United States – Empire and domestic

Pool photo by Alexey Druzhinin By Gordon M. Hahn September 4, 2019 From former spooks to libertarian-conservative talk show hosts to leftists and liberals various theories have been put forward as to why and how Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to ‘destroy Americans’ confidence in democracy’ and ‘sew chaos across American and the world.’ In short, Putin ultimately seeks to destroy faith in democracy and sew chaos in the United States and thereby weaken America and its ability to promote democracy abroad. The US will no longer be ‘that shining city on a hill’, as US late President Ronald Reagan eloquently put it. Originally published on Gordon M. Hahn’s official website August 30, 2019 here The same is said about Russia’s supposed support for ultra-nationalist groups, even though that ‘support’ is nothing more than a limited overlap of interests and views. Never mind that Russia has good relations with numerous...

By Martin Jacques, Cambridge University August 28, 2019 A delightful conversation about the essential difference between the West and China and why they have vitally different ways of relating to other countries and cultures. If you do business in China, travel as a tourist – which far too few Westerners do – teach international relations and the future of the world, this half an hour is about the best investment you can make to understand better what China is about – and to see the West from outside. Be sure to also visit Jacques’ homepage – and see other videos on his YouTube Channel. Jan Oberg, editor

Or – The US, A Shameless Warrior Yesterday, the US Ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands, tweeted the following: As will be seen below, there were four photos from an event in Copenhagen. The first shows all the people present, including former Danish Prime minister Fogh Rasmussen (also on the 4th photo with the ambassador), the present Danish defence minister, Trine Bramsen (also on the 2nd photo to the right), and veterans. The third photo is indeed very touching if you note the veteran sitting to the Ambassador’s right side – his right arm and hand as well as his two legs. The Ambassador’s text is revealing for how a representative of the US Empire performs these days. The day is called Wounded Warrior – and of course it would be more difficult to make a barbeque for Dead Warriors – and the ambassador emphases (only) that it reminds us of...

“Hmm, you are saying that I – Donald Trump – can’t buy Greenland?Photo collage This morning the Danes could wake up to a Twitter message from US President Trump that he was anyhow not going to Denmark on September 2-3 – in spite of the fact that it had been confirmed and that, formally at least, he had been invited by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II herself. Here is his tweet The background Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, a few days ago visited Greenland and let it be known that the Arctic region was a very important security issue: “We can already say that to get the Americans even more closely involved in what happens in our part of the Arctic – the Unity of the Realm – is essential. And an even stronger strategic cooperation between our countries is important for both Greenland and Denmark.” (My translation of her...

There is a permanent, more or less intensive, narrative that China is the Enemy # 1 of the West. We have the permanent US/Western assertion that China is the new military super enemy. There is the argument that the world’s – if not history’s – largest co-operative project, the Chinese-initiated Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is, in reality only a new type of colonialism and exploitation – namely Chinese colonialism and/or imperialism. There is the present US-China trade war (and negotiations), including the focus on Huawei, and we have – right now – the ongoing demonstrations – violent at that – in Hong Kong which is not without influence from the US and the UK. What we do not have is comprehensive knowledge and balanced views. When, for instance, did you last see something positive in the news about China’s achievements, culture or its amazing development during the last 40...

In her famous decree in 1767 Empress Catherine the Great proclaimed Russia to be a European power. She wanted Russia to be a major player in European politics. She compelled the Europeans to accept Russia as a great power as a condition for doing business. In 1815 Russia was considered an equal in the 1815 Concert of Europe. In contrast, Imperial China at that time was self-sufficient and inward looking. It basked in its own superior culture. It did not want to open up trade relations with Europe and the emperor questioned the ability of the British who were knocking on the door to “acquire the rudiments” of Chinese civilization. Fast forward to the twenty-first century, what have we? The heart of Russia, economically, politically, scientifically, culturally and educationally is west of the Ural mountains. This part would like to be European and at one time there was talk from...

With due respect, Mr. Pompeo, civilisation’s clock should be ticking for what I allow myself to consider inhuman, unfair and tension-creating policies such as those you conduct. You and your President constantly tell others not to do what the US itself does tenfold worse – because, as it seems, you believe in exceptionalism and yourselves as God’s chosen people. I’ve always admired the American society for its innovative, creative and idealistic qualities. As much as I’ve loathed its imperialism, militarism, nuclearism and its fundamental inability to respect the world’s diversity. Sadly and thanks to hubris and lack of humility, the good sides of your socieety are now widely overshadowed by its (self)destructive propensities. And that’s why the West is declining and the Rest is ascending. Do something about your own clock! Do something good for the welfare and security of your own citizens at home. And try for once to...

Trump besøger Danmark, og verdens økonomiske og militære supermagt har haft travlt over sommeren med at håndtere konflikter med Kina, Rusland, Iran, Sverige og Tyrkiet. For USA er altid en af parterne i verdens konflikter, og måske vi skulle tale med den amerikanske præsident om netop det?   Onsdag den 31. juli 2019 kunne man læse i de danske medier, at den amerikanske præsident Donald Trump og hans kone Melania Trump besøger Danmark den 2-3. september 2019. Det er en stor nyhed, for det sker kun sjældent, at verdens muligvis mægtigste menneske besøger Danmark. I juli 1997 holdt Bill Clinton tale på Kongens Nytorv i København foran 80.000 mennesker, hvor han takkede Danmark for deltagelsen i krigen i Bosnien. I juli 2005 kom George W. Bush og besøgte Anders Fogh, der sammen to år forinden havde kastet deres nationer ind i Irak-krigen uden FN-mandat. I 2009 kom Barack Obama forbi...

Crop of Book Cover for The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities. Photo: Counterpunch.org By Michael Welton August 10, 2019 I first discovered John Mearsheimer’s work in 2014 when he published a courageous article in Foreign Affairs on why the Ukraine crisis was the West’s fault. The blame could not be laid at Putin’s doorstep. From Mearsheimer’s realist political perspective, you had to be pretty dumb to imagine that Putin would permit NATO ships to dock at Sevastopol in the Crimea or wrench the Ukraine into the Euro-NATO orbit. Anyone who has two brain cells to rub together can figure out that Russia would not tolerate such developments. And it didn’t! The Mueller report did not find any evidence, either, of Russian meddling in the US election of 2016. Perhaps I am too optimistic, but the lifting of dense fog around Russia and Ukraine, Russian meddling and far-fetched ideas (espoused...

The following statement on US warmongering in relation to Iran was prepared by Mark LeVine, Professor of History, University of California, Irvine and myself. Some of the early signatories are among the leading scholars in the field of Middle East Studies. Their names are listed below. It seeks to make two major arguments: First, that the unlawful threats and coercive moves made by the United States point toward a political disaster that would include the commission of the most serious of international crimes, that of aggression via threats and uses of force that do not constitute self-defense under international law; and Secondly, that it is essential to shift the relationship with Iran from one based on coercive to an approach resting on restorative diplomacy involving a deliberate reversal of American Foreign Policy with the overriding objective of normalization of relations between our two countries. Statement by leading Middle East/Islamic studies...

August 3, 2019 By Prabir Purkayastha The U.S. plans for a naval armada in Hormuz will run against the Laws of Seas and Iran’s sovereignty over its territorial waters. We are now sleepwalking to a new war in the region with disastrous consequences. The stage is now set for a disastrous collision between the U.S.-UK navies and Iran in the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea and makes up the world’s major oil choke point, carrying about 30-35 percent of total traded oil. The latest move of the U.S. and UK—to provide “protection” with their warships to merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz—is an assertion of imperial rights over Iran’s territorial waters. In other words, this is what would have been called, in an earlier era, gunboat diplomacy. Iran will not accept this. Originally published at citizentruth.org This...

, marks for Europe. Comment Today is a tragic day for Europe, indeed for the world – but do the media highlight that fact on their front pages? Of course, they don’t. The INF Treaty has made Europe less insecure since 1987. But Russia and the US have accused each other of violating it. The bigger reasons for this tragedy are that a) there is a new Cold War in Europe and b) since other countries are now able to develop similar INF weapons – Inter-mediate range Nuclear Forces (INF) with the particular range mentioned in this movie – they want to have their hands free. And, one might almost say, as usual – the policies of the US have spearheaded today’s tragedy, particularly with the totally counterproductive and de factor offensive Ballistic Missile Defence, BMD, that Russia – legitimately – sees as a threat. Just listen to a man...