Future wars of the American Empire

One thing the apologists for Trump are always happy to report, is that so far, he hasn't started any new wars yet.

Yet.

Yet, sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela are escalating.

And with war-mongering buffoons like Bolton, Pompeo, and Abrams in the inner circle, you know it's only a matter of time.

Bolton has already made it clear that American oil majors need to rejuvenate Venezuela's oil industry.

He's also opined on the necessity of ridding Venezuela of Cuban oppression.

So you know Cuba and Venezuela are in the cross-hairs.

And today Pompeo was in Israel informing Bibi that America recognises Israel's sovereignty over Syria's Golan. Israel has occupied the Golan since the Six Day War. The international consensus is that Israel's occupation of the Golan is contrary to international law.

But there's been rich oil and gas discoveries made there, and let's not forget the water, so who gives a shit about international law!

When you're the bully on the world stage, the actor with the most guns and the most bombs and the most nuclear missiles... hey, you just do whatever you want!


... and that's how things work.

Facts fit to ignore

Haaretz has a pithy piece on view about yet another routine violation of Syrian sovereignty by the IDF. Note especially the thundering denouncement of  "any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of the State of Israel..."

Occupied Golan is now officially recognized, at least by Israel, as part of sovereign Israel, whereas it remains legally a part of Syria. Recognizing Golan as part of sovereign Israel is a topic that will assume a fresh urgency with the recent discovery of oil and gas, another factoid not mentioned in the story.

Ah, but what is a little border dispute while the crazed kafirs are running amok in Jerusalem?

Israel in the age of Islamic State

The arrogant Likudniks who have been running the show in Israel for the last 25 years today announced another 300 settler homes on Palestinian territory in the West Bank.

As every Israeli who gives these matters any thought whatsoever already understands, that's going to inflame resistance all over again.

The "resistance" these days is largely confined to teens throwing stones at settler vehicles.

Ya, I know there's those deadly Gaza rockets that never manage to hit anything, but by and large, those stone-throwers are the "resistance."

Their resistance has recently been further criminalized by the introduction of a 20 year jail term for the stone-throwers.

While that is going on, the Likudniks have been cynically annexing the Golan, because what the hell is Assad going to do about it?

We'll just help ourselves to those oil and gas resources while Mr. Assad is otherwise occupied.

Does nobody in the Likudnik power structure see where they are taking their country?

There may be folks high up in the IDF who think they have a handle on what's going on across the borders, and at this point the upheaval is ongoing across every border.

You've got a highly unpopular non-democratic government in Egypt tamping down the fires in the Sinai.

Lebanon is practically an anarchic state, as Syria and Iraq are already.

Jordan is on the brink.

And Netanyahu concludes that this is the moment to announce 300 settler homes in the West Bank!

Yes, it may be great PR to humour some of those IS guys who show up at the border seeking medical attention. But is there a long-term strategy at work in the Netanyahu cabinet?

The closest thing that the Likudniks have ever had to a "long term strategy" is the belief that when and if the shit hits the fan, the USA will come to the rescue.

It might be time to give that strategy a good re-think.