Marvel Studios’ decision to feature an Israeli superhero called “Sabra” in its upcoming film has been met by outrage from Palestinian artists who say it is evidence of “racism” and “white-washing colonialism”.

Marvel, which is based in New York and is owned by Disney, announced late last week that the character, who operates as an Israeli intelligence (Mossad) agent, would be featured in the 2024 Captain America movie.

The rise of far-right politician Giorgia Meloni has left many outside Italy asking how her brand of what many argue is fascism can achieve such prominence in a country that has experienced life under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. The answer can be traced back to a recent normalisation of reactionary politics.

Former US Congressman Ron Paul has mocked the claim that a US-government-hired Iranian opposition figure is “leading” what Washington is projecting as a “freedom” movement in Iran amid deadly riots over the death of a young woman.

In a Twitter post on Monday, Paul pointed to the close ties between Masih Alinejad -- a commentator for Washington’s official Persian language propaganda network Voice of America (VOA) – and the ultra-rightwing neoconservative elements (neocons) in US politics and ridiculed the notion as “totally legit.”

Micajah Jackson is a US Marine war veteran who recently served time in an Arizona halfway house after he was arrested and convicted of walking inside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

He was flagged in, committed no violence, and when he was asked to leave he left.

Micajah Jackson pleaded guilty to one charge n November — parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol Building.

Marine veteran Micajah Jackson was sentenced to 90 days in a halfway house, 3 years probation, and $500 and $1000 fines.

Our present era is one of social and political decline. 

Only those who have been living under a rock don’t recognize this.

You’ll always have that naive friend or acquaintance who will say that tyranny and civilizational decline can’t happen in America.

They’ll claim that America is exceptional and it’s uniquely resistant to the worst of the political elements. 

We at the Rebel Capitalist Team call BS on this. 

We have previously discussed dubious constitutional and historical claims by President Joe Biden on gun bans.

Such global unity has never existed, except in the fevered hopes of U.S. officials. Biden neglected to mention that virtually all of the 40 countries contributing to Ukraine’s defense are NATO members or other U.S. allies and security dependents. Support elsewhere in the world for sanctions and other components of its policy against Moscow has been notable by its absence. 

As Israel was launching a deadly assault on Gaza, killing thousands of civilians and displacing more than 100,000 people, many of America’s top TV, music and film producers were organizing to protect the apartheid state’s reputation from widespread international condemnation.