We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Blood on the Maidan

Click here to access article by Mark Hackard from The Soul of the East.

The US educated author is a highly trained specialist on Russian affairs and a political analyst who brings his expertise to offer an interpretation of the current unrest in Ukraine.
The story behind the scenes concerns a drive by the United States to short-circuit Russia’s resurgence where it truly matters: in Ukraine.
And we all thought that the Cold War was over. You see, it wasn't only the fact that the Soviet Union had a system that did not permit capitalist penetration, it was also independent of the Empire. The latter does not tolerate any country whose policies and actions are not informed by pro-Empire interests, that is, major capitalist interests located in NATO countries. Both Russia and China (specifically, the ruling capitalist classes of these countries) refuse to take orders from Washington and thus they are targeted by the Empire. And, of course, Iran is even more vigorously targeted because of their history of resistance to Western rule, their potential ability to acquire nuclear weapons, and they are a much smaller nation.

We saw the same dynamics played out in the 20th century when the Anglo-American capitalists and Axis capitalists fought for control of the world, and the effects were devastating mostly for working people who fought these wars. In this age of nuclear weapons major powers resist going directly to war because such wars are no longer seen as profitable opportunities. However, wars by other means are pursued, and that is what we have been seeing all across Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa. The author explains how this kind of warfare is currently being played out in Ukraine.

See also "Ukraine: "West" Playing With Fire - Intentions?" from Moon of Alabama.

We often see independent actions taken by organized groups and leaders of other countries, and these too must be contained and controlled. Examples of these were movements involved in the Arab Spring uprising; and to a more limited extent with the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist groups that the Empire uses occasionally, the actions of Saudi Arabia and associated Arab countries and Turkey whose independent activities are currently causing minor problems for the Empire.