Trump Threatens to Blow Up Oman! Israel Already Planning Next War vs Turkey & Egypt! w/Chris Hedges
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Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The US and Israel suffered a 'humiliating defeat' in their war on Iran, empowering Iran as the dominant Middle Eastern power.
- ❖Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, demanding tolls in Chinese currency, directly challenging the petrodollar and US dollar hegemony.
- ❖Trump's presidency, characterized by 'Caligula-like' figures and a 'non-reality-based belief system,' accelerates the American empire's implosion.
- ❖US allies in the Gulf and Europe no longer trust American protection or leadership, seeking new alliances.
- ❖The 'Greater Israel Project' aims to destroy surrounding states to ensure Israeli hegemony, relying heavily on US military and financial support.
- ❖The US is transitioning into an authoritarian surveillance state, with institutions like ICE and prisons designed to control a population 'sick of the system.'
- ❖European leaders are pushing for war with Russia, driven by the war industry, despite public opposition and historical warnings.
Insights
1US and Israel's Humiliating Defeat in Iran
Chris Hedges asserts that the US and Israel suffered a 'humiliating defeat' in their war on Iran. Iran now holds significant strategic leverage, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, which controls 20% of seaborne natural gas and oil. This has led to catastrophic economic consequences globally, with countries like India and Japan depleting strategic reserves, and diesel prices rising in the US. Iran's ability to control the Strait and demand payment in Chinese currency directly challenges the petrodollar and US global financial hegemony.
Hedges states, 'Yes. I mean, they may bomb again. Um but Iran holds all the cards because it has a strangle hold on 20% of the seaborn natural gas and oil.' He later mentions Iran's demands for $100 billion in frozen assets, control of the Strait of Hormuz with a $2 million per ship toll (paid in Chinese currency), and guarantees against future attacks.
2Acceleration of American Imperial Decline
The US empire is in a state of rapid decline, comparable to the 1956 Suez Crisis for the British Empire. Hedges argues that the US has lost six wars in the last 25 years. Trump's 'Caligula-like' figure and lack of understanding of international affairs, combined with being surrounded by sycophants and a 'non-reality-based belief system' (influenced by Israeli narratives), accelerate this implosion. The US's actions have alienated traditional allies in the Gulf and Europe, who no longer trust American protection.
Hedges likens the situation to the 1956 Suez crisis and states, 'the empire has been in long decline. I think you can go all the way back to Vietnam. Uh in the last 25 years, we've had six different wars, all of which we've lost.' He describes Trump as 'a Caligula-like figure' and 'a human hand grenade' imploding the empire.
3The 'Greater Israel Project' as a Driver of Regional Conflict
The 'Greater Israel Project' is identified as the underlying agenda for Israel's perpetual war in the Middle East. This project aims to expand Israeli territory and establish hegemony by destroying surrounding states and turning them into 'failed states,' as seen in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. Israel relies on the US military and financial support to achieve these goals, as it lacks the power to do so independently. The project involves occupying land, such as southern Lebanon and parts of Gaza, and pushing Palestinians into neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt.
A video segment displays a map on an IDF soldier's armband showing 'Greater Israel' encompassing Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and part of Turkey, labeled 'the promised land.' Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy, explicitly states Israel needs to be 'prepared for the next war which will be probably against Turkey and Egypt.' Hedges explains, 'The way that they project power throughout the region is to destroy the states around them.'
4US Transition to an Authoritarian Surveillance State
The US is evolving into an authoritarian surveillance state, characterized by the rupture of social bonds, a vast carceral system, and the creation of paramilitary rogue forces like ICE. This chaos and homelessness are intentionally maintained to make people 'beg for more authoritarian solutions,' accepting a surveillance state where prisons are prepared for those who protest. Capital's dominance over government means institutions serve corporate interests, leading to the privatization of public assets and the erosion of the common good.
Hedges states, 'authoritarian regimes create conditions where in essence people beg for their own enslavement.' He notes the US has the 'largest prison system in the world' and highlights ICE's role in building 'paramilitary rogue forces that are beyond the reach of the law.' The host mentions $80 billion spent on ICE prisons, suggesting they are for 'when you wake up to what's actually happening and you protest.'
5Europe's Path to War with Russia Driven by War Industry
Europe, particularly Germany, is being pushed towards an all-out war with Russia, driven by the financial incentives of the war industry. Promises made to Gorbachev not to expand NATO were broken, leading to the 'manufacturing of an enemy' in Russia to justify reconfiguring military equipment to NATO standards, generating billions in profits. Germany is undergoing a 'remilitarization' with Russia serving as the justification, even accepting the Nord Stream pipeline's destruction to maintain Russia's 'bad guy' image.
Hedges recalls clear promises made to Gorbachev not to extend NATO beyond unified Germany, which were broken. He notes 'billboards from Rathon all over the place' in Poland, indicating the war industry's influence. Jeffrey Sachs' letter warns of 'a kind of fervent Russia hatred that is completely irrational' in Europe, leading to 'major escalation.'
Bottom Line
The Gulf States, traditionally US allies, are increasingly shifting alliances towards Iran, China, and Pakistan due to perceived American impotence and Trump's alienating rhetoric, like threatening to 'blow up Oman.'
This re-alignment signifies a fundamental breakdown in the US-led security architecture in the Middle East and could further accelerate the decline of the petrodollar, as these states seek more reliable protectors and economic partners.
For China and Russia, this presents an opportunity to solidify their influence and economic ties in a strategically vital region, potentially leading to new trade routes and currency dominance.
The 'liberal class' in media (e.g., Rachel Maddow, Stephen Colbert) serves to discredit critics of empire and herd people back into the Democratic Party, effectively preventing genuine opposition to the military-industrial complex.
This perpetuates a false sense of choice within a 'uni-party' system, ensuring that public dissent against foreign wars and corporate power is neutralized or redirected, maintaining the status quo.
Independent media and alternative political movements have an opportunity to expose this dynamic and offer genuine critiques, potentially mobilizing a disillusioned populace if they can effectively bypass mainstream gatekeepers.
Key Concepts
Imperial Decline
Empires in decline often blunder into conflicts with little understanding of outcomes, alienate allies, and seek to regain lost hegemony through military adventurism, which only accelerates their collapse. This is exemplified by the US's recent foreign policy failures and internal decay.
Asymmetrical Warfare
Weaker countries can defeat larger, more technologically advanced powers by employing unconventional tactics, such as creating decentralized military grids and utilizing deeply buried missile systems, as Iran successfully demonstrated against the US and Israel.
Lessons
- Recognize that the US political system is largely a 'uni-party' serving capital, making traditional electoral participation an 'utter waste of time' for systemic change.
- Understand that genuine change requires disrupting the 'machinery of commerce and government' through non-electoral means, such as worker strikes or civil disobedience, with clear demands.
- Be aware of the 'Greater Israel Project' as a key driver of Middle East instability and US foreign policy, and critically evaluate narratives promoting perpetual war in the region.
Disrupting the Machinery of Commerce for Systemic Change
Identify critical economic choke points (e.g., railroad, port, trucking industries) where worker action can halt commerce.
Organize and mobilize workers in these sectors to collectively withhold labor.
Articulate clear, non-negotiable demands, such as public financing of elections and removing corporate money from politics, to avoid co-optation by the existing two-party system.
Notable Moments
Trump threatens to 'blow up Oman' over control of the Strait of Hormuz, despite centuries of diplomatic ties.
This highlights Trump's erratic foreign policy, his willingness to alienate long-standing allies, and the US's declining diplomatic influence in a strategically critical region.
Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy who severely damaged US intelligence, discusses Israel's future wars against Turkey and Egypt.
This reveals the aggressive expansionist aims within Israeli leadership and reinforces the idea of the 'Greater Israel Project' as a long-term strategy, potentially drawing the US into further conflicts with NATO allies.
A visual of an IDF soldier's armband showing a map of 'Greater Israel' encompassing multiple Arab nations and parts of Turkey.
This visual evidence directly supports the claim of the 'Greater Israel Project' as a tangible, ideological driver for regional conflict, making the expansionist goals explicit to a wider audience.
Quotes
"Iran holds all the cards because it has a strangle hold on 20% of the seaborn natural gas and oil."
"The empire has been in long decline. I think you can go all the way back to Vietnam. Uh in the last 25 years, we've had six different wars, all of which we've lost."
"Trump is just uh he's like Barry Weiss at CBS, but on a bigger scale. He's just a human hang grenade. Um, and he's just imploding what's left of the empire right and left."
"Oman will behave just like everybody else. So we'll have to blow them up."
"We have to be prepared for the next war which will be probably against Turkey and Egypt."
"Anybody who makes $10 million a year is not a journalist. I can tell you that."
"Authoritarian regimes create conditions where in essence people beg for their own enslavement."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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