Political thread

[Andrew Reid]

Let's have it out!!!

Following on from Ed's thread about Trump here are my thoughts:

1.

How's this for cruel irony - Both Trump supporters on the far right and Bernie supporters on the socialist left believe the same thing. That Hilary Clinton and Tony Blair are war criminals responsible for massive civilian death tolls in the middle east and the rise of ISIS. Actually the war started because of dictatorships there and were escalated under two US presidents both with the name Bush, furthered by decades of repression and poverty in places like Afghanistan. If anything Obama and Clinton tried to deescalate it from the Bush eras. Much as I love him, Bernie depressed the turn out for Hilary Clinton more than anyone else. His wide support is the primary reason Trump is in power, ready to join forces with Putin and accelerate the bombing of civilians in Syria. Young liberals eat up paranoid conspiracy thoeires and fake news just as much as those on the far right because we're living in a highly partisan post-fact virtual world where the truth is too complicated for a Facebook headline.

2.

There is nothing wrong with democracy and here's why. The majority of people are now politically ignorant. They cannot be bothered with it. Therefore it follows they should get a president of the United States who is equally as politically ignorant. Look at this from the New Yorker magazine - "A voter with more knowledge of politics will, on balance, be less eager to go to war, less punitive about crime, more tolerant on social issues, less accepting of government control of the economy, and more willing to accept taxes in order to reduce the federal deficit. Voters ignorant of economics will tend to be more pessimistic, more suspicious of market competition and rises in productivity, and more wary of foreign trade and immigration"... Which camp do you think Trump and his voters fall into? Trump is economically as ignorant as you can get. Despite employing immigrants he sees immigration as bad for the economy and despite making things in foreign countries and importing from them, he sees foreign trade as bad for the economy, and despite being married to one he sees immigrants as bad for the economy and despite being born to one he is in favour of mass deportation. The US economy is going to go to shit. Could it be that Norway has a more politically astute population? They have a good economy, stay out of wars, are more tolerant on social issues, less punitive about crime and accept higher taxes.... It all comes down to how much interest people take in politics, instead of snapchat.

3.

All Trump supporters right now -

[jonpais]

That cartoon pretty much sums up so many of the moronic newscasters after the results were in. give it a chance? what the fuck?! the supreme court is what has me worried...

[Policar]

Interesting to see an informed, centrist response about something that matters on a website full of brand evangelizing about something that... ultimately doesn't.

Better than it being the other way around. 

[Eduardo Portas]

Trump has already affected Mexico's economy. Badly. Investors are lost about his intentions to

protect American manufacturers. Right now, no one really knows if he will keep his campaign premisses or not.

That speculation has lead to huge dollar/peso shifts since the campaign started and now continues after Trump

has already won. Can you imagine when he assumes office?

 

 

[Richard Bugg]

Markets will fluctuate, regional politicians jostle for position based on nebulous inferences about what he will do. Everyone will hang on his every inane Twitter utterance. He has Narcissistic Personality Disorder and this narcissistic supply is exactly what he wants. Nobody knows what Trump will do; least of all, I suspect, Trump himself.

[Cary Knoop]

4 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Let's have it out!!!

 

Let's not!

 

 

[Kisaha]

1. It is a circle, when the two extremes go their way, they meet at some point.

2. Democracy, DOES work, countries have the politicians they deserve.

3 a) . ..again, we (I, for sure) that believe in democracy have to be ready to burn together with the ignorants.

  b) democracy, like everything on this planet follows the same laws of evolution, to understand how political systems work one has to be able to understand Dawkins (the tiny) and Sagan (the huge). Dinosaurs ruled for millions of years, now they are fossils or hiding in holes. Democracy worked for a few decades and only in the ancient city of Athens. Technology, maybe, can give us the opportunity again; in anyway, in a dynamic system like the one we live on, is even going better or worst.

[Thpriest]

Clearly there are huge imbalances and injustices through out the world. In the so called developed world many of the voters have simply switched off as far as politics is concerned. This is a huge problem as it leaves the door open for organised or even semi-organised extremists with narrow agendas (racism, fascism, religious groups, etc). This has been seen in recent votes in the UK, Colombia and the USA among others. Other democracies have been manipulated and attacked like in Turkey, Hungary and Poland. Media has played a huge part in twisting the truth and feeding people's worst impulses. How we deal with this is one of the great questions of our times.

We are at the end of an era, a system (neoliberalism) is in it's death throes. It has torn up and shat out the social order in place since the second world war as well as truly trashing the planet, all for some stupid tokens that we call money. Our problem is what comes next. The losers are fed up and angry, lashing out at anything or anyone that might be to blame. Whilst we have so many scientific means to understand the world, more and more people seem to be turning to the ignorance of extreme religious beliefs. Witness the power of the evangelicals in places like the USA and Colombia and Hindu and Islamic groups in Asia. Dangerous groups who have been thoroughly manipulated to believe absolute nonsense and who try to enforce those beliefs on others.

We can choose those that offer a change but a change for the worse like Trump, Farage, Le Pen or those who live in a world of anger like Uribe, Erdogan and Orbán, or we can take a step back and realise we have to change many things in our lives, the way we run our planet, how we treat each other, how we share what's left...What we really need is a positive movement that people can rally around because if not we are going to tear ourselves apart again.

[tigerbengal]

Well said Andrew....you nailed it!!!...

but this election showed something more obscure that many of us didn't notice until now....there is a big movement in the cyberspace from the alt-right: trolls army, fake news sites, masses brainwashed with the idea that mass-media is Jew's controlled and will never say the truth, so their followers shall "ONLY" believe what this alt-right sites tell them to believe...it is ironic that THEY ARE THE ONES WHO MANIPULATE THE TRUTH, THE FACTS...seems that facts are not important anymore...the alt right is using Goebbels tactics to mass  control.

This new cyber war is the seed for the next real war....THE RACE WAR....white people want a white-land back, not only in the us, Europe, russia..

check PEPE the frog phenomenon,paganism in 2016 ...the alt right believe in meme-magic, ancient Egyptian god kek coming back (darkness and chaos)...and believe that was kek who put trump in power...many of you will laugh at my comment, I am not saying I do believe on this, but my main concern is that they are using this pepe thing to bring the young generations into the alt right movement of hate and anger....and so far it is working for them.

We should defend Democracy and do not let this right wings nuts to gain control over the world. Don't sit back.▐ ORGANIZE and fight for a brighter future!!!

[SuperSet]

7 minutes ago, tigerbengal said:

This new cyber war is the seed for the next real war....THE RACE WAR....white people want a white-land back, not only in the us, Europe, russia.

 

 

[MattH]

Clearly not a mathematics major!

[ND64]

If you saw 90% of liberal MSM was hoaxing, shamelessly make up stories, obviously lie, constantly fear mongering, and silencing any opposition with racist and sexist labels, and you realized we need to revolution just after seeing one single wrong headline in an alt-right website, you're part of the problem. 

Btw, did you know even Scandinavian industries are supporting Saudia Arabia military? seems not much less-ignorant nations to me. 

[Andrew Reid]

Although there's fake news on both sides of the political spectrum, I found in the UK during Brexit that there were a far greater number of people accusing the BBC and our prime minister of scaremongering, than the number of people reading fake articles... That's the bigger problem. People no longer trust the mainstream media and government, even when they are telling the truth.

Now all the scare mongering turned out to be right and the pound is worth the same as 1 monopoly note.

[Tiago Rosa-Rosso]

On 11/18/2016 at 5:53 PM, Andrew Reid said:

Let's have it out!!!

Following on from Ed's thread about Trump here are my thoughts:

1.

How's this for cruel irony - Both Trump supporters on the far right and Bernie supporters on the socialist left believe the same thing. That Hilary Clinton and Tony Blair are war criminals responsible for massive civilian death tolls in the middle east and the rise of ISIS. Actually the war started because of dictatorships there and were escalated under two US presidents both with the name Bush, furthered by decades of repression and poverty in places like Afghanistan. If anything Obama and Clinton tried to deescalate it from the Bush eras. Much as I love him, Bernie depressed the turn out for Hilary Clinton more than anyone else. His wide support is the primary reason Trump is in power, ready to join forces with Putin and accelerate the bombing of civilians in Syria. Young liberals eat up paranoid conspiracy thoeires and fake news just as much as those on the far right because we're living in a highly partisan post-fact virtual world where the truth is too complicated for a Facebook headline.

2.

There is nothing wrong with democracy and here's why. The majority of people are now politically ignorant. They cannot be bothered with it. Therefore it follows they should get a president of the United States who is equally as politically ignorant. Look at this from the New Yorker magazine - "A voter with more knowledge of politics will, on balance, be less eager to go to war, less punitive about crime, more tolerant on social issues, less accepting of government control of the economy, and more willing to accept taxes in order to reduce the federal deficit. Voters ignorant of economics will tend to be more pessimistic, more suspicious of market competition and rises in productivity, and more wary of foreign trade and immigration"... Which camp do you think Trump and his voters fall into? Trump is economically as ignorant as you can get. Despite employing immigrants he sees immigration as bad for the economy and despite making things in foreign countries and importing from them, he sees foreign trade as bad for the economy, and despite being married to one he sees immigrants as bad for the economy and despite being born to one he is in favour of mass deportation. The US economy is going to go to shit. Could it be that Norway has a more politically astute population? They have a good economy, stay out of wars, are more tolerant on social issues, less punitive about crime and accept higher taxes.... It all comes down to how much interest people take in politics, instead of snapchat.

3.

All Trump supporters right now -

Check this Doc and check also the fact sheet that comes with it. Also go wikileaks and check some of the emails between Hilary and Jack Sulivan for example. Then tell me if Bernie wouldn't be a better solution.

 

[MattH]

13 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Although there's fake news on both sides of the political spectrum, I found in the UK during Brexit that there were a far greater number of people accusing the BBC and our prime minister of scaremongering, than the number of people reading fake articles... That's the bigger problem. People no longer trust the mainstream media and government, even when they are telling the truth.

Now all the scare mongering turned out to be right and the pound is worth the same as 1 monopoly note.

You really should separate your business and your politics.  It is a very foolish business decision to actively alienate up to half your audience/client base.  Especially when you are mistaken, your judgement will be questioned.  For the record, Britain is still in the EU, so no present economic situation can possibly be blamed on Britain having left the EU, because it hasn't happened yet.

[Richard Bugg]

2 hours ago, MattH said:

You really should separate your business and your politics.  It is a very foolish business decision to actively alienate up to half your audience/client base.  Especially when you are mistaken, your judgement will be questioned.  For the record, Britain is still in the EU, so no present economic situation can possibly be blamed on Britain having left the EU, because it hasn't happened yet.

I also wondered about discussing politics on a site such as this and what effect it might have on the audience. But I'm not so sure about it being a bad idea completely. I wonder if it really is a bad thing to discuss important matters related to society as a sidebar to the main course. Where there is a strong emotional drive, it will be discussed. Politics is frequently a taboo subject, but if we want to progress to greater understanding then we need to be able to have the discussion with people who might have a different view. Perhaps the problem is more in how we have these conversations - personalising the issue through labelling each other, or lecturing one another, rather than approaching the problem more inquisitively and journalistically in an attempt to tease out the underlying issues by gaining another person's perspective. In this regard, Jonathan Pie (other thread) was right - have a respectful discussion with those who have different view. It's easy to have an opinion; much harder to empathise and get to the underlying issues instead of leaping to judgment. I'm not so good at this myself, but when there are important differences to discuss, instead of remaining silent on these matters within a community, I'd like to get better at having the discussion, but in a manner that is non-alienating to others or descending into argument. Is this too utopic? Possibly. But this forum is populated by some pretty intelligent and good natured people, so I expect it is possible.

[Simon Shasha]

I am Syrian.

I am Antiochian Orthodox Christian.

I come from a place in Syria called Wadi al Nasara (known in English as the "Valley of the Christians").

I come from a village called "Safita" - about two-hours north of Damascus. I currently reside in Sydney Australia. 99% of my family remains in Syria.

If you are not Syrian, if you have not lived in Syria, if you don't have all your family and friends in Syria, please do not pretend to know about Syria, or talk on behalf of Syria.

I have lost many family and friends in the past few years. All at the hands of the US and NATO's so-called "moderate rebels". The youngest was two-years old - killed, along with her mother, whom was attempting to rock her to sleep, by a "moderate rebel" sniper. Why? Because she was unfortunate enough to be punished and killed for no other reason other than for being born a Syrian Christian.

The Western-backed "democracy loving rebels" destroyed our towns. They desecrated and burnt our churches. They beheaded our priests (two from the village next to mine).

I am doing my absolute best to control myself as I write this. I keep telling myself to back-track. Delete the post entirely. In all serious, what is it going to change? What is going to happen other than having myself, my background, my history, exposed? It will most likely be in vain - most people have been manipulated by Western media for years. My hope is that perhaps one mind could be changed. If that. Regardless, I am absolutely fed up with this diatribe and propaganda that is purported and spurred on by Western exceptionalism at the behest of US/NATO hegemony.

Obama. Clinton. Merkel. Erdogan. All these NATO war-mongers, and their partners in the Gulf, namely Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have armed, trained, and funded these Salafi and Wahhabi proxies militias against us. I blame them personally for this. I blame them for all the family and friends that I have lost.

What's worse, Western media would have you believe that was is happening in Syria is all in the name of "democracy" - that it was some "popular uprising" - when anyone that is Syrian, or has lived in Syria, especially during the war, knows that that is complete rubbish. Regardless, the idea that the West wants democracy anywhere is a joke. Only political romantics that do not understand geo-politics, Western hegemony and realpolitik fall for this.

The West wants democracy in Syria, huh? Even though they partner, arm and train the two most undermocratic governments and armies on Earth - Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Give me a f**king break.

I don't care for Trump. I don't like Trump. I don't have hope for his administration. Personally, I supported Jill Stien. Regardless, anyone that thinks Clinton would have been any better is deluded and ill-educated on her neo-con and neo-liberal history and agenda.

You know what - I'll tell you the real "cruel irony" - the one BBC, CNN, and the rest of the faux news wont tell you - that people who support LGBT rights and women's rights, the people that are against crony capitalism and corruption, the people that are against war, are the same people supporting and protesting for Hillary Clinton - a woman funded by Saudi Arabia and Wall St cronies - whom are the absolute antithesis of everything those people stand for - that is the f**king cruel irony.

And this whole anti-Russian sentiment has reached ridiculous proportions. You know, I got off the phone with my Dad in Syria the other day. He said to me; "If Russia dies, we all die."

If you were a Syrian Christian, or a Syrian that supports secularism, you would know what that means without even needing explanation.

Russia is the only reason Syria hasn't fallen to the proxy armies and militias of NATO and Saudi Arabia. If if wasn't for Russia, there wouldn't be a single Syrian Christian/secular Syrian, left alive.

People want to keep playing this anti-Russia card, fine. Keep believing the same bulls**t media and governments that sold you the Iraq WMD lie. Or the photo-op phony NGO groups like "White Helmets", et al.

Real Syrians know the truth.

[MattH]

1 hour ago, Richard Bugg said:

I also wondered about discussing politics on a site such as this and what effect it might have on the audience. But I'm not so sure about it being a bad idea completely. I wonder if it really is a bad thing to discuss important matters related to society as a sidebar to the main course. Where there is a strong emotional drive, it will be discussed. Politics is frequently a taboo subject, but if we want to progress to greater understanding then we need to be able to have the discussion with people who might have a different view. Perhaps the problem is more in how we have these conversations - personalising the issue through labelling each other, or lecturing one another, rather than approaching the problem more inquisitively and journalistically in an attempt to tease out the underlying issues by gaining another person's perspective. In this regard, Jonathan Pie (other thread) was right - have a respectful discussion with those who have different view. It's easy to have an opinion; much harder to empathise and get to the underlying issues instead of leaping to judgment. I'm not so good at this myself, but when there are important differences to discuss, instead of remaining silent on these matters within a community, I'd like to get better at having the discussion, but in a manner that is non-alienating to others or descending into argument. Is this too utopic? Possibly. But this forum is populated by some pretty intelligent and good natured people, so I expect it is possible.

I think I mostly agree.  A well mannered discussion about a particular issue of government policy isn't of any harm.  Its when people start spewing highly opinionated views on partisan politics like elections and referendums that things get messy.  Particularly if the views are demeaning and incendiary like the cartoon in the opening post. 

Like many people I think that if I spent an hour talking face to face with any reasonable person that I could convince them that any opinion I have on politics is well reasoned and well thought out.  But it is clearly impossible to do this with everybody, so I have to accept that there are millions of people whose opinions are different to mine and whose opinions I cannot change.  The most prudent way of avoiding conflict with such people is to refrain from talking about such things in situations where they aren't relevant.

Unfortunately but perhaps fittingly it seems to be the less thoughtful and the less prudent that are the most vocal.  The issue is that when people feel the discussion from such people begin to snowball into a back patting session they feel more compelled to reveal their hand.

People are free to do what they want of course, but I'd rather leave that stuff for youtube comments.

[Kisaha]

@Simon Shasha I am from Greece, the war in Syria is closer than what it is to Portland, or Vancuver, or San Francisco. I lived in Cyprus and I have so many friends there, which is a hundred Khm from war, also Turkey that is becoming a theocratic state shows signs of high neo-Othomanic imperialism every day. Trump vote for everywhere in the hot spots is the worst could happen right now, it is not an exaggeration to say, that 3rd world war is closer by a lot right now.

I have the best of the opinion about Syrian people, a state with well educated people, and all of them that I have met in my life, I felt very close, I considered them friends, and not just people I met. Right now in Greece, a devasted and destroyed country by another war, a financial genocide, we are trying to offer what we could for thousands and thousands of immigrants from Syria (but other places as well). Me personally, I have been a few times to immigrant centers to offer clothes, blankets, food, and whatever people manage to gather, while UK wll accept a few thousands of people (4000 I think) until 2020, while there were as many as 4000 every few days in the summer, and this is true for the rest of the Western World.

Anyway, I wouldn't trust the Russians, as they play the Orthodox card whenever they feel they are gaining something, more than you and your faith, they care about their bases in middle east (Syria is the last to left) and the increased geostratigical importance, and imperialism of Erdogan. In my country, they created 2 or 3 revolutions in the 16 to 18th centuries, and when the revolutions started, then they abandoned us, and the Othoman Turks were killing and destroying everything Greek. Finally, in the 1821 revolution, even though they were Greek ministers in Russia and a lot of Greek merchants, Russia didn't help at all. You know who they helped? English! of course not because loved the ever-conquered Greeks, but because they show opportunity in Othomans empire resolve.

In anyway, the situation is more complicated than that, and always, in Asia, Africa there is only one to blame, England! Before they left, they weresure to create unstable countries, with the good old "divide and conquer" Roman law, so they created more unstable and problematic states, than solutions. Same happened in Balkans, that's why Clinton (the "Democrat") made war inside Europe a decade and a bit ago, and again Balkans, isn't resolved yet, there is still war left in this side of Europe.

Also, I truly respect your position, they destroyed your country for at least the next 50 years, but same happened to mine financially (which I do not compare with the total madness that war is, but half a million of young scientists and artists have left, hospitals do not even have basic medicines, education is completely ruined, people are commiting suicide every day because they can't afford to pay their loans, or bills, and we have to pay loans we are getting right now, for at least until 2080, a few generations ruled..), and do not forget that Russia, that seems like an Angel to you, for easter Europe is their worst enemy. Also, 2/3 of Syria are (were) belonging to Isis Chaliphate (so, not really Syria right now). History is more complicated than Angels and Demons.

 

[Simon Shasha]

1 hour ago, Kisaha said:

@Simon Shasha I am from Greece, the war in Syria is closer than what it is to Portland, or Vancuver, or San Francisco. I lived in Cyprus and I have so many friends there, which is a hundred Khm from war, also Turkey that is becoming a theocratic state shows signs of high neo-Othomanic imperialism every day. Trump vote for everywhere in the hot spots is the worst could happen right now, it is not an exaggeration to say, that 3rd world war is closer by a lot right now.

I have the best of the opinion about Syrian people, a state with well educated people, and all of them that I have met in my life, I felt very close, I considered them friends, and not just people I met. Right now in Greece, a devasted and destroyed country by another war, a financial genocide, we are trying to offer what we could for thousands and thousands of immigrants from Syria (but other places as well). Me personally, I have been a few times to immigrant centers to offer clothes, blankets, food, and whatever people manage to gather, while UK wll accept a few thousands of people (4000 I think) until 2020, while there were as many as 4000 every few days in the summer, and this is true for the rest of the Western World.

Anyway, I wouldn't trust the Russians, as they play the Orthodox card whenever they feel they are gaining something, more than you and your faith, they care about their bases in middle east (Syria is the last to left) and the increased geostratigical importance, and imperialism of Erdogan. In my country, they created 2 or 3 revolutions in the 16 to 18th centuries, and when the revolutions started, then they abandoned us, and the Othoman Turks were killing and destroying everything Greek. Finally, in the 1821 revolution, even though they were Greek ministers in Russia and a lot of Greek merchants, Russia didn't help at all. You know who they helped? English! of course not because loved the ever-conquered Greeks, but because they show opportunity in Othomans empire resolve.

In anyway, the situation is more complicated than that, and always, in Asia, Africa there is only one to blame, England! Before they left, they weresure to create unstable countries, with the good old "divide and conquer" Roman law, so they created more unstable and problematic states, than solutions. Same happened in Balkans, that's why Clinton (the "Democrat") made war inside Europe a decade and a bit ago, and again Balkans, isn't resolved yet, there is still war left in this side of Europe.

Also, I truly respect your position, they destroyed your country for at least the next 50 years, but same happened to mine financially (which I do not compare with the total madness that war is, but half a million of young scientists and artists have left, hospitals do not even have basic medicines, education is completely ruined, people are commiting suicide every day because they can't afford to pay their loans, or bills, and we have to pay loans we are getting right now, for at least until 2080, a few generations ruled..), and do not forget that Russia, that seems like an Angel to you, for easter Europe is their worst enemy. Also, 2/3 of Syria are (were) belonging to Isis Chaliphate (so, not really Syria right now). History is more complicated than Angels and Demons.

 

 

Hi Kisaha,

First let me thank you for the humanity you have shown my fellow Syrians. It is very kind of you, and it is appreciated and remembered, believe me.

I am well versed in the suffering of my fellow Orthodox Christians. In the last century alone, 2Million were killed by the Ottomans, 20Million by Nazi Germany in Russia (half of which were civilian), and now many more in Iraq and Syria at the hands of the Gulf and NATO backed proxies.

I'm sure if we delve deeply enough into history, we will find that every empire has committed atrocities and war-crimes at one time or another.

I would like to note - I do not appreciate Russia's help simply because they are (mainly) an Christian Orthodox nation. Rather, I appreciate their help because they are the only real power that came to our aid when the rest of the Western world and Gulf states sent their Salafi and Wahhabi proxy militias against us under the guise of "democracy".

The West has a well-documented track record of creating failed states.

In the recent past, much of this took place in Africa during European colonialism. So much devastation did the West reap and sow in Africa that we are still seeing the devastating results of European colonialism till this day.

In our current time, the West is still creating failed sates - this is usually done under the guise of "promoting democracy".

These failed states are either resource-rich, or are of geo-strategic importance.

In the case of my country, Syria, the West, and their dictatorship allies in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, want(ed) to build a pipeline from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, through Turkey and on to Europe, in order to cut-off and destroy Russia's dominance of energy supply to Europe.

In other instances, the West will use the excuse of "stabilising" a country that they have purposely "de-stabilised", whether through an engineered colour-revolution or through direct military force, in order to gain a foothold by means of military occupation, new bases, or propping up a government that is favourable to them - what then proceeds is the raping of said country's natural resources.

Here in Sydney, I achieved a Degree in Media from Macquarie University, while my brother achieved an Honours Degree in Political Science and Middle East studies, and Masters in Law from Sydney University. If there is one thing I have learnt in all our study and exchanging of knowledge and books, it is that in the realm of realpolitik, one cannot be influenced strictly by ideology alone, or at all. One must be practical, realistic. Factual. Romantic ideologies, for all their utopian and altruistic beauty, do not, unfortunately, interact well with the stark bleakness of reality and complexities of the real world.

I wish they did, but they don't. 

People tend to forget this - the gritty complexities of the "fog of war". If people want to survive a war, I recommend they check their romanticised ideologies at the door. Believe me. War and politics do not work this way. To paraphrase Norman Finkelstein, the regime of Stalin was brutal, it was not exactly a bed of roses, but who didn't want the Red Army to defeat Nazi Germany? Who didn't cheer on the Red Army's advances on the Führerbunker and Reichstag?

Getting back on track, people so quickly paint Russia as the villain - as if we were in some Cold War era Hollywood red-scare film. But who is the real villain here? It was Cold War-era Secretary of State, James Baker, who said to the Russians that in exchange for cooperation on Germany, the U.S. would make "iron-clad guarantees" that NATO would not expand “one inch eastward.”

And what have we seen? NATO expand eastward. Eastward towards Russia's borders year on year since the end of the Cold War.

The U.S. has 800 US bases in a multitude of foreign countries - with 174 U.S. “base sites” in Germany alone.

You know how many military bases Russia has world-wide? 10.

And Russia is the aggressor?

Did Russia destroy Iraq? No, the U.S and the "Coalition of the Willing" did.

Did Russia destroy Libya? No, NATO did.

Did Russia destroy Syria? No, NATO and the dictators they love selling weapons to in Saudi Arabia and Qatar did.

What I find absolutely most nauseating is this idea many in the West have - this idea of Western Exceptionalism.

In the media, this can be most simply seen with the use of words like "smart bombs", "high precision bombs". The West tries to humanise their bombs. Make them more appealing and humane, thus to distract away from their truly devastating and horrifying nature.

The Western media, governments, and their apologists, would have their audiences believe that their bombs are full of chocolate and roses. They do not talk about the Agent Orange in Vietnam. They do not talk about the White Phosphorus used in Afghanistan and Iraq. Or all the Depleted Uranium they used against Iraqi civilians in Fallujah - which has resulted, not only in countless deaths, but birth defects and mutations which are still being seen till this very day...

No, no, the West is exceptional - their bombs are full of rainbows and butterflies. And "democracy"...