Ok, but what does that even mean??
The bloomer vs doomer is a little comical and you're right, in that being unrealistically optimistic is stupid and dangerous. That's not exactly what's playing out here. The US is waning in influence in the ME and globally. Iran has become a almost totally self sufficient regional power. The entity discredits itself daily celebratingremoved, torture, murder and terrorism. While it's western patrons pile on ideological contradictions (as we're allegedly againstremoved, torture, murderand terrorism). The long term trends are not in the imperials favor as I see it. They are trying to pick a fight on their terms. A tactical victory today can also be a strategic defeat tomorrow. Imagine a producing economy in the global south utilizing this electronic terrorist attack because the imperial core imports everything, would expose such a national security risk we would have to abandon neo colonialism and do the old school occupation colonialism.
I agree. Would slightly characterize them differently though.
First off never knew why or can't remember why Ben Norton left. But, understood it was on bad terms.
Both Doug and Max flirt with social conservatism to different degrees. Max trys to court the traditional working class to a flaw likecwithbthe truckers but does still do good anti imperialist politics whereas Doug is in a post modernist trap that idealizes the perfect revolutionary subject to the point of inaction and pacifistity (revolutionary defeatism as a form of anticommunism). Sublation has been repeatedly bad, radlib outrage on foreign affairs from Ukraine to Palestine, albeit with critique but, ultimately falling on the wrong side of the debate, imo. At best sublation can provide an interesting critique of the left from "the left" but they somehow critique both, the academy and PMC (most of which I agree with) but when it comes to actual third rail issues - condoming hummus or condoming putler as a war criminal, not participating in the new cold war - are somehow always defaulting to the empire's interest, shows that they aren't that good
The ass pennies bit from Upright citizens brigade lol