{"id":190362,"date":"2021-08-02T12:00:30","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T11:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=190362"},"modified":"2024-06-12T21:24:17","modified_gmt":"2024-06-12T20:24:17","slug":"un-two-empires-crumbling-and-then-what-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2021\/08\/un-two-empires-crumbling-and-then-what-2\/","title":{"rendered":"UN: Two Empires Crumbling–and Then What?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington<\/em>:\u00a0 There is History in the UN 29 Nov 2012 vote: 138 YES to giving Palestine the UN status as “nonmember observer state”, only 9 NO, and 41 abstentions.\u00a0 Beyond Middle East politics the vote also mirrors the limits to the US global, and the Israeli regional empires: 138 defy their grip and favor change, 41+9=50 NOT–for various reasons. A crucial vote on a crucial issue is a crucial test.\u00a0 Who want what?<\/p>\n

First:<\/strong> the OIC, Muslim, Arab: none yielding to USA-Israel in spite of the efforts against the Arab awakening. Israel is alone in the region: Greece-Turkey-Cyprus were all YES.\u00a0 Next: Saraoui (Sahrawi or Saharawi), Western Sahara building on Spain-Morocco YES, and Kashmir on India-Pakistan YES.<\/p>\n

Second:<\/strong> more than half of the not in favor<\/em> was Eastern European (16) and the Pacific (10: 9 mini-states, and Australia).\u00a0 Add 7 from Latin America, 5 from Africa, 3 from Asia (not Japan) and we get 41.<\/p>\n

Third:<\/strong> Western Europe-NATO divided.\u00a0 The Nordic European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries in favor, as also Austria, France and GIPSI (Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ireland), the indebted EU periphery.\u00a0 Not in favor<\/em>: UK, Germany, Netherlands; 3 mini-states; hard core USA-\u00a0 Israel (Usrael)-Canada for the 50: only a quarter of the UN membership.<\/p>\n

The General Assembly is the closest we have to world democracy; no Security Council big power veto.\u00a0 Israel has no regional support and the USA only little, shaky, insignificant, world support.\u00a0\u00a0 Memories of the Soviet empire–dead for over 30 years–are fading and mini-states are exactly that.\u00a0 The US clout does not even reach Afghanistan-Iraq-Libya recently bombed-invaded-occupied.\u00a0 UK remains; like poodle to master.<\/p>\n

Read the vote in terms of a world regionalization process: Green light for OIC; some political needed in the Latin America-Caribbean, Africa and Asia regions.\u00a0 The Nordic EFTA moral light is intact, and the new Third World, GIPSI, is joining the old.\u00a0 Germany, beware.<\/p>\n

The USA is out of touch<\/em>.\u00a0 Stop droning, killing; make a beautiful North America with Mexico and Canada (R. B. Zoelick in WP<\/em> 30 Nov 2012).<\/p>\n

But empires also crumble from within through demoralization.\u00a0 For political demoralization<\/em>: basic factor is lack of world clout.\u00a0 But watch the “fiscal cliff” process for the doubts about the US political process: two parties, at logger-heads.\u00a0 No forgiving mortgage debts, no creative lifting of the bottom 16%–many not knowing where the next meal comes from–into the economy, increasing domestic demand.<\/p>\n

For economic demoralization<\/em><\/strong>: basic factor is a West out-competed. Add Robert Samuelson “Why the recovery lags”: The financial crisis and Great Recession scared the wits out of most Americans–cautious, risk-aversive and defensive–spending less and saving more” (WP<\/em> 26 Nov 2012).\u00a0 Greg Smith, Why I left Goldman Sachs: A Wall Street Story<\/em> defines good business as “flat commissions on transparent exchange-listed trades”; not exorbitant commissions, secret deals, obscure derivatives and bonuses and status linked to the gross credits the trader brings in.\u00a0 Not a single person imprisoned; but lobbies against new legislation.<\/p>\n

For military demoralization<\/em><\/strong>: basic factor is the USA-NATO losing.\u00a0 But watch the lifestyle and affair on the top of the US Army in Afghanistan, and CIA anywhere, killing machines: General Petraeus.\u00a0 Imagine the effect on soldiers risking their lives for an unwinnable and dubious war with the top fooling around.\u00a0 See Richard Strauss 1874 opera, Die Fliedermaus<\/em>, for the end of the Austrian-Hungarian empire.<\/p>\n

For cultural demoralization<\/em><\/strong>: basic factor is decreasing faith in U.S. exceptionalism, leading the world as #1.\u00a0 The USA is #1 in claiming to be No. 1 in the mainstream media, by public figures ignoring what happens in the real world.\u00a0 Truth will dawn upon them.<\/p>\n

For social demoralization<\/em><\/strong>: “U.S. birthrate plummets to lowest level since 1920” (WP<\/em> 30 Nov 2012)–“led by immigrant women hit hard by the recession”.\u00a0 This may imply decline in the US population and in tax revenue, as in much of the West.\u00a0 And the enormous gun violence.<\/p>\n

Add it all up: the fall of the US empire is on track.<\/p>\n

How about Israel? Heading for a cliff of its own making: suicide.<\/p>\n

The UN vote was on the 65th anniversary of the UN 181 Two States resolution following Folke Bernadotte, then murdered by Israel. Nakba<\/em>. The problem is not Zionism but hard, revisionist Expansion-0ccupation-Siege (E-O-S) Zionism driving to the cliff.\u00a0 The UN vote legitimized Palestine and delegitimized that kind of Israel.\u00a0 Much will follow in multi- and bi- lateral diplomacy and NGOs; in spite of Usrael threats.<\/p>\n

Direct negotiations lead nowhere: the Oslo process left security, Jerusalem, refugees, Israeli settlements, boundaries, for “later”.<\/p>\n

But Israel had to react to the rockets!\u00a0 Yes, by dropping E-O-S for 2-6-20+: Two States in a Six states community with Arab neighbors in a 20+ states Organization for Security and Cooperation with nuclear free zone.\u00a0 But Israel delegitimized itself choosing violence, Hamas-Hezbollah rockets, dirty bombs, Iron Domes, David’s Sling, huge 9\/11 underground shelters.\u00a0 Israel buried underground in a sui-sociocide.<\/p>\n

Israel also reacts to nonviolence–boycott, non-cooperation, civil disobedience–with violence, as they did against boats trying to break the siege of Gaza.\u00a0 And delegitimizes itself even further.<\/p>\n

Together with mainstream USA Israel, Usrael tries to control the discourse by branding all critics as anti-Semites, self-hating Jews, etc. A non-starter in democracies.\u00a0 A Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein. Richard Falk, to mention some recently branded that way, are neither anti-Jewish nor anti-Israel, but use transparency and dialogue–the hallmarks of democracy–constructively. Stifle that, and we get two elites listening only to themselves.<\/p>\n

Travel the roads of delegitimizing, meeting violence with violence, meeting nonviolence with violence, controlling discourse, and down the road, very close to the cliff, the South African scenario is waiting.\u00a0 The USA decides one day that Israel is more of a liability than an asset.<\/p>\n

Israel is out of touch<\/em>.\u00a0 A regime change from within is needed.<\/p>\n

Written in Dec 2012<\/em><\/p>\n

__________________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em>Johan Galtung, a professor of peace studies, dr hc mult, is founder of <\/em>TRANSCEND International<\/a> and rector of <\/em>TRANSCEND Peace University<\/a>. <\/em>He was awarded among others the 1987 Right Livelihood Award, known as the Alternative Nobel Peace Prize.<\/em> Galtung\u00a0has mediated in\u00a0over 150 conflicts in more than 150 countries, and written more than 170 books on peace and related issues<\/em>, 96 as the sole author. More than 40 have been translated to other languages, including <\/em>50 Years-100 Peace and Conflict Perspectives<\/a> published by <\/em>TRANSCEND University Press<\/a>. His book, <\/em>Transcend and Transform<\/a>, was translated to 25 languages<\/em>. He has published more than 1700 articles\u00a0and book\u00a0chapters and over 500 Editorials for <\/em>TRANSCEND Media Service<\/a>. More information about Prof. Galtung<\/a> and all of his publications<\/a> can be found at transcend.org\/galtung<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The USA is out of touch. Stop droning, killing; make a beautiful North America with Mexico and Canada. Add it all up: the fall of the US empire is on track. How about Israel? Heading for a cliff of its own making: suicide. Israel is out of touch. A regime change from within is needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":151669,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[2221,120,1829,1030,87,267,1029,487,2395,2414,2415,2416,771,1027,2417,85,2418,109,287,1572,985,880,292,70,126,1025,886],"class_list":["post-190362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","tag-checkpoints","tag-conflict","tag-coronavirus","tag-fatah","tag-gaza","tag-geopolitics","tag-hamas","tag-human-rights","tag-international-criminal-court-icc","tag-israeli-apartheid","tag-israeli-army","tag-israeli-occupation","tag-nakba","tag-oslo-accords","tag-palestine-israel-apartheid-wall","tag-palestine-israel","tag-palestinian-rights","tag-politics","tag-power","tag-settlers","tag-social-justice","tag-state-terrorism","tag-un","tag-usa","tag-violence","tag-west-bank","tag-zionism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190362"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264137,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190362\/revisions\/264137"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}