Between regime change and saving innocents, US always chooses regime change

 Between regime change and saving innocents, US always chooses regime change 

The Ides of March 2011 was not a good day for the Syrian people. Civil war broke out. It lasted nearly 14 years, resulting in over 600,000 deaths. Last December Syrian President Assad was toppled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda branch with a history of war crimes and violent, sectarian ideology. 

Syria’s new de facto leader is Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda and ISIS chief who went by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani. A sworn terrorist enemy of the US, Julani had a US bounty of $10 million on his head for his capture. 

But by toppling Assad, al-Julani became a darling of US regime change advocates who spent the entire 14 year Syrian civil war funding and cheering on the Syrian rebels including many anti US jihadists. Pushing US regime change can sure make strange bedfellows with Uncle Sam. US aid likely kept the civil war ongoing for years contributing to tens if not hundreds of thousands of needless Syrian deaths. 

The US championed the jihadist rebels, not to save Syrians from the brutal Assad, but simply to effect regime change of an ally of America’s real bête noir in the Middle East, Iran. Support for Israel, the real power dictating US Middle East policy, was a major, if not the most important determinant of cruel, murderous US regime change policy in Syria.

The US couched its support of the jihadist rebels fighting Assad as America’s humanitarian concern for the Syrian people. Bunk. Syria represents the latest in over 75 US regime change ops since WWII which likely killed over a million innocents

President Biden cheered on al-Julani’s victory, last December while skimming over his violent anti US history. President Trump went further, meeting with newly renamed al-Sharaa who donned suit and tie to demonstrate his pro US bonafides. Trump rescinded the $10 bounty on America’s new partner in containing Iran saying al-Sharaa was A-OK. He then offered to end US sanctions which had cruelly killed thousands and degraded life for millions of hapless Syrian civilians.

So how is America’s new best buddy in Syria doing to make life livable again for Syrians persecuted by Assad? He’s gone on a murderous rampage of revenge against the ‘other’…Alawites, Christians and various undesirables who do not share his jihadist philosophy. The Syrian Observatory or Human Rights (SOHR) reports at least 7,670 people, have been killed in Syria since Assad’s fall. They further state the actual number likely much higher. That includes more than 2,130 “extrajudicial executions” and “identity-based killings.” SOHR notes that 75 percent of all the deaths are civilians, and warns of “a pattern of organized violence across the country.”

Not a word of protest from the Trump administration which sees al-Sharaa’s Syria as a good partner for isolating and assisting with US regime change efforts in Iran whose leaders rightly demand the freedom to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. Alas, changing out Iran’s regime likely entails war which will be devastating to US troops, bases and ships in the region. So far Trump has resisted bloodthirsty US hawks promoting war with Iran.

If one thinks America’ 14 year successful regime change effort in Syria was long, consider the 65 year old US embargo of Cuba that has failed to change out the hated Cuban revolutionary government. It’s inflicted a trillion dollar hit on the Cuban economy, degrading life for Cuba’s 11 million souls. It punishes the US economy by over $3 billion yearly. Sixty-five years of US stupidity and no end in sight. Nations go into America’s regime change roach motel….and never come out.

Over 75 US regime change ops since WWII and not one of them worth, as FDR’s first VP John Nance Garner said about the Vice Presidency, “a bucket of warm spit.”

To Trump, a million casualties in Ukraine war he’s enabling is nothing more than a kids’ fistfight

 To Trump, a million casualties in Ukraine war he’s enabling is nothing more than a kids’ fistfight

 

The depravity of Trump’s view of catastrophic war was on full display in his White House meeting with fellow Ukraine war enabler, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump told reporters present that the million plus dead and wounded in the largely degraded Ukraine

 

“Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other, and they’re fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don’t want to be pulled. Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.”

 

Trump was equally grotesque in pondering the war his predecessor provoked and he’s kept going with endless US weapons, in his phone call to Russia President Putin. “I said, Mr. President, maybe you’re going to have to keep fighting and suffering a lot,’ because both sides are suffering before you pull them apart, before they’re able to be pulled apart.”

 

At the Merz meeting Trump further stated that “When I see the moment where it’s not going to stop … we’ll be very, very tough. And it could be on both countries, to be honest. It takes two to tango.” Trump was threatening sanctions on both Russia and Ukraine to stop their fistfight in the park. He might as well be threatening putting both on ‘Double Secret Probation.’

 

Actually, it takes three to tango since the war goes on because Trump continues enabling it with billions in weapons, logistics and Intel support. Pull that away and Ukraine’s Zelensky would have to negotiate the peace he ran away from in April, 2022 at America’s behest. Had he made peace then Zelensky would still control the 45,000 square miles annexed and not incurred  over a million senseless casualties.

 

And cruel, clueless, delusional Trump sits back pretending he’s still concerned about ending a catastrophic war he’s enabled for the past 137 days

Hegseth to impose second and posthumous homophobic Naval disparagement on Harvey Milk

 Hegseth to impose second and posthumous homophobic Naval disparagement on Harvey Milk

 

In life and death the US Navy relished punishing Harvey Milk for being gay

 

In 1954, Milk was drummed out of the Navy he had faithfully servcd for four years for that offense. In the 1970’s Milk went on to become a national symbol of LGBTQ+ political empowerment as one of the first prominent gay political leaders. . In 1977 he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. A year later he was assassinated along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone in a homophobic hate crime.

Sixty-seven years after firing Milk, the Navy made symbolic amends by naming a fleet replenishment oiler the USNS Harvey Milk.

 

But it took just 4 years for Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to demand Milk’s ship name be consigned to Davy Jones locker. According to Hegseth the Navy cannot have a gay rights leader’s name on a ship that must only bear names befitting the military’s “warrior culture”.

 

Hegseth is clueless that the real warrior here is Milk who was a warrior for inclusion and human decency, qualities totally MIA in the damaged psyche of Pete Hegseth.  

Will pivot to peace help Dems regain White House in ’28?

 Will pivot to peace help Dems regain White House in ’28?

 

The Democratic Party is in disarray following their calamitous defeat last year. Losing all swing states they won in ’20 bodes ill for future success against the MAGA mentality that contains a solid base exceeding 45% of the electorate for 3 straight elections. Trump may be gone in ’28 but may well be succeeded by another charismatic master of fear and loathing the MAGA base blindly follows.

 

Democrats appear clueless how to recover their mojo. Critics including some in the Party, are demanding they go on a nationwide apology tour for allowing a mentally disintegrating Joe Biden to run again, then waiting too long to push him out for relatively unpopular VP Kamala Harris.

An apology tour would only make Democrats look weak, giving Republicans a field day to ridicule their self flagellating opposition.

 

Democrats need a new start. A good way would be to jettison their long standing support of senseless US wars under Clinton, Obama and especially Biden. They should embrace peace by demanding an end to Israeli genocide in Gaza, then following up by pledging to end all weapons fueling the worst genocide this century.

 

Democrats must demand an end to the US proxy war against Russia destroying Ukraine, while making Russia stronger…the exact opposite of its intentions. Cutting off all weapons, Intel and logistics to Ukraine will force Ukraine to seek the best peace agreement possible considering their hopeless military position.

 

Democrats must seek a minimum 50% reduction in defense spending to $500 billion from the current gargantuan $1 trillion.

 

Democrats should push to end crippling economic sanctions against dozens of countries that accomplish nothing except degrade life for millions of poor souls in countries sanctioned.

 

Democrats must demand return to normal diplomatic relations with Russia so critically needed but abandoned nuclear agreements can be reinstated. This alone may prevent either intentional or accidental nuclear war.

 

Democrats should support of a sensible nuclear agreement with Iran which will end sanctions and restore normal diplomatic relations. If achieved this will avert a catastrophic regional war with Iran.

 

Democrats need to sever ties with the Israel Lobby which funnels tens of millions in US elections to distort a sane foreign policy with Israel as epitomized by enabling their genocide in Gaza.

 

Out of power, Democrats have no way of implementing these peaceful goals on their own. But adopting this peace platform will put enormous pressure on Republicans to confront Democrats’ abandonment of America’s deranged bipartisan military belligerence worldwide which threatens human existence.

 

Given their electoral malaise Democrats have nothing to lose pivoting to peace. It may actually boost their chances in ’28 due to their fervent support of US war policies likely a big factor in ’24 loss.

 

As evidence 6,285,000 2020 Biden voters did not vote for Harris in ’24. Only just over 300,000 defected to Trump. Vast majority voted 3rd party or stayed home. Polling showed a big factor was Biden’s promotion of war, especially his enabling the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza with over $20 billion in weapons, veto support in the UN and claiming the genocide was merely Israeli ‘self-defense.’ Harris refused to distance herself from Biden’s genocide enabling. The DNC cooperated by refusing to allow a Palestinian leader to speak at the Convention on behalf of the Palestinians' suffering in Gaza. Harris’s husband proclaimed "Let me just make this clear, the vice president has been and will be a strong supporter of Israel as a secure democratic and Jewish state, and she will always ensure that Israel can defend itself, period. Because that’s who Kamala Harris is." Bye bye anti genocide vote.

 

As a leader in the peace community, I was in that group who could not vote for a genocide enabler. I dialoged with hundreds of others who vowed never vote for any candidate supporting genocide. That is why few of the Biden defectors did not vote for genocide enabler Trump.

 

Democrats near lockstep support for US exceptionalism allowing endless war, cowardice in resisting Israel Lobby pressure, and gobbling up endless millions from weapons makers bodes ill for Democrats pivoting to peace.

 

But doing so will likely improve their chances to regain the White House. Much more importantly, it may lead to ending current wars, preventing impending wars and reducing the needless suffering of tens of millions. Most important of all it may prevent the first nukes fired in anger since August 6-9, 1945.

 

Will Democrats pivot to peace in their desperate attempt to reoccupy the White House? Tho not likely, we of peace must push strongly for Democrats to reclaim their moral compass on the most critical issue facing peoplekind.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL 

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Democrats need apologize for nothing in ’28 election

 Democrats need apologize for nothing in ’28 election

Alexander Heffner in The hard truths a Democrat must tell to win in 2028 (Chicago Tribune May 29) wasted nearly 1,100 words demanding Democrats embark on an apology tour during the ’28 election. Doing so will not gain them a single vote, whether from the MAGA faithful or disillusioned progressives.

In 2016 and 2024 they faced demonic demagogue Trump who trash talked every decent, nurturing element of Democratic governance under first Obama, then Biden, to gain the presidency. Then he used that first term presidency to begin unraveling of the social safety net to enrich his billionaire class donors. He also followed thru on his threat to not leave office by instigating a coup which nearly succeeded, albeit injuring over 150 police defending American democracy of which 5 died shortly thereafter.

Instead of apologizing Trump bragged about his treasonous criminality. He ratcheted up the trash talking which inexplicably resonated to an even larger vote total than his two previous campaigns. Trump’s base loved his refusal to own up to his rampant criminality and destructive governance.

What we patriotic Americans have learned to or horror, is that a one off, charismatic traitor to American democracy, displaying a cruelty never before experienced in American presidential politics, has a solid base of 46% of the electorate. Combining that with an Electoral College tilted to their advantage made the two Trump triumphs possible.

Democratic losers Clinton and Harris talked sensible substantive policy to build on the solid accomplishments of their predecessors. Neither had a thing to apologize for. Had they ran against anyone but Trump, they’d have had a decent chance of winning..

A Democratic apology tour would be counterproductive, unseemly and provoke endless Republican ridicule on the utter weakness such a tour would display.

Heffner did make one important point. Democrats need a candidate with more charisma than that of their two losing candidates. A poorly educated, short attention span electorate makes candidate charisma, one dedicated to uplift rather than societal degradation, more important than ever.

With Trump gone in ’28, Democrats will be able to run on the pledge to restore the rule of law, .for the Constitution, rebuilding the shattered social safety net, implementing tax reform on the billionaire class, resuming the desperate quest to control global warming, among other critical societal needs ignored or degraded under Trump.

And no apology necessary for running on that platform and vision. Self-flagellation never won an election…never will.

Germany’s Merz ratchets up threat of nuclear war over Ukraine

Germany’s Merz ratchets up threat of nuclear war over Ukraine

By provoking the Russian invasion three years, three months ago, the US and NATO put the world at greater risk of nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis 63 years ago.

Biden and his UK counterpart Keir Starmer recklessly crossed Russian red lines by allowing Ukraine to fire US ATACAMS and UK Storm Shadow missiles respectively deep into Russia.

Russia’s response was to warn the US and UK that such attacks would be perceived by Russia as putting it at war with NATO. It could possibly provoke Russian attacks against NATO facilities in Europe. The fact that Russia has not so responded has led US and NATO strategists to claim that Russia’s threat is toothless. That is a prescription for igniting nuclear war.

One ray of hope to ending this madness has been President Trump’s early statements that the war must be ended forthwith. But he’s done virtually nothing to make that happen, demonstrating his near total incompetence to achieve his stated goal.

Now Germany’s newbie Chancellor Friedrich Merz just tossed fuel on the possible nuclear fire by greenlighting Ukraine to use German Taurus missiles with a 310 mile range, somewhat longer than US ATACMS and UK Storm Shadows.

Merz and his two fellow crazed pro war colleagues UK’s Keir Starmer and France’s Emmanuel Macron are determined to keep this lost war going even if Trump does manage to wind down US participation. They’re doing this while the Ukraine military is disintegrating before their lying eyes.

Every day those 3 promote continued war costs more death to Ukraine’s dwindling military, more lost land and more shattering of Ukraine’s economy.

Now the escalation announced by reckless Merz that heightens nuclear tensions makes ending this war without delay more critical than ever.