C. Johnstone's essays are routinely insightful and on-target, especially when tackling the twin issues of imperialist propaganda and the the need to think critically (and act accordingly). I don't understand the grounds for Paul's dismissal.
It amazing to me that most people don't even notice or care. I personally it is a deep psychological psychological issue of denial, but in their subconscious, they know but can't face it.. Feelings that stay buried forever. And f..kes up the mind.
for a lot of people I know politics is just "something outside my sphere of influence and therefore it is dysfunctional for e to focus on it. I focus on what I can control in my own life." Also, US politics are so grotesequely ugly that many folks tune it out.
I recently saw a brief segment of a 2015 presentation given by Julian Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. He mentioned one of the most important documents revealed by Wikileaks: US Manual for Unconventional Warfare, prepared in 2008. Evidently it’s a “how to” guide for US special forces in overthrowing a government. Another document, For An Internal Defense, covers how to keep your government from being overthrown.
I haven’t read either yet, but perhaps it would be of interest to Revcoms and others here.
DISCLAIMER: I am not encouraging anyone to follow Army Special Forces operations manuals. It’s just unsurprisingly and shockingly enough already out there.
A few days ago I put a 'ZIONIST BEWARE' sign on the back window of the Astro van. Today I hear a young settler colonialist say to his girlfriend while rolling past on bicycles, 'they are going to kill him'.
I don't do political stickers on my car cuz basically I'm not interested in having to pay for bashed in windows. Cars for me are just not a good way to go for making poltiical statements. You are just setting yourself up for some fascist idiot to slash your tires or worse. Now, wanna hang a revolutionary banner over an Interstate highway and I'm in.
Im in a running battle here. When SF finally can accept the truth about our situation I believe like the 100 monkeys on two islands, the whole nation will follow. Nothing left. Too many vax jabs now I experience beginning of stroke symptoms. Doctor took blood. Waiting. All compliments of the United States of America.
I noticed you mentioned Caitland Johnson and suggested, I thought, that she was not a credible source. If you don't think so, would you be comfortable saying why, or at least referring me to a reliable critical source? I never come across any critical analysis of her writing.
as I recall CPunch then put up a defense of her by a very unbalanced fellow. CPunch is a very big tent and it really takes alot to get kicked off it. She managed to get booted there. So did Mike Whitney by virture of over the top adoration of Putin and that vicious clown Terrence (?) Hopkins who published/maybe still publishes at neo-Nazi UNZ something/(Review?). All that red-brown, really more pink-brown stuff elicits nausea from me. Braxton is a Putin fan. It's not just "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking, whch is bad enough, but worse, as in digging how Putin restored national pride, as if Marxists are into national pride and as if Russia is still Marxist to any degree. Anyway I have zero patience for the "working with the anti-establishment right" garbage. Lie down with fascist dogs you get fascist fleas. And I've got no time for arrogant and snarky lectures on US politics from an Aussie (if that's what shae actually is and not some kind of smart Russian creation, which is quite possible) who admits to not really understanding the USA.
Thank you for the reply. I believe she successfully counters most of your criticisms in the following piece (and elsewhere); most clearly the suggestion that an Australian citizen has little reason to address official US policy.
Absolutely stellar. The Trumpenleft has been infuriating.
They fell into the Grayzone and they can't get up.
I’m gonna make flash cards out of these.
Thanks, Paul!
Who were the Braxtons in Germany in the 1920s and 30s that made light of comical Adolph? That didn't help things much.
Contra the supposed proletarianness of the January 6 Capitol crashers: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/06/trump-capitol-insurrection-january-6-insurrectionists-great-replacement-white-nationalism/
C. Johnstone's essays are routinely insightful and on-target, especially when tackling the twin issues of imperialist propaganda and the the need to think critically (and act accordingly). I don't understand the grounds for Paul's dismissal.
It amazing to me that most people don't even notice or care. I personally it is a deep psychological psychological issue of denial, but in their subconscious, they know but can't face it.. Feelings that stay buried forever. And f..kes up the mind.
for a lot of people I know politics is just "something outside my sphere of influence and therefore it is dysfunctional for e to focus on it. I focus on what I can control in my own life." Also, US politics are so grotesequely ugly that many folks tune it out.
There’s the rub: “focusing on what I can control!”
I recently saw a brief segment of a 2015 presentation given by Julian Assange while he was holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy. He mentioned one of the most important documents revealed by Wikileaks: US Manual for Unconventional Warfare, prepared in 2008. Evidently it’s a “how to” guide for US special forces in overthrowing a government. Another document, For An Internal Defense, covers how to keep your government from being overthrown.
I haven’t read either yet, but perhaps it would be of interest to Revcoms and others here.
DISCLAIMER: I am not encouraging anyone to follow Army Special Forces operations manuals. It’s just unsurprisingly and shockingly enough already out there.
A few days ago I put a 'ZIONIST BEWARE' sign on the back window of the Astro van. Today I hear a young settler colonialist say to his girlfriend while rolling past on bicycles, 'they are going to kill him'.
I don't do political stickers on my car cuz basically I'm not interested in having to pay for bashed in windows. Cars for me are just not a good way to go for making poltiical statements. You are just setting yourself up for some fascist idiot to slash your tires or worse. Now, wanna hang a revolutionary banner over an Interstate highway and I'm in.
Im in a running battle here. When SF finally can accept the truth about our situation I believe like the 100 monkeys on two islands, the whole nation will follow. Nothing left. Too many vax jabs now I experience beginning of stroke symptoms. Doctor took blood. Waiting. All compliments of the United States of America.
Paul,
I noticed you mentioned Caitland Johnson and suggested, I thought, that she was not a credible source. If you don't think so, would you be comfortable saying why, or at least referring me to a reliable critical source? I never come across any critical analysis of her writing.
Joshua Frank did an excellent job on her her pink-brown stuff back in the day: https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/07/13/on-caitlin-johnstone-and-david-cobbs-attempt-to-destroy-the-green-party/
Thanks for the clarification. In the interest of fairness, best to read her reply to this debate as well:
https://caityjohnstone.medium.com/lefties-need-to-stop-being-shy-about-working-with-the-anti-establishment-right-40c27a9dc98e
as I recall CPunch then put up a defense of her by a very unbalanced fellow. CPunch is a very big tent and it really takes alot to get kicked off it. She managed to get booted there. So did Mike Whitney by virture of over the top adoration of Putin and that vicious clown Terrence (?) Hopkins who published/maybe still publishes at neo-Nazi UNZ something/(Review?). All that red-brown, really more pink-brown stuff elicits nausea from me. Braxton is a Putin fan. It's not just "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" thinking, whch is bad enough, but worse, as in digging how Putin restored national pride, as if Marxists are into national pride and as if Russia is still Marxist to any degree. Anyway I have zero patience for the "working with the anti-establishment right" garbage. Lie down with fascist dogs you get fascist fleas. And I've got no time for arrogant and snarky lectures on US politics from an Aussie (if that's what shae actually is and not some kind of smart Russian creation, which is quite possible) who admits to not really understanding the USA.
Thank you for the reply. I believe she successfully counters most of your criticisms in the following piece (and elsewhere); most clearly the suggestion that an Australian citizen has little reason to address official US policy.
https://caityjohnstone.medium.com/some-common-criticisms-of-my-work-addressed-by-caitlin-johnstone-787c6beefccb