Alexander Vindman the face of functionaries of the Deep State
Five minutes of glory and demise of Alexander Vindman, or Ukrainian Lobby alliance with neocons
Neocons make their living off of threat inflation and this isn't cheap cynicism. It is simply a fact. Why encircling Russia and arming the Ukraine is a questionable idea, that can lead to creation of the largest radioactive
deserts on two continents. Vindman case is a strange, bizarre example of the alliance of the Deep State, the Ukrainian lobby
and neocons, the trap from which there is no escape
"Victoria Nuland is reported to have been overheard to say on a cell phone - "Fuck the EU." This
was evidently a response to European attempts to head off a coup by West Ukrainian sons and grandsons of Galicians (west Ukrainians)
who fought with Nazi Germany against the USSR in WW2." ... "A question for me is the motivation behind the antipathy of the American
neo-liberals and neocons toward Russia. There are a lot of Jews scattered among these groups..."
|
Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. ... In the execution
of such a plan nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate
attachments for others should be excluded, and that in place of them just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated.
The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to
its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in
one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and
to be haughty and intractable when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. So, likewise, a passionate attachment
of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary
common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former
into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions
to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the nation making the concessions by unnecessarily
parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill will, and a disposition to retaliate in the parties
from whom equal privileges are withheld; and it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the
favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without odium, sometimes even with popularity,
gilding with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal
for public good the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.
Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (I conjure you to believe me, fellow citizens) the jealousy of a free people
ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican
government. But that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial, else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided,
instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom
they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots
who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause
and confidence of the people to surrender their interests.
The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is, in extending our commercial relations to have with them
as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements let them be fulfilled with perfect good
faith. Here let us stop. ...
George Washington's famous farewall address
|
"The Moor has done his duty. The Moor can go."
Colonel Vindman was fired after Trump acquittal, as at this point his testimony was tantamount to insubordination to the
Commander in Chief. "The Moor has done his duty. The Moor can go."
While the rank-and-file military are among the most patriotic of Americans and show unwavering support for the Constitution, there
is a class of elite national security establishment who, whatever they may say on ceremonial occasions, believe they are above
the Constitution. The "national security establishment" is colloquially known as the
Deep State.
In the past military leaders were part of the ruling class, intelligence agencies did not exist and there
were no danger of a rogue national security establishment in 1789. That why for all their brilliance, the Framers of the Constitution
did not foresee the emergence this treat. JFK
assassination was the Rubicon, they crossed, and the tail started wagging the dog. Brennan 2016 elections machinations
were yet another vivid demonstration that the national security establishment tend to spine out of control.... The USA
media-military-industrial-congressional complex is largely insulated from public accountability, so what’s the
incentive to change course? Half billion to Ukraine in weapons. No Problem. Damn crumbing US infrastructure. It's
taxpayers money and we do not care about them:
The Pentagon’s entire budget operates in much the same way: unprecedented amounts in
unnecessary appropriations resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse. Yet Congress
continues to throw more and more money at the defense department every year without ever requiring it to account
for how it spends the money. In fact, the war in Afghanistan is small potatoes by comparison.
This threat emerged only after WWII and national security state when Truman established intelligence agencies which comprise the
core of the Deep State ( CIA, NSA FBI and Pentagon. Add to this State Department and you get what is called "Trumanites". They
brought with them the three cornerstone of the USA foreign policy
- Exceptionalism - our unique status should exempt us from the rules we expect others to follow.
- Militarism - favor the use of force to advance US security and priority matters of national interest.
- Hegemony - America ought to fight hard not to let any other power challenge our post WWII position.
Gradually the national security bureaucracy became so large and omnipotent that the Madisonian branches of government became mainly
ceremonial institution providing legitimacy to the ruling elite via national election. Something like the British House of Lords, symbolically
important but in reality without much power. Intelligence agencies Nomenklatura, not Trump, are moving the nation toward autocracy,
operated at an increasing removed from constitutional limits and restraints manner (Welcome
to the Potemkin Village of Washington Power The American Conservative)
Tufts law professor Michael Glennon points out in a recent
essay in Humanitas that the Cold
War brought something new and ominous in military-civilian relations. The national security bureaucracy became so large and omnipotent
that the Madisonian branches of government became something like the British House of Lords, symbolically important but in reality
without much power. The executive, legislature, and judiciary became a kind of Potemkin village, with real national security power
lodged in, as Glennon describes it, “a largely concealed managerial directorate, consisting of the several hundred leaders of the
military, law enforcement and intelligence departments.” As this bureaucracy grew, Glennon argues, “those managers…operated at an
increasing remove from constitutional limits and restraints, moving the nation slowly toward autocracy.”Glennon also points out
that, prior to Trump, there was an unwritten pact between the bureaucracy and the Madisonian government: never publicly disagree.
While national security policies have long been crafted and maintained by deep state bureaucracies, everyone played along and told
the public these were the result of “intense deliberations.” Yet a few people noticed that, whether under Republican or Democrat
administrations, national security policies never really changed, intelligence operations were never disrupted, and even peacenik-seeming
presidential candidates became warlike presidents. For decades, neither elected officials nor bureaucratic leaders publicly acknowledged
that American national security policy was being run by what Glennon describes as a “double government,” with elected officials largely
impotent.
However, with the staggering intelligence failure that was 9/11 and two protracted and losing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, some
have begun to question whether the “grown-ups” in the national security bureaucracy are even competent. Trump gave voice to those
concerns in the 2016 campaign, and the result has been a breakdown in the Cold War truce between the two components of the double
government. Leaders of the national security establishment, who know they have real power, took precautions in the unlikely event
of a Trump victory and then proceeded to try to overturn Trump’s election.
When they failed, they partnered with Congress to have
Trump removed through impeachment, taking full advantage of the fractured nature of civilian control of national security institutions.
Impeachment witnesses, such as Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, have been unanimous in their implicit belief that the foreign
policy of the United States should be managed by a professional class of bureaucrats, not by the elected president.
The American constitutional order is thus in great peril. Those obsessed with getting rid of the president should consider that,
were Trump to be removed, it could be the constitutional equivalent of Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon.
The key question is: Is encircling Russia and arming Ukraine in the US national interest ? Is not Russia a potentially valuable ally
against raise of China (although administrations, starting with Clinton did their best to convert it into a bitter enemy of the USA.)
Is not fledgling alliance of China and Russia (the alliance that in future will include Pakistan, Iran and Turkey; and may
be India and Saudi Arabia) spells not only doom to the USA imperial dreams, but endanger the mere existence of the USA -- as in increasing
changes of converting its territory into a radioactive desert?
What the United States needs today is a new strategy of containment — not against communist expansion, as in the Cold War, but against
war itself. The USA neoliberal elite have grown addicted
to it. Here is five reason that Lt Colonel William Astore listed in his blog Bracing Views:
...here are five additional reasons for war’s enduring presence in American life:
- The delusional idea that Americans are, by nature, winners and that our wars are therefore winnable: No American
leader wants to be labeled a “loser.” Meanwhile, such dubious conflicts — see: the Afghan War, now in its 18th year, with
several more years, or even
generations, to go — continue to be treated by the military as if they were indeed winnable, even though they visibly aren’t.
No president, Republican or Democrat, not even Donald J. Trump, despite his promises that American soldiers will be coming home
from such fiascos, has successfully resisted the Pentagon’s siren call for patience (and for yet more trillions of dollars) in
the cause of ultimate victory, however poorly defined, farfetched, or far-off.
- American society’s almost complete
isolation from war’s deadly effects:
We’re not being droned (yet). Our cities are not yet lying in ruins (though they’re certainly suffering from a lack of funding,
as is our most essential infrastructure,
thanks in part to the cost of those overseas wars). It’s nonetheless remarkable how little attention, either in the media or elsewhere,
this country’s never-ending war-making gets here.
- Unnecessary and sweeping secrecy: How can you resist what you essentially don’t know about? Learning its lesson from
the Vietnam War, the Pentagon now
classifies (in plain speak: covers up) the worst aspects of its disastrous wars. This isn’t because the enemy could exploit
such details — the enemy already knows! — but because the American people might be roused to something like anger and action by
it. Principled whistleblowers
like Chelsea Manning have been imprisoned or otherwise dismissed or, in the case of Edward Snowden, pursued and indicted for sharing
honest
details about the calamitous Iraq War and America’s invasive and intrusive surveillance state. In the process, a clear message
of intimidation has been sent to other would-be truth-tellers.
- An unrepresentative government: Long ago, of course, Congress
ceded
to the presidency most of its constitutional powers when it comes to making war. Still, despite
recent attempts to end America’s arms-dealing role in the genocidal Saudi war in Yemen (overridden by Donald Trump’s veto
power), America’s duly elected representatives generally don’t represent the people when it comes to this country’s disastrous
wars. They are, to put it bluntly, largely captives of (and sometimes on leaving politics quite literally
go to work for) the military-industrial complex. As long as money is speech (thank
you, Supreme Court!), the weapons makers are always likely to be able to shout louder in Congress than you and I ever will.
- America’s persistent empathy gap. Despite our size, we are a remarkably insular nation and suffer from a serious
empathy gap when it comes to understanding
foreign cultures and peoples or what we’re actually doing to them. Even our globetrotting troops, when not fighting and killing
foreigners in battle, often stay on vast bases, referred to in the military as “Little Americas,” complete with familiar stores,
fast food, you name it. Wherever we go, there we are, eating our big burgers, driving our big trucks, wielding our big guns, and
dropping our very big
bombs. But what those bombs do, whom they hurt or kill, whom they displace from their homes and lives, these are things that Americans
turn out to care remarkably little about.
Bismarck once famously wrote that “politics is the art of the possible”. But it is the president as an elected official who
theoretically should determine the direction of the USA foreign policy; not the State Department borgists, or Pentagon. And to
change mindset of the deep staters after so many year they worked on confrontation with Russia is next to impossible. The fact that
Vindman with his jingoistic and stupid posture, Fiona Hill, Ciaramella, Yovanovich, State Department "diplomats (which are bullies,
not diplomats) and Ukrainegate in general demonstrate way too clearly. This situation looks more and more like like
Catch 22, or, if you wish, a zugzwang for the USA.
"Aid" is a strangely euphemistic term to describe anti-tank missiles, grenade launchers, and sniper rifles. It would be tragic if
US-supplied ammunition or armaments ended up killing the very Ukrainian civilians that Washington hopes will be coaxed back into the
unified Ukrainian state. The US wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan have cost American taxpayers $6.4 trillion since they
began in 2001. Adding another couple of hundred billion for Ukraine, when we desperately need money at home and a viable national Medical
insurance , and further antagonizing Russia does not make much sense. It just adds one more country which along with the USA and Russia
will be completely wiped out in case of WWIII to the NATO members list.
The other important question that can be asked in connection with Russiagate: "Why demonize the country which does not present
any threat to the USA (and might a very valuable ally), which has multiple and potentially unsolvable internal problems, rather low
standard of living (which is improving but very slowly) and which was almost completely destroyed and looted in 1991-2001 (Not
without CIA and the Clinton administration help; see Harvard Mafia, Andrei
Shleifer and the economic rape of Russia) and was the USA marionette during President Yeltsin tenure?
Of course, that help to maintain the current standard of living to the Washington neocons fifth column (or more correctly military
industrial complex lobbyists) an, more importantly, to direct lion share of the USA fund into military industrial complex, but impoverished
middle class represent a danger not only to existence of the USA global neoliberal empire, but to
the existence of the USA itself and as such this bleeding of middle class should better be stooped ASAP, even if this means putting
a boot on the the throat of the military industrial complex and slicing Pentagon budget in half of more. Of course it is easier
said than done as intelligence agencies are clearly a vital part of the military industrial complex and they are formidable force, capable
crushing any attempt to change the status quo. So this is a Catch 22 situation for the USA. We can not continue to bear
such a level of military expenses and carry the cost of foreign wars (and ramp up the level of debt), and we can't stop.
Enter Alexander Vindman, an NSC staffer who reported to Dr. Fiona Hill and, before that, to Ciaramella
Alexander Vindman testimony (and Vindman is one of most plausible sources of the lead of Trump transcript to the whistleblower) recently
shed some light on the "Deep State" phenomenon. It correlated in major points with the testimony of Fiona Hill, which is
not surprising. Both profess neocon militaristic posture toward Russia (rabid neocon posture in case of Fiona Hill, more reserved
posture of Alexander Vindman) and using Ukraine in geopolitical games in Europe.
Like most neocons, Vindman see Trump’s entire Ukraine policy
as insufficiently hardline and
therefore unacceptable to foreign policy establishment (aks the Deep State). It is unclear why he decided to became the Deep
State spokesmen, and what were incentives, if any.
The key question that arise from his testimony is: "Is the democracy possible if powerful and out of control
three letter agencies like CIA and NSA exist?" It is evident that sooner or later (usually sooner) they makes surface
state just an instrument for providing legitimacy of deep state rule and hijacks most of the decision-making. In a way they
are the "Inner Party" about which Orwell have written its famous dystopia
1984. This phenomenon is reflected in the very term the Deep State.
After 1954 the core of the deep state is intelligence agencies which became a political forces, king of Praetorian Guard, who is capable
elects, blackmail (Epstein) and even kill the Presidents Just look at the role of CIA in the JFK assassination and spying on the members of Congress (Proven CIA behaviour in case of Congress investigating torture in Iraq).
Lelv of control of the USA MSM by intelligence agencies is unknown but probably is very high indeed. See
Journalists for Hire How
the CIA Buys the News by Dr. Udo Ulfkotte
The key question here is the influence of Ukrainian diaspora on the US foreign policy (Diaspora
Communities Influencing US Foreign Policy by Thomas Ambrosio & Yossi Shain)
These ethnic lobbies seek to influence U.S. policy in three ways.
- First, by framing the issues "they help set the terms of debate" or "put items on the country's agenda."
- Second, they are a source of information and analysis that provide a great deal of information to members of Congress
and serve as a resource for other branches of government and non-governmental organizations, and shaping general perspectives.
- Finally, ethnic group lobbies provide policy oversight. "They examine the policies of the U.S. government, propose policies,
write letters and [are] involved in electioneering activities."
Another important question here is the role of experts (what Soviets called "intelligencia"). Vindman clearly
represents this category along with his boss Fional Hill. The prominent Russian scientist
and writer Zinoviev expressed the following reservation about them during "perestroika" in 1991 which are fully applicable
to the USA situation today, especially in view of members of the "resistance"in State Department and other agencies:
If intellectuals replace the current professional politicians as the leaders of society the situation would become much worse.
Because they have neither the sense of reality, nor common sense. For them, the words and speeches are more important than the
actual social laws and the dominant trends, the dominant social dynamics of the society. The psychological principle of the intellectuals
is that we could organize everything much better, but we are not allowed to do it.
But the actual situation is as following: they could organize the life of society as they wish and plan, in the way they view
is the best only if under conditions that are not present now are not feasible in the future. Therefore they are not able to act
even at the level of current leaders of the society, which they despise. The actual leaders are influenced by social pressures,
by the current social situation, but at least they doing something. Intellectuals are unhappy that the real stream of life they are
living in. They consider it wrong. that makes them very dangerous, because they look really smart, while in reality being sophisticated
professional idiots.
This label of "sophisticated professional idiots" is fully applicable not only to Vindman, but also to Fiona Hill and diplomats from
the State Department who testified in Schiff impeachment inquiry. Vindman is completely detached from reality inhabiting the Kingdom
of Neocon Myths about Ukraine starting with the term the "Revolution of dignity" which is reality was a blatant CIA/State department run color revolution,
coup d'état which deposed legitimately elected President (corrupt but legitimately elected) using as a ram. Crashing
fragile constitutional regime in Ukraine and opening the whole can of worms.
Western Ukrainian
nationalists squads were bussed to Kiev from Lviv area and fight police along with well paid with the USA dollars gangs of football hooligans
from different regions (including South of Ukraine). As the result on Nuland orders they smashed
constitutional order in Ukraine, Which was doen to achieve the USA geopolitical goals in the regions -- isolating, weakening
economically (via sanctions, which ios a form of war) and encircling Russia with NATO countries (Nulandgate).
The far right Junta which came to power burned civilians
in Odessa, killed them in Mariupol and unleashed the civil war in Ukraine. As the result they lost Crimea and were on the way of
losing Donetsk and Lugansk regions, when the USA intervened to prevent this happening and threatening Russia. They also pushed the population into dismal poverty,
while enriching few connected to the coup oligarchs and political functionaries (different from those who enriched themselves under
Yanukovich, but equally, if not more corrupt).
Tails is wagging the dog
Vindman testimony as well as testimony of of State Department diplomat shows quite vividly that bureaucratic careerists from CIA,
NSA , State Department and other agencies are far from being merely obedient public servants dedicated to executing policies that elected
officials and their high-level political appointees have adopted. In reality, they have their own policy preferences, and they
are not shy about pushing them, nor do they hesitate to impede, undermine, or even sabotage policies of the President they dislike.
They are a the Inner Party, a neocons warmongers party within the each party of USA political duopoly. Or, Deep state --
another applicable here term -- unelected bureaucrats that define the USA policy contrary to the wishes of elected officials.
| The CIA brass and bureaucratic careerists from other agencies (especially the State Department) are far from being
merely obedient public servants dedicated to executing policies that elected officials and their high-level political appointees
have adopted. Such operatives have their own policy preferences, and they are not shy about pushing them, nor do they hesitate
to impede, undermine, or even sabotage policies they dislike. They are a hidden party, a neocons warmongers party within
the USA political duopoly. |
As Ted Carpenter observed in
When the Deep State
Bullied Reagan's Foreign Policy Chief (The American Conservative, November 27, 2019):
The CIA’s sabotage was not confined to policy regarding Mozambique. Later that decade, during delicate negotiations to achieve
a ceasefire and subsequent accord between Angola’s government and insurgent leader Jonas Savimbi, Shultz fumed that (emphasis added)
“right-wing staffers from Congress, fueled by information from the CIA, were meddling—visiting Savimbi, trying to convince
him that [Assistant Secretary of State Chester] Crocker and I would sell him out.”
Such behavior should debunk the notion that the CIA and other bureaucratic careerists are merely obedient public servants dedicated
to executing policies that elected officials and their high-level political appointees have adopted. Such operatives have their own
policy preferences, and they are not shy about pushing them, nor do they hesitate to impede or undermine policies they dislike.
Perhaps even more troubling, deep state personnel in the CIA, Pentagon, and State Department seem to have a distinct bias in favor
of highly activist policies. CIA analysts and briefers regarded even the principal architect of the Reagan Doctrine as insufficiently
committed in southern Africa. There is a noticeable parallel to the current bureaucratic opposition to Trump’s handling of Ukraine
and Russia. The allegation that Trump has abandoned Kiev and pursues an appeasement policy toward Russia
is absurd. His support for Kiev
has actually been far more substantial than the approach the Obama administration adopted. Yet even that harder line is apparently
not hard enough for establishment career diplomats and their allies.
Treating such saboteurs as heroic patriots is both obscene and dangerous. The honorable course for subordinates who disagree with
a president’s policies is to resign and then express criticism. Adopting a termite strategy while working in a presidential administration
is profoundly unethical. For Congress and the media to praise bureaucratic subversion is horridly myopic. The last thing defenders
of a democratic republic should do is to encourage unelected—and in the case of the intelligence agencies, deeply secretive—bureaucrats
to pursue their own rogue policy agendas.
Alexander Vindman represents an interesting set of figures in the US establishment -- of sons/daughters of emigrants who were born abroad,
but grow up in the USA. Crowdstrike founder Alperovich, an important figure in Russiagate witch hunt also belongs to this category.
Less recent member of the Ukrainian diaspora who also played a role in Russiagate and Ukrainegate is Alexandra Chalupa, a daughter
of emigrants who got to the USA from WWII internment camps, which suggest that they may
found against the
Soviets in WWII (that is true for many members of OUN -- Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists). After WWII members of OUN the
cornerstone of resistance in to Soviet annexation of Western Ukraine and were crushed only in 1950th. They were used by CIA as a
part of underground network direct against Soviets (Operation Gladio).
They also work in the staff of Voice of America and similar organizations (which is natural as they know a lot about their country
of origin and can speak the language). That worked well during the existence of the USSR. But not so well after the USSR was
dissolved.
The worldview of this category of US citizens is deeply influenced by emigrant community and culture, hatred
and prejudices of their country of birth. This is clearly visible in Chalupa case. This also was visible not only with Vindman case (he is an economic
emigrant from
Ukraine) also with Fiona Hill (emigrant via marriage from GB)
and Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch. (she
is a daughter of emigrants but she was born in Canada, moved to Connecticut at the age of three,
and became a
naturalized
American citizen at age eighteen. She grew up
speaking Russian.)
Such people probably should
be kept at arm length from the high levels of decision making related to the xUSSR and Central European countries. Case of Fiona Hill
is more complex and less clear, but it was really difficult to distinguish
her position and the position of Her Majesty government. The level of rabid Russophobia are absolutely identical.
Vindman looks like a close analog of Max Boot (who is an emigrant for Russia). Such people try to compensate with extreme hawkishness
their sense of inferiority.
Being an émigré from Ukraine (and speaking the language -- although most probably it is Russian, not Ukrainian ;-), he also
has connections via his brother with shadow Ukrainian circles (the classic representative of which were Yatsenyuk and Poroshenko), which
plunder Ukraine to enrich themselves and their Western sponsors and protectors. This view of diaspora on Ukraine as a milking
cow is actually quite widespread.
And post 2014 Ukrainian government (actually not that
different in this respect from the government before that; Biden was the best friend and mentor of Yanukovich; Manafort was his campaign
strategist) actively recruited lobbyists in the USA both openly and covertly, spending enormous for such a poor country
amounts of cash (for example oligarch Pinchuk close to former President Kuchma
has donated from $10 to $25 million to the Clinton
Foundation between 1994 and 2005). And this is true not only such major figures like ex-president Poroshenko, Clinton benefactor
Pinchuk, and the power behind Zelenski --
Kolomoyskyi (who along with Poroshenko was also the major sponsor of 2014
coup, but later was sidelined), but also a large number of smaller sharks. Rumors are that Ukrainians, at one time, proposed Vindman
the position of the Minister of Defense.
His testimony raises an important question of influence of emigrant circles on the USA foreign policy and this wisdom of appointing
people with strong ties to foreign countries into the top levels of the USA government. They bring ancient hatred into the mainstream
of the USA politics and strengthen neocons, the most hawkish and militarist strata within the US government. At least Vindman is not
a chickenhawk like most neocons
| Vindman testimony raises an important question of influence of emigrant circles on the USA foreign policy and this wisdom
of appointing people with strong ties to foreign countries into the top levels of the USA government. They bring ancient
hatred into the mainstream of the USA politics and strengthen neocons, the most hawkish and militarist strata within the US government.
At least Vindman is not a chickenhawk like most neocons. |
They also bring with them their own, biased, and somewhat provincial understanding of the USA national security interests, which
usually include assigning outsized importance to their country of birth. The classic example of this was Brzezinski
Russophobia
and his role in creating Political Islam. While it proved to be a useful and potent proxy for fighting Soviets in Afghanistan
(who BTW installed a secular regime in this country and achieved the status of woman about which current Afghan government and its USA
handlers can only dream ), it acquired the life of its own. As the result of Brzezinski efforts, Afghanistan might serve as a
graveyard of the USA global neoliberal empire. As George Washington observed in his famous farewell address (1796):
So, likewise, a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation,
facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the
enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement
or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure
the nation making the concessions by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained, and by exciting jealousy, ill will,
and a disposition to retaliate in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld; and it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded
citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country without
odium, sometimes even with popularity, gilding with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for
public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation.
Vindman case is slightly bizarre as for a person with a father from Ukraine, who emigrated as a refugee in 1979 (formally escaping
persecution of Jews in Ukraine; in reality an economic migrant) he should be allergic to Western Ukrainian far right nationalists, who
came to power in 2014, and the last thing he should want is to send arms to Ukraine. Western Ukrainian nationalists
during WWII committed horrible crimes against Polish, Jewish and Russian people.
Sending arms to Ukraine also means sending arms to the politically unstable country. And the current level of political instability
Ukraine probably will persist as neoliberalism in Ukraine made the population as poor as church rats. Most wealth is concentrated in
the hands of a dozen of oligarchs. In fact, it is as far from democracy as one can get: this a brutal oligarchic republic with
an extremely poor population ($2-3 a day for lower 50%), which standard of living dropped at least two times since 2014 (and currency
three times -- 300% or 60% a year). As such population is inclined to social revolt. Add to this the differences between Western and
Eastern part of the country who speak different languages, have different religions, with the anemic, but widespread resistance to attempt
of west to colonize it under the pretexts of the idea "one country--one language" (Ukrainization) in the East ).
It might be better to use "Finlandization"
of Ukraine. Supplying
it with additional weapons (as if it does not have enough leftovers from Soviet times) cost money and can only increase casualties on both sides (which is
probably what US strategists want in any case; with Ukrainian being pawn of the US geopolitical ambitions in the region ) Javelins
can be reverse engineered and supplied to forces that fight the US occupation forces in Afghanistan (and this not only
Taliban; Northern alliance can also be brought into the fight anytime; they might switch sides and start fighting Americans). Ukraine also can sell if to the highest
bidder including Islamists, who operate rather openly on the territory of Ukraine (pro Islamist Chechens militia are fighting
against separatists in Donetsk region)
The US spends close to 10% of its GDP on military, if the accounting is done properly. As half of the USA GPS is semi-parasitic
FIRE sector (the former IMF
chief economist Simon Johnson,
have argued that the increased power and influence of the financial services sector had fundamentally transformed the American
polity, endangering representative democracy itself through undue influence on the political system and
regulatory capture by the financial
oligarchy) the actual figure is probably closer to 25%. Or
one of each five discretionary dollar goes to military. The USA does not have those money and need to
borrow and take them from pensioners, poor people, infrastructure spending, and social programs. As Daniel Larison noted
(Endless War Degrades the Military The
American Conservative, Dec 5 2019):
Our endless wars have been enormously costly. It is estimated that all of the wars of the last twenty years will end up
costing at least $6.4 trillion, and beyond that they have consumed our government’s attention and resources to the detriment of
everything else. Our political and military leaders perpetuate these wars, and the public has allowed them to do this, because
they are still laboring under the faulty assumption that the U.S. is being made more secure in the process. The reality is that
endless wars are undermining our security, weakening the military, and creating more enemies. They should be ended responsibly,
but they must end.
Maybe it is time for the US to reduce its huge military spending, which creates mayhem in the world and take funds away from US
imperial programs like regime change operations in xUSSR countries and attempt to encircle Russia with NATO countries by bringing
several xUSSR countries into NATO. Russia threat to Europe is old neocon trick. In reality it was Europe that attacked
Russia half dozen times in last two centuries (Napoleon war, Crimea war, WWI, Intervention (when GB used poison gas on Russians),
Nazi Germany invasion. And it was the USA which committed and economic rape of Russia after the dissolution of the USSR.
NATO should have collapsed after the Soviet Union did. Only the parasitic Warfare State Nomenklatura in Washington created the
Russia = Soviet Union 2.0 meme because it needed an existential "enemy". Because that's where the money is for the MIC and where the
power and prestige are for the uniformed Hacks in the Pentagon and Brussels. The USA also uses NATO as leverage to stick its fat
greasy thumb into strictly European issues generally, e.g. Nord Stream 2.
Trump wants Europe to spend more on defense because more spending means more sales for the American defense contractors whether
Europe needs those weapons or not. That’s why the U.S. is indifferent to Saudi war crimes. And will bend over backwards for Erdogan.
As long as they continue to buy U.S. war toys. Ironically, Trump calls out the European countries in NATO, saying that they free
ride. When in fact Trump wants to increase the size of the hyper-bloated American military. Any American assets removed from Europe
would be merely relocated somewhere else with no savings to the American taxpayers. Trump’s crowing about "savings" is a complete
illusion.
With the Soviet Union gone NATO is largely irrelevant. Russia doesn’t need to be “deterred” because it has absolutely no
strategic reason to invade any country in Europe. And a military incursion would completely wreck its commercial business with
Europe.
If the U.S. butts out of trying to run Europe via coercion (enabled by dominance inside of NATO), the Europeans and Russians
would finally figure things out for themselves and formalize the complete reconciliation that should have occurred over 25 years
ago. France and the UK are nuclear weapon states. The EU has 11 times the money and 3.5 times the population of Russia. Our European
allies can take care of Russia themselves if they feel Russia was a threat. The Europeans don't spend more on defense because they
don't believe Russia is a threat to them. They already out spend Russia on defense and have a combined military force that is both
larger and more advanced than Russia's military.
Russia has no interest in Eastern Europe except as consumers for their commodities and products. The USSR saddled itself with
subsidizing E.Europe and Russia aren't about to repeat their mistake. You need to accept the world the way it really is and not they
way Neocon liars wish it was.
But the USA world dominance goals also means military dominance. That's why NATO will not be dissolved.
Western Ukrainians are viewed by population of Eastern large cities such as Dnipro and Odessa (both with substantial Jewish highly
educated population) as uneducated and provincial, and the Ukrainian culture as the second rate (although now Hollywood and the USA
culture clearly dominate both Ukrainian and Russian culture).
If economic situation of Ukraine continues to deteriorate the frictions between differences might increase and in this case
it is completely unclear in which hands Javelins might land or be resold by Ukraine and for which purposes.
On the other hand, Vindman is a very interesting part of the "Neocons in Trump administration" and "Diaspora influence" stories.
While in now way equal to Ciaramalla meteoritic rise,
he somehow managed to climb the ladder pretty successfully. At 44 he managed already to serve as a low level military attaché in three countries Germany, Russia
(with Former Army Brigadier General Peter Zwack),
and Ukraine. And he served in Moscow during the USA attempt to stage a color revolutions in Russia (2011-2012). The fact that
Vindman is connected to McFaul is alarming. So he probably belong to a small group of "regime change" specialists. Vindman is
also connected to Glenn Simpson. Like Simpson Vindman specialized in Russian affairs, and he might know
Christopher Steele (Shifty
Schiff's Star Tuesday Witness, Alexander Vindman, Is Connected to Obama's Russian Ambassador and Fusion GPS's Glenn Simpson )
He just demonstrates that part of Washington neocon circles in political establishment are filled with emigrants from the former
USSR and Central Europe, who bring with them ancient hatred. Pushing hostilities with Russia is definitely detrimental to the
USA geo-strategic interests as it strengthens the alliance between Russia and China (Stuffed-Uniform
and Deep-State Plant Alexander Vindman Is an ‘Expert’ With an Agenda - SGT Report):
Rather than providing expert advice, Vindman was concerned chiefly because arming Ukraine was not proceeding quickly enough to
suit him, an extremely risky policy which has already created serious problems with a much more important Russia.
Vindman apparently sees Ukraine-Russia through the established optic provided by the Deep State, which considers global
conflict as the price to pay for maintaining its largesse from the US taxpayer. Continuous warfare is its only business product,
which explains in part its dislike of Donald Trump as he has several times threatened to upset the apple cart, even though he has
done precious little in reality. Part of Vindman’s written statement (my emphasis) is revealing: “”When I joined the NSC in July
2018, I began implementing the administration’s policy on Ukraine. In the Spring of 2019, I became aware
of outside influencers promoting a false narrative of Ukraine inconsistent with the consensus views of the interagency. This
narrative was harmful to US government policy. While my interagency colleagues and I were becoming increasingly
optimistic on Ukraine’s prospects, this alternative narrative undermined US government efforts to expand cooperation with
Ukraine.”
Alexander Vindman clearly was pushing a policy that might be described as that of the Deep State rather than responding to his
own chain of command where it is the president who does the decision making. He also needs a history lesson about what has gone
on in his country of birth. President Barack Obama conspired with his own version of Macbeth’s three witches – Rice, Power and
Jarett – to overthrow the legitimate government of Ukraine in 2014 because it was considered to be too close to Moscow. The
regime change was brought about by “mavericks” like the foul-mouthed neocon State Department officer Victoria Nuland and the
footloose warmonger Senator John McCain. Vice President Joe Biden also appeared on the scene after the “wetwork” was done, with
his son Hunter trailing behind him. Since that time, Ukraine has had a succession of increasingly corrupt puppet governments
propped up by billions in foreign aid. It is now per capita the poorest country in Europe.
Vindman, clearly was a player in articulating and managing US policy towards Ukraine, and this is a real danger to have
such an immigrant with strong cultural ties to the country in a major role on the NSC.
Timothy Morrison, a former deputy assistant to the president and the National Security Council’s former senior director for
Europe and Russia, testified that he "had concerns about Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's judgment." He added that others on the
National Security Council, including the NSC's former senior director for Europe and Russia, Dr. Fiona Hill, were wary of
Vindman.
"Among the discussions I had with Dr. Hill in the transition was our team, my team, its strengths and its weaknesses,"
Morrison said. "And Fiona and others had raised concerns about Alex's judgment."
He explicitly assume active role
(Vindman Went Around Authorities to Undermine Trump Administration - Told Ukrainian President Zelensky to Stay Out of US Politic
Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman told Adam Schiff during his testimony on Tuesday that
he went around his chain of command to undermine the Trump administration.
Vindman confessed that he told Ukrainian President Zelensky to “stay out of US politics” during his trip there in
April.
Was this connected with financial activities of his older brother (Leonid Simon Vindman is the "Founder and Managing Partner, Tungsten Capital Advisors" and "has approximately thirty
years of experience in the financial markets,"
his company
website states.
"During the past twenty five years, he has been focusing predominantly on Central Eastern Europe, Russia and Central
Asia where he completed some of the biggest investment and advisory transactions in the region," according to the website.
"He also completed transactions in the Middle East, and traveled extensively in Asia and Africa."
) in Ukraine and how it is difficult to tell:
Colonel Vindman, who reported to noted hater of all things Russian Fiona Hill, who in turn reported to By
Jingo We’ll Go To War John Bolton, was in the middle of all the schemes to bring down Russia. His concern
was not really over Trump vs. Biden. It was focused instead on speeding up the $380 million in military
assistance, to include offensive weapons, that was in the pipeline for Kiev. And assuming that the
Ukrainians could actually learn how to use the weapons, the objective was to punish the Russians and prolong
the conflict in Donbas for no reason at all that makes any sense.
Note the following additional excerpt
from Vindman’s prepared statement: “….I was worried about the implications for the US government’s support
of Ukraine…. I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would
likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the
bipartisan support it has thus far maintained.”
Vindman’s concern is all about Ukraine without any explanation of why the United States would benefit
from bilking the taxpayer to support a foreign deadbeat one more time. One wonders if Vindman was able to
compose his statement without a snicker or two intruding. He does eventually go on to cover the always
essential national security angle, claiming that “Since 2008, Russia has manifested an overtly aggressive
foreign policy, leveraging military power and employing hybrid warfare to achieve its objectives of regional
hegemony and global influence. Absent a deterrent to dissuade Russia from such aggression, there is an
increased risk of further confrontations with the West. In this situation, a strong and independent Ukraine
is critical to US national security interests because Ukraine is a frontline state and a bulwark
against Russian aggression.”
The combined visions of Russia as an aggressive, expansionistic power coupled with the brave Ukrainians
serving as a bastion of freedom is so absurd that it is hardly worth countering. Russia’s economy is about
the size of Italy’s or Spain’s limiting its imperial ambitions, if they actually exist. Its alleged
transgressions against Georgia and Ukraine were both provoked by the United States meddling in Eastern
Europe, something that it had pledged not to do after the Soviet Union collapsed. Ukraine is less an
important American ally than a welfare case, and no one knows that better than Vindman, but he is really
speaking to his masters in the US Establishment when he repeats the conventional arguments.
The combined visions of Russia as an aggressive, expansionistic power coupled with the brave Ukrainians serving as a bastion
of freedom is so absurd that it is hardly worth countering. Russia’s economy is about the size of Italy’s or Spain’s limiting its
imperial ambitions, if they actually exist. Its alleged transgressions against Georgia and Ukraine were both provoked by the
United States meddling in Eastern Europe, something that it had pledged not to do after the Soviet Union collapsed. Ukraine is
less an important American ally than a welfare case, and no one knows that better than Vindman, but he is really speaking to his
masters in the US Establishment when he repeats the conventional arguments.
It might accelerate the decline of the USA led global neoliberal empire and separation of it, like the ancient Roman
empire into two camps. Trump, judging from his election campaign, probably understand that, but it iether incapable or unwilling to
fight the deep state, and barely capable to ensure his own survival. The fact that populated his own administration with rabid neocons,
completely overturn his election campaign promises. In this sense this autumn chickens just came home to roost.
At the same time pictures of Ukrainegaters like Vindman also demonstrate weakness of Corporate Democrats current agenda and
instead of increasing the chances of success in 2020 election, might actually diminish those chances. In other words "Pelosi
gambit" (and Adam "Captain Ahab" Schiff might at the end serve the role of a sacrificial pawn) might backfire. Trump is very adept in
playing the victim and Dems gave him once in life chance to use his skill to the fullest extent possible.
Vindman now looks like another sacrificial pawn in a big game. The fact that he decided to come to the Schiff hearing
is full military uniform, while occupying essentially diplomatic position for the last ten years or so (probably since 2005 -- he
was wounded by a roadside bomb and received a Purple heart) is very telling (Stuffed-Uniform
and Deep-State Plant Alexander Vindman Is an ‘Expert’ With an Agenda - SGT Report.
He understood that he walking on egg-shells now and tried to hide behind the uniform. Is he just a snotty little tattletale
or he violated the UCMJ? Is he a whistle blower or a spy? He did not report any wrongdoing: he just objected against Trump political
preferences for Ukraine, which he has no right to do. Because Presedent defines the forign policy not Lt. Colonel Vindman. He
also did not follow the chain-of-command with his reporting.
An impeachment requires a crime. Acquittal would
mean there was no crime. At this point Vindman will become a soldier who failed to obey a legal order from the
Commander in Chief. While his testimony to Schiff's impeachment inquiry might shield him, his presentation was typical of a certain
kind of a "politician-in-uniform" types, which officers often call a "Pentagon Princeling." They pretend
that they are more clever that the rest of us. We will see to what expent this is true for Lt. Col Vindman.
His brother is one of the ethics lawyers on the National Security Council. Formally as this was a question about ethics, he would
definitely be on a need to know basis to advise Alex Vindman on what to do if he had a concern in his capacity as a lawyer. But on the
other hand telling this his brother does smells bad: going to your twin brother is not going to get you the unbiased advice.
It seems more and more like that Vindman demarche, sincere or not, is a vendetta by a pro-Ukrainian faction in the Obama Administration
(extending back into Trump Administration) that hates Trump and believes anything he does WRT Ukraine is for the direct benefit of Trump's
Russian friends.
| It seems more and more like that Vindman demarche, sincere or not, is a vendetta by a pro-Ukrainian faction in the
Obama Administration (extending back into Trump Administration) that hates Trump and believes anything he does WRT Ukraine is
for the direct benefit of Trump's Russian friends. |
The president, thanks to the Constitution, defines foreign policy. By definition, he can't "subvert" it, because no one
else has the authority to set foreign policy. The bureaucrats and lesser officials (like Vindman) have zero power to set policy -- their
role is to carry out the policies set by the president. Any attempt to thwart that policy is, itself, the very definition of "subversion."
Especially if this is done under the pretext "ZOMG TRUMP! ORANGE MAN BAD!" If does not matter if you're wrapping yourself
in the flag of "national interest" in the process. might depends on a particular definition of the national interests. And neocon definition
is wrong and is a huge liability for the USA. Rapid militarism promoted by neocons costs the USA way too much money and is unsustainable,
especially in the view of the rise of China as an economic power, the size of the national debt, and sliding standard of living to the
middle class due to outsourcing and offshoring of vital industries.
| The president, thanks to the Constitution, defines foreign policy. By definition, he can't "subvert" it,
because no one else has the authority to set foreign policy. |
"“It is difficult to get a man to understand something,
when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”
Upton Sinclair
Vindman was wounded in war in Iraq unleashed by neocons (or more correctly the war useful only for neocons and empire builders
that hijacked Bush II administration). This experience taught him nothing. Like any neocon worth this badge he wants more
wars. Especially with Russia over Ukraine. As a part of Washington neocon blob, who is getting fat on endless wars, he is
perfectly OK that soon you might need a Hamvee to drive on the destroyed by the lack of funds for repairs US roads.
Neocon promote "threat inflation" to secure their own well being and the well being of MIC (as they are essentially
lobbyists for MIC) and Vindman is not exception to this rule. Vindman said he believed it was his “duty” to report his concerns with
the call. Duty to whom? Definitely not to Trump administration, but to neocon blob in State Department and Pentagon.
He appeared to be completely detached from the reality. For example he outright rejected pretty plausible idea (with
substantial evidence) that Joe Biden wanted a corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor removed from office in order to protect his son, Hunter
and the money flow to Bidens family for his lobbing activities. That undermines his credibility:
DEMOCRATIC COUNCIL DANIEL GOLDMAN: “Are you aware of any credible allegations or evidence to support this notion that Vice
President Biden did something wrong or against U.S. policy with regard to Ukraine?”
VINDMAN: “I am not.”
Vindman was similarly stupidly "neoconish" when addressing another very plausible theory that Ukraine, not Russia, was behind the
2016 election interference.
GOLDMAN: “At the time of the July 25th call, were you aware of a theory that Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election?”
VINDMAN: “I was.”
GOLDMAN: “Are you aware of any credible evidence to support this theory?”
VINDMAN: “I am not.”
GOLDMAN: “Are also you aware that Vladimir Putin promoted this theory of Ukrainian election in the 2016 election?”
VINDMAN: “I am well aware of this fact.”
GOLDMAN: “Ultimately, which country did U.S. intelligence services determine to have interfered in the U.S. presidential
election?”
VINDMAN: “It is the consensus of the entire intelligence community that the Russians interfered in U.S. elections in 2016.”
Though it may be the consensus of the entire intelligence community, but fact are stubborn things. This is a nuance that
Vindman does not understand. As on "“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not
understanding it.”
The following comment is applicable to Ukraine, but it is impossible without discarding "Full Spectrum Dominance" doctrine.
• 100 Words
@Bragadocious
Personal consequences of Vindman demarche
t The Afghanistan war is more than a $1 trillion mistake. It's a travesty
The absence of war requires that a pretext is arranged to sell the war to the public. The MIC needs to carry on. Trump got the intended message: do not even try to change foreign policy that benefits MIC.
In case of Vindman his self-inflicted troubles just started. There is no doubt that no matter was was Vindman actual motivation, he will suffer and his career probably ended because he is now tainted with a big controversy. He was reportedly commissioned in January 1999. Unless he gets promoted to full colonel, he’ll be forced into retirement at the 27-year mark, probably January 2026. But, if he’s passed over twice, he may well simply retire. In worst case he could be put under Article 15, which is one step below court-martial, if a court decide that Vindman broke the military code of justice ( How the Army officer who testified against Trump could end up in a court-martial):
Some random observation from the Web about Vindman and his story
Here are some random observation from the Web about Vindman and his story that I have found interesting and informative:
NEWS CONTENTS
( Oct 04, 2019 , spectator.us )
Old News ;-)
[Oct 30, 2020] Vindman No.2 -- Trump Assails White House Mole- -They Should Fire, Shame Punish Everybody Associated With This Fraud
Pecunia non olet -- "money does not stink" in a new interpretation "Profits for the book do not stink"
It is possible that F. Scott Fitzgerald alludes to Vespasian's jest in The Great Gatsby with the phrase "non-olfactory money"
[Oct 02, 2020] Who is who in Ukrainegate
[Oct 01, 2020] Not A Big Deal-- State Dept Docs Show Amb. Yovanovitch Directly Aware Of Two Burisma Bribe Attempts
Images deleted. See original for full text
Notable quotes:
"... Well, according to new memos belatedly released to Just the News's John Solomon , under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department, Yovanovitch wrote top officials in Washington that she feared Burisma Holdings had made a second bribe to Ukrainian officials around the time a corruption probe against Hunter Biden's natural gas employer was closed before Donald Trump took office. ..."
"... Of course, this is all in addition to previous memos that revealed Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma conducted an aggressive lobbying campaign directed at the US State Department throughout the 2016 US election, with the goal of pressuring the Obama administration to lean on Kiev to drop corruption allegations. ..."
"... You decide : The Vice-President's son on the board of a foreign energy entity that was implicate not once, but twice, in alleged bribery schemes? Big deal? or "not a big deal"? ..."
[Jul 08, 2020] Impeachment Witness Vindman Quits Over 'White House Bullying' -
[Jul 08, 2020] Alexander Vindman, Trump impeachment witness, retires from military
This arrogant and clueless neocon got only part of he deserved. He decided to play big politics and was burned, although not as badly as he should be. So far he escaped prison.
Notable quotes:
"... History will remember him as an incompetent, arrogant, office gossip ..."
"... ! Both he and his brother should have been charged with mishandling classified information! ..."
[May 16, 2020] John Solomon 'Everything about the Schiff-show is falling apart' - YouTube
[May 05, 2020] The departing ambassador is a female from the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. A Ukrainian "Nationalist" by descent. Incapable of thinking of the interests of this unfortunate country.
[Feb 08, 2020] Please stand up and clap for Colonel Vindman
[Feb 08, 2020] Impeachment witness Alexander Vindman escorted from White House
[Feb 07, 2020] Ambassador Sondland Gets The Axe Hours After Vindman Twins Escorted Out Of White House
[Feb 03, 2020] White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War
Highly recommended!
This book sheds some light into the story of how Administrative assistants to Present became independent heavily influenced by CIA body controlling the USA foreign policy and to a large extent controlling the President. Recent revolt of NSC (Aka Ukrainegate) shows that the servant became the master
The books contains some interesting information about forming NSC by Truman --- the father of the US National Security State. And bureaucratic turf war the preceded it. It wwas actually Eisenhower who created forma position of a "special assistant to the president for national security affairs"
The author also cover a little bit disastrous decision to launch a "surge" (ironically by the female chickenhawk Meghan O'Sullivan), -- which attests neocon nature of current NSC and level of indoctrination of staffers in "Full Spectrum Dominance" doctrine quite clearly. That's why a faction of NSC launched a coup d'état against Trump in t he form of Ukrainegate and probably was instrumental in Russiagate as well.
Notable quotes:
"... Starting in the 1960s, the NSC dethroned the State Department in providing analysis, intelligence, and even some diplomacy to the diplomat in chief. In the years after September 11th, the staff also began to take greater responsibility, especially for planning, from the military and the rest of the Pentagon. Both departments have struggled and often failed to reclaim lost ground and influence in Washington. ..."
"... Yet war is a hard thing to try to manage from the Executive Office Building. Thousands of miles from the frontlines and far from harm, the NSC make recommendations based on what they come to know from intelligence reports, news sources, phone calls, video-teleconferences, and visits to the front. Even with advice based only on this limited and limiting view, the NSC staff has transformed how the United States fights its wars. ..."
"... Although presidents bear the ultimate responsibilities for these decisions, the NSC staff played an essential, and increasing, role in the thinking behind each bold move. In conflict after conflict, a more powerful NSC staff has fundamentally altered the American way of war. It is now far less informed by the perspective of the military and the view from the frontlines. It is less patient for progress and more dependent on the clocks in the Executive Office Building and Washington than those in theater. It is far more combative, less able to accept defeat, and more willing to risk a change of course. ..."
"... The NSC common law's kept the peace in Washington for years after Iran-Contra. The restrictions against outright advocacy and outsized operational responsibilities were accepted by those at the White House as well as in the agencies during Republican and Democratic administrations. Yet as many in Washington believed the world grew more interconnected and the national security stakes increased, especially after September 11th, a more powerful NSC has given staffers the opportunity to bend, and occasionally break, the common laws, as they have been expected to and allowed to take on more responsibilities for developing strategies and new r ideas from those in the bureaucracy and military. ..."
"... ...Meanwhile, others, including the anonymous author of the infamous September 2018 New York Times opinion piece, believe government officials who comprise a "steady state" amid Trump's chaotic presidency are "unsung heroes" resisting his worst instincts and overreaches. 13 Thus, it is no surprise that more and more Americans are concerned: a 2018 poll found that 74 percent of Americans feel a group of officials arc able to control government policy without accountability. ..."
"... it is no wonder some Americans have taken to assuming the worst of their public servants. ..."
"... Each member of the NSC staff needs to remember that their growing, unaccountable power has helped give evidence to the worries about a deep state. Although no one in Washington gives up influence voluntarily, the staff, even its warriors, need to remember it is not just what they fight for but whether a fight is necessary at all. ..."
"... ... Too many in Washington, including at the Executive Office Building, have forgotten that public service is a privilege that bestows on them great responsibility. Although the NSC has long justified its actions in the name of national security, the means with which its members have pursued that objective have made for a more aggressive American way of war, a more fractious Washington, and more conspiracies about government. ..."
"... The question is for what and for whom they will fight in the years and wars ahead. ..."
[Feb 02, 2020] The most interesting issue is the role of NSC in this impeachment story
Highly recommended!
Edited for clarity
Notable quotes:
"... Currently they can wrap themselves into constitution defenders flag and be pretty safe from any criticism. Because charges that Schiff brought to the floor are bogus, and probably were created out of thin air by NSC plotters. Senators on both sides understand this, creating a classic Kabuki theater environment. ..."
"... In any case, it is clear that Trump is just a marionette of more powerful forces behind him, and his impeachment does not means much, if those forces are untouchable. Impeachment Kabuki theatre is an attempt of restoration of NSC (read neocons) favored foreign policy from which Trump slightly deviated. ..."
[Jan 27, 2020] Guess Who Was In Charge Of Reviewing Bolton's Leaked Book At The NSC
Bolton is pretty dangerous neocon scum... Now he tried to backstab Trump, so Trump gets what he deserves as only complete idiot or a fully controlled puppet would appoint Bolton to his Administration.
Notable quotes:
"... Breitbart News ..."
"... Wall Street Journal ..."
[Jan 23, 2020] Corruption Ukraine Censored! - YouTube
Notable quotes:
"... Watched it. YouTube censored your "graphic content " because you clearly and " graphically " describe the truth. They can't handle the truth. ..."
"... According to SenBlackburn, Lt Vindman is the whistleblowers's handler. ..."
[Jan 23, 2020] Who are the Vindmans? Where did they come from? What is their background? Why were they brought here? How and by whom?
[Jan 17, 2020] Ukraine is a deeply sick patient. The destiny of ordinary Ukrainians is deeply tragic. Diaspora is greedy and want a piece of cake immediately
Highly recommended!
Edited for clarity
Notable quotes:
"... The infrastructure they inherited from the USSR mostly is now fully amortized. For example railway park in in complete ruin. Central heating pipeline communications in cities like Kiev are in ruins too. In the USSR they tried to reuse the heat from electric stations and have elaborate hot water delivery networks from each, which provided heat to a large city blocks. Now pipes are completely rusted (which in 30 years is no surprise) and are in the state of constant repair. ..."
"... But when the standard of living dropped to such extent as it dropped after 2014 sentiments toward even slightly different ethnic groups turn hostile too. This is the case in Ukraine. In this sense you are wrong. There is no more unity now then existed before 2014. I would say there is less unity now. ..."
"... Sentiments turned against both Donbass dwellers and Ukrainians from Western Ukraine. In Kiev the derogatory term for both categories is "ponaekhali" ("come to overcrowd the place and displace us", or something along those lines; it's difficult to translate, but the term carries strong derogatory meaning) ..."
"... The nationalistic hysteria of 2014-2017 now mostly changed into deep depression: how a tiny group of far right nationalist and football hooligan gangs managed to get to power against the will of the majority of the country and destroy its economy. That's why Zelensky was elected and most far right parliamentarians lost their seats. Most of Western Ukraine voted for him, which is telling you something. ..."
"... The problem for Ukraine is that with the cut of economic ties with Russia the natural path for economics is probably down. De-industrialization, Baltic style, is raining supreme. Many enterprises survived the period from 1991 to 2014 only due to orders from Russia. Especially remnants of military industrial complex and manufacturing industry. Now what? Selling land (like Zelensky is trying to do) ? ..."
[Jan 17, 2020] Alexander Vindman Why Diaspora Ukrainians are Driving Sedition by George Eliason
[Jan 02, 2020] Obama's NSC Holdovers Finally Booted After Three Years Of Non-Stop Leaks
[Dec 25, 2019] Escobar You Say You Want A (Russian) Revolution by Pepe Escobar
[Dec 23, 2019] Ukraine, Trump, Biden -- The Real Story Behind 'Ukrainegate'
[Dec 23, 2019] How 2 Soviet migr s Fueled the Trump Impeachment Flames - The New York Times
[Dec 23, 2019] Making the World Less Safe
Notable quotes:
"... Currently the United States is assisting Ukraine against Russia by providing some non-lethal military equipment as well as limited training for Kiev's army. It has balked at getting more involved in the conflict, rightly so. ..."
"... The Ukrainians were not buying any of that. Their point of view is that Russia is seeking to revive the Soviet Union and will inevitably turn on the Baltic States and Poland, so it is necessary to stop evil dictator Vladimir Putin now. They inevitably produced the Hitler analogy, citing the example of 1938 and Munich as well as the subsequent partition of Poland in 1939 to make their case. When I asked what the United States would gain by intervening they responded that in return for military assistance, Washington will have a good and democratic friend in Ukraine which will serve as a bulwark against further Russian expansion. ..."
"... But Obama chose to stay home as punishment for Putin, which I think was a bad choice suggesting that he is being strongly influenced by Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and the other neocons who seem to have retained considerable power in his administration. ..."
"... Obama told a crowd gathered outside the Nike footwear company in Oregon that the deal is necessary because "if we don't write the rules, China will " ..."
"... Obama takes as a given that he will be able to "write the rules." This is American hubris writ large and I am certain that many who are thereby designated to follow Washington's lead are as offended by it as I am. Bad move Barack. ..."
"... Asharq al-Awsat ..."
[Dec 21, 2019] Time to Terminate Washington's Defense Welfare
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... While I admire America's democratic society, I hate how America brought wars and chaos to the world in guise of "freedom and liberation". ..."
"... Was it necessary to bomb civilians of Ossetia for Georgia to get rid of Russia? Was it necessary to provoke a coup d'état against fully legitimate and democratically elected government in Ukraine? Life isn't fair indeed : not only they will never enter in NATO (even less EU) and no one will protect them, but they can say farewell to the land they lost. People in Georgia and Ukraine are less and less gullible and Pro Russians sentiment is gaining ground btw. Ask yourself why ? ..."
"... Sphere of influence, the same reason why Cuba and Venezuela will pay for their insolence against the hegemon. The world is never a fair place. ..."
[Dec 21, 2019] Since the turn of the century, the US has dumped trillions of dollars into wars
Notable quotes:
"... It is understandable why so many are angry at the leaders of America's institutions, including businesses, schools and governments," Dimon, 61, summarized. "This can understandably lead to disenchantment with trade, globalization and even our free enterprise system, which for so many people seems not to have worked. ..."
[Dec 21, 2019] The ruthless neo-colonialists of 21st century
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... The destruction of Syria and Libya created massive refugee flows which have proved that the European Union was totally unprepared to deal with such a major issue. On top of that, the latest years, we have witnessed a rapid rise of various terrorist attacks in Western soil, also as a result of the devastating wars in Syria and Libya. ..."
"... Whenever they wanted to blame someone for some serious terrorist attacks, they had a scapegoat ready for them, even if they had evidence that Libya was not behind these attacks. When Gaddafi falsely admitted that he had weapons of mass destruction in order to gain some relief from the Western sanctions, they presented him as a responsible leader who, was ready to cooperate. Of course, his last role was to play again the 'bad guy' who had to be removed. ..."
"... Despite the rise of Donald Trump in power, the neoliberal forces will push further for the expansion of the neoliberal doctrine in the rival field of the Sino-Russian alliance. ..."
"... We see, however, that the Western alliances are entering a period of severe crisis. The US has failed to control the situation in Middle East and Libya. The ruthless neo-colonialists will not hesitate to confront Russia and China directly, if they see that they continue to lose control in the global geopolitical arena. The accumulation of military presence of NATO next to the Russian borders, as well as, the accumulation of military presence of the US in Asia-Pacific, show that this is an undeniable fact. ..."
[Dec 18, 2019] Rudy Giuliani Yovanovitch Was Part Of The Cover-Up, She Had To Be Ousted
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... She was OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE and that's not the only thing she was doing. She at minimum enabled Ukrainian collusion." ..."
[Dec 17, 2019] Building trust between U.S. and Russia by Edward Lozansky
Notable quotes:
"... After a Western-backed coup overthrew the legitimate Ukrainian president in February 2014, it brought to power a government largely picked by Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. People in the Donbass region did not accept the new government and made two conditions for remaining a part of Ukraine: special autonomy status and two state languages. This is exactly what Canada provides for its large French-speaking minority. ..."
"... Those with even rudimentary knowledge of Ukrainian history and its huge ethnic Russian population would agree that these demands are not unreasonable, but the post-coup government called the separatist forces terrorists, sent aviation and tanks, and started a civil war that has been raging for five years. Washington, which was in total control of the Ukrainian political class, could have resolved this crisis easily by telling the new government to accept these modest conditions. Instead, the U.S. supported Kyiv with money, weapons, military training and political support. ..."
[Dec 17, 2019] Neocons like car salespeople have a stereotypical reputation for lacking credibility because ther profession is to lie in order to sell weapons to the publin, much like used car saleme lie to sell cars
Highly recommended!
[Dec 17, 2019] Did The Supreme Court Just Pull The Rug Out From Under Article Of Impeachment by Alan Dershowitz
Notable quotes:
"... House Democrats should seriously consider dropping this second article in light of the recent Supreme Court action. In fairness, this development involving the high court occurred after Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee made up their minds to include obstruction of Congress as an impeachment article. Yet the new circumstances give some Democratic members of Congress, who may end up paying an electoral price if they support the House Judiciary Committee recommendation, meaningful reason for voting against at least one of the articles of impeachment. ..."
"... The first article goes too far in authorizing impeachment based on the vague criterion of abuse of power. But it is the second article that truly endangers our system of checks and balances and the important role of the courts as the umpires between the legislative and executive branches under the Constitution. It would serve the national interest for thoughtful and independent minded Democrats to join Republicans in voting against the second article of impeachment, even if they wrongly vote for the first. ..."
[Dec 14, 2019] Warmongeing is the national sport for the neoliberal elite in the USA
As Tony Kevin reported (watch-v=dJiS3nFzsWg) at one small fundraiser Bill Clinton made an interesting remark. He said that the USA should always have enemies. That's absolutely true, this this is a way to unite such a society as we have in the USA. probably the only way. And Russia simply fits the bill. Very convenient bogeyman.
Notable quotes:
"... The experience of the USSR in that country should have sent up all kinds of red flags to the invading US military but it apparently did not. Both USSR and America lost thousands of military lives -- but nothing has changed in the country. Life in Afghanistan is actually worse now than before the multiple invasions. The only think which has improved is the cultivation of poppies and the export of opium. ..."
[Dec 14, 2019] To date, not a single shred of actual evidence has ever been produced to prove Russian involvement or interference in the 2016 presidential election
[Dec 13, 2019] Why did so many people -- from government contractors and high-ranking military officers, to state department and National Security Council officials -- feel the need to lie about the wars the USA is engaged?
Notable quotes:
"... This is because it's easy cash cow for the old boys club by sending working class kids to be killed in a far off land. ..."
[Dec 13, 2019] The True Soviet History of Lt. Col. Vindman by Andrew Rosenthal
[Dec 13, 2019] Looks like Vindman spend two years in Moscow including one during US sponsored colore revolution which failed
[Dec 13, 2019] Retired Army Officer Remembers Lt. Col. Vindman as Partisan Democrat Who Ridiculed America Flopping Aces
[Dec 13, 2019] Eugene Vindman, Alexander Vindman's Twin Brother: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know by Jessica McBride
[Dec 13, 2019] Vindman reveals that he had been offered a position as defense minister of Ukraine
[Dec 13, 2019] 'Pushing a coup' Fellow soldiers slam Vindman for testifying in uniform
[Dec 12, 2019] Threat Inflation Poisons Our Foreign Policy by Daniel Larison
Highly recommended!
[Dec 10, 2019] Former Ukrainian Prosecutor Exposes Yovanovich Perjury, George Kent's Motive To Impeach Trump by Sundance
Notable quotes:
"... Ms. Rion spoke with Ukrainian former Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko who outlines how former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch perjured herself before Congress . ..."
"... What is outlined in this interview is a problem for all DC politicians across both parties. The obviously corrupt influence efforts by U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch as outlined by Lutsenko were not done independently. ..."
"... Senators from both parties participated in the influence process and part of those influence priorities was exploiting the financial opportunities within Ukraine while simultaneously protecting Joe Biden and his family. This is where Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham were working with Marie Yovanovitch. ..."
[Dec 10, 2019] It is common knowledge that Congress, too, is corrupt and sells out the national interest in favor of their own political and personal interests on a daily basis. They have no moral credibility here by saying:
Clyde Schechter • 6 hours ago
likbez Clyde SchechterThat people are still dredging up the ludicrous Russiagate conspiracy theory is beyond pathetic. If that were not enough, there is no evidence that "Russian hackers" or anyone "screw[ed] with swing states' election databases".
Full disclosure: were I allowed to decide Trump's fate, impeachment would be the least of his fears. I would subject him to the fate of the defendants at Nuremberg.
[Dec 09, 2019] NATO Seeking To Dominate The World Eliminate Competitors Russia's Lavrov
Notable quotes:
"... Image via AFP ..."
"... Lavrov told reporters Thursday: "I think that it is difficult to unbalance us and China. We are well aware of what is happening. We have an answer to all the threats that the Alliance is multiplying in this world." He also said the West is seeking to dominate the Middle East under the guise of NATO as well. ..."
"... "Naturally, we cannot but feel worried over what has been happening within NATO," Lavrov stated. "The problem is NATO positions itself as a source of legitimacy and is adamant to persuade one and all it has no alternatives in this capacity, that only NATO is in the position to assign blame for everything that may be happening around us and what the West dislikes for some reason ." ..."
"... NATO still exists, according to Lavrov, in order to "eliminate competitors" and ensure a West-dominated global system in search of new official enemies. ..."
"... I'm wondering how many NATO states don't have US Military Bases positioned in them. It's a small distance between a forward operating base and an occupying forces. ..."
"... What NATO is doing is called racketeering. Only the problem of Europe is not Russia, but the ******* Wahhabis, who are the best friends of the same Americans and NATO. ..."
"... Children sometimes need a made-up friend, and these bastards need a made-up enemy. Russia is perfect for this. ..."
"... LOL. The NATO ONLY serves US interests. It has the same function as always. Keep the US in, Russia out and Germany down. ..."
"... The collapse of the US empire has been underway for years. Nobody is excited about it because, instead of gracefully adapting to change with the dignity of a great nation, the US will continue to cling to denial, lashing out at all and sundry as reality intrudes upon the myth of American exceptionalism. ..."
"... US geopolitics has created a foe it cannot defeat without itself being destroyed. ..."
"... Technocratic sociopaths, doing a CYA for their incompetence. ..."
"... ZATO cries out in pain as it strikes you. ..."
[Dec 09, 2019] As is usual when members of neo-Nazi groups carry out political attacks, the Right Sector and their former battalion commander fraudulently attempted to distance themselves from Lavrega and Semenov, claiming they had lost contact with them since they left Ukraine's armed forces in June. These claims are not credible.
[Dec 09, 2019] The military leadership are loaded with rapture believers, in particular the Air Force
[Dec 09, 2019] WW2 men were realists and competent. And that their replacements were delusional fools. The level of incompetence was breath-taking by 1992 when NATO as the cloak of Empire undertook to bomb cities in Yugoslavia self evidently criminal and foolish officers went along
[Dec 08, 2019] WSJ Article Runs Through The Greatest Hits of a Dysfunctional Foreign Policy Debate
Notable quotes:
"... Primacists use the security threats that are responding to the unnecessary use of U.S. military force to justify why the U.S. shouldn't stop, or in fact increase, the use of force. ..."
"... These stale arguments claim there will be consequences of leaving while conveniently ignoring the consequences of staying, which of course are far from trivial. For example, veteran suicide is an epidemics and military spending to perpetuate U.S. primacy continues at unnecessarily high rates. The presence of U.S. soldiers in these complex conflicts can even draw us into more unnecessary wars. The United States can engage the world in ways that don't induce the security dilemma to undermine our own security; reduce our military presence in the Middle East, engage Iran and other states in the region diplomatically and economically, and don't walk away from already agreed upon diplomatic arraignments that are favorable to all parties involved. ..."
"... September 11th was planned in Germany and the United States, the ability to exist in Afghanistan under the Taliban without persecution didn't enable 9/11, and denying this space wouldn't have prevented it. ..."
"... For those arguing to maintain the ongoing forever wars, American credibility will always be ruined in the aftermath of withdrawal. Here's the WSJ piece on that point: "When America withdraws from the Middle East unilaterally, the Russians internalize this and move into Crimea and Ukraine; the Chinese internalize it and move into the South China Sea and beyond in the Pacific." ..."
"... The exorbitant costs of the U.S.'s numerous military engagements around the world need to be justified by arguing that they secure vital U.S. interests. Without it, Primacists couldn't justify the cost in American lives. Whether the military even has the ability to solve all problems in international relations aside, not all interests are equal in severity and importance. ..."
"... This article originally appeared on LobeLog.com . ..."
[Dec 08, 2019] Neocon wing of US political elite is simply mentally inadequate.
Notable quotes:
"... Today USA even is no more an entity. You can not negotiate a thing with "America" because there is no such institution any more, but a hellish swarm of infighting spiders, each delightfully breaking anything negotiated by a rival spider. ..."
[Dec 07, 2019] I wasn't sure how to characterize McMaster and Kelly. My sense was that they represented the foreign policy establishment consensus, ergo neocon by default.
Notable quotes:
"... It may be as simple as Trump does not really know what he's doing. He doesn't seem to understand the complexity and dynamics of foreign policy. The way he handled Israel is an example as well as some of the bombs he ordered dropped on Afghanistan and Syria. Was he behind that or was someone else? ..."
"... After Bolton came onboard, and then Eliot Abrams, the 24/7 Russia-gate suddenly stopped. That was also around the time USA was fomenting a Venezuelan coup. Was obvious that Russia-Gate was designed to control Trump. ..."
"... The US had power, and no-one else had any. That's all they needed to know, and set about creating new, wonderfully intoxicating realities. As Rove famously inverted the MO they'll act first, creating realities and the analysis and calculation can come later. In awe of their creations, they failed to notice that while history may have ended in Washington, elsewhere it moved on to surround them with a reality where they found themselves in zugzwang, with no understanding how they got there. Flailing (and wailing) like a Mastodon in a tar pit, they've managed only to attract an unhelpful crowd of onlookers, fascinated by the abomination. ..."
"... If that's so, his is the most extraordinary political performance I thought I'd ever see. Even though I can't imagine a more effective single handed way to accomplish what he promised to do, that he's lasted this long and has been so effective is astonishing. I guess we'll see if he abandons buffoonery when his opponents finally sink into the tar. ..."
[Dec 06, 2019] Who Is Making US Foreign Policy by Stephen F. Cohen
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... A more plausible explanation is that Trump thought that by appointing such anti-Russian hard-liners he could lay to rest the Russiagate allegations that had hung over him for three years and still did: that for some secret nefarious reason he was and remained a "Kremlin puppet." Despite the largely exculpatory Mueller report, Trump's political enemies, mostly Democrats but not only, have kept the allegations alive. ..."
"... The larger question is who should make American foreign policy: an elected president or Washington's permanent foreign policy establishment? (It is scarcely a "deep" or "secret" state, since its representatives appear on CNN and MSNBC almost daily.) Today, Democrats seem to think that it should be the foreign policy establishment, not President Trump. But having heard the cold-war views of much of that establishment, how will they feel when a Democrat occupies the White House? After all, eventually Trump will leave power, but Washington's foreign-policy "blob," as even an Obama aide termed it , will remain. ..."
"... Listen to the podcast here ..."
"... War With Russia? From Putin & Ukraine to Trump & Russiagate ..."
"... The John Batchelor Show ..."
"... Trump's anti-Iranian fever is every bit as ludicrous as the DNC's anti-Russian fever. There is absolutely nothing to support the anti-Iranian policy argument or the anti JCPOA argument. The only thing that is missing from all of this is Iranian hookers, and that would certainly be an explosive headline! ..."
"... You know why Rhodes called it the blob, right? Why he made it sound so formless and squishy? Ask yourself, how does a failed novelist with zilch for foreign-affairs credentials get the big job of Obama's ventriloquist? That's a CIA billet. It so happens that Rhodes' brother has a big job of his own with CBS News, the most servile of the Mockingbird media propaganda mills. ..."
"... It's not a blob, it's a precisely-articulated hierarchy. And the top of it is CIA. So please for once somebody answer this blindingly obvious question, Who is making US foreign policy? CIA, that's who. For the CIA show trial run by Iran/Contra nomenklatura Bill Barr and his blackmailed flunky Durham, Trump's high crime and misdemeanor is conducting diplomacy without CIA supervision. They come out and say so, pointing to the National Security Act's mousetrap bureaucracy. ..."
"... CIA runs your country. They've got impunity, they do what they want. We've got 400,000 academics paid to overthink it. ..."
"... We cannot trust that the people that destroyed the country will repair it. It is run by a Cult of Hedonistic Satanic Psychopaths. If they were limited to just the CIA, America would be in far better shape than its in. The CIA is not capable of thinking or intelligence, so we should stop paying them. ..."
"... Drumpf has been a tool of the Wall Street/Las Vegas Zionist billionaires for many, many years. so his selection of warmongering Zio neo-con advisors should be no surprise. ..."
"... Perhaps part of the reason that Trump often seems to be surrounded by people who don't support his policies or values is, as Paul Craig Roberts suggested in 2016, that Trump would have real problems simply because he was an outsider. An outsider to the Washington swamp, a swamp that Clinton had been swimming in for decades. In short he didn't know who to trust, who to keep "in the tent" & who to shut out. Thus, we have had this huge churn in Secretaries & on so on downwards. ..."
"... Sociopaths are the ones that do the worst because they lack any concern or "Empathy", like robots. So I read that the socio's are some of the brightest people who often are very successful in business etc. and can hide the fact that they would soon as kill as look at ya, but cool as ice, all they want is to get what the hell they want! They don't give a rats petoot who likes likes it or not, except as . ..."
"... Trump hasn't fired any of the neocons, but he proved that he CAN fire defense executives. He fired the Sec of Navy for disagreeing with some ridiculous personal thing that Trump wanted to do. Since Trump hasn't fired any neocons, we have to conclude that he's fully on board. ..."
"... There are so many security holes in the constitution of the USA including that it was ratified by those who invented it, not by a vote put to the people that would be made to suffer being governed by it. Basically the USA is useless as a defender of human rights (one of which is the right to self determination). The so called bill of rights (1st 10 amendments) are contractual promises, but like all clauses in contracts if there is no way to enforce them, then there is no use for the clause except maybe propaganda value. ..."
"... In a normally functioning world you simply can't simultaneously argue that in one case West can bomb a country to force self-determination as in Kosovo, and also denounce exactly the same thing in Crimea. On to Catalonia and more self-determination ..."
"... Trump, among his other occupations, used to engage with the professional wrestling circuit. In that well-staged entertainment there is always a bad guy – or a ' heel ' – who is used to stir up the crowds, the Evil Sheik or Rocky's hapless movie enemies. It makes it ' real '. The ' heel ' is sometimes allowed to win to better manage the audience. But the narrative never changes. Our rational judgments should focus on what happens, and on outcomes – not on talk, slogans, speeches, etc Based on that, Trump is a classical ' heel ' character. He might even be playing it consciously, or he has no choice. ..."
"... To answer the question who runs ' foreign policy ', let's ignore the stadium speeches, and simply look at what happens. In a world bereft of enough profitable consumer things to do, and enough justifiable careers for unemployable geo-political security 'experts' of all kinds, having enemies and maybe even a small war occasionally is not such an irrational thing to want. Plus there are the deep ethnic hatreds and traumas going back generations that were naively imported into the heart of the Western world. (Washington warned against that 200+ years ago.) ..."
"... or maybe trump was a lying neocon, war-loving, immigration-loving neoliberal all along, and you and the trumptards somehow continue to believe his campaign rhetoric? ..."
"... The fact is Trump is not an anti-neocon (Deep State) president he only talks that way. The fact that he surrounded himself with Deep State denizens gives lie to the thought that he is anti-Deep State no one can be that god damn stupid. ..."
"... "TRUMP SUPPORTERS WERE DUPED – Trump supporters are going to find out soon enough that they were duped by Donald Trump. Trump was given the script to run as the "Chaos Candidate" .He is just a pawn of the ruling elite .It is a tactic known as 'CONTROLLED OPPOSITION' ". Wasn't it FDR who said "Presidents are selected , they are not elected " ? ..."
"... Trump selected the Neocons he is surrounded with. And he's given away all kinds of property that he has absolutely no legal authority to give. He was seeking to please American Oligarchs the likes of Adelson. That's American politics. "Money is free speech." Of course, there is another connection with foreign policy beyond the truly total corruption of American domestic politics, and that's through America's brutal empire abroad. ..."
"... Obama or Trump, on the main matters of importance abroad – NATO, Russia, Israel/Palestine, China – there has been no difference, except Trump is more openly bellicose and given to saying really stupid things. ..."
[Dec 06, 2019] So now when a President doesn't allow The Blob to dictate Ukraine policy it's an impeachable offense? Really?
Notable quotes:
"... Thanks again for making explicit what I have long known: To America, Ukraine is nothing but a weapon against Russia. The whole point of support for Ukraine is to make Russia bleed—doesn’t matter how many people die or suffer in the process or how much of Ukraine is destroyed. https://twitter.com/BBuchman_CNS/status/1202267180219478024 … ..."
"... So fomenting on a war on Russia's border is, it appears, self-evidently aids our national security. What's next? A war scare? Ramping up MH17? ..."
[Dec 05, 2019] Ukrainian Embassy confirms DNC contractor solicited Trump dirt in 2016 TheHill by John Solomon John Solomon
[Dec 04, 2019] Looks like the Blob and Ds are concerned that their narrative on Ukraine is being undermined by Solomon's reporting.
[Dec 04, 2019] Looks like Congressional Dems Democrats might paint themselves into a corner
One of the problems with show trials is that they usually backfire...
Notable quotes:
"... What will be the FBI investigation of Ciaramella - there are penalties for filing false complaints and it appears he was acting well out side the confines of the whistle-blower law. ..."
"... Ergo, the FBI is duty bound to hold Ciaramella accountable for filing a false complaint. Only if charges get filed can his action under this law be deemed irrelevant. ..."
"... The reliability of the Steele document seems to have been massively oversold to the FISA court. Had someone in the know acted as Whistle-blower and saved us all that has followed they should not get crucified for it, it is part of their job isn't it? ..."
"... turcopolier , 20 November 2019 at 09:46 PM ..."
"... I will try again. The law has nothing to do with non-intelligence matters and there were no intelligence matters in the phone call. ..."
"... The complaint was a vehicle to carry out the Democrats politics of personal destruction. While all on the DNC debate stage tonight, each candidate asked (without a hint of irony) to be the one candidate who can "bring the country together again" after Trump alone has torn it asunder. ..."
"... If I were Trump, I would have fired this guy for accepting a whistleblower complaint that was not allowed under the statute because it did not concern an intelligence activity or anything else supervised by the DNI as the statute requires. ..."
"... Conceptually, it is the same as the Intelligence IG accepting and investigating complaints about slow mail service, mine safety, or TSA agents stealing when they inspect luggage at the airport. His jurisdiction is limited and he grossly exceeded it. ..."
"... The Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) is Michael K Atkinson. ICIG Atkinson is the official who accepted the ridiculous premise of a hearsay 'whistle-blower' complaint; an intelligence whistleblower who was "blowing-the-whistle" based on second hand information of a phone call without any direct personal knowledge, ie 'hearsay'. ..."
"... Michael K Atkinson was previously the Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ-NSD) in 2016. That makes Atkinson senior legal counsel to John Carlin and Mary McCord who were the former heads of the DOJ-NSD in 2016 when the stop Trump operation was underway. ..."
"... Michael Atkinson was the lawyer for the same DOJ-NSD players who: (1) lied to the FISA court (Judge Rosemary Collyer) about the 80% non compliant NSA database abuse using FBI contractors; (2) filed the FISA application against Carter Page; and (3) used FARA violations as tools for political surveillance and political targeting. ..."
"... Michael Atkinson was Senior Counsel for the DOJ-NSD, at the very epicenter of the political weaponization and FISA abuse. ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] The central question of Ukrainegate is whether CrowdStrike actions on DNC leak were a false flag operation designed to open Russiagate and what was the level of participation of Poroshenko government and Ukrainian Security services in this false flag operation by Factotum
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended !
Republicans are afraid to raise this key question. Democrats are afraid of even mentioning CrowdStrike in Ukrainegate hearings. The Deep State wants to suppress this matter entirely.
Alperovisch connections to Ukraine and his Russophobia are well known. Did Alperovich people played the role of "Fancy Bear"? Or Ukrainian SBU was engaged? George Eliason clams that "I have already clearly shown the Fancy Bear hackers are Ukrainian Intelligence Operators." ... "Since there is so much crap surrounding the supposed hack such as law enforcement teams never examining the DNC server or maintaining control of it as evidence, could the hacks have been a cover-up?"
Notable quotes:
"... So far at least I cannot rule out the possibility that that this could have involved an actual 'false flag' hack. A possible calculation would have been that this could have made it easier for Alperovitch and 'CrowdStrike', if more people had asked serious questions about the evidence they claimed supported the 'narrative' of GRU responsibility. ..."
"... What she suggested was that the FBI had found evidence, after his death, of a hack of Rich's laptop, designed as part of a 'false flag' operation. ..."
"... On this, see his 8 October, 'Motion for Discovery and Motion to Accept Supplemental Evidence' in Clevenger's own case against the DOJ, document 44 on the relevant 'Courtlistener' pages, and his 'Unopposed Motion for Stay', document 48. Both are short, and available without a 'PACER' subscription, and should be compulsory reading for anyone seriously interested in ascertaining the truth about 'Russiagate.' (See https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6775665/clevenger-v-us-department-of-justice/ .) ..."
"... And here, is is also material that he may have had more than one laptop, that 'hard drives' can be changed, and that the level of computer skills that can be found throughout the former Soviet Union is very high. Another matter of some importance is that Ed Butowsky's 'Debunking Rod Wheeler's Claims' site is back up online. (See http://debunkingrodwheelersclaims.net ) ..."
"... The question of whether the 'timeline' produced by Hersh's FBI informant was accurate, or a deliberate attempt to disguise the fact that all kinds of people were well aware of Rich's involvement before his murder, and well aware of the fact of a leak before he was identified as its source, is absolutely central to how one interprets 'Russiagate.' ..."
"... Why did Crowdstrike conclude it was a "Russian breach", when other evidence does show it was an internal download. What was Crowdstrike's method and motivation to reach the "Russian" conclusion instead. Why has that methodology been sealed? ..."
"... Why did Mueller wholly accept the Crowdstrike Russian conclusion, with no further or independent investigation and prominently put this Crowdstrike generated conclusion in his Russiagate report? Which also included the conclusion the "Russians" wanted to help Trump and harm Clinton. Heavy stuff, based upon a DNC proprietary investigation of their own and unavailable computers. ..."
"... What were the relationships between Crowdstrike, DNC, FBI and the Mueller team that conspired to reach this Russian conclusion. ..."
"... Why did the Roger Stone judge, who just sent Stone away for life, refuse Stone's evidentiary demand to ascertain how exactly Crowdstrike reached its Russsian hacking conclusion, that the court then linked to Stone allegedly lying about this Russian link ..."
"... Indeed, let's set out with full transparency the Ukraine -- Crowsdtrike player links and loyalties to see if there are any smoking guns yet undisclosed. Trump was asking for more information about Crowdstrike like a good lawyer - never ask a question when you don't already know the right answer. Crowdstrike is owned by a Ukrainian by birth ..."
"... Among the 12 engineers assigned to writing a PGP backdoor was the son of a KGB officer named Dmitri Alperovich who would go on to be the CTO at a company involved in the DNC Hacking scandal - Crowdstrike. ..."
"... In addition to writing a back door for PGP, Alperovich also ported PGP to the blackberry platform to provide encrypted communications for covert action operatives. ..."
"... His role in what we may define as "converting DNC leak into DNC hack" (I would agree with you that this probably was a false flag operation), which was supposedly designed to implicated Russians, and possibly involved Ukrainian security services, is very suspicious indeed. ..."
"... Mueller treatment of Crowdstrike with "kid gloves" may suggest that Alperovich actions were part of a larger scheme. After all Crowdstike was a FBI contactor at the time. ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] Responding to Lt. Col. Vindman about my Ukraine columns with the facts John Solomon Reports
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... Fact 10 : Shokin stated in interviews with me and ABC News that he was told he was fired because Joe Biden was unhappy the Burisma investigation wasn't shut down. He made that claim anew in this sworn deposition prepared for a court in Europe. You can read that here . ..."
"... Fact 11 : The day Shokin's firing was announced in March 2016, Burisma's legal representatives sought an immediate meeting with his temporary replacement to address the ongoing investigation. You can read the text of their emails here . ..."
"... Fact 13 : Burisma officials eventually settled the Ukraine investigations in late 2016 and early 2017, paying a multimillion dollar fine for tax issues. You can read their lawyer's February 2017 announcement of the end of the investigations here . ..."
"... Fact 15 : The Ukraine embassy in Washington issued a statement in April 2019 admitting that a Democratic National Committee contractor named Alexandra Chalupa solicited Ukrainian officials in spring 2016 for dirt on Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort in hopes of staging a congressional hearing close to the 2016 election that would damage Trump's election chances. You can read the embassy's statement here and here . Your colleague, Dr. Fiona Hill, confirmed this episode, testifying "Ukraine bet on the wrong horse. They bet on Hillary Clinton winning." You can read her testimony here . ..."
"... Fact 18 : A Ukrainian district court ruled in December 2018 that the summer 2016 release of information by Ukrainian Parliamentary member Sergey Leschenko and NABU director Artem Sytnyk about an ongoing investigation of Manafort amounted to an improper interference by Ukraine's government in the 2016 U.S. election. You can read the court ruling here . Leschenko and Sytnyk deny the allegations, and have won an appeal to suspend that ruling on a jurisdictional technicality. ..."
"... Fact 21 : In April 2016, US embassy charge d'affaires George Kent sent a letter to the Ukrainian prosecutor general's office demanding that Ukrainian prosecutors stand down a series of investigations into how Ukrainian nonprofits spent U.S. aid dollars, including the Anti-Corruption Actions Centre. You can read that letter here . Kent testified he signed the letter here . ..."
"... Fact 22 : Then-Ukraine Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said in a televised interview with me that Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch during a 2016 meeting provided the lists of names of Ukrainian nationals and groups she did want to see prosecuted. You can see I accurately quoted him by watching the video here . ..."
"... Fact 27 : In May 2016, one of George Soros' top aides secured a meeting with the top Eurasia policy official in the State Department to discuss Russian bond issues. You can read the State memos on that meeting here . ..."
"... Fact 28 : In June 2016, Soros himself secured a telephonic meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland to discuss Ukraine policy. You can read the State memos on that meeting here . ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] Ukrainegaters claim that Trump Reduced the USA empire 'Global Commitments' was fraudulent from the very beginning. Trump is yet another imperial president who favours the "Full spectrum Dominance; The problem is that the time when the USA can have it are in the past. Europe finally recovered from WWII losses and that alone dooms the idea
Highly recommended!
Pelosi interference in elections might cost democrats a victory. She enraged Trump base and strengthened Trump, who before was floundering. Now election changed into "us vs them" question, which is very unfavorable to neoliberal Dems. as neolibelism as ideology is dead. She also brought back Trump some independents who othersie would stay home or vote for Dem candidate. No action of House of Representatives can changes this. Bringing Vindman and Fiona Hill to testify were huge blunders as they enhance the narrative that the Deep State, unaccountable Security Establishment, controls the government, to which Trump represents very weak, but still a challenge. As such they strengthened Trump
Essentially Dems had driven themselves into a trap. Moreover actions of the Senate can drag democrats in dirt till the elections, diminishing their chances further and firther. Can you image the effect if Schiff would be called testify under oath about his contacts with Ciaramella? Or Biden questioning about his dirty dealing with both Yanukovich administration and Provisional Government after the 2014 coup d'état (aka EuroMaydan, aka "the Revolution of dignity" ?
Notable quotes:
"... It is true that both Obama and Trump have been falsely accused of presiding over "withdrawal" and "retreat." In Obama's case, Republican hawks made this false claim so that they could attack a fantasy version of Obama's record instead of arguing against the real one. Members of the foreign policy establishment have been warning about Trump's supposed "isolationism" for four years and it still hasn't shown up. Both presidents have been criticized in such similar ways despite conducting significantly different foreign policies because these are the automatic, knee-jerk criticisms that pundits and analysts use to criticize a president. ..."
"... Because there is a strong bias in favor of "action" and "leadership," the only way most of these people know how to attack a president is to say that he is "failing" to "lead" and is guilty of "inaction." It doesn't matter if it makes sense or matches the facts. It is the safe, Blobby way to complain about a president's foreign policy without suggesting that you think there is something wrong with the underlying assumptions about the U.S. role in the world. Instead of challenging the presidents on their real records, it is easier to condemn non-existent "isolationism" and pretend that presidents that maintain or increase U.S. involvement overseas are reducing it. ..."
"... We should debate whether U.S. commitments overseas need to be reduced, but we really have to stop pretending that the U.S. has been reducing those commitments when it has actually been adding to them. ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] Common Funding Themes Link 'Whistleblower' Complaint and CrowdStrike Firm Certifying DNC Russia 'Hack' by Aaron Klein
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... Alperovitch is a nonresident senior fellow of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council, which takes a hawkish approach toward Russia. The Council in turn is financed by Google Inc. ..."
"... In a perhaps unexpected development, another Atlantic Council funder is Burisma, the natural gas company at the center of allegations regarding Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Those allegations were the subject of Trump's inquiry with Zelemsky related to Biden. The Biden allegations concern significant questions about Biden's role in Ukraine policy under the Obama administration. This took place during a period when Hunter Biden received $50,000 a month from Burisma. ..."
"... Google, Soros's Open Society Foundations, the Rockefeller Fund and an agency of the State Department each also finance a self-described investigative journalism organization repeatedly referenced as a source of information in the so-called whistleblower's complaint alleging Trump was "using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country" in the 2020 presidential race. ..."
"... Another listed OCCRP funder is the Omidyar Network, which is the nonprofit for liberal billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. ..."
"... Together with Soros's Open Society, Omidyar also funds the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, which hosts the International Fact-Checking Network that partnered with Facebook to help determine whether news stories are "disputed." ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] DNC Russian Hackers Found! You Won't Believe Who They Really Work For by the Anonymous Patriots
Highly recommended!
[Dec 04, 2019] June 4th, 2017 Crowdstrike Was at the DNC Six Weeks by George Webb
Highly recommended!
A short YouTube with the handwritten timeline
[Dec 04, 2019] Cyberanalyst George Eliason Claims that the "Fancy Bear" Who Hacked the DNC Server is Ukrainian Intelligence – In League with the Atlantic Council and Crowdstrike
Highly recommended!
Notable quotes:
"... And RUH8 is allied with the Atlantic Council and Crowdstrike. ..."
"... Russia was probably not one of the hacking groups. The willful destruction of evidence by the DNC themselves probably points to Russia not being one of the those groups. The DNC wouldn't destroy evidence that supported their position. Also, government spy agencies keep info like that closely held. They might leak out tidbits, but they don't do wholesale dumps, like, ever. ..."
"... That's what the DNC is lying about. Not that hacks happened (they undoubtedly did), but about who did them (probably not Russian gov), and if hacks mattered (they didn't since everything was getting leaked anyway). ..."
"... The DNC/Mueller/etc are lying, but like most practiced liars they're mixing the lies with half-truths and unrelated facts to muddy the waters: ..."
"... An interesting question is, since it's basically guaranteed the DNC got hacked, but probably not by the Russians, is, what groups did hack the DNC, and why did the DNC scramble madly to hide their identities? ..."
"... And while you think about that question, consider the close parallel with the Awan case, where Dems were ostensibly the victims, but they again scrambled to cover up for the people who supposedly harmed them. level 2 ..."
"... DNC wasn't even hacked. Emails were leaked. They didn't even examine the server. Any "evidence" produced is spoofable from CIA cybertools that we know about from wikileaks. It's important to know how each new lie is a lie. But man I am just so done with all this Russia shit. level 2 ..."
"... Crowdstrike claims that malware was found on DNC server. I agree that this has nothing to do with the Wikileaks releases. What I am wondering is whether Crowdstrike may have arranged for the DNC to be hacked so that Russia could be blamed. Continue this thread level 1 ..."
"... George Eliason promises additional essays: *The next articles, starting with one about Fancy Bear's hot/cold ongoing relationship with Bellingcat which destroys the JIT investigation, will showcase the following: Fancy Bear worked with Bellingcat and the Ukrainian government providing Information War material as evidence for MH17: ..."
"... Fancy Bear is an inside unit of the Atlantic Council and their Digital Forensics Lab ..."
[Dec 04, 2019] Fancy Bear - Conservapedia
Highly recommended!
[Dec 04, 2019] June 2nd, 2018 Alperovich's DNC Cover Stories Soon To Match With His Hacking Teams by George Webb
Highly recommended!
[Dec 04, 2019] America's War Exceptionalism Is Killing the Planet by William Astore
Highly recommended!
Our leaders like to say we value human rights around the world, but what they really manifest is greed. It all makes sense in a Gekko- or Machiavellian kind of way.
Highly recommended !
Notable quotes:
"... Think of this as the new American exceptionalism. In Washington, war is now the predictable (and even desirable) way of life, while peace is the unpredictable (and unwise) path to follow. In this context, the U.S. must continue to be the most powerful nation in the world by a country mile in all death-dealing realms and its wars must be fought, generation after generation, even when victory is never in sight. And if that isn't an "exceptional" belief system, what is? ..."
"... A partial list of war's many uses might go something like this: war is profitable , most notably for America's vast military-industrial complex ; war is sold as being necessary for America's safety, especially to prevent terrorist attacks; and for many Americans, war is seen as a measure of national fitness and worthiness, a reminder that "freedom isn't free." In our politics today, it's far better to be seen as strong and wrong than meek and right. ..."
"... If America's wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen prove anything, it's that every war scars our planet -- and hardens our hearts. Every war makes us less human as well as less humane. Every war wastes resources when these are increasingly at a premium. Every war is a distraction from higher needs and a better life. ..."
"... I think that the main reason of the current level of militarism in the USA foreign policy is that after dissolution of the USSR neo-conservatives were allowed to capture the State Department and foreign policy establishment. This process actually started under Reagan. During Bush II administration those “crazies from the basement” fully controlled the US foreign policy and paradoxically they continued to dominate in Obama administration too. ..."
"... Which also means that the USA foreign policy is not controlled by the elected officials but by the “Deep State” (look at Vindman and Fiona Hill testimonies for the proof). So this is kind of Catch 22 in which the USA have found itself. We will be bankrupted by our neoconservative foreign establishment (which self-reproduce in each and every administration). And we can do nothing to avoid it. ..."
"... they are not only lobbyists for MIC, but they also serve as "ideological support", trying to manipulate public opinion in favor of militarism. ..."
"... Yes. Ideology is vital. During the Cold War it was all about containing/resisting/defeating the godless Communists. Once they were defeated, what then? We heard brief talk about a "peace dividend," but then the neocons came along, selling full-spectrum dominance and America as the sole superpower. ..."
"... The neocons were truly unleashed by the 9/11 attacks, which they exploited to put their vision in motion. The Complex was only too happy to oblige, fed as it was by massive resources. ..."
"... Leaving that specific incident aside, the bigger picture is that the brains behind the Deep State understand that global capitalism is running out of new resources (which includes human labor) to exploit. Why is the US so concerned with Africa right now, with spies and Special Forces operatives all over that continent? Africa is the final frontier for development/exploitation. (The US is also deeply concerned about China's setting down business roots there, and wants to counterbalance their activities.) ..."
"... The brains in the US Ruling Class know full well that natural resources will become ever more valuable moving forward, as weather disasters make it harder to access them. Thus, the Neo-Cons (you thought I'd never get around to them, right?) came to the fore because they advocate the unbridled use of brute military force to obtain what they want from the world. Or, to use their own terminology, the US "must have the capability to project force anywhere on the planet" at a moment's notice. President Obama was fully in agreement with that concept. Beware the wolf masquerading as a peaceable sheep! ..."
[Dec 02, 2019] A bunch of neocons in key positions in Trump administration really represents a huge threat to world peace
Notable quotes:
"... No. My point was it's very misleading. Misleading to set the parameters of discussion on U.S. posture toward Russia in such a way as to assume that Putin's actions against a purported Russian "democracy" have anything at all to do with USian antagonism of Russia. I'm sure you'll note current U.S. military cooperation with that boisterous hotbed of democratic activity, Saudi Arabia, in Yemen. Our allies in the house of Saud require help in defending their democratic way of life against the totalitarianism of Yemeni tribes, you see. The U.S. opposes anti-democratic forces whenever and where ever it can, especially in the Middle East. I guess that explains USian antipathy to Russia. ..."
[Dec 02, 2019] The Vichy left – essentially people who are ready to sacrifice all principles to ensure their own prosperity
Notable quotes:
"... Pretty consistent, I agree. IMHO Sanjait might belong to the category that some people call the "Vichy left" – essentially people who are ready to sacrifice all principles to ensure their 'own' prosperity and support the candidate who intends to protect it, everybody else be damned. ..."
"... Very neoliberal approach if you ask me. Ann Rand would probably be proud for this representative of "creative class". ..."
"... Essentially the behavior that we've had for the last 8 years with the king of "bait and switch". ..."
[Dec 01, 2019] Something about death threats that supposedly Fiona Hill is getting
[Dec 01, 2019] Democrats Should Stop Making 'Ukrainegate' About Ukraine by Eric Levitz
Notable quotes:
"... Vindman appears to believe the national security bureaucracy's account of America's national interests should be immune from civilian challenge. ..."
"... After all, the idea that the United States has a "national security" interest in preventing Russian hegemony in the Donbass region is not obvious, to say the least. American media paints Russia as the unambiguous aggressor in the Ukraine conflict. But as the Cato Institute's Ted Galen Carpenter has written , the truth of the matter is far more complicated: ..."
"... Washington's roster of provocations is long and damaging . With strong U.S. encouragement, NATO's membership has crept inexorably eastward, reaching the western border of the Russian Federation and even incorporating the three Baltic republics, which had been constituent parts of both Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union. Beginning with George W. Bush's administration, Washington has pressed NATO to expand still farther and offer membership to both Georgia and Ukraine. The United States and its allies have greatly increased the number and scope of their military deployments and war games in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. Barack Obama's administration interfered blatantly in Ukraine's internal political affairs to unseat a democratically elected, pro-Russian government and replace it with a pro-Western regime in 2014. Since then, Washington has made Ukraine a de facto military ally , training and conducting joint military exercises with Ukrainian forces and concluding two significant arms sales to Kiev. ..."
"... John Mearsheimer argues that Putin's annexation of Crimea is best understood as a defensive maneuver: ..."
"... Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed NATO enlargement, and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand by while their strategically important neighbor turned into a Western bastion. For Putin, the illegal overthrow of Ukraine's democratically elected and pro-Russian president -- which he rightly labeled a "coup" -- was the final straw. He responded by taking Crimea, a peninsula he feared would host a NATO naval base, and working to destabilize Ukraine until it abandoned its efforts to join the West. ..."
"... In his statement, Vindman suggests that he does not want Americans to have that argument. He posits a Western-aligned Ukraine as self-evidently critical to our national security, and the maintenance of bipartisan support for that premise a duty of a uniformed officer. ..."
"... And Democrats have tacitly affirmed his analysis. From the very beginning of its impeachment inquiry, Nancy Pelosi's caucus has framed Trump's malfeasance in Ukraine as, above all, an affront to America's "national security." ..."
"... Democrats should not let their witnesses (or vestigial attachment to Cold War politics) lead them astray. The notion that America has a clear national security interest in arming Ukraine is dubious on the merits. ..."