I'm positive that we'd allow Russia to install, say, missiles in a nearby country -- maybe Cuba -- and it would have no effect on our relations to either country!
Most EU countries would probably be better served by integrating their military and having a purely defensive alliance. European countries bear the brunt of the fallout from failed US foreign policies through floods of refugees and ever increasing food and energy prices. I don't see how this alliance serves the citizens, perhaps with the exceptions of those involved in the military industrial complex.
It simply doesn't but since when has any western power in the last decade even pretended to care what is best for 'their people'. Western democracy is an utter joke!
Brad, outstanding article. The situation in Ukraine has many layers, and has built up over many years. So tired of the simple “good/bad” formulation. I appreciated reading a more nuanced view of how we got here.
People want to claim “the adults are back in the room”. It’s time they started to show that their thinking goes beyond Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
Dead on analysis....we have needlessly, gratuitously poked the bear since the dissolution of the USSR....a damn shame that instead of a friendly, cooperative relationship (which was possible) we have chosen this path.
Thanks to Brad for laying out detailed evidence as to how the GAE goaded Russia into invading Ukraine and has gotten ensnared once again in a pointless war that becomes more brutal, stupid, and dishonest by the day.
The question I have is: Why did America feel it was necessary to keep poking the Russian bear for almost 30 years now? Why and what purpose does it serve?
And since Brad was brave enough to take a verboten and contrary position, I will do him one better and jump right on an electrified taboo: I can't help but notice that just about all of the neocons filled with hate for Russia are Jewish—the Kagans, Kristols, Victoria Nuland, Anne Applebaum, Jen Rubin etc—so I can't help but wonder: do they hate Russia for what the Soviets did to their Jews? Is it something to do with Israel?
(And no, it's not "anti-Semitic" to ask this, and please don't report me to the ADL, it is natural for people to want to help their people/tribe/homeland, and it's natural to ask questions about people who hold so much power in our government. None of this implies any hatred toward Jews, I am sincerely confused and curious about the deep hatred some people seem to have for Russia.)
Isn’t it ridiculous that you would even feel a need to explain yourself when curious about something, and posing a simple and reasonable question?! Careful...the thought police might getcha! 🤡 Unfortunately that’s reality today 🙄
I appreciate your opinion and the fact that you're willing to tender it instead of just unsubscribing, which is what most people do when they read something I've written that they really disagree with. Says a lot about you. And I'm definitely not pro-Russian. Nothing I've written in this post justifies what Russia has done.
I will read the article you mention. I'm guessing it's this one, right?
I'm not anti-Russia, and understand very well the threat to her in terms of bringing Ukraine into NATO, not to mention our lying promise to Gorbachev. Clinton kicked it off with adding three more countries during his time in office. Mimi must have blocked out our Middle Eastern wars that killed millions and displaced millions more as it destroyed whole countries, and all based on lies, A neocon agenda that we're continuing to push using Ukraine and the death of it's people to destroy Russia. Now that's a really good example of authoritarian imperialism, don't you think?
So Mimi, what do you think of all our lying wars in the middle east, and the millions we killed that included children? Still buying the BS on what we are doing in Syria? What we did in Syria? Before the end of the last century the CIA operating in our "best interest" is responsible for the death of some 6 million people, not to mention how many governments we toppled including the government in Iran, our staunch enemy. Gee we didn't like Mohammad Mosaddegh just because he wanted a little more of the pie, that is the money England was getting by pumping Iran's oil and getting almost all of the profits. In my book Russia can't hold a candle to our imperialistic agenda.
You too, Fran. We are at the place where people have to realize we've been the bad guys for a long time. Sorry Mimi, but that's the truth. Do you remember what happened in Ukraine in 2014? Victoria nuland happened. She should be executed for crimes against humanity herself. And who us running this shitshow? Yeah, same crazy evil bitch. We have no business in Ukraine,except bio labs making poison, human traffickers selling women and children, and there's that money laundering thing.
You're right, but let's not forget who was president at the time. She didn't go into Ukraine behind Obama's back, and she didn't decide during his reign that we would support a coup. You pick Nuland you're choosing a neocon who like the rest will get us into one war after another as they did in middle east in order to obtain and retain world dominance. Those neocons hot footed over to the democrats during Trump's term in office, as did the CIA and FBI. Dick was a primary signatory on the Project for a New American Century, as was Jeff Bush which makes you wonder about that 2001 election. Blinken of course is another neocon SOB.
To me it pretty much looks like the Obama and Biden administrations are just a continuation of the neocon/imperialist policies started (in earnest) under Bush. The supposed peace dividend from the fall of the Soviet Union was instead squandered on the military.
I agree, but it's interesting that so many give them a pass. I know quite a few who care little that they lied us into killing and displacing millions of people. The empathy expressed for Ukrainian lives is quite vocal and out there, but not for the millions of Muslims who died, whose children were slaughtered, and their countries destroyed even if Americans know all were based on lies. Clinton can attack Trump as prejudiced from blocking Muslims from coming into our country, which he recanted, yet she is responsible for so many of those deaths, and not a bad word about her is spoken by most and the so called left and those who wanted a woman president.
I agree, but would like to add, lets not forget who was president at the time and brought her to his side even knowing she is a die hard neocon and Kagan, her hubby, is too, and a very powerful one, with a great deal of influence. OBAMA! Had to say it because to many give him a pass.
The current regime didn't need to goad Russia. Covering up crimes against humanity are deftly hidden by war. And just like covid, the sheep got behind Ukraine because they were told to by the narrative they are comfortable with. The true story is putin had no need to straighten out what's going on on his western border, because PDT was well on his way to prosecute those crimes started by ghwb. And that, my friends, is why covid happened, and Biden happened, and thousands died at the hands of the same enemy I've been watching for fifty years.
I'm positive that we'd allow Russia to install, say, missiles in a nearby country -- maybe Cuba -- and it would have no effect on our relations to either country!
https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cuban-missile-crisis
NATO needs to cease to exist.
Most EU countries would probably be better served by integrating their military and having a purely defensive alliance. European countries bear the brunt of the fallout from failed US foreign policies through floods of refugees and ever increasing food and energy prices. I don't see how this alliance serves the citizens, perhaps with the exceptions of those involved in the military industrial complex.
It simply doesn't but since when has any western power in the last decade even pretended to care what is best for 'their people'. Western democracy is an utter joke!
I love being able to read and think and analyze all of your information.
I will read it again, so that I can really think critically about what information you have provided to us.
Thanks for all your research into this info.
Fantastic work, Brad. You nailed it!
Brad, outstanding article. The situation in Ukraine has many layers, and has built up over many years. So tired of the simple “good/bad” formulation. I appreciated reading a more nuanced view of how we got here.
People want to claim “the adults are back in the room”. It’s time they started to show that their thinking goes beyond Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
Dead on analysis....we have needlessly, gratuitously poked the bear since the dissolution of the USSR....a damn shame that instead of a friendly, cooperative relationship (which was possible) we have chosen this path.
Thanks to Brad for laying out detailed evidence as to how the GAE goaded Russia into invading Ukraine and has gotten ensnared once again in a pointless war that becomes more brutal, stupid, and dishonest by the day.
The question I have is: Why did America feel it was necessary to keep poking the Russian bear for almost 30 years now? Why and what purpose does it serve?
And since Brad was brave enough to take a verboten and contrary position, I will do him one better and jump right on an electrified taboo: I can't help but notice that just about all of the neocons filled with hate for Russia are Jewish—the Kagans, Kristols, Victoria Nuland, Anne Applebaum, Jen Rubin etc—so I can't help but wonder: do they hate Russia for what the Soviets did to their Jews? Is it something to do with Israel?
(And no, it's not "anti-Semitic" to ask this, and please don't report me to the ADL, it is natural for people to want to help their people/tribe/homeland, and it's natural to ask questions about people who hold so much power in our government. None of this implies any hatred toward Jews, I am sincerely confused and curious about the deep hatred some people seem to have for Russia.)
Isn’t it ridiculous that you would even feel a need to explain yourself when curious about something, and posing a simple and reasonable question?! Careful...the thought police might getcha! 🤡 Unfortunately that’s reality today 🙄
Yes, that's the correct article. We can always agree to disagree but I mostly think along the same lines as you.
Thank you for your response as well.
Spot on. RFK, Jr, reminds me of why I used to be a Democrat.
By the way, the most corrupt country west of Russia or Eastern Europe, is the USA.
Brad, I'm in total disagreement with your view and Cornel West's view on this subject. Please read Jonah Goldberg's recent article:
"On Russia’s long history of authoritarian imperialism" July 14, 2023
Totally disagree that the US and the West instigated the illegal invasion and tragic slaughter today of Ukrainian civilians.
I appreciate your opinion and the fact that you're willing to tender it instead of just unsubscribing, which is what most people do when they read something I've written that they really disagree with. Says a lot about you. And I'm definitely not pro-Russian. Nothing I've written in this post justifies what Russia has done.
I will read the article you mention. I'm guessing it's this one, right?
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/gfile/czar-gazing/
I'm not anti-Russia, and understand very well the threat to her in terms of bringing Ukraine into NATO, not to mention our lying promise to Gorbachev. Clinton kicked it off with adding three more countries during his time in office. Mimi must have blocked out our Middle Eastern wars that killed millions and displaced millions more as it destroyed whole countries, and all based on lies, A neocon agenda that we're continuing to push using Ukraine and the death of it's people to destroy Russia. Now that's a really good example of authoritarian imperialism, don't you think?
So Mimi, what do you think of all our lying wars in the middle east, and the millions we killed that included children? Still buying the BS on what we are doing in Syria? What we did in Syria? Before the end of the last century the CIA operating in our "best interest" is responsible for the death of some 6 million people, not to mention how many governments we toppled including the government in Iran, our staunch enemy. Gee we didn't like Mohammad Mosaddegh just because he wanted a little more of the pie, that is the money England was getting by pumping Iran's oil and getting almost all of the profits. In my book Russia can't hold a candle to our imperialistic agenda.
You too, Fran. We are at the place where people have to realize we've been the bad guys for a long time. Sorry Mimi, but that's the truth. Do you remember what happened in Ukraine in 2014? Victoria nuland happened. She should be executed for crimes against humanity herself. And who us running this shitshow? Yeah, same crazy evil bitch. We have no business in Ukraine,except bio labs making poison, human traffickers selling women and children, and there's that money laundering thing.
You're right, but let's not forget who was president at the time. She didn't go into Ukraine behind Obama's back, and she didn't decide during his reign that we would support a coup. You pick Nuland you're choosing a neocon who like the rest will get us into one war after another as they did in middle east in order to obtain and retain world dominance. Those neocons hot footed over to the democrats during Trump's term in office, as did the CIA and FBI. Dick was a primary signatory on the Project for a New American Century, as was Jeff Bush which makes you wonder about that 2001 election. Blinken of course is another neocon SOB.
To me it pretty much looks like the Obama and Biden administrations are just a continuation of the neocon/imperialist policies started (in earnest) under Bush. The supposed peace dividend from the fall of the Soviet Union was instead squandered on the military.
I agree, but it's interesting that so many give them a pass. I know quite a few who care little that they lied us into killing and displacing millions of people. The empathy expressed for Ukrainian lives is quite vocal and out there, but not for the millions of Muslims who died, whose children were slaughtered, and their countries destroyed even if Americans know all were based on lies. Clinton can attack Trump as prejudiced from blocking Muslims from coming into our country, which he recanted, yet she is responsible for so many of those deaths, and not a bad word about her is spoken by most and the so called left and those who wanted a woman president.
I agree, but would like to add, lets not forget who was president at the time and brought her to his side even knowing she is a die hard neocon and Kagan, her hubby, is too, and a very powerful one, with a great deal of influence. OBAMA! Had to say it because to many give him a pass.
Hell, without vicci and Valerie,we'd probably be in PDT's second term.
"Totally disagree that the US and the West instigated the illegal invasion..."
Am I hallucinating or did Brad just lay out detailed evidence showing how the US goaded Russia into invading Ukraine?
Also, Jonah Goldberg is a major hack.
The current regime didn't need to goad Russia. Covering up crimes against humanity are deftly hidden by war. And just like covid, the sheep got behind Ukraine because they were told to by the narrative they are comfortable with. The true story is putin had no need to straighten out what's going on on his western border, because PDT was well on his way to prosecute those crimes started by ghwb. And that, my friends, is why covid happened, and Biden happened, and thousands died at the hands of the same enemy I've been watching for fifty years.
You think even without US meddling Russia would have invaded Ukraine or taken over the country through other means?