UNIVERSAL MORALITY .....

A theme I have returned to over and over is that leaders, their regimes and oligarchies are to be restrained and should be limited by realities on the ground, their own and world wide,  apartheid  South Africa back then was one clear example of forced change, while Israel , its arrogant  hegemony and barbaric colonialism defying the world order is the opposite .

Most Western, and specifically American media reporting of Israeli atrocities, still portray daily news from the over 50 years brutal and illegal occupation, of Palestinian and Syrian territories as an innocent collateral damage, or even as a necessary defence mechanism, and ultimately for the happiness and prosperity of the Israeli/Zionist people across the world, who absolutely need for their survival, stealing of more lands, waters and wealth of their under occupation endigen populations .

This Israeli long lasting policy of annihilation, brutality and apartheid is creating a definite bad impact on the entire neighborhood, creating more fanaticism , dictatorships and theocracies, destroying young democracies or aspiring ones. The Israeli ugly example of hegemony, intransigence  and treatment of its peoples, are inspiring leaders, who are tempted to follow the same ugly model of behavior, only to achieve their dubious goals and personal ambitions, the Syrian young dictator is one good example, Mr. Trump in a certain sense is another one .

The blatant and vulgar Israeli and American interference lately in their judicial systems, the appointing of only sympathetic partizan judges, facilitating certain ways of applying or conducting policies, even curtailing essential and basic human right freedoms, or covering-up for corrupt leaders who are striving to change rude, bloody and brutal criminal acts into maters of National Security, even during peacetimes, all profound shifts in our modern global collective consciousness and morality, it should be fought and resisted by all available means, here, in Israel, Syria or elsewhere . 

Turning these appalling and despicable policies, into not just tactical goals, but as permanent strategic realities is becoming a definite way of both the American and Israeli administrations. Enabling both to amplify and maximize their power and influence regionally and internationally.  Further putting the US under the direct spell of hegemonic Israeli policies and colonial aggressions .

Some people argue that moral judgments are subjective, perhaps even relative to the customs of a given community and its requirements, or simply to the desires and conveniences of its members, but to consider or conclude that all our judgements are subjective would constitute a grave wrong argument. There are and must be , some accepted and agreed upon universal moral concepts, not necessarily religious ones, but maybe congruent to all religions combined .

The world cannot judge, act and rectify according to the logic and role setting of few of its members, especially the more brutal and bullying ones, these follow their own evil demons, and shouldn't be allowed in the same boat of the world wide general perspective of moral behavior .

Are we really comfortable in continuously criticizing and bashing fascist regimes and dictatorships for their human rights abuses and brutalities, while we've totally turned the other cheek for 70 years and continue doing so every day, to a regime that imprisons, torture and kill in cold blood, a Ahed Tamimi, as well as hundreds of other kids annually, defying any and every international norm of decency.

Universal human rights, have reached in our age and times an important level of acceptance and recognition among most of the world's populations, their countries and political leaders, let's not allow just some roag and blood thirsty few destroy it all . 
My, as always, many thanks to all, around this amazing world of ours .                       

REVISITING THE DOOMSDAY CLOCK .......

Just few weeks ago, some distinguished scientists and the board of sponsors, which include 16 Nobel laureates took a decision to move the time on the famous clock a further 30 seconds from 2:30 to 2 minutes to midnight, a symbolic doomsday timing . The last move, a year ago the clock was pushed from 3 minutes to 2:30, both moves were directly related to our new commander in chief and his administration's destabilizing comments, decisions, and threats to the world, its climate, and its science.

His threats against North Korea's nuclear programs and not so funny leader that resulted in no concrete move nor any stoppage or slow down of their missile or nuclear weapons program. The Trump administration's threat against the Iranian 2015 agreement, limiting its nuclear program against lifting economical sanctions,  despite strong assurances by the International Atomic Agency, that Iran has been in compliance with the mentioned agreement. All culminating in an almost declared war with Iran,Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iraq and the Shiia world . With Israeli great help, They are selling it to the American people in the same exact words and actions that the Bush Jr, administration did upon the crazy and false invasion of Iraq .

Climate change issues that need to be urgently dealt with, to avoid imminent catastrophic situations, with our entire ecological system world wide put on hold, and the whole science behind it denied, rendering climate change issues irrelevant.

The latest engagement of our troops and the arming of different factions against others, is again turning the entire Middle-East into a quagmire of international and regional conflicts, further destroying the area and endangering the world's stability.

When the Obama administration was criticized for its slow reactions and indecision toward some of the important steps in various conflicts, today it all looks like a joke compared to the Trump administration's lack of experience, lack of vision, lack of mature dealing with all serious problems of the many hot spots of the world. This pathetic lack of leadership has led to a total distrust of world leaders and countries of the US , and has backed away the US from its long-standing leadership role in the world. 

" Neither allies nor adversaries have been able to reliably predict US actions of discern between sincere US pronouncements and mere rhetoric" wrote two eminent scientists Krauss and Rosner, who sit on the board of the Chicago based bulletin of Atomic scientists, which is the science journal that oversees the doomsday clock .

Failure of Mr. Trump, his oligarchy and his administration, plus some of the other rogue leaders, to deal with the looming threats of regional conflicts, and their insistence on solving matters by wars, denying nuclear capabilities to some while having nuclear destruction power of earthly magnitude to others, as well as facing climate changes, are further endangering our very existence .

America is looking to the results of several investigations regarding the administration's collusion with foreign countries and shifting election results to a one side, many are starting to seriously believe that the general State of the Union vis a vis our own problems and social malaise here in America, culminating in the unrealistic and insulting proposed budget by the Trump administration . Plus the risks of wrong and immature policies to world problems, including the volcanic M-E, are all becoming more serious considerations for impeachment procedures, let's see if the 2018 congressional elections could help alter this situation .

Let's all of us hope that the minutes on the clock could be pushed back to 3, 4 or 5 minutes to midnight instead of to one minute to, or midnight . My usual sincere thanks to all of our readership across the globe .                            

THE LAST SHIFT IN AMERICAN GEOPOLITICAL POLICY .....

The present Trump oligarchy are in total disarray, as in foreign or domestic policies. The lack of any clear vision or strategy for the future of the country, leaves it at the whim of some very few inexperienced profiteers and their allies interests.  The invalid and dilapidated State Department, short of every essential senior diplomat, the so very busy White House with internal partisan cover-ups and investigations, and its permanent scandals , the total immaturity of presidential special envoys, be it to Israel/Palestine,  Pakistan, Europe, Iran or Korea. The Middle East in general is pathetic, and totally in the hands of Pentagon generals and few Neo-cons looking desperately for revenge to the failures of the last couple decades through renewed conflicts and wars. 

The administration and the Pentagon have recently issued a National Security Strategy, and a National Defense Strategy, which fundamentally reverses US strategy, replacing the two decades old "Global war on terror"  with the preparation and escalation for conflict and world war of great power.  Where the emphasis is on the build-up of Washington's nuclear arsenal. And the destruction or annihilation of all who stand in line opposing our policies, be it Iran, North Korea, Pakistan or whoever , in the same way we did to Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen.

America, its ruling administration, and its ruling oligarchy, are all shifting rapidly to a totally new "perpetual war strategy" Dictated by the Pentagon, and the war machine, in America and elsewhere, Israel and to a lesser degree Turkey, would immediately come to mind for the same tactics. It all follows a period where the previous president, followed by Mr. Trump were calling for keeping an absolute minimum of American troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and all other hot spots of the world.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Trump called several times during his campaign and his first few months as president for a total pull-out , he asserted that past policies had depleted the US military, he also declared that instead of investing in wars, he'd rather spend the money on rebuilding the US's crumbling infrastructure, he he he... some of us believed him .

Now we're clearly witnessing the shift to what is the perpetual war, hardly ever masked by the "On terrorism" anymore in Afghanistan or lately in Syria or even in Iraq,Yemen or Niger or Korea. Mr. Tillerson's latest several speeches, spoke openly that US troops are in to stay indefinitely in all these spots .

The little snag in justifying this approach was the rather quick defeat of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, where the US , contrary to its ambitions of maintaining its presence and wars, declared victory too soon over Islamist jihadies, rendering its troops presence in those parts obsolete and questionable. So we kept some of these fighters for now scattered in the deserts as a good enough alibi .

The interesting and convenient discovery, to maintain the game for long times to come, is the Kurdish element. Who are for now our partners in combating terrorists. But surely who will need full protection themselves from prosecution and annihilation from all other parties involved. Iraq, Iran, Turkey, the Syrian regime and the Islamists. They all historically hated and feared an independent Kurdish entity.

American war strategists, are suddenly discovering how convenient this card is. Even with Turkey, where we give them a little leeway, for their self esteem, while we keep whispering in their ears that American troops are essential to insure no future foolish Kurd terrorism could be tolerated against Turkey. So the pact with Turkey and NATO would be saved , and keeping Turkey under pressure, controlled by US direct involvement. The final drawing of these lines and maps are taking shape as we speak.

Keeping a sizable presence vis a vis the Russian interests and bases in Syria and the region, and crippling the ever growing Iranian presence in Iraq, Assad's Syria and Lebanon. Having a major base in other than Musslem Arab or Turkish countries, fighting perpetually the terrorists , and the noble cause of protecting the Kurds, are all worthy of the new shift, having one of our biggest bases through the world in  this specific area, will insure new dominance over the entire area , and total protection to Israel's continued colonial hegemony and theft.

It may all succeed in terms of war machination, and Neo-Cons wishes and interests, but surely at some great price and sacrifices to American people and economy, not to mention the effects on the peoples of the area, the Syrians, Iraqis, the whole M-E, extending all the way through Iran , Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is No mistake or coincidence, as throughout 2017, the US military and Administration officials were already heavily engaged in various negotiations with several governments of the area, for some open-ended commitments of American troops on their soil, regardless of the ISIS success or failure.

Neither the American people, nor its intellectuals, strategy thinkers or politicians won this new shift to war policies, the war system and machinery , the Neocons and the Pentagon generals did, and one or two of our beloved allies , while the carnage goes on .

My, as always, many thanks to all .