Boris Johnson sees himself as the heritor of a world bestriding Imperial mantle, but in truth he cannot bestride the Irish Sea. The overshadowing of the G7 summit by his peculiar concern that Irish sausages should not be eaten by those in Northern Ireland who do not believe in evolution, was a fascinating examplar of British impotence as he failed to persuade anybody else to support him. It looks like Danish bacon for the shops of Belfast and Derry will have to be imported through Dun Laoghaire and not through Larne. Ho hum.
The really interesting thing about the G7 summit is that it wasn’t interesting. Nobody expected it to change the world, and it won’t. John Pilger pointed out the key fact. Twenty years ago the G7 constituted two thirds of the world economy. Now they constitute one third. They don’t even represent most of the world’s billionaires any longer, though those billionaires they do represent – and indeed some of the billionaires they don’t represent – were naturally pulling the strings of these rather sluggish puppets.
It used to be that any important sporting event in any developing country would feature hoardings for western multinationals, such as Pepsi Cola and Nestle baby milk. Nowadays I am watching the Euros football pitches surrounded by electronic hoardings in Chinese. The thing about power is this; it shifts with time.
None of the commitments made on covid or climate change constituted any new money, any real transfer of wealth or technology. It was a non-event. Nobody will ever look back at anything beyond the personal as having started last weekend in Cornwall.
From there, pretty well the same people moved on to pretend to bestride the world militarily at NATO, where the first job was to pretend they had not lost the long Afghan war they have just, err, lost.
At NATO, they stuck out their tongues at China, which has upset them a lot by becoming the world’s most powerful nation. China was accused of an aggressive military posture, which is amusing in its utter lack of truth. Other than some construction of tiny artificial islands (which China is in fact wrong to claim can generate maritime claims according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), it is very difficult to understand on what this NATO accusation of aggression is based.
If China really is trying to outdo many centuries of western Imperial conquest – stretching up to the recent destructions of Libya and Syria – by building tiny artificial islands, it is a plan of extreme cunning and patience. NATO seem to have discovered their new enemy by reading Ian Fleming.
Let me tell you something that actually is true. I cannot think of any instance in world history of any power enjoying the level of economic dominance currently enjoyed by China, and yet showing such restraint and lack of interest in Imperial conquest. It is not China which is sailing aircraft carriers towards Boris Johnson, it is the other way round. In fact the restraint China shows in not carrying out the simple task of sinking Johnson’s silly aircraft carrier, undermines the propaganda of thousands of NATO press officers and social media operatives, including the UK’s very own 77th Brigade and Integrity Initiative.
It is even sillier to attempt to terrify us all with the thought that the Russians are coming. I know it upsets the Putin fans when I say it, but Russia’s share of the world economy has declined just as the G7 share has. As Russia was always, and still is, poorer than the poorest of the G7 nations, the NATO attempt to portray Russia as a great threat is really rather silly. If there is truth in the story of a couple of super military intelligence officers traveling widely but not killing many people, and of cunning Russian computer hackers engaging in cyber warfare while leaving cyrillic fingerprints behind, in a manner strangely identical to the CIA guidance on how to lay Russian false flags as shown in the Wikileaks vault 7 releases, then it is still difficult for me to understand why this would all require trillions of dollars in military hardware to stop it.
Interrupting hacking with Trident missiles seems neither cost effective nor proportionate. But then I am not an ace NATO military strategist.
Follow the money. Of course the NATO show is all about diverting simply incredible amounts of our money and resources into the military industrial complex, which is permanently profitable for politician backhanders; the arms industry remains the only “legitimate” industry more corrupt than banking, which is quite a feat.
I shall sleep safe in my bed at night knowing that the money NATO spends just this year to keep me safe from the Russian and Chinese tanks which are absolutely poised to roll up Princes Street, could have eliminated malaria forever. God bless our glorious leaders.
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Thank you Mr. Murray,
…at least we can all die laughing…as existential crises go intentionally ignored (=ignorance)
Craig Murray is among most ethical whistle-blowers…readers might peruse:
The Rational National: Joe Biden Says The Dumbest Thing He’s Ever Said – YouTube, 4m 0s
Let’s get this straight – How would it be if the United States was viewed by the rest of the world as interfering in the elections, directly, of other countries – and everybody knew it? What would it be like if we engaged in activities that he [Putin] is engaged in? It diminishes the standing of a country that is desperately trying to maintain its standing as a world power.
(neglected mention); “Russia” is, as forewarned over year ago, “bridge propaganda” vs. China A.I.; parallel U.S. bushit-cheney lie$ and (of) omission re Wall $treet fraud$, + Iraq – 911, which have caused 37-59 million dead or refugeed. AmeriKa, “the people”, have not been informed A.I. + U.S. dollar – international monetary system, are basis of neoliberal dem$ – biden attempt reinstall “Old World Order” hegemony through militari$m…
(neglected mention); “Russia” is, as forewarned over year ago, “bridge propaganda” vs. China A.I.; parallel U.S. bushit-cheney lie$ and (of) omission re Wall $treet fraud$, + Iraq – 911, which have caused 37-59 million dead or refugeed. AmeriKa, “the people”, have not been informed A.I. + U.S. dollar – international monetary system, are basis of neoliberal dem$ – biden attempt reinstall “Old World Order” hegemony through militari$m…
(British-Irish sausage; right out of “Yes Prime Minister”)
The momentum, a whole industry beaucracy, think tanks, institutes, scholarships for tomorrow’s young leaders all together rolling down the greased slopes to disaster. The pushing, poking and economic blockades via sanctions (acts of war if done to us and EU) are and have been tolerated thus far. Yet as someone pointed out earlier “loss of face” re Japan and Kamakazi actions in WW2). Will in my eyes lead to countries Iran, Russia and China to lash out like The Gazan’s. The Colonial Imperial Cretins have fashioned an unstoppable momentum to disaster.
Ah Up Pompuses GAUNTLET against JC.
And you know…what’s even sadder than that? There was noone in the room with the balls to get up and say..”Now you mention it Mr President….”
The media is even less dissenting now than at the time of the Iraq and Libya propaganda blitzes. But there are many (like Oliver on the previous page) who want to celebrate that.
“I know it upsets the Putin fans when I say it, but Russia’s share of the world economy has declined just as the G7 share has.”
The upsetting part is you portraying people as delusional. Even biggest fans of Putin will not claim that Russia is a dominant economic power. What you are probably referring to is agitations by “Putin fans” when someone describes the Russian economy as total disarray and Putin being the main reason for it. I lived in Moscow through the collapse of USSR and experienced the “democracy” and “free market economy” through the 90s. One of the most devastating things was to see how people were losing hope and purpose to live. Putin changed it. Assuming from where he started, he did managed to do a pretty good job.
Of course there were circumstances that helped, but he was there to capitalise on them. If you look at a scumbag Mikhail Kasyanov (also known as Misha 2%, for getting cuts from every big deal in Russia, while he was Minister of Finance), whom the West was pushing as alternative to Putin in 1999, you will see that no circumstances would help Russia.
Of course Putin could have done better. There were multiple mistakes from outside perspective. The problem is the huge inertia in Russia. It is just too massive. Too fast and too radical changes are devastating. There can be initial success of novel idea to accelerate change into improvement but then it is hard to not overdo and get to the another extreme.
In any case, I’m still supporting you and your work. Wish you good health. Just try not to denigrate the actual majority of Russians that genuinely support Putin. There are reasons for his popularity. Doesn’t mean that Russians do not see flaws in him but on average he does much more good for Russians than any previous leader.
Dmitri,
Fair points. I was referring specifically to commenters on this blog who are not Russian, who do like to believe Russia is a dominant economic power. Many people here who see the wrongdoing of western governments look to Putin as a saviour, which is deluded.
I did not notice anyone claiming ” Russia is dominant economic power” Some of us mentioned PPP metrics instead of GDP which make big difference in ranking and reality.
By GDP ranking is; 1) USA 2) China 3) Japan 4) Germany 5) India 6) UK 7) France 8) Brazil 9) Italy 10) Canada 11) Russia
By PPP 1) China 2) USA 3) India 4) Japan 5) Germany 6) Russia 7) Indonesia 8) Brazil 9) France 10) UK
according to IMF
In Uk for 3 Billion you get Aircraft carrier (no planes); in Russia you get Aircraft carrier Plus air planes, and in China you get 2 Aircraft carriers plus planes (just guessing).
What I am not guessing is when I buy a pint in “East Europe” for £2, GDP grows by £2 but when I buy a pint in UK for £5, GDP grows by £5. PPP tries to mitigate those failures/anomalies from GDP.
If we go by GDP per capita, list is totally different. Are those countries dominant economic power?
In my opinion China is major (dominant) economic power despite GDP per capita being low!
Who looks to Putin as saviour(from what)? Looking forward to that post and comments.
I see your point. Economy is engine/motor of the country. But there is a reason why motors have 2 primary specs (interdependent): speed/rpm and torque. GDP and its derivatives are purely focusing on how quickly money rotate in the economy. But what is critical, is the ability of the economy to notice resistance of circumstances against it. And I think Putin spent most of his effort on this resilience. Look at all the sanctions and other hostile actions from the west, plummeting oil prices 2 years ago, Covid, etc. Russia actually going smoothly through them, which makes it looks strong. Power of ferrari on a smooth road is fine, but but power of a tank has no conditionals attached ?
Noted. Thanks for clarification. Putin is indeed a very specific solution for Russia. His style would not work in the West. But I see why many in the west would want someone like Putin. Western political elite discredited itself too badly with uncontrolled embrace of sophism.
So, are you saying Putin is not taking any cuts? Not even 1%? You must have missed the whole thing about that one massive palace, for which Navalny is not having some tough time!
That palace is computer generated but 1% I can not comment. Navalny has problems with embezzlement not the Palace
“Massive Palace” is too stupid to be credible. It is just unnecessary for Putin to own it. There is no such thing as pieceful retirement for a leader in Russia ?.
More seriously, Putin is long time beyond any interest in wealth. His primary driver is power, not money.
As the weekend of death accelerates to pile our bodies high by some insane Leader worship threatening world domination again aided by the propaganda MSM – there are a bunch of stories being rushed out under cover of the Dismal Game.
Anyone know that there was actually a by-election happening yesterday? Do we know if there are any others? Not from the last week’s media reporting.
Starting with the Easiest Deal Never having any intention of being honoured. The DUP bung that kept the Tories in Power in 2017 , just so they could get the Hard BS. Now evolved into its prime purpose for NI (calls itself a country by the Unionists) to stop and reverse the GFA. No Irish Language signs to be allowed. No Stormont to manage the ‘country’ because it is run out of some secretive Crown Office
(Just like the fake Scottish Devolved rotten Politicians).
Little unionists children brainwashed into the next generation of piper boys (boys!) to reverse the two decades of peace. Just like last weeks Israeli children jumping in the air shouting ‘Feath to Arabs’. I hope others can see they are in some way related.
Talking with building managers last night the lack of workers in the trade is at a dangerous level – buildings sites are in trouble and as for these summer roof fixing jobs – forget it. And medical staff. The Indian hundreds of thousands to be brought over to fill the gap – much delayed.
There is plenty more – how the Wicked Witches of Brittannia Unhinged are cackling as they import nasty meat from the opposite side of the planet! Whilst destroying Welsh farming, first by stopping their EU markets and than by that double whammy – expect a return of more farming suicides of yesteryear.
As for fair trade deals the Aussies ain’t the ones to do them as they secretly try and jail whistleblowers for revealing how they criminally stitched up deals in Indonesia.
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2021/jun/18/australia-has-prosecuted-a-brave-individual-people-who-speak-up-keep-getting-arrested
WHISTLEBLOWERS UNITE.
The 5+1 eyed Gollum desperately trying to hang onto its hagemony by vile proxy and home mass murder with daily Russia and China baiting.
The insanity of holding a single cricket test match between India and NewZealand in the U.K. in the midst of the superspreading events. The Toffs and Crown want their Ascot and Wimbledon and calendar of ‘sport’ whilst they happily dispense with the rights to fair trial by jury and reporting of such freely under pretext of protecting accusers – a way of silencing dissent just as much as any they accuse the Chinese and Russians of doing.
The EURO football final vying to be held at Wembley with offer of special dispensation for VIPs to come superspread – just as they did to Cornwall last week taking it from lowest rates in the country within days…
I’ll stop here before the post gets any longer.
Stay safe this evening, keep your social distances, plenty of ventilation – as the hostelries march us to our doom, singing along to scoundrels patriotism tunes.
‘the arms industry remains the only “legitimate” industry more corrupt than banking, which is quite a feat.’
One of the finest lecturers on my MBA course 22 years ago stated that ‘Earth Moving Equipment’ industry was ‘the second most corrupt industry on earth’.
When asked which was the most corrupt, he replied: ‘DEFENCE!’
Some things don’t change, even if bankers have become more corrupt than John Deere, Komatsu, JCB et al…..
Craig Murray:I cannot think of any instance in world history of any power enjoying the level of economic dominance currently enjoyed by China, and yet showing such restraint and lack of interest in Imperial conquest.
Agreed about the general pacifism of China, but as an American I have to point out an obvious example. The USA between the wars was equally if not more dominant and very pacifist. Particularly under Roosevelt before WWII, there was a Good Neighbor policy, removal of troops from foreign countries, plans for Philippine independence. etc. The great postwar decolonization was something that the FDR had planned and pushed hard for.
Calgacus, I’d love to see the proof of that.
If you want to see the proof of the opposite since – under Carter even – read through a thorough analysis via the US specific ‘extending Russia’ through covert and very overt activities along with the Usual Suspects of the British Crown and its 5+1 eyed despots with the most sophisticated and widely connected network of Narrative construction, by Kit Kalenberg at the excellent Bernhard MoA site.
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2021/06/us-uk-information-warfare-behind-regime-change-drive-in-belarus.html#more
Drop a few coins in their cups folks too . We need their fearless analysis, equal to our host here.
He was refering to policy of the US in the 1920s and 1930s, not more recently.
Was not South America a de facto an American colonial sphere of influence, the United fruit company had the US army as its strong arm to keep any malcontent in place.
“The USA between the wars was equally if not more dominant and very pacifist. “
The US between the wars already had an empire, the imperial conquest had already happened. China’s economic dominance has been increasing over the last two decades. When the US was in the same position of increasing dominance it was carving out an empire in the Pacific, similarly Britain before that and the Dutch and the Spanish before them.
Seydlitz, Bayard: The USA was in a position of increasing dominance in the 20s & 30s. It did not expand its empire, but rather shrank it. Removed the marines from Haiti, scheduled independence of the Philippines (interrupted by the war). Allowed Cardenas to nationalize Mexico’s oil from the US oil companies, etc. The US really did behave as a pro-democracy Good Neighbor then, not a (neo-)colonial strong arm thug. So the 1930s and 40s became a period of great prosperity in Latin America, and made Roosevelt very popular there. It was the 50s especially Eisenhower & Dulles that saw the modernized return of gunboat diplomacy.
And I would reiterate that although he did not live to see it, FDR planned and strongly pushed for the great postwar decolonization. With great prescience and care, he had already set up postwar planning groups starting in 1939.
The “position of increasing dominance” I was talking about was in the C19th. Yes, that was true in the 20s and 30s too, but that is not what either Craig or I were referring to. If the US had started the 20s and 30s without an existing empire, then it might well have been pursuing an expansionist policy.
Yes, you were talking about the 19th century. But “increasing dominance” was NOT even what Craig said. He said “the level of economic dominance currently enjoyed by China” and I defend my example as precisely correct.
That “no empire” would have caused imperialism in the 20s or 30s is unlikely. The formal US empire was not that big to start with, unlike France’s, Germany’s or Britain’s, and of negligible importance to the US economy. The public was extremely pacifist after WWI and later, Roosevelt in power was actively anti-imperialist. Roosevelt understood that especially for the USA, the idea that imperialism was for “needed” resources, that it profited the imperial country was pure BS. And the public would not have stood for it.
My deeper point is against very vulgar Marxism, economic determinism. Politics and politicians really can prevail against the economic powers that be. Especially when those powers are trying to sell patently ridiculous schemes to enrich themselves. Usually these powers and these schemes win. But far too many – the great majority of the Left imho – erect a worldview that says they MUST win. Which is patent nonsense that renders great service to these malefactors of great wealth.
Fair enough, the two world wars were attitude adjusters we shall probably not see the like of again. In the UK they produced a level of concern for the people amongst politicians that had not occurred since the religious revival of the C19th, especially in the post WWII Labour government. However a study of history shows that “normal service” is what we see now, amorality in society and politics, with greed and selfishness being the ruling behaviours. It is not that the PTB must win, as you say, but that they usually do. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”, but without having lived through a world war of similar, it seems the “good men” lack incentive.
I’m a new commenter but I thought the real ante against Russia was upped in 2014 when Russia had the temerity to support a secular, stable, independent Syria.
But isn’t the fundamental hostility to Russia based on what American data scientist Chris Martenson calls the Energy Story? Since Putin, Russia has natural resources not available to or exploitable by global capital. Plus the political independence to defend them.
It has been a delayed shock to me over the years to learn that, as the two Davids at Media Lens put it, ‘we’ are not the good guys. And further, that ‘we’ is not the rest of us, but actually a tiny corrupt elite who deserve to decline.
They definitely don’t deserve our loyalty. And they have earned nothing but contempt and whatever resistance the real ‘we’ can muster, however small.
That’s only one reason I read and support Craig, and this blog, but it does help me donate whenever I can.
Bulls eye! Great newbie comment. More please.
It would probably more accurate to call it a decline in American power. I’m not certain we could really say Japan and Germany have declined in economic and diplomatic clout, in say the last 70 years – probably the opposite, despite the advance of China and India. Even the UK and France are in much the same place as global players that they were at the end of the 1950s, at the time of the Suez crisis.
I don’t think that is the case with the US, which as recently as the middle of the last century was producing half the world’s economic output and had just played the decisive part in winning a world war and was massively funding the peace.
The game is up for the US as the world superpower, I suspect, with the covid economic warfare the last throw of the dice. Now they’re battling for second place with the eurozone, India coming up on the rails, and Japan not to be written off (note the clumsy attempts to scupper the Olympics in Japan). We live in interesting times.