Reflectii

With the rapid growth of metadata and political and corporate surveillance in America during the last two decades, anthropologists Roberto J. González and David H. Price—long-time contributors to CounterPunch—have been studying the impacts and implications of these developments. Both Price and González recently published books that critically examine surveillance in the United States (Price’s The American Surveillance State: How the U.S. Spies on Dissent and González’s War Virtually: The Quest to Automate Conflict, Militarize Data, and Predict the Future). Below are excerpts from an extended conversation between the two on the cultural, military, and political dimensions of surveillance, technology, culture, and power.

The most defining feature of international terrorism in 2023 will be its diversity, reflected by the broad array of ideologies and grievances motivating plots and attacks. The Islamic State, the most significant terrorist threat since the global counterterrorism campaign to dismantle al-Qaeda in the immediate years following 9/11, has been attenuated in Iraq and Syria, losing two of its emirs in 2022. Outside of the Levant, Islamic State branches and affiliates remain potent, especially in the Sahel region of Africa and in South Asia, where the Islamic State Khorasan Province is waging a stubborn insurgency against the Taliban. The Islamic State Khorasan Province has launched high-profile attacks against both Russian and Chinese interests in Afghanistan. Still, Western counterterrorism successes may not be sustainable without a robust commitment to continue working with partners on the ground to ensure that these groups do not reconstitute. Without continued US and allied pressure, it is likely that Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and their respective branches and franchise groups could successfully rebuild their networks in the Middle East and beyond.

A superpower in decline still retains a vast appetite for irregular, proxy warfare to slow down the imminent multipolar order. Iran, Russia, China are its big targets and all tools will be employed.

To maintain its global hegemony in the face of a rapidly emerging multipolar world, the US seeks to restrict the redistribution of power in all regions where its clout is foundering.

Des documents d’archives publiés en 2012 confirment l’organisation de la Seconde Guerre mondiale par, non seulement les industriels et banquiers allemands, mais également par les banquiers états-uniens et britanniques, couverts par le président Franklin Roosevelt et le Premier ministre Neville Chamberlain, dans l’espoir de détruire l’URSS.

Hammouri’s affiliation with the PFLP and his involvement in planning terror attacks against Israelis, does not, however, seem to concern the UN Human Rights Office. Instead of condemning the convicted terrorist, the UN Human Rights Office chose to condemn Israel for daring to take measures to protect its citizens against terrorism.

Chers amis lecteurs. 2023 devrait être une année majeure dans le dévoilement de tous les mensonges qui ont permis à certaines puissances de prendre le contrôle de toute l’humanité. Le Great Reset aura peut-être bien lieu cette année, mais pas comme le voudrait le WEF de Davos. En parallèle des guerres économique et militaire, la guerre médiatique est de plus en plus virulente et la nécessité pour les médias alternatifs d’être prêts à y faire face est plus qu’urgente. A Réseau International, nous avons décidé de passer à une étape supérieure avec tous les moyens nous permettant d’être au rendez-vous des grands chamboulements qui nous attendent. Pour cela, nous avons besoin de vous et de votre soutien.

Réagissant à une déclaration récente de Tucker Carlson, Robert Kennedy Jr. a commenté : « le meurtre de mon oncle par la CIA était un coup d’État réussi, dont notre démocratie ne s’est jamais remise ». Beaucoup de gens pensent de même. Comme l’a écrit en commentaire un lecteur de mon dernier article sur cette affaire, « the whole fucking world knows the CIA killed Kennedy ! » Ce qui est à peu près certain, c’est qu’il y a aux États-Unis plus de gens qui pensent que la CIA a assassiné Kennedy, que de gens qui pensent que Lee Harvey Oswald est le seul coupable.

Lone-wolf attacks have evolved as the new face of terrorism and bring unique challenges for counter-terrorism studies. Violent terror attacks by extremist individuals acting upon their radicalised beliefs are termed ‘Lone-wolf terrorism’. Their actions are either inspired or influenced by a specific terrorist organisation and ideology or operate within a particular social atmosphere. Lone-wolf terrorists might be ‘loner’ acting individually without a particular ideological influence and therefore without a leader, they’re free to move between groups. But upon arrest, they may associate themselves with specific terrorist organisations. On the other hand, some terrorist organisations may also claim responsibility to gain ‘free glory’ or publicity. Lone-wolf terrorists and their attacks have an element of unpredictability, because of which counter-terrorism agencies, police and intelligence organisations have found it challenging to tackle.

Many of us who watched the parade of new politburo members walking onto the stage at the recent meeting of the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Congress were struck by the total absence of women. Unlike the previous 25 years, not even one.