In recent elections, Muqtada al-Sadr’s popularity was confirmed, but the infighting in Iraq is just starting By Pepe Escobar posted with permission and first posted at Asia Times It would be tempting to picture the Iraqi parliamentary elections last Sunday as a geopolitical game-changer. Well, it’s complicated – in more ways than one. Let’s start with the abstention rate. Of the 22 million eligible voters able to choose 329 members
by Straight-Bat for The Saker Blog 1. INTRODUCTION Eurocentrism may be a dirty word for non-European scholars of late 20th century and early 21st century, but even the most rabidly anti-European intellectual in Africa or Asia would be compelled to accept the reality of the greatest tragedy of the non-European world: that it had been cast in the mould constructed by the European civilization between 1096 CE and 1991 CE.
By Walt Garlington for the Saker Blog Mr Paul Gottfried gives us a standard line about the need to return to the Golden Age of the American republic at the end of a short book review he penned: Since Janowski leaves his heuristic queries open, this reviewer feels free to note that the egalitarian democracy he so graphically describes represents a falling away from something much better. It is a
By Thorsten J. Pattberg for The Saker Blog This is Part 2 of a series: “This concise text will introduce to our distinguished readers the most deadly ways to subvert, to demoralize, to lobotomize and finally to liquidize someone‘s brains… until they are reduced to nothing more than another helpless Schizo Fran or Mona Loser ready for suicide or the local madhouse. “ Not many relations are as stressful as
by Mansoureh Tajik for the Saker Blog Disproportionate attention has been paid to Cirque du Soleil-style departure by the United States armed forces from Afghanistan, the scene of the West’s most dragged out heist. Clumsily-written roles for Russia, China, and others that seem to be pre-scripted are bandied about in the media (right, left, and center). The Taliban, attired in quasi-reformed dunces and utilized as convenient props for more than
Sides are forming around the Iran vs Azerbaijan squabble. But this fight is not about ethnicity, religion or tribe – it is mainly about who gets to forge the region’s new transportation routes. By Pepe Escobar posted with permission and cross-posted with The Cradle The last thing the complex, work-in-progress drive towards Eurasian integration needs at this stage is this messy affair between Iran and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus.
by Thorsten J. Pattberg for The Saker Blog This is Part 1 of a series Foreword The easiest way to destroy a man in body and soul is to harm him in all ways and forms imaginable and claim it‘ll be good for him. This demonic logic, its inversion is telling him that doing good would actually be bad for him, creeps into our mammal brains through early childhood dreams.
Note by the Saker: as I hope you all know, I have banned the topic of COVID from the blog (see the moderation rules here: https://10.16.86.131/moderation-policy/ (specifically rule #18). I will admit that when Apogee send me his article my first thought was “oh boy, here we go again”. Except that when I started reading it, I was more and more impressed by what I read. And I am not
“An empire within an empire,” the Pashtun are essential to understanding the complexities of Afghanistan as a nation-state today. What is the ‘Pashtun universe,’ and why will they always outlast those who try to govern them? by Pepe Escobar posted with permission and cross-posted with The Cradle It was bound to happen: the remixed Saigon moment at Kabul airport and the stunning comeback of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led
Debate between Michael Hudson and Thomas Piketty on September 23, 2021 (Posted with special permission) The debate was monitored by Lynn Parramore, and introduced by David Graeber’s widow, Nika. Nika: Hi, I’m Nika. I’m David’s wife. This is an event in the honor of the first anniversary of David Graeber’s passing, and then the spirits of his rejection of academic arrogance, and our urgent need to get out of
by Batko Milacic – Independent analyst – for The Saker Blog The Taliban really wants to prove to the whole world their legitimacy and readiness for dialogue. The radical Islamists who have established control over most of the territory of Afghanistan have learned from their mistakes 20 years ago. They even created an anti-terrorist structure, however, the question is, who will it catch? Now the Taliban need international recognition and
By Zamir Awan for the Saker Blog Hundreds of thousands of Afghans working for the US government, directly or indirectly, have been evacuated, either by air or by road, direct to destinations’ or via transit from any third country. It was a massive migration operation. Yet, Many Afghans are trying to slip away to destinations in the Western developed world. The US was ruling Afghanistan through such agents and they
Perth in Australia will be a forward base for nuclear-powered and nuclear weapon-carrying American subs. by Pepe Escobar – posted with the author’s permission and cross-posted widely. Pax Americana was always a minor character in a zombie apocalypse flick. Pax Americana is actually The Eternal Return of the Living Dead. “Pax” was never in order; War Inc. rules. The end of WWII led directly to the Cold War. The unipolar
By Amir NOUR for the Saker Blog [1] This is a chapter from Amir’s forthcoming book, titled : “L’Islam et l’ordre du monde: le testament de Malek BENNABI” (Islam and the Order of the World: Malek BENNABI’s Testament). First available in French with translations to Arabic and English planned. “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers”
by Observer R for the Saker Blog My previous articles (A Poisoned Chalice? – Part 2) and (A Poisoned Chalice) offered an opinion that the winner of the US presidential election in 2020 would inherit such a mess that in some sense it would be better to lose the election. So far, events have tended to validate that opinion. The projections are that the Republicans will gain control of the
by Peter Koenig for the Saker Blog A shift in the world’s power base, alliances and economic strength, will undoubtedly happen within the coming years. In fact, it’s already ongoing. But not necessarily according to Klaus Schwab’s (WEF) “The Great Reset”. “Not necessarily”, because We, The People, can stop it. Plus, there are nations and their allies, who do not agree and won’t accept the enslavement of much of the
Interview: Renegade Inc and Michael Hudson (posted by special permission) Ross Welcome to Renegade Inc. With China’s increasing wealth, Western investors want some of the action. One of those investors is a bullish gentleman called George Soros. However, the Chinese are acutely aware that with Western investment comes inequality. So as Beijing begins to rethink how to do proper economic growth, we ask, will China learn from Western mistakes? Ross
By Cynthia Chung for the Saker Blog Afghanistan is on many people’s minds lately, though the sentiment is rather mixed. Some think of it as a cause for celebration, others for deep concern, and then there are those who think it an utter disaster that justifies foreign re-entry. Most of the western concern arises out of 9/11 and the Taliban’s supposed connection to this through Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden,
By Pepe Escobar, posted with permission and first posted at Asia Times Part 1 is here The 20th anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, enshrined no less than a new geopolitical paradigm. Iran, now a full SCO member, was restored to its traditionally prominent Eurasian role, following the recent $400 billion-worth trade and development deal struck with China. Afghanistan was the main topic – with
Dr. Ejaz Akram, with Pepe Escobar – posted with permission and widely cross posted. What happened in Afghanistan was not a mere change of government. A puppet state responsible for spreading subversion in the region was overthrown. After the Taliban named an interim government that was regarded as quite controversial inside Afghanistan and did not exactly please the nation’s Eurasian neighbors, I asked Dr. Ejaz Akram, Professor of Religion
