Patterns of Reistance

 

Patterns of Resistance: The Resistance History of the United States (Part 1)

by C. A. Matthews

In last week’s article I promised to provide some patterns of resistance to defeat the patterns (or poetry) of chaos that our oligarch rulers practice. Did you start reading Tad Stoermer’s The Resistance History of the United States like I recommended? It’s okay if you didn’t. This article won’t ruin your read later by giving out too many “spoilers”. (You’ll still want to read the book.)

And don’t worry if you’re not American or have much knowledge of US history—many of the examples Stoermer uses to illustrate the different patterns of resistance aren’t commonly known by most Americans. It’s sort of the point of the book. The oligarchy, the billionaires who essentially rule us all, have been keeping these kinds of historical examples quiet since day one of the United States. They really don’t want Americans (or anyone else) to know how often and how well ordinary people have resisted their abusive, authoritarian power. So, even if you’re not a history buff, I know you’ll find the stories Stoermer tells very eye-opening and enlightening.

First a quick recap of last week’s post about the oligarchs’ pattern of control or“the poetry of chaos”. Things may appear chaotic in the world, but upon closer examination we can define predictable patterns of behavior by the oligarchs who cause the “chaos” that keeps us feeling overwhelmed and incapable of fighting back.

I summed up the oligarchs’ pattern in a three step process... (Read summary in the full article by clicking the link below.)

...Stoermer describes nine resistance patterns or principles in The Resistance History of the United States that We the People have used and can continue to use to take on the oligarchy. I’ll provide a short synopsis of each, but I encourage you to read the book to gain deeper understanding from the historical figures’ stories. It will make more sense to you to learn who it was that used a certain resistance principle, how they used it, and how effective it was in their resistance.

Stoermer tells us that these principles/patterns don’t have to be practiced in any particular order, and they don’t all have to be used all at once. Revolutionaries/resisters are free to pick and choose what works for them in their particular situation...

 

To learn all about the patterns of resistance (and how they were used in US history), please copy or click on the following link: 

https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

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Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. 

--H.L. Mencken

Make History—Don’t Repeat It!

by C.A. Matthews

I have to stifle my giggles whenever an acquaintance goes on about how “Trump is the worse president ever! He’s supporting a genocide in Gaza! He’s taking away our freedom of speech! He’s trying to steal Greenland! No other president has ever done such horrible things!”

(Yes, I know that Biden also supported Israel’s genocide in Gaza among other horrendous things, but to these poor dears, Joe Biden is a kindly old man who likes licking ice cream cones and playing with little girls’ hair. He’s some sort of saint apparently in Dem circles. No kidding.)

The reason I want to giggle—actually I want to laugh out loud in their faces—is because it’s just too obvious how well our government’s propaganda works. These people are clueless! Any US history classes they may have taken in high school or college were woefully inadequate. Their instructors obviously never went into depth on certain topics, and the textbooks used in those classes didn’t waste much print on those topics, either.

It’s as if American powers-that-be don’t want to air our dirty laundry to the working masses. If American workers really learned about their country’s actual history, they might get ideas. Bad ideas. Ideas and examples of how Americans stood up against oppression, intolerance, bigotry, and outright theft of land, labor, and resources in the past.

In A People’s History of the United States, historian Howard Zinn doesn’t beat around the bush. He tells things straightforwardly, without the narrative spin that always seems to make the wealthy, white, occasionally slave-owning male elites the heroes in your average US history book. From now on, whenever somebody says a silly thing like Trump is the “only president to support a genocide,” I will point them to Zinn’s classic tome.

Here’s what Zinn has to say in the seventh chapter of A People’s History about one particular incident of genocide that was not only supported by the United States government, it was actually committed by the US government against several groups of indigenous people...

To learn more about US history that doesn't bear repeating, please continue reading the rest of this article by copying or clicking on this Substack link: 

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This article is the 513th blog posting of The Revolution Continues. We began in June 2015, and we're still going strong. Please keep reading, sharing, and subscribing to help TRC continue for another ten years.

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The Founders Would Be Proud

 

The Founders Would Be Proud

by C.A. Matthews

It’s not every day that I say something like this, so please take note.

The Founders (a.k.a. "The Founding Fathers of the United States of America") had a good idea when it came to making a permanent separation between church and state. It may have been one of only a handful of good ideas they ever had, being handicapped with their white, wealthy, Eurocentric, males-only, slavery-is-good-for-business worldview. But it is impressive that they foresaw a day when the need to be a strictly secular state (government) would be to their—and consequently our—benefit. So, for this insight I heartily thank them.

I do believe there were “Founding Mothers and Others-of-the-Non-White-Male Variety” as well, but in this case, we're sticking with the "Fathers" who wrote our founding documents. I was reminded of their wisdom concerning church/state separation when Dr. Jill Stein gave one of the most brilliant rebuttals of all time at the recent Free and Equal Debate.

The Constitution Party candidate, Randall Terry, had just given the most sick and twisted rant imaginable. I don’t know much about the Constitution Party, but if this is their pick for president, I really don’t want to know anything more about them. Terry’s diatribe went along the lines that Americans should believe as he does (seemingly he’s an ultra-conservative, Zionist “Christian”) and that those of the Muslim faith are dangerous terrorists and deserve to be killed in Gaza (and elsewhere). He actually sounded like he would start another Crusade if he ever got into the White House. His verbal vomit of sheer naked bigotry sent shivers down my spine.

Dr. Stein’s reply to Terry’s steaming pile of Islamophobia was eloquent and to the point. Watch a clip on X/Twitter or on You Tube:

https://twitter.com/peopleforstein/status/1849264793011818948 or

https://twitter.com/TeamJillStein/status/1849906420340408804

https://www.youtube.com/live/HLCplaowzy8?si=AKHM8u9vnCWE1v5U

Randall Terry’s rant and Jill Stein’s rebuttal starts at approx. 1:20 and goes to about 1:24.

To find out what else would make the Founders proud...

Please read the rest of this article by clicking on this link to go to our Substack page: https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com  There you'll also see related article and video links, all the images, and be able to leave comments. You can subscribe to receive the weekly blog post in your email box as well. 

Subscribe today! Power to the people!

#BoycottMickey (Boycotts Work)

 

#BoycottMickey

by C.A. Matthews 

From Mickey Mouse (Disney) to MickeyD’s (McDonald’s), Palestine will be free!

I’m just back from a cold—but very effective—protest for Peace in Palestine. We marched several blocks along a heavily trafficked city street to an Interstate highway crossing where the most intrepid activists among us hung a large banner over the side of the bridge for a couple of hours. The remainder of us held our picket signs and chanted at that very busy (and noisy) intersection at the highway entrance. I was amazed at the positive response we received from the public. I was very heartened by the physical and spiritual toughness of my fellow protesters marching and chanting under such frigid and damp conditions, too.

Protesting is a big challenge for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere in the winter months. How do we continue to send the message to our elected officials that we demand a permanent ceasefire and that we want Israel out of Gaza now without doing peace demos and marches in below freezing temperatures? Activists are a creative lot, and we know there are other ways of making our voices heard that don’t involve standing around in the cold. One of the oldest and most effective protest methods is the boycott. This week’s guest blog, by our resident historian Coast Watcher, gives us a brief history of the boycott.

 So, what businesses should we as North Americans currently focus our boycott on to help the cause of the Palestinian people? The “big three” that are feeling the pain of Pro-Palestine consumers boycotting their products are McDonald’s, Starbucks, and the Disney Company. It’s not too hard for those of us standing on the side of Palestine to avoid giving them our business. Who really needs fast food, overpriced coffee and insipid entertainment?

“Misinformation” about McDonald’s support for Israel is having a “meaningful impact” on its sales in the Middle East, the fast food restaurant’s chief executive has said according to an article in the Telegraph. It’s not really “misinformation” that McDonald’s openly supplied food to the Israeli Defense Forces after they launched their genocidal campaign in Gaza. This action has angered many in mostly Muslim countries where their restaurants have been forced to shut down. Is it any wonder that a worldwide boycott of McDonald’s restaurants is hurting their bottom line? They’re learning the hard way that being pro-genocide isn’t good for business.

I was amazed that even trade publications have made note of the effectiveness of Pro-Palestinian/anti-genocide boycotts. From The Drum:

Gauging appetite for boycotts among the crowds at a pro-Palestine protest organized by If Not Now, Jewish Voice for Peace Los Angeles, and the Arab-American Civic Council, The Drum heard from 33-year-old Palestinian-American activist Zainab about why she is no longer buying pro-Israel brands. “I am a Palestinian; my grandparents were expelled in the 1948 Nakba, so I have grown up seeing the oppression. I not only stand for Palestinians; I stand for all humanity. I stand for Black Lives Matter, I stood against the wall suppressing Mexican rights, and I do not stand for the killing in Sudan or Congo. I am not going to stop protesting, whether it is monetarily against brands and companies or going out in the streets every weekend.”

--from  As activists boycott pro-Israel brands, what should marketers do next?  

Yeah, even marketers know that being linked to Israel is the kiss of death for capitalists. We must keep up the pressure by spreading the names of these pro-Israeli businesses to boycott in all our social media posts and through good old-fashioned word of mouth.

By December 2023, pro-Israeli Starbucks losses stood at $11 billion during the last quarter. Starbucks had already been under a lot of pressure financially due to its closing stores where unions were forming and employee strikes for better working conditions, so the further boycotting of their products will really send a message that when Starbucks hurts one of us—or one people such as the Palestinians—it will feel our pain in its CEO’s pocketbook. Besides, in blindfolded taste tests most coffee drinkers say they prefer other less expensive brands of coffee. So, do yourself and your wallet a favor—boycott Starbucks and learn how to brew your own coffee instead.

The Disney Company acts amazed as to why their donations to Israel along with their producing an upcoming Marvel movie featuring an apartheid-loving Israeli superhero would be upsetting to so many people worldwide. From their own publication, Inside the Magic:

The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement leads the most prominent pro-Palestine boycotts. They recommend consumer boycotts of companies like Sodastream and HP but suggest “pressure” on bigger corporations that are harder to avoid– like Disney.

Still, many former fans feel boycotting...Walt Disney World Resort is the right thing to do. Former Disney cast member and TikTok creator Helen Jane (@helenjp1313) shifted her content because The Walt Disney Company donated to Israel. She recommends a Disney Parks boycott....Weeks ago, Disneyland Resort thousands protested at the theme park in support of Palestine.

I don’t know about you, but I can think of much better places to go on vacation besides the soulless, overly commercialized fakeness of Disney World. Visiting pristine mountains and beaches come to mind. And can we live without watching the latest Marvel motion picture? Yes, we can. Boycotting the Marvel movie, along with protesting any theaters that dare show it, will definitely get the message across that pro-genocide supporters' products aren’t wanted in decent society.

So, tell your friends today to avoid or keep avoiding these brands and the brands listed at BDSMovement.net. Why? Because boycotts work.

Boycotts Work

by Coast Watcher

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan recently complained that sales figures for the coffee store giant had plummeted following the boycott of their products due to the chain’s support for Israeli genocide. For many who’ve always advocated the use of boycotts to punish businesses for their social infractions this is proof that the tactic works.

The origin of the term stems from Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, a retired British army officer. In 1873 he became manager for the County Mayo, Ireland, estates of absentee landlord the Earl of Erne. Absentee landlords were the bane of the rural Irish people. They reaped vast profits from their estates throughout Ireland, often without even setting foot there.

In 1879 bad harvests threatened another famine like that of 1845-49. A Land League formed to prevent it occurring. The League told Boycott to reduce rents by 25% to help the rural people weather the situation. In response Boycott attempted to serve eviction notices, which was historically a typical act of the landed class of the time. Previously there had been little that could be done to stop such measures, but late nineteenth century Ireland had learned a thing or two.

President of the Land League, Charles Stewart Parnell, urged tenants faced with Boycott’s and other landlords’ eviction demands to avoid any communication with those who refused to lower rents. Boycott himself was the primary target for the measure, and it worked. Scab laborers guarded by the military and even the soldiers themselves were employed to harvest crops. The situation led to questions in the British Parliament, leading to a Land Act of 1881 that instituted fair-rent tribunals.

Boycott remained agent for the Earl of Erne until 1886 when he took new employment in the county of Suffolk, England. Parnell of course went on to become a major player in Irish political affairs until his death in October 1891.

Ever since that time the tactic of boycotting has been used effectively by people who have few other resources of reprisal against authority. By showing their displeasure at their governments’ and businesses’ impositions, the ordinary public can hurt them where it really counts—their bottom line. So it is happening with Starbucks and other businesses that back or support the genocidal Zionist regime in any way, shape or form.

Boycotts work. 

Bio: Coast Watcher believes in putting your money where your morals are...Or at least not spending your money at businesses that support a country openly committing a genocide like Israel is doing. If a business is okay with murdering children, how can you trust them to not put cancer-causing chemicals in your coffee or Big Mac?

Related Articles and Interesting Links

Act Now Against These Companies Profiting from the Genocide of the Palestinian People https://bdsmovement.net/Act-Now-Against-These-Companies-Profiting-From-Genocide

Israel-Palestine News --from Diverse Sources
https://us11.forward-to-friend.com/forward/show?u=70b9fc567465118fa0b7b6e67&id=687f13dad7

A day in the life of a mother and child in Gaza https://mondoweiss.net/2023/12/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-mother-and-child-in-gaza/


CNN And Washington Post Busted For Pro-Israel Propaganda Shenanigans  https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/cnn-and-washington-post-busted-for

There’s Great Power in Grief. Will We Use It to Fuel Solidarity With Palestine? https://truthout.org/articles/theres-great-power-in-grief-will-we-use-it-to-fuel-solidarity-with-palestine/

We Are Entirely Too Close To Another Major War In The Middle East https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/we-are-entirely-too-close-to-another

US Drone Strike Kills Iraqi Militia Leader in Baghdad
https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/05/us-drone-strike-kills-iraqi-militia-leader-in-baghdad/

As US Backs Gaza Genocide, 'Grassroots Diplomats' Rally Support for South Africa Case  https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/gaza-genocide-south-africa

Turkey, Malaysia Back South Africa’s ICJ Genocide Case Against Israel  https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/04/turkey-malaysia-back-south-africas-icj-genocide-case-against-israel/

International Coalition Forms To Demand End To Genocide In Palestine https://popularresistance.org/international-coalition-forms-to-demand-end-to-genocide-in-palestine/

Blood Money: The Top Ten Politicians Taking the Most Israel Lobby Cash  https://www.mintpressnews.com/blood-money-top-ten-politicians-taking-most-israel-money-israel-lobby/286491/

Israel is Provoking the U.S. Into a Conflict With Iran — But the Media Ignores the Danger https://mondoweiss.net/2023/12/israel-is-provoking-the-u-s-into-a-conflict-with-iran-but-the-media-ignores-the-danger/

South Africa is standing up to the world's apartheid state
https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/south-africa-is-standing-up-to-the

US Admonishes Israeli Officials For Saying The Quiet Part Out Loud About Ethnic Cleansing https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/us-admonishes-israeli-officials-for

They're Calling Ethnic Cleansing "Voluntary Migration" Now
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/theyre-calling-ethnic-cleansing-voluntary


I Don't Care What Religion The Genocidal Child Murderers Are
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/i-dont-care-what-religion-the-genocidal

‘I Cannot Be Quietly Complicit’: Biden Official Resigns Over Gaza Assault https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/04/i-cannot-be-quietly-complicit-biden-official-resigns-over-gaza-assault/


Biden Ukraine Statement Highlights Hypocrisy on Gaza
https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-gaza

Blinken Again Bypasses US Congress To Send Munitions To Israel https://popularresistance.org/blinken-again-bypasses-us-congress-to-send-munitions-to-israel/

US Congress: ‘We Stand With Genocide’ https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/01/us-congress-we-stand-with-genocide/

Ohio State University Suspends Student Group for Supporting Palestine  https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/05/ohio-state-university-suspends-student-group-for-supporting-palestine/

5 Largest Oil Giants Expect Shareholder Payouts to Exceed $100 Billion for 2023 https://truthout.org/articles/5-largest-oil-giants-expect-shareholder-payouts-to-exceed-100-billion-for-2023/

TORTURE AT ABU GHRAIB https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/torture-at-abu-ghraib

In the World’s Wealthiest Country, Housing Should Be a Human Right and a Community Builder https://scheerpost.com/2024/01/02/in-the-worlds-wealthiest-country-housing-should-be-a-human-right-and-a-community-builder/

From Prison, Assange Expresses Regret That WikiLeaks Can No Longer Expose War Crimes https://thedissenter.org/assange-regrets-wikileaks-can-no-longer-expose-war-crimes/

Ricky Gervais was right about the Satanic paedophile ring https://normalislandnews.substack.com/p/ricky-gervais-was-right-about-the

A Lab Test That Experts Liken to a Witch Trial Is Helping Send Women to Prison for Murder https://www.propublica.org/article/is-lung-float-test-reliable-stillbirth-medical-examiners-murder 

Seen on Twitter/X:

 

Folks, it is way past time that Israel is completely isolated from the civilized community of nations. A total boycott of Israel, sports events, economic trade, cultural exchanges - total!! Like the apartheid South African govt, they have forfeited all claims to legitimacy.

— Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) January 8, 2024

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Shades of Suez

Our resident historian and all-around sharp and savvy person, Coast Watcher, returns to the blog with an in-depth look at the recent going-ons in Africa, particularly between Niger and their former colonizer, France. Once again, the more things change...the more history repeats itself?

Shades of Suez: How the situation in Niger reflects that of Egypt in 1956

by Coast Watcher

Egypt

The British and French Empires had a long history of involvement in Egyptian affairs, mostly rooted in the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

The 19th century rulers of Egypt were ambitious men. Although nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, Egypt’s rulers had practiced autonomy for centuries. Beginning with the rule of Ottoman Viceroy Muḥammad ʿAlī, Egypt’s borders expanded into Syria and the Sudan, Arabia and Yemen. This expansionism by Muhammad and his successors came at a cost. By 1876 Egypt’s national debt owed to European powers exceeded its means to pay.

Egypt’s ruler, Khedive Ismāʿīl Pasha, tried to stave off bankruptcy by selling the national shares in the Suez Canal to Britain. The measure failed, and both countries established the Dual Control, a means by which Egyptian revenue and expenditure were directly supervised by French and British officials. Needless to say this imposition rankled with the ordinary Egyptians and their ruler. Exploiting popular unrest, Ismāʿīl ousted the Dual Control, but Britain and France persuaded the Ottoman Sultan—still nominal ruler of Egypt—to depose Ismāʿīl in favor of his son, Muhammad Tawfik.

A rising nationalist movement in the officer caste of the Egyptian military led to war with the British in 1882, but the movement failed in the face of superior force. Egypt remained a virtual British colony. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War 1, it became a kingdom under British control from 1922 to 1952, with a promise of independence given by Britain in a treaty of 1936. After World War 2, the Egyptian drive to independence gave rise to a guerilla war that ousted the king in July of 1952. Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser became president.

Prolonged negotiations with Britain led to the 1954 Anglo-Egyptian Agreement, under which British troops were to be evacuated gradually from the canal zone. Nasser put in place an ambitious plan to construct a dam across the Nile at Aswan to regulate the annual flow that powers Egypt’s agriculture. He gained a promise from the United States to fund the project, but the US reneged on the deal. In turn Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, intending that tolls and tariffs imposed on shipping using the Canal would pay for the project. Nasser was backed by the Soviet Union, who provided arms, equipment, and advisors to the Egyptian military.

This move promptly brought Egypt into conflict with Britain, France, and the new state of Israel. France was infuriated by intelligence suggesting Egypt was funding anti-colonial rebels in its colony of Algeria. Since Nasser had no time for the new state of Israel, their military had already skirmished with Egyptian forces along their shared frontier. Israel led the invasion of Egypt on October 29, 1956, followed two days later by Britain and France.

The allied forces took control of the canal zone, but the Anglo-French deployment delay gave time for the Soviet Union to react. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was keen to exploit the moves toward Arab independence throughout the Middle East. He saw the invasion by the reactionary powers as a direct threat. Khrushchev in turn threatened to use nuclear weapons in Europe if the allied coalition did not withdraw.

Alarmed by this, US President Eisenhower warned the Soviets that threats of nuclear war were only exacerbating the situation. He and Secretary of State John F. Dulles told the coalition in turn that they had to withdraw from Egyptian territory or face economic sanctions. Since their economies were still suffering the after-effects of World War 2, Britain and France had to comply with American demands. All forces withdrew from Egypt by December 1956.

This established the United States and the Soviet Union as the dominant players on the world stage—a prestige the US, in particular, has trouble relinquishing.

Niger

Fast forward to the year 2023. A recent coup in the African country of Niger has caused an uproar in the West.

France moved in to what is now Niger in the late 19th century, formalizing control of the region in the following decade. This was conducted mainly to counter British and Italian imperial ambitions in the area of western Africa. In World War 2, the Niger colonial administration remained loyal to the French Vichy government, but following the war a small measure of self-governance was given to them. In 1960, Niger along with many other former French colonies attained full independence. French influence in Niger and elsewhere in its former African territories remains strong—but it is declining.

French military and local forces based in Chad and Burkina Faso were active in the past ten years during Operation Barkhane. This is an attempt to contain and eliminate the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda jihadist groups operating in the Maghreb and the Sahel, and also to counter growing Chinese and Russian influence on the continent. Needless to say, this aspect of French colonialism has the approval of the United States.

Some 5,650 French troops are deployed across the continent. Between 1,000 and 1,500 are stationed in Niger, mainly at the Niamey Airbase to control access to Niger's substantial gold and uranium deposits. France is rumored to be concentrating its African forces, possibly in preparation for an attack on Niger should the situation demand it.

Niger has played the part of a bulwark against instability and jihadist influence in the region. It’s also the location of the Americans' Airbase 201, a drone base staffed by 1,000 personnel. It is said to be the largest drone base in the world and key to the US operations across the Sahel. The recent coup by President General Abdourhamane Tchiani, that overthrew the unpopular President Bazoum, has put Western control of Niger's natural resources under threat. This has not gone unnoticed by the United States.

Indian historian and journalist Vijay Prashad observes:

Hours after the coup was stabilized, the main Western states—especially France and the United States—condemned the coup and asked for the reinstatement of Bazoum, who was immediately detained by the new government. But neither France nor the United States appeared to want to lead the response to the coup. Earlier this year, the French and US governments worried about an insurgency in northern Mozambique that impacted the assets of the Total-Exxon natural gas field off the coastline of Cabo Delgado. Rather than send in French and US troops, which would have polarized the population and increased anti-Western sentiment, the French and the United States made a deal for Rwanda to send its troops into Mozambique. Rwandan troops entered the northern province of Mozambique and shut down the insurgency. Both Western powers seem to favor a “Rwanda” type solution to the coup in Niger, but rather than have Rwanda enter Niger the hope was for ECOWAS—the Economic Community of West African States—to send in its force to restore Bazoum. --What's Happening in Niger is Far From a Typical Coup

Both France and the US are putting pressure on the African nations they still have a measure of control over. These nations are known collectively as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). ECOWAS is said to be amassing troops ready to intervene in Niger. Opposing them are suspended member nations of ECOWAS, backed by Russia. All the suspended members are ruled by military governments, and they were suspended for being in violation of ECOWAS rules on democracy and good government.

The neighboring countries of Guinea, Chad, the Central African Republic, and Algeria all want to see the situation resolved peacefully, but they oppose an invasion of Niger through fear the situation could escalate to a war that will engulf the entire west of Africa. As of this date, it looks like military intervention by ECOWAS forces is unlikely. There’s a great deal of push-back against the West from African nations, who rightly perceive the whole action against Niger to be nothing more than a colonial power’s attempt to hang on to the assets and a resource grab practiced—in France’s case—for centuries.

Jihadists are already exploiting the situation. Seventeen troops were killed in an ambush in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso recently. ECOWAS is fully aware of the threat Islamist extremism poses against their own order.

The United States announced last week that a new ambassador would soon head to Niger to help lead diplomacy aimed at reversing the coup. ECOWAS has already applied trade and financial sanctions, while France, Germany, and the United States have suspended their aid programs to Niger. The measures are being applied to one of the poorest countries in the world. Niger regularly ranks bottom of the United Nation’s Human Development Index.

It should be noted that France has substantial gold reserves. But Niger—possessing sizable gold deposits—has none. Niger possesses uranium deposits as well, uranium that is mined by French corporations to fuel France's nuclear power plants. President Macron of France is taking a harder line against Niger’s new government than the United States, but given America’s history of armed intervention, it is by no means given that the softly-softly approach will last for long.

And so it goes with history. Where once the US warned off another power (France) from exploiting an African country (Egypt), now it’s joining that power in opposing another, Niger. 

What has really changed in these last seven decades? Could it be that simply the hegemony of the West (particularly in the mind of the US government) is being threatened? Does the West fear that once they're kicked off the continent the BRICS nations will take their place, exercising control over Africa's vast natural resources? Possibly. But wouldn't it be better if Africa could be ruled, and its resources controlled, by Africans instead?

 

Related Articles:
Egypt

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/suez-crisis

https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt/Abbas-I-and-Said-1848-63

Niger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_of_Niger

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/9/niger-coup-leaders-accuse-french-forces-of-destabilising-the-country

https://www.thewaywardrabbler.com/p/rumors-of-war-in-west-africa?sd=pf

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2023/08/02/niger-coup-undermines-french-military-strategy-in-sahel_6077607_124.html

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2023/08/17/niger-coup-west-african-military-chiefs-meet-to-discuss-response_6096120_124.html

BIO: Coast Watcher is an armchair historian with a vast knowledge of the West's plundering of other countries' mineral wealth, land, and people. When will this plundering end? Could the fall of the petrodollar and the rising multi-polar world of BRICS bring hope to the beleaguered African continent? Only time will tell.

Other interesting articles and links:

African Union Will Not Back ECOWAS Intervention in Niger https://scheerpost.com/2023/08/18/african-union-will-not-back-ecowas-intervention-in-niger/ 

Niger: A Coup against French Control and Dominance https://unac.notowar.net/2023/08/11/niger-a-coup-against-french-control-and-dominance/ 

 

What’s happening in Niger is far from a typical coup

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2023/08/15/whats-happening-in-niger-is-far-from-a-typical-coup/

 

No U.S./French-Backed Invasion of Niger!

https://unac.notowar.net/2023/08/06/no-u-s-french-backed-invasion-of-niger/

 

As Senegal Organizes Troops To Invade Niger, Violence Mars Order At Home https://popularresistance.org/as-senegal-organizes-troops-to-invade-niger-violence-mars-constitutional-order/

 

War in Africa and War in the Americas: Accelerating the End of White World Supremacy  https://www.blackagendareport.com/war-africa-and-war-americas-accelerating-end-white-world-supremacy  

 

‘The Greatest Fighting Force in Human History’ – The Perpetual Wars You Aren’t Supposed to Notice https://scheerpost.com/2023/08/17/the-greatest-fighting-force-in-human-history-the-perpetual-wars-you-arent-supposed-to-notice/

 

How Much Aid Has the U.S. Sent Ukraine? https://www.cfr.org/article/how-much-aid-has-us-sent-ukraine-here-are-six-charts

 

Seymour Hersh: Summer of the Hawks

https://scheerpost.com/2023/08/19/seymour-hersh-summer-of-the-hawks/

 

Big Brave Western Proxy Warriors Keep Whining That Ukrainian Troops Are Cowards https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/big-brave-western-proxy-warriors 

 

White House Downplays CNN Poll Showing Majority of Americans Oppose More US Aid for Ukraine https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/09/politics/white-house-responds-cnn-poll/index.html

 

The Crucifixion of Julian Assange https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-crucifixion-of-julian-assange

 

Wealthiest 10% Responsible For 40% Of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions https://popularresistance.org/wealthiest-10-responsible-for-40-of-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ 

 

EPA Finds at Least 26 Million People in US Have Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' in Their Drinking Water https://www.commondreams.org/news/epa-pfas

 

Last week's post This Is What Empire Looks Like was translated into French and posted at the Zanzibar Freedom of Speech Substack: https://zanzibar.substack.com/p/voila-a-quoi-ressemble-lempire  (Isn't that awesome? If you read French, tell us how well it was translated. Thanks.)

 

And while you're there, don't forget to subscribe to us directly on Substack: https://therevolutioncontinues.substack.com

 

Seen on the formerly known as Twitter:

The Western puppet govts in West Africa are playing a very dangerous game. Armed intervention with logistical support from the U.S. & NATO will light the entire region on fire. I guess they don't understand what is unfolding in Europe as a result of Biden's war in Ukraine. https://t.co/84H61CFnPt

— Ajamu Baraka (@ajamubaraka) August 19, 2023

 

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