Geopolitical Outlook

  Allegory with a portrait of a Venetian senator (Allegory of the morality of earthly things) , by Tintoretto, 1585. Objective, material reality can be measured. In accordance with that, beliefs about the nature of  novel viruses [1] or beliefs about our Solar System evolve over time and are subject to change; and it is because of  ongoing observations, measurements, and advances in science .[2] In contrast to that, morality– or rather, bourgeois morality, does not change on such grounds because it is purely social and cultural.[3] At best, it is a weak argument for or against an issue. There have always been competing doctrines, ideologies, and theories; but ongoing methodical and investigative analyses of evidence points to one of those ideas or concepts as being correct, most accurate, or most principled. For instance, communists who take a principled anti-imperialist stance do not have a problem with North Korea (a.k.a. the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) build...

  It is about time that socialists in the West put their fears about nuclear power aside and consider the benefits and the greater potential that nuclear energy can bring under a socialist system. The movement against it was a negative critical point for socialism in the West, with Big Oil holding back progress. See Josh Schoonover's article in the recommended reading list below, which discusses why capitalists are reluctant to adopt nuclear energy -- not to be confused with nuclear weapons -- as opposed to the continued wide use of fossil fuels; the short answer: fossil fuels are more profitable. The capitalist class is also not opposed to wind and solar energy, not only because they give a veneer that makes it look like capitalism is addressing climate change concerns, but also because most of them at this time rely on fossil fuel backup plants during their down times (i.e. when there is no sunlight). However, even with nuclear power plants as backups, wind and solar energy wou...

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on Hiroshima. Three days later, on August 9, 1945, they did the same to Nagasaki. The atomic bombings marked the first and, thus far, the only time that nuclear weapons have been used in armed conflict. Between 129 000 and 226 000 people were killed, most of whom were civilians. It is commonly believed that these bombings forced Japan to surrender, with some proponents of this oft-repeated narrative (which contains many inaccuracies and myths) going as far as to claim that it was necessary. Contrary to that commonly held belief, it was most likely the very real possibility of a Soviet offensive taking place on the Japanese mainland, which would mean a direct confrontation with Soviet forces, that pushed Japanese leaders to surrender. And so, it was really the military genius of Stalin that helped stopped Imperial Japan -- not the atomic bombs. "..."[Y]ou can’t analyze Japan’s decision to surrender objectively ...