01-03-2025, 11:25 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-03-2025, 07:06 PM by Peter Lemkin.)
This is an Emergency
Mike Brock
Feb 28
[img=550x366.7925824175824]https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c6c57e3-b356-4abd-adb6-ca89c0eeda1d_4799x3200.jpeg[/img]
We are perilously teetering towards a global disaster, one that few seem to fully comprehend. Todays obscene spectacle in the Oval Office, where the President and Vice President of the United States berated the leader of a sovereign nation fighting for its survival, are not just a diplomatic misstep. They are a stark warning that we are perilously close to the collapse of the post-World War II international order.
This is not hyperbole. This is not alarmism. This is a cold, hard assessment of our current reality. We are witnessing the unraveling of decades of progress towards global stability, fueled by a toxic mix of ignorance, arrogance, and a dangerous misunderstanding of the complexities of our interconnected world.
The instruments of state power are being wielded by individuals guided not by wisdom or a sense of historical responsibility, but by petty grudges, empty narratives, and cynical alliances against the very foundations of democratic governance. This is more than a political crisis; it's an existential threat to the principles that have underpinned global stability for generations.
Those who believe America can remain neutral in this conflagration are not just naive—they are dangerously delusional. The fire that is spreading will consume us all, regardless of our attempts to stand apart. We are past the point where isolation is possible. The global economy, the reach of modern weaponry, and the cascading effects of regional conflicts ensure that no nation, no matter how powerful, can escape the consequences of this unfolding disaster.
The idiot savants of realpolitik, those who fancy themselves masters of great power games, like John Mearsheimer, think there's some reductive analysis to be had about the rational behavior of great powers. It's like applying the physics concept of a “spherical cow” to geopolitical analysis, but in the most stupid and sloppy way imaginable. Their oversimplified models fail to account for the complex realities of human nature, the chaos of domestic politics, and the unpredictable dynamics of a multipolar world.
These armchair strategists, with their neat theories and tidy predictions, are dangerously out of touch with the messy realities on the ground. They speak of rational actors and balance of power as if international relations were a game of chess, ignoring the fact that the pieces on this board have minds of their own, driven by fear, ambition, and often, sheer incompetence.
Now, as a result of this myopic thinking and the reckless actions it has enabled, the world prepares for war. Not the limited, contained conflicts these theorists might predict, but a potentially catastrophic conflagration that could engulf us all. The drums of war are beating, not just in the corridors of power, but in the hearts and minds of people being fed a steady diet of nationalism and fear.
We are witnessing the failure not just of diplomacy, but of imagination. The inability to conceive of a world beyond zero-sum games and spheres of influence is pushing us towards a precipice from which there may be no return. The so-called “realists” have become the ultimate fantasists, clinging to outdated notions of state behavior while the world burns around them.
This is the true emergency we face: a crisis of thought as much as a crisis of action. We must wake up to the reality that the old models, the old ways of thinking about international relations, are not just inadequate—they are actively dangerous in a world of nuclear weapons, climate change, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.
The consequences of such outdated thinking are already evident. Consider the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003, predicated on simplistic notions of regime change and democratization. This catastrophic misadventure, born from a reductionist view of power dynamics, has destabilized an entire region and fueled ongoing conflicts. Or look at the West's mishandling of Russia's resurgent ambitions, where a failure to understand the complex interplay of historical grievances, domestic politics, and personal ambitions has led us to the brink of a wider European war. This is the explanation for the conflict, not the singular feature of the eastward creep of NATO.
We urgently need a new paradigm for understanding and navigating global politics—one that acknowledges the intricate web of interdependencies that define our world. This new model must account for the role of non-state actors, the impact of rapid technological change, the power of information (and misinformation) in shaping public opinion, and the existential threats posed by climate change and potential pandemics.
Critics may argue that this view is naive, that the world has always been governed by power politics and always will be. But this criticism itself stems from the very limited thinking we must overcome. The challenges we face today—from climate change to the risks posed by artificial intelligence—are unprecedented in human history. They demand a level of global cooperation and foresight that traditional realpolitik is ill-equipped to provide.
It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have simply moved too far outside of formerly stable arrangements, and the unstable interregnum we are now navigating is bound for military conflict. I don't want to believe that. But I am afraid it could be true. And if we do have time left, we don't have much of it.
The gravity of this situation demands immediate and decisive action at the highest levels of government. Congress should be starting emergency impeachment proceedings, as if the lives of their own children depend on it—because they do. This is not about partisan politics; it's about preserving the very foundations of our democracy and global stability. Every day that passes with unfit leaders at the helm of our nation is a day closer to potential catastrophe.
But impeachment alone is not enough. We need a fundamental reimagining of our approach to global politics and national security. We need leaders who understand the complexities of our interconnected world, who can navigate the challenges of emerging technologies, climate change, and shifting global power dynamics.
We need a new generation of thinkers and policymakers who can break free from the outdated paradigms that have brought us to this precipice. We need a public that is informed, engaged, and willing to demand more from their representatives than simple slogans and easy answers. We need it now. Not in four years. There really is no time for that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles
I am not at all sure, that people even know what the word means.
Mike Brock
Mar 1
I am going to risk going further out onto the limb of alarm than I already have. I recognize that acknowledging my emotional state will amuse the algorithm-captured people who sneer at me, seeing me as nothing more than an out-of-touch, preening intellectual. But I don't care. The truth is, I am quite upset about what has happened today. That the President of Ukraine was treated as he was, is a moral stain on this country. It was.
And it's true we have many moral stains on the clothes of our civilizational project. Because while we can get into conversations of foreign policy adventurism, and the long history of moral failings in this country, the truth is, it's the year 2025. Those things are in the past. Presumably, we've learned from them.
But apparently we have not.
We have somehow managed to elect literal traitors to act as the stewards of our country. I and others have written extensively about how this has happened. Yes, the liberal cosmopolitan elite lost touch with the rest of America. Yes, Biden was too old. Yes, Hunter Biden should never have been trying to sell access to his father. All of this is true.
But at this very moment, I have to say, I have such profound disappointment for a great many people. Not so much the people cheering this all on from the sidelines. They've been captured by algorithms and demagoguery, and have seemingly been rendered incapable of normative thought.
But there's a lot of people for whom that's not true. They know this is wrong. They acknowledge it. But they will not speak up.
They won't speak up because they feel “the left” has not sufficiently atoned for its sins. They won't speak up because of Gaza. They won't speak up because of moral failings in US foreign policy. These people are scattered across the left and right.
The bottom line is, they all know it's wrong. And that they stubbornly sit on the sidelines and explain why they can't be bothered to fight for the basic principles of constitutional government is supposed to be, as I understand—some of them family and friends—a feature of them standing firm on principles.
But what the hell do principles even mean, if you do not act on them?
What about this is normal? Can someone actually explain to me what is okay about what is happening that isn't regurgitating talking points from the MAGA media machine? I'm being really fucking serious.
Outside of a parade of nonsense about NATO expansion, fiscal responsibility, bullshit corruption scandals out of DOGE, I just don't know what possible justification there is for allowing this charade to go on? This isn't in anyone's interest. This isn't going to make anything better.
They are literally just breaking things, and then selling off the functions of government to Elon Musk.
This isn't governance. This isn't policy. This is vandalism on a national scale, dressed up in the language of populism and “America First.” It's a fire sale of our democratic institutions, our international credibility, and our future, all to satisfy the egos and line the pockets of a few.
And yet, we have people—intelligent, educated people—who continue to rationalize this behavior. They couch their complicity in terms of “both sides” arguments or whataboutism, as if the flaws of previous administrations somehow justify the wholesale dismantling of our democracy.
This silence, this inaction in the face of clear moral wrongs, is not principled. It's cowardice dressed up as moral superiority. It's a failure to recognize that while the past matters, the present is where we live and the future is what we're fighting for.
This silence, this inaction in the face of clear moral wrongs, is not principled. It's cowardice dressed up as moral superiority. It's a failure to recognize that while the past matters, the present is where we live and the future is what we're fighting for.
Yes, America has made mistakes. Yes, there are valid criticisms of our foreign policy, our leaders, our system. But none of that justifies standing idly by while the very foundations of our democracy are eroded, while we treat allies fighting for their survival with contempt, while we elevate those who would betray everything this country is supposed to stand for.
To those sitting on the sidelines, I say this: Your principles are worthless if they prevent you from acting in defense of democracy, decency, and the rule of law. Your moral purity is an illusion if it allows you to watch injustice unfold without raising your voice.
I don't know how to tell you this, but you are not above the fray. You are not an atomic unit unto yourself. You are a product of a society, a culture, a system. Even the language you speak was inherited. You do not exist outside of the contingencies of society.
Your delusions of your own sense of independence and the hero you think you are in whatever story is playing out in your fucking head is so detached, so removed from anything resembling a coherent reality, that you think of yourself as an independent thinker, that you think you rise above it all.
No, you don't.
You're a bag of meat and water like the rest of us, and the only reason you are where you are is because you worked with other people to help get you there. Your family. Your friends. Your colleagues. The customers who bought your product. The investors who took a risk on you.
You are part of a system. And you owe something to that system. Whether you realize that or not, you do.
And history will make its judgments.
To those sitting on the sidelines, I say this: Your principles are worthless if they prevent you from acting in defense of democracy, decency, and the rule of law. Your moral purity is an illusion if it allows you to watch injustice unfold without raising your voice.
The time for equivocation is over. The time for action is now. Speak up. Stand up. Fight for what you know is right. Because if you don't, you may find that the principles you thought you were preserving have been lost forever in the silence of your inaction.
This system, this democracy, this society that has nurtured you, educated you, protected you—it's now under threat. And your silence, your inaction, your self-serving rationalizations are not just a personal failing. They are a betrayal of everything that has given you the privilege to even have the choice to remain silent.
Wake up. Because this is not a spectator sport. This is our shared reality, our shared responsibility, our shared future at stake. And history—that relentless, unforgiving judge—will remember not just what was done, but what was not done when it mattered most.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Mike Brock
Feb 28
[img=550x366.7925824175824]https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1100,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c6c57e3-b356-4abd-adb6-ca89c0eeda1d_4799x3200.jpeg[/img]
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visit Bucha town after liberation it from Russian occupiers during Russian Ukrainian war
Not just emergency. Catastrophe. That is where we are. At the center of a historical catastrophe.We are perilously teetering towards a global disaster, one that few seem to fully comprehend. Todays obscene spectacle in the Oval Office, where the President and Vice President of the United States berated the leader of a sovereign nation fighting for its survival, are not just a diplomatic misstep. They are a stark warning that we are perilously close to the collapse of the post-World War II international order.
This is not hyperbole. This is not alarmism. This is a cold, hard assessment of our current reality. We are witnessing the unraveling of decades of progress towards global stability, fueled by a toxic mix of ignorance, arrogance, and a dangerous misunderstanding of the complexities of our interconnected world.
The instruments of state power are being wielded by individuals guided not by wisdom or a sense of historical responsibility, but by petty grudges, empty narratives, and cynical alliances against the very foundations of democratic governance. This is more than a political crisis; it's an existential threat to the principles that have underpinned global stability for generations.
Those who believe America can remain neutral in this conflagration are not just naive—they are dangerously delusional. The fire that is spreading will consume us all, regardless of our attempts to stand apart. We are past the point where isolation is possible. The global economy, the reach of modern weaponry, and the cascading effects of regional conflicts ensure that no nation, no matter how powerful, can escape the consequences of this unfolding disaster.
The idiot savants of realpolitik, those who fancy themselves masters of great power games, like John Mearsheimer, think there's some reductive analysis to be had about the rational behavior of great powers. It's like applying the physics concept of a “spherical cow” to geopolitical analysis, but in the most stupid and sloppy way imaginable. Their oversimplified models fail to account for the complex realities of human nature, the chaos of domestic politics, and the unpredictable dynamics of a multipolar world.
These armchair strategists, with their neat theories and tidy predictions, are dangerously out of touch with the messy realities on the ground. They speak of rational actors and balance of power as if international relations were a game of chess, ignoring the fact that the pieces on this board have minds of their own, driven by fear, ambition, and often, sheer incompetence.
Now, as a result of this myopic thinking and the reckless actions it has enabled, the world prepares for war. Not the limited, contained conflicts these theorists might predict, but a potentially catastrophic conflagration that could engulf us all. The drums of war are beating, not just in the corridors of power, but in the hearts and minds of people being fed a steady diet of nationalism and fear.
We are witnessing the failure not just of diplomacy, but of imagination. The inability to conceive of a world beyond zero-sum games and spheres of influence is pushing us towards a precipice from which there may be no return. The so-called “realists” have become the ultimate fantasists, clinging to outdated notions of state behavior while the world burns around them.
This is the true emergency we face: a crisis of thought as much as a crisis of action. We must wake up to the reality that the old models, the old ways of thinking about international relations, are not just inadequate—they are actively dangerous in a world of nuclear weapons, climate change, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.
The consequences of such outdated thinking are already evident. Consider the disastrous invasion of Iraq in 2003, predicated on simplistic notions of regime change and democratization. This catastrophic misadventure, born from a reductionist view of power dynamics, has destabilized an entire region and fueled ongoing conflicts. Or look at the West's mishandling of Russia's resurgent ambitions, where a failure to understand the complex interplay of historical grievances, domestic politics, and personal ambitions has led us to the brink of a wider European war. This is the explanation for the conflict, not the singular feature of the eastward creep of NATO.
We urgently need a new paradigm for understanding and navigating global politics—one that acknowledges the intricate web of interdependencies that define our world. This new model must account for the role of non-state actors, the impact of rapid technological change, the power of information (and misinformation) in shaping public opinion, and the existential threats posed by climate change and potential pandemics.
Critics may argue that this view is naive, that the world has always been governed by power politics and always will be. But this criticism itself stems from the very limited thinking we must overcome. The challenges we face today—from climate change to the risks posed by artificial intelligence—are unprecedented in human history. They demand a level of global cooperation and foresight that traditional realpolitik is ill-equipped to provide.
It's not out of the realm of possibilities that we have simply moved too far outside of formerly stable arrangements, and the unstable interregnum we are now navigating is bound for military conflict. I don't want to believe that. But I am afraid it could be true. And if we do have time left, we don't have much of it.
The gravity of this situation demands immediate and decisive action at the highest levels of government. Congress should be starting emergency impeachment proceedings, as if the lives of their own children depend on it—because they do. This is not about partisan politics; it's about preserving the very foundations of our democracy and global stability. Every day that passes with unfit leaders at the helm of our nation is a day closer to potential catastrophe.
But impeachment alone is not enough. We need a fundamental reimagining of our approach to global politics and national security. We need leaders who understand the complexities of our interconnected world, who can navigate the challenges of emerging technologies, climate change, and shifting global power dynamics.
We need a new generation of thinkers and policymakers who can break free from the outdated paradigms that have brought us to this precipice. We need a public that is informed, engaged, and willing to demand more from their representatives than simple slogans and easy answers. We need it now. Not in four years. There really is no time for that.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principles
I am not at all sure, that people even know what the word means.
Mike Brock
Mar 1
I am going to risk going further out onto the limb of alarm than I already have. I recognize that acknowledging my emotional state will amuse the algorithm-captured people who sneer at me, seeing me as nothing more than an out-of-touch, preening intellectual. But I don't care. The truth is, I am quite upset about what has happened today. That the President of Ukraine was treated as he was, is a moral stain on this country. It was.
And it's true we have many moral stains on the clothes of our civilizational project. Because while we can get into conversations of foreign policy adventurism, and the long history of moral failings in this country, the truth is, it's the year 2025. Those things are in the past. Presumably, we've learned from them.
But apparently we have not.
We have somehow managed to elect literal traitors to act as the stewards of our country. I and others have written extensively about how this has happened. Yes, the liberal cosmopolitan elite lost touch with the rest of America. Yes, Biden was too old. Yes, Hunter Biden should never have been trying to sell access to his father. All of this is true.
But at this very moment, I have to say, I have such profound disappointment for a great many people. Not so much the people cheering this all on from the sidelines. They've been captured by algorithms and demagoguery, and have seemingly been rendered incapable of normative thought.
But there's a lot of people for whom that's not true. They know this is wrong. They acknowledge it. But they will not speak up.
They won't speak up because they feel “the left” has not sufficiently atoned for its sins. They won't speak up because of Gaza. They won't speak up because of moral failings in US foreign policy. These people are scattered across the left and right.
The bottom line is, they all know it's wrong. And that they stubbornly sit on the sidelines and explain why they can't be bothered to fight for the basic principles of constitutional government is supposed to be, as I understand—some of them family and friends—a feature of them standing firm on principles.
But what the hell do principles even mean, if you do not act on them?
What about this is normal? Can someone actually explain to me what is okay about what is happening that isn't regurgitating talking points from the MAGA media machine? I'm being really fucking serious.
Outside of a parade of nonsense about NATO expansion, fiscal responsibility, bullshit corruption scandals out of DOGE, I just don't know what possible justification there is for allowing this charade to go on? This isn't in anyone's interest. This isn't going to make anything better.
They are literally just breaking things, and then selling off the functions of government to Elon Musk.
This isn't governance. This isn't policy. This is vandalism on a national scale, dressed up in the language of populism and “America First.” It's a fire sale of our democratic institutions, our international credibility, and our future, all to satisfy the egos and line the pockets of a few.
And yet, we have people—intelligent, educated people—who continue to rationalize this behavior. They couch their complicity in terms of “both sides” arguments or whataboutism, as if the flaws of previous administrations somehow justify the wholesale dismantling of our democracy.
This silence, this inaction in the face of clear moral wrongs, is not principled. It's cowardice dressed up as moral superiority. It's a failure to recognize that while the past matters, the present is where we live and the future is what we're fighting for.
This silence, this inaction in the face of clear moral wrongs, is not principled. It's cowardice dressed up as moral superiority. It's a failure to recognize that while the past matters, the present is where we live and the future is what we're fighting for.
Yes, America has made mistakes. Yes, there are valid criticisms of our foreign policy, our leaders, our system. But none of that justifies standing idly by while the very foundations of our democracy are eroded, while we treat allies fighting for their survival with contempt, while we elevate those who would betray everything this country is supposed to stand for.
To those sitting on the sidelines, I say this: Your principles are worthless if they prevent you from acting in defense of democracy, decency, and the rule of law. Your moral purity is an illusion if it allows you to watch injustice unfold without raising your voice.
I don't know how to tell you this, but you are not above the fray. You are not an atomic unit unto yourself. You are a product of a society, a culture, a system. Even the language you speak was inherited. You do not exist outside of the contingencies of society.
Your delusions of your own sense of independence and the hero you think you are in whatever story is playing out in your fucking head is so detached, so removed from anything resembling a coherent reality, that you think of yourself as an independent thinker, that you think you rise above it all.
No, you don't.
You're a bag of meat and water like the rest of us, and the only reason you are where you are is because you worked with other people to help get you there. Your family. Your friends. Your colleagues. The customers who bought your product. The investors who took a risk on you.
You are part of a system. And you owe something to that system. Whether you realize that or not, you do.
And history will make its judgments.
To those sitting on the sidelines, I say this: Your principles are worthless if they prevent you from acting in defense of democracy, decency, and the rule of law. Your moral purity is an illusion if it allows you to watch injustice unfold without raising your voice.
The time for equivocation is over. The time for action is now. Speak up. Stand up. Fight for what you know is right. Because if you don't, you may find that the principles you thought you were preserving have been lost forever in the silence of your inaction.
This system, this democracy, this society that has nurtured you, educated you, protected you—it's now under threat. And your silence, your inaction, your self-serving rationalizations are not just a personal failing. They are a betrayal of everything that has given you the privilege to even have the choice to remain silent.
Wake up. Because this is not a spectator sport. This is our shared reality, our shared responsibility, our shared future at stake. And history—that relentless, unforgiving judge—will remember not just what was done, but what was not done when it mattered most.
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass