Signal Gold Jingles (Staffordshire) 1994 - Jam Creative Productions Dallas

In short, there is no exit strategy to this proxy war. There are no plans in place to deliver Putin a swift defeat, and the Biden administration remains steadfastly dismissive of even the slightest gestures toward diplomacy with Moscow. Boris Johnson has reportedly been buzzing around admonishing Ukraine's President Zelensky, France's President Macron and who knows who else not to work toward peace in Ukraine. The doors to ending this war quickly by either winning it or negotiating a peace settlement are both bolted shut, all but guaranteeing a long and bloody slog. 

Reading by Tim Foley.

This Proxy War Has No Exit Strategy

It is true that this civilization is made of lies, was grown by lies, is powered by lies, is controlled by lies.

And it is true that this civilization is woven from violence, was birthed by violence, is sustained by violence, is preserved through violence.

And it is true that this civilization is built on exploitation, is run on exploitation, exists to facilitate exploitation, is the product and the producer of exploitation.

And it is true that this civilization is flying facefirst toward collapse on myriad fronts and that any attempt to draw attention to this gets met with a "that makes me uncomfortable" hand-waving dismissal.

But it is also true that a staggering beauty rips through it all like a thunderbolt, continuously and pervasively.

And it is also true that there is a boundless intimacy hidden beneath all things that, if you like, could be called holiness.

And it is also true that the self is an illusion and that all that arises is innately free and deliciously purposeless.

And it is also true that science is in its infancy and that what we know is a tiny minnow in the vast ocean of what we do not know.

And it is also true that the universe is oh so very much bigger and oh so very much older than our tiny primate brains will ever be able to comprehend.

And it is also true that it is possible for the human organism to undergo a radical transformation in the way that it operates, from contraction around the ego illusion to a life-sized expression of the unity of all things.

And it is also true that the ability to see beauty in everything is a skill that can be mastered, and that a failure to appreciate the beauty of any moment is simply a failure of perception.

And it is also true that you can tell you're approaching clarity in this sense when you are able to see beauty in the billboards and bustle of a busy city just as easily as you can see it in the forest.

And it is also true that we are never meant to stop growing and learning, and that being the same person you were five years ago is a signal from life that something's not right.

And it is also true that our society's measures of success and failure are made of the same madness that got us into this mess and should therefore be ignored when crafting a beautiful life.

And it is also true that you can continue falling in love with your romantic partner for as long as you're willing to grow and expand, and that the honeymoon never needs to end.

And it is also true that your sexuality can be a powerful tool for healing, creativity and growth if you can succeed in making it conscious.

And it is also true that none of this erases the harshness of our situation and we must all be very tender with each other as we plunge into whatever comes next at this unprecedented point in human history.

And it is also true that you should be tender with yourself as well, because it is only by loving ourselves deeply that our hidden endarkened bits can be coaxed into the light of truth.

And it is also true that you are doing your best, and that any mistakes you have made up until this moment were only because you did not yet have sufficient consciousness to make different choices.

And it is also true that you are crackling with beauty, and it would be a damn shame if you never let yourself truly see this.

And it is also true that humanity itself is crackling with beauty, and that the only thing worse than our species slipping away would be if it slipped away without really seeing and appreciating itself.
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Reading by Tim Foley.

It Is True That This Civilization Is Made Of Lies

The biggest lie the hawks ever sold was that their militaristic policies prevent the problems they actually create. Militarizing against Russia caused this war. The war on terror created terror groups. Continuing the encirclement of China will likely lead to a nasty confrontation there. Etc.

Reading by Tim Foley.

The Biggest Lie The Hawks Ever Sold

Pelosi's insane escalation is finding support from some of the worst people on this planet, many of them from the other side of America's illusory political divide.

Reading by Tim Foley.

Warmongering Republicans Have Throbbing Hard-Ons For Pelosi's Taiwan Trip

Failing to learn from history is one thing; failing to learn even from the last five months is quite another. Pelosi and whoever's orchestrating her trip should abort those plans immediately, because the dangers that are being toyed with here are not worth the moral victory of being able to say that China didn't make you swerve in the stupidest game of "chicken" that has ever been played.

Reading by Tim Foley.

China Is Issuing The Same "Red Line" Warnings About Taiwan That Russia Issued About Ukraine

A conversation with author and historian Matt Ehret covering Russian and Chinese global 'soft power' projects. Unlike Western neocolonialism which has destroyed and divided continents and destabilised sovereign nations to enable the plunder of resources and stunted development of 'third world' countries and peoples - the Russian and Chinese model is based upon unity and 'win, win'. The focus is on the improvement of industrial and civilian infrastructure rather than its destruction. Russia and China should not be seen as a saviour but rather as a pragmatic, rational alternative to the decades of Western tyranny and supremacy. Will their 'new world order' be better than the US-led version? Time will tell but the advancement of Russia and China is not going to be stopped.

Connecting continents with Russian and Chinese soft power - Matt Ehret

Readings of all Caitlin Johnstone's articles, usually by her co-writer Tim Foley.