"Curiosity" and the collapse of Western domination

Sergio Barrios Escalante

21/08/2012

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"No Civilization can survive without Mobility"

Fernand Braudel, A History of Civilizations.

"No civilization can survive without mobility...", Braudel tells us in his monumental work (much of which was written during the years in which he was confined in a Nazi concentration camp). Because of this it is somewhat curious that the name of the US machine recently sent to Mars carries the name "Curiosity."

It is worth noting that little attention is paid to the real background of this kind of events. As the cited author and historiographer defines things, it is necessity (and not "curiosity") that has determined the constant mobility that characterizes civilizations (and empires).

But with respect to this artifact landing and moving on Mars there is another curious aspect. It is that this project, whose cost according to some analysts amounts to some 2,500 million US dollars (1) is being developed at a time when the leading economy of the Western hegemonic bloc (the USA) is on the edge of bankruptcy (2).

A moral bankruptcy has already happened. This is confirmed by analysts such as Joseph Stiglitz, who in a recent article entitled "The price of inequality" wrote that "In the United States money is more important than democracy" (3).

This leads us to another important aspect that requires attention. If any money is particularly important in the US, it is that accorded to the Military Industrial Complex. In this sense, "Curiosity" is not a project with civilian, humanitarian, altruistic or cultural aims.

It is a branch, a part of the complex of ambitious projects of US expansionism, which not only obliges us to speak in terms of "A new imperial division or distribution of interstellar space" but also obliges the citizens of that country-Empire to accept the priorities of their government. They have to accept that today there are things which are more important than the crashing fall of the middle classes to the edges of poverty, and the fall of the poor to precarious living conditions.

"Curiosity" represents a show of progress and technical marvel, but from the perspective of another great historian (Eric Hobsbawm) who in one of his works says that "…war, or the preparation for war, has been the fundamental factor in the acceleration of technical progress" (E. Hobsbawm, Historia del Siglo XX, Barcelona, Editorial Crítica, 1995, p. 55).

If any money is especially important in the United States it is money from (and for) war. The growing and distorted militarism today incarnates the first priority of this nation-empire and its allies within the western hegemonic bloc.

Militaristic hysteria or hysterical militarism

That fact is that even the most scatterbrained observer can appreciate the way that the principle leaders of the US Empire (or perhaps the spokespeople of those who hold the real power behind the scenes) are demonstrating fevered militarist hysteria in the last few months.

People such as President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of Defence and head of the Pentagon Leon Panetta, among others, are emanating hatred and eagerness for war, and do so increasingly clearly and unambiguously.

Their mantra is "destruction". In the case of Obama, little by little he has been "showing his teeth." During the first phases of the so-called "Arab Spring" (in reality a series of rebellions nourished by strong external mercenary forces) he maintained a prudent distance and kept his mouth shut. But in the last few months, especially with respect to Syria and Iran, he has shamelessly unleashed partisan sentiments, and among other measures, has approved the direct involvement of the CIA in the Syrian conflict in favour of regime change and anti-government mercenaries (4).

With respect to Madam Hillary Clinton, for almost two years she has become a sort of apocalyptic spokesperson (in this case, of the so-called "war horsemen"), systematically threatening the leaders of Tunis, who were finally overthrown, the Libyan leaders, who fell in like manner, and now, with her usual extraordinary warlike fervour, she is threatening again in the case of Syria (5).

Mr. Panetta, in declarations on CNN, in the context of a recent tour of the Middle East at the beginning of August, said in a thunderous voice that his advice to Assad is “you'd better get the hell out now!" (6)

This is the language of total open war: no diplomatic activity and a complete ignoring of international legal order. It is the new language of "global fascicisation" (7).

The last days of humanity

These are "the last days of humanity", wrote the satirical writer Karl Kraus in Vienna (8) when the First World War began in 1914. Now we know that it was not the end, but it looked like it at the time. According to sources consulted by Hobsbawm, the First World War involved the sacrifice of ten million lives. World War II left another 54 million dead (9).

How many lives will be lost in a third world conflagration? Will we repeat the words of Kraus?

We are already in the Third World War

To ask about the total of lives lost during the third Great Conflagration is not a future for the question. In fact, as numerous analysts with serious moral and intellectual credentials (Daniel Estulin, Fidel Castro, Michel Chossudovsky among the most notable) have expressed, this has already begun. To speak of World War III is to speak of the present situation.

Another thing to note is that because of the Olympic Games, of Hollywood, or other media noise, many people are hardly aware of the inferno into which we are moving.

Nevertheless, even for those who cannot see an outbreak of war until they see fire and smoke, there is already sufficient evidence. Hagham Salman, for example, who is a director of European research projects and a political analyst specialized in Middle Eastern affairs, provides sufficient evidence to infer that at this moment there is a confrontation, in the streets of the main cities of Syria, between shock troops (particularly mercenaries) of the US, the UK, Israel and Turkey on one side, and those of Iran, Russia and China on the other (10).

But maybe those who do not yet see anything to worry about are partly right. The official opening, the evident outbreak of this great global war (the third and perhaps the last that humanity will have to suffer) may come about in a few weeks, towards the end of October.

This is the opinion of Jacob Aeilbrunn, analyst for the journal The National Interest, who thinks it probable that Obama will order the much hoped for (by Zionists) attack on Iran at the time mentioned. This would be the official announcement of the beginning of Armagedon (11).

Is it only a question of chance that the prohibition of the employment of offensive weapons by the German Army, in force for sixty years, has been overruled?

Given all this, it is pertinent to ask ourselves if, as happened when the First World War contributed the decisive element for the collapse of Tsarist Russia, will a Third World War contribute to the definitive collapse of the US Empire and Western hegemony?

Will we hear again the words of Karl Kraus?

Will this mark the definitive end of human civilization?

Is "curiosity" the tacit acceptation that from now on, the only possible future for humanity will be found on Mars?

(Translation: Jordan Bishop, for ALAI).

- Sergio Barrios Escalante. Social scientist and researcher. Editor of the journal Raf-Tulum. Activist for the rights of Children and Adolescents in the ADINA association.

Notes:

(1) See for example the article: “Marte, EEUU da un gran paso”, by analyst Miguel González (Prensa Libre; Guatemala, 12/08/2012, pp. 26-27).

(2) “EEUU: Los mayores bancos al borde del colapso”; ideario7.com (12/08/2012) and/or: “EEUU: algo grave está por suceder” (Cuba Debate: 13/08/2012).

(3) "The US has the highest level of inequality of any of the developed countries", he says in his article "El precio de la desigualdad”: Joseph Stiglitz (Economia.elpais.com: 17/06/2012). The heading of this text is also the title of one of his most recent books.

(4) “Informe: Obama autoriza apoyo secreto de Estados Unidos a rebeldes sirios” (Democracy Now.org: 02/08/2012).

(5) A recent cable of AFP of August 13 of this year says that US secretary of State Hillary Clinton promised to “accelerate the fall of the regime of President Bachar al Assad”.

(6) CNN interview with the Pentagon chief (Monday July 30 2012).

(7) The term “Globafascistización” was coined by the author of this article (more details in: “Globafascistización: un concepto nuevo para un problema viejo”: http://alainet.org/active/24868&lang=es

(8) Hobsbawm, Op. Cit., p. 30.

(9) Hobsbawm, Op. Cit., p. 50.

(10) “Será el conflicto Sirio la tumba del mundo unipolar?”: N. Salman; RT, 01/08/2012.

(11) “Arabia Saudita derribará aviones israelíes con rumbo a Irán”: RT. 09/08/2012.

https://www.alainet.org/en/articulo/160416