Discussing Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Here I am with my friends Donald, Bibi, Sara and Melania… And speak a little about the stupidity of scapegoating Iran for everything, of giving Saudi Arabia even more weapons – and being bribed by it – of creating the preconditions for more warfare and about the fact that NATO is setting up shop in Kuwait and there are plans to have a Gulf NATO … Continue reading Discussing Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia

Lost peace and fake news

By Jan Oberg Proud to join “Middle East With Naskah Zada” at her program in New York and talking about the reasons that peace has become so ‘unpopular’. Touching also upon international law, the new Cold War and the increasing U.S. involvement in Syria. Continue reading Lost peace and fake news

Syria – two perspectives illustrated

“The Debate” of April 16, 2017 on Iran’s PressTV between Richard Millett and myself is important to me. I think it will be for you too in the sense of clarifying two approaches and positions on Syria. Its focus is on the difference in media coverage of the terrible events in Khan Seykhoun and al-Rashideen but there is much more to it. I’ll keep on … Continue reading Syria – two perspectives illustrated

The US/NATO confrontation with Russia is dangerous

TFF LiveApril 12, 2017 The secretaries of state, Tillerson and Lavrov meet today. We seem to enter a stage of what must appropriately be perceived as a frosty new Cold War. In the worst of cases this can lead to a new Cuban Missile Crisis. God forbid! Continue reading The US/NATO confrontation with Russia is dangerous

The Meaninglessness of War: Aleppo

Here my 6th photo series from Aleppo – hashtag #keepfocusonaleppo.



Lund, Sweden – March 24, 2017



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Can the almost total destruction of Eastern Aleppo be used constructively?

Only if we are willing to ask and dialogue about this:

• Why does the world go on investing US$ 2000 billion annually in warfare and US$ 30 in all the UN does – only to create destruction of people, places, past and future?


How absurd, how meaningless – indeed how far must it go to destroy the West itself – before we learn to conflict intelligently?

I’ve see much destruction during my work in conflict zones the last 25 years. But nothingcompares with Aleppo and the destruction of Syria and its people.

Continue reading “The Meaninglessness of War: Aleppo”

Discussing NATO with a former U.S. Ass. Sec. of Defence

A 30 min debate about NATO, Ukraine, Crimea, Yugoslavia, Syria the eternal enemy images and the – obsolete – philosophy on which NATO builds. Time for something new, I argue in the debate with former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defence under Reagon, Mr. Lawrence J. Korb who at the time was in command of 70% of Pentagon’s budget. Here in TFF PressInfo # 403  is … Continue reading Discussing NATO with a former U.S. Ass. Sec. of Defence

I wonder about Aleppo…

By Jan Oberg I shot this simple video out of the window on December 13, 2016. I wonder about Aleppo and say #keepfocusonaleppo © Jan Oberg 2016 Here in the Sheikh Najjar Industrial City outside Aleppo lived and worked 40,000 people. It had 50% of Syria’s industrial capacity. Today – after the occupation by Western-backed militants and terrorist groups – this is what is left. … Continue reading I wonder about Aleppo…

On Trump endorsing torture

Human rights is not my field but we have to speak up against Trump’s personal endorsement of it. This is nothing new, the US has used it all the time. But isn’t it tragic that almost 70 years after torture was prohibited in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we see 141 countries still using torture – according to Amnesty International. Here my short comment … Continue reading On Trump endorsing torture

Faces of Aleppo

Fourth photo story from Aleppo: “Faces of Aleppo. Just out of 4,5 years of occupation hell” January 25, 2017 Unique photos from Eastern Aleppo in Syria when it was finally liberated on December 11-12, 2016. The people you see here have just come out to freedom from 4,5 years of the occupation by what can be called RIOTs – Rebels-Insurgents-Opposition-Terrorists – mostly the latter. And most … Continue reading Faces of Aleppo

From Obama to Trump

Commenting with David Swanson, leading and sharp peace intellectual, on the inauguration of Trump – also about the legacy of Barrack Obama. For Iran’s international PressTV. Posted on TFF’s blog. Continue reading From Obama to Trump

Danske specialstyrker til Syrien og Irak!

Sådan står der på Politikens forside om aftenen den 19. januar 2017 

Dansk militærpolitik
 
Danmark slog ind på sin bane som bøllestat i 1999 med bombningen af Serbien. Derpå militær deltagelse i Afghanistan, besættelsesmagt 2003-2007 i en af historiens mest tragiske krige – drabet på 1 million sagesløse mennesker i Irak. Så hovedbombenation i Libyen under dansk NATO-ledelse, så atter bombninger i Irak og tillige Syrien og nu skal der så danske tropper på landjorden i begge lande.
 
Uanset hvad problemet er så tilsiger den aktive danske militærpolitik – ikke udenrigspolitik – at militæret altid er løsningen, det første valg. I klokkeklar strid med FN-Erklæringen om at alle civile midler skal være prøvet inden man, som sidste udvej, benytter militære midler.
 
Danmarks indsats i såvel Irak som Syrien strider mod folkeretten. Og etisk udtrykt burde begavede mennesker kunne komme på noget bedre end at slå mennesker ihjel, man ikke bryder sig om.
 
At bekæmpe terrorister som ISIS ved at forsøge at slå dem ihjel én for én kan sammenlignes med idéen om at udrydde alle sygdomme ved at slå alle syge ihjel, én efter én.
 
Dette tiltag kan kun reducere danskernes egen sikkerhed og øge risikoen for terror mod Europa herunder mod Danmark.
 
 

Glidebane

Husk at statsministeren flere gange har sagt at han ikke kunne se for sig at der skal tropper på landjorden. Det er en skelsættende beslutning: Mission creep bliver det næste.
 
60 vil blive til flere…for der er vel ingen, der for alvor tror at 60 danske jægersoldater kan gøre en større militær forskel i et vrimmel af titusindvis af vildt blandede militante enheder?
 
Der vil blive endnu meget mere kaos i Syrien. Selvom Aleppo gudskelov er blevet befriet, så har alle Assad-hadere nok ikke tænkt at pakke sammen og rejse hjem til de omkring hundrede lande de kommer fra.
Continue reading “Danske specialstyrker til Syrien og Irak!”

Good: EU will honour the deal with Iran

Happy to speak positively about the EU foreign policy chief’s commitment to stand by the nuclear deal with Iran – a clear signal also to Trump. That’s good – the alternative could very well be war. Continue reading Good: EU will honour the deal with Iran

Aleppo’s evil humanitarians

The third photo story from the days of the liberation of Aleppo in SyriaUnique photos with text from Aleppo’s Jibrin reception center for people finally liberated in Eastern Aleppo December 11-12, 2016.Documentation of the fact that it was the Syrian authorities, the Syrian Army, Russian doctors, the Syrian Red Crescent and volunteering Syrian youth who took care of these destitute internally displaced people.In short, the … Continue reading Aleppo’s evil humanitarians

The little girl from Eastern Aleppo

New year’s night, January 1, 2017 This girl had come out of Eastern Aleppo after four dark years of occupation by Western-backed terrorists – too many to name. People who for no reason had destroyed her home, her part of that beautiful city. Perhaps half of her life living in fear, perhaps having lost family members. I do not know. I met her on December 14 … Continue reading The little girl from Eastern Aleppo

Why on earth renew old sanctions on Iran?

It’s destructive for all! It’s difficult to see this as rational policy-making. It’s more of an indication of the grumpy super-power feeling that it’s losing influence and credibility. In addition, if this goes through it will only strengthen the hardliners in Iran and weaken the reformist circles. Continue reading Why on earth renew old sanctions on Iran?

Imagine a Middle East with no weapons!

Here a few comments on Erdogan’s recent attack on the West for supplying arms to the Kurds. Funny that Turkey’s president should accuse someone else for weaponizing a conflict. At the same time as Turkey does it and is also involved in two wars outside itself – Iraq and Syria – and one inside against the Kurds. In this short interview I seek to raise … Continue reading Imagine a Middle East with no weapons!

“Shadow World” – on your tax money

I’ve felt deeply touched by Johan Grimonprez’ brilliant and frightening documentary “Shadow World” which is based on Andrew Feinstein’s book with the same name. I want to share it with my readers and here is all about the book and the movie. It was shown in November 2016 by Swedish Television with Swedish text but is due to be taken down a couple of month later. It will … Continue reading “Shadow World” – on your tax money

U.S. nuclear policies – two world views

Last night I had the opportunity to discuss nuclear weapons with an experienced,  high-ranking security analyst who has been both a military, a scholar, an assistant secretary of defence, presidential adviser, a corporate man and now a think tank member, Lawrence J. Korb. We were discussing the issues touched upon in this and this article. I would assume that the debate – facilitated by Iran’s PressTV in … Continue reading U.S. nuclear policies – two world views

Danmark fejlbomber i Syrien – og hvad skal vi så spørge om, tro og lære?

Hvor er den officielle danske beklagelse og undskyldning til ofrene? Det vågne, skadereducerende diplomati lige nu?

Er påstanden om at det blot var en fejltagelse den mest bekvemme?

Har Pentagon ladet Danmark udføre et beskidt arbejde uden at vore piloter vidste det?

Hvor stor er splittelsen i den amerikanske udenrigsadministration og var det måske derfor ikke en fejltagelse?

Hvorfor mon vælger forsvarsminister Peter Christensen en så dum forhalingsstrategi og lader som om han ikke ved hvad der er sket? Og i stedet rakker ned på russerne, der fik dette vanvid stoppet med bedre efterretninger?

Kun et meget naivt menneske tror på officielle forklaringer fra krigsførende landes regeringer, uanset hvilket.

Og hvis det er en fejltagelse hvorfor sker den så – dybest set? Og er der noget at lære af den?

Kort sagt, en rigtig møgsag som følge af en møgpolitik.

For mediefolk, der ikke bare er mikrofonholdere, turde der være nok at grave i.   

På en stille søndag aften kommer den tragiske nyhed at Danmarks F-16 fly har været med at “fejlbombe” i Syrien.

Midt under en skrøbelig våbenhvile har den USA-ledte koalition bombet “de forkerte”, nemlig syriske regeringsstyrker istedet for Islamist Stat. er er ifølge forskellige kilder Det hér bør blive en meget meget interessant politisk historie for Danmarks stats-, udenrigs- og forsvarsminister. Gad vide hvilken (medie)strategi man vil vælge for at forklare og forsvare sig?

Tekniske spørgsmål

Hvorfra får danskerne sine oplysninger og koordinater for bombetogter? Hvor mange efterretninger samler det danske militær selv ind? Tør man stå imod med egne oplysninger hvis de ikke stemmer overens med dem, man får fra USA og andre?

Hvem fortæller Danmark hvor de skal bombe og hvorfor? Kan de sige nej til en ordre fra Pentagon? Eller går man ombord i hvad som helst for at se seje ud i  His Master’s Voice’s øjne?

Hvordan vil man beklage tabet og forklare at Danmark samtidig støtter fuld op om våbenhvilen?

Danmarks Radios  stjernerapporter, Steffen Gram, har naturligvis hurtigt den for USA og Danmark mindst dårlige forklaring nemlig at der er dårlig kommunikation og at Danmark har fået forkerte efterretninger. Man “har blot fløjet efter amerikanske instrukser.” Hvordan i alverden man blot sådan gør dét undlader han dog – researchfrit – at fortælle os.

Forsvarsministerens forhalingsstrategi – han har dårlig samvittighed

Forsvarsminister Peter Christensens strategi virker dum: forhalingens “lad os nu vente og se hvad der er sket – hvad der er op og ned i denne sag.”

Angrebet fandt sted den 17. september og allerede samme aften gik den amerikanske CENTCOM ud med en pressemeddelelse, der mere end antyder at der er sket en fejl, at russerne informerede amerikanerne herom – tænk hvis man i timevis havde fortsat og slået endnu mange flere ihjel? – og at man stoppede angrebeneefter at have fået informationen fra russerne.

Continue reading “Danmark fejlbomber i Syrien – og hvad skal vi så spørge om, tro og lære?”

The Clintons celebrated – but likely disastrous for the world

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Hillary Rodham Clinton was nominated last night by the Democratic Party as its candidate for the U.S. Presidency. She may well win on November 8.

What a tragedy for Western democracy that the leader of what is still called the free, democratic world cannot produce better candidates than Trump and Clinton through a disgustingly commercialized and corrupt political process where candidates like Jill Stein – did you ever hear of that candidate? – doesn’t have a chance because she cannot mobilize the funds.

As a European intellectual with a life-long commitment to peace and democracy, I find little reason to celebrate.

And why the total focus on a few individuals at the top but not the structures that will run them both, such as the Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex (MIMAC); the cancer in many societies, including Russia, that President Eisenhower warned the world about in his farewell speech already in 1961?

How short the media memory! Hillary Clinton’s nomination celebrated all over the mainstream press as a victory for the party – preventing it from splitting – and for all women.

But how can people – women in particular – really believe in such genderism: that she will be a better president for the US and the world because she’s a woman? Hasn’t the world learnt anything from the inverse racism:that Obama would be a great presidentbecause he is black?

How blind the media to militarism, war and other violence: Not one media focuses on the Clinton’s well-documented fascination with violence and war.

It’s time to refresh the memory of the Clintons:

Bill Clinton’s record

From 1994 BC broke all promises made by his predecessors and other Western politician to Gorbachev about “not expanding NATO an inch”. He started out in Tblisi, Georgia. I happened to be there, spoke with the U.S. representative to the country and got a sense what was coming. Later too in Yugoslavia.

There is a straight line from that fatal arrogance to today’s Second Cold War in Europe, Ukraine having – predictably – to be the this-far-and-no-longer country of that mindless and reckless expansion that should never have happened.

Continue reading “The Clintons celebrated – but likely disastrous for the world”

Turkey’s coup – Another example of the West’s disintegration

Here is my take on the July 15 coup in Turkey – why it happened the way it did and what is the least unlikely hypothesis – followed by some examples of regional and international consequences this coup is bound to have. And it ends: NATO comes across as a very tired alliance that should have been closed down or re-invented itself 25 years ago … Continue reading Turkey’s coup – Another example of the West’s disintegration

Fearology and militarism – But the real enemy is us

Published on July 8, 2016, the day of the NATO Summit in Warsaw. It’s the 5th in the TFF Series “The New Cold War” Russia and NATO have offensive capacities and MIMACs (Military-Industrial-Media-Academic Complex) but NATO’s is a much larger potential threat to Russia than the other way around Why does an alliance with such an overwhelming superiority shout and scream and see ghosts on … Continue reading Fearology and militarism – But the real enemy is us

Much stronger than during the First Cold War: Why is NATO so irrational today?

By Jan Oberg

The third article in the TFF series on The New Cold War

We are witnessing a remarkable increase in tension between the US/NATO and Russia these years – and it can not only be explained by whatever we choose to think happened in Ukraine and Crimea. We find a totally new effort on both sides to use social and other media to tell how dangerous “they” are to “us”. There is a clear tendency to “fearology” – to instill fear in the citizens on both sides about the capabilities and intentions of the other side.

We find deeply concerned articles about the possibility of war between the two parties – a quarter of a century after the Berlin Wall tumbled.

Why is the new tension rising in Europe between US/NATO and Russia so manifestly dangerous and – with the exception of the Cuban Missile Crisis worse than during the First Cold War?

On a series of indicators, the political Western world – US/NATO/EU and Christian (Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic with sects) – is becoming weak relative to other players in the global society.

The West has engaged in a series of wars that turned into very costly fiascos – from what followed from Sykes-Picot which turned 100 in May 2016 over Vietnam to the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

The West is still the largest economic bloc and the 28 NATO members cover about 70% of the world’s mind-boggling US $ 1700 billion military expenditures. Africa as a continent, BRICS countries – China in particular – are making progress, also in fields where the West has failed; for instance, China has lifted 400 million Chinese out of poverty in a couple of decades. The wealthy West has done nothing of the sort over centuries but produced a grotesquely, perversely unequal income distribution.

Continue reading “Much stronger than during the First Cold War: Why is NATO so irrational today?”

“Peace, Conflict, Democracy”

The West leaves, a multi-polar world comes Jan Øberg – Video lecture – Part 1/3 Continue reading “Peace, Conflict, Democracy”

NATO’s confrontational policy

On June 15, 2016 I participated in a discussion with Mike O’Hanlon from the Brookings Institution on CCTV America – China’s international TV station in the U.S. with up to 75 million viewers. The discussion was lead by Anand Naidoo.You can watch it here. Continue reading NATO’s confrontational policy

On Obama’s visit to Hiroshima – TFF PressInfo # 373

TFF PressInfo # 373: What Obama should do in Hiroshima tomorrowArticles by Jonathan Power & Richard Falkhttp://bit.ly/1U8PEq3 With an intro by Jan Oberg. Continue reading On Obama’s visit to Hiroshima – TFF PressInfo # 373

Nordiske ledere i Det Hvide Hus og dansk uvidenhedsjournalistik

Hvad får vi egentlig at vide om det nordiske topmøde i Washington?

Svar: Andedamsjournalistik om middagen, salen, musikken, underholdningen og Lars Løkke Rasmussens morsomme (?) tale. Det er politik som et show – eller dække. Benovelsen over at blive modtaget med pomp og pragt i Washington er til at tage og føle på. Og sådan er det hele vejen på tværs af dansk medier inklusive Ritzaus Bureau.

Hvad savner vi i alle ledende medier – også Public Service-DR?  

En analyse af (og lænke til) det omfattende, detaljerede og exceptionelt lange fællesdokument, der viljesløst binder landene til USAs udenrigs- og militærpolitik og gør dette møde til alt andet end en festlig begivenhed for Danmark og de andre nordiske lande.

Der er faktisk tale om totalt knæfald for imperiets præmisser – langt hen ad vejen i strid med hensynet til de nordiske landes egne sikkerhedsinteresser. Og de nordisk ledere gør det med smil, stolthed og intetanende hvad dette kan indebære ad åre – men da vil de selv være borte.

Er en skeptisk vinkel på dette overhovedet tilladt i det stadigt mere homogeniserede og research-frie mediebillede?

Tilsyneladende ikke – altså må andre gøre opmærksom på den større sammenhæng og udføre public service og folkeoplysning.

RTNordicSummit
Kommenterer på Russia Today

I en tid hvor spændingen øger mellem Rusland og NATO er der brug for alt andet end den ganging-up, militær ekspansion, konfrontation og polarisering mod Rusland – og hårdt pres på f.eks. Sverige og Finland for at blive ikke bare de facto men også de jure medlemmer af NATO – som USA/NATO kører på i disse år med henvisning til Ruslands aggressive politik og annekteringen af Krim.

Ruslands militære udgifter er 11% af USAs og 8% af NATO ifølge SIPRIs statistik. Der findes ikke én NATO general, der hellere ville være ansat i det russiske forsvar.

Continue reading “Nordiske ledere i Det Hvide Hus og dansk uvidenhedsjournalistik”

Vidste forsvarsministeren dette om F35 på pressekonferencen?

På pressekonferencen igår påpegede forsvarsminister Peter Christensen på at man kan være tryg ved at F35 endnu ikke er færdigudviklet fordi den amerikanske kongres løbende får rapporter om dette udviklingsarbejde:

“- Men det er et meget transparent udviklingsprojekt, der gør, at Kongressen i USA også hele tiden får rapporter om, hvor langt vi er nået, hvor de nuværende problemer er, og hvad de har tænkt sig at gøre ved dem. Så i fremtiden vil vi også høre om ting, som man ikke har færdigudviklet, og som giver problemer.”

Gad vide hvad han så mener om – og vil kunne gøre ved – den seneste rapport udfærdiget af GAO, General Accountability Office – USA’s højeste revisionsmyndighed? Ifølge det berømte businesstidsskrift Fortune siger rapporten at flyets Autonomiske Logistik Informations System (ALIS) er så mangelfuldt at flyet i værst fald kan komme til at blive stående på jorden og at det ikke vil kunne operere med andre dele af militæret når det befinder sig i visse områder.

Rapporten er helt ny, fra 18. april i år. Kendte forsvarsministeren til den på pressekonferencen?

Hvis han gjorde ville han og hans forhåbentlig objektive analytikere vide at hvis disse problemer skal løses vil der blive tale om et meget dyrere fly inden de vil blive leveret til Danmark i 2021?

Artiklen taler om en ekstraomkostning på US $ 20-100 milliarder for bare at få dette ALIS system – ét af utallige problemer med dette fly, der kaldes en “kalkun” i fagkredse – til at fungere.

Man må også spørge om forsvarsministeren kendte til f.eks. denne artikel – også i Fortune og fra 18. marts 2015 – der fortæller at en af versionerne af F35 skulle have været operabelt i 2012, er enestående i forsvarsindustrien både hvad gælder mængden af problemer – listen er lang i denne artikel og det er ikke små ting – og prisstigninger.

Continue reading “Vidste forsvarsministeren dette om F35 på pressekonferencen?”

Danmark skal ikke bombe – 6 artikler

Den 19. april 2016 havde Folketinget 2. behandling af forslaget om også at bombe og indsætte specialstyrker i Syrien.

Jeg mener at sagen er fundamentalt vigtig for Danmark, danskerne og vor fremtidige rolle og ‘image’ ude i verden.

Desuden finder jeg at beslutningsgrundlaget, mediedækningen og den offentlige debat giver anledning til den største bekymring.

At gå i krig er den vigtigste beslutning en regering kan tage og en befolkning bakke op om. Men det er som om dette at deltage i krig stort set rager både ministre, folketingsmedlemmer, journalister og befolkning en forårsblomst.

Med en vis fortvivlelse skrev jeg derfor 6 artikler med forskellige temaer og producerede en video, der også foreslår hvad vi kunne gøre i stedet.

Jeg ville have disse ting sagt og spredt inden beslutningen blev taget.

Herunder findes de én for én som jeg har skrevet dem med en lille kommentar til publiceringsprocessen, som også i et vist omfang vidner – for mig i hvert fald – om mærkelige prioriteringer hvad angår tidspunkt og længde.

Alt andet lige bliver redaktionerne ikke oversvømmet af kvalificerede, kritiske og konstruktive artikler af denne type – men det er dog kun meget korte ting, man kan få ind. Om overhovedet…

1. Dansk krigsdeltagelse i Syrien vil være landsskadelig

Politiken 16. april 2016. Problemfri publicering.

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Den 19. april skal folketinget have 2. behandling af forslaget om at Danmark skal deltage i krigen over Syrien og endog have specialstyrker på landjorden.

Det vil i så fald være sjette krigsdeltagelse siden 1999 – Serbien, Afghanistan, Irak 2003-2007, Libyen, Irak igen.

Continue reading “Danmark skal ikke bombe – 6 artikler”

Denmark to attack in Syria – too

Something is rotten in the State of Denmark and the world will increasingly see it. It’s an unpleasant combination of Islamophobia, militarism and a peculiar ethical and intellectual self-destructive obedience to US/NATO all wrapped up in a pseudo-humanitarian flag. It’s important that intellectuals criticise the policies of their native country and not only and politically correctly criticise that of others. In the case of Danish … Continue reading Denmark to attack in Syria – too

Danmark skal ikke også i krig i Syrien!

Så skal Danmark i bombe krig for 6. gang siden 1999. Det er i hvert fald hvad DR varsler her.   Først var der Jugoslavien – to nætter i 1999, så Afghanistan, derpå Iraq 2003-2007 og fra 2014; så pulveriseringen af Libyen langt uden for FN’s Sikkerhedsråds mandat og nu skal dette udvides til Syrien. Sådan som den er blevet udkæmpet skaber krigen mod terroren kun … Continue reading Danmark skal ikke også i krig i Syrien!

Fredsarbetets nödvändighet…

Föredrag på Nordiskt Fredsmöte – 28:e februari 2016 Continue reading Fredsarbetets nödvändighet…

NATO outdated – Abolish war

Commenting on NATO S-G Jens Stoltenberg’s wish for dialogue with Russia – a bit odd after all the other provocative initiatives he has spearheaded the last good year or so. I felt like saying something more general about this outdated paradigm – and why it is dangerous for us all – referring also to the Russell-Einstein Manifesto of 1955. You may also see it as … Continue reading NATO outdated – Abolish war

At lifting most of the sanctions on Iran

Congratulations to Iran – people, leadership and brilliant negotiation team under the leadership of foreign minister Javad Zarif.But then I criticise that the US Treasury imposed new sanctions the day after – on Sunday January 17 – and I argue that it is a sign of weakness and that the friends of the U.S. should not follow suit. Continue reading At lifting most of the sanctions on Iran

North Korea’s bomb test hysteria

Here media hysteria goes again. This is BBC. It is very difficult to know what has happened. The media and many governments around the world immediately condemn this test. The EU says it is against UN Security Council resolutions – a council consisting exclusively of much stronger, nuclear powers. Before we get carried away, it should be pointed out that North Korea’s military expenditures (US$ 7-10 … Continue reading North Korea’s bomb test hysteria

Don’t underestimate Donald Trump

Don’t underestimate him, count him out or think he is crazy.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” half-hour interview with Donald Trump is interesting. He has passion and a very fast mind, he seems to have integrity in the sense that he cannot be bought for money by others and he doesn’t mind having standpoints that conservative republicans find odd or surprising.

He is clearly eclectic and pragmatic rather than a theoretician, ideology-bent politician – and seems to build a lot on his entrepreneur experience and sense of reading people.

His vision – “making America great again!” – may be frightening and wrong and it is based on strength, on military but even more on economic strength.

The interesting thing is that he is much more realistic about the internal and external weaknesses of today’s U.S. than the rest of the political elites and decision-makers in Washington who seem all to be in denial of the empire’s relative decline.

Continue reading “Don’t underestimate Donald Trump”

If so, let the U.S. isolate itself

Iran says nuclear deal depends on lifting of sanctions | Reuters This is a timely reminder to those who believe the Iran nuclear deal can be reduced to and hinges upon the deal between Congress and Obama. Says Iranian President Rouhani: “We are in talks with the major powers and not with the Congress,” Rouhani said. I draw three conclusions: 1. If there will be … Continue reading If so, let the U.S. isolate itself

Ignoring May 9 in Russia – another Western conflict-management blunder

The Guardian reports that Western top leaders are going to snub the commemoration in Moscow of the 70th Anniversary of the Allied Victory over Hitler Germany – on May 9. That they don’t want to attend a huge military parade is quite understandable, neither would I. But remembering the more than 20 million Russians who died in World War 2 would be more than appropriate … Continue reading Ignoring May 9 in Russia – another Western conflict-management blunder

Comments to Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Today Charles Krauhammer – a well-known extreme rightist usually advocating war – writes in the Washington Post under the headline “The Iran deal: The anatomy of a disaster”. My comments under the article goes: The day Mr. Krauthammer will write about• sanctions on Israel for its nuclear weapons and international law violations;• anytime/anywhere inspections in all nuclear weapons countries including Israel (does he really believe … Continue reading Comments to Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Comment to Israel’s defence minister in Washington Post

Israel’s defence minister Moshe Ya’alon writes in Washington Post under the headline “Current Iran framework will make war more likely”When I wrote my comment there were already more than 1100 comments – so here it is: “Israel’s defence minister is an echo of PM Netanyahu. Nothing new, Israel’s official views are well-known, beamed out a thousand times more effectively than Iran’s to the world, not … Continue reading Comment to Israel’s defence minister in Washington Post

The Zionist lobby does it again – and again

This is the second posting today on this issue…Please support Jake Lynch, a TFF Associate, from being sacked because of his solidarity with Palestine and SIGN this: Open letter to University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor:“Dr Spence, reject calls to punish Palestine-justice supporters”Sydney Staff for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (Sign after the list of signatures and before the comments) Continue reading The Zionist lobby does it again – and again

Isn’t it time to boycott pro-Zionist media?

Listen very carefully to the eloquent PM Netanyahu here again giving it full blast thanks to CNN in an interview in which he (again) says nothing new.Why – just why – is his views given coverage again and again and again in Western media? Does the Iranian or other P5+1 get anywhere near the same media coverage (I can’t remember every having seen a Chinese … Continue reading Isn’t it time to boycott pro-Zionist media?

16 years since NATO started its war on Yugoslavia – all criminals still at large

Today – 16 years since NATO began to bomb Serbia and did so mercilessly for 78 days to carve out Kosovo as an independent state – still today a failed one.Remember that when you talk about Crimea today.Here is a link to “Yugoslavia – What Should Have Been Done?” – probably the world’s most comprehensive blog about the dissolution of Yugoslavia; it’s written since 1991 … Continue reading 16 years since NATO started its war on Yugoslavia – all criminals still at large

P1 Debats politiske tilrettelæggelse omkring missilforsvaret

De fleste mennesker, der lytter til radio eller ser TV, tænker næppe så meget over hvad der også kunne være foregået og med hvilke deltagere. De ser et færdigt produkt, ikke processen – og de tager, nok så forståeligt, stilling til det de ser og hører snarere end til noget andet, de i en forestillingsverden kunne have set eller hørt.

Med de sociale medier kan man nu formidle informationer i rollen som mediemenneske og fortælle hvordan det også går til sådan bag kulisserne.

Måske lyttede du til P1 Debat på Danmarks Radio nu idag kl 12:15-13:00 om missilskjoldet og den russiske ambassadørs åbne brev? I så fald kan kopien herunder af min korrespondence med P1 Debats redaktør Anne Henderson måske have din interesse.

Den dokumenterer at jeg skriftligt blev inviteret til at deltage per telefon, at jeg sagde ja tak men under forudsætning af visse rammebetingelser kunne opfyldes gennem videre samtale – herunder a) at der blev mulighed for at forklare at missilforsvaret kan ses som en del af en større amerikansk atomkrigs-strategi og b) at der må være fair play med mig siddende udenfor studiet specielt når programmet efter min opfattelse allerede da er planlagt med en holdningsmæssig slagside.

Den viser endvidere at der gik næsten et døgn inden Hendersons svarer og så pludselig mener at det dér med at sidde på en telefon medførte at man har besluttet at jeg alligevel ikke skal deltage. Vel, læs selv nedenfor.

Continue reading “P1 Debats politiske tilrettelæggelse omkring missilforsvaret”