And Other Notes

Caitlin Johnstone

Reading by Tim Foley:

Subscribe

As self-styled “democratic socialists” make some advancements in blue states, Republicans have launched a renewed fearmongering campaign about the urgent threat of “communism” — an ideology with no meaningful political existence in the United States.

At a speech on Wednesday, President Trump said that “communism is the greatest threat to our country” and would lead to “the ultimate annihilation of civilization.” This is just the latest in a string of rhetoric from the president as he tries to drum up fear about progressive Democrats to prevent massive losses in the midterms.

Democratic socialist politicians are still a small minority in US politics, and conflating them with communists is absurd. Communism seeks the complete dismantling of capitalism and the imperialist world order it holds in place at gunpoint, while western “democratic socialists” typically just seek a gentler, more photogenic capitalist empire where things like healthcare and public transportation are funded by taxes.

The west in general and the US in particular have spent generations stomping out communism, and, at least within the confines of the western world, they have been remarkably successful at it. In 2026 the United States is so very, very, very, very, VERY far from communism that viewing it as a threat is just a sign of weak-minded cowardice and jumping-at-shadows paranoia. It’s kind of like reading about a brush fire in Nigeria and worrying that it’s going to burn its way across the world to show up on your doorstep.

But I suppose if I were in Trump’s position I might be fearmongering about communism, too. He just lost the war in Iran, everyone hates his support for Israel, people are critical of his astonishing levels of corruption and his known Epstein associations, and it’s not like he disagrees with Democrats on enough issues to take a real position of substance. What else does he have in his arsenal besides vapid fearmongering about an imaginary boogie man?

The leader of the most murderous and tyrannical power structure on earth can’t take a stand against the real problems in our world, because the power structure is the source of those problems. So instead he has to invent fictional monsters to fight.

❖

House lawmakers have blocked a congressional debate to remove Section 219 (formerly Section 224) from the national defense spending bill, which means the US and Israel will be intimately merging their military technology to a significantly greater extent than they already were.

And hell, why not. Why keep pretending the US and Israeli war machines are two separate entities. Why keep pretending Israel’s war crimes are separate from America’s war crimes.

If you’re already living together, you might as well get married.

❖

US human rights expert and antiwar activist Dan Kovalik was recently detained at Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport by UK counterterrorism police, where they reportedly confiscated his devices, interrogated him, took his fingerprints, and even took a DNA sample.

The empire’s war on dissent continues.

❖

Also in the UK, The Canary has been de-banked by Lloyds, placing the anti-Zionist outlet under immediate financial crisis. As of this writing Lloyds has refused to justify the move, but this new development is definitely something to keep an eye on. If banks start dropping dissident media because of their content, we’re all in a whole lot of trouble.

❖

You always see liberal Zionists claiming that it’s possible to love Israel and hate Benjamin Netanyahu. This is an absurd position to hold, because there’s nothing you can hate about Netanyahu that isn’t also innately true of the apartheid state of Israel.

Hate Netanyahu because he’s racist? Israel has always been racist.

Hate Netanyahu because he’s a war criminal? Israel has always committed war crimes.

Hate Netanyahu because he abuses and oppresses Palestinians? Israel has always abused and oppressed Palestinians.

Hate Netanyahu because he starts wars with Israel’s neighbors? Israel has always started wars with its neighbors.

Liberal Zionists act like Netanyahu has all these bad qualities that the genocidal apartheid state of Israel does not also have, but that’s just plain false. Israel was built on the premise of nonstop violence and abuse, and nonstop violence and abuse is all it has ever delivered, from its very inception.

Israel was built on a political ideology that is inherently racist and violent, and it is that racism and violence that elevated Benjamin Netanyahu to power.

Netanyahu didn’t create Israel’s violence and racism. Israel’s violence and racism created Netanyahu.

...

The best way to make sure you see everything I publish is to get on my free mailing list. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece here are some options where you can toss some money into my tip jar if you want to. Click here for links for my social media, books, merch, and audio/video versions of each article. All my work is free to bootleg and use in any way, shape or form; republish it, translate it, use it on merchandise; whatever you want. All works co-authored with my husband Tim Foley.

Bitcoin donations: 1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2

Feature image via Adobe Stock.

Subscribe to Caitlin’s Newsletter

By Caitlin Johnstone · Thousands of paid subscribers

Articles, poems, stories and thoughts by Caitlin Johnstone and Tim Foley. Everything published here will always remain free to read.

 

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree Substack's Terms of Use, and acknowledge its Information Collection Notice and Privacy Policy.