RIP Robert Parry

My message to Robert Parry's son, following an article that he has written about his father, who passed away a few days ago:


Dear Nat,

Since escaping the false reality of corporate media just over a year ago - on the day of east Aleppo’s liberation, in Syria - I have come to rely on Consortium News as one of my most valued news sources. I had previously, naively, thought that most journalists in the liberal mainstream, such as those at the Guardian, were fairly partisan and could be trusted. How wrong I was!

I suddenly felt quite lost, not knowing what information to trust, so it was such a relief to find people like Mr Parry, who truly just care about the facts, and are willing to actually question ‘official sources’ and the powers that be. If only it was possible for journalists with such integrity to work in the mainstream!

It has been so depressing following the Russiagate hysteria; seeing how easily manipulated the masses can be. Your father’s incessant debunking of every outlandish claim has been invaluable for me.

He has inspired me to always question everything, including my own judgements and conclusions. It has been a scary but enlightening journey, learning about the real ways of this fallen world, and I will continue to learn by reading the many other great journalists who contribute to Consortium News, (and will continue donating monthly).

Condolences,
James

The Post: a film about a newspaper doing their job, for a change

Is The Post basically a film that lionizes the Washington Post for, ya know, actually doing their job for a change? I think I'll pass. 

The real story should be about how it came to be that we ended up under the impression that we have a 'free press'. As The Post shows, this 'free press' has to deliberate about actually telling us the fucking truth! How many times have stories NOT been published? Many, many times. THIS is the story. Propaganda by omission.

FYI: The Washington Post is now owned by richest-human-alive Jeff Bezos, who has a $600 million contract with the CIA. But yeh, free press! 

Anti-Trump Protest? We need an Anti-War Protest!

Can we start a campaign to make this protest not solely about protesting Trump, but about protesting the entire American establishment; the war-mongering, corporatist neocons and neoliberals of both US parties?

The establishment wants us to believe that everything bad (war, corruption, etc) started with Trump. It most definitely did not! I can't help but feel that a huge anti-Trump protest like this is playing right into their hands. It allows them to get off scot-free, and move even further to the right whilst everyone is distracted by the absurdity of DJT.

Russiagate and Facebook Censorship

‘Users will be asked, as they sometimes are about advertising, whether they recognise a news brand and if they trust it’.

So, those news outlets with the most recognisable brands - ie those with the most capital (corporate media) - will get elevated.

Hopefully there’s enough ‘woke’ people out there to downvote these supposedly trustworthy brands, but I doubt it.

This whole Russiagate lie is really paying off for the powers that be; helping to protect their loyal propagandists - the ‘mainstream’ corporate media.

‘Shithole’ - Words speak louder than actions?

Advice for future Presidents of America:

You can bomb, economically attack, and covertly terrorise countries, and few will care. What you MUST NOT do is insult those countries verbally. This is simply unacceptable. THIS is racist.

I still love that Trump, with his racist ‘shithole’ comment, is lifting the mask and revealing the true spirit of US foreign policy. Mind, I guess there’s no chance that brainwashed neoliberals will realise this, and we can expect the mask to be put back on in 2020, with the election of another ‘humanitarian’ warmonger.

Imperial Threat Hinders Reform

It’s impossible to call for reform as an Iranian, (or as a citizen of any US designated ‘enemy state’), without invoking threatening behaviour from the imperial powers, who seek to take advantage of the situation. Meaning that reformists are forced to back down & unite with their fellow countrymen/women against a greater threat.

American-led imperialism is a global disease that needs eradicating. As explained, it hinders reformist movements, (unless that ‘reform’ involves neoliberalism and serving global corporate interests). And it consistently leads to the installation/propping up of brutal regimes. 

Assuming you don’t desire a world of brutal, neoliberal regimes that serve the international elite and American interests, standing up to American hegemony should be your number one priority. 

2017, from liberal to revolutionary

2017, the year in which I stopped being a ‘liberal’...

I believe that by far our most important fight is the fight against the international plutocracy/US Empire. I feel that causes such as LGBT rights, feminism, etc, are used by these powers to manufacture consent for, (or just to distract from), their quest for domination of the world and its resources. I can’t help but feel that we ’liberals’ are their useful idiots. I strongly believe in these causes, but not at the expense of turning the world into an anti-democratic, economically-unequal, war-addicted, climate change-fuelling, neoliberal haven for the international elite. Radical change is needed to save the planet - this needs to be our focus.