Russia says it has no intentions of controlling Ukraine and its military operation is only to “demilitarize” and “de-Nazify” Ukraine in an action taken after 30 years of the U.S. pushing Russia too far, writes Joe Lauria.
Putin explaining his reasons for going to war. (AP screenshot from YouTube)
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
Originally published Feb. 24
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a TV address Thursday morning that the goal of Russia’s military operation was not to take control of Ukraine, but to “demilitarize” and “de-Nazify” the country. Moments after he spoke, explosions were heard in several Ukrainian cities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said these were “precision” attacks against Ukrainian military installations and that civilians were not being targeted. It said Ukraine’s air force on the ground and its air defenses had been destroyed.
The Ukrainian government, which declared a state of emergency and broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, said an invasion was underway and that Russia had landed forces at the port city of Odessa, on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, as well as entering from Belarus in the north. It said it had killed 50 Russian troops and shot down six Russian fighter jets, which Russia denied.
Putin said one of the operation’s aims was to arrest certain people in Ukraine, likely the neo-Nazis who burned dozens of unarmed people alive in a building in Odessa in 2014. In his speech Monday, Putin said Moscow knows who they are. Russia said it aims to destroy neo-Nazi brigades, such as Right Sector and the Azov Battalion.
Putin said the aim was not to occupy Ukraine, but he gave no indication when Russia might leave. It could be over quickly if Russia’s objectives are met. But war has its own logic and often lays waste to military plans.
The BBC reported that according to Ukrainian authorities 50 civilians have been killed so far. President Joe Biden is certain how this will turn out.
“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said Wednesday night. “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
Diminishing Russia
Biden speaks on Ukraine at White House last Friday. (Ruptly screenshot.)
Biden is to make a televised address on Thursday after he coordinates a response to Russia’s military action in Ukraine with the G7 and NATO. Biden said he will announce a new package of economic sanctions against Russia, in addition to those imposed on Monday, but reiterated that U.S. and NATO forces would not become involved. According to TASS, Russia’s news agency, the EU said it intends to weaken “Russia’s economic base and the country’s capacity to modernize.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson even hinted at British military involvement. “Our mission is clear,” he said. “Diplomatically, politically, economically and eventually militarily this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”
In a White House readout after the last phone call between Biden and Putin this month, Biden said Russia would be “diminished” if it invades, a longstanding U.S. goal.
In addition to the sanctions, Russia has faced widespread condemnation from most of the world, expressed at United Nations meetings this week, including an emergency session of the Security Council on Wednesday night. Several nations spoke in melodramatic tones about the military operation changing global security. Many of those nations supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
On Monday, Putin said he would send Russian “peacekeepers” into Lugansk and Donetsk, which he recognized as states independent from Ukraine. The West denounced it as an invasion, triggering the first round of sanctions against Russia. Putin said the Russian troops were sent in to protect ethnic Russians, many of whom have now fled for safety over the border to Russia.
Combat in Donbass
Fierce fighting was reported Thursday along the line of separation between Ukrainian forces and militias from Donetsk and Lugansk. It is not clear to what extent Russian forces are taking part in the Donbass battle and if the aim is to capture all of the two breakaway provinces.
Both had voted for independence from Ukraine in 2014 after a coup overthrew the elected president Viktor Yanukovych. The new Ukrainian government then launched a war against the provinces to crush their bid for independence, a war that is still going on eight years later at the cost of 14,000 lives.
Neo-Nazi groups, such as Right Sector and the Azov Battalion, who revere the World War II Ukrainian fascist leader Stepan Bandera, took part in the coup as well as in the ongoing war against Lugansk and Donetsk.
A Matter of ‘Life or Death’
The Russian military action follows demands made in December by Russia to the U.S. and NATO in the form of treaty proposals that would require Ukraine and Georgia not to join NATO; U.S. missiles in Poland and Romania to be removed; and NATO deployments to Eastern Europe reversed. The U.S. and NATO rejected the proposals and instead sent more NATO forces to Eastern Europe and have been heavily arming Ukraine.
In his address on Thursday morning, Putin said the military operation he was launching was a “question of life or death” for Russia, referring to NATO’s expansion east since the late 1990s. He said:
“For the United States and its allies, it is a policy of containing Russia, with obvious geopolitical dividends. For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state and to its sovereignty. It is the red line which we have spoken about on numerous occasions. They have crossed it.”
Detailed Explanation of Causes and Aims of Operation
Silets Sokalskyi Lvivska battlefield monument in Ukraine of Soviets soldiers against Nazi invaders. (Viacheslav Galievskyi/Wikimedia Commons)
In his 3,350-word speech, Putin laid out in full detail the reasons he decided to take military action and what he hopes it will achieve. The speech is a devastating critique of U.S. policy toward Russia over the past 30 years, which no doubt will fall on deaf ears in Washington.
Western media is so far ignoring the speech or superficially dismissing it. But it has to be carefully studied if anyone is interested in understanding why Russia launched this military operation. Just calling Putin “Hitler,” as Nancy Pelosi did Wednesday night, won’t do.
Hitler in fact features in Putin’s address. For instance, addressing the Ukrainian military, Putin said:
“Your fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers did not fight the Nazi occupiers and did not defend our common Motherland to allow today’s neo-Nazis to seize power in Ukraine. You swore the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people and not to the junta, the people’s adversary which is plundering Ukraine and humiliating the Ukrainian people.”
He linked the Nazis’ invasion of Russia to NATO’s threat today, saying this time there would be no appeasement:
“Of course, this situation begs a question: what next, what are we to expect? If history is any guide, we know that in 1940 and early 1941 the Soviet Union went to great lengths to prevent war or at least delay its outbreak. To this end, the USSR sought not to provoke the potential aggressor until the very end by refraining or postponing the most urgent and obvious preparations it had to make to defend itself from an imminent attack. When it finally acted, it was too late.
As a result, the country was not prepared to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany, which attacked our Motherland on June 22, 1941, without declaring war. The country stopped the enemy and went on to defeat it, but this came at a tremendous cost. The attempt to appease the aggressor ahead of the Great Patriotic War proved to be a mistake which came at a high cost for our people. In the first months after the hostilities broke out, we lost vast territories of strategic importance, as well as millions of lives. We will not make this mistake the second time. We have no right to do so.”
Putin said the existential threat from NATO’s expansion was the main reason for military action:
“Our biggest concerns and worries, [are] the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.
It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.
Why is this happening? Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?”
Putin called the Americans “con-artists” for lying about NATO expansion. He referred to:
“promises not to expand NATO eastwards even by an inch. To reiterate: they have deceived us, or, to put it simply, they have played us. Sure, one often hears that politics is a dirty business. It could be, but it shouldn’t be as dirty as it is now, not to such an extent. This type of con-artist behaviour is contrary not only to the principles of international relations but also and above all to the generally accepted norms of morality and ethics.”
Putin said Russia had long wanted to cooperate with the West. “Those who aspire to global dominance have publicly designated Russia as their enemy. They did so with impunity. Make no mistake, they had no reason to act this way,” he said.
Cold War Triumphalism & Its Consequences
U.S. soldier conducts search of family’s home in Iraq, 2006. (Navy Journalist 1st Class Jeremy L. Wood)
Putin said the collapse of the Soviet Union had led to a redivision of the world and a change to international law and norms. New rules were needed but instead of achieving this “professionally, smoothly, patiently, and with due regard and respect for the interests of all states … we saw a state of euphoria created by the feeling of absolute superiority, a kind of modern absolutism coupled with the low cultural standards and arrogance of those who formulated and pushed through decisions that suited only themselves.”
Putin then said this “absolutism,” with the Soviet Union no longer as a barrier, led to unchecked U.S. aggression, starting with NATO’s bombing of Serbia in 1999, the 2003 invasion of Iraq and U.S. involvement in Syria. Russia has been taking note of the destruction Washington has wrought, even as it seems whitewashed from American minds.
“First a bloody military operation was waged against Belgrade, without the UN Security Council’s sanction but with combat aircraft and missiles used in the heart of Europe. The bombing of peaceful cities and vital infrastructure went on for several weeks. I have to recall these facts, because some Western colleagues prefer to forget them, and when we mentioned the event, they prefer to avoid speaking about international law.
Then came the turn of Iraq, Libya and Syria. The illegal use of military power against Libya and the distortion of all the UN Security Council decisions on Libya ruined the state, created a huge seat of international terrorism, and pushed the country towards a humanitarian catastrophe, into the vortex of a civil war, which has continued there for years. The tragedy, which was created for hundreds of thousands and even millions of people not only in Libya but in the whole region, has led to a large-scale exodus from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.
A similar fate was also prepared for Syria. The combat operations conducted by the Western coalition in that country without the Syrian government’s approval or UN Security Council’s sanction can only be defined as aggression and intervention.
But the example that stands apart from the above events is, of course, the invasion of Iraq without any legal grounds. They used the pretext of allegedly reliable information available in the United States about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To prove that allegation, the US Secretary of State held up a vial with white power, publicly, for the whole world to see, assuring the international community that it was a chemical warfare agent created in Iraq.
It later turned out that all of that was a fake and a sham, and that Iraq did not have any chemical weapons. Incredible and shocking but true. We witnessed lies made at the highest state level and voiced from the high UN rostrum. As a result we see a tremendous loss in human life, damage, destruction, and a colossal upsurge of terrorism.
Overall, it appears that nearly everywhere, in many regions of the world where the United States brought its law and order, this created bloody, non-healing wounds and the curse of international terrorism and extremism.”
Putin said over the past days “NATO leadership has been blunt in its statements that they need to accelerate and step up efforts to bring the alliance’s infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders. In other words, they have been toughening their position. We cannot stay idle and passively observe these developments. This would be an absolutely irresponsible thing to do for us.”
Ukraine, he said, had essentially become a de-facto NATO member posing the greatest threat to Russia.
“Any further expansion of the North Atlantic alliance’s infrastructure or the ongoing efforts to gain a military foothold of the Ukrainian territory are unacceptable for us. Of course, the question is not about NATO itself. It merely serves as a tool of US foreign policy. The problem is that in territories adjacent to Russia, which I have to note is our historical land, a hostile “anti-Russia” is taking shape. Fully controlled from the outside, it is doing everything to attract NATO armed forces and obtain cutting-edge weapons.”
A Parting Shot at European Vassals
Putin also blasted America’s European allies for not having the strength of principle or the moral fiber to stand up to Washington. He said:
“The United States is still a great country and a system-forming power. All its satellites not only humbly and obediently say yes to and parrot it at the slightest pretext but also imitate its behaviour and enthusiastically accept the rules it is offering them. Therefore, one can say with good reason and confidence that the whole so-called Western bloc formed by the United States in its own image and likeness is, in its entirety, the very same ’empire of lies.’”
[Read the full text of the speech.] [Kremlin and other Russian government websites are down after apparent cyber attack. The full text of the speech can be found on Bloomberg News here.]
Joe Lauria is editor-in-chief of Consortium News and a former U.N. correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and numerous other newspapers. He was an investigative reporter for the Sunday Times of London and began his professional work as a 19-year old stringer for The New York Times. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @unjoe
Is the actual Putin speech addressing his nation have been removed, as I am constantly reminded website not found, I would love receive it as an email. Thank you
The Kremlin website has been hacked so it cannot be found there. But the full text is available from Bloomberg News.
hxxps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-24/full-transcript-vladimir-putin-s-televised-address-to-russia-on-ukraine-feb-24
We spent the past year talking about the buildup of tens of thousands of US/NATO troops in Eastern Europe, set into place to invade Ukraine, then attempt to invade Russia. We pointed out Biden’s relentless saber-rattling and corporate media spin on ongoing developments. Seems some Americans have grown quite adept at hearing only what they want to hear.
.any hundreds of comments have said, and said it well.
Years back US threatened Russia and Cuba with nuclear annihilation because of Russian a couple hundred miles from. US borfder in Cuba, and today US andNATO want to place missles tanks men and weapons just few feet from border and surrounding whole of Russia.
By quick check of goods from Russia any trade sanctions are going to hit the people and economy hardest of All.
To place burden on a peoples already severely fracture into two camps and facing massive breakdowns on internal supply system. A people where over 49% live on survival wages, rent , lights sewer and medical subsidized , because no job with 40% live below poverty level.
A land that is on rux of a hyperinflation that will tear hell out of not just poor but lower buying power and change life styles for under 120k yearly Income as well.
Chess board is where every piece can be lost trying to protect the Kings.
The kings of finance who are largely helping themselves by theft of nations wealth to play at do.estic Chess Board.do not play for peace they play to destroy.
The author is right that Putin does not want to occupy Ukraine but t0 deNazify and deMilitarize the Ukraine. The other mission is to destroy the 16 US bio weapons labs researching deadly pathogens in the Ukraine near to the Russian borders.
Russia has been cut off from SWIFT.
Russia should carry on supplying oil and gas, but demand payment IN ADVANCE, and payment IN GOLD.
Combined with the 2014 coup in Ukraine, and the build-up of weapons in Ukraine, and the long history of the London / Wall Street financiers military attacks on countries to plunder their resources, the Russians would logically think that these pirate financiers were preparing to attack Russia.
So the Russians took out that weapons build-up to prevent the coming attack.
Joe Lauria you have been phenomenal since this madness began. Please take care of yourself and keep up the great work and remember because of your work you are revered by many who depend on you!
Special thanks Joe and CN for all your efforts.
Seconded.
In 1982, Britain waged war against Argentina with US support, 8,000 miles away, to protect the interests of 2,000 Falkland Islanders. No Falkland Islanders had been killed or mistreated in any way by Argentine forces.
In 2022, Russia intervened to protect 4 million people of Russian heritage, thousands of whom had been murdered, with their homes subjected to persistent bombardment by heavy artillery and sniping by squalid Nazi thugs over an 8 year period.
Which of these two is the more justifiable?
Good point.
Margaret thatcher lost a $billion ship if I recall correctly.
These shoot first ask questions later neocons get away with murder.
And keep getting elected.
The British lost several ships. None cost that much.
But one of the consequences of the war was that the Junta collapsed and a more democratic government was elected.
Putin got it exactly right when he observed the u.S. acts like a con-man. (well, except for the exclusivity of gender he used)
A manipulator, slippin’ ‘n slidin’ behind the scenes, pullin’ all them strings, gettin’ others to do its dirty things
And now, with indispensable help from mass media, pullin’ off the final act in the long con of Shiftin’ the Blame.
In my mind, the amp-up for the now 24/7 push of propaganda into Amiercan minds began with the Queen of Con’s Russiagate.
“A manipulator, slippin’ ‘n slidin’ behind the scenes, pullin’ all them strings, gettin’ others to do its dirty things” Love it man… Spot on.
Quote, ““Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.” Unquote.
Says the man who authorised sending military equipment to the Ukrainian ILLEGAL Government, to murder the innocent people’s of Dunbass and Lagansk, all the while assuring this ILLEGAL Govt they had his back and support. Then when the shite hit the fan, that support vanished and the Criminals were left to fend for themselves. If it wasn’t so darn sad, it be incredibly funny, that people still have not learnt of the duplicity practiced by the Americans. Talks about “fool me once, fool me twice” L.O.L.
Japan was squeezed by sanctions from accessing resources it needed and feeling it was being backed into a corner, as it was, lashed out at the USA in December, 1941. The USA tactics regarding Russia have started another war. Blood on Biden hands.
A truly great reminder of how an Editor In Chief can reduce a long speech to its clear essentials. Bravo.
I think it would be equally essential to take the Consortium’s several articles about the events of the Ukraine coup stirred up by Nuland and the other CIA components – including the Ukrainian Nazi groups and condense them for readers who weren’t here when they were first published over several articles. They, too, were brilliant journalism.
I would like to remind all that this is in perfect unison with the book that was one that changed my life: Limits To Growth, 1972 I believe. Its predictions are right on time about wars over oil and energy, abo and about the environment in a larger sense. Every 30 years they publish an update climate change, food supplies and famine. If you want to know what’s next in planetary matters, there’s a new one out! Buy it, it’s fabulous.
Thank you, Joe Lauria, again and again, for your writing/speaking truth to those in power. It is good to read the comments and know I (a widow senior) am not alone. With you all trying to have the courage to be at times “a lone voice in the wilderness”….that is, among so called liberal and progressive friends. As a former teacher of Political Science (grad of Brooklyn College CUNY), I lament the lack of historical knowledge about WW II, as the late Stephen F. Cohn tried to tell us Americans…..the terrible cost of lives lost when the German Nazi attacked Moscow. Surely Prof. Cohen would be joining Joe Lauria on the same wave-length! Courage to all, as John Lennon sang: “All we are asking is give peace a chance” And as Shelley wrote: “Hope springs eternal” Peace be with you, Carolyn Grassi (author Brooklyn Beginnings Poems, where in part, I write about politics)
Here’s an hour 20 minutes of a background documentary, of filmmaker Oliver Stone’s impressions of the Ukraine story, from as early as 2019, where the prize winning journalist, Robert Parry, features outspokenly:
hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzc1Ot5-q5I
Joe Lauria, I have read the comments comparing your work to that of your predecessor, Robert Parry. As a steady reader of Consortium News since 2003, I must say that such praise is well deserved. Thanks for your devotion to uncovering and telling the truth.
John Mearsheimer’s September 25th, 2015, lecture on the causes of Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine is prescient because nearly everything he said then applies to the current situation. Please watch “How The West Ruined Ukraine”
Robert Parry always stood by the truth and was never deflected from that path irrespective of pressure or circumstances.
CN has continued in the same vain, and I’m sure R. Parry would be proud that his legacy continues. CN has reprinted many of his works since his untimely death and all have stood the test of time. But then truth is timeless but not easy to find and when found needs to be treasured, especially in this day and age, when lies and deceit are everywhere.
In the article, according to the BBC, Joe Biden says “President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,” Biden said Wednesday night. “Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.”
The astounded among us wonder: When is anyone in the corporate media going to ask Joe Biden to address the question of why the world has not yet even pointed a finger, let alone indicted the United States for all the millions of deaths, population displacements (refugees), infrastructure destruction, chaos and destabilization its premeditated, and illegal attacks on the sovereign nations of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria – to name a few, has brought about in the preceding 3 decades alone. Moscow, long, long ago became the U.S. scapegoat (whipping ‘toy’) for maintaining command and control of its Empire abroad, as well as maintaining the fear level, in its home populace, constantly at fever pitch???
Damn, but these pesky, yet highly pertinent to the full-on hypocrisy on display, little, but legitimate questions, unbidden, just keep on popping up!
It’s confounding enough to me to see most of America walking in goose step with disgusting Lord Biden now. I’m sure it will be shocking to see his poll numbers skyrocket (in a rational world they would be plummeting further).
Having been in the first high school class to be drafted into the Vietnam debacle I can understand, but not condone, that most Americans will ALWAYS knee-jerk support their leaders no matter how gangster they are. It’s the “my country right or wrong syndrome.” People need to have their sensibilities violated grievously for a protracted time (perhaps on the order of years) before they do what they innately consider sedition and condemn their leaders for their immorality, and harm to our country, much less harm to other countries which most care nothing about.
Myopic and obtuse Americans are one problem, perhaps semi-understandable when you take the basic irrationality of the human psyche into consideration. However, the greatest non-sequitur that I cannot fathom is the pass, and even enthusiastic support, that Washington gets from the world community for its many atrocities, which don’t even shock much any more because of their routine nature. Washington can slaughter hundreds of thousands and starve and displace millions without even a bye-your-leave. The world now expects such barbarism from us, but why do they accept it? Nay, even approve and support it?! Many on this site ask the same about Israel (why the free pass to commit crimes against humanity? Are not Palestinians humans? Do they not bleed, etc, etc.?), but not many others do. Certainly not in the self-proclaimed “civilised” world, not the ones always lecturing so-called “leftist” countries, third world countries or non-Judeo-Christian bastions. They always need to be put right by their “better educated and more enlightened” custodians of high culture. It gets to the point of absurdity when the Chancellor of Germany laughs and denies that the random slaughter of ethnic Russians in the Donbas by the Ukrainian right sector is laughable, then goes ahead and deprives his own citizens and industries the natural gas they require basically just to screw over the Russian economy when Russia keeps the promises it made to Washington for its protracted attempts to damage Russian public welfare and national security using the witless Ukrainians as a cudgel. That’ll show ’em, won’t it, Schotzie! What absolute pure love for the Americans and their brand of treachery!
So, the Europeans are either so brainwashed or intimidated by Washington that they act like mindless carbon copies of their American betters. Who is left to say a critical word about the maniacs from DC? Not many, but not very promising there either as such holdouts are considered the “deplorables” of the international set by Washington and its stooges. No count places like Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba… you know the culprits. Russia “should” be ashamed to consider that lot friends or allies. Such is the conventional wisdom of the West. Now we learn that even faithful readers of Consortium News are not to be allowed to enjoy good relations with their families and friends because “Putin is Hitler!” Some portrait artist transformed his visage on the Drudge Report frontis page, so that’s now beyond debate by lovers of freedom and democracy. Brothers and sisters rend relationships of numerous decades, not far removed from the looming end of the line for our “Boomer” generation. Sixty, seventy, eighty years down the crapper as collateral damage to Lord Biden’s twisted plans for this planet and our nation. What a sad state, and yet there’s more dished out to us by the shadow creatures in Washington stirring the pot. If the great reset braintrust failed to raise your ire with Putin, Russia and Ukraine, there’s a good chance they snared you into conflict over best medical practices in microbiology (since everyone now has a WebMD MD, or at least a DO), or the ever downward spiral of race relations in the cities… or in the boonies, who’s entitled to what free stuff, how to riot and loot as an affirmation of political agency, what election results to accept or believe, how to conduct a coup whilst touring the sights in DC, or how to control America’s southern border…or not. You gotcher “freedom” in spades. Are you luvin’ it, and thanking your favorite deity for providing the combined wisdom of all the brainiacs in Washington, especially Lord Biden’s plans to keep the world safe for American grifters, spooks and the MIC?
Kinda sad that Putin fell into the trap then. Well, it would be funny if it weren’t for the usual horrors that will now follow the previous horrors. Hard to want to cheer either Putin or Biden on.
Putin did not fall into the trap. This is a “Damn if you do, damn if you don’t” situation.
Putin once said that as a kid on the streets of Leningrad he learned that, if the fight is inevitable, you better hit first.
He concluded that this fight could no longer be avoided, so he struck.
I am acknowledging appreciation for those who understand how lonely it can be harboring unpopular opinions. At the same time, am correcting a error stated in my previous post. Dr. King’s quote was that his government was the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today.
Good Job, Joe!
“Ode to War” is a satirical poem on war written in 1794 by Reverend John Whitehouse
And, once again, the global winner is: Imperial neoliberal hypocrisy and enforcement of double standards!
WW I, first claimed, by H.G. Wells to be “the war to end all wars”. Then, a scant twenty years later came WW II, with the same slogan. Those who made these assertions were wrong too.
And, today, little more than seventy-five years on, perhaps the opening salvo of WW III has commenced. Is this extension in time to be regarded as progress; that humanity has learned from the futility of endlessly pursuing a trajectory of “world-madness”.
Painfully, however, if this time the slogan turns out to be more accurate, then it will not only be the war to end all wars, but also definitely be the end of human his(our)story.
And, mankind will have learned nothing about the extension of life, notwithstanding the vast strides made in the natural sciences.
In his article of August 14th 1914, Wells also wrote… “it is a war not of nations, but of mankind. It is a war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age.” Regrettably, it is only with hindsight that we see how wrong was his hopeful prediction!
“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.”
? Rabindranath Tagore
The similarity of the Ukraine situation to former-Soviet Georgia and its seceded province South Ossetia suggests that Russia will soon leave Ukraine except for Donbas. NATO set up Georgia and Ukraine for membership in 2008, whereupon Georgia attacked South Ossetia where Russian had a peacekeeping force. Russia counterattacked to free South Ossetia but remained only as protectors, and only briefly occupied part of Georgia.
I find myself on this site asking if others have been reluctant to profess their true views on this subject for fear of losing close friends who can’t believe US would ever do anything without good intent. It may be difficult for certain prominent people to profess contrary beliefs. MLK can only be remembered for his devotion to justice in his own country, not his views on our foreign policy. I don’t believe his opinion regarding the greatest purveyor of evil in the world would have changed.
At least five of my self-identified rad left friends (soc dem or anarchist types) have been retweeting without critique neocon/lib outlets (WSJ, MSNBC, the Atlantic) coverage of Ukraine. Have decided to call them out on it.
Danny:
Shortly after the ’14 coup in Ukraine I got into a very heated argument with my younger brother about the FACTS surrounding that event – couldn’t even get past that. We didn’t speak for months after that. Has parting comment to me then was “You seem so intent on blaming the US for every wrong thing in the world today.” That is not true of course, but I am equally dismayed that he does not recognize much of the duplicity and malfeasance of the US during our lifetimes.
Though we have mended some fences, his defense and support of the US position (and his contempt for Putin and Russia mirrors the official narrative) has not changed and my position should be fairly obvious to those that have read my posts here. We haven’t contacted each other during this most recent event and I suspect that he, like myself, is reluctant to open a conversation which both of us know how it will end.
And so it goes.
Vince Lawrence – in Ohio
Danny, my brother, I share your discomfort. I have long been an outlier in my circle of Democratic friends with regard to politics and international affairs. I know that I have embarrassed my wife on any number of occasions when I could not remain silent. I felt badly for her but otherwise had no regrets. Tonight we will be having dinner with a good friend, and my wife has already requested that I not deliver a “lecture “ on Ukraine and Russia. Though it may be difficult, I will keep my mouth shut and change the subject. The truth is that most people regard us independent and critical thinkers as weirdos, and few are persuaded by our facts and logic. Oh, I will continue to speak up, but in a soft and cajoling manner, mainly to plant the seeds of doubt in minds that have been colonized by lies and propaganda.
Thanks for your heartfelt support. I’m glad I have a wonderful likeminded wife in times like these, but wish we could have more support on our side. I’m 75 and remember very well Vietnam, which, but for a grace of a very high lottery number determined by my birthday, could have reduced me to just another statistic in a woeful chapter in American history.
Your comment is one I strongly relate to. I really don’t bother much these days pointing out the misdeeds of our inept, dishonest and dangerous government actions. Or even try to shed light on the Democratic Party heroes like Biden or especially Obama. When I have done so I have faced personal attacks while the points I make are never addressed. Because I was born under the American flag does not mean that I agree with or condone what these crazy bastards do in my name. I come to CN to read articles that most Americans will never see. I come to CN to read the comments of those who do get it.
Yes, truth has consequences. I finally summoned the courage to post this article to my Facebook “friends.” I know my excommunication will be swift.
Yes, DM, I too often feel like an extreme sense of political isolation/alienation, the proverbial ‘stranger in a strange land’ and have for decades among co-workers and family. I seldom expound anymore because people don’t want to hear it and I can’t say that I ever felt like I was able to change anyone’s mind. A lot of it is too many peoples’ lack of healthy skepticism and a strong desire to be one of the pack, ‘support the home-team’, which is inculcated in them early in life and virtually immune to change it seems…
For many years I wore a mask at home, at work, and in public, a figurative one long before the plague mandated real ones. About a decade ago, I decide to create an online persona so I could rant and link to articles like these on sites like Consortium News, without embarrassing my family and friends. Sad, I know. It was cathartic for a while and I was even getting some views, but then numbers plummeted (shadow banning?) and my artwork started disappearing (too controversial for Google Blogspot?) and it seemed to me my audience was reduced to a few spy bots. I gave up about a year ago. Among my many friends and throughout my extended family there are but few to whom I would feel comfortable expressing an honest opinion. History’s replete with Cassandra’s calling out the Zombie Apocalypse in hopeless horror. Long ago I saw Kurt Vonnegut give a talk, he concluded, and I’m paraphrasing here, “When the aliens discover our lifeless world it might help them understand if we leave behind a tombstone with our epitaph: ‘Survival wasn’t cost-effective.'” Blissfully ignorant indeed, if only I could be so.
The nauseating hypocrisy of Joe Biden lamenting loss of life is as surreal as it gets. He being the so called leader of the most lethal empire to ever exist on the planet. I guess that’s another sign this empire is headed for the ash heap. The world sees the hypocrisy clearly. The US population unfortunately has been kept ignorant of its government’s crimes for so long, they don’t see it at all. What a rude awakening it will be.
Three Amens. The population has been kept ignorant of U.S. War Crimes (April 5, 2010 an Apache helicopter kills two Reuters Journalist and his driver, as leaked by Chelsea Manning and distributed by Journalist Julian Assange, both suffering prosecution by the government; April 5, 2010 a C130 gunship with minigun and howitzer attacked the Doctors without Borders hospital in Kunduz; only the lowly were reprimanded and President Obama never apologized. Meanwhile, Congress won’t do their job and even think about rescinding the AUMF (Authority to Use Military Force) as that allows our continued support of Saudi attacks on Yemen and ongoing assassinations by Predator and Reaper drones made by the privately-owned General Atomics.
Links to the Russian site are being blocked, intermittently. Cyberwarfare in action.
It sure is odd that there is no such outcry over the many invasions of the US such as the invasions of Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and the 78 day bombing of Yugoslavia by NATO as well as NATO forces in Afghanistan. NATO was only supposed to be used in a defensive posture. Afghanistan’s bombing and Yugoslavia’s certainly were not a defensive posture but invasive. Is it because NATO is just another arm of America’s military? America has killed hundreds of thousands destroyed trillions of dollars in infrastructure and yet the western countries remain silent. Why is that? Are we too afraid of America’s reaction or are we just cowards?
Consortium News continues true to the legacy of Robert Parry ,being one of the few journalistic sites that report the news from a global
view of geopolitics . We often must be reminded of the saying that we all live in glass houses and therefore resist the temptation of throwing stones .
I must comment all the commentators also on this site and glad to be part of such an enlightened community .
Read elsewhere that Putin was rambling and ranting.
Reading this article, he appears to be quite deliberate and clear, hardly ranting .
Russia must know that it must avoid an Afghanistan-like quagmire in Ukraine: if rightwing extremists hold out in the cities, there would be heavy civilian casualties. It cannot set up a stable government of its own there, nor expect the present government to respect regional semi-autonomy, if the rightwing can force Kiev to abuse Donbass regardless of any nominal acceptance of autonomy. Eliminating the extremists to permit democracy to work in Ukraine may prove to be difficult or impossible, and will be portrayed as dictatorial in US propaganda. If the factional conflict in Ukraine proves to be too intense for democracy to work properly, the East will be safest as part of the RF.
Such a pleasure to read clear and careful journalism, so lacking almost everywhere else.
Indian retired ambassadoor MK Bhadrakumar is equally clear –
– hXXps://www.indianpunchline.com/
– hXXps://nitter.net/BhadraPunchline
With thanks to journalist John Pilger for the link –
– hXXps://nitter.net/johnpilger/status/1496058878714392577
Thank you, Joe, for your continuously excellent coverage of this ongoing situation, and for that link to Vladimir Putin’s speech — what a masterful exhibition of fine statesmanship!
While our own president seems content to simply “catapult the propaganda” in favor of US hegemony, Putin’s remarks reek of sincerity and outright nobility.
Excellent article by Joe and speech by Putin. Americans are simply not used to hearing the truth about anything of substance and have been well conditioned to reject anything that lays outside the lines prepared by its mainstream narrative purveyors (NYT, MSN, CNN, WaPo, Guardian, etc.). As Caitlin Johnstone says, their minds have been hacked and it’s not at all difficult to do. It’s natural, just spend more time on facebook. Remember also Ben Norton’s reporting in October 2021 [https://consortiumnews.com/2021/10/13/natos-plans-to-hack-your-brain/], “NATO is spinning out an entirely new kind of combat it has branded cognitive warfare.” They have been busy.
And now we’ve seen it, a propaganda war utilizing corporate and social media to literally hack the minds and shape public opinion in support of US self-centered interests. The EU leaders who have gone along with this are shameless. Their job was to protect the people of Europe and their future. Instead, they have thrown them under the bus at America’s behest. To that end, it seems that Victoria Nuland has stationed herself at NATO headquarters to direct NATO operations. Everything is subservient to the American “blob” (the expanded, multi-faceted military-industrial-complex) which functions like a cancer that grows, consumes and destroys all the healthy tissue (societies) around it.
If Europe had any sense, it would throw America out and work on building a prosperous, sustainable future with the neighbors on its own continent without America’s meddling. Note the original purpose of NATO, “to keep Germany down, Russia out, and America in.” This is simply America’s, and only America’s self-serving playbook because to America everyone is simply a tool to be used and discarded when its usefulness is over. Better to reverse every one of those points. For one thing make note, Europe is as much a threat to American interests as are America’s designated enemies. How convenient to get Russia and Europe at odds with each other over Ukraine (it boggles the mind that Europe fell for this ploy). America can certainly not allow such an alignment. I’m sure that the Biden admin is having a hearty laugh over this while toasting “Fuck the EU,” as Victoria Nuland once put it so succinctly. The feckless and subservient European leaders who are enabling this are worse than fools and are leading the people of Europe to catastrophe. First off, they had their chance to stand up and failed miserably. Now throw the bums out!
During the period 2006-2012 I travelled on many occasions to Donetsk, I met my wife there. It was a coal and steel town similar to Sheffield in England or Pittsburgh in the US. Unfortunately and like the rest of the Ukraine it had come on hard times. Taking Ukraine as a whole. It was country with two halves of a state divided down the middle by the river Dnieper. On the Eastern side by the Russian speakers and on the West centred in Lviv where Ukrainian was the lingua franca, A large chunk of Eastern Ukraine (including the Crima) was bequeathed by Lenin in 1922 and in the far Western region another chunk was added by Stalin in 1945 – parts of the old Austro-Hungarian empire and including Ukrainian-speakers along with many minority groups of Poles, Romanians, Hungarians and Moldovans. Of course this rickety construction was never going to fly.
Crossing the south of the country was a bit like travelling from the North to South in Italy. The West of the Ukraine has always been a hotch-potch of political elements, backward and reactionary, and of course the breeding ground for ultra-right wing elements and outright fascists who sided with the German, the followers of Stepan Bandera – a bona fide neo-nazi – who even today enjoys political reverence, although not to the Polish minority who were massacred in 1943.
The massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia, were carried out in German-occupied Poland by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or the UPA, led by Bandera and his sidekick Roman Shukhevych with the support of parts of the local Ukrainian population against the Polish minority in Volhynia, Eastern Galicia, parts of Polesia and Lublin region from 1943 to 1945. The peak of the massacres took place in July and August 1943. Most of the victims were women and children.
Things don’t seem to have changed that much. Bandera, who was assassinted by a KGB hit-man in 1950 in Munich, was is still lauded and his statues appear all over the Western Ukraine lovingly adorned with flowers.
So these are the lovely people you are dealing with in Western Ukraine. The flame of fascism still burns bright. Oh, and by the way this is the homeland of Chrystia Freeland, that lovely Canadian WEF lady.
Humanity must collectively achieve an advanced or higher, even highest, level of consciousness, – possibly guided by figures of the past like Mohandes Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Sri Aurobindo, Martin Luther King Jr. or many others who’ve been Earthlings born and gone in at least one incarnation, potentially more – and the chances are supremely high, perhaps 100%, life on Earth will become a literal Heaven on Earth.
Peace.
Very well done, Joe. You get an A+.
As does Vladimir Putin, whose writing is exceptionally clear and honest. I would like to think I could do this myself, but I know I could not (to really sum it up), so my hat is off to you both.
Can’t say I disagree with much here, though I suspect that moving the troops in was a mistake.
Thanks for bringing us this. Prominent in Biden’s response is his denial of his own obvious culpability and of the bankruptcy of US policy.
US policy cannot keep going on hoping there’s no bullet in the chamber.
Thank you,Mr. Lauria, for such a calm, even-handed, analysis.
Well then. Either the site for the full transcription of Mr Putin’s speech is overwhelmed, or… something more nefarious is at work here. Multiple attempts and it will not load.
Same happened to me. I searched (via Bing and Duckduckgo) and several “full transcripts” were displayed, but none identified who was providing the translation. I’m reading the English version published by Veterans Today, whose tagline is “Serving the clandestine community, since 2004.” I assume that the clandestine community would want to read an accurate translation, but one never knows. Best of luck to all!
I finally got through in the early AM hours.
A copy hosted by CN in lieu of kremlin.ru would indeed be welcome. (The original web page hasn’t been archived by the Wayback Machine either, it seems.)
Why is Ukraine the West’s fault? Listen to the lecture to find out. hxxps://youtu.be/JrMiSQAGOS4
Western media simply can’t get the video clips to support their hyperbolic descriptions of Putin’s “horrific invasion.” It’s becoming embarrassing for 24 hour news programs. They’ve possibly given themselves enough rope to finally hang themselves…. may the earth and humanity rejoice!
Thanks for the Rest of the Story, Joe!
There’s always more to any story the US Government tries to tell.
After reading your ptrvious article come the news that Russia invaded Ukraine. Comparing the present crisis to Cuba’s is right and wrong at the same time. Cuba was a response by Russia to the USA installing their missiles in Turkey. Both parties had some type of geographical buffer they could step back, Cuba and Turkey. In the present situation, nothing as such does exist and tensions were running for 8 years. It would be interesting to ear from specialists about the changes in the Russian plan. one day, they announce the establishment of a peace keeping force in East Ukraine and the next day they go to war with her, instead! I am aware of the events that lead to this deplorable situation and their intended purpose, but have some difficulties to comprehend the switch between creating a buffer zone and risking a nuclear conflict and inflicting pain upon civilians (back to buffer zone). Is it a “Trump” move or a reaction based on concrete military intelligence?
As always, the mainstream media are gloriously useless as the situation can be quickly resume as (1) 2014, coup instigated by the USA in Ukraine (2) 2020, counter-coup by Russia. The west is tickling the Bear for the last 25 years and is “surprised” by its “irrational” response. I still wonder what the western oligarches expect to win with near military confrontations with Russia and China (it cannot be the desires of the military-industrial complex to sell toys?). They are playing with fire in the powder keg, of all places.
Thank-you for an opening and well written piece. As a student of Latin American history I would add to the above examples of US imperialism, the tragic fate of many countries like Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, especially, and many others. Likewise, the despicable boycott to Cuban economy, decades old now.
aggiungi anche il Venezuela sotto continuo boicottaggio e furto di capitali e risorse petrolifere,con il finto presidente votato dslls csa bianca
Thank you for such well selected quotes, Joe, and for giving us a link at the end to the whole speech! You may be the only source for all this information, which is so valuable in understanding Russia’s moves and also in comprehending the frightening amount of propaganda lies that are now being promoted everywhere in our media. Even people who I believe should know better are buying into the government propaganda. The NYT is now not to be believed about anything on the international scene. How utterly and unspeakably sad that is.
We’ve seen much worse perpetrated for much less many times by the United States. It would take a monstrous war of epic proportions to even approach the tolls our wars of choice have caused. I don’t foresee such a thing if Putin remains true to his oft stated objectives which are basically some respite from the incessant hounding and attacks that Washington directs his way regardless of his measured actions.
Before Lord Biden goes placing all the blame for the unfolding conflict entirely upon the shoulders of Putin and Russia, he ought to go back to elementary school and learn something about the concept of cause and effect. Should he do so, and if he looked at all the evidence in proper sequence objectively, he would logically have to conclude that this entire fiasco has been of his and his country’s doing–not anything Putin ever wanted. In fact, he would have to admit that, at this point in time, he has finally gotten exactly what he always wanted. He has finally goaded Russia into defending itself on the battlefield which he will now use as the pretext to endlessly goad and attack Russia even more in America’s quest for omnipotent hegemony over all of creation. Lord Biden is the most embarrassing lightweight, to say nothing of tawdry self-serving embezzler, that this country’s powerbrokers have ever selected for the presidency. The sooner he is gone the better the entire world will be.
JoeB knows the score, Realist. He’s been at it for far to long and although he is the most adroit of habitual professional liars, he can’t lie to himself in knowing who really runs the show behind the scenes. He’s a longtime member of their minions Besides, he’s actually into it. Whereas Trump as a neophyte wasn’t ‘into’ this type of foreign policy, though he challenged the status quo, he found out pronto for four long years what it meant to go against it: fruitless and vexing. The entire federal bureaucracy, especially the physically-assertive ‘wet work’ boys and girls, kept him on the defensive about everything he thought about doing to ease international tensions re: East vs West. Israel? Different story altogether. See how any and everything he did favoring that country happened pronto—like shit through a goose.
And it’s not that I ascribe the highest of motives, let alone awareness to Der Donald, but even he had moments…
They (that’s the Owners/CIA,’) were gunning for him (only figuratively in this instance) from the get-go. They didn’t literally need to go all-out on him. They let him know, gave him an ‘out’ before going too far. So HRC/DNC had a field day, reminiscent of Allen Dulles having the run of the field after JFK fired him. Her merry band of infiltrators reached as high up as necessary to stymie any good he actually might have accomplished in spite of himself.
Such is the state of our national politics.
When I see him signing a declaration, I’m reminded of a notary public. But, I’m not sure he has the understanding of the documents that a notary would. When he’s gone, another notary public type will take his place.
“… America’s quest for omnipotent hegemony over all of creation.”
Please don’t forget, the 10% (33 million) who own and operate America, are not the 90% who are Americans.
One often still hears the phrase: America, the richest country on the planet.
Who are they kidding, making such absurd claims, if not the likes of “Lord Biden” and his ilk?
Those who enter the American presidency may not always be millionaires at the beginning of their term, but when they exit the revolving door, they are automatically instated in the club of elite exceptionals. Long live de’mockracy!
How does this differ from Putin, who is reported to only earn something in the measly range of $150K – $250K less than the American president, yet he is already convincingly reputed to be one of the richest, if not the richest person, on the planet.
An aside, for the sport of it: Vitali Klitschko, the Mayor of Kiev, who made his millions from beating the brains out of less formidable opponents, is now beating what brains the citizens of ‘his’ city are now displaying to follow his lead in defying the opponent. It’s true, boxing is a dangerous sport.
Don’t mind me, I’m just a confused, simpleminded member of the club of deplorables, attempting to overturn the Imperial neoliberal capitalist gravy train, with a touch of humor!
Bravo…Joe L !
I love it : “ omnipotent hegemony “.
And whose fault is that? Is it the fault of the overall, coarse American mind ? Why, of course!
The US side in Ukraine really does include open, overt Nazis, complete with Swastika’s and armbands and Hitler salutes. They call themselves the Azov Battalion, and are very active in the border fighting. They were very active in Maiden too.
Politically, their hero is Stephen Banderas, whose name is used as their alternative name.
It was Nazi vs Stalin, Holocaust vs Holodomor. The not-communist faction survived with US help all through the Cold War, and they remained overt Nazis.
So when Putin says he will remove Nazis from power, he is telling the absolute truth of it.
There is something that is so disturbing that borders on unbelievable yet this is a fact. Namely, Canada has been witnessing the construction of several memorials in honor of Nazi collaborators; however, neither Canadian nor American Jewish communities “noticed” these memorials despite several reports by courageous Canadian journalists. Christya Freeland, a Deputy of Trudeau, is a committed banderite (she is a progeny of a prominent Nazi collaborator). Why these horrific facts have been of no interest to Jewish members of the US Congress? “Never again” is suddenly of no value…
I can’t thank you enough, Joe & Consortium News. I wanted a full copy of Mr Putin’s speech too and you provided it. I watched it live last night and the translator was difficult for me to understand.
To whom it may concern, Glenn Greenwald just did a live disquisition on these events on Rumble, I recommend it highly.
So here we are, it’s come to this: the sum of all fears rapidly tabulating and awaiting the decisions now being made by the coterie of the Few as to what the outcome will be. Just as I worried about Trump (and Clinton Inc) in 2015, now it’s Old Joe and Co put in charge of such consequential events in the entirety of human history. Those who have his ear (I envision shouting into an old fashioned hollow horn hearing aid) are few and they appear to be hardcore neocons to the core—their vengeful passions of age-old hate/fear of Russia more than likely dictating their actions to their version of satisfaction—NOT the expressed will nor hoped-for outcome the majority of we the people—worldwide—might wish for.
Alas, those of us who know the actual history, the unwritten and largely glossed-over version of the UK/US in the twentieth century versus Russia/U.S.S.R., will recognize the continuity of this now century-old endeavor as likely the final battle if cooler heads do not prevail.
What began with the U.S-UK elites’ covert financing of the Bolsheviks and Lenin to take down (and out) the Romanov dynasty and then morphed into the ‘Allies’ invasion of Russia from the west, north (Arkhangelsk) and east (Vladivostok) fizzled out after 2 years with the defeat of the White Russians.
Phase II of the overarching goal came with their perfidious financing of the Nazis and their elevation of Adolf Hitler as a man “who gets things done.” Ignoring (and continuously covertly profiting) throughout the 1930s the constraints they themselves had placed upon rebuilding German military assets, they watched silently as in six years Hitler built the most formidable war machine ever seen from the ashes of WWI—Time magazine (elite-owned) in 1938 even making Hitler their Man of the Year. He could not have done it had not the writers of the Treaty of Versailles—with all of its egregious overshoots of war reparations—not ‘looked’ the other way.
Interesting in context, the brothers Dulles had a hand in effecting both the harsh punishments extended, but were commensurately involved in bringing home the bacon via Sullivan and Cromwell to the UK-U,S elites throughout the interwar years and well into WW II. And beyond. (Henry Ford received war reparations for his bombed—suppliers to the Wehrmacht—German factories.)
All the while the goal remained taking down and subduing the world’s largest land mass, Sir Halford MacKinder’s “World Island” central in all of its territorial manifestations and consequences. So came World War II and its true reasons—the consolidation of UK-U.S. power and domination of the entire world.
Once again thwarted, the beat went on—Churchill’s defeat in the post-war election putting a solid end to his ambitious “Operation Unthinkable” which would have had the Allies attacking their erstwhile ally USSR (just following through on the original Plan) even as the nation tried to rise from its Nazi-inflicted horrors of destruction—again, destruction aided and abetted by UK-U.S. elites.
So came the Cold War, a mostly low level ‘outsourced’ conflict that kept the Western fires of conquest burning—even as the threat to capitalism (its original and enduring fear) had become an urgent and physical thing. A result of absolutely no official compromise between the two systems of economic structuring and governance. In spite of both systems having potential to better the conditions of mankind if debated and mixed for each one’s better qualities, there would be no official melding of positive qualities, and/nor the requisite discarding of their negative excesses. It was to be, and remains, hardlining—all the way.
in 1991, when the brute force of capitalism finally vanquished the brute force of communism as it had been forced by capitalism into manifesting so tyrannically—it was then capitalism could truly begin going after what was left of our, and any nation’s, notional democracy. Not only had the U.S.-UK elites managed to convert the U.S.S.R. in short order into a gangster-ridden kleptocracy, they had also used their power to make it difficult for any future reforming president of the Russian Federation to reverse the necessary-to-revision elements of its constitution as Western capitalist-written in stone.
This is what President Putin has been up against for 20 years. Why he has been so constantly hectored and demonized in all elite-owned platforms of communication. And it is so very telling observing and listening to the voices I’m seeing and hearing across the internet’s captive wasteland of purposely and purposefully ill-informed (mis-dis-mal) today.
Here we are. The Day of Reckoning from over one hundred years of monumental struggle of mankind. May the forces of Good prevail. Use your head, exercise your critical thinking faculties to figure out just who is who in this epic moment.
Thank you for this historical summary. Most helpful in gaining greater understanding of the roots of the current crisis.
You know, conquering is the business of fools.
Says so in the Bible .o
It says, of the new age believers of 2000 years ago : that “ we are more than conquerors through him that loved us “ , meaning Jesus Christ.
When it comes to games people play, I like the transactional analysis guy from the 1970s, who said, it comes down to three choices for the individual: you can be either a 1) Child, a 2) Parent , or an 3) Adult.
It’s amazing to me how many of Today’s Politicians DO NOT WISH TO PLAY THE ADULT .
Yes, I will say this about all those lost opportunities at setting up economies which combine the best from the two systems : “where there is no vision, the people perish”.
There is very little VISION “ today, I’d say that includes at least back to 1991. That year was a critical one, yes, in that during that year the U.S. chose to punish Saddam Hussein with talk of ‘how can we allow him to control the West’s oil supply ?”
So the U.S. used fear to initiate a cycle of violence in the Middle East, while ignoring a very golden and real opportunity to bring Russia into “the family of nations “ through a program of benevolent assistance to develop Russia’s untapped oil reserves. This new direction could have easily replaced the loss of Iraq to the oil supply market.
But of course there was no VISION then, either. I think what we got instead was somehow designed to perpetuate the old non-visionary ways of nation states at war over resources. With the victors continuing to write the histories.
Or, maybe we could have said, “who needs their damn oil anyway, we’re going to run out in 50 years, and we cannot afford to keep burning the stuff because of global warming danger”. Yeah, we knew that then, too, but just no vision – no UNITY OF VISION.
The fact of “both systems having potential to better the conditions of mankind if debated and mixed for each one’s better qualities” shows the failure of extreme ideologies to permit debate, a structural fault of government. China took the advice of myself and others to permit competitive markets as a productivity incentive, while maintaining popular control of the economy. But the US refuses to restore popular control of the economy, because all branches of its government and mass media are completely corrupted by campaign bribes. The US has failed as a democracy, and the tools of democracy are no longer available to restore it.
Joe, you out did yourself, Bob Parry would be proud of this piece.
And the “principle and moral fiber” you put forth in this authentic
journalism puts to shame Common Dreams, Counter Punch, Antiwar, and Bernie
Sanders.
I wonder if Ray McGovern is still calling Putin “stupid” for
protecting Russian people and destroying Ukrainian militarism
and Nazism?
Obama and Biden’s NSC et. al. seemed to want trouble, the old axiom,” those who go looking for trouble generally find it” seems to be verified here.
Biden wanted to be president knowing what his son was up to in Ukraine and Biden got his wish and continued to give Ukraine ultimatums, which now seem to have pushed Putin into action. Much of what Putin notes as being true above, is in fact true. The U.S. used NATO as screen to get involved there and it hasn’t worked out well. Putin knows when he is being played as well as the difference between shit and SHINEOLA, ( old time shoe polish).
This should be very interesting. Americans are about learn what it’s like to live with prohibitively expensive gasoline prices, very high natural gas prices and even higher Liquefied Natural Gas, (propane) prices. Costs that will translate into even higher inflation world wide and at home, and the increase in the price of everything that needs these energy sources to exist. out of control spiraling inflation.
But cheer up everyone if we avoid a nuclear holocaust here we may only be afflicted by a civil war. A large majority of young voters voted for Grumpa Joe because they had no other choice. All outward appearances indicate that conditions in the U.S. will continue to go worse. The youth are not known for their patience. After all if that were to happen it would actually be a win win for seeking extreme changes in the U.S. political arena. We shall see.
Speaking of seeing, as I look into my “mirror of horrors” do I see Uncle Joe calling himself a “war president” so he can hang on to his POTUS title? I’ll remind, just recently stranger things happened.
So in closing remember this folks, ” When you are up to your ass in alligators, it’s hard to remember the main mission is to drain the swamp!
Tanks CN
I saw a headline in “Le Figaro” a few days ago “Poutine torpille la route de la paix” ie “Putin torpedoes the road to peace” as if the 8 years of trying to make the participants of the Minsk plan (the only one presented so far) for a diplomatic solution were the fault of Putin himself. He helped develop the plan, it required the Ukie govt to have talks with Donbass leaders, ceasefire, special status for Donbass ,new elections. This was to be supervised by France and Germany. NOTHING has been done-the govt refuses and France and Germany have not pushed it. Neither has the USA, while pretending to be ready for the diplomatic solution. How can this be the fault of Russia/Putin?? He is correct that the reason seems to be a determination to degrade Russia and give it no respect or value. Now this has to stop.
Outstanding analysis by Joe Lauria.
So Putin talked about Stalin’s attempts to appease the Nazis before WWII. I haven’t been able to listen to his speech yet, but if he didn’t talk about the Cuban missile crisis, he should have. On many levels this crisis is a replay, except that Putin is not playing tit for tat like Kruschev was in 1962. Then, the Soviet installation of missile bases in Cuba was a response to the U.S. installation of Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey.
Today, Russia has operational hypersonic missiles which gives it a significant military advantage over the U.S./NATO, and Putin is exploiting that advantage to prevent nuclear capable NATO missile bases in Ukraine and either negotiate or force their removal from Romania and Poland. Putin is absolutely correct to call the encirclement of Russia with NATO missile bases a matter of life or death. To allow such an encirclement would be tantamount to surrender.
For Putin, surrender to nuclear blackmail is not an option. The Russian “demilitarization” of Ukraine is an object lesson for Romania and Poland, as well as other countries that might be thinking about hosting NATO missile bases.
Even learning-disabled U.S. warmongers will get the message, perhaps even dial down their provocations. Piling on more sanctions will only make matters worse.
Absolutely true, a most articulate and wholly compelling speech and statements. But what about Putin’s jailing of dissents? Another was jailed just this year, I believe. The problem is such actions on his part completely undermine the stark voracity of his declarations in this excellent speech.
Is this really true? it cannot possibly compare with the USA?UK and Julian Assange, for example.
Biden just sentenced Daniel Hale to 45 months in prison. You know, the person who told us that the atrocious drone war has killed 90% civilians! Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, the list goes on. Obama prosecuted more truth tellers than all other presidents combined. He didn’t prosecute the war criminals though. Just those who reported the truth about the war criminals.
“Mis-information” has become the new excuse for mass censorship. The simple act of questioning big pharma and big government about their plan has become near treason, or at the very least, “an act of terror.” A slippery slope to banning the First Amendment altogether. :-(
non mi pare che le manifestazioni negliUSA siano libere e gli interventi della polizia non siano violenti;in ogni caso questi sono affari interni di una nazione sovrana.
il problema internazionale sorge quando intervieni con la forza in nazioni che non sono allineate alla tua politica ,inventando la scusa del genocidio,della tirannia, per nascondere il vero scopo:dominio e furto di risorse; quanti milioni di morti ha causato questa politica estera USA +NATO ? vogliamo confrontarli con i manifestanti arrestati e pagati dalla CIA?
It’s amazing how sombre and dour the main stream news is this morning. Not as up beat as it was for Iraq. I hope all this talk of international law is retroactive.
Funny how they are shocked that this could occur in the twenty first century. And how they flip between “international law” and “rules based international order” (whatever that means).
The brinkmanship of building the brink, charging up to it, then crying abhorrent:
“empire of lies”
Talk talk talk
the abyss & the brink
as core principles sink beneath
waves of cowed bullshit
a stink rises
from the precipice of hypocrisy
Meanwhile, U.S. strikes in Somalia, Israel fires missiles at Damascus, Biden tightens sanctions in Yemen (per articles at antiwar).
More dangerous twists to come? Methinks so.
After the implosion of the USSR, Gorbachev suggested Russia become part of an economic bloc extending from Europe to the Pacific Coast of Russia. The suggestion, of course, was dismissed, and thus was lost the opportunity of a millennium to establish a lasting peace, where international cooperation could address the looming crises facing humanity, such as climate change. In the late 1990s, Putin suggested Russia become a member of NATO, also laughed at. And so, after 30 years of antagonism towards Russia, esp. the expansion eastward of NATO, the Russians have responded.
At the same time, it must simply be seen that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is going to result in much bloodshed and destruction, and to what end? Yet more evidence that the world is governed by adults acting like enraged children.
tutto vero. per la pace nel mondo la NATO deve sparire così come è sparito il PATTO di VARSAVIA
What is happening may have been inevitable. But if the United States had agreed to support the Minsk agreement rather than sabotage it and agreed to denying Ukraine NATO membership, would the world be a far safer place at this moment. My guess that this occurred to Biden, but the corruption that seems to afflict so many politicians made him act like a puffed up fighting rooster. You have to think as well that he has behaved as he has because public support was crumbling and he needed a pick me up. Pity the ordinary Ukrainians and Russians who will die because of our leaders’ arrogance and conviction that they are bullet proof.
Outstanding analysis by Joe Lauria.
So Putin talked about Stalin’s attempts to appease the Nazis before WWII. I haven’t been able to listen to his speech yet, but if he didn’t talk about the Cuban missile crisis, he should have. On many levels this crisis is a replay, except that Putin is not playing tit for tat like Kruschev was in 1962. Then, the Soviet installation of missile bases in Cuba was a response to the U.S. installation of Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey.
Today, Russia has operational hypersonic missiles which gives them a significant military advantage over the U.S./NATO, and Putin is exploiting that advantage to prevent nuclear capable NATO missile bases in Ukraine and negotiate/force their removal from Romania and Poland. Putin is absolutely correct to call the encirclement of Russia with NATO missile bases a matter of life or death. To allow such an encirclement would be tantamount to surrender.
For Putin, surrender to nuclear blackmail is not an option. The Russian “demilitarization” of Ukraine is an object lesson for Romania and Poland, as well as other countries that might be thinking about hosting NATO missile bases.
Even learning disabled U.S. warmongers will get the message, perhaps even dial down their provocations. Piling on more sanctions will only make matters worse.
Thanks for the update. Read Putin’s speech earlier and I have to say it has the ring of truth much more than anything the west is saying. Feel bad for the average Ukrainian caught up in all this BS. Hopefully the carnage will be limited and Russia’s objectives will be attained in short order. I agree with Putin that the blame goes on the US and their spineless NATO allies in not listening to legitimate security concerns.
Thanks for these useful and very pertinent quotations.
It is difficult to disagree with Mr. Putin in this matter.
As long as main stream media continue to abdicate it’s role in telling the truth, instead foisting lies upon the public as part of the war machine, we are in as much peril as German’s were in Hitler’s day. I wish Putin’s speech could be heard by the public in the West.
I linked to Putin’s speech in Joe’s article and e-mailed it to myself and some friends. Thanks Joe
Sorry if this is already linked to here,
but finally, this morning, I found Long Island University in Brooklyn Poli Sci Prof. Michael Rossi ‘s YouTube channel and the video of 2/24/22 speech by Putin with English subtitles (but also translatable to most languages)
hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qS6J-WbTD8
And all the while,Russia has completely lost the public opinion/propaganda war.
People are still likening Russia to Nazi Germany and Putin to hitler.
Russia CANNOT win(at least socially)
And now people damn near everywhere are freaking out about WWIII/Nuclear war and thinking that Putin will move on the rest of Europe…even when he says otherwise.
And what do you make of the whole “We will give you consequences that you have never seen before”(Not verbatim) by Putin,which is the main reason why people are afraid?
While I think that we won’t get WWIII outta this…I am getting quite nervous to the point I am personally considering doing something REAL bad to myself(And It’s not just getting drunk..)
“And what do you make of the whole “We will give you consequences that you have never seen before”(Not verbatim) by Putin,which is the main reason why people are afraid?”
It is not the first time in history that people have become afraid of the own beliefs/interpretations as a function of levels of stress which their “leaders” recently enhanced in hope of self preservation.
The Havana Syndrome was another recent example.
In sum such behaviours tend to be described as Mass Psychogenic Illnesses – the previous designator being hysteria – early instances including, but not limited to, witch-hunts in Salem and elsewhere.
put those earbuds in, my friend, and go for a long walk in the sun with some chet baker or miles. it’s not a crime to let go of the news for a few weeks. take care of yourself.
Russia CANNOT win “socially”?
Chinese support. India is neutral — that includes the positions taken by the media, and eager to trade. Brazil is eager to trade. “West Eurasia” is embarking on economic suicide, at least, severe self-damage, which should damage the enforced consensus. Russian people are more convinced that their government does the right thing than American people.
I have a positive suggestion: Instead of getting drunk and/or “doing something REAL bad to” yourself, why don’t you stop reading/viewing/listening to the corporate mainstream media, and search out alternative, reader supported independent media, which might give you some hope that not everything is what it seems to be, or what they try to make you think it is.
Watch some movies, play some computer games (“gog” website is good), and don’t worry. If it’s getting to you, turn away. I’ll be doing that for a while because I can’t take the mainstream media or our insane, psychopathic politicians.
Agreed. I can’t watch that garbage. It raises my blood pressure. It’s all just the wailing of a dying empire anyway.
If you must follow what’s happening, check out “The Duran” on YouTube – Alex and Alexander deal with this stuff in a way that has a calming effect on people – strange, but true! ;)
Hang in there, bro. The people who have been on the receiving end of so much of the U.S. empire’s craven wrath are still carrying on. Surviving and eventually thriving again is the hallmark of human nature. Grow from this, tough lesson though it may be. Look how much so many are actually learning about real, unfiltered life from this.
Please do not think that this is the end of everything .We are experiencing the birth of a new world , the way it was meant to be .Stick around and watch it it come to life .It will make your heart glad .
That’s not the answer AKD :)
Please stop listening to those people. They’re not doing themselves or anyone else any good.
What do I make of it all…? Please see SomeSalt’s response to you that I think has a lot of merit (see below).
Frankly, we’re the ones who have threatened the people of Russia with our nukes all around.
He just wants them gone and we haven’t listened.
We seem unable to stop fighting a Cold War that was over 2 years before the Soviet Union collapsed according to U.S. AMB to the Soviet Union Jack Matlock who warned us to end NATO and stop encroaching.
Putin’s not crazy – he wants secure borders for Russia and to be able to be free to trade with Europe and beyond.
And to have protective treaties against nuclear war restored that GWB tore up.
For some reason we demonize him (see below) instead of trying to listen and deal with security issues that are understandable.
The Neo Nazi’s who we allied ourselves with our coup in Ukraine have threatened Russian speaking people in Ukraine.
For 8 years he tries to get us to the table to talk about this.
Both China and Russia speak convincingly about a world where we work together to solve climate change and the threat of nuclear war.
Our government, sadly, is shortsighted right now.
Thanks for sharing what’s “out there”. I’ve reached a point that I can’t listen to the hysteria any more because it gets whipped up by a crazy press to serve their profits.
I hope that you choose t0 step away from that public eco-chamber to find some peace of mind because there are answers if our country’s leaders are willing to consider them.
Wiser heads are trying to be heard here at home. We have to help them.
Please reread SomeSalt’s answer to you about mass hysteria – it needs to be read more than once, I think, because it’s so much to digest.
I too have been thinking along those lines. And Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible” come to mind.
In the end the fears are generated not because they have merit but because they serve as a distraction from the truth that in the moment benefits those who foment those fears.
I hope you can take a breath to get some relief from what I believe is mass hysteria – it’s incredible that we are living through this again when we think of ourselves as somehow immune and even advanced.
We’ve all been going through a tough period with the pandemic and now this,
You may wish to listen to this lovely piece:
“We Will Smile together Again”
Blind from birth Japanese concert pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii is always writing music to give people hope when there’s sadness.
He wrote this for us in May 2020 during the pandemic to share his feelings:
He called it “We Will Smile together Again”
hXXps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IKImcsOn9s
Thanks Joe for extensively quoting Putin in your article. We certainly won’t hear that in the corporate media. Instead, we’ll be fed a line of propaganda about what Putin is ‘thinking’ and what Russia’s ‘intentions’ are.
This is what good reporting looks like. It presents the arguments in the words of the opposing factions. The readers can then decide for themselves who is being reasonable, who is the aggrieved party, and who is the aggressor.
Democracy fell in Ukraine on February 22, 2014. The Donbas opted out of the succeeding coup regime. Since then, the illegitimate government has taken the fight to eastern Ukraine. That is where all the fighting and dying have occurred.
The separatists and their Russian allies have shown restraint for more than eight years. They have proposed reasonable solutions to the crisis including the Minsk Agreement and the draft security treaties presented by Russia last December. Minsk was accepted, but never implemented by Kiev. The Russian treaties were rejected out of hand.
Yesterday, the Russia said enough is enough.
The facts and morals are on President Putin’s and the Russian people’s side. The USA is the aggressor again.
What Putin has to say about the USA ought to be front page news in the NYTimes and the Washington Post.
Yes it should but corp. owned lapdog press will only be cut & paste stories the receive from the master at State and cia
Thanks Joe
Thank you Mr. Lauria; this piece supplies the most pertinent information on this quickly developing moment. My guess is that the US brain trust thought Russia would be too timid to do what it has been pressed into doing. As I thought about it last night I began to understand that just protecting/defending the breakaway region, or even securing the totality of the Oblasts there, would only allow this game by the US/NATO to continue. So, when I woke up this morning to what is now happening, though I was surprised, all I can now say is “Well, of course.”
Biden says Putin will be hold to account ,but what Happened to the account of Bush or Blair all one sided as far as I am concerned.
The US and it’s EU vassals no longer rule the world.
“The US and it’s EU vassals no longer rule the world.”
They never did but kept trying, whilst publicly they evangelised this in hope that some believed; which some never did but kept trying, as in the double-down war dance, whilst some bears didn’t dance round and round the garden.
When the End of History and Full Spectrum Dominance routines were tried, some others sent out for blinis with honey in acknowledgement of the “exceptionalists/hegemons” complicity in their own transcendence.
Thanks for publishing this Joe. It adds important context to Putin’s decision making. Events don’t happen in a vacuum as much as Washington and it’s lapdog press would like us to believe. Russia has had sand kicked in its face for 30 years as they’ve tried to rebuild their country. They tried diplomacy to no avail. Sometimes, the bully needs to be taught a hard lesson to make him get the message. It’s vitally important to train the spotlight on the instigators of this crisis while they try to keep us focused on Putin. I hope we’re up to the challenge.
There is a civil war going on in Ukraine, it started with the Obama-funded Regime Change. Hopefully, the NATO countries avoid getting involved by simply staying home and telling Biden to do it alone.
Russia, Putin is very much doing what the US did in Korea in the Koren civil war. N. Korea was turned to dust and millions of Korean people were killed, hopefully, that will not happen to the Ukrainian people. But Biden is no Truman.