Organizing Notes

Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....

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Location: Brunswick, ME, United States

The collapsing US military & economic empire is making Washington & NATO even more dangerous. US could not beat the Taliban but thinks it can take on China-Russia-Iran...a sign of psychopathology for sure. We must all do more to help stop this western corporate arrogance that puts the future generations lives in despair. @BruceKGagnon

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

U.S.-NATO Stirring Up Trouble Along Russian Borders


The New York Times, that helped sell George W. Bush's needless and illegal 'shock and awe' attack on Iraq in 2003, is now working to vilify Putin and create the pretext for war with Russia.

In a story headlined Russia’s Military Drills Near NATO Border Raise Fears of Aggression the NYT misleads with the title itself, even before you begin to read the article.  What is a NATO border?  Is NATO a country now with legally defined borders?  Does NATO suppose that where ever it decides to put a base or hold military drills that it has the right to declare itself a sovereign nation?

But most incredibly how can the NYT claim that Russia has 'done something wrong' when it holds military exercises inside its own country and in neighboring Belarus where they have been invited?  Since when is that illegal?

The Times reported:

Russia is preparing to send as many as 100,000 troops to the eastern edge of NATO territory at the end of the summer, one of the biggest steps yet in the military buildup undertaken by President Vladimir V. Putin and an exercise in intimidation that recalls the most ominous days of the Cold War.

Western military officials caution that the United States and Russia are not on the brink of war. But they expressed concern that the heightened Russian military activity could lead to unintended confrontations.

This article is drawing much interest and discussion on Fazebook today.  One prominent peace activist Kevin Zeese from Popular Resistance wrote in response:

This is a NY Times story that no one should believe. It is a classic example of pro-war propaganda seeking to escalate tensions. The author should have been fired for his role in the false WMD build-up to the Iraq War. Michael Gordon, along with Judith Miller, were the government propagandists for that war. Gordon continues his 'start a war' reporting now focused on the new target, Russia. This is one example of many why the Times cannot be trusted when it comes to national security issues.
In the end the numbers don't lie.  The chart below clearly reveals who is the real threat to world peace as we look at 2016 global military spending levels and see that the US leads the pack.  The Pentagon is way out front with 36% of the world total and when you add in the various NATO members and partners the figure reaches about 60%.  Russia is at 4.1% and even if you add China they come far below the US-NATO numbers.

What that means in the real world is that Russia has a military that is fundamentally about defending their borders.  Moscow does not have the capability to launch an offensive operation to retake eastern Europe as the NYT and Washington Post frequently imply.  In addition it must be known that Moscow cut their military budget last year and this year - largely due to the drop in world oil prices and the impact of western economic sanctions.


The bottom line is the US is trying to stir up trouble - is expanding its military operations up to the Russian borders - and like most bullies cries out in desperation when the recipient of their bullying stands up to them.

The US wants regime change in Moscow and Beijing and is willing to create global chaos in order to fulfill the world dominance dreams of the neo-cons that now run the US corporate government.  The NYT is nothing more than a mouth piece for that corporate agenda.  People would be wise to steer clear of these corrupt media outlets whose stories are likely being written by agents from the CIA.

Bruce

2 Comments:

Blogger Ariel Ky said...

It's relevant to note that not only does the United States have the greatest military budget by far, but the military has been very active for decades in bombing other countries. The threat of military force by the United States is very real to the rest of the world.

From an article by William Blum, "United States Bombing of Other Countries"

https://williamblum.org/chapters/rogue-state/united-states-bombings-of-other-countries


A terrorist is someone who has a bomb but doesn’t have an air force.

The bombing list

Korea and China 1950-53 (Korean War)
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-1961
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Lebanon 1983, 1984 (both Lebanese and Syrian targets)
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Iran 1987
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991 (Persian Gulf War)
Kuwait 1991
Somalia 1993
Bosnia 1994, 1995
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Yemen 2002
Iraq 1991-2003 (US/UK on regular basis)
Iraq 2003-2015
Afghanistan 2001-2015
Pakistan 2007-2015
Somalia 2007-8, 2011
Yemen 2009, 2011
Libya 2011, 2015
Syria 2014-2016
Plus

Iran, April 2003 – hit by US missiles during bombing of Iraq, killing at least one person

Pakistan, 2002-03 – bombed by US planes several times as part of combat against the Taliban and other opponents of the US occupation of Afghanistan

China, 1999 – its heavily bombed embassy in Belgrade is legally Chinese territory, and it appears rather certain that the bombing was no accident (see chapter 25 of Rogue State)

France, 1986 – After the French government refused the use of its air space to US warplanes headed for a bombing raid on Libya, the planes were forced to take another, longer route; when they reached Libya they bombed so close to the French embassy that the building was damaged and all communication links knocked out.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 13, 1985 – A bomb dropped by a police helicopter burned down an entire block, some 60 homes destroyed, 11 dead, including several small children. The police, the mayor’s office, and the FBI were all involved in this effort to evict a black organization called MOVE from the house they lived in.

8/1/17, 2:42 PM  
Blogger Bruce K. Gagnon said...

Great post thanks. U.S. is a criminal corporate syndicate and most Americans have no clue - or if they do know they are timid about doing anything to stop it. Sadly like 'good Germans' during Hitler's time.....

8/1/17, 2:53 PM  

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