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Roger Waters Says Ukraine Invasion Was ‘Not Unprovoked’ at UN Security Council

At Russia’s request, Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters spoke at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Wednesday. The musician’s address was largely an anti-war broadside, as he condemned the for-profit military industrial complex and stressed the devastating toll of war, both on people and the environment.

As the subject of the meeting was Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, Waters did eventually get around to that as well. Waters condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “illegal,” but also said it was “not unprovoked.” He added, “So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s out of the way.”

Elsewhere in his address to the UN, Waters made some linguistic choices that arguably reflected a pro-Russian bent, like referring to the “arming of the Kyiv regime by third parties.” He also spoke at one point about the “possibility of peace in the Ukraine” (emphasis added); the Ukrainian government has long disapproved of calling the country “the Ukraine,” as opposed to just “Ukraine,” as that’s how the country was referred to during the Soviet era. (Waters, in his interview with Rolling Stone , insisted he wasn’t making a political statement by calling it “the Ukraine.”)

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Over the past six months, Waters has also used his platform as a sounding board for scorching political takes. In August, he branded President Joe Biden a “war criminal” during a CNN broadcast and claimed he was directly “fueling the war in the Ukraine.” Then, in September, Waters published an open letter to Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska that targeted the country’s Western weapons source.

Security Council diplomats within the United Nations criticized Waters’ appearance when it was first announced that he would be speaking. “Russian diplomacy used to be serious,” one shared anonymously with Reuters. “What’s next? Mr. Bean?” (Waters mentioned this quote in his address, quipping that the Mr. Bean reference suggested “it’s a penny-to-a-pound that the anonymous diplomat is an Englishman.”)

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Roger Waters full speech at the UN security council.

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Roger Waters, co-founder of  Pink Floyd, addressed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting today, Wednesday 8, 2023 in New York. (video below)

Madame/Mr President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I feel profoundly honoured to be afforded this singular opportunity to brief your excellencies today. With your forbearance, I shall endeavour to express what I believe to be the feelings of countless of our brothers and sisters all over the world, both here in NY and across the seas. I shall invite them into these hallowed halls to have their say.

We are here to consider possibilities for peace in war-torn Ukraine, especially in light of the increasing volume of weapons arriving in that unhappy country. Every morning when I sit down at my laptop, I think of our brothers and sisters, in Ukraine and elsewhere, who, through no fault of their own find themselves in dire and often deadly circumstances. Over there, in Ukraine they may be soldiers facing another deadly day at the front, or they may be mothers or fathers facing the awful question how can I feed my child today, or they may be civilians knowing that today the lights will go out, for sure, as they always do in war zones, knowing that there is no fresh water, that there is no fuel for the stove, no blanket, just barbed wire and watch towers and walls and enmity. Or, they may be over here, in a big rich city like NY, here brothers and sisters can still find themselves in dire straights. Maybe, somehow, however hard they worked all their lives, they lost their footing on the slippery tilting deck of the neo-liberal capitalist ship we call life in the city and fell overboard to end up drowning.. Maybe they got sick, or maybe they took out a student loan, maybe they missed a payment, the margins are slim, who knows, but now they live on the street in a pile of cardboard, maybe even within sight of this United Nations building. Anyway, wherever they are, all over the world, war zone or not, together they make up a majority, a voiceless majority. Today I shall endeavor to speak for them.

We the people wish to live. We wish to live in peace in conditions of parity that give us the real opportunity to look after ourselves and our loved ones. We are hard workers and we are ready to work hard. All we need is a fair crack of the whip. Maybe that’s an unfortunate choice of idiom, after five hundred years of imperialism, colonialism, and slavery.

Anyway Please help us.

To help us you may have to consider our predicament, and to do so you may have to take your eye off the ball for a moment, to put your own goals momentarily to one side. What are your goals by the way? And here maybe I direct my inquiries more to the five permanent members of this Council. What are your goals? What is in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Bigger profits for war industries? More power globally? A bigger share of the global cake? Is mother earth a cake to be gobbled up? Does not a bigger share of the cake mean less for everyone else? What if today, in this place of safety, we were to look in another direction, to look at our capacity for empathy for instance, to put ourselves in other’s shoes, like, right now, for instance, the shoes of that chap on the other side of this room, or even the shoes of the voiceless majority, if they have any shoes that is.

The Voiceless Majority is concerned that your wars, yes your wars, for these perpetual wars are not of our choosing, that your wars will destroy the planet that is our home, and along with every other living thing we will be sacrificed on the altar of two things, profits from the war to line the pockets of the very, very, few and the hegemonic march of some empire or other towards unipolar world domination. Please reassure us that that is not your vision for there is no good outcome down that road. That road leads only to disaster, everyone on that road has a red button in their briefcase and the further we go down that road the closer the itchy fingers get to that red button and the closer we all get to Armageddon. Look across the room, at this level we’re all wearing the same shoes.

So back to Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation was illegal. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Also, The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not “unprovoked”, so I also condemn the provokateurs in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s got that out of the way.

When I wrote this speech yesterday, I included an observation that the power of veto in this council only lay in the hands of its permanent members, I was concerned that that was was undemocratic and rendered This Council toothless…. This morning I had a revelation……..TOOTHLESS! maybe toothless is in some ways a good thing……..If this is a toothless chamber……..I can open my big mouth on behalf of the voiceless without getting my head bitten off……. How cool is that. I read in the paper this morning, some anonymous diplomat quoted as saying, “Roger Waters! To address the Security Council? Whatever next?….. Mr Bean! Hwah! Hwah! Hwah! For those of you who don’t know, Mr Bean is an ineffectual character in an English comedy show on TV. So it’s a penny to a pound the anonymous diplomat is an Englishman, Hwah! hwah! hwah! To you too Sir! Ok, I think it’s time to introduce my mother, Mary Duncan Waters, she was a big influence on me, she was a school teacher, I say was, she’s been dead for fifteen years. My father, Eric Fletcher Waters, was a big influence on me too, he too is dead, he was killed on the 18th of February 1944 at Aprilia near The Anzio Bridgehead in Italy, when I was only five months old, so I know something about war and loss. Anyway back to my Mum. When I was about thirteen I was struggling with some knotty adolescent problem or other trying to decide what to do, it doesn’t matter what it was, I can’t remember anyway, but my mum sat me down and said, “Listen, you’re going to be faced with many knotty problems during your life and when you are here’s my advice, read, read, read find out everything you can about whatever it is, look at it from all sides, all angles, listen to all opinions, especially ones you don’t agree with, research it thoroughly, when you’ve done that you will have done all the heavy lifting and the next bit is easy, “Is it? Ok mum what’s the easy bit?”…….”Oh, the easy bit is, you just do the right thing.“ Hmm!

So speaking of doing the right thing brings me to human rights.

We the people, want universal human rights for all our brothers and sisters all over the world irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality. To be clear, that would include but would not be limited to the right to life and property under the law for, for instance, Ukrainians, and for instance Palestinians. Yup, let that sink in. And obviously for all the rest of us. One of the problems with wars is that in a war zone or anywhere where the people live under military occupation, there is no recourse to the law, there are no human rights.

Today our brief is the possibility of peace in the Ukraine, with special reference to the arming of the Kiev regime by third parties.

I’m running out of time so,

What do the Voiceless millions have to say?

They say Thank you for hearing us today We are the many who do not share in the profits of the war industry. We do not willingly raise our sons or daughters To provide fodder for your cannons. In our opinion The only sensible course of action today Is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. No ifs, no buts, no ands. Not one more Ukrainian or Russian life is to be spent. Not one. They are all precious in our eyes.

So, the time has come to speak truth to power. You all remember the story of the Emperor’s new clothes? Of course you do. Well the leaders of your respective Empires stand, in one degree or another, naked before us. We have a message for them. It is a message from all the refugees in all the camps, a message from all the slums and favelas, a message from all the homeless, on all the cold streets, from all the earthquakes and floods, on earth. It is also a message from all the people, not quite starving but wondering how on earth to make the pittance they earn, meet the cost of a roof over their head and food for their families. My mother country England is, thank god, an Empire no more, but in that country now, there is a new catch phrase “Eat or Heat?” you can’t do both. It’s a cry echoing round the whole of Europe.

Apparently, the only thing the Powers that Be think we can all afford is perpetual war. How crazy is that?

So, from the four billion or so brothers and sisters in this Voiceless Majority who together with the millions in the international anti-war movement represent a huge constituency, enough is enough! We demand change.

President Biden, President Putin, President Zelenski, USA, NATO, RUSSIA, THE EU, ALL OF YOU. PLEASE CHANGE COURSE NOW, AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE TODAY.

That, of course, will only be the starting point. But everything extrapolates from that starting point. Imagine the collective global sigh of relief. The outpouring of joy. The international joining of voices in harmony singing an anthem to peace! John Lennon pumping the air with his fist from the grave. We have finally been heard in the corridors of power. The bullies in the schoolyard have agreed to stop playing nuclear chicken. We’re not all going to die in a nuclear holocaust after all. At least not today. The powers that be have been persuaded to drop the arms race and perpetual war as their accepted modus operandum. We can stop squandering all our precious resources on war. We can feed our children, we can keep them warm. We may even learn to cooperate with all our brothers and sisters and even save our beautiful planet home from destruction. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Your Excellencies,

I thank you for your forbearance.

Roger Waters

Roger @rogerwaters was brilliant and poetic in an historic, mesmerizing speech before the UN Security Council..it was an honor to witness it live pic.twitter.com/ldbgJBSiOw — Randy Credico Live On The Fly (@CredicoRandy) February 8, 2023

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Roger Waters Addresses U.N. Security Council, at Russia’s Behest, Urging Peace but Repeating Charge That Ukraine Invasion Was ‘Provoked’

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters is not backing down on his controversial stand that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “provoked”: He repeated that charge Wednesday to no less a body than the United Nations Security Council itself, giving a 16-minute speech at Russia’s behest.

Said the deputy U.N. ambassador for the U.S., Richard Mills, “Well, I certainly acknowledge he has impressive credentials as a recording artist. His qualifications to speak to us as an expert briefer on arms control or European security issues seem less evident to me. I’ll also leave to my Ukrainian colleague to address the credibility of Mr. Waters speaking on behalf of his so-called brothers and sisters in that country.”

Ukraine’s ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, said, “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall — the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.”

The U.N. representative for Albania got in what may have been the most subtle dig at Waters following his appearance — praising the work of Waters’ seeming archenemy, David Gilmour , in recently reviving the Pink Floyd banner to collaborate with a Ukrainian poet on a new single vowing that country would successfully fight back against its Russian attackers.

“Russia is responsible for its consequences,” said the Albanian diplomat. “As a famous rock band, Pink Floyd, said in their uplifting, iconic song ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’: ‘Our beautiful Ukraine is in sorrow, and we will raise it up and we shall cheer for our glorious Ukraine.'”

In response to this and many other Waters statements in recent years, Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, tweeted this week that Waters is “a Putin apologist” as well as “antisemitic to your rotten core” and “a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy megalomaniac.” Gilmour cosigned on his wife’s statement, adding: “Every word demonstrably true.”

Waters did not refer to the Floyd kerfuffle in his live speech to the UN. Nor did he get too specific about why he has mostly taken Russia’s side in the war. He did add a new wrinkle to his take on the war, saying that it was wrong for Russia to invaded, even though he believes the nation had justification for its aggression.

“The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” Waters said in his speech. “Also, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateur in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s got that out of the way.”

While not addressing Gilmour or Samson, Waters did respond to a quote he had seen published iin advance of his UN address. “I read in the paper this morning some anonymous diplomat quoted as saying, ‘Roger Waters to address this council — who’s next, Mr. Bean?’ Ha haha. Anyway, sorry for those of you who don’t know, Mr. Bean is an ineffectual character in an English comedy show on television, so it’s a penny to a pound the anonymous diplomat is an Englishman.”

At one point, Waters claimed to be speaking on behalf of 4 billion people, while at other times putting the figure in hundreds of millions he said he was representing. “Today our brief is the possibility of peace in the Ukraine with special reference to the arming of the key regime by third parties. … So what do the voices of millions have to say? They say, thank you for hearing us today. We are many who do not share in the profits of the war industry. We do not willingly raise our sons and daughters to provide fodder for your cannon. In our opinion, the only sensible cause of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. No ifs, no buts, no ands, not one more Ukrainian or Russian life is to be spent, not one. They are all precious in our eyes.”

After Waters wrapped up, he was praised by Russia’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy, who said, “We just heard a very precise analysis of events from Roger Waters, one of the most prominent activists of the contemporary anti-war movement. Mr. Waters has consistently opposed wars and violence for several decades, and that theme has permeated his world, famous songs, and the fact that he wanted to address us demonstrates the great deal of concern among the international creative intelligence here and among everyone about where our world is headed.” The diplomat went on to reiterate that it is really the West waging war against his country.

A diplomat for Albania took issue with Waters’ statements. “He is lucky to be in New York, in a free country, speak his mind, say whatever he likes, including about the Russian aggression and how wrong that is. If he had been in Russia, with what he said, he might have been in custody by now,” said Albania’s ambassador, Ferit Hoxha.

In his interview with a German newspaper last week, Waters went further with his defense of Russia than he did with the U.N., calling its war against Ukraine “probably the most provoked invasion ever.” Waters also further took up his controversial opinions that China has full rights to assert authority over Taiwan, that Israel is a genocidal state, and that all recent U.S. presidents have been imperialists and war criminals. In trying to find a consistency between Waters’ positions, advocating for antiwar causes but also for the world’s most authoritarian states, the common thread may come down to the old maxim: The enemy of his enemy — in this case, the West — is his friend.

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Invited by Russia, Roger Waters tells UN: Ukraine invasion illegal

UNITED NATIONS - Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters on Wednesday addressed the UN Security Council at Russia’s invitation, condemning Moscow’s invasion of its neighbour as illegal - though adding he believed it was provoked - and calling for a ceasefire.

“He is lucky to be in New York, in a free country, speak his mind, say whatever he likes, including about the Russian aggression and how wrong that is. If he had been in Russia, with what he said, he might have been in custody by now,” Albania’s UN Ambassador, Mr Ferit Hoxha, told the 15-member Security Council.

Soon after Moscow’s Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine, Russia introduced tough new laws on spreading “misinformation” about the war or discrediting the Russian army.

Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy rejected Mr Hoxha’s remarks on Wednesday, saying his country respects freedom of speech.

Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” designed to demilitarise and “denazify” the country. Ukraine and its Western allies say the invasion was an unprovoked act of aggression aimed at seizing territory.

Russia called the Security Council meeting on Wednesday to discuss the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and asked Mr Waters to brief. Mr Waters argued against the Western supply of weapons to Kyiv in a letter that he published on his website in September.

The deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Richard Mills, acknowledged Mr Waters’ “impressive credentials as a recording artist,” but said his qualifications to speak on arms control or European security issues were “less evident.”

While Mr Waters condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as illegal, he also said it “was not unprovoked” and he also condemned “the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms.” He did not give specifics.

“The only sensible course of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” Mr Waters said

Ukraine’s UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya invoked Pink Floyd’s hit song Another Brick In The Wall, telling the Security Council: “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall - the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.” REUTERS

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Invited by Russia, Roger Waters tells UN: Ukraine invasion illegal

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Ukraine denounces Roger Waters as ‘another brick in the wall’ of Moscow propaganda

Kyiv outraged as Pink Floyd star accepts Russian invitation to speak at UN security council and calls for immediate ceasefire

The veteran Pink Floyd rocker, Roger Waters, has addressed the UN security council at Russia’s invitation, and called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. But he was denounced by the Ukrainian ambassador as “just another brick in the wall” of Moscow’s propaganda.

Waters spoke via a video link, dressed in a light brown tweed jacket, appearing on a screen looming over representatives of the 15 nations on the council, convened on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Ukraine .

The 79-year-old co-founder of Pink Floyd had been invited to speak by the Russian delegation, but claimed to be representing “4 billion or so brothers and sisters”, the majority of humanity.

Waters owns a $62m estate on Long Island about 150km from UN headquarters, but on Wednesday, he was speaking from Switzerland, under a wooden-beamed ceiling, with a snow-covered mountain visible through the window behind him.

The Russian delegation’s invitation followed an interview Waters had given to the Berliner Zeitung in which he had been highly complimentary towards Vladimir Putin, who he said, according to a translation on his own website , “governs carefully, making decisions on the grounds of a consensus in the Russian Federation government”.

In that 4 February interview, Waters held the west and Ukraine largely responsible for the Russian invasion. However, Waters did not stick to the same line in his security council remarks, blaming Russia and the west for the war.

“The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation was illegal. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” he said. “Also, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms.”

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, glossed over Waters’ reference to the illegality of the invasion. In remarks apparently prepared before Waters spoke, the diplomat complimented him on “a very precise analysis of events”. He called him “one of the most prominent activists of the contemporary anti-war movement”.

The Ukrainian ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, was the last to speak and used the opportunity to draw on Pink Floyd’s musical past – and in particular their use of floating pigs at their concerts – to eviscerate Waters.

Kyslytsya noted that Pink Floyd had been banned by the Soviet Union for protesting against the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan.

“It is ironic, if not hypocritical, that Mr Waters attempts now to whitewash another invasion,” the Ukrainian diplomat said. “How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just another brick in the wall – the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.

“Keep strumming the guitar, Mr Waters,” the ambassador concluded. “It suits you more than lecturing the security council on how to do its job. No flying pigs here, please.”

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Ukraine slams Roger Waters over UN Security Council speech

The Pink Floyd star argued that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was provoked during an address to diplomats in New York.

Ukraine has denounced Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters for claiming that Russia’s invasion was “not unprovoked”.

In an address to the United Nations Security Council delivered on Wednesday at Russia’s invitation, Waters said he condemned Moscow’s offensive, describing it as “illegal”.

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But the 79-year-old – who has previously praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and criticised the West for supplying Ukraine with arms – then implied that Kyiv and its allies were partly to blame for the conflict as well.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked. So I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms,” Waters told diplomats in New York City via video link, without referring to any specific individuals, groups or countries.

“The only sensible course of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” he added.

Waters’s comments drew a sharp rebuke from Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, who accused the musician of attempting to “whitewash” Moscow’s actions .

“In 1979, Pink Floyd came up with a song, Another Brick in the Wall. The same year the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and after the invasion was condemned by Pink Floyd” Kyslytsya said.

“It is ironic, if not hypercritical, that Mr. Walters attempts now to whitewash another invasion. How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just a brick in the wall. The wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda.”

The United States, which is Ukraine’s most prominent backer in the West, also denounced Waters.

“We’ve been brought together today once again to hear another version of why Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is actually the fault of Ukraine or Ukraine’s partners. Or, in Mr Waters words, Ukraine friends who are provocateurs,” Richard Mills, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, told the 15-member Security Council.

“We unequivocally reject the victim-blaming notion that Ukraine’s self-defence is the obstacle to ending this war. No one wants peace in Ukraine more than Ukrainians themselves. It is Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity that has been violated, not Russia’s,” he said.

In September last year, Waters argued against the Western supply of weapons and accused Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of allowing “extreme nationalism” to flourish.

In an open letter to Zelenskyy’s wife Olena Zelenska, Waters wrote: “Sadly, your old man agreed to those totalitarian, anti-democratic dismissals of the will of the Ukrainian people, and the forces of extreme nationalism that had lurked, malevolent, in the shadows, have, since then, ruled the Ukraine.”

“They have, also since then, crossed any number of red lines that had been set out quite clearly over a number of years by your neighbours the Russian Federation and in consequence they, the extreme nationalists, have set your country on the path to this disastrous war,” he added.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” designed to “demilitarise and de-Nazify” the country.

Kyiv and its Western allies reject Moscow’s rationales, arguing that Russia is waging a war of aggression aimed at seizing land and subjugating Ukraine.

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Roger Waters Speaks to United Nations About Israel

Pink Floyd founder and bassist, Roger Waters, spoke in front of the United Nations on November 29th, which has been recognized as an  International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People by the UN.  While beginning his speech with saying “I am a musician, not a diplomat”, Waters appeared as a representative of and speaker on behalf of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.

According to their website, the Russell Tribunal deals with “different aspects of complicities and omissions by states, international organizations and corporations in the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel and the perpetuation of the violations of international law committed by Israel.”

“I’m looking only to shed some light on the predicament of beleaguered people,” explained Waters. “The Russian Tribunal on Palestine was created to shed such light, to seek accountability for the violations of international law, and the lack of United Nations resolve that prevent the Palestinian people from achievement their inalienable rights, especially the right of self-determination.

It was an interesting speech, and definitely worth a listen.  Whether you agree with Waters, or not, is completely up to you.  Here is to the hope that if Waters can spark a peaceful resolution between these two warring factions, he may be able to make up with his former bandmates and get Pink Floyd back together.

Here is the video of Waters’ speech:

Note: This above video does not reflect the views of L4LM.

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Security Council of the United Nations Briefing

On Wednesday Feb 8th, I briefed the Security Council of the  United Nations :

https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1e/k1e98hhxei

Madame President, Excellencies, distinguished members of The Security Council, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I feel profoundly honoured to be afforded this singular opportunity to brief your excellencies today. With your forbearance, I shall endeavor to express what I believe to be the feelings of countless of our brothers and sisters all over the world, both here in NY and across the seas. I shall invite them into these hallowed halls to have their say.

We are here to consider possibilities for peace in war torn Ukraine, especially in light of the increasing volume of weapons arriving in that unhappy country. Every morning when I sit down at my laptop, I think of our brothers and sisters, in Ukraine and elsewhere, who, through no fault of their own find themselves in dire and often deadly circumstances. Over there, in Ukraine they may be soldiers facing another deadly day at the front, or they may be mothers or fathers facing the awful question how can I feed my child today, or they may be civilians knowing that today the lights will go out, for sure, as they always do in war zones, knowing that there is no fresh water, that there is no fuel for the stove, no blanket, just barbed wire and watch towers and walls and enmity. Or, they may be over here, in a big rich city like NY, here brothers and sisters can still find themselves in dire straights. Maybe, somehow, however hard they worked all their lives, they lost their footing on the slippery tilting deck of the neo liberal capitalist ship we call life in the city and fell overboard to end up drowning.. Maybe they got sick, or maybe they took out a student loan, maybe they missed a payment, the margins are slim, who knows, but now they live on the street in a pile of cardboard, maybe even within sight of this United Nations building. Anyway, wherever they are, all over the world, war zone or not, together they make up a majority, a voiceless majority. Today I shall endeavor to speak for them.

We the people wish to live. We wish to live in peace in conditions of parity that give us the real opportunity to look after ourselves and our loved ones. We are hard workers and we are ready to work hard. All we need is a fair crack of the whip. Maybe that’s an unfortunate choice of idiom, after five hundred years of imperialism, colonialism and slavery.

Anyway please help us.

To help us you may have to consider our predicament, and to do so you may have to take your eye off the ball for a moment, to put your own goals momentarily to one side. What are your goals by the way? And here maybe I direct my enquiries more to the five permanent members of this Council. What are your goals? What is in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Bigger profits for war industries? More power globally? A bigger share of the global cake? Is mother earth a cake to be gobbled up? Does not a bigger share of the cake mean less for everyone else? What if today, in this place of safety, we were to look in another direction, to look at our capacity for empathy for instance, to put ourselves in other’s shoes, like, right now, for instance, the shoes of that chap on the other side of this room, or even the shoes of the voiceless majority, if they have any shoes that is. The Voiceless Majority is concerned that your wars, yes your wars, for these perpetual wars are not of our choosing, that your wars will destroy the planet that is our home, and along with every other living thing we will be sacrificed on the altar of two things, profits from the war to line the pockets of the very, very, few and the hegemonic march of some empire or other towards unipolar world domination. Please reassure us that that is not your vision for there is no good outcome down that road. That road leads only to disaster, everyone on that road has a red button in their briefcase and the further we go down that road the closer the itchy fingers get to that red button and the closer we all get to Armageddon. Look across the room, at this level we’re all wearing the same shoes.

So back to Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation was illegal. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Also, The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not “unprovoked”, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s got that out of the way. When I wrote this speech yesterday, I included an observation that the power of veto in this council only lay in the hands of its permanent members, I was concerned that that was was undemocratic and rendered This Council toothless…. This morning I had a revelation……..TOOTHLESS! maybe toothless is in some ways a good thing……..If this is a toothless chamber……..I can open my big mouth on behalf of the voiceless without getting my head bitten off……. How cool is that. I read in the paper this morning, some anonymous diplomat quoted as saying, “Roger Waters! To address the Security Council? Whatever next?….. Mr Bean! Hwah! Hwah! Hwah! For those of you who don’t know, Mr Bean is an ineffectual character in an English comedy show on TV. So it’s a penny to a pound the anonymous diplomat is an Englishman, Hwah! hwah! hwah! To you too Sir! Ok, I think it’s time to introduce my mother, Mary Duncan Waters, she was a big influence on me, she was a school teacher, I say was, she’s been dead for fifteen years. My father, Eric Fletcher Waters, was a big influence on me too, he too is dead, he was killed on the 18th of February 1944 at Aprilia near The Anzio Bridgehead in Italy, when I was only five months old, so I know something about war and loss. Anyway back to my Mum. When I was about thirteen I was struggling with some knotty adolescent problem or other trying to decide what to do, it doesn’t matter what it was, I can’t remember anyway, but my mum sat me down and said, “Listen, you’re going to be faced with many knotty problems during your life and when you are here’s my advice, read, read, read find out everything you can about whatever it is, look at it from all sides, all angles, listen to all opinions, especially ones you don’t agree with, research it thoroughly, when you’ve done that you will have done all the heavy lifting and the next bit is easy, “Is it? Ok mum what’s the easy bit?”…….”Oh, the easy bit is, you just do the right thing.“

So speaking of doing the right thing brings me to human rights. We the people, want universal human rights for all our brothers and sisters all over the world irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality. To be clear, that would include but would not be limited to the right to life and property under the law for, for instance, Ukrainians, and for instance Palestinians. Yup, let that sink in. And obviously for all the rest of us. One of the problems with wars is that in a war zone or anywhere where the people live under military occupation, there is no recourse to the law, there are no human rights.

Today our brief is the possibility of peace in the Ukraine, with special reference to the arming of the Kiev regime by third parties.

I’m running out of time so,

What do the Voiceless millions have to say?

They say Thank you for hearing us today We are the many who do not share in the profits of the war industry. We do not willingly raise our sons or daughters To provide fodder for your cannons. In our opinion The only sensible course of action today Is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. No ifs, no buts, no ands. Not one more Ukrainian or Russian life is to be spent. Not one. They are all precious in our eyes.

So, the time has come to speak truth to power. You all remember the story of the Emperor’s new clothes? Of course you do. Well the leaders of your respective Empires stand, in one degree or another, naked before us. We have a message for them. It is a message from all the refugees in all the camps, a message from all the slums and favelas, a message from all the homeless, on all the cold streets, from all the earthquakes and floods, on earth. It is also a message from all the people, not quite starving but wondering how on earth to make the pittance they earn, meet the cost of a roof over their head and food for their families. My mother country England is, thank god, an Empire no more, but in that country now, there is a new catch phrase “Eat or Heat?” you can’t do both. It’s a cry echoing round the whole of Europe. Apparently, the only thing the Powers that Be think we can all afford is perpetual war. How crazy is that?

So, from the four billion or so brothers and sisters in this Voiceless Majority who together with the millions in the international anti-war movement represent a huge constituency, enough is enough! We demand change.

President Joe Biden , President Putin, President Zelenski, USA, NATO, RUSSIA, THE EU, ALL OF YOU. PLEASE CHANGE COURSE NOW, AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE TODAY.

That, of course, will only be the starting point. But everything extrapolates from that starting point. Imagine the collective global sigh of relief. The outpouring of joy. The international joining of voices in harmony singing an anthem to peace! John Lennon pumping the air with his fist from the grave. We have finally been heard in the corridors of power. The bullies in the schoolyard have agreed to stop playing nuclear chicken. We’re not all going to die in a nuclear holocaust after all. At least not today. The powers that be have been persuaded to drop the arms race and perpetual war as their accepted modus operandum. We can stop squandering all our precious resources on war. We can feed our children, we can keep them warm. We may even learn to cooperate with all our brothers and sisters and even save our beautiful planet home from destruction. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Your Excellencies,

I thank you for your forbearance.

Roger Waters

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WATCH: Roger Waters at UN Security Council on Ukraine

UPDATED: The British rock star was invited by Russia to address the council Wednesday morning. Watch Waters’ speech and the full meeting, and read the text of his address.

Text of Waters’ speech follows this recording of the full meeting, which includes statements from the representatives of Russia, the U.S., Ukraine, Britain, France, China and other council members. The U.S. and Ukrainian representatives spent considerable time trying to humiliate Waters. 

W aters spoke to the Security Council via video link. He spoke for the “voiceless” masses around the world who wanted peace and a secure life and blasted arms manufacturers for profiting from war. 

The Pink Floyd co-founder has been an outspoken critic of U.S. policy in Ukraine and has called for an end of arms shipments to Kiev. Here is the text of his speech delivered on Wednesday to the Security Council:

Madame/Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I feel profoundly honoured to be afforded this singular opportunity to brief your excellencies today. With your forbearance, I shall endeavour to express what I believe to be the feelings of countless of our brothers and sisters all over the world, both here in NY and across the seas. I shall invite them into these hallowed halls to have their say.

We are here to consider possibilities for peace in war torn Ukraine, especially in light of the increasing volume of weapons arriving in that unhappy country. Every morning when I sit down at my laptop, I think of our brothers and sisters, in Ukraine and elsewhere, who, through no fault of their own find themselves in dire and often deadly circumstances.

Over there, in Ukraine they may be soldiers facing another deadly day at the front, or they may be mothers or fathers facing the awful question how can I feed my child today, or they may be civilians knowing that today the lights will go out, for sure, as they always do in war zones, knowing that there is no fresh water, that there is no fuel for the stove, no blanket, just barbed wire and watch towers and walls and enmity.

Or, they may be over here, in a big rich city like New York, here brothers and sisters can still find themselves in dire straights. Maybe, somehow, however hard they worked all their lives, they lost their footing on the slippery tilting deck of the neo liberal capitalist ship we call life in the city and fell overboard to end up drowning.. Maybe they got sick, or maybe they took out a student loan, maybe they missed a payment, the margins are slim, who knows, but now they live on the street in a pile of cardboard, maybe even within sight of this United Nations building.

Anyway, wherever they are, all over the world, war zone or not, together they make up a majority, a voiceless majority. Today I shall endeavor to speak for them.

We the people wish to live. We wish to live in peace in conditions of parity that give us the real opportunity to look after ourselves and our loved ones. We are hard workers and we are ready to work hard. All we need is a fair crack of the whip. Maybe that’s an unfortunate choice of idiom, after five hundred years of imperialism, colonialism and slavery .

Anyway, Please help us. To help us you may have to consider our predicament, and to do so you may have to take your eye off the ball for a moment, to put your own goals momentarily to one side. What are your goals by the way? And here maybe I direct my enquiries more to the five permanent members of this Council. What are your goals? What is in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Bigger profits for war industries? More power globally? A bigger share of the global cake? Is mother earth a cake to be gobbled up? Does not a bigger share of the cake mean less for everyone else?

What if today, in this place of safety, we were to look in another direction, to look at our capacity for empathy for instance, to put ourselves in other’s shoes, like, right now, for instance, the shoes of that chap on the other side of this room, or even the shoes of the voiceless majority, if they have any shoes that is.

The Voiceless Majority is concerned that your wars, yes your wars, for these perpetual wars are not of our choosing, that your wars will destroy the planet that is our home, and along with every other living thing we will be sacrificed on the altar of two things, profits from the war to line the pockets of the very, very, few and the hegemonic march of some empire or other towards unipolar world domination.

Please reassure us that that is not your vision for there is no good outcome down that road. That road leads only to disaster, everyone on that road has a red button in their briefcase and the further we go down that road the closer the itchy fingers get to that red button and the closer we all get to Armageddon. Look across the room, at this level we’re all wearing the same shoes.

Waters on screen above Security Council on Wednesday. (U.N. screenshot)

So back to Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation was illegal. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Also, The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not “unprovoked”, so I also condemn the provokateurs in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s got that out of the way.

When I wrote this speech yesterday, I included an observation that the power of veto in this council only lay in the hands of its permanent members, I was concerned that that was was undemocratic and rendered This Council toothless…. This morning I had a revelation……..TOOTHLESS! maybe toothless is in some ways a good thing……..If this is a toothless chamber……..I can open my big mouth on behalf of the voiceless without getting my head bitten off……. How cool is that .

I read in the paper this morning, some anonymous diplomat quoted as saying, “Roger Waters! To address the Security Council? Whatever next?….. Mr Bean! Hwah! Hwah! Hwah! For those of you who don’t know, Mr Bean is an ineffectual character in an English comedy show on TV. So it’s a penny to a pound the anonymous diplomat is an Englishman, Hwah! hwah! hwah! To you too Sir!

Ok, I think it’s time to introduce my mother , Mary Duncan Waters, she was a big influence on me, she was a school teacher, I say was, she’s been dead for fifteen years. My father, Eric Fletcher Waters, was a big influence on me too, he too is dead, he was killed on the 18 th of February 1944 at Aprilia near The Anzio Bridgehead in Italy, when I was only five months old, so I know something about war and loss.

Anyway back to my Mum. When I was about thirteen I was struggling with some knotty adolescent problem or other trying to decide what to do, it doesn’t matter what it was, I can’t remember anyway, but my mum sat me down and said, “Listen, you’re going to be faced with many knotty problems during your life and when you are here’s my advice, read, read, read find out everything you can about whatever it is, look at it from all sides, all angles, listen to all opinions, especially ones you don’t agree with, research it thoroughly, when you’ve done that you will have done all the heavy lifting and the next bit is easy.”

“ Is it? Ok mum what’s the easy bit?”

“ Oh, the easy bit is, you just do the right thing.“ Hmm!

So speaking of doing the right thing brings me to human rights.

We the people, want universal human rights for all our brothers and sisters all over the world irrespective of their ethnicity, religion or nationality. To be clear, that would include but would not be limited to the right to life and property under the law for, for instance, Ukrainians, and for instance Palestinians.

Yup, let that sink in. And obviously for all the rest of us. One of the problems with wars is that in a war zone or anywhere where the people live under military occupation, there is no recourse to the law, there are no human rights.

Today our brief is the possibility of peace in the Ukraine, with special reference to the arming of the Kiev regime by third parties.

I’m running out of time so,

What do the Voiceless millions have to say?

Thank you for hearing us today

We are the many who do not share in the profits of the war industry.

We do not willingly raise our sons or daughters

To provide fodder for your cannons.

In our opinion

The only sensible course of action today

Is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

No ifs, no buts, no ands.

Not one more Ukrainian or Russian life is to be spent.

They are all precious in our eyes.

So, the time has come to speak truth to power. You all remember the story of the Emperor’s new clothes? Of course you do. Well the leaders of your respective Empires stand, in one degree or another, naked before us.

We have a message for them. It is a message from all the refugees in all the camps, a message from all the slums and favelas, a message from all the homeless, on all the cold streets, from all the earthquakes and floods, on earth. It is also a message from all the people, not quite starving but wondering how on earth to make the pittance they earn, meet the cost of a roof over their head and food for their families.

My mother country England is, thank god, an Empire no more, but in that country now, there is a new catch phrase “Eat or Heat?” you can’t do both.

It’s a cry echoing round the whole of Europe.

Apparently, the only thing the Powers that Be think we can all afford is perpetual war. How crazy is that?

So, from the four billion or so brothers and sisters in this Voiceless Majority who together with the millions in the international anti-war movement represent a huge constituency, enough is enough! We demand change.

President Biden, President Putin, President Zelenski,

USA, NATO, RUSSIA, THE EU, ALL OF YOU. PLEASE CHANGE COURSE NOW, AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE TODAY.

That, of course, will only be the starting point. But everything extrapolates from that starting point. Imagine the collective global sigh of relief. The outpouring of joy. The international joining of voices in harmony singing an anthem to peace! John Lennon pumping the air with his fist from the grave.

We have finally been heard in the corridors of power. The bullies in the schoolyard have agreed to stop playing nuclear chicken. We’re not all going to die in a nuclear holocaust after all. At least not today. The powers that be have been persuaded to drop the arms race and perpetual war as their accepted modus operandum .

We can stop squandering all our precious resources on war. We can feed our children, we can keep them warm. We may even learn to cooperate with all our brothers and sisters and even save our beautiful planet home from destruction. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Your Excellencies,

I thank you for your forbearance.

Roger Waters

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61 comments for “ watch: roger waters at un security council on ukraine ”.

As someone said, “continuous warfare is the Deep State’s only business product.” It “considers global conflict as the price to pay for maintaining its largesse from the US taxpayer.” US taxpayers are slaves to the US genocide machine and the entire US political class is fine with this. Someone must stop the US. The Russian Federation is our only hope.

I’d like to correct one error in Roger Waters’ fine speech. Russia’s “invasion of Ukraine” was not illegal. In fact, Russia carefully dotted the legal i’s and crossed the legal t’s at each step.

First, the Donbass citizens legally rejected the overthrow of their elected government in 2014, and rejected the new government selected for them by US official Victoria Nuland in that US coup.

Second, the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Donbass legally declared their independence from Ukraine when the Ukrainian government began shelling their citizens, thus forfeiting the legal right to be their government. After eight years of shelling these civilians, during which Ukraine made and intentionally broke three peace agreements (Minsk 1, Minsk 2, Istanbul), at the direction of the UK and US, Russia finally agreed to recognize the independent Luhansk and Donetsk republics. After recognizing their independence Russia granted their request to provide material help in defending themselves against the ongoing Ukrainian attacks.

Then the Luhansk and Donetsk republics held referendums in which their citizens voted overwhelmingly to join the Russian Federation. Russia then went through their legal procedures in which the Duma voted to accept their applications to join the Russian Federation. At that point Ukraine’s attacks on the Donbass became attacks on Russian territory. Finally, the Ukrainian government amassed a large force on the borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk republics, and then dramatically ramped up the intensity of shelling those republics. At that point a massive invasion of the two republics appeared imminent, and Russia sent in troops to help the Luhansk and Donetsk militaries defend their citizens, and ultimately drive out the Ukrainian Nazi brigades.

The Russians’ careful adherence to international law, and its numerous efforts to find a peaceful solution, in stark contrast to the illegal, provocative, and treacherous actions of the Western Oligarchy, are a major reason why the bulk of the world is siding with Russia in this conflict.

On narrow legal grounds, the UN Charter only permits the use of force after authorization of the Security Council or in self defense of a “member state.” Donetsk and Luhansk are not member states of the UN. In this sense the Russian invasion can be considered “illegal.” Russia only recognized the two republic’s independence from Ukraine three days before its intervention.

States can legally request the presence of foreign forces on their territory. Article 42 of the Geneva Convention says: “Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army.” The Russian army is certainly not seen as hostile in Donetsk and Luhansk. The murkiness of the legal questions arises on the question of whether Donetsk and Luhansk are independent states or are still part of Ukraine. Independent states are defined under the Montevideo Convention of 1933 as: “The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:

a permanent population;

b. a defined territory;

c. government; and

d. capacity to enter into relations with the other states.”

Article 3 of the convention says: “The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states.”

So Donetsk and Luhansk meet the four requirements of the Convention including capacity to enter into relations with other states, as it has relations with the Russian Federation. The Convention also says a state does not need to be recognized by other states to be considered a state. The republics have been recognized by Russia, Syria and North Korea.

So the Russian intervention is considered illegal under the UN Charter because it was not authorized by the Security Council nor does the self-defense Article 51 of the Charter apply. But the Charter does not prohibit a state from inviting foreign forces onto its territory. A legal argument can be made that the two republics are independent states and have the right to request foreign forces to enter their territory, thus making the Russian intervention in that sense legal.

Thank you for that informative reply.

I would add to this discussion that in a separate analysis of Article 51, Scott Ritter has written:

“of all the claims made regarding the legality of pre-emption under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Russia’s justification for invading Ukraine is on solid legal ground.”

Russia, Ukraine & the Law of War: Crime of Aggression hxxps://consortiumnews.com/2022/03/29/russia-ukraine-the-law-of-war-crime-of-aggression/

Yes we did not agree with Scott’s analysis there. This issue is up to interpretation. Article 51 clearly refers to member states and the Donbass republics are not member states. Russia is a member state and could act in its own self-defense if it was attacked, and not facing an eventual attack.

Article 51 Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security. Measures taken by Members in the exercise of this right of self-defence shall be immediately reported to the Security Council and shall not in any way affect the authority and responsibility of the Security Council under the present Charter to take at any time such action as it deems necessary in order to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Was the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999 illegal? I believe Russia has referred to this precedent of humanitarian intervention.

A particularly difficult part of Roger’s beautiful appeal here leaves a question that has not been clearly answered, at least for me:

“The invasion of Ukraine by The Russian Federation was illegal. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Also, The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not ‘unprovoked’, so I also condemn the provokateurs in the strongest possible terms. There, that’s got that out of the way.”

We should recall that in the days immediately prior to Feb 24, 2022, attacks on areas of Ukraine mostly identifying with Russia, as with the Donbass region, massively increased. Biden announced Russia would soon invade the Ukraine, a remarkable prescience at the time.

As we know well from CN and its comments, RF warnings of red lines regarding NATO expansion, the building up of military resources and threats, the broken agreements had been underway a very long time, even from the early years of the new century. We have also seen numerous analogies as to what the US would do if Baja California was being occupied by a traditional enemy.

The question, then, with all due sympathy and liking for Roger’s brave action here, is what was Russia’s alternative? Was there one? I am hard put to figure out what it was.

On narrow legal grounds, the UN Charter only permits the use of force after authorization of the Security Council or in self defense of a “member state.” Donetsk and Luhansk are not member states of the UN. In this sense the Russian invasion can be considered “illegal.” Russia only recognized the two republic’s independence from Ukraine three days before its intervention.

States can legally request the presence of foreign forces on their territory. Article 42 of the Geneva Convention says: “Territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army.” The Russian army is certainly not seen as hostile in Donetsk and Luhansk. The murkiness of the legal questions arises on the question of whether Donetsk and Luhansk are independent states or are still part of Ukraine. Independent states are defined under the Montevideo Convention of 1933 as: “The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:

d. capacity to enter into relations with the other states.”

Article 3 of the convention says: “The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states.”

In this UN session the Ukrainian representative quoted Waters out of context calling Putin ‘the new Hitler’ in a Sept. 2022 interview by Chris Hedges. (1:42.22. ) I listened to that interview, which is online: hxxps://scheerpost.com/2022/09/29/the-chris-hedges-report-roger-waters-on-his-music-activism-and-this-is-not-a-drill-tour/ Waters says: “How can we stop this war? Well obviously you have to talk to Vladimir Putin, who is the new Hitler. YOU CAN’T EVEN TALK TO HIM”…” at 21:32. The Ukrainian diplomat left out ‘You can’t even talk to him”, and was presumably aware Walters was being ironic.

As I recall, the US / NATO were totally unwillingly to listen / hear Putin say anything in the lead up to this fiasco.

ABSOFLIPNLUTELY, “GOLDEN!!”

Roger Waters rocked the heart & bones of the $h*tuation. “Enough is enough! We demand change.“

“We, the People,” channeling Rogers’ MUM,” (R.I.P.), shout out, “SCORE!” Thank You, ROGER WATERS!!! “You have done the heavy lifting; AND, “Oh,” it came easy, for you, perfectly & thoroughly articulated. A Gentleman. A Statesman. A Peacemaker. W/o a doubt, Roger Waters, “You did the right thing!!!!” THANK YOU!

Indeed, “John Lennon pumping the air w/his fists from the grave.” All we are saying, is give Peace a Chance!!!

“Apparently, the only thing the Powers that Be think we can afford is perpetual war. How crazy is that?” Roger Waters

Today, we met the ‘Powers that Be’, “the bigger piggies in their starched white shirts.” Yes, we, “found the bigger piggies stirring up the dirt. Always have clean shirts, to play around in. In their styes with all their backing. They don’t care what goes on around. In their eyes there’s something lacking.” What they got today, was f/schooled!!!

“Everywhere there’s lots of piggies. Living piggy lives. You can see them out for dinner with their piggy wives. Clutching forks and knives, to eat the bacon.”

Resolution: “AGREE TO A CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE, TODAY;” CANCEL the Economic Warfare aka $ocial Murder on the People. “GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT,” Peace NOT War; AND, “A Plan to Save the Planet,” developed by Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research & The Network of Research Institutes.” KEEP IT LIT.

Many of the testimonies were childishly petty and detached from reality, but the speech from the Albanian delegate was really something else. I could only imagine an American hand up his ass like a sockpuppet the entire time.

Well done, Roger! I believe that this “crisis” is well predicted in the book by William Strauss and Neil Howe. It is titled, The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy (although it describes the GLOBAL issues of crises, like wars). The theory is much too involved to describe here, but it essentially explains the clashing of societal generations which result in conflict, usually wars, about every 80-100 years (4 generations of people, at 20-25 years each). The major crises are created at these intervals due to the interactions of generations. In the US, you could look at the Revolutionary War (1776), the Civil War (1861), WWII (1941), and potentially WWIII (2024-?). They are separated by about 80 years. I don’t think WWI fits into the American narrative, as it was largely European. Some debate here, agreed. Some people don’t “buy” the theory, but it is interesting.

In this particular case, Waters would be seen as an “ELDER,” who is trying to talk sense to the generations before or around his age, like Boomers. The relevant generations are Gen Z, Gen Y, Gen X, and Boomers, as the oldest generation, “Silents,” are out of the game.

Just something to think about.

Perhaps a minor issue, compared to war, but let us not maintain the false illusion that in the US, “the People” are not unified. We, in the US, are middle class vs. poor, workers vs. those left jobless. We ignore the fact that a few million Americans were stripped of their human rights (UN’s UDHR) to food and shelter because (after years of US job losses long surpassing job gains) they were left jobless. We see the flat indifference toward the fact that, in this :land of wealth” that can transfer tens of billions of dollars to (fascist) Zelensky, over 1,300 homless Americans – refused aid – froze to death last winter.

A meticulous accounting of the homeless situation in the US can be found here:

xttps://lifeandmyfinances.com/2023/02/homelessness-statistics/

On a single night in 2022, there were 582,500 people affected by homelessness in the United States. (AHAR to Congress, 2022)

Some reports estimate this number can be ten times higher in reality. (NLCHP, 2019) 

About 24.5 million (or 7.4%) of Americans have experienced homelessness in their lifetime. (NCBI, 2018)

What a sad commentary on what so many of world governments are—–I think that one movie character did get it right.

YODA: “Do or do not, there is no try”

Military groups fall into this so often as do so many nations ; i.e. —the action of falling into that very same hole.

I. disagree with Roger’s solution.. Only accomplishing the goals of Russia can SOLVE the problems. A cease fire only prolongs the conflict by allowing rebuilding of the offensive weapons.

Russia’s goal has clearly been that of dismantling Ukraine’s infrastructure with minimal l9ss of life, as a means of stopping Zelensky’s insane push for war. Remember that Ukraine was a region of Russia from the 1700s until the collapse of the Soviet Union – after which Western business (and political) interests poured in. Eastern Ukraine largely identifies as ethnic Russian. Note the US role in Ukraine’s 2014 coup, and in installing Zelensky in 2019, followed by Zelensky’s war on eastern Ukraine. When Zelensky began shooting missiles across the border, hitting towns and villages, the battle line was drawn, and Russia “invaded” (as corporate media puts it) Ukraine. The only way this war can end (short f nuclear world war) is if Zelensky is gone.

I agree with Fabian. There will not be a Minsk 3. There will only be a ceasefire after a total Ukrainian surrender. Rogers was very effective, but still adds the requisite “What Russia did was illegal.” That is certainly debatable, given the impotence, if not the collaboration, of the UN.

I don’t remember ever hearing anyone tell so many powerful people what I think and hope for until Roger Waters did at the Security Council yesterday. My heart brimmed over with gratefulness to him.

Feb 19 at Lincoln Memorial

Rage Against the War Machine rally is going to be HUGE at Lincoln Memorial on February 19th.

Speakers: Jimmy Dore Tulsi Gabbard Ron Paul Dennis Kucinich Chris Hedges Max Blumenthal Anya Parampil Scott Horton Jill Stein Kim Iversen

I wonder if Roger Waters could be invited!

That’d be marvelous.

Obviously Mr. Waters has made an impact on Ukraine with his speeches and ideals, as the representative for Ukraine spent an inordinate amount of time critising him; virtually ignoring the Russian Federation’s comments. The UK representative began with “Let’s look at the facts” which of course she didn’t (other than to itemise events beginning only last February) The supercilious US contingent had some amazing sneering facial expressions. He must have forgotten the US’s role in “illegally invading” other countries by way of an “unprovoked attack”. The African countries were right to voice concerns about weapons donated to Ukraine finding their way into the hands of rebels in their country. In the end, nothing of consequence was acheived. And until such time that Russia can be guaranteed there will be no nuclear weapons on their border and that Ukraine will not become a NATO member, then this situation will perpetuate. (And I doubt those guarantees will ever be forthcoming.)

The U.S. representative also said the days of ‘spheres of influence’ are over when the U.S. considers Latin America, Europe, Africa, indeed the entire globe its sphere of influence.

And in a “freudian” slip at one point he said “prosperous” then quickly changed it to “preposterous”.

Amazing – Ukraine’s rep is spending his time attacking Roger Waters! And it is clear now what he was doing on his phone during Water’s speech – looking up stuff to bash him with .. It will be interesting to see what Roger does now – pretty gutsy of him to be there ..

Yes, what a disgusting, undignified performance, with his endless bile aimed at Roger.

Perhaps he didn’t know, but Waters could have asked for a right of reply to the Ukrainian ambassador.

Somehow I missed a similar council discussion during US invasions of Iraq or Afghanistan …

God can’t sin. When God does things they are always good. (Exceptionalism in action).

The invasion of Iraq 2003 and the invasion of Ukraine has some similarities. They both contravene UN conventions. They both hurt civilians. The glaring differences are the fact that the Russian invasion was provoked by NATO hovering close to its borders and unlike the WMDs and so called Iraqi alliance with Al-Queda Russia’s claims were actually true. The US also called the invasion of Iraq an “operation”.

Yes, and just to add to your comment, the US is ~6900 miles away from Iraq, with oceans between the two! Iraq posed/poses NO realistic threat to the US nor its allies, even IF they had/were working on a nuclear weapon, since they know as everyone else does that IF they used A nuclear weapon it would open the doors to nuclear retribution by much-more armed adversaries. Additionally, recall the ’Shock and Awe’ bombing campaign that the US so proudly employed in the Iraq War(crime) of 2003! There was virtually no pretense of limited/‘strategic’ bombing during that ‘operation’ because anybody under our bombs is by definition ‘bad’ and deserves it! The hypocrisy/dbl-standard is obvious to anyone NOT engaged in self-illusion.

Thank you, Roger Waters for using your fame to create improvements in the world.

May you be succesful and prevail!

Bravo to Roger Waters and the Russian Federation. Sadly, this will not be broadcast to the people who desperately need to see it. The warmongers will carry on as they always do.

CN to be commended for including text. Roger is to be commended for equating early in his speech for mention of homeless… Outside the War Zone! Only So much $cript 2 go ’round apparently…

We received the text of the speech from Roger Waters through an intermediary.

Agreed. We must also acknowledge the Russian Federation for inviting him to speak knowing that he would say the invasion was illegal and that he condemned it.

No Western country would have been so tolerant.

A very good point.

It is a bit of a worry to see how disinterested the Ukrainian reps are who are constanting of thier smart phones.

“Antisemite and Russophile” may or may not be correct; what is valid is R. Waters’ denunciation of the continued conflict and bloodshed. The un has a role of diplomacy; western media presents it as entertainment. Thank CN for bellowing against war.

Everyone please share this with others. Lets get lots of people to watch.

I apologize to those whom I have directed here to hear Roger Waters speak at 10am EST and an hour later he has not been seen.

He has spoken. This is a live stream but you can slide the red bar back to -55:00 to see his speech from the beginning.

I’ve tried and it’s not working.

Click on the red line until you find Waters speaking. It is now -3:00. This time will change as the live stream progress. Putting your cursor on the red line allows you to see where you are. If the U.N. posts a recording of the meeting we will post that. Until then you must slide back on the red line until you see Waters speaking.

Thanks for this tip, it helps to make meaningful sharing. (I only picked up when Equador was speaking.) Also, might there be a transcript available?

Excellent! I love Roger, he is adored in Latin America where, as Kissinger confessed in his memoirs, US orchestrated all military coups, that produced the torture and disappearance of thousands upon thousands innocent civilians in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay (plan Condor). Roger has always been a companero.

I look forward to this. Thankyou CN. Meanwhile Mr. Waters is taking flak from another front:

“Polly Samson, the wife of Pink Floyd’sDavid Gilmour and a lyricist on the band’s two most recent albums, has spoken out against former bandleader Roger Waters on Twitter, describing him as an antisemite and a “Putin apologist” (the Guardian 7th Feb)

She sounds like someone who can be completely ignored.

This is what she actually said on twitter:

“Sadly [Waters] you are antisemitic to your rotten core,” she wrote. “Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense.”

You would want to ignore someone like that.

Gilmour is still smarting from Waters’ excluding him from an entire Pink Floyd album, decades ago. Roger simply had more talent.

I would not be surprised were efforts made to Corbynize Riger Waters, Valerie, even as more music, “literature” and Hollywood products becomes little more than dull, formulaic nostalgia porn.

Many celebrities are quite happy with the way things are, they’ve got theirs, and we shouldn’t be amazed that many wrap themselves, quite literally, in the flags of convenience and comfortable assumption.

Yes Bartoo. First they came for Jeremy Corbyn.

Valerie, Mr. Waters has taken flack for being called an anti semite for long before Polly and Gilmore got involved. Every time Roger speaks to support the Palestinians the propaganda begins against Waters. Honestly, I feel very outraged and at the same time sorry that not only are some ultra religious Zionists conditioned to believe they are above humanities and law but the truly believe they are the only people deserving of the land and push forth the notion of it should be an all Jewish state. And for whatever reason the US funds Israel. About Russia, there too, it has been for decades the US pushes hegemony whereas the US has broken agreements to not put military bases up to their ‘front door’, all the while there was conflict in Ukraine since 2014. Please research both of these topics in unbiased sources… just like Consortium! I told Polly that I hope Roger wipes the floor up with her legally since her and Gilmore are now in unison teaming up against Waters and Waters is the consummate political peace promoting truth teller, activist. Thank you to Joe Lauria for broadcasting this and always providing the best in unbiased News.

Superb comment, Elyss.

It’s an up hill battle that’s for sure. And the truth tellers are thin on the ground.

Of course, when one has no rational argument, they resort to childish name-calling. Self-hating Jew, Anti-Semite, Russian agent, Putin apologist blah blah. We can do that too: David Gilmour is a pompous tosser, and his wife a brainless sycophant.

Today’s “Guardian” headline on the subject:

“Ukraine denounces Roger Waters as ‘another brick in the wall’ of Moscow propaganda”

(I suppose a “war of words” is infinitely preferable to the real horrors of combat.)

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