Give Peace A Chance

 

Before the jingoistic cheer leading and Russia-hating catcalls start pouring
from the poorly informed but enthusiastically irrational peanut gallery,
let's take a moment to review a few important FACTS. Maybe FACTS are
not quite as spectacular or emotionally satisfying as burping up bilious
gas balls of MSM propaganda, but they can provide PERSPECTIVE.

During the 90s, following the dissolution of the USSR, the military flights and
air-space patrols and probing by Russia as part of their stand-off with
the West __ mirrored 24/7  by the U.S. and NATO with similar fleets of
fighters, bombers, reconnaissance planes, refueling tankers __ stopped
completely. The reconnaissance and war readiness exercises by the
Western powers, however, continued uninterrupted.

Reacting to this unbroken protraction of war readiness by the West, Russia
started up their long range bomber patrols again July and August 2007,
returned to guarding its air space and borders, keeping a sufficient
number of planes in the air to let the West know that they were not to
be permitted carte blanche superiority in the skies near Russian air
space.

This means, for over 15 years Russia suspended a major component of the Cold
War years confrontation, taking itself completely off of a war footing.
Rather than take advantage of this historic opportunity, the West
continued, and if anything increased, its intimidation of Russia, which
by both choice and circumstance __ its empire had disintegrated and the
country itself was in dire economic straits __ tried to pursue peaceful
relations.

During the 90s Russia was understandably preoccupied with putting its house back
in order and trying to rebuild the functional framework of a nation.
With calculating deftness but in direct violation of recorded assurances
made to Russia that NATO would not move "one inch east"
of Germany __ a trade-off for Russia's quickly withdrawing its troops
from East Germany to permit an orderly, uncontested reunification of the
German nation __ NATO at the prompting of the U.S. proceeded to rapidly
expand its geographical orbit. Today it includes Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. All of these countries are considerably more than an inch east of Germany.

Then in December 2001, the U.S. announced that it was unilaterally pulling out of the ABM Treaty,
signaling that it claimed the right to now put anti-ballistic missiles
in any country in the NATO alliance. This move was unprovoked, meaning
there was no specific incident or level of tension between Russia and
the U.S. prompting such a sudden breach of the agreement, one that had
been in force since 1972. Ominously, this was the first time in U.S.
history that America had walked away from such a major agreement.

Since the U.S. at the time and for many years afterwards, claimed that the
anti-ballistic missiles were purely to prevent rogue nations like Iran
and North Korea from attacking Europe, Russia offered to become part of a
unified system of missile defense of Europe, offering its own
sophisticated missile tracking radar to the mix.

America turned down this offer from the Russians.

While there is much more, sometimes less is more.

Here less is enough.

Encapsulating . . .

NATO moves its military alliance and bases to Russia's borders. The U.S. starts
deploying ABMs near Russia's borders. The U.S. wants no part of Russian
cooperation in optimizing those systems against the "enemies".

Who is Russia to conclude is the real enemy being targeted by these ABMs?

What is Russia to conclude from the relentless move east, right up to its borders, of the military forces of NATO?

What is Russia to conclude from what appears to be a "containment" policy directed at them, currently implemented by twenty-seven major military installations, with possibly more yet to come?

Then to pour gasoline on the embers of suspicion, last year the U.S. assisted the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Ukraine, a nation with long historical ties going back centuries to Russia, located right on Russia's "underbelly".

Concurrently, a venomous anti-Russia propaganda blitz began in the West.

Everything became Russia's fault: The whole Ukraine crisis, the downing of
Malaysian Flight 17, the deaths in eastern Ukraine, the "invasion" and
annexation of Crimea. 

About the same time, a massive campaign to demonize Putin went into high gear, initiated and aggressively promoted by the U.S. via its presstitute media __ direct personal attacks even made by
Obama, Biden, and Samantha Power at the U.N. __ and spread across the
globe, the truculence championed by England, Germany and France.

What is going on here? What does this look like to you?

I know what it looks like to me.
 
There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that hubris and arrogance,
that delusional imperial ambitions and diplomatic megalomania, coupled
with just plain horrible judgment has again replaced thoughtful
analysis, basic respect for the interests of other nations, and
responsible leadership. 

Many are coming to this horrifying conclusion: America wants war with Russia.

It doesn't help that some clueless imbeciles escaped their short bus ride for a
day at the Leggo Park and infiltrated our policy-making institutions,
preaching the suicidal gospel that we can win a nuclear war with Russia. They are joined by self-proclaimed political geniuses __ masters of the universe who think history is a 90s Michael Jackson album __ proposing after consulting their Magic 8-Ball that with a few slick moves America can just topple the current government of Russia
and render the entire nation with its vast natural resources a vassal
state, ready for easy picking by America's corporate predators. I'm sure
these same Pollyannas also believe that the Russian people will welcome
America, weeping for joy, throwing bouquets before our Humvees as they
roll through Moscow Square.

America thinks it can bluster and bluff, use color revolutions to nudge Putin out of office and install some bloated puppet in his place like they did with Poroshenko in Ukraine __ though even that's far from a done deal itself.

America thinks what it says is divine truth and to hell with anyone who disagrees.

America thinks its military might and economic power confers it a special,
unassailable place in the world, a position of supreme and
unquestionable leadership and iron rule.

With these recent dealings with Russia, we're another 25 years into the
tragicomedy of our infantile machinations, self-absorbed exceptionalism,
diplomatic myopia, and sociopathic delusions of imperial grandeur. We
have engaged some of the best minds and produced some of the worst
ideas.

Where do we now stand?

What do we have to show for all of this American ingenuity?

First and foremost, Cold War 2.0 is up and running full-tilt because Russia finally arrived at the inescapable conclusion that NATO is a profound military threat.

The meticulously and arduously fashioned trust and spirit of cooperation
gradually built over decades is trashed, relations between the U.S. and
Russia severely damaged for many years to come. Russia now believes all of the talk of
integration and cooperation was just lip-service, a cheap smokescreen
for America's real agenda __ destroying their country.

As accusations and hysteria prompted by old habits and grudges now take
center stage, hopeful and constructive dialogue have become drown out by
the drums of war. 

War fever and sabotage of peace initiatives __ mostly emanating from Washington DC __ are becoming pandemic.

The escalation of paranoia and preparation for major conflict keeps ratcheting up and up.

Trying to stop this madness is like trying to stop an avalanche with a pair of wool mittens.

We are way beyond the finger-pointing and blame-game phase. Now it's tit-for-tat
as both sides ramp up their respective militaries, each new step
bringing the situation closer to spinning completely out of control.

The Pentagon pushes for a military build-up along Russia's border. The world gets to hear General Frederick Hodges explain his no-mercy policy and lecture Europe and NATO about preparedness.  Friction develops and Russia objects as NATO continues a massive military build-up of troops in the Baltic States and other Eastern Europe NATO countries. There are U.S. paratroopers headed for Ukraine to train their army. Ukraine President, Petro Poroshenko, claims to have struck a deal will eleven EU countries to provide military weapons, including lethal ones. Great Britain deploys 30 Royal Air Force planes for Rising Panther, its largest war aerial exercises in a decade, in
response to the "Russian threat". U.S. tanks, Humvees and armored personnel carriers roll through Latvia. We have JOINT WARRIOR, a huge deployment of naval ships out of Scotland, for war game exercises. Poland is purchasing the Patriot ABM system to defend against the anticipated Russian invasion. Even the U.S. National Guard has sent twelve F-15 interceptor jets to Europe guarding against Russia.

None of this has escaped Russia's attention, so understandably they have responded with their own build-up and heightened alert status. They conducted huge rapid deployment drills
in Kaliningrad, and have deployed a new missile defense radar system
there which covers the entire Atlantic. Russia is sending advanced supersonic strategic bombers to Crimea for global training exercises, as well as re-equipping early warning radar sites in the recently annexed territory. They have also announced the launch of a new advanced missile-attack warning satellite. There have been reports of an escalating presence of Russian strategic bombers near U.S. airspace, and concern expressed by NATO at the apparently growing number of "incidents" involving Russian planes and seagoing vessels, with of course no mention of the
provocations emanating from NATO itself and its allies. Recognizing that
Russia will stand toe-to-toe with the West in the face of aggression by
NATO, U.S. troops at the front now feel "vulnerable" and want bigger, better weapons.

Through all of this, a stream of propaganda,
outright condemnation, shoddy fabrication, angry provocation, and
malicious innuendo continued to spew from President Obama,
Vice-President Biden, Secretary of State Kerry, and U.S. Ambassador to
the United Nations, Samantha Power, aided and abetted naturally by the
main stream media.

Then yesterday, as I was finishing this article, Geoffrey Pyatt, a man with a
long sleazy record of diplomatic disservice, who is currently U.S.
Ambassador to the Ukraine, was reported to have tweeted an image of Russian air defense systems,
claiming they were there in the country, when in fact the photo was
actually taken outside of Moscow two years ago at an International
Aviation and Space Show. Mr. Pyatt has thus expanded the range of his
incompetence to even being pathetic at lying __ making him more
dangerous.

So we now have the perfect storm:  hubris, idiocy, and paranoia.

The military one upsmanship coupled with diplomatic dysfunction is sheer madness.

I keep listening for a voice of sanity, appeals for restraint, some thoughtful analysis __ occasionally there have been a few faint whispers __ but mostly I'm hearing adolescent boys shouting at one another, as they rev up for a serious scrap in the schoolyard.

At the same time, as with most fights someone had to start it. Usually that gives us some clue who needs to stop it.

No matter what spin you put on everything I've laid out in this article, no matter
how you rationalize it, hide it behind the thin vapor of noble
intentions, without any equivocation, doubt, or splitting of hairs, it is the U.S. that has been provoking and perpetuating this extremely dangerous and counter-productive confrontation.

It's not even in America's long term interests to keep this war of nerves going.

Russia is not Zimbabwe, Iraq, or Yemen.  It's not Grenada or Haiti.

Russia is not going to be intimidated by a chest-beating schoolyard bully.

This can only end badly for the U.S., its allies, and the rest of the world.

Obama, Kerry, Biden . . . COME ON! . . . man up a little! 

Admit your mistakes.  Show some self-respect.  Let's see real leadership.

Stand up to the neocon crazies and psychopathic empire builders.

Thoughtful judgment and common sense go a long way.

Drop the arrogant posturing and cut your losses.

History will judge you more kindly.

Give peace a chance.


[ This originated at the author's personal web site . . . http://jdrachel.com ]

War Is A Lie

 

We all know what's going on in Syria. There's been a civil war for some time now.  Many citizens there are very unhappy with the Assad regime. There are elements within the country, now joined by a variety of well-armed and well-funded terrorist organizations from outside, that have taken up arms in an attempt to overthrow the government.

We also know that Washington DC __ I obviously include here Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton before and now Kerry, but also the huge imbedded coterie of neocon imperialists who never look at a military campaign they don't get all giddy over and have grandiose visions of American hegemony over the world that goes way beyond childish fantasy into the realm of delusional psychosis __ has been licking its lips for a long time now, waiting for the right moment and the most plausible opportunity to plunge our country into another pointless military conflict in the Middle East. Iran's alleged development of a nuclear weapon just hasn't gotten traction so far with the American public __ basically because it's a fabrication. Hmm ... what else might get everyone's hackles up?

We now see the claims of "irrefutable proof" that chemical weapons were used by Assad's forces against Syria's own people. We hear the "irrefutable logic" that this gross violation of proscriptions against use of such weapons __ international law in the form of treaties and legal instruments by the United Nations __ MUST be punished.

To their credit, most Americans are not buying the thunderous but hollow beating of the war drums. Tragically the express will of the citizenry is not deterring the warmongers. These guys are relentless. They'll keep pouring it on. They'll come up with whatever "facts and figures" it takes to turn the tide of opinion and convince us to get with the program.

But the simple truth is . . . it's all a lie.

Either it's a lie via the lack of certain evidence.

Or it's a lie which springs from America's own hypocrisy.

America MUST punish such immoral transgressions?

First of all, there are mechanisms in place for addressing any such violations. America is not required to be judge, jury and executioner here or in any other instance of misbehavior by other nations.

Second, our indignation at the atrocities committed in other countries rings very hollow when you consider how America tends to cherry-pick its moral outrage. For example, we looked the other way when Saddam Hussein was gassing Iran. You remember. Saddam Hussein, that evil bad guy we had to depose. The one we called the new Adolph Hitler. The one we supported with billions of dollars of foreign aid a few years before when we liked him, the despicable evil dictator of the country where we "initiated and supported much of the financing, intelligence, and military help that built Saddam's Iraq into the power it became" and "Reagan/Bush administrations permitted — and frequently encouraged — the flow of money, agricultural credits, dual-use technology, chemicals, and weapons to Iraq."

I won't even get into the list of countries where we stood by and yawned as the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people occurred __ Rwanda immediately comes to mind __ our indignation on holiday. Nor will I get into the incredibly long list of countries ruled by ruthless autocrats supported by the U.S., who oppress and slaughter their own people often with the armaments we provide them.

While I'm on the subject of lies, I'm sure I don't have to remind you of all of the lies __ WMDs being first on the list __ told to the American people and the entire world which plunged us into the Iraq war, at the cost of 5,000 American lives and 190,000 Iraqis, 70% of them citizens. And how to make the medicine go down nice and smooth, we were told prior to that horrible fiasco, that we should be able to get in, get out, and wrap up the military campaign for a mere $50 or $60 billion, whereas estimates for the financial burdens just from the Iraq war are now at $2.2 trillion (yes, that's TRILLION!).

So . . .

Why all these lies?

Obviously, lies serve a specific timely function in terms of swaying public opinion. For example, whenever we're getting ready to put boots on the ground, we have to get people riled up before we send our young men and women into combat, or even waste billions more tax dollars raining down death and destruction on another country in the form of cruise missiles. Otherwise, some armchair generals might come to the conclusion that these wars are nothing more than senseless slaughter. Even if they are purely senseless slaughter, we can't have people thinking that!

But beyond the practical need that our amoral trigger-happy ends-justify-the-means political leaders perceive, I see something happening in our society. It's certainly nothing new but what is unprecedented is its scale.

I've come to believe that lying had become pandemic. Not only is it acceptable. It's become woven into the fabric of our culture, the way cancer cells weave their way into the anatomy of the human body.

Why do THEY lie and tell young girls they're not pretty enough, not thin enough, not sexy enough, and then lie to them about cosmetics, diets and weight loss pills, fashions that will turn you into objects of allure?

Why do THEY lie to young men and tell them might makes right and if you have a big gun or big muscles or a big mouth or a big dick, you now own the high moral ground and you can bully your way to the top?

Why do THEY lie to all of us regular folks and still call America the land of opportunity, where no matter how poor you are or what color your skin, you can rise to the top, when the truth is upward mobility in the U.S. is the worst in the developed world?

Why? Why? Why?

Why all the lies?

Amazingly enough, there is one simple answer. One size fits all. These mega liars kept it simple.
Money!

Behind every lie we're told is a profit motive. Every lie that succeeds takes money from you and I and puts it into the pockets of the liars.

The already appallingly wealthy just can't get enough. Already in possession of the vast majority of this country's wealth, they want more.

What's Syria about? The full explanation would take up an hour of your time. But it's about pipelines __ gas and oil pipelines. That's what Afghanistan was about. That's what Iraq was about. That's what Iran is about. That's what Syria is about. If you have the time and have a strong stomach __ it certainly made me sick __ watch here, here, here, and here to see why our soldiers are dying.

Wars are always built on lies. I am totally convinced of this now.

I want you to buy David Swanson's book (pictured above) . . . http://amzn.to/1cDHbYO

He doesn't know me and I get no commission. I have no stake in this.

But you do. If you don't read this book, you're choosing a lobotomy over understanding why we are immersed in gridlock, confusion, conundrum. Why we're perpetually at war. Why we, who have to go out and put our lives on the line for the rich and powerful, are always given this choice:

a) War
b) War
c) All of the above

Does this sound twisted or melodramatic? It's not.

When you see the reason behind all the lies, it's like when Dorothy arrived in Oz and suddenly her world went from black-and-white to dazzling, breathtaking color.

Let me say one last thing about lies and war. This applies to every waking moment of our lives, and why we must always be vigilantes for honesty.

When THEY lie to us and we believe them, we end up at war with ourselves, war with one another, war with everyone else in the world, and at war with the truth.

And if we continue to allow this to happen . . .

There will be no survivors.




[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . http://jdrachel.com ]