Global
There should be little doubt in anyone’s mind that the “wag the dog” relationship between the United States and Israel has done terrible damage to American institutions and constitutional liberties. The US bipartisan unconditional support of the ongoing Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world which now despises America’s corrupt political system and its increasing bizarre and out of touch leadership. There were even reports this past week that Washington and Tel Aviv have been discussing shipping upwards of two million Palestinians to Sudan and Somalia, two of the most violent places on earth, to permit the development of Trump Gaza resort and the annexation of the rest of historic Palestine by Israel.
This year being the 30 th anniversary of Beyond Capital , it's high time for a broader audience to become familiar with this masterwork by István Mészáros. Following up on two previous installments in this series, this essay focuses on the implications drawn from chapters 15 and 16 . I encourage you to read them for yourself to draw your own conclusions.
Click here for the Spanish translation
It Takes Genius to Be Awed by the Obvious
There's an old proverb that anyone and everyone takes notice when the strange and unusual happen, like the hurricanes that came by while I typed the first and second drafts of these lines... but only real intellects can be overwhelmed by the obvious, such as wondering why there is an “up” and a “down,” and what could cause them.
In his first term as president, Donald Trump picked to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a virulent anti-EPA figure, Scott Pruitt. As the International Bar Association said back then, Pruit had been “the scourge of the EPA as attorney general of Oklahoma…abolished his office’s environmental unit” and, on a national level “sued the EPA 14 times.”
Moreover, the association which describes itself as the “foremost organization for international legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies,” added: “As a candidate for Oklahoma AG…Pruitt was bankrolled by the fossil fuel and power sectors, and by the Koch family of energy billionaires.”
Succeeding Pruitt as EPA administrator under Trump was Andrew Wheeler, whose background was as a lobbyist for major coal, chemical and uranium companies.
EPA standards were eliminated wholesale under Pruitt and Wheeler.
"The higher the monkey climbs, the more he shows his tail," warns a timeless Chinese proverb. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, seems to neither heed the lessons of history nor the wisdom of such folk sayings.
By leading a vilification campaign against Egypt, the Israeli leader is further exposing his country’s vulnerabilities. This is yet another example of Israel’s inability to alter the political reality in Gaza, 17 months after it launched its devastating war on the Strip.
By targeting Egypt, Israel aims to project an image of prowess, and that it is unafraid to confront the most populous Arab nation. Yet, in doing so, it inadvertently exposes its own weaknesses. This behavior is wholly consistent with Netanyahu's legacy of running away forward.
We open with a beautiful poem from our Laureate MIMI GERMAN.
We then explore the origins of the 1963 Atomic Test Ban with the tragic tale of the premature death of Patrick Kennedy, the son of President John Kennedy and First Lady Jackie.
This terrible loss led directly to JFK agreeing with Nikita Khrushchev to ban nuclear explosions in the atmosphere.
We are then honored by the genius of ROBERT ALVAREZ, JOE MANGANO and KARL GROSSMAN on critical issues of radiation and health.
We celebrate a vital op ed on this by CHRISTIE BRINKLEY in the Kansas City Star, with McClatchy syndication.
We take a deep dive into the legendary “Baby Teeth” study, and Project 2025’s insane push for more nuke testing.
We hear from PAUL NEWMAN warning about Christian Nationalists who want an Armageddon to fulfill Biblical prophecy.
A spiritual contribution comes from LYNN MYSTIC-HEALER, and from MELISSA, who asks “Is this even legal?”
From LISA WHITE we hear about the movement in Fresno for post-nuclear sanity.
