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Feral Finster's avatar

The european political class in general and the swedish government in particular has no priority other than The War On Russia, and specifically getting the Americans to fight that war for europe. Again.

Nobody is going to do anything that would piss the Americans off. Rather, this will be used as moral blackmail. "We kept silent, we assisted while you participated in genocide in Gaza, we beat down protesters, we didn't even say jack while Israel publicly tortured our own citizen now you owe us. Big Time."

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Tal Harris's avatar

I think your insight is dead on with Greta! Imperialist interests could use the umbrella of neoliberalism to fold her climate activism into their system of governance. Once she started speaking out against the dangers of colonialism they dropped her like a hot potato.

This may sound like a weird segue, but this anti-imperialist posture by Greta is strengthening my resolve to keep masking. I feel the full power of capitalist interests in trying to get me to give up on masking. I get it from the news, social media, friends and family, even the retirement home my 96 year old mom lives in. Much like Greta, I know there is a price to pay for being anti-imperialist, but it’s preferable to the price of betraying my own morality.

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Ahenobarbus's avatar

I'm glad you wrote about this. I misjudged her. She is a truly heroic and noble young woman.

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

In the movie "Cry Freedom", Denzel Washington, playing S. African activist Bantu Steven Biko, smiles at his white newspaper editor "sympathizer" and questions whether "Leeberaals" can really understand anything about the travails of oppressed colonized people. It's a rare moment of truth from a Hollywood production.

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Howard Ork's avatar

preach brother bear!

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Greg Hooper's avatar

"Because Thunberg has stepped outside of her lane and transgressed against the only true values the liberal elite class understand: imperial values."

I wonder if it's helpful to see Israel as an expression of corporate power, rather than just an extension of empire? It's a recent construct that has clear economic requirements. Not just a political entity, it survives in a difficult economic environment, where it must demonstrate both corporate will, but also deference to its largest benefactor.

What got me thinking about this was the story that Israel's military was using the war in Palestine as a sales tool to support various military technology companies. (https://afsc.org/gaza-genocide-companies)

In that context, I wonder if liberals are really just reflecting a value most of us share, which is unyielding loyalty to the economy? It doesn't even need to be capitalism; humans seem to have a very clear understanding of what's good for the economy, and how that directly affects them.

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Mike Parr's avatar

Agree 100%. Most of the liberal class buy into “a little bit” – they are happy with a little bit of change – not too much. The festering sore that is Israel will continue for a while but if the USA fails (fingers crossed) then Israel’s crutch is gone. On a related note and since Ms Thunberg emerged onto the world stage as a climate activist – this vid is highly relevant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDy7Q8iAtFg

It relates to the AMOC and when it will stop. When it does (when – not if) Europe and the rest of the world are going to face very very hard times. I am certain that Ms Thunberg (who will be around when it happens) will take no pleasure in being proved right. However, the changes will be such as to destroy the liberal class. What will emerge in its place is anybody’s guess. It is also possible that the climate changes will lead to the erasure of Israel.

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Dail Morrison's avatar

Greta refused to ‘get on the Yacht’. Clever lady.

Instead she got on a real, and not a metaphorical boat.

The lines of reasoning you eluded to are not at all far from reality.

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Dee Drake's avatar

Greta is Sweden's latest and greatest unsung champion of justice and international solidarity with the oppressed. Sadly, she is mocked and ridiculed by a lot of Swedes but also treasured by many of us. Looking around at Europe during these dreadful times it appears that Liberalism has been fertile ground for the seeds of racism and fascism to flourish. We sorely need more Gretas!

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wolfgang jones's avatar

Dismantle the spear of Israel and it's throwing arm? That's your solution to the genocide of Palestinians??

Well, MAGA is definitely down for dismantling the throwing arm ASAP, and you can be sure that the extreme white-rightwing of that Eagle, the Christian Nationalist movement + QAnon, is saving Israel for last. Gotta build that Temple first, though, so like everyone else, Mr. Bear, you'll just have to be patient.

Or perhaps come down from the soaring heights and suggest to us how best to get Greta free & clear and then organize around her.

THANKS in advance from an old Ground Pounder.

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Paulo Kirk's avatar

Amazing, there are fops who still think the Jewish State of Israel is not Jewish, doesn't have thousands of rabbis, doesn't teach millions of kiddos and college folk that Judaism is the chosen system of oppression, and oh my oh my, we have people below telling me what is UNACCEPTABLE. This is that state of withering Jewish Clonned Liberalism. Renounce Judaism, and then, the conflating of of murder rape starvation maiming poisoning perversion with the Jewish State of Occupied Palestine just might stay with the Jews of Israel and Jews who have supported that terrorist state from day one, in synagogues and dirty non-profits and corporations since before 1948.

GUILTY.

Greta is now in Greece, but others from the flotilla are missing:

https://www.youtube.com/live/TpwonItAaOM?si=iaYXTV4SuqctjteA

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Paulo Kirk's avatar

Amazing, no, how the perverse Jews of Israel (and elsewhere) love torturing a young woman on the spectrum?

Less than five feet tall, and 80 pounds?

Sorry to upset your sensibilities, but . . . Jews: Guilty as Anyone Ever Could Be Until Proven Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt Innocent

https://paulokirk.substack.com/p/jews-guilty-as-anyone-ever-could

Everyone’s favourite psychopath, Itamir Ben-Gvir, bragged on Channel 14 News:

“We are in Ketziot prison, and as I promised, those flotilla members, supporters of terrorism, are here in a security prison. They receive conditions for terrorists here, for everything, terrorist sweatpants, terrorist conditions. This means there is a minimum of the minimum, that’s what I promised and that’s how we are fulfilling it.”

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Bridget's avatar

No. You are conflating Judaism with Zionist Israelism and it is unacceptable.

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