it’s not THAT they’re spending money. it’s WHAT they’re spending the money on…and what they’re NOT spending money on.
Once you start digging into those details, it becomes more apparent as to his shortcomings.
Talking about underperforming govts. Pakistan has gone to the IMF yet again. How many times does Pakistan need to go to IMF ?
Maybe they’ll sell a nuke or two next to raise money.
“Netanyahu is on the brink of a power grab that will destroy Israel’s oft-repeated boast to be the only democracy in the Middle East. That may be too late to avert, but it would be one of history’s great ironies if the only people who can save Israel from itself turn out to be the Palestinians.”
Amazin how many “I was wrong pieces” have been written in the last two weeks from people who are still important voices in the discourse. One of the weird things is that the people who were wrong in advocating for it suffered no real consequences and the people who were right to question it and oppose it didnt get elevated
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Stewart comes out of it better than Campbell in my opinion. At least he seems to have identified the issues early, whereas Campbell didn’t appear to think that Iran might have been a problem.
How could we, who went on the streets to protest against this obvious mistake/crime/calamity, have known more than those who were in power at the time?
Yes, and nobody’s taking any notice because they’re all too obsessed about who uses what bathroom.
The US has committed countless crimes and caused great harm in its time as a superpower, but there’s nothing to suggest that a world dominated by fascist dictatorships will be better.
Fascist dictatorships won’t be any better. But the point is that US and allies with their “mis-steps” and everything else has probably squandered their right to preach
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Military regime coming up.
It’s going to be a problem area though.
next door to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan… yikes.
Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. The military rule Pakistan, either directly, or through proxies, and nothing will change that.
It’s a terrible article dressed up in pseudo-intellectualism 
A new world order lead by Russia, China and South Africa is a million miles from reality.
The best summation of Russia is that it’s “A gas station run by a mafia that is masquerading as a country.”
Just think about the different elements of that statement, and the reality of Ukraine conflict sinks in.
Russia is a gas station - Russia is undeniably a petro-state. With little other exports. The oil sanctions have not worked due to India and China but they have severely weakened Russia. The ability to leverage Europes dependence on their oil has been demonstrated to be false. It has accelerated energy independence. For the next decade Russia will need to sell oil at a discounted rate. Long term the world is moving away from petrochemicals. The economic winner not going to be Russia. It’s like a developing nation selling resources.
Next think about the second part of that sentence. “Run by the mafia” besides being an oil state Russias strength came from its military. Before the war it was feared. We now realise that too was greatly overestimated. Widespread corruption has meant much of their military equipment is substandard. On the battle front their tactics have resembled those of WW1. Flaws in their designs evident. They effectly have to fall back on 1960s nukes (that they can’t use) as demonstration of strength.
The third element is masquerading as a state. Russia is a kleptocracy. Just last month Putin was calling oligarchs traitors of the state. Half a million of some of its most valuable citizens left the country to avoid getting conscripted.
Russia today is significantly weaker than Russia 5 year ago. Without doubt. They are not going to be part of some new world order.
The Ukraine war has if anything cemented Russias demise as a super power and will become subservient to China for the next few decades. Weaker economic leavers, weaker military strength, weaker political stability and weaker in terms of high value educated individuals.
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With nukes.
Let’s not forget that very small fact.
Every country has an army but in Pakistan , the army has a country.
It’s going to be a global headache this one especially as pakistan continues to be falling to default.
Perhaps on different scales, but see also Egypt, Myanmar, etc.
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It is understood that Canada will not be allowed to join FUKUS for common decency reasons.
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