SSP Campsie: September 2013

by SSP Campsie Member, Angus Clark.

Angus Clark, right, delivering letter urging local MP, Jo Swinson not to support America's push for war on Syria

The last 300 years of evolutionary progress in the West is coming to an abrupt end with the G20 Summit in Russia exposing the bankruptcy of the neo-conservatives expansionist policy of wars, political corruption, casino capitalism and mass secrecy and spying on populations. The inherent contradiction of the capitalist system in terms of the need for globalisation of markets but within the constraints of the nation state is now exposing itself through massive geo-political fault lines which cannot be repaired.

It has become increasingly clear that this length of time was needed for the rest of the world to catch on to the fact that western capitalism, and for this read America, is on a downward spiral and is using its military superiority in an attempt to offset its rapidly weakening economy. The impending Syrian ‘intervention’ is the most recent in a long list of wars attempting to establish America’s hegemony of resources and economic influence throughout the world. Various players are involved behind the scenes in this most recent regional campaign, including in particular Saudi Arabia and Israel, whereby the redivision of the middle east for western interests is the principal aim.

It is now evident that the rest of the world’s leaders do not believe Obama‘s lies concerning Syria and they are now prepared to openly display their contempt for his position. Putin has led the way by telling the worlds assembled leaders that the chemical weapons attack was a ‘provocation on behalf of the armed insurgents in hope of the help from outside, from the countries which supported them from day one.’ Putin was supported in this stance by the leaders of China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and Argentina. They were heavily implying that this action would be against international law and would be by implication a war crime, if carried out.

What is driving the west and principally America down this path one may ask? This is a somewhat complicated matter however it needs to be seen in the context of this deepening crisis of the capitalist economic system and the dominant nations need to impose a hegemony over the middle east, which is an area of the world crucial to expanding Americas geo-political and hence economic interests. Israel no doubt is exerting a tremendous political pressure on Washington to bolster its position as the dominant military power within the region and historically no political administration within America has been able to stand up to the Israeli lobby and its associated corporate interests.

America is now beginning to be seen as diplomatically weak and marginalised as it is unable to get the full support from its puppet governments in Western Europe. It does not relish the possibility of having to go it alone militarily, but may have backed itself into a corner. Although this may appear extremely unlikely, any future criminal prosecution for illegal war acts would be more realistic and straightforward if only one country was perceived as the criminal party. Obama is therefore taking a personal risk if he goes it alone.

Cameron has also lost all credibility with his recent inability to gain a yes vote in the British parliament, but he nevertheless may be able to limp along to the next general election. Despite Britain’s no vote the American foreign secretary counts Britain as one of Americas supporters along with some other countries without any diplomatic influence on a world stage, such as Canada, Australia, South Korea and Japan. Japan has enough problems of its own to consider without being involved in a middle east war with the Fukushima disaster, which has resulted in massive radiation leaks which may require the forced relocation of some 40 million people in and around the Tokyo area.

The rest of the minor players in Europe such as Italy and Spain would like to give practical military support to the Americans if only they had the financial resources. They are so indebted to the financial fraudsters and gangsters of the IMF and the corporate elite that they are hoping that if they say nothing in opposition to war then they may get further bailouts. If not then their future is escalating social unrest in the major cities of Italy and Spain. They have enough problems to worry about.

It is clear that what is going on here is the play out of competing and opposing interests within the ruling and corporate elite of the middle east countries at the regional level. Also at the world level there is a need for America to retain and support its puppet states. At the middle east level the Saudi rulers are aware that their power is balancing on a knife edge, as witnessed by the recent Egyptian revolutions. They are having to implement even more repressive measures to control recent social unrest and it is only a question of time before their grip on power is seriously at stake. Ironically, their interests politically are aligned with Israel and Egypt but in a religious sense are in opposition. At all costs, they cannot afford to see a stronger Iran supported by Syria within the region. From America’s part, it is concerned that the balance of power within the middle east may shift away from Saudi and also Israel and that Israel may become politically isolated. This fear is so great that it is even prepared to support, in the short term, the same extreme terrorist forces and right wing religious mercenaries that the fraudulent ‘War on Terror’ was supposedly aimed at. The hypocritical and fraudulent nature of America’s foreign policy is now open for all working people to see, hence the reluctance of their western leaders to back Americas plans due to the lack of public support. However, the thought of losing out on the ‘spoils of war’ is not something which the European ‘puppet states’ would ideally wish to contemplate and there is no doubt that this will happen if America goes it alone. Much deliberation will therefore take place over how to present an acceptable propaganda ‘package’ to mislead and delude working people into backing the warmongers. The hired hacks in the media will be utilised to the full to dutifully put forward their master’s propaganda message, as and when required. This is already in full flow, particularly in America, with the usual standard list of self-serving neo-con pundits on CNN and Fox News.

Let’s be clear that this redivision of the middle east arises from a conflict of opposing and competing ruling elites between these respective countries, and also at the world scale the need to expand American ruling elite interests. The consequent impact is the mass slaughter being borne by ordinary working people. Those who stand to gain the most are the US Corporations, banks and military manufacturers and their hangers on, and to a lesser extent the Saudi and Israeli ruling elite. However, notwithstanding how events unfold in future weeks and months, America’s credibility and standing will never recover. The G20 Summit illustrated how the rest of the world has caught on to the west and its leaders, and are no longer prepared to play a supporting role in further illegal wars.

Russia, China and some emerging South American countries are now in a position to be economically independent from the dollar standard and their economies are built on stronger foundations, thanks to the American export of jobs and expertise to those countries. This now leaves the American economy in an extremely fragile position with major budget deficits, bankruptcies of major cities such as Detroit, once a manufacturing powerhouse, and a lack of social cohesion.

There is no way back for America now, its weakness having been exposed, and it is clear that its aspirations for world hegemony cannot be realised and will not be accepted by other world players. How much longer will it be before America accepts this fact?

ANGUS CLARK