Finally we are starting to see the very first glimpses of hope on many fronts in our fractured geopolitical world.
In Iran, the popular protest movement against violent morality police and the brutal oppression of women and all civil rights only continues to grow and build with every passing week.
In China, the CCP have shown a remarkable flexibility by reducing authoritarian Covid restrictions and softening their global tone and rhetoric. The hope is that China can manage any serious outbreak of Covid when so many of their elderly are under vaccinated and vaccinated by lesser quality Chinese vaccinations. A mass death event in China would be to no ones benefit.
In the Ukraine, the people are suffering miserably for this murderous vanity campaign by Putin. The Winter will deal an inhumane blow on the suffering of the people of the Ukraine. While we must strive to be enemy to none and friend to all as our NZ foreign policy, we can not in good conscience turn a blind eye to the suffering of military aggression against a civilian population and must continue and indeed bolster our support for the people of the Ukraine as they refuse to yield under the tyranny of Putin’s aggression. We need to seek immediate terms for a ceasefire to stop this needless and senseless slaughter.
In Taiwan, the people there must be assured that the West will not leave them to the aggressions of a China hell bent on reunification at all costs. If should be when the people of Taiwan want reunification that should be the agreed diplomatic threshold.
In Palestine, the oppressive occupation that the Palestinians continue to suffer from will only get more brutal as the far right capture the latest Government in Israel’s Parliament. Israel may well have signed peace treaty with numerous Arab states, but that doesn’t remove the weeping wound that is the occupation and if anything, that oppression simply gets worse. The West and the Region are turning a blind eye, but that doesn’t solve the problem.
Finally the people of Russia who have been dragged into a conflict they didn’t want need our support as well. They are as much of a victim in all of this as the Ukrainians Putin has invaded. They are fed rabid nationalities propaganda in an authoritarian Communist Regime that has no problem using violence and brutality to get its way.
The people who are being abused by authoritarian regimes and the people forced to live under those authoritarian regimes require our support.
For the longest time, colonialism and corporate geopolitics have determined much of our desire to reform other countries when progressives should be waiting for those who are impacted first to set the agenda for us to support rather than the West imposing it.
The people of Iran, China, Ukraine, Taiwan, Palestine and Russia need our support. We should do all we can to help them gain the agency to self determine their own futures.
That is ultimately what Democracy stands for and is ultimately what we value.
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Support Palestine, but the rest here, just wow, how little we know, a circumstance I largely put down to our ruling class controlled media and political apparatus. Going on the lack of knowledge expressed here, we ourselves need support as much as anyone. Most people here know about neoliberalism, but the very same people do not realize that this is just one tool in the billionaire class toolbox. Imperialism is another tool, thee tool that negatively influences all of the aforementioned countries here. A compliant mainstream media and an equally compliant political class are the other two key tools working for the powerful, therefore working against us – more often than not.
We cannot support someone or something if we don’t know the full picture about what we choose to support. We need to arm ourselves, not with weaponry, but with knowledge/information. We need to help ourselves before we can help anyone else, because boy, the world, for we the people, is turning to dust, while at the same time the billionaire class has never been richer or more prevalent. These last two points alone highlight the trajectory the world is on. But that can be stopped with knowledge and by realizing that the tools that used to primarily serve the people – the mainstream media and the political class – now primarily serve the billionaire class.
Yes, they need our support to fight against the American filth trying to murder them with bombs and sanctions sieges.
EXACTLY.
That’s what ‘dumb lives matter Bomber’ doesn’t get……….American propaganda doing an amazing job !!!
Here’s an idea. Don’t invade a sovereign nation under bullshit pretences and expect people to not do something about
Here’s an idea, American could STOP enciting ANY minority that has any small ‘beef’ to start a civil war PURELY because it suits Americas empire wants.
Imagine if NZ doesn’t do as it is told and so America backs, with weapons, SERIOUS funding and training, to start a civil war in NZ and then use its propaganda to highlight the cruelty of the ‘unpopular Govt’ clamping down on children and women demonstrating in the streets.
OH and having snipers shooting at both sides of the conflict to REALLY add fuel to a fire.
This is Americas ‘go to’ play book.
And how many countries has the American empire, SADLY with the help all too often with NZ, invaded sovereign countries?
As per the USA since forever in my lifetime
You mean like the yankee filth invaded Taiwan province and put in place a traitor government full of Japanese collaborators?
Are we really supposed to believe your name is Steve?
You couldn’t sound more ‘Global Times’ if you tried . .
Ukraine / Russia – a totally preventable war that only the US wants to fight, well so as long as the Ukrainians and Russians are doing the dying. And as with Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam the US will learn again that what they plan is not what they will get. Maybe again have a look at the map and see that Russia will always be a neighbor to Ukraine, while the US is as always far far away. And that it will be that forever.
China – well we had no issues with the Uighurs and other minorities being manhandled by the Chinese state after all they produce all of the shit that our dears here in western world need for happiness and fullfilment. So why should we bother now? It is not as if the Chinese gave a shit about the opinion of others.
s/
Palestine / Israel – when every first born is dead, when every other born is blind will they understand that they are fighting for nothing, and that both sides will lose in the end.
Iran – has no more fucks to give about their population, or their ‘women’ for that matter then we do here. US here allow for men in Womens sport – community level – where the elites of tomorrow are made, in womens changing rooms, women hospital wards, women prison cells, any group that has ‘female/women’ in front must now accept males – even those that are non transitioning trans women aka entire unadulterated males, lest they break some law and be bigots. Never free of the male gaze and if these women don’t like it they can stay at home where good women should be. And couple that shit with future high unemployment, no income, we are going to be looking very much the same soon. A youth that can’t ever move out, will no find any permanent jobs, prostitution/porn as jobs, ditto for being a sentient baby incubator for the men that can’t have children or the women that are to busy and too worried about their bodies to have them on their own, sell your eggs and your sperm, and you are very much looking at a similar mind set albeit with a ‘liberal’ hue.
The thing that differentiates Afghanistan of today – public lashes in the square for listening to music or for walks with a man whom one is not married too to that Afghanistan under US occupation is a change in government. Ditto for Iran. And ditto for any other country including ours.
Everything is very fragile, and we are no more safe then any of these guys are, and we all depend on the good graces of whom ever is our leader. And we seemingly promote the worst of the worst to the top of all our parties. The ones that give a good speech and fail at everything else with aplomb.
How confident are you that we will not be turned into a conflict based on race / ethnicity, for resources – water comes to mind, or just on semi religious faultline be that the religion of Christ, Mohamed, or transgenderism? Just how confident do you feel that this shit will not happen here?
I concur with all comments expressed
Dont worry about it cause the West is dead and the Rise of the BRICS+ nations is the future!
With over 40% of the worlds population, 80% of the worlds natural resources and precious metals and fertile soils as well as the oil supply, Saudi, Russia and Venezuela about to hook up. Its game over for the west.
Its time to pick a side.
It certainly is. Though the filthy Americans are still interfering where they aren’t wanted. Just look at the American plots that took out Cristina de Kirchner in Argentina and Pedro Castillo in Peru just in the last few days.
And about half the world’s nuclear weapons too.
I’m with you Denny. At a time when we have never been better equipped to inform ourselves, that an essay so lacking in a modicum of the incite those extraordinary facilities can reveal, is simply beyond comprehension
I am going to try to add a semblance of balanced debate because amongst many of my fellow TDB commentators who have a vehement hatred of anything relating to the United States. Firstly I will preface that I am not saying in any way shape or form that the US is perfect and that it has not done many terrible things in the world, however what major powers have not. Do we want to talk about Russia’s and the former Soviet Union’s crimes, gulags, engineered famines etc. So I would like to point out some mostly positive things to say about the US and a historical example.
The Marshall Plan – in 1948 the US Government enacted this plan which provided 13 billion USD (in today’s terms approx $115 billion) to a war ravaged and bankrupt Europe. Whilst far from perfect in its overall objectives and implementation, it certainly however greatly assisted European nations avoid widespread poverty and starvation and put the European nations on the path to economic integration which has resulted in unparalleled peace and prosperity in Europe for over 70 years. By the way Clement Attlee the great post-war British labour Prime Minister whose Government’s achievement amongst many was the creation of the National Health Service was an enthusiastic participant.
All nation states act in one way shape or form in the interests of themselves and in some instances the interests of their citizens, but this is something (acting in the interests of citizens) which is mostly prevalent with democracies. Oh and by the way the US is a democracy, yes one with a system and institutes which are outdated and cumbersome to say the least, but they do work on the whole. No democracy is perfect and democracy involves over time, not just in countries with newly minted democratic systems but also in established ones like the US.
Is Russia a democracy – No, is Venezuela – No, China – No, Saudi – No. Do you wish me to go on?
So let’s talk a little about Ukraine, I am no expert here, but I do have some historical knowledge. The issues are complex and multi-faceted, but at the end of day Russia invaded another Sovereign nation with no rational justification, was Ukraine about to attack Russia I think not. If one uses Nuremberg tribunals as a point of reference this is called waging aggressive war. The only thing that a tyrant like Putin understands is strength and resolve, sometimes the only way to stop a bully is to kick them where it hurts. War should always be the last resort, but sometimes it is justified and this is an instance of when it is.
Bomber mentioned Taiwan in his piece, the only thing stopping the PRC reunifying Taiwan by force against the wishes of the people, is the threat of US military force. Without it there would be significant loss of life, on both sides from any Chinese invasion plus untold economic consequences and hardships globally.
As I prefaced the US has done and enacted some awful and abhorrent actions and policies, but what I am trying to say here is that not everything is black and white, more often than not various shades of grey to use a metaphor. So let’s try to be a bit more balanced and examine the facts, that’s all I am endeavouring to say.
Chris, you don’t get it do you?
OH I mean if America boosted American industry through the Marshall plan after murdering tens of millions for fun, they must be alright!
The only empire in history evil enough to use nuclear weapons in anger, against civilians, just to murder hundreds of thousands for fun. The same empire that planned to strike the Russian people with hundreds of nuclear bombs, and was only prevented from doing so by the heroic Soviet effort to build nukes that have since saved humanity from another evil American nuclear attack.
There are good Americans. But there’s no good Americans in the current American population.
I am worried how the liberal left has been captured by the US neocon movement.
Listen to Chomsky, Pilger – not most authors on the Standard or the Daily Blog.
I had a quiet laugh at Chris comments above that the US is a democracy when it is obvious to all that the voters can only choose whomever the plutocracy allows them to. Then the person or party is totally bought up and told what to do. Is that more democratic than Russia or China? Strikes me that we live in a world where democracy is in severe deficit.
I think you would find if you went to any of the places mentioned except Palestine, that the general population has much respect for and support for their government than we have here for ours. it’s awful what’s going on in Iran with the first execution today I heard. But even there if it were a question of wanting their government or one provided for them by the USA and it’s lap dogs I’m pretty sure they would stick to their own.
D J S
I agree with AO and the other posters who pointed out you can not solve of fix a problem ,,,, unless you know all, the facts, events and actions causing the problems….
…. Our dirty media often presents disinformation and propaganda as news/factual ,,,,, making consumers and the public ill-informed on many of the topics Martyn touched upon ,,, making us susceptible to supporting actions which will make the problems mentioned worse ,,,,, ie, NZ’s military aid will result in more Ukrainian deaths, more destruction for their country, and more suffering…..
Seeking peace will involve addressing the problems leading up to and causing the Ukraine war, ie one problem, https://rumble.com/v10don9-burnt-alive-in-odessa.-documentary.html,,, same with the Taiwan situation,,, Iran, Palestine etc.,,
,, Our medias reporting make people ill-informed,,, knobbling attempts to solve problems or fix things,,,,, because we approach them from a position which is Worse than ignorance , we look at them from positions of prejudice and falsehoods.
Our media is hopelessly corrupted when it comes to providing balanced and factual reporting in what they present as ‘the new’s ‘,,,, But our Govt’s
are also fakers and liars as they pretend to fight against disinformation/misinformation….
….How can they, or the dis-info experts/organisations who front for them, possibly claim to care for truthfulness, honesty and accuracy in the information we receive ,,,,, while they ignore or even help those who persecute and seek to destroy Julian Assange?.
Julian Assange is the greatest and most successful fighter against disinformation in generations ,,,
fighting disinformation should mean championing those who tell us the truth and reveal the lies….. That our Govt and media are largely against Assange tells you all you need to know about their commitment to the truth ,,,,,
that our disinformation experts are not raising merry hell about the abuse of state powers used against him,, shows they are not fighting what they claim to be,,, it looks corrupt to me.
The biggest problem facing the people of the world,,, including in AoNz, is corruption…..
The Govt of John Key plugged us into the shadow banking/tax haven network ,,,, this oils the wheels and facilitates most of whats bad in the world today , such as : wars, arms trafficking, people trafficking, deforestation, Russian Oligarchs, Ukraine Oligarchs, Chinese Billionares, NZ Billionaires, Drug trafficking, environmental destruction, corruption etc etc ,,, and most if not all of the big corporations, not paying taxes in all the countries they extract profits from use them ,,, including in NZ, causing lost Govt revenues and ‘artificial austerity’ as Govt services are cut back.
The Labour Govt of Ardern signed the TPPA in one of their very first actions as the new Government ,,,,, This is the true co-governance of our country ,,,, Corporations can sue our Govt/us in overseas courts/tribunals, for making or enforcing NZ laws which hurt corporate profits in a manner that breaks the TPPA rules,,,
Tppa rules which supersede our laws,,, but only once we signed our sovereignty away ,,,, Labour did that, and National would have ,,,, both corrupt as.
The Nato war in Ukraine is based on lies, corruption and Geo-politics ,,,, Labour got us involved , but National would have anyway.
The Greens are the least corrupt party in Govt ,,,,, Corruption and tax havens are behind environmental destruction, pollution, deforestation and the obscenity of oil companys not paying tax while making record profits.
Corruption is a environmental issue and the Greens should drop the identity bullshit and focus on the environment and corruption ,,, It would make them popular.
Fighting corruption is the best thing AoNz could do to meaningfully help the people in the world ,,,, and also us here at home .
The concept is simple ,,, and the effort is large ,,,, but the results and reverberations would be world changing.
Fight corruption,,,,, Stop AoNz collaborating with it.,,, Start here.
History shows us that humanity makes paradigm shifts in consciousness evolution through painful mass events, such as war. I think Zelensky is a special soul. He will successfully navigate his people through the “best path” of this war. There are no winners as Putin is effectively committing genocide to the Ukrainians and war crimes against Russians. But Ukraine will be victorious nonetheless (compared to Putin). Zelensky is leading the way for our entire planet to follow in how our new democracies should operate in our fresh new 100 year ish cycle that has just begun. The Ukranians and Russians are paying a heavy price however. China will take much longer but the wheel has begun turning. I don’t know much about Palestine or Taiwon, but it is definitely all the same energy. Watch Zelensky because he’s quite gifted and definitely the right man to show the world how it’s done. JMO FWIW
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