We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Monday, January 25, 2016

China deploys in the Near East

Click here to access article by Thierry Meyssan from VoltaireNet.

This French journalist and geopolitical analyst describes the latest efforts of Chinese leaders to seduce prominent Middle East rulers to support Chinese economic policies. Under the leadership of China's Communist party, the Chinese leadership since Deng has pursues a course in world affairs that can be described as keeping a low profile while hurriedly developing their economy using capitalist methods. As a part of this strategy they have strenuously avoided any political or military conflicts with the US Empire. Now this economic 800 pound gorilla in the world's room is now using the carrot of economic benefits to increase their influence in the world while quietly providing military aid in support of many antagonists opposed to Israeli and US interests in the region.
The Arab world today is dominated by the United States, who are intent on exploiting it and hindering its development. However, numerous revolts, in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahreïn, attest to a will to resistance which is in contrast to the voluntary servitude of the Europeans.

This game, entirely controlled by Washington since Henry Kissinger’s diplomatic successes, has been upset, on the one hand, by the Russian military intervention in Syria and, on the other hand, by the return of Chinese commerce....
You might also be interested to read this piece by Pepe Escobar entitled "China wades into the Iran-Saudi swamp" from RT.