pam on Nostr: It's really good and aptly put, we need separation of state and bank. —- Loved the ...
It's really good and aptly put, we need separation of state and bank.
—-
Loved the indie concept and the clips of the past, the little things - like the price of a TV when Thatcher was in power, £10, before the conversation moved to inflation. That beautiful little girl dressed as a princess who lost her eye and a limb just broke my heart.
I also like the timeline of history and the political concept progression. And it started with the fact that oil in Saudi was discovered and invested by Americans during Roosevalt’s era in ‘38.
The rise of Marxism in the 60s in Afghanistan was a big thing - and the reason why the king was killed, and the CIA slipped in.
Another irony is that the Kabul Universities had more liberalism back then than they do now - in debating what teachings Afghanistan should adopt - be it Marxism or the Islamic militant way that reached Afghanistan through Egypt.
I did not know abt the Wahhabism concept of extremist oligarchs of the Saudis but it makes sense. The 70’s Islamic wave was anti-American and authoritarian, and it killed the richness and beauty of diverse culture in not just the Middle East but also Northern Africa and SEA. This period was right after most countries achieved independence from the British
Mujahids and Taliban are like the left and right in the Islamic militant group, and Al Qaeda is like the international marketing group of Taliban (similar concept of spreading Wahhabism by the Saudi’s)
The CIA's intervention was strong. Russia left in ‘89. Massoud backed by the CIA, eventually became the leader of the Mujahids in ‘92 and led Afghanistan.
An important missing element was that Massoud died 2 days before 9/11 and he warned the US and EU of Osama’s rise of power.
The 90’s (right after Cold War ended) was peak extremist intensity - Iran’s Ayatollah, Charles Taylor of Liberia who funded the RUF to rise against their own corrupted gov’t in Sierre Leone because he wanted a hold of the diamonds. And the Talibans, formed in ‘96.
Massoud who was against the Talibans lost the battle and fled to Tajikistan. He asked EU to put pressure on Pakistan who was supporting Talibans but Benazhir Bhutto who was apparently heavily corrupt, was untouchable (till she was killed).
There is an interesting piece by Julian Assange interviewing Imran Khan on the influence of the West in Pakistan and funding Talibans and corrupt leaders.
On September 9, 2001, Massoud died from a suicide bombing act (jihadis) as instructed by Osama bin Laden.
Two days later, the September 11 attacks occurred in the United States.
NATO and CIA then intervened in Afghanistan and allied with Massoud's former forces the ‘Northern Alliance’, and ousted the Taliban in 2001. And now they are back.
That video of Saudis meeting the Queen, with Princess D following behind was interesting too. She was such a big voice of anti war. That week that she died, for some reason, CIA, M16, Mossad were all there in Paris, and her driver had links to all the intelligence agencies.
I also liked how Adam Curtis drew a clear linkage between economic downturn and shift of power from government to financial systems.
For many other 3rd world countries the marketing gimmicks were on infrastructure loans, sustainable, millennial development and these days ESG as a methods of supplying money to these countries and siphoning it out through their corrupt leaders. Many of these countries who took on debts could not recover during economic downturns. Originally, 3rd world were known as countries who neither support US nor Soviet, and eventually 3rd world countries became known as poor countries.
Towards the end of Bitter Lake, it reminded me of why the Vietnam war could not be won either and I quote “what we thought was the Taliban was actually an allergic reaction to us turning up in the middle of a complex civil war” . Similar struggles. Really good documentary, thanks for sharing.
The above are also based on my recollection of a few books ,
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steve Coll
A long way gone : Memoir of a Boy Soldier by Ishamael Beth
The Blood Bankers by James S. Henry
Gideon Spies by Gordon Thomas
Currency Wars by James Rickards
Mohammad Ali’s writings on Gaddafi
—-
Loved the indie concept and the clips of the past, the little things - like the price of a TV when Thatcher was in power, £10, before the conversation moved to inflation. That beautiful little girl dressed as a princess who lost her eye and a limb just broke my heart.
I also like the timeline of history and the political concept progression. And it started with the fact that oil in Saudi was discovered and invested by Americans during Roosevalt’s era in ‘38.
The rise of Marxism in the 60s in Afghanistan was a big thing - and the reason why the king was killed, and the CIA slipped in.
Another irony is that the Kabul Universities had more liberalism back then than they do now - in debating what teachings Afghanistan should adopt - be it Marxism or the Islamic militant way that reached Afghanistan through Egypt.
I did not know abt the Wahhabism concept of extremist oligarchs of the Saudis but it makes sense. The 70’s Islamic wave was anti-American and authoritarian, and it killed the richness and beauty of diverse culture in not just the Middle East but also Northern Africa and SEA. This period was right after most countries achieved independence from the British
Mujahids and Taliban are like the left and right in the Islamic militant group, and Al Qaeda is like the international marketing group of Taliban (similar concept of spreading Wahhabism by the Saudi’s)
The CIA's intervention was strong. Russia left in ‘89. Massoud backed by the CIA, eventually became the leader of the Mujahids in ‘92 and led Afghanistan.
An important missing element was that Massoud died 2 days before 9/11 and he warned the US and EU of Osama’s rise of power.
The 90’s (right after Cold War ended) was peak extremist intensity - Iran’s Ayatollah, Charles Taylor of Liberia who funded the RUF to rise against their own corrupted gov’t in Sierre Leone because he wanted a hold of the diamonds. And the Talibans, formed in ‘96.
Massoud who was against the Talibans lost the battle and fled to Tajikistan. He asked EU to put pressure on Pakistan who was supporting Talibans but Benazhir Bhutto who was apparently heavily corrupt, was untouchable (till she was killed).
There is an interesting piece by Julian Assange interviewing Imran Khan on the influence of the West in Pakistan and funding Talibans and corrupt leaders.
On September 9, 2001, Massoud died from a suicide bombing act (jihadis) as instructed by Osama bin Laden.
Two days later, the September 11 attacks occurred in the United States.
NATO and CIA then intervened in Afghanistan and allied with Massoud's former forces the ‘Northern Alliance’, and ousted the Taliban in 2001. And now they are back.
That video of Saudis meeting the Queen, with Princess D following behind was interesting too. She was such a big voice of anti war. That week that she died, for some reason, CIA, M16, Mossad were all there in Paris, and her driver had links to all the intelligence agencies.
I also liked how Adam Curtis drew a clear linkage between economic downturn and shift of power from government to financial systems.
For many other 3rd world countries the marketing gimmicks were on infrastructure loans, sustainable, millennial development and these days ESG as a methods of supplying money to these countries and siphoning it out through their corrupt leaders. Many of these countries who took on debts could not recover during economic downturns. Originally, 3rd world were known as countries who neither support US nor Soviet, and eventually 3rd world countries became known as poor countries.
Towards the end of Bitter Lake, it reminded me of why the Vietnam war could not be won either and I quote “what we thought was the Taliban was actually an allergic reaction to us turning up in the middle of a complex civil war” . Similar struggles. Really good documentary, thanks for sharing.
The above are also based on my recollection of a few books ,
Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, by Steve Coll
A long way gone : Memoir of a Boy Soldier by Ishamael Beth
The Blood Bankers by James S. Henry
Gideon Spies by Gordon Thomas
Currency Wars by James Rickards
Mohammad Ali’s writings on Gaddafi