from this are scratching their heads trying to figure out what to do, and all they can think of is endless war. And, let’s not forget, war is not just waged against other countries; it’s waged against the working class. A very few profit, while young people in our countries kill young people in other countries.

Add to all this the environmental tipping points we’re recklessly crossing and the scenario is daunting. Although we don’t hear about it, war is devastating to the environment on all levels. From the beginning of Israel’s attack on Gaza, the carbon emissions are estimated to exceed 30 million tons, and that doesn’t take into account other forms of environmental devastation of Gaza.

Watching all this unfold is like being on the Titanic while many are unaware of the fact that we’re heading towards an iceberg. As we white knuckle it through this moment we have to look after ourselves and others, and stay on the lookout for opportunities to change course.

What we’re watching is the decline of the western, unipolar world, and the rise of the global south, the multipolar world. And this isn’t just with Southeast Asia. BRICS countries are becoming a force, the Sahel region of Africa is claiming its autonomy and shedding its colonial past, and South and Central America have important pockets of resistance.

One of the first things I learned on my geopolitical adventure was how deeply propagandized so many around me were, and how I was too. I’ve always been a skeptic, so unless I’m knowledgeable about a subject, my internal jury is out by default. Still, there’s so much that we’re misled about.

Those who give us accurate information are the unsung heroes of our time. Many are in danger, and some have been stripped of their rights. I think we all know about Julian Assange’s time in jail for the ‘crime’ of telling the truth. But you might not know about Professor Marandi, one of the people I trust to give me accurate information about the situation in Iran, who has a one million dollar price on his head, put there by Israel. Or Francesca Albanese who was sanctioned by the USA for doing her job at the United Nations, and has been asked to resign for AI generated statements that she didn’t make. And there are many others like them.

What I learn from various geopolitical analysts is often left out of mainstream media or completely misrepresented. The narrative they present is consistent, even though some analysts’ conclusions vary. My views on certain politicians and countries have drastically changed. I’ve learned that people I was led to believe were villainous are not, and some who are considered heroic have extensive dark sides. It’s almost like a mirror world, yet many still believe the lies they’ve been told.

And the many truth tellers online come in all genders, classes and races, and treat each other respectfully. Watching the dynamics between them gives me hope that people of all backgrounds can connect in a kind and meaningful way.

I was aware of the apartheid nature of Israel towards Palestine, because of a friend who got involved with the pro Palestine movement decades ago, but had no idea about the extent of its brutality. Or the huge amount of support Israel receives from western countries including Canada, where I live.

As I learn more about geopolitics, I see how much overlap there is between western governments. Their policies, their interconnectedness and their attitudes are strikingly similar, and most of their leaders support Israel’s genocide while their populations don’t.

There are some terms I’ve become more familiar with too:

false flag - A false flag is intentional misrepresentation, especially a covert political or military operation carried out to appear as if it was undertaken by another party.

fifth column - a group of people who act traitorously and subversively out of a secret sympathy with an enemy of their country.

colour revolution - any Western-supported attempt to incite regime change through grassroots mobilisation, regardless of local conditions.

proxy war - a war where two powers use third parties as a supplement to, or a substitute for fighting each other directly.

deep state - that part of the federal bureaucracy whose members are regarded as following their own agenda, in opposition to that of the current administration.

counterinsurgency - a program or an act of combating guerrilla warfare and subversion.

unipolar world - the distribution of power in which only one state dominates the economic, social, cultural, and military influence over the globe.

multipolar world - a global system where multiple countries or regions hold significant power and influence, rather than being dominated by a single superpower or a few dominant states.

glass palace - symbolizes the wealth of the ruling class, and—with its crystal walls serving as mirrors—the eye of the public constantly focused on its royal rulers, even when they’re sheltered behind a fort of huge teakwood posts. While those walls could and do shelter its occupants, they can shatter; thus, the glass palace also signifies the ruler’s fragile hold on power.

Orientalism - the way Western cultures perceive and represent Eastern societies, often characterized by stereotypes and a sense of superiority.

supremacist - someone who believes that a particular type or group of people should lead or have control over other types or groups of people because they believe they are better.

keffiyeh - headdress typically made of cotton and traditionally worn by men in parts of the Middle East. The black-and-white checkered keffiyeh, which represents the Palestinian liberation movement, is also worn to convey political sentiments.

double tap strike - first strike is intended to kill an individual or individuals, the second to kill any rescue workers who come to help.

These definitions give an idea of some of the dirty tricks used in wars, and some of the concepts behind them.

In the last few years, the Epstein files have come to light, and they show us a large part of the picture of Israel’s influence on western countries, since it’s very likely that Jeffrey Epstein was a Mossad agent. The horrors these files reveal seem to be a reflection of the many of the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians.

It’s frightening to me that most of our political leaders are quietly supportive of Israel, even as it commits genocide and every war crime imaginable. The disconnect between the attitudes of western leaders and those of ordinary people is striking. Many leaders take performative actions while secretly supporting Israel until the public demands change.

Israel and the Ukraine have many commonalities and ideological alignments, and in some ways that’s not surprising. The wars they’re involved in are similar. Both countries are backed by the west which ignores the security concerns of its adversaries, and both have histories that they’d rather people not know about.

The geopolitical landscape is changing: the old world is falling and the multipolar world is rising. And we in the west have to decide where we fit into all of this. Most of us have more in common with regular people everywhere than with the people who are committing and supporting genocide, and who are listed in the Epstein files. How do we find global solidarity with everyone who wants a future where we all can thrive?

I’m left with the feeling of how precarious our situation is, and how amazing it feels to be alive in this momentous time. It seems to intensify my ability to see beauty and wonder. That, in turn, nourishes me, and inspires me to continue to do what I can to change things for the better.

Within this crisis there is opportunity. And this article from the David Suzuki Foundation just landed in my inbox. Here is an excerpt:

When things are moving so quickly, when there is so much at stake, our chances might be better than we think. I’m noticing that people are pushing back hard these days.

People are voting for people who have truly progressive platforms (I hope people around the world borrow from Avi Lewis’s) that would make life affordable, names the genocide for what it is, demands peace, addresses wealth inequality, and supports transformative environmental and social policies.

People are speaking out despite the risks. We’re sharing food, setting up formal and informal support networks, and becoming aware of what’s really going on in the world.

This precarious moment demands that we stay informed, and do all we can to make the changes we need. The more we take meaningful action, the more energized we become as we flex our agency and use it for the greater good.

We are all Palestinians now, and we all need liberation from the death trap we call our present day reality. And we need a deep systems transformation that will stop the killing, hunger, homelessness and devastation that our systems create.

We all deserve better, and that starts with the liberation of Palestine.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya:

https://www.kufiya.org/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Hopefully we’ll live through this terrifying moment to tell the tale about how we got through it.

Admittedly, I don’t know how exactly we get to the kind of peaceful world most of us are yearning for, a peaceful world where we all have enough, and where deep healing of people, planet and societies can happen. But I can think of a few essential stepping stones to get us to that world.

And I think as we lay those stones, the path will become clearer, and will inspire others to join us. We never know what we’ll discover as we create this path, what we figure out as we share our knowledge, and the fine tuning that comes with taking consistent action.

Here are some of the stepping stones I see:

Vision

We need to be clear in our own minds about what we want to see in the world. Because we have everything we need to create it, but it needs to be organized in a better way. We have the know how and resources to have a life of abundance, health and meaning for everyone.

When we know what we’re working towards, we’re energized by the inspiration it gives us.

Some of the things I envision are economies that thrive on peace instead of war, that are truly democratic so that we — and not just the monied — all have a say in what goes on. I envision a strong social safety net, housing, good food and accessible education for all. I see co-operation and fairness between countries, and respect for different cultures. And I see societies based on caring, and restoration on all levels.

As Arundhati Roy says — ‘Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.’

Strategy

We need strategies for getting to this world. There are things we can do on all levels: personal, political, societal and financial. We can vote for people who share our values, we can boycott companies that cause harm, and we can move our money out of banks and into credit unions. We can live our values to the best of our ability, and we can join with others to take action on the ground to make the changes we want.

Anticipating Resistance

There will be resistance to what we do from those who have a vested interest in the status quo. We have to recognize their power; they control the media, many of our politicians and our economies. But we need to do what’s necessary anyways.

Towards the end of this talk, Sharmine Narwani reinforces the need for vision and strategy, and acknowledges that there will be resistance. Since the west is losing power and military capabilities, Sharmine expects that terrorism by the west and its allies will be on the rise in Southeast Asia.

Here in Canada, recently elected federal NDP leader, Avi Lewis, has a clearly progressive platform, and those of us who support him know that he will get all kinds of criticism from within our neoliberal political environment. He’s broken records in attracting new party members and fundraising, and I expect more will join him as they hear what he has to say. We know there will be a lot of opposition to him and his policies, but I trust that he won’t give up, and that the rest of us won’t either.

Courage, friends. There will be resistance, but a better future is worth it.

Awareness

The way politics is presented in the news is both boring and complex, and designed to make us tune out. We’re awash in propaganda. Certain countries and beliefs have been demonized so often and in so many ways, we just assume that they’re bad. But don’t forget, many implicated in the Epstein files are responsible for this messaging. Do you trust them? I don’t. So if there’s a group that’s been demonized, it’s worth it to find people from those groups who can present their side of things.

Do you want to know more about Iran? Then I hope you’ll check out Professor Marandi, The Cradle, and Laith Marouf.

How about China? I’ve learned a lot about it from Carl Zha and KJ Noh.

Often major stories are not reported in the mainstream media, or are misrepresented. But when we do some digging, we see that the facts on the ground aren’t too hard to understand. And in these times, it’s important to have an understanding of what’s going on. I’ve written about sources I trust for geopolitical news you can find here and here. Also, Breach Media and the Narwhal are two excellent sources of Canadian News. What sources do you trust? I hope you’ll share them in the comments.

It’s good to know that we’re not alone in our struggle. All over the world people are organizing! BRICS is working hard to build an alliance between countries based on peaceful, win-win relationships. The Sahel region in Africa is asserting its independence. And, let’s face it: people all over the world want the same things — fairness, equality between people and countries, a healthy environment, and peace. The liberation of one is the liberation of all.

Acting Where We Are

There’s so much we can do right now to take things in a better direction.

Many of us expect that the west is going to experience some very difficult economic times, much worse than what we’re already experiencing. A lot less is getting through the Strait of Hormuz these days, due to the unprovoked attack on Iran by the USA and Israel. The shortage of fossil fuels and things like fertilizers are expected to cause rising prices, food shortages, and economic mayhem.

Building longer tables and not higher walls is something that will help us get through these times. Steps in the right direction will be things like gardening, sharing food, seeing others as collaborators and not competitors, and helping each other out when we can. We’ll need to find creative solutions together. We’ll be counting on each other in the coming times.

Something I’ve been doing recently is making my own cleaning and care products. It’s easy, it saves a lot of money, and it keeps that money out of the hands of large corporations. Here’s one of my earlier posts about living frugally. These are things I’ve learned to do through my own experience hard times.

I consider myself lucky to live in a community that’s been economically depressed for a long time, since we already have things like free boxes, events by donation, and covered areas where people can leave or take coats or children’s clothing. I like that these things allow people who don’t have much to keep our dignity intact. They’re the result of a culture of care that connects us.

I recently read about a group for children called Woodcraft Folk, that helps to instil values of egalitarianism, co-operation, community, peace, and respect for nature. I hope we’re able to start something like this in our community. What better way to help kids grow up to be caring people with a sense of purpose?

We’re living in such a consequential time. I hope we’re able to not only get through it, but to be intentional about the kind of world we’re creating together. If all of us pay a bit more attention and do what we can, we have better chances of getting there. We’re living the opposite of what we want in this moment, with its wars, genocide, environmental destruction, alienation, hopelessness, and despair. No one wants this kind of world except for the few who profit from it.

We deserve better, and we owe it to those who came before us who worked so hard for a better world. And we owe it to those who come after. It’s the most important legacy we can leave.

As we put down those stepping stones, we’ll gain experience, and get better at it, clarify our vision, and develop the skills we need to build that path well.

This world is too beautiful and the future too precious for us to give up now. And the more of us who work together for a better future, the more momentum we’ll build, making it all the more possible. As we find solutions, we’ll have the satisfaction of living with purpose and meaning.

Here’s an old song popularized where I live to inspire you. You Can Change the World. We can, and we will. And we’ll have fun doing it.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

The Strait of Hormuz is not an international waterway, as claimed by Trump and his cronies, And Iran has every right to regulate it.

In this article, Craig Murray explains why Iran has every right to regulate the Strait of Hormuz. It’s not considered international waters. From the article:

The Iranian government wants peace, but Trump is waffling, attacking Iran occasionally, and tellings lots of lies about the deal he’s making with Iran. And every wasted moment makes the economy worse. In this short video, Professor Marandi outlines the situation succinctly.

Trump started this war without a plan, lost it, and because of this is holding the global economy ransom while dithering about the deal he’s making. That puts the blame for the resulting economic fallout on Trump and his Zionist and Deep State backers.

True, the western economy has been tanking for decades as the wealth has concentrated into fewer hands and our economies have been gutted through privatization and deregulation.

But the recent aggression towards Iran has sped up this process and, unless something changes, we can be expecting severe economic hardship all over the western world very soon. The longer the nonsense from Trump goes on, the more likely it is that the western world will be plunged into a recession followed by a depression.

Since the Americans have lost this war, the terms of the agreement aren’t up to the American side. If Trump wants the war to stop, he needs to agree to Iran’s conditions. Full stop.

He knows this, but seems unwilling to negotiate in good faith, saying they’re close to a deal one moment, and threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone age the next. But does he have a choice? The Zionist lobby has so much control over Trump, and he seems unable to stand up to them for the sake of the economy and the greater good.

There’s been a carefully crafted narrative that surrounds this situation.

Jonathon Cook’s article breaks down the construction of the “unhinged Iranian” and how it’s become a trope deeply embedded in the minds of the gullible here in the west.

In this talk from BettBeat Media, Professor David Miller unpacks the origins of the ubiquity of racism and how it’s been funded and promoted.

These factors are what keep much of the western population hypnotized, making them believe that Iran wants a nuclear bomb (it doesn’t), that it’s primitive and that its people want to overthrow their government (most of them don’t).

In his letter to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Jeffrey Sachs describes the foolishness of American aggression towards Iran. Here’s an excerpt describing Iran’s position on nuclear weapons:

Here is Jeffrey Sachs on June 1st, 2026, commenting on the situation. I hope people will listen to him. I have so much admiration for his intelligence, moral clarity, and courage to speak out.

So, let’s get personal. Who else is pissed off that these buffoons that most of us in the western world didn’t vote for are dragging us into a depression because of their arrogance and incompetence?

I am so fed up with all this unnecessary death and destruction, and feeling helpless to do anything about it. Even though I write these posts and do all I can to bring about change.

It’s so damn frustrating.

Trump and Netanyahu continue their aggression to keep them out of jail. They’re holding the rest of the world hostage by their stupid antics.

They’re out of control, on a killing spree, destroying international law, and most of our wester governments are supporting them as they do this. What in hell is wrong with these people? They’re supposed to be representing our interests, not jumping to the whims of these psychopaths.

The bought politicians, the biased reporters, the gullible who believe the propaganda they’re being fed create a confluence of global devastation.

What about the nuclear winter they’re flirting with? What about the horrors of an ongoing genocide that few seem willing to try to stop? What about the environmental devastation that all this war and killing is causing? We hear very little about tipping points these days, but they’re still there.

And the continuing insult to our intelligence the accusation of anti-semitism gets us when we complain about Israel committing genocide, despite the number of Jewish people who stand with us.

Still, I’ll continue to do my best to create peace and build community in my little neck of the woods, and will continue to pay attention and write about what’s going on.

But, I admit, I’m mad as hell. And I wish I knew what to do about it.

Power to Iran and all groups who stand up to Israel, and to the messaging that cuts through all this garbage, such as the popular Lego videos. Power to politicians who are willing to speak out, like Avi Lewis. And power to all of us who are doing our bit to keep on keeping on.

Our moment will come.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Unfortunately, many who hold power in the western world don’t seem to understand this. Most want continued hegemony over the rest of the world, more war and more profits.

Many seem to be hypnotized by the steady hum of western systems of governance and finance; mostly those who benefit from them.

But these systems aren’t forces of nature, and they can and must be changed if we’re going to have a worthwhile future.

The western ruling class needs to experience an epiphany. That class includes the war profiteers, the Epstein class, and the people with more money than they know what to do with. From what I’ve seen of them, they’re miserable. And all that money and privilege isn’t buying them happiness.

Their empire is collapsing. As their world crumbles, the USA and its allies are doing a lot of stupid things. Because they have such a high opinion of themselves and such a low opinion of everyone else, they’re starting wars they can’t win, supporting Israel in its genocide — with the whole world watching the atrocities it commits on their screens — kidnapping or assassinating countries’ leaders, and regularly violating international law.

The western mainstream media loyally presents all this in a flattering light, skipping the atrocities and violations of international law, and presenting what the western empire does as the right thing. Many reporters are under the spell of the current system. As Upton Sinclair said back in 1934, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."

They’re digging the western world into a very deep hole. Isn’t it time we stopped digging?

Let’s take Iran and Russia as examples. They’re at fairly similar stages right now.

Iran has been negotiating with the USA to end hostilities, but the Americans have bombed two Iranian boats killing four people during these negotiations. The Americans started this war by bombing Iran unprovoked, killing close to 170 young girls at school. For the fourth time, the USA has bombed Iran in the midst of negotiating peace. How can they be trusted?

In Russia, with Ukraine acting as NATO’s proxy, the Americans just bombed a dormitory housing mostly young girls and women. Russia is now escalating militarily.

Both Russia and Iran want their rights and security guaranteed, but the west has violated agreements with them, has ignored their legitimate concerns, and has committed war crimes against them such as bombing civilians, schools, hospitals and nuclear facilities.

This is hard for many to believe, since both of these countries have been demonized consistently by the west. It’s become cemented into most people’s brains that we’re the good guys and they’re the bad guys, and that includes China, right?

Here’s a joint statement from Russia and China outlining their vision for the future. I’ve kept the headings but left out the text for the sake of brevity. You can read the full text here.

Don’t these sound like principles fit for the new millennium?

Each of us has a personal responsibility to decolonize our minds, and to broaden our understanding of geopolitics. That way, we can spot fake news and be savvy to what is actually going on in the world. And not unwittingly give our consent to western aggression. Something I do is refuse to consume media that takes as a given that a country is evil without explanation. As soon as I see something like that, I delete what I’m hearing or seeing.

Many of us give heartfelt land acknowledgments, but remain silent as our tax dollars fund Israel while it commits genocide. We’re witnessing the same colonialist impulse that drove our ancestors to destroy aboriginal people on the land we live on. And supporting it with our tax dollars while our countries provide diplomatic cover.

We recycle, use cloth bags and celebrate Earth Day, but ignore the devastating environmental destruction caused by war and genocide. This, as our countries become more militarized. We’re investing in killing people, and building pipelines and fossil fuel projects, enabled by the defunding of health care, education and environmental restoration projects.

Our political leaders spin this as nation building, but their priorities are all wrong. Those who control the western world are holding the rest of us hostage with their wars, fossil fuel development and propaganda.

Isn’t time we took off our colonialist glasses, and owned up to the destruction our countries cause? We live on a beautiful planet, and we have enough for everyone to have a good life, but that isn’t what those who hold the levers of power want.

Our activism is important. But we need to connect the dots between our groups, and sometimes help people involved in other movements. Social and environmental justice are interlinked locally and internationally. I’d like to see a loose alliance of movements that collaborate sometimes and attend some of each other’s events. I’d also like to see something like this at an international level. The powers that hold us back are global; maybe we need to find a way to be global too.

Can we imagine a peaceful world, where war has become obsolete, and we all have roofs over our head, plenty of good food, and are secure in our well-being? Where our children can be raised in healthy, hopeful environments and grow into their best selves?

That rising tide would truly float all boats. Even the wealthy are happier in functional societies.

Recently Jeremy Lent launched his latest book, Ecocivilization, which I’m sure will contain many ideas about how we transition away from the destructive civilizational path the western world is on. If his earlier two books are any indication, it will not disappoint.

All of us need to expand our imaginations, and the wealthier we are, the more room they have to grow.

Investing in our societies to make them greener, kinder and more sustaining might be less profitable for some, but will create the kind of world that we can all be proud of. And it will be a more pleasant place to live.

And for those of us who are struggling, I hope we can find ways of lightening our loads by joining with others: to buy food, for our living arrangements, for child care, and for enjoying ourselves.

There are alternatives to this hollowed out, shallow hustle that defines western society. Countries that invest in the well-being of their people and in environmental restoration are successful. We just have to look at China as proof.

Instead of viewing countries that succeed as threats, shouldn’t we in the west learn from them instead? Can we stop buying into the demonization of other countries? This gives the west permission to invade and destroy them. If we refuse, we don’t give our governments our complicity, and that in itself is a step towards peace.

People are sickened by the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and our tax dollars supporting Israel as it continues to commit atrocities. The illegal invasion of Iran by the USA and Israel has resulted in the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, and many are predicting a global depression because of this unprovoked, imbecilic move. Professor Marandi breaks down recent events in the region in this video.

It’s going to take radical action to get the world back on track. The most painless and efficient way of doing this is for our countries to implement versions of a Green New Deal that would restore our social safety nets and infrastructure, house and feed our populations, restore the environment on which we all depend for our lives, and transition away from fossil fuel use and war.

The economy was created by people, and it can and must be changed if we’re to reach a liveable future.

And it should be more than liveable. It should be wonderful, inspiring, and a place where we can all thrive and contribute.

We have the potential to create a new golden age where everyone benefits, where we value the wisdom of all cultures, and appreciate the beauty in all people.

Fulfillment is different for everyone. Can you imagine a world where we learn from each other, and don’t demand conformity? How much wiser would we be? How much richer in outlooks?

What if we focused on healing not just our societies and environments, but the people who feel the need to dominate others? I think of the girls and young women who were recently killed in Iran and Russia, and I have to wonder what kind of people get satisfaction from doing something so immoral? How can people boast about killing, raping and torturing Palestinians? How do we justify invading other countries and trying to impose our poisonous system on people who don’t want it?

There is something very wrong with people who support this, and they need to be deprogrammed. Because they’ve been brainwashed to find killing in wars, and all that goes with it, acceptable. The rest of us are also being brainwashed, and have to reflect on our own attitudes, and how they’ve been molded by Hollywood, mainstream media and messaging all around us that reinforces the acceptance of this senseless violence.

It’s barbarity, and it does not belong in this new millennium.

We’ve reached so many tipping points, and not just environmental. We either have to reach a level of cultural maturity or risk destroying ourselves and this beautiful planet that makes life possible.

Our choice is that stark, and what distracts us from it is mostly a lot of noise.

I truly hope we’ll find it within us to do the right thing, and finally make the western world, and everything it touches, great. Together let’s hold a vision of a better world, allow ourselves to be inspired by it, live it to the best of our ability until we’ve achieved the kind of world we desire.

The only thing standing in the way of peace and plenty for all is outmoded thinking and the systems that support it. Let’s imagine a better world into being, and together find the stepping stones that will get us there.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Our worldviews influence our behaviour, for better or worse.

Another phrase I’ve been fond of lately is ‘build longer tables, not higher walls’.

It implies inclusivity, and not suspicion and exclusion of others. It also implies concern for the greater good and not just for a small group.

Going through life being curious about, and not suspicious of, others is a way of being in the world that’s fun and exciting.

I like people who are friendly, kind and welcoming. I also think these people are happier. An inclusive worldview encourages enjoyment and appreciation while one based on suspicion encourages paranoia and hostility.

My friends don’t conform to some kind of checklist. I suppose if I met a fascist who was friendly, kind and welcoming, I might consider befriending them, but that’s never happened to me.

Something I’ve noticed about the geopolitical commentators I listen to (you can read about some of them here and here) is that they seem to genuinely like each other. I also share their basic values: they oppose the genocide in Gaza and the attack by the USA and Israel on Iran, are careful to get their facts straight, and desire a peaceful and just world. I genuinely wonder if the commentators of the right wing blogosphere actually like each other.

It’s interesting that a lot of young men are bonding in alt right circles, while in many places, women tend to be more left leaning. Would these men would be happier with more altruistic, inclusive and forward thinking attitudes? Those seeking relationships would increase their likelihood of connecting with women, and would have better chances of getting together with someone. After all, peace, love and understanding are damn sexy!

How does all this impact people’s mental health?

I can’t help but think of these people as opposed to, say, Trump supporters. His so-called 5D chess involves lying, obfuscating, thuggery, fleecing the public purse, and ignoring national and international law. What kinds of values do people absorb when they support Trump and his ilk? And how does this affect them at a personal level?

If I thought lying, thuggery and blaming women or other identifiable groups for my problems were admirable characteristics, it wouldn’t make me a very nice person. Going through life with values thay way would make for a lot of unpleasantness and loneliness.

Here’s another reversed saying: ‘garbage out, garbage in’. When you are steeped in misinformation and have crappy values, the way you navigate life will not be pleasant. When you project those attitudes, what will you receive? Probably a lot of garbage. People like to be treated with kindness, and connect easily with people who care about others. Being friendly and curious about people who are different from us is so much more enjoyable than being suspicious and unfriendly.

Dishonesty is something that really rubs me the wrong way. People who lie are manipulators. They tell you things in order to get certain results. If I find out someone’s been dishonest with me, I tend to avoid them.

And thuggery, not a chance! I don’t think any explanation is needed for this one.

Fleecing the public purse? More money to a billionaire at the expense of the public well-being? It’s not the direction I want to see our tax dollars take.

A desire for a better future, on the other hand, brings out the best in us. Doesn’t it make sense to have a worldview that envisions a healthier, kinder and more peaceful world?

And why do we have laws? To keep the public safe, and to make sure hard won international norms are maintained, right? So when we ignore them, we risk sinking into a state of barbarism, which is where much of the world is right now.

The sad thing is, algorithms, Hollywood and mainstream news all encourage us to see things in certain ways. If an unsuspecting person goes through a rabbit hole online about some issue, it’s likely they’ll come out the other end much more right wing.

Hollywood has worked with the CIA to promote certain portrayals of the west and its role in the world. And generally the message they send makes the west look like the good guys, with other countries seeming to be evil, stupid and backwards. These views are reinforced by what our news media does and doesn’t report, video games and other cultural messaging.

Meanwhile, much of the western world is run by the Epstein class. Isn’t this a good reason to re-examine our cultural assumptions?

The powers that profit from our misery will encourage fascism over more idealistic and peace loving views every time. This takes the focus off the system that’s sucking us dry and onto women, or immigrants, or whatever group is being demonized.

We have learned a lot of ‘truths’ because we’ve heard them so often from so many different sources. They’ve been cemented into our psyches through repetition.

This isn’t surprising when media concentration is prevalent. For example, take your thoughts about Russia and China — what comes to mind when you think of these two countries? And how do your impressions stack up to these countries’ recent Declaration on Multipolarity?

What about Iran, and how do your opinions of this country jive with Professor Marandi’s talks? Here’s a video from Sharmine Narwani of The Cradle (as in the cradle of civilization) that helps to explain the situation in the region. Danny Haiphong always delivers quality geopolitical analysis from many well informed commentators.

What we believe about the world shapes the way we interact with it. So when we make sure our sources are accurate, and care about the kind of future we’re creating together, we will most likely have a more enjoyable experience, and our lives will be more meaningful. And our political decisions will be more informed and accurate.

When we build longer tables instead of higher walls, we encourage community instead of isolation and paranoia. We find ways of sharing instead of just looking out for number one. And there are more pleasant interaction with others.

When we genuinely care about the state of the world, it’s reflected in what we do from day to day, and people are more drawn to us.

I hope more of us can take this generous and community minded approach.

* * * * * * *

On a different note, for anyone who’s struggled through Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks, this video really helps to explain his work. I found this lecture pertinent to the situation we’re in today.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

When everything is so hard — essentials unaffordable, a divided society, political turmoil — it’s difficult to be calm and reasonable.

There’s a certain kind of soul weariness that sets in after decades of austerity, the gig economy, hidden charges, witnessing genocide on our screens, the senseless wars and the dread of wildfires each summer brings.

We lash out, and that makes our situation worse. How do we cope in these times? How can we be intentional when we’re under so many pressures?

How can we look out for others when we can barely look after ourselves?

How do we model reasonableness to our kids instead of snapping at them? How do we find it in ourselves to be kind and gentle when we’re exhausted?

I wish I knew. I wish my words could provide some relief.

Maybe we have to be the balm we seek, and be that gentle presence. Maybe the change we need to be in the world is gentle, altruistic and courteous. Maybe a humble simplicity coupled with discernment will be the way we change course together.

Is there a chance we can reach out to others to share our burdens? Can we somehow create communities of support?

It’s easy to preach loving kindness, but harder to practice when we’re stretched thin.

Something that helps me is looking at the big picture, and trying to understand why we’re in this predicament. It shows me that I’m not alone, that others are feeling as bad or worse, and that kindness helps. It encourages me to honour the dignity of those around me, and helps me to feel understanding when people aren’t at their best.

I’ve worried for decades about rising fascism, and right now it’s obvious to see where it comes from. After year after year of grinding austerity there’s a longing for order, for a romanticized ‘good old days’, for the dream that, like sand, somehow slipped through our fingers.

Many of us connect with others through rage.

We blame our troubles on immigrants, or women or whoever we decide toppled the apple cart. It’s easier than looking up to see who orchestrated this, and who continues to profit from our misfortune.

Where does this lead?

Some say we’re all Palestinians now, and I wonder if there’s truth to this. If we stay on this trajectory, being manipulated by those who profit from our misery, this might well turn out to be true.

But we can look up, and see the people who have so much money that they don’t know what to do with it. They buy politicians, media outlets and entertainment industries.

What are we to these people? Soldiers to fight their stupid wars, cheap labour, entertainment as they pit us against each other, our differences weaponized. We’re people to be used in various ways, as we’ve learned through the Epstein files. And they’ve propagandized us to look up to them.

But we don’t have to. What if we looked up and yanked back on the strings they use to control us? What if we refused to fall for their cheap tricks?

What if we banded together and created support systems, using strategies we’ve gleaned over time immemorial from all around the world?

We have this ability.

This issue is on many minds right now, as we look at the future and wonder how we can help to steer things in a better direction.

Many are asking this question. In this article, Jeremy Lent discusses our task ahead as humanity. And in this article Vijay Prashad considers Tuvalu and how we build the future together. And here’s what Professor Marandi has to say about our situation. Like so many, I find his voice sensible and encouraging.

To my mind, we have a duty to figure this out; a duty to those who came before us who worked so hard for a better future, to our children and grandchildren, to the healed world that is entirely possible, and to the future of all of life.

This duty isn’t a burden; it’s what connects us through empathy and concern. It’s what gives our lives meaning, and is the foundation of the common courtesy and kindness that helps us get along in community.

This duty is what makes life worth living, filling it with heartfelt connections, and helping us to discern between what’s worthwhile and what’s not.

Can we rise to this terrifyingly potent moment? Can we look around and see others as our allies and not as our competitors? Can we build longer tables together instead of higher walls?

This, in a nutshell, is what we need to do to get to a better world. Society has an obligation to ensure that all its members have what they need. It is the responsibility of government to create the conditions where everyone can thrive, and where we can live in peace.

And when our governments refuse to live up to their responsibilities, it’s up to the rest of us to enable these conditions. We can start with civility, understanding and courtesy.

We can notice that our destinies are tied together, and that we need solidarity. It’s the starting point for the transition to the kind of world that allows all of us to thrive.

Maybe a new aesthetic will emerge. Who isn’t tired of the noise and tackiness, the ocean of plastic we’re swimming in, and the endless advertisements?

Who doesn’t crave the dignity of simple graciousness? Or the ease that courtesy, empathy, and equanimity provide?

What would our societies be like if we were intentional about these things? Consideration, nuance, subtlety, modesty — all these qualities have been drowned out in our dog eat dog culture. Can we transcend the barbarity that’s being encouraged for something that would be much more rewarding? This kind of gentle rebellion could usher in a new sensibility.

From a place like this, we’d probably make more constructive decisions. Slowly our soul weariness could begin to ease a little. We might find ourselves somewhat more calm knowing we’re not alone amidst the current madness.

We need big changes, sure, but these kinds of small changes might provide the grounding for us to make them.

What we’re up against is going to require our unity, strength and self discipline. With what’s going on in the Strait of Hormuz, we could be facing a depression in much of the world. And that will make our solidarity essential.

We’ve been experiencing the effects of austerity for decades and it’s only getting worse. Here’s Avi Lewis describing our plight.

We have people running our global economy who have no concern for the rest of us. They want us to accept the genocide in Gaza, endless war, environmental breakdown and grinding poverty so that they can retain power.

We are all Palestinians now, and we need to learn to be as courageous as they are. We have to learn the skills of people who have succeeded against oppressive powers.

Here’s an excerpt from an article by Sean Griobhtha that describes the struggle we are all up against.

“Biko understood what Frantz Fanon had articulated in The Wretched of the Earth and what Malcolm X had lived: that the most effective weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

These are our minds he talked about. And they’re where our liberation begins.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Let’s face it: we’re awash in misinformation and disinformation. Many claim that the USA — and by implication consumers of American news and entertainment — have the most propagandized population in the world. And with the concentration of so many news and entertainment outlets into so few hands, my inclination is to believe it.

How many of us have made assumptions about an issue only to find out that they were completely false after receiving new information? I know I have.

The thing is, we become attached to our opinions. They become cornerstones of our worldview. And sometimes when they’re challenged, we feel threatened.

There’s a lot I don’t know about community building, but something I do understand is the importance of valuing relationships more than our opinions.

We’re all navigating through the fog of war, AI, and rampant misinformation and disinformation, and through very challenging times. We often don’t know what kinds of pressures people are under. So doesn’t it make sense to establish caring relationships before arguing over who’s right?

Aren’t we all better off when we treat each other respectfully instead of being confrontational, and when we discuss things instead of arguing?

When we put our relationships first, everyone’s burden is eased a little. I think we have a bit of a head start here in the Kootenays, which is so community oriented. And I hope we all lean into this, and continue building longer tables, and not higher walls together.

As the song goes, “Let the years we’re here be kind, let our hearts like doors open wide.”

We don’t know what the future holds, but whatever surprises we’re faced with, common decency and treating each other with kindness and respect will help to smooth some of the rough edges.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Basically Russia, China and Iran and other BRICS countries have organized themselves in a way that helps to shield them from the western aggression that has been going on for centuries. Africa, particularly the Sahel region, is also asserting its independence.

Right now, the only option that seems possible to the powerful of the west is endless war. So they reject peace agreements with Russia and Iran, and consider China the ultimate threat to their system. Why? Because China is successful economically and ensures a good life for its citizens through its left wing political system.

It’s all that’s visible when looking through the neoliberal lens that the powerful in the west have been conditioned to see the world through.

The western playbook has its citizens desperate for work. It opposes unions, privatizes services to make them profit generators, and deregulates government so that it doesn’t hinder business interests.

It’s great for profiteers, but not good for the rest of us, either where we live or in other countries around the world. Here’s an in depth description of our situation translated from Italian by Ismaele of GeopolitiQ. The following excerpt is particularly telling:

In a sort of “heterogony of ends”, Trump’s policies, openly aimed at restoring full US global dominance, are producing precisely the opposite effect, accentuating the contradiction between rising debt and the weakening of the means to finance it. According to Trump, the tariff policy was supposed to allow for the repatriation of manufacturing production to the US and a reduction in debt. In reality, any repatriation is likely to occur only in relation to those sectors that are more strategic or linked to the military-industrial complex.

The real aim of the tariffs was to draw foreign capital into the US, trading lower tariffs for billion-Dollar investments in productive and financial assets, such as long-term Treasuries. Instead, as we have seen, the tariffs risk jamming the very mechanism of global demand for Treasuries. The use of military force, on the other hand, was supposed to shore up the petrodollar and US global dominance, yet it is actually weakening them.

The truth is that technological dominance, multi-billion-Dollar military budgets, and the superiority of weapons of destruction are not always sufficient to subdue the adversary, nor do they spare one from committing glaring errors. In calculating the equation with which he was supposed to find a solution to the American crisis, Trump failed to take into account the unwillingness of the average American citizen to be dragged into yet another bloody adventure abroad and, above all other factors, the determination and resilience of Iran and its people.

The fact remains that, however much their presidents may change, if the US retains its imperialist nature, the danger of the outbreak of tremendously destructive wars will always remain high.

What works for this elite group threatens us all. We have major world problems that need to be solved, such as social upheaval and environmental degradation. Wars don’t solve these things.

This group of people has revealed themselves through the Epstein files, through their support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and through the steady decline of western societies and economies. And they have all the time and money in the world, as well as think tanks, media outlets, Hollywood and entertainment industries. It propagandizes its citizens, and then believes its own propaganda.

Now that this group has its backs against the wall, with western economies crumbling, their debt rising, and non-western countries organizing themselves through groups like BRICS so that they can be less easily exploited, the powerful of the western world are lashing out.

And this particular moment is particularly threatening. The illegal invasion of Iran by the USA and Israel has resulted in the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz for the invading countries and their allies. Already, fertilizers have been blocked, and it’s past planting season for many food growers. If this isn’t settled soon oil prices, and consequently everything else because of rising shipping costs, rise, there will be food shortages, because the necessary fertilizers haven’t gotten to growers on time. Many are predicting a depression.

We’re not ready for this.

And to get ready, we need to understand our situation, and we need to find a way to band together all around the world. We need an international grassroots solidarity movement so we can stand up for ourselves and everything we hold dear: our planet and all the life she supports, our communities, the services we rely on, and our unique ways of life.

We have to elect people with these values to office, and we need folks on the ground who will insist on policies based on progressive values, and make their implementation unstoppable.

We aren’t just bystanders; we have power and when we organize we can use it to change the world for the better.

If we’re facing a depression, we need to pressure our governments to make life’s essentials affordable. This could be through annual basic liveable incomes, public grocery stores, housing and telecom services, and other instruments to ease our financial burdens. It’s time we stopped investing in the military and used diplomacy instead, and to put the money we save into the essential transition to more life affirming societies.

The economy is not a force of nature, and we need to make it serve humanity and not just a very few at the expense of everyone and everything else.

We need longer tables, and not higher walls. And, as they say, if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.

The trajectory we’re on leads to all of us facing food shortages, endless war, environmental devastation, and corruption and barbarity in all its ugly manifestations. And we need to understand this, and use our collective power to change course.

Vincent Bevins cautions us through his book If We Burn that our movements need to clearly articulate what it is we want, and guard against infiltration that has sabotaged so many. Our demands must be clear, and we have to hold ourselves and each other to them.

I suggest that we make some broad, non-negotiable demands, like affordable food and housing, decrease in military spending, transition to green energy and restoration of public services, money out of politics, and an emphasis on peace and diplomacy between countries, while leaving room for specific issues that are important to each region.

BRICS is doing something like this, and has developed shared BRICS principles. And in Canada, the creators of the Leap Manifesto attempted to hammer out a common vision between social and environmental movements a number of years ago. Both of these could be good places to start in developing a shared global vision.

We’ve seen higher gas prices, but it’s been predicted that we won’t feel the full impact of what will happen for another month or two. It’s a great time to stock up on dried goods, build community and tend our gardens. And to think about the kind of future we want instead of what’s to come.

When it hits the fan, we can expect to see a rise in fascism as people blame each other for their problems, and we can’t afford to do that. It’s not fair, and it deflects attention to those who have caused our problems and who are profiting from the wars and the systems that are behind all this.

We’re up against a system that has all the time, money, think tanks, and compliant media that works overtime to convince us that war and austerity are necessary, that it’s immigrants (or boomers, or women or some other identifiable group) to blame for our economic woes. We can’t fall for this.

There is enough for all of us to live peaceful, productive and harmonious lives; we have the ability and technology to transition to a greener, kinder more life affirming world and we’re connected in a way that enables us to share our vision, ideas and strategies. I hope we have the wisdom to make the right moves.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

In what many agree is a collapsing empire, in this moment of an ongoing genocide, unprovoked wars, environmental breakdown and AI, people in the west are trying to navigate through a thick fog of misinformation about what’s going on in the world.

Many turn away in overwhelm, confusion and exhaustion, but some brave souls dig for the truth, and then share it with the rest of us.

And many pay a steep price.

It was a bright spot seeing Julian Assange step into a plane after years of imprisonment for the crime of accurate reporting. His years long ordeal was a warning to truth tellers everywhere.

Some of the ways honest reporters are targeted are subtle. Consortium News, which won the 2023 Julian Assange Award for their excellent coverage of Mr. Assange’s ordeal, and a news source that I’ve come to trust over many years, had my donation to them declined. When I called my credit union to ask why, they said they were on a list of companies that were suspicious. I contacted the team at Consortium News about this, and my donation went through, but this was the first they’d heard of this.

These days, reporting on what is really happening puts people at great risk.

Professor Marandi, for example, has a one million dollar price on his head put there by Israel. He lives in Tehran and gives regular updates about the war against Iran in a way that’s engaging, earnest and courageous. Like many, I check my youtube feed every day to see that he’s safe, and tune into his interviews.

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, was sanctioned for doing her work by the Donald Trump administration.

Albanese is the first and only UN special rapporteur to be the target of US sanctions for her work, after the Donald Trump administration imposed financial and visa sanctions on her last year for her work documenting human rights abuses in occupied Palestine, which includes engagement with the ICC and international justice institutions.

She was recently awarded the Order of Civil Merit by Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. I only found out about this while searching for information on her for this post. It received little attention in the western mainstream media. Congratulations, Ms. Albanese. Your work, courage and dedication are so appreciated.

Reporters in Gaza, and now in Lebanon, are risking their lives to let us know what’s happening. To date, close to 300 journalists reporting Israel’s war crimes have been killed since October, 2023.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said in a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day that the situation for journalists in Gaza is a “death trap.”

“Israel’s war in Gaza has become a death trap for the media. My Office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023, with many more injured,” Türk said.

Türk urged States to investigate all violations against media workers and expressed alarm at the lack of accountability for killings of journalists, be they happen in country in conflict or elsewhere.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, over 300 journalists were jailed in 2025.

For the fifth year in a row, more than 300 journalists were imprisoned worldwide as of the end of 2025, according to CPJ’s annual prison census. These record-setting numbers reflect growing authoritarianism and escalating numbers of armed conflicts worldwide. Often, journalists are held under cruel and life-threatening conditions – “a cemetery of the living,” as one freed Palestinian prisoner described it.

Many imprisoned journalists bear these dangers for a long time, according to the census, an annual snapshot of journalists imprisoned as of 12:01 a.m. on December 1. More than one-third of the 330 in the 2025 census are serving terms of more than five years. Nearly half have never been sentenced at all, and of those, 26% have languished in jail without sentences for five years or more. Such detentions are in violation of international law, which requires fair trials without undue delay.

The list of reporters arrested for doing their jobs is long, but here is just one example.

Syrian-British independent journalist, Richard Medhurst, was arrested in 2024 at the Heathrow Airport in London for criticizing the controversial anti-terrorism law.

Medhurst—who is known for his work opposing U.S., British, and Israeli war crimes in the Middle East and for his advocacy for formerly imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange—said on social media Tuesday: “I criticized the Terrorism Act before getting on the plane, then got arrested under the Terrorism Act upon landing. Can’t make this up.”

Some of today’s heroes are made of plastic — really! OK, they’re actually the medium, but these lego videos created by Brick Beat Batallion are wonderful, and are going viral. Here’s one I saw a few minutes ago. It’s good to know that targeting plastic toys is difficult.

American exceptionalism, white supremacy, colonialism, hegemonic aspiration or whatever you want to call it is the water we swim in here in the west. Although many of us don’t fall for it, at least certain aspects of it, the people who lead our countries often do. They’ve revealed themselves with their support for Israel’s genocide of Gaza.

It’s humanity’s job now to create systems that serve the greater good, and elect people to office who have a vision based on fairness, peace and sustainability. This violent, isolating water we swim in is baked into our concept of what it means to be human, and we need to reimagine ourselves, and our world.

A confused and disinterested public is a public that unintentionally gives its consent to whatever their government does. To encourage this, the powerful of the west want to bombard us with misinformation. Mainstream media is biased, and if we’re not paying attention, it’s easy to be misled.

I’ve shared some of the sources I’ve come to trust here and here, but there are others as well. I’ve noticed that these people have an easy rapport with and genuine fondness for each other. They appear as guests on each other’s shows, and their authenticity and mutual respect shine through. They’re modelling the kind of caring community so many crave.

These folks who take so many risks to keep us informed are the real superheroes of our time. They deserve our attention, as they help us cut through the fog of war.

I hope you’ll find one or two that resonate with you, and tune in to get a sense of what’s happening on the ground. Lately, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to Professor Marandi, Laith Marouf and The Cradle, all based in west Asia where the USA and Israel are wreaking havoc.

The more we understand what’s actually going on, the more empowered we are to make the kinds of changes our world needs. We can’t afford to be misled in these volatile times.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

My understanding is that government is supposed to be for the people by the people. I interpret that to mean they’re supposed to make life better for its citizens and deal constructively with the problems facing our countries and our world. Makes sense, right?

What if governments aren’t intrinsically evil, as we’ve been led to believe, but are just doing a really bad job of doing what they’re supposed to do? As Avi Lewis says, “The point of government is to step up and govern when the market fails to deliver what people need for a price they can actually afford.”

We pay taxes, and those funds are supposed to go towards making life better for the population of a country. Our taxes are supposed to provide quality hospitals, education, daycare, elder care, roads, infrastructure and those sorts of things.

The more these things are done by government the less they cost us, since when services are privatized, there has to be room for a profit margin, which is often hefty. Government services don’t need to make a profit — they’re paid for by our tax dollars.

As a friend of mine says, “If we don’t want government to provide services, which gangsters do we want to provide them instead?”

In the western world, the past few decades has demonized government and encouraged deregulation and privatization through neoliberal government systems. And now here we are, our countries broke, our infrastructure crumbling, environmental issues being ignored, and focusing on militarization. The numbers of people who can’t afford food and housing is growing every year, while the rich have profited enormously — the wealth gap being the highest it’s been for a very long time.

Is this really the trajectory we want to continue along? Shouldn’t the new millennium usher in a saner, cleaner and kinder world than the one we have now?

We have the skills, connectedness and resources to feed and house everyone on the planet. Instead we have wealth inequality, endless war and are descending into a state of barbarism where a president brags about acts of piracy, and the wealthy who pull the strings and control the news and entertainment media tell us that we’re anti-semitic if we oppose an ongoing genocide, and normalize our lousy state of affairs.

The problem with our governments is that the moneyed have too much influence on them.

Right now, international law and human decency are being ripped to shreds. There’s a bully in the Whitehouse and no one is stopping him. As a matter of fact, our governments and media are quietly supporting him and his allies. We’re increasing military budgets, sending weapons parts to the USA and Israel, and our news and entertainment media are providing diplomatic cover.

How do we stop him? By being strategic. And I hope enough Americans use this strategy to bring him down. There are laws that can and should be utilized. And we need to do all we can if we live in other countries as well.

Also, check out this brilliant bit of strategy used by Iran explained by Lawrence Wilkerson. (The video I had linked to has since been removed. It looked like Lawrence Wilkerson to me, so I don’t think it was AI, but I think it was just too humiliating to the USA war effort. It discussed the conditions on the American ships and how well orchestrated their dilemma had been managed by Iran.) Kind of makes Trump’s 5D chess look like BS, doesn’t it?

There is no reason that international disputes should be settled by wars. Wars are the ultimate money grab at the expense of everyone and everything: people, the environment, homes, infrastructure. Why should the rich make bundles of money when working class people on all sides get killed, and their property and lands destroyed?

Instead of war, our governments need to focus on diplomacy and in making international law enforceable, and applied equally to all countries.

And our countries need to work together to address issues around peace and the environment, and support efforts to make sure everyone is housed, has enough to eat, and has the ability to live up to their potential.

When we observe the world we live in, we see that the moneyed are looking out for themselves. The Epstein files have revealed what many in power do with that power, and it doesn’t benefit the rest of us by any stretch.

It’s up to all of us to insist on governments doing what they’re supposed to do, which is working for the greater good. We need to elect people to office who are capable of standing up to those whose greed has gotten us to the dystopia so many of us are living now.

And we need to do all we can to support these people.

It’s up to all of us to make a lot of noise and get this done, in every way we can. We need to use our voices and all the power we have to bring about change for the better.

The time is ripe. This miserable state we’ve reached is not sustainable, and those who’ve brought us to this point can’t provide any options, because they can’t see anything outside their neoliberal mindsets. If it doesn’t turn a profit, it’s off the table for many of the moneyed.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has brought things to a head, and it looks like the world will be facing an economic depression, and perhaps a world war.

For many, the temptation will be to blame others: boomers, immigrants, women, whatever other group they can scapegoat. And that’s exactly what the profiteers want. It deflects the focus off of them and redirects it towards others. That way, those who profit from war and destruction can just carry on without interference.

This moment needs our action and our solidarity. If we’re facing a depression, our governments who have enabled this state owe us guaranteed liveable annual incomes. We have to have access to affordable groceries and housing, and a transition to a peaceful, stable world. We need a world where we can work together to restore our environment, our communities and ourselves.

How do we afford it? We tax the wealthy and the corporations that have been raking in record profits. And we insist that our governments spend less on military and more on making life liveable. We stop privatizing everything, and we regulate corporations, get money out of politics and do all we can to make governments democratic, functional, and in service to the greater good.

And we need a new emphasis on diplomacy instead of the thuggery we’re seeing now. All of the current wars could have been prevented if all sides listened to each other and addressed each other’s legitimate concerns. Diplomacy is the art of bringing peace among nations, and we need it now more than ever.

We also have to get western governments to stop interfering in the affairs of other countries. It would make more sense to stop funding agencies like the CIA and Mossad, and start paying a fair price for the resources we need.

Richard Medhurst wrote an excellent article about the latest fossil fuel grab by the USA. I can’t help but relish the thought of all countries adopting green technologies — solar panels, heat pumps, electrified public transit and delivery trucks — to the point where we barely need fossil fuels anymore. We’d be bringing down greenhouse gas emissions, and leaving the USA with crude that is worthless. It’s poetic justice.

There is no reason we should suffer because of the foolishness of our governments. We have to insist that they do better, and start doing what they’re supposed to do. I, for one, am not willing to suffer and see others suffer because of the buffoonery of an idiot president and his morally bankrupt backers.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

Who knows? Maybe this will all get sorted out, but I like to be prepared for the worst anyways.

Since it looks as though times will be getting a lot tougher, I thought some of you might appreciating what my experience of living frugally has taught me.

Let’s face it: it’s been like watching a slow motion train wreck observing western societies and economies deteriorate. It’s like the inevitable end of the ponzi scheme, or the falling house of cards, as our countries and its citizens become steeped in debt, deindustrialized and corrupted. With the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz this could all accelerate, and we need to do what we can to prepare.

Living frugally is something I’ve always done, and at times I’ve lived more frugally than I’d like. Living in an economically depressed region for the past twenty years has its pitfalls and benefits. I love it here, and it’s taught me a lot about living on a tight budget.

One of the benefits of living in an economically depressed area is that there are lots of support systems in place already. Some businesses that have a covered porch have a rack where people can leave winter coats or children’s clothes that all are welcome to help themselves or contribute to. There are seed and seedling exchanges, and cultural events that are by donation.

I like that these systems don’t shame anyone with means testing, and it fits well with the community’s values of caring and concern for others.

Something I’d like to do in my tiny community is start a small laundromat where people could have a bowl of soup by donation, and where there are spaces for seasonal sharing: coats, mitts and boots in the winter, seeds and seedlings in the spring, excess produce in the summer and fall.

On a personal level, I make my own cleaning and personal care products. I’ve done this for a number of years and have saved a lot of money, and the products are as good or better than what can be purchased. If you’d like recipes for any of these — tooth paste, general cleaner, laundry soap, shampoo — please let me know and I’ll be happy to share them.

I buy second hand, patronize and leave free boxes out with whatever I no longer need. I find enjoyable things to do that are free like playing cards or boardgames. I’ve been vegan for decades and love the food I eat. It takes a bit of creativity, but my food is delicious, nutritious and easy to prepare. That might be too extreme for some, but cutting down on meat, eggs and dairy will save money. Beans and rice cost a lot less than steak and eggs. There are a lot of great vegan and vegetarian cookbooks out there, and I’m in the process of writing one.

I do some things that save money and build community like having weekly potlucks and meditation sessions, and ordering bulk food with friends. I buy from Organic Matters and Real Raw Foods which are both in Canada, where I live. There are probably some organic food wholesalers where you live, but if not, Organic Matters ships to anywhere in the world.

We can grow food either in our own yards or with others in a community garden. And we can wildcraft. So many wild foods are edible, tasty and nutritious. A good plant to start with is the humble dandelion. I supplement my meals with dandelion greens that are young and tender. They can get bitter as they age. It’s important to make sure we pick them from areas that are uncontaminated.

Travel can be a lot less expensive when we bike, take the bus or share rides with others who are travelling to where we’re going. And shared housing is a big money saver.

If the economy takes a turn for the worst, it will help to be prepared. I hope we manage to get through this time without seeing the economy collapse, but these things can soften the blow for awhile.

And we can’t afford to forget what got us to this place. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz is the direct result of the USA and Israel attacking Iran without provocation, killing many of its leaders, negotiators and citizens for no good reason. The USA has shown itself to be agreement incapable, breaking every ceasefire agreement it has made with Iran.

This situation was completely avoidable. Before the USA’s and Israel’s war of choice, which is existential for Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was open to all countries. Trump and Netanyahu have changed this, probably irreversibly. And we’re going to hear mainstream media blame Iran for this. Just look at who controls the news.

If worst comes to worst, I hope we decide to build longer tables instead of higher walls. We’re in this together, and community is where we can utilize all of our skills for the common good. Solidarity is what will save us, and community building is how we create the bonds that will carry us through whatever is to come.

PS - since someone requested the recipes for the non-food items, I figure others might appreciate them too. So here they are:

Shampoo

Add 3 parts horsetail, to 1 part lavender and 1 part rosemary to a large container of boiling water. Let this steep for 24 hours and then strain. This shampoo doesn’t suds, but leaves your hair lustrous and clean.

All Purpose Spray Cleaner

Almost fill a 500 ml spray bottle with water. Add 2 tbsps of white vinegar, 1/2 tsp of olive oil and a few drops of peppermint oil. I prefer the peppermint oil from Chinese medicine shops. It cleans beautifully.

Tooth Powder

Combine 1 part baking soda, 1 part stevia powder and 1 part calcium bentonite clay powder in a small container. Wet your toothbrush and sprinkle the mixture on it to clean your teeth.

Laundry Soap

Grate 1/3 of a bar of soap into a 1 gal plastic bucket and add a small amount of boiling water. After the soap has dissolved add 1/2 C washing soda and 1/4 C borax. Fill the bucket with hot water and combine these ingredients. Use 1/2 C per load of laundry.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a kufiya: https://www.kufiya.org/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

When we take a look under the hood, we see the power behind the politicians, the support for an ongoing genocide, and the prioritizing of military spending over investment in policies that benefit our societies. These are structures that orchestrate an almost invisible realm beyond personalities and countries.

We need to examine these things closely, and adjust our activism so that it focuses more on these mechanisms rather than just on the players.

Not that the players should get a free ride — of course not — but the systems that direct the action, that quietly profit, and chug along no matter who is in power need to be exposed and dismantled.

The veto powers at the UN Security Council that disable action to prevent genocide, the war profiteers who influence our news and entertainment, the money behind the politicians — all of those things need to be exposed, and then stopped. And that includes where the money in our pension funds is invested, the NGOs who impose their western biases on other countries, and other seemingly benign forces.

These forces are much more than the emperor’s clothes; they’re more like the actual emperor, with leaders or countries being the clothes. We mistake what’s visible for the actual power behind what goes on.

This article discussing No Kings demonstrations makes the point clearly. Thanks to Ismaele of GeoPolitiQ for translating it from its original Italian writing.

The people profiting behind the scenes have most of the money in the world, and most of the power. They use a lot of it to convince us that what they’re doing is somehow justified, that wars and austerity are necessary, that we need to be afraid of certain groups who they scapegoat and blame for our misfortunes, and that we should aspire to be more like those powerful people.

Why would they work so hard to get the likes of Trump elected? To my thinking, it’s because after decades of neoliberalism, the exporting of our jobs to countries with leaner labour and environmental regulations, privatization and deregulation that funnels the money to the rich and away from what ordinary people need — now that so many of us are desperate and our societies and infrastructure are crumbling — they’re scared. They need someone as unpredictable as Trump to cover for their last money grab before things inevitably fall apart, and they need a fall guy.

There are alternatives, and they’re reasonable and doable. We have to look out for them and seize them when they come along. As an example, here is Avi Lewis presenting some of his excellent policies. His short videos always give me a boost, and they might just give you a boost too, where ever you are.

Remember what happened after October 7th, 2023? As soon as it became apparent that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, we heard a chorus of voices all over the western world accusing those of us who objected to this genocide as being anti-semitic. Honestly, something in my brain exploded when I saw the extent and co-ordination of the global powers we’re up against.

Or what about the austerity and pro-war budgets all over the western world that no one voted for? It’s brought violence, poverty and hopelessness to so many. This is a joint effort by a class of people with too much money and no concern for the rest of us. We need to face this fact, and act accordingly.

It’s time we started a wide spread movement that understands the global nature of our problems.

We in the west need to organize around some goals that get our countries out of the pockets of the rich, revitalize our social programs and our manufacturing sectors, create peaceful societies and address our concerns, many of which are unique to the new millennium, such as new technologies and environmental issues.

We also need to support things like the BDS movement, co-ops, credit unions and other things that keep money in our communities, and out of the hands of those who use it for nefarious purposes.

We need to take care of ourselves and each other, and do our best to live the kind of world we want into being: treat each other with respect and decency, create support systems, and vote people like Avi Lewis into office. We need to stay on the lookout for opportunities to steer the world in a better direction, and seize them when we find them.

And we need to deconstruct the propaganda. Professor Marandi has a million dollar price tag on his head because he’s so good at doing this. Here’s an example of him explaining things. Western propaganda is still being laid on thick and heavy, and that’s why Marandi’s voice is such a threat to Israel and the USA. Many of us check every day to make sure he’s safe.

Although geopolitics is presented in mainstream media as both boring and really complicated, when you get the whole story it looks a lot different. This is a volatile, incredibly momentous time, and we’re being subjected to all manner of censorship, disinformation and propaganda. If we don’t actively seek out the truth, we are probably being misled.

Today’s truth tellers are up against unimaginable barriers. The million dollar price tag on Professor Marandi’s head is just the tip of the iceberg. Reporters in war zones are being murdered in record numbers. Some are having their assets frozen. They’re being harassed relentlessly. Because what they report is like dynamite to the lies we’re being fed. And much of their reporting is fantastic. If you’re not paying attention, you’re missing high quality reporting by people who have their fingers on the global pulse.

The big question now is how do we address this system that is mostly invisible to us? How do we agree on some basic values we want to live by and then make them real?

My vision for the future doesn’t include war or heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Instead it depends on diplomacy, clean energy economies, societies steeped in care, and technology utilized so that it makes life better for all of us.

And it includes actual democracy which, in my opinion, we don’t have right now. Government for the rich by the rich cannot be considered democracy, and this is what we have all over the western world.

I’d like political candidates to be screened to make sure they’re capable of doing the job. I’d also like to see money removed from politics and profit making removed from life’s essentials like housing and groceries.

So let’s take a look under the hood, see what we can find, and figure out how to fix this thing. It’s not working, it’s endangering all of us, and it needs a major overhaul. This jalopy needs to become a big enough electric bus to carry all of us into a brighter future.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

When news and entertainment media are concentrated in the hands of the powerful western elite, when online algorithms steer people to the right, what kinds of messaging do you think our kids and grandkids are receiving? Whose stories are being told? Which groups are made to look good or bad?

I just read an article about the Philippines and how the son of a dictator who was toppled in the 1980s is now the new leader of the country, and with similar policies. The history there is being rewritten to make the years his father was in power look like years of progress and not of oppression. How did this history get lost on younger people?

I’ve heard a similar story out of Iran, whose people are also exposed to a lot of western propaganda. Professor Marandi talks about young people influenced by the west taking to the streets earlier this year, seeing the destruction caused by Mossad, CIA, MI6 and their allies who infiltrated the demonstrations, and then feeling remorseful and wanting to help with the resistance to those forces.

In the western world, I can think of two generational examples of lessons lost. One was the lessons of the New Deal, labour empowerment and a strengthened social safety net that didn’t resonate with the environmental and peace values of the anti-war, hippy movement of the 60s. That disconnect brought us a strong rift between labour and environmental activists who share so many common interests and should be working together.

Now, many younger people have lost the wins of previous generations, rejecting their gains. The contempt for big government is a precursor for privatization and deregulation, which puts public services into private hands — reducing their quality and increasing profits for the wealthy. Getting money out of politics would serve us better. Embracing a fabricated good old days often rejects hard won societal gains.

Why? How were these important past victories airbrushed from the consciousness of so many? What other wisdom has been lost, and how do we find it again?

At the same time, many are losing the social skills that keep us connected with and caring for each other. Each person for themselves in a dog eat dog world is not the kind of future we should be pursuing.

My heart feels heavy as I contemplate this. I grieve all I’ve lost from both sides of my own family of birth: the loss of two languages that at the time were an embarrassment to pass along, and the worldview contained in each. How many have similar stories?

I have renewed respect for historians, the ones who dig for the truth especially. There are so many lessons we need to remember in this precarious time.

The spread of disinformation seems to be on the minds of many. Here are two recent articles that describe aspects of the disinformation we’re being bombarded with.

I highly recommend reading this excellent article about how the disinformation machine works. This extract gives you a sense of it:

A public that cannot agree on what happened yesterday cannot organize around what needs to happen tomorrow, a public that cannot identify a specific perpetrator cannot hold that perpetrator accountable, and a public too exhausted to sort truth from lie will eventually stop trying. That exhaustion is the product being sold.

This article describing the way the label ‘war economy’ is applied to adversaries of the west only, even when western allies spend much more on war. The economic impacts take benefit war profiteers at the expense of everything else, while creating the impression that countries we demonize are the ones with war economies.

One way of passing along stories and issues is through song. Here are a few examples.

If you’re of Welsh ancestry you might appreciate this song that shows how some dealt with the English building a bombing school on Welsh territory. Here’s a song about a hero of the labour movement. Aretha Franklin sings about the need for respect, Terry Garthwaite wonders what more life has to offer a woman, and Melanie sings about the pain of being misrepresented. Bob Marley sings about the need to stand up for our rights and the importance of knowing our history. And, more recently, Lowkey sings about the need for Palestinian freedom. And anti-war songs are numerous, but here are just a few: War, Universal Soldier, Masters of War.

And here’s a chant from environmental protests that reminds us of our interconnectedness and collective power:

We are the dance of the moon and sun,

We are the power that’s in everyone.

We are the turning of the tide,

We are the hope that is deep inside.

We are the flow and we are the ebb,

We are the weavers, we are the web.

How do we learn to respect our elders so they can pass along the wisdom of they’ve gleaned over the course of their lifetimes? How do we pass along the things we’ve learned? How do we create cultures where that kind of knowledge is valued?

I can’t help but wonder how previous generations would handle the situations we now find ourselves in. What advice would they give us?

These times need our full attention. They need correct information, clear vision, good strategy and effective action. And they need a moral compass. I hope we can all be open to the lessons of history, and do whatever is needed to course correct from the terrifying path we find ourselves on.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.

The genocide in Gaza is what pulled me into looking into geopolitics more closely. Maybe it’s because I had relatives who grew up in occupied Holland in World War II, and a family friend who was an Auschwitz survivor. Seeing the horrific details of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, while at the same time hearing the whole western elite class telling us that criticizing this genocide meant we were anti-semitic, made something in me explode. What we were being told was so evidently wrong.

Suddenly, I was paying more attention to what was going on in the world, and did some major digging.

Often political issues are presented in ways that make them appear really complicated and incredibly boring. It seems designed to make us want to tune out.

However, when we find trustworthy sources and take context and history into account, we discover that there is a coherent narrative behind the sensational and often misleading headlines.

There are things we can do to ensure we’re not unpleasantly surprised in the political arena, they can also be applied to our own countries’ politics.

We can get our news from reliable sources that explain context and interests for a coherent understanding of various situations. I’ve written two posts listing some of the geopolitical commentators I’ve come to trust. You can find them here and here. And, when it comes to Iran, my favourite sources are Professor Marandi who lives in Iran, and The Cradle which is based in the region.

If you’re new to geopolitics, this will be like entering an upside down world. The west is so propagandized. And news and entertainment outlets are concentrated in the hands of a very few. Both give the impression that the west is a beacon of sensibility and righteousness, and other countries are hostile and backwards.

Enter the Epstein files. Can we reasonably believe that western countries are morally superior to the rest of the world considering what’s being revealed through these files? If you decide to go deeper, I hope you’ll keep that in mind. But please be open to having your perspectives changed. Countries and leaders that have been demonized can sometimes end up looking pretty good once you learn about their actual situations.

We need to navigate geopolitics with a strong moral code. Truth, fairness and goodwill should be our North Star. I’m not religious, but have noticed that many people of all faiths, like me, do their best to be good people. I respect good people where ever that goodness comes from. Being decent human beings might be one of the most powerful things we can do to work against the horrors we’re facing.

Political events are often presented as big shiny things that came out of nowhere. But all of them have context, and most of that context doesn’t make the news. This makes it easy to demonize other countries and misrepresent their actions.

Looking at context, history and whose interests are being served gives us a well-rounded picture of what is going on.

Talk is cheap. And many politicians say what people want to hear in order to get elected, and then do whatever they or their funders want. I look at politicians’ past histories and who their funders are. These things tell me how they handle themselves, what their priorities are, and whose interests they serve.

Here are two recent examples from two different politicians.

Admittedly, Donald Trump lost me with his “grab them by the p**sy” comment, however, when we look at his past and his funders, we see that he’s a failed business person, a real estate mogul and a reality TV show host. His backers are billionaires and the Zionist lobby. He even boasts about the $100 million given to his campaign by Miriam Adelson, a major funder of pro-Israel politics. Looking at these things, his present day actions should have been somewhat predictable.

On the other hand, here in Canada I was thrilled to see Avi Lewis become the leader of the federal NDP (New Democratic Party). I followed his activism for years before he got into politics, and the things he said during his leadership campaign reflect the values he’s always championed. He broke Party funding records and new memberships from ordinary people. I quite reasonably expect that he will uphold the values he’s fought for his entire adult life, and serve the general public.

And we have to be aware of the many dirty tricks the western world uses to steer countries in ways that will serve western economic and political interests. Focusing on some issues to distract from others is a trick often played. Things like coups, colour revolutions, sanctions, misrepresentation, infiltration by organizations like the CIA and Mossad, and many other well worn techniques enable a western friendly world. And many of these tricks are made invisible, and the messaging about them massaged to make the western world look good.

Another recent trick has been using AI to replicate the videos of some of the geopolitical analysts I’ve recommended. I don’t know how many people are doing this, but the ones I’ve seen seem to have been made by someone with a British accent imitating people like Pepe Escobar, Professor Marandi and John Meirsheimer. I’ve also seen videos that look authentic to me where people are claiming that this is not the real person. This kind of deception seems to be more difficult to do in an interview involving two or more people.

Once you start paying attention to these analysts, you notice that they are showing us what’s going on on the ground, verifying information, and providing a coherent narrative of what is actually happening. Different analysts have different points of view but, listening to them, you can actually get an accurate idea about what is really going on.

So, knowing all this, what do we do? I try to stay informed, build community, grow food and look out for effective ways to take action. But the first step is making sense of what’s actually going on in the world. Otherwise we can wind up ineffectively fighting shadows, and inadvertently taking action that benefits those who are oppressing us.

And there’s a lot to be said about going green, and getting away from fossil fuels, which so many wars are fought over. Richard Medhurst explains the situation brilliantly in this video.

We can also put aside our differences, build community and do our best to be good, kind human beings. Barbarism is what’s being imposed on us, and common decency might be one of the best tool we have to resist that ugliness.

* * * * * * *

I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here’s an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/categories

Here are some factsheets about Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/factsheets

And here’s where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/

* * * * * * *

A big thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support really encourages me! I so appreciate you, and am glad you value my writing.