102 Comments

I'm not sure how to break through the cognitive dissonance on display among the virtue signalers who are struggling with the now crumbling corporate Ukraine narrative. How do we help these unfortunates understand that a tiny cabal of old white men hailing from sixty countries has usurped our media, our politics and our global economy?

I wish you had done an article about the Anti-War Rally. The last one I attended (protesting the illegal invasion of Iraq) was revelatory. The Capitol Police were mounted and casually patrolling the edges of the ginormous crowd (I got to pet lots of velvety muzzles) and there were no militarized police anywhere. The M$M had positioned their cameras on the edges of the Mall, and were filming the sparse edges of our massive crowd. We were sure that they'd significantly underrepresent our numbers, and they did. I fear the Anti-War Rally will have the same fate, and few will understand the import of participants overcoming various isms and ideologies to work together against the tiny cabal of psychopaths who are destroying our ecosystem in their relentless hoarding of the wealth of this planet.

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I hope that this latest composition from Caitlin gives pause to those who formerly believed that Trump represented a viable alternative to the status quo. His faux mantle of anti-establishment fighter has not survived one-eyed scrutiny. He is a less polished iteration of the Ted Cruz and Ron DeSantis brand of demagoguery. Any self-identifying blue-collar moderate who voted for him out of anger at the two fake parties, ought to look at who also voted for him: Hedge fund executives, CEO’s and their entourages of sharp-elbowed sycophants, the bulk of the professional class, eg, lawyers, doctors, accountants, pro athletes and their agents. All of these “other” voters knew the con, and were fully aware that Trump would never go full-blown on behalf of the struggling millions he rhetorically championed. And they were proven right.

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Caitlin - I watched the entire demonstration all day on the Internet from the relative comfort of my old, cold farmhouse on the North Coast of Maine. I follow Jimmy Dore, Max Blumenthal, Chris Hedges, et al - these people are not liberals, they are part of the remnants of the Real Left in this country.

The Rally was a success, an early beginning of erosion of support for the war in Ukraine, and the crowd - some thousands - included a large number of people from the Right. Ron Paul supporters.

We NEED a broad coalition, says this 1960's-70's and onward antiwar activist. Do you think we should not have had the demonstration? Why are you so critical of this initial effort to organize against the war? What else do you think we ought to do?

I believe we need to organize much larger coalitions and demonstrations until we do what we did in the early 70's - finally get the USA to end support for the war in Ukraine and, hopefully, all the other wars the USA is part of.

Again, why so critical? We don't think we're going to get rid of capitalism by demonstrating against the war - please give us what you think ought to be done...I'd be very interested, seriously.

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I LOVE IT:

"ANTI-WAR" rally attended by Samantha Powers-----MSM Popsicle in their pants TV coverage.

"ANTI-WAR" rally "Rage Against Ukraine War" in DC attended by Max Blumenthal, Hedges, Dennis Kucinich, and MORE! ------MSM? Hello? Crickets. What rally?

MURICAN TV! LOVE IT!

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When the narcissism of greed predominates in seemingly innocuous statements like "don't blame me, I'm just a businessman" or "I'm just watching-out for my investments", moral bankruptcy is implicit. And so is the the genuflection to the power of the status quo.

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Thank you for this, it is all an illusion that is being sold to us. There is no good or honourable war. Whatever the outcome it only brings death and misery. There is no winner, we must all argue for dialogue and peace.

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One reason why I read your newsletters, Caitlin, is because you always back up what you say with links. I've read some things in your newsletters and thought "no way that's true" but I click on the link and lo and behold, there it is in plain view. And sometimes it's even worse than I imagined while clicking on the link. Often I feel angry that I didn't know some of the terrible things until now.

There are a number of good Substacks and independent journalists but the most credible ones are able to back up what they say. Thank you, Caitlin! You are a beacon in today's world.

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The problem to me is idolization, whether for Chomsky, Trump or you. Nation states don’t rule the world, love of money and power does, and those who pretend otherwise perpetuate the lie. America is a big part of the sick system we have been brainwashed to accept. But what has China or Russia done to free the people of Palestine or Yemen? Nothing. They fight for their piece of the pie. You’re brilliant, and have helped my understanding of narrative control. ❤️

I hope the people of the world wake up and realize the ruling class has control of all “sides,” both nationally and internationally. None of them care about nationality, religion, political ideology, race or sexuality. They care about keeping us divided by the above to stay in power.

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Like putty in their hands; it's beyond amazing how malleable this population has become.

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Feb 26, 2023·edited Feb 26, 2023

We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very

often in our art, the art of words."

- URSULA K. LE GUIN

1929-2018

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They began turning the liberals with their narratives about Covid and Trump. Fear mongering! Yes, criticize the uniparty.

When we see through propaganda we question everything. When we see through divide and conquer we do not take sides. When we see through fear mongering we do not comply.

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I completely agree. When the social outburst occurred in Chile I saw people throwing on the ground or destroying statues and busts of Spanish conquerors or characters of Chile's contemporary history, however, they never had intentions of attacking the US embassy or attacking the headquarters of multinational mineral companies, on the contrary, they only attacked supermarkets or commercial premises of Chilean owners. Then we saw how it all ended, with a pro-imperialist and pro-liberal like Gabriel Boric taking the presidency, burying forever the demands of the working class and working side by side with right-wing economic power and world imperialism.

We have also seen the same phenomenon of progressive liberalism throwing away statues of Spanish conquistadors or Christopher Columbus in states like California. They never attack the United States today. To say that the imperialists are others or those of hundreds of years ago is a very convenient way for the United States and the world right wing to make them believe that they are fighting against something when in reality they are fighting against things already dead and non-existent.

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Wow. Just wow. Some Americans would believe anything.

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You aren't wrong, not at all, but this is the general notion of what both parties do. What better propaganda than that created to give people this illusion? Literally using what the government gives them to...try to change the government?

That seems rather strange that people truly think they can change the government this way. For example. The claim that there was Russia interference in the 2016 election and Trump wasn't the legitament president. Weird, because there was all these "official government agencies" that said it was true. Strange because nothing happened despite all this. My guess is that this will be the same outcome about the January 6th insurrection. Note, there was no insurrection. If there was, you'd know how the US would handle a real one. There wouldn't be a single breathing person afterwards among the insurrectionists. Oddly. We have an insurrection act, too.

So we can't change the government with the tools they give us. To prove this true, we need only try...oh and as you pointed out, our government lies about everything. How about those weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? We look pretty stupid invading a country on the premise and then then learn there never were any. "They moved them". Sure, you knew where they were and then had no idea of where they went? Who has them now? You don't know? Sure I believe that... ;)

This brings up the point I made that we can't change the government and the evidence is in trying. Remember the overturning of Roe V. Wade last year? Women protesting their hearts out and vowing to vote out Republicans? Then when the time came they failed and Biden said 'sorry, better luck next time'. No, these women didn't fall short, they were fighting an illusion. The outcome of our rights are predetermined. We still are fighting the same civil rights battles of the 1960's but we dressed up the issue to make it look like we succeeded.

You describe this as live action role play. I don't know, rather dress up as a Lord of the Rings character and reenact a scene because it would look more real. As you pointed out, these resistence protests are government sponsored. They want you to do this, to behave this way, to have those views. 'There is no one more hopeless enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.'

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It is disappointing but predictable. What I am saying is that the distinction between men and women is largely artificial and socially engendered. We have "male" and 'female" values as a matter tradition and manipulation, but society would be impossible if we didn't have mostly common ground as human beings.

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Feb 26, 2023·edited Feb 26, 2023

Short and to the point. Great work, Caitlin. That so few can think for themselves in this bizarro, fun-house mirror world is frightening. Which is not to say I feel I see everything correctly. Just that seeing *incorrect* things has never been easier, and critical thinking never more important. Here's hoping your work wakes some people up.

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