Surge capacity means maintaining slack – plant standing idle – to enable a near instant stepping up of arms production when needed. Such wastefulness from a profit-centric standpoint requires levels of state oversight which are anathema to the neoliberal mind. … Read More »
Time and hindsight can bring the kind of clarity which, provided we take care to monitor and continually adjust our evolving understanding in light of new evidence duly reflected on, goes beyond the complacently self-serving. Looking back on over a … Read More »
I guess I like inserting the word ‘stupid’ in post titles. Here’s my reply to a comment by Anne on that of April 14, Blockade: US empire is evil, not stupid! For brevity I’ve omitted her comment, while retaining in block … Read More »
In response to my post of March 21 – Why are America’s rulers allowing this? – American writer and scholar Ed Curtin emailed to say: Trump is not an anomaly except with his mouth, which is planned. He is carrying … Read More »
I’m packing boxes in a race against time for the house move on Thursday. Why oh why did the empire choose this of all weeks to strike? I listen to podcasts as I work, read stuff when I can. In … Read More »
Scope creep. I was supposed to end this series at Part 3 … Reporting back for duty this morning after my weekend away from geostrategic chess, I found in my inbox an offer(ing) I couldn’t refuse. From the pen of Simplicius, … Read More »
Nothing is isolated; everything connected. If I’ve neglected Palestine of late, that’s not all down to surging demand on my time during the most epic few weeks, on the global stage, of my life. Contrary to what many otherwise invaluable … Read More »
Yesterday I offered a short read on the idiots who, from diverse political worldviews – and with levels of enthusiasm ranging from bring it on gung-ho, through peg on nose ‘lesser evil-ism’, to pious condemnations which give slyly de facto … Read More »
Business tip for the tangerine narcissist. When you urge another party to “make a deal or else”, two simple steps increase the likelihood of success. One, try not to have form on pretending to negotiate while preparing a lethal strike. … Read More »
A few years ago I met at a social event a senior executive in a publishing firm. She planned to take a year out of the corporate scene to travel, and especially wanted to visit Korea. “South Korea”, she added, … Read More »