Caitlin Johnstone advises readers to question the latest episode of Cold War propaganda.
(Udo Reitter, Pixabay)
By Caitlin Johnstone
CaitlinJohnstone.com
The New York Times has published an article on the contents of the hotly anticipated U.S. government report on UFOs, as per usual based on statements of anonymous officials, and as per usual promoting narratives that are convenient for imperialists and war profiteers.
Together with one voice, the anonymous U.S. officials and the “paper of record” — which is supposed to scrutinize U.S. officials — assure us definitively that the mysterious aerial phenomena that have reportedly been witnessed by military personnel are certainly not any kind of secret U.S. technology, but could totally be aliens and could definitely be a sign that the Russians or Chinese have severely lapped America’s lagging military development.
“The report determines that a vast majority of more than 120 incidents over the past two decades did not originate from any American military or other advanced U.S. government technology,” NYT was reportedly told by the officials. “That determination would appear to eliminate the possibility that Navy pilots who reported seeing unexplained aircraft might have encountered programs the government meant to keep secret.
[Listen to a reading of this article.]
Oh well if the U.S. government has ruled out secret U.S. government weaponry programs, hot damn that’s good enough for me. Great journalism you guys.
One senior official said without hesitation that U.S. officials knew it was not American technology.
He said there was worry among intelligence and military officials that China or Russia could be experimenting with hypersonic technology https://t.co/bgYtohKC9O
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) June 4, 2021
“Intelligence officials believe at least some of the aerial phenomena could have been experimental technology from a rival power, most likely Russia or China,” the Times reports. “One senior official briefed on the intelligence said without hesitation that U.S. officials knew it was not American technology. He said there was worry among intelligence and military officials that China or Russia could be experimenting with hypersonic technology.”
“Russia has been investing heavily in hypersonics, believing the technology offers it the ability to evade American missile-defense technology,” NYT adds. “China has also developed hypersonic weaponry, and included it in military parades. If the phenomena were Chinese or Russian aircraft, officials said, that would suggest the two powers’ hypersonic research had far outpaced American military development.”
The article goes on to describe how the U.S. military have been “unsettled” by aircraft moving and behaving in ways known technologies cannot explain. The implication of scary foreign adversaries having “outpaced American military development” to such an extent is of course that the U.S. military is going to require a far bigger budget with far more intensive weapons development.
This would be the same New York Times that has consistently supported all of the U.S. military’s devastating acts of mass murder around the world, by the way.
This won’t be the last time we hear the imperial media warning us that UFOs may be a sign of a frightening gap in technology leaving the U.S. defenseless against far more powerful foreign foes, and they’ve already been priming us for it. The Republican version of Rachel Maddow, aka Tucker Carlson, has been shrilly pushing this narrative for weeks now and demanding that the U.S. government do more to address the fact that in alleged encounters with these aircraft, “our military was completely outmatched technologically by whatever these were.”
“UFOs, it turns out, are real, and whatever else they are, they’re a prima facie challenge to the United States military,” Carlson said on a segment last month. “They’re doing things the U.S. military does not allow, and they’re doing it with impunity. And they appear to be focused on the U.S. military.”
“Why isn’t the Pentagon more focused on this? It seems like a threat if there ever was one,” Carlson huffed.
In another segment Carlson had on military intelligence veteran Luis Elizondo, a leading figure in the steadily intensifying new UFO narrative which kicked off in 2017, claiming the aforementioned Senate report on the subject will reveal “an intelligence failure on the part of the U.S. intel community on the level of 9/11.”
“If there’s a foreign adversary that can put a nuclear warhead within moments over Washington, D.C., OK, that’s a problem,” Elizondo told Carlson’s Fox News audience.
All this over some completely unverifiable testimony, and a few videos being confirmed by the Pentagon which can all be explained by easily identifiable mundane phenomena.
I can’t predict the future, but I won’t be at all surprised if we begin seeing this arms race angle become the dominant aspect of this UFO story in the coming months/years. It would certainly fit the pattern of the U.S. war machine and mass media promoting completely unverifiable allegations about foreign governments to justify further cold war escalations.
In the early sixties President John F Kennedy falsely promoted the “missile gap” narrative, telling the public that the Soviet Union had surpassed the United States in nuclear weapons when he knew full well the U.S. nuclear arsenal had always far surpassed the U.S.S.R.’s in number, quality and deployment.
Kennedy used this hawkish narrative to win an election and advance the largest peacetime expansion of U.S. military power ever, leading directly to the events which gave rise to the Cuban Missile Crisis which came far closer to ending our world than most of us like to think about.
I have no idea what if anything is going on with these UFO phenomena, but I do know the world-threatening new cold war the U.S. is waging against Russia and China is insane. There is no valid reason our planet’s dominant power structures cannot at the very least cease brandishing armageddon weapons at each other and begin collaborating toward a better world together.
Reject the propagandists and Cold Warriors, no matter how elaborate or bizarre their manipulations become.
Caitlin Johnstone is a rogue journalist, poet, and utopia prepper who publishes regularly at Medium. Her work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following her on Steemit, throwing some money into her tip jar on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of her sweet merchandise, buying her books Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix, Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone and Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.
This article was re-published with permission.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
Wow do they have ray guns
As I said in my earlier post, this UFO buffoonery is something the government doesn’t have to talk about. Plenty of examples of the U.S. governments lock-jaw approach to keeping secrets already exist. But not UFO’s, really?
So what gives? Besides what ever or who ever these “things” may be one might argue that humans might be better off with some superior power calling the shots. Which is after all the basis for most modern religions.
Imagine the messiah returns and the space force blows them to smithereens. One needs to know when to hold them and know when to fold them.
I believe it is simply another message in their pysops operations to divide and distract. History shows us the MIC always gets what it wants and truthfully this may well be another ploy to get even more. On the other hand what does make much sense coming from D.C. these days.
JonnyJames is 100% right here, the story sells ads and what better way for our Nanny government to bolster opinion in favor more “perceived security”.
Another power grab folks! Figure this out! The home land cannot be secure until we rule the universe? Seriously! At some point this insanity must become obvious and I believe we are at that point.
The human species is already threatened by various governments actions to militarized everything from light to food an in the process poison the planet. Still our leaders demand the death of others and more poisoning to allow even more despicable weaponry.
All this about money not freedom, money not justice, money not love.
I figure if the humans species isn’t careful the one way to ensure these supposed enemies from another planet do us in is to present them with unfettered hostility. Pale faces this perceived threat will likely be no ordinary enemy.
> All this over some completely unverifiable testimony, and a few videos being confirmed by the Pentagon which can all be explained by easily identifiable mundane phenomena.
Sorry, Ms Johnstone, that’s rubbish! You should stick to writing about things you know something about. Yes, of course, the Pentagon and arms lobby will try to use this to get even more money, although suggestions that the Russians or Chinese are behind this are the most obvious nonsense. After all, that’s SOP for them.
By the way, we now learn that UFOs hovered over not only US, but also Soviet, nuclear bases at the hight of the Cold War, and were apparently able to shut down the weapons systems. Perhaps we should be grateful that whoever it is sticks their noses into our affairs, not worried…
Steven Greer haw been warning about a false flag govt event in space for years. I have no doubt the govt knows exactly what their intentions are and if aliens do exist, they are sitting on the sidelnes patiently waiting as I am sure time is irrelevant. Our govt – forever searching for the imaginary bogeyman.
If these UFOs do indeed showcase a technology 1oo or 1000 years in advance of anything humanly-developed so far, as stated by a US pilot, then it’s actually quite ridiculous to assume we need to do something about it.
Any civilization having that kind of advantage will be the ones calling the shots. We, and our bloated military, are simply at their mercy. End of story.
“…I do know the world-threatening new cold war the U.S. is waging against Russia and China is insane.”
Indeed. Russia’s great sin is supposed to be what? Wanting to sell its natural resources on a global free market? How manipulative! China’s is what? Developing the manufacturing base that the American plutocracy purposely abandoned to cut labor costs and starve its under class? Both Russia and China trying to protect their asses as every incoming US administration tries to outdo the last in encircling them with the latest, greatest and costliest new armaments on shiny new bases? Washington’s greatest virtue is supposed to be what? Laying waste entire 3rd rate countries because they fancy they still have some semblance of sovereignty and autonomy from American demands? Is this meant to be a punishment of the allegedly guilty or a warning to the rest of the world? In any case, what hypocrisy! What loathsome arrogance! Elicits the opposite of being proud to be an American!
I’m with you on this UFO farce 100%. The government and it’s contractors of death incorporated are up to so much who knows what they got going on. And they don’t have to talk about it so you figure something is up.
Tucker is a media whore, with issues and in spite of having little talent, he continually goes for the low hanging fruit, he has gotten very wealthy.
The perfect example of how too much money has ruined the msm.
On JFK – May 1, 1960 – The date of the huge military May Day Celebration in Moscow. The same day Gary Francis Powers, U2 pilot is shot down during a Russian fly over recon mission. Who ordered this? Curtis LeMay was held responsible by Ike who was furious about it.
LeMay never countered any statements by his advisors that the Russians were ahead of the US with their nukes. Advisors who worked with the USAEC.
New info is coming out frequently about the times and stories of the JFK Admin.
Who represented the Air Force under JFK? Curtis LeMay JFK’s number one antagonist who openly bullied him showing his blatant disrespect. There were many more not loyal to JFK.
Where did the bad dope on Russian nuke strength come from, the Joint Chiefs who needed to lobby for more and more and more money and Curis LeMay who fed Ike bum dope also. The national security council wasn’t to be trusted either, certain members, Walt Whitman Rostow.
But really got the hawks all fired up was JFK’s plans for non-proliferation treaties and a ban on atmospheric testing.
In addition that Bay of Pigs thing would have started WWIII if JFK would have went along with calling in the Navy and Air Force as CIA and the Joint Chiefs desired.
We all need to remember that Israel obtained Special Nuclear Materials from NUMEC, i e 97% enriched U-235 and it came from P0rtsmouth Ohio, the only location on the planet producing it at the time. Circa ~ 1959 – 1969
But what is most important that we remember is that Israel got it in spite of JFK not because of him. JFK was dead set against giving nukes to Israel. I believe it was a contributing factor in his death.
JFK, RFK and MLK and more have been murdered in this country and the number is going up! An effort by evil doers to kill a philosophy, the idea you write supporting so often. Peace!
Thanks Caitlin you are a special person, very talented and outspoken, great stuff.
Thanks CN
Why do we assume this potential UFO alien presence is a threat or an enemy.?
What if we taught them how to make a Strawberry Ice Cream Sunday which their advanced culture never knew.
Time for a non military response. Why not?
In addition to my other comment, I must say that the notion that the pentagon needs to concoct a fake UFO flap and sell it to the public in order to ramp up the military budget is pretty silly. First off, when have they EVER needed to “ask” the public for permission to increase the pentagon budget? That budget is increased with bipartisan support every time it is made. There is absolutely no need to fabricate a wild UFO story. Second, the idea that UFO sightings are a recent phenomena and one restricted to the US, is a misinformed ridiculous idea that ignores facts. Since WW2, at least, many governments of the world have been covertly tracking the UFO phenomena as it has been prevalent by the thousands on every continent for decades. People that have done zero serious research on the UFO topic should not put forth skeptical theories to prop up their agendas. There are massive amounts of credible documented evidence accumulated by serious investigators. One just needs to look at it. But, yes…. our handlers will squeeze every bit of exploitation out of any topic. That is why one should learn the facts.
Caitlin is no rogue, but a sensible and grounded (!) journalist. All this nonsense about UFOs is like the “Star Wars” fantasies of Reagan. Of course Russia and China are ahead- they live in the real world, develop agreements and programs to cooperate with other countries and have to waste their energy on countering the constant threats and weapon buildups of the USA, whose alleged enemies are all internal. Look at the “leaders” in the USA!!!!
Strange that all the videos of those UFOs have all the resolution of a first generation VHS camcorder…
Apparently you do not know that they are not regular “videos” but filmed with infrared cameras.
That’s right. The systems are merely meant to lock on to a potential enemy target, not take photogenic portraits.
The easiest default position for people to take in this country is to lampoon reported sightings as the delusions of the mentally ill because that’s how they’ve been conditioned by the government and other authority figures all of their lives. If you’ve not clearly seen a UFO close-up it’s all slap-happy funny stuff. If you have, you KNOW they are real. Having encountered a dozen or so such unidentifiable “entities” a mere few feet away, in the presence of witnesses, I know they are real. I don’t, however, know what they are or where they came from. They did display evidence of intelligence and caused no harm but held no conversation with meA. The truth of this cannot be established by debate, so I shan’t even try to convince anyone. Apparently, you have to see to believe (not believe to see), and then you have no choice but to accept their reality. End of discussion.
THe US government needs no excuse to ramp up arms. They do it at will, not needing to make excuses, They have shown no real intention of even appearing to be doing anything for humanity or its citizens for years.
Make that decades
But, if they increased the Pentagon budget without giving us a reason, this would not be a democracy.
There is no doubt that our handlers will try and exploit the acceptance of the undeniable reality of UFOs to their advantage, as they do with everything. The very important thing to remember in all of this is that, in spite of the usual USA-centric focus, these types of sightings are happening ALL OVER THE PLANET and have been for a long long time. (Ever hear about the UFO landing near a school in Zimbabwe which was witnessed close up by many dozens of people who have never changed their story?)
Some other governments have already acknowledged that they cannot explain what these vehicles are. Any US public acknowledgement, in a sense, is just playing catch up. It is just for the education of the US public and along with that will come exploitation and more info management. There are elements of the government/military that already know all about this topic and have for a long time. Tons of credible documented evidence proves that. (RE: Richard Dolan’s books “UFOs & the National Security State” are full of decades of government documents.)
Thanks Caitlin. That has been my suspicion for quite a while. The “Space Force” and the DoD need more more more…
Congress Crooks already give the Military/Security/Surveillance Complex over a Trillion $ every year. Why not make it 3 trillion? The Obama regime and Congress Crooks already approved over a trillion for the “modernization” of the US nuclear arsenal. (in blatant violation of the NPT, so much for the “rule of law”).
The aliens BS is also good for a distraction and smokescreen for the plebs and it’s good for the corporate media cartel.
Space Aliens are good for business baby!