If you think of America's foreign policy since the time of Bill Clinton, it’s been all about military intervention, a sick obsession with regime change, and connivance.[1]
We cry crocodile tears about supposed Russian meddling in our elections but won’t admit to the $5B we invested in bringing down an elected Ukrainian government, or to our determination to destroy Libya, or to the reality of our unconstitutional and illegal war on Syria with its enormous expense and civilian and military (Syrian) deaths approaching, if not exceeding, 500,000. Military bases, military interference, control, and regime change are our stock in trade. The Russians interfered in our elections? Seriously?
- the U.S. approach to foreign policy – neocon military invention anywhere and everywhere with asinine and truly cringeworthy proclamations of American "exceptionalism" and hogwash about the world’s hunger for “American leadership” – and
- the steady, relentless expansion of relationships both economic and military, remorselessly not involving the U.S., organized by mature, realistic men.
If Mr. Magnier’s analysis strikes you as sorta kinda accurate, it ought to be very unsettling to you indeed.
Donald Trump electrified voters by re-injecting the idea of “America First,” all the more startling for the idea’s startling contrast with the “Foreigners First” approach of many previous administrations stunningly demonstrated by the Flâneur-in-Chief, a recent – so help me God – occupant of the Oval Office.
If Trump's hoping to set America back on a firmer foundation without the mania to kill or control foreigners he's got his work cut out for him. The withdrawal from Syria he's spoke of recently would be a good start, however long overdue.
How in the world did we stray so far from the simple idea of taking care of business at home as the first priority of any human or nation? Of late, we've had troops killed in Niger and Syria and killed hundreds of Russians in Syria. Not 10 Americans can explain why. All to the tune of $32,000,000 per HOUR.
Notes
[1] " Will America Accept Its Defeat or Challenge the Bear and the Dragon? Part 2: The Middle East." By Elijah J. Magnier, Russia Insider, 4/2/18 (credit for graphic).
[2] "Will America Accept Its Defeat or Challenge the Bear and the Dragon? PART 3: ASIA." By Elijah J. Magnier, Russia Insider, 4/4/18.
Over at the neocon site Instapundit, the natives are calling for the expulsion of Turkey from NATO, preemptive strikes on North Korea's strategic arsenal and withdrawal from the Iranian agreement.
ReplyDeleteEveryone of these Chuthulian urges shows a complete disregard for the opinions and safety of our allies. In the later case, seven countries negotiated with Iran, three of them, UK, France and Germany, NATO allies. Rejection of the agreement is also rejection of them. How can any country, even a friend hope to have productive relations with the regime in Washington.
Russia's FM Lavrov some time ago opined that the US was institutionally incapable of negotiating. The President, State, Defense and CIA (and maybe others) each has its own foreign policy, which operate independently and often at cross purposes, and each power feels free to veto anything the others are doing.
What we are witnessing is the legacy of Lincoln. General R E Lee predicted in a letter to Lord Acton "While I have considered the preservation of the constitutional power of the General Government to be the foundation of our peace and safety at home and abroad, I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the states and to the people, not only are essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard to the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it. " The only part of the original American Republic that Lincoln preserved was the geography, all else has morphed into the out of control empire that plagues the world today. Empires fall, they always do, Every Confederate Monument is saying I told ya so.
ReplyDeleteKenny Carmichael