ProMosaik e.V. interviews Journalist Caleb T. Maupin
by Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik e.V. –
Caleb Maupin is a journalistand political analyst who resides in New York City focusing his coverage
on US foreign policy and the global system of monopoly capitalism and
imperialism. This month we have published this article by Caleb because we think that understanding USA strategies can help to see why there is no peace. And opposing to US-militarism for ProMosaik e.V. means promoting peace building, in particular in the Middle East. Originally from Ohio, Caleb studied political science at
Baldwin-Wallace College. In addition to his journalism, analysis, and
commentary, he has engaged in political activism. He was part of the
Occupy Wall Street movement from its early planning stages in August of
2011. He has worked against police brutality, mass incarceration, and
imperialist war. He has appeared on Russia Today, PressTV, Telesur, and
CNN. In 2014, he participated in the voyage of Iran Shahed Rescue Ship,
attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Yemen with the Red Crescent
Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran. We thank him so much for his time.
How did you find your path to
engaged journalism?
engaged journalism?
I am a political activist. I was involved in the 2011 Occupy
Wall Street protests in New York, and prior to that I did a lot of work around
the issues of prisons and police brutality in Cleveland. I studied political
science at Baldwin-Wallace College.
The mainstream media in the United States is highly deceptive, and very unified
in its message. People in the United States often have no idea whats really
happening around the world.
I began doing a lot of interviews with alternative media networks like Russia
Today and PressTV during the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011. I was able to
travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2014. In 2015, I accompanied the Red
Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran onboard the Iran Shahed Rescue
Ship, as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Yemen, but were blocked
by Saudi bombing.
I find journalism to be a very meaningful and exciting way to live, and I am
very happy to do what I do.
Wall Street protests in New York, and prior to that I did a lot of work around
the issues of prisons and police brutality in Cleveland. I studied political
science at Baldwin-Wallace College.
The mainstream media in the United States is highly deceptive, and very unified
in its message. People in the United States often have no idea whats really
happening around the world.
I began doing a lot of interviews with alternative media networks like Russia
Today and PressTV during the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011. I was able to
travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2014. In 2015, I accompanied the Red
Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran onboard the Iran Shahed Rescue
Ship, as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Yemen, but were blocked
by Saudi bombing.
I find journalism to be a very meaningful and exciting way to live, and I am
very happy to do what I do.
Can you explain the method of
destabilisation of the US regime in the world?
The United States is often found pouring money into violent dissident movements
around the world. This policy has been used in all many different countries,
but the goal is always the same: create chaos and destabilize a country.
Whether its the Contras in Latin America, the Takfiris in Syria, the
Mujahideen-Khalq in Iran, or the Falun Gong and Tibetan Separatists in China,
the US is always looking to make life unlivable in countries that dare assert
their economic independence.
The goal is to keep Wall Street and London as the center of the world economy,
and make sure that no other stable pole of economic strength is able to emerge.
Why is it preferable to speak about
destabilisation than of neo-colonialism to describe the US actions all over the
planet?
De-Stabilization is much better for the United States interms of public relations than direct military attack. It can convince the
world through media deception that the extremists its funds and arms are
romantic revolutionaries. It can describe the regime it is hoping to
destabilize as tyrannical.
Human being, especially among the working class, are naturally altruistic. When
they see other people suffering, their instinct to try to come to their aid.
The destabilization campaigns are slick means of manipulating these basic
feelings of solidarity, in order to expand the profits of western banking
institutions.
You have to think of what happened when the Roman empire defeated Carthage.
They did not immediately put the people of Carthage to work, growing crops.
Rather, they ground salt into the soil of Carthage so that no crops could be
grown. The idea was to ensure that no source of strength or opposition could
emerge. Poverty creates weakness. Weakness ensures enslavement. This is the
strategy of colonizers and oppressors.
Imperialism does not bring development. The British empire destroyed the
textile industry of India. Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America
have all had beautiful vibrant beautiful civilizations. Imperialism keeps
people impoverished, dependent, and subservient, and beats down any attempt to
advance.
Destabilization, and creating chaos and death, is a key method for doing so.
What is the relation between drugs
and exporting revolutions?
Drugs are always a source of instability. Substance abuse and addiction is one
of the most horrendous diseases that plagues the human race.
The imperialists and colonizers have always used drugs against their enemies.
Let’s not forget the Opium War, when Britain fought against China, because the
Chinese leaders wanted to stop the importing of narcotics.
The Contras in Nicaragua, the US aligned forces in Afghanistan, were all
heavily involved in the drug trade.
Before Afghanistan became the center of opium production in the 1980s, it was
Hong Kong that was the heroin capital of the world. While China had a
revolution in 1949, Hong Kong remained part of the British empire, and was the
central base area for US destabilizations throughout Asia.
During the 1960s, when rebellions against war, racism, and capitalism, the FBI
worked with Timothy Leary and other figures to promote drug use among dissident
sectors of society.
This a long standing pattern of empire.
Why is the example of Afghanistan so
essential to explain USA plots?
essential to explain USA plots?
Afghanistan is perfect example, because it illustrates howphony and deceptive the claims of “rescuing people” from US leaders
are.
In the 1980s, the US funded and armed Takfiri extremist
elements, allegedly to “rescue” the Afghans from the Soviet Union.
elements, allegedly to “rescue” the Afghans from the Soviet Union.
2001, the US invaded Afghanistan, claiming to be
“rescuing it” from some of the very same elements they funded during
the 1980s.
“rescuing it” from some of the very same elements they funded during
the 1980s.
I heard so many US commentators say that the US was
“liberating women” in Afghanistan. If the US was concerned about
women’s right, why did it overthrow the People’s Democratic Party? The forces
the US sought to depose in the 1980s were some of the most advanced on the
issue of women’s rights in the entire region.
“liberating women” in Afghanistan. If the US was concerned about
women’s right, why did it overthrow the People’s Democratic Party? The forces
the US sought to depose in the 1980s were some of the most advanced on the
issue of women’s rights in the entire region.
2 million people died in the Afghan war. Millions more were
forced to become refugees. US media falsified battle footage, among other
things. The US public was duped into thinking that Osama Bin Laden was some
kind of heroic freedom fighter.
forced to become refugees. US media falsified battle footage, among other
things. The US public was duped into thinking that Osama Bin Laden was some
kind of heroic freedom fighter.
It shows how dishonest our leader truly are.
How can we make this clear to people
to protest against this US-policy?
People in the United States need to be shown the track
record of US intervention. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now Syria… has life
gotten better for any of these peoples? Have these interventions improved the
situation? Have they stopped terrorism? Have they stabilized the region?
Its obvious that they have not. US leaders are highly deceptive, and anyone
they promote as being a “revolutionary” or “freedom
fighter” should be highly suspect.
During the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011, my friends who protested with
me in lower Manhattan were portrayed as criminal and insane in US media for
occupying public space. However, US media frequently calls armed terrorists in
Ukraine, Syria, and Libya “heroes” and “revolutionaries” as
they kidnap children, murder people, and violently destabilize society.
People in the United States also need to understand that millions and millions
of their tax dollars go to such efforts. The National Endowment for Democracy
is not cheap. So much money is spent destabilizing other countries. That money
should be spent stabilizing our own country. We need to rebuild our
infrastructure. We need schools and hospitals and all kinds of services that
are being shut down.
Imagine if all the money spent on arming terrorists were spent on some kind of
new public works program as was done by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That would
be a much better use of public funds, than arming terrorists. I think most
people in the United States would agree to that.
record of US intervention. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now Syria… has life
gotten better for any of these peoples? Have these interventions improved the
situation? Have they stopped terrorism? Have they stabilized the region?
Its obvious that they have not. US leaders are highly deceptive, and anyone
they promote as being a “revolutionary” or “freedom
fighter” should be highly suspect.
During the Occupy Wall Street protests of 2011, my friends who protested with
me in lower Manhattan were portrayed as criminal and insane in US media for
occupying public space. However, US media frequently calls armed terrorists in
Ukraine, Syria, and Libya “heroes” and “revolutionaries” as
they kidnap children, murder people, and violently destabilize society.
People in the United States also need to understand that millions and millions
of their tax dollars go to such efforts. The National Endowment for Democracy
is not cheap. So much money is spent destabilizing other countries. That money
should be spent stabilizing our own country. We need to rebuild our
infrastructure. We need schools and hospitals and all kinds of services that
are being shut down.
Imagine if all the money spent on arming terrorists were spent on some kind of
new public works program as was done by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That would
be a much better use of public funds, than arming terrorists. I think most
people in the United States would agree to that.
