Monday 11 February 2019

howdy arabia!

The tendency of leadership of the oligarchical petrostate to accrue all attention unto itself does result in the inability to divert one’s focus and to entertain elsewhere the idea of support tempered with criticism. The tribalism and polarisation that has become America’s chief export has blinded the diplomatic corps to the norms of sovereignty and international cooperation and advances the old spectre of nation building, rejecting the idea of policing the world as the US abdicates its position of taking the moral high ground while at the same time embracing the imperialism—both petty and expansive that is a natural consequence of a rising class of oligarchs. As public coffers globally run dry with the consolidation of wealth to a few dynasties that pride themselves in tax-avoidance and garner the clout necessary to ensure that laws are favourable to preserving their status, governments turn towards hard-won public institutions as a way to make up for that revenue and auction them off wholesale—as the rich and powerful brokered for control of formerly state-owned means of production after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
While the phenomenon is certainly not original nor exclusive to America (neither limited to Republicans but to all illiberal and reformed elements as well), it is leading the way in dismantling foundations created and sustained for the benefit of all, in the public lands, the education sector, research, national defence, etc. and this clutching cannibalism has globally transmuted to acceptance and even willingness to rally against publically-held institutions and state run businesses. Oil is the last refuge of scoundrels and a dying industry that only the uncreative want to have truck with, but as Venezuela’s only valuable commodity—and we’ve created strictures within banking and lending system to make sure that such places cannot diversify when faced with challenges—halved in value as global demand flagged and the world pivots towards more sensible and sustainable, corruption and mismanagement were bound to ensue, only exacerbated by sanctions against the country. Pushing unrest to the breaking point, as America has done in Nicaragua, Colombia and Panama, the US is persuading the international community to recognise a usurper whose signalled intent is friendlier to US business interests in the region. What do you think? If America is willing to disregard the concept of self-determination and stoke rebellion and anarchy, it would follow that one has no expectation of trust and stability in other dealings or institutions.