IPFS

Pariah State USA, Widely Reviled Worldwide

Written by Subject: United States

Pariah State USA, Widely Reviled Worldwide

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

The US is a pariah state, a totalitarian plutocracy, oligarchy and kleptocracy — never a democracy from inception.

A money-controlled one-party state with two right wings runs things. If elections ended dirty business as usual they'd be banned. When held, continuity is assured like always.

The US increasingly is unfit and unsafe to live in, fundamental freedoms eroding in plain sight, hardening police state rule replacing them.

Its imperial arrogance and endless wars threaten humanity's survival, the risk of eventual nuclear war ominously real.

The US is especially reviled by survivors of its naked aggression and war by other means.

According to Pew Research results from a 25-nation survey, 70% of respondents have no confidence in the US under Trump.

Most respondents expressed unfavorable views of the US, including its disrespect for personal freedoms of people and interests of other countries.

"The poll (found) that international publics express significant concerns about America's role in world affairs." 

"Large majorities say the US doesn't take into account the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions," Pew Research found.

In Germany, only 10% of respondents expressed confidence in Trump, in France just 9%, in Mexico 6%, in Canada a higher 25% but still a small minority.

On Friday in Baghdad, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, perhaps a million or more, rallied against the oppressive presence of US troops in their country, wanting them expelled.

Loudspeakers blasted "No, no America." Posters read "Death to America." "Death to Israel," both nations reviled by the Arab street.

Major Shia parties and Popular Mobilization Forces support the Friday rally.

Al Jazeera called the mass turnout a "real show of (anti-US) strength" and sentiment, adding: "The size and the vocalness of the crowd has made sure that the message has been sent now." 

"We want them out," protesters chanted. A young woman expressed views held by most Iraqis, saying "I came today to protest against the US being in our lands," adding:

"We want to liberate our country from these chains of oppression. We have been suppressed and hurt by the US's own interests in the region so we want them out of Iraq."

An Iraqi mother said "(t)he US occupation has taken everything from us. We have nothing left."

"Since 2003, we have been stripped from our basic dignity and right to live a normal life." 

"We're living in decrepit houses. We have no jobs, no salaries. We don't want America here."

Men, women and children of all ages carried Iraqi flags. The mass turnout followed influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's call for a "million-strong" march, demanding the expulsion of US troops from the country.

Encouraging a massive turnout, he tweeted:

"Oh women, men and youth of the country, the time is now upon us to defend the country, its sovereignty and dependence," adding: 

"Spread the word of an independent future Iraq that will be ruled by the righteous, an Iraq which will not know of corruption nor aggression," calling on Iraqis to expel the "tyrants."

The mass turnout came after Iraqi MPs and Prime Minister Mahdi called for US occupation to end — following the Trump regime's assassination of Iranian General Soleimani and Iraqi de facto PMU commander Muhandis.

Iran's Press TV reported huge crowds in Baghdad. It quoted Iraq's al-Ahd news agency, saying they've come from "all of the country's provinces," calling for expulsion of US and allied forces.

On Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television, PMU-affiliated Kata'ib Hezbollah spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini vowed "other means" to expel the Americans if they don't leave voluntarily.

Another PMU member of Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba's political bureau Firas al-Yasser said "(w)e have reached the zero hour in facing off with the US."

PMU affiliated Asaiib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali called Friday's mass turnout a "second revolution," a century after the 1920 Great Iraqi Revolution against UK colonialism and occupation at the time.

In response to Trump regime envoy for regime change in Iran Brian Hook's threat to assassinate General Soleimani's successor — IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qa'ani, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi denounced what he called " the blatant unveiling of targeted and state terrorism by the United States."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also slammed Hook's hostile threat, saying:

"I state once again that such statements are unacceptable for us. Such remarks have been made beyond rights and law, and representatives of world states are not entitled to utter them."

In Thursday public remarks, Pompeo turned truth on its head, falsely claiming "protesters seeking freedom (worldwide) wave American flags (sic)," adding:

"They sing our National Anthem (sic). I've seen it in Iran (sic)…If you were to read the news, you'd think they were anti-American protests." 

"The truth of the matter is…Iranians refuse to step on" the American flag (sic). On the ground "they walk around (it). They have respect for our country (sic)." 

The vast majority of Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, and most others in the Arab world revile the US and everything it stands for, the same true in most parts of the world on every continent.

A Final Comment

According to the Middle East Eye, the Trump regime seeks to partition Iraq in response to demands for the withdrawal of US forces by Shia resistance leaders and Baghdad.

It's "promoting a plan to create an autonomous Sunni region in western Iraq," citing unnamed US and Iraqi sources.

An unnamed former US official was quoted, saying "(t)he creation of a Sunni region has always been an option for the US." 

"The Iranians cannot be allowed to reach the Mediterranean Sea or benefit from the land bridge connecting them to Hezbollah" and Syria, adding:

"The project is American, not Sunni. The presence of the American forces has been the guarantor for the Sunnis and the Kurds, so if the US has to leave Iraq, then establishing a Sunni region in western Iraq is its plan to curb Iran and its arms in the Middle East."

"We are talking about establishing a country, not an administrative region."

Most Iraqis strongly oppose dividing the country along ethnic and sectarian lines by the US or another foreign power.

It's an issue that bears close watching ahead — to resist and prevent.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

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