As a last blog for the month of August, I thought I would discuss some of the current issues that seem to contribute to the creation of a "new" America. Depending on how you interpret the situation, you could say that it is a new "softer and gentler" America or a an "indecisive, weak" America. In either case, it seems to be undisciplined and directionless. Take your choice!
I am not alone in saying that America has slipped in its standing in the world. It is no longer considered by some to be the preeminent power, no longer the leading nation in military and economic strength, and certainly not a leader in the political arena! There have been a number of occurrences in the past several years to have led to this new standing for America. All of these could have been avoided with more decisive responses, stronger stands on America's part. However, our government chose to not respond or respond weakly with the "passive-reactive" policy which I have discussed in previous blogs. Now, we have literally become "patsies" for everyone, including those that are supposed to be our "friends!" Let's take a look at some of the more recent occurrences that continue to contribute to this "new" standing for America!
A few days ago, the EU announced that it is imposing an astronomical $15 billion fine on Apple in Ireland. Never mind the explanations for the reasons behind this historical fine. The bottom line is that EU, that is made up of European countries that are supposed to be our friends, is essentially trying to extract a huge amount of money from an American company. It seems they are taking a page out of others who have succeeded in getting rich off of us, Iran being the most obvious example. White House made noises of protestation over this preposterous fine, but chances are that is as far as our government will go and Apple will be forced to deal with this problem on their own. Any loss of money by Apple will essentially translate into cost for American consumers, I don't need to explain that part!
Why shouldn't EU take advantage of a situation and try to make a bunch of money. EU hasn't been doing too well lately and Great Britain took its marbles and left. It isn't difficult to see that America appears to be a cash cow that can easily be squeezed to give out money. Iran has done well by us without even trying to be nice! Most recently Iranian gun boats harassed US destroyers in international waters, and what did we do? Nothing! Incredibly enough, White House gave some amazingly stupid explanation or non-explanation to the whole affair. No doubt Iran feels that as long as they continue to misbehave, we will continue to give them money hoping that they will "behave." That seems to be our policy, just "love them to death!"
China has repeatedly arrested and detained and imprisoned American citizens for espionage and other trumped up charges. Our government has done very little if anything to help those unfortunate Americans. A Texas businesswoman of Vietnamese descent, Sandy Phan-Gillis, was arrested 18 months ago and held without charges. She was recently charged with espionage! Phan-Gillis and her husband had appealed to the White House for help, but it is doubtful if anything will happen. China has become a very important trading partner and it is unlikely that we will do anything to upset that partnership. If there is any development in prisoner release, i.e., if Phan-Gillis and other wrongfully accused and imprisoned individuals are released, no doubt it will cost us a bundle, if not in cash, then in trade concessions! That's how our government has been operating, the "passive-reactive" policy method!
Yesterday the White House proudly announced that Obama has commuted the sentences of 111 federal prisoners. So far, Obama has commuted sentences of 562 prisoners, more than the combined total of commuted sentences of the past nine presidents, going back to JFK! According to the White House spokesman, Obama isn't finished yet. After all, he will still be in the office for another four months! Now I am sure that some of those sentences were deservedly shortened or commuted. The justice system isn't perfect, we all know that. But, at the same time, there are no doubt those that really got on the list because they had connections and political ties! Our criminal justice system is in need of overhauling, that's for sure, but this massive commutation of sentences is not the answer. All it does is create a very "loose" atmosphere which encourages everyone to push the envelop. Make no mistake about it. The current controversy surrounding the NFL multi millionaire quarterback who refuses to stand for the national anthem, is a direct result of this recent trend and which seemingly the White House promotes!
In Syria, the Syrian rebels that we finance and train apparently take orders from the Turks and turn their guns on the Kurds, who are our allies and who we train and finance! Nobody listens to us, not the Turks or the Syrian rebels. We just give money to all of them! Turkey, by the way, is heavily financed by us by way of economic aid and commercial investments. There are numerous companies in Turkey that are joint venture set ups with American investments. I won't mention Iraq, since I've talked about that country a lot in the past blogs.
Is it really surprising then that Putin is acting up as he is? Mark my word, Putin is only quiet now because he is just waiting to see who will occupy the White House next and if the policies will change. If it is Hillary, then it will be business as usual for Putin. If it is Trump, he will have to wait and see if there will be a change in American policy, and if so, in what direction. Whatever the case, Putin is not finished with his Stalin-like antics.
America needs to have a definite policy with a strong stand, not a wishy-washy, wait and see, passive-reactive policy that we have had for the past eight years. We need to maintain a stronger policy regardless of who is in the White House. But of course that will never happen. Our policies keep changing with new administrations that come and go. But there has never been such a drastic shift or I should say, a lack of any policy, as there has been the past eight years. We have been in a vacuum when it comes to foreign policy and our position on the international scene during this period. This has cost us in more ways than just the money that we paid out to Iran. Other than having someone completely different from Hillary or Trump in the White House with a completely different group of bodies in the cabinet, there won't be much change, if any! God help us all!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Our Policy with Iran
First of all, let me clarify something. We do not have a policy. We just react to different situations, nothing more! In fact, let's face it, we don't have a policy on dealing with anybody. As I stated in the previous blog about our policy with Russia, we simply react to situations, most of the time very passively!
Modern history buffs will undoubtedly say that the worst foreign policy deal ever struck by anyone was the Munich Pact of 1938 when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Eduard Daladier signed an agreement with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, giving away Czechoslovakia. It has been hailed as the worst deal ever carried out by anyone and Chamberlain's political career was ruined thereafter when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia shortly after signing the agreement. However, I beg to differ at this point, because at least Chamberlain and Daladier did not give away money or make other concessions. They only gave away a country - something that we have done a lot!
The Iran Nuclear Deal that we made is much worse than any deal that Chamberlain made with Hitler! We not only gave away a country, Iraq, but we also paid out billions of dollars, and are still paying, and also made various concessions, gave favorable trade deals, etc. What we did when we signed that deal with Iran is much worse, much more far reaching, and something that we will have to pay for a long time to come!
We will never know the exact amount that our government paid out to Iran. You can be sure that Washington will not release the true figures. It took the recent bit of accusations from Trump's campaign to unveil some of the facts. Initially Obama's government vehemently denied any such doing, i.e., paying ransom to Iran for the release of four American hostages. Remember, our government does not pay ransom to terrorists, or so it claims! But when things got a bit too hot, State Department finally admitted last week that $400 million in cash was paid to Iran shortly after the release of hostages. Remember, at first it was claimed that the payment was all part of the funds that our government was releasing on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Then this week, the government announced that we paid out a total of 1 billion 300 million dollars to Iran in 13 payments.
The staggering amount of money that we have paid out to Iran thus far for the so-called Nuclear Deal far exceeds what was "frozen" and held in the U.S. The explanation we get from our government is that the amount is greater because of the compounded interest that had accrued over all these years, since 1979 when the Iranian funds were "frozen." I am a bit confused on this issued. It was my understanding that when funds are "frozen," that is exactly what takes place. Money cannot be taken out or otherwise used, therefore no interest is accrued during the "frozen" period. However, it appears that the Iranians had their funds in some sort of special accounts that accrued interest! The explanation makes no sense and even an elementary school student would have a hard time accepting it!
It seems to me that we are essentially helping to strengthen and enrich Iran! The colossal amount of money that we have poured in so far has not only increased Iran's military capability and strengthened their economy, but has emboldened their government to a point that they just don't give a damn about us! We are still the great "Satan," a name that they have applied to us since 1979 and have been using constantly after signing the deal! Only now they probably add "sucker" to that name! Iran doesn't just thumb its nose at us, it regularly shows us the middle finger in no uncertain terms! Just yesterday their gunboats harassed our destroyers in international waters, openly daring us to do something, which of course, we didn't do! We have no credibility with Iran, and by extension, any country in that region that is under their influence.
Just who is under their influence? Iraq, a country where thousands of American lives were lost and maimed is now under Iran's sphere of influence. We gave it to them as part and parcel of that terrific Nuclear Deal that our government swore will bring world peace! Iran has extended its influence into Syria, where Iranian troops and their proxy, the Hezbollah, are supposedly fighting ISIS, but in fact are more occupied fighting anti Assad forces!
Recently, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that Russia will no longer be allowed to fly combat missions into Syria from Iranian bases. This announcement was made after a controversial bombing of rebel forces and the heart wrenching images of injured children appeared on television. So, as PR damage control, the Iranian Foreign Minister made that announcement. But Russians really don't need Iranian bases to bomb Syrian rebels! They have bases in Syria! The use of Iranian air bases was a demonstration of Russia's influence, and it was Russia that released the information that their bombers used Iranian bases. Make no mistake about it, Iran and Russia are partners in that region. Iran is a much valued customer of Russia's military hardware, and of course, we provide the money to Iran to pay Russia for those weapons!
We have the most muddled, incomprehensible foreign policy ever in the history of the modern world. The wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world just stumbles and muddles along, not knowing what it will do in the next hour, let alone tomorrow! Our superbly trained and armed military is hamstrung by stupid policies imposed on them by bureaucrats that are only concerned with their political survival and are blind to what is going on around them. Our government, in short, has become an expert in postponing the inevitable and sidetracking important issues and not informing the public of the truth. We, the public, in turn have listened to what the government wants us to believe for so long that we don't know what really is going on, despite the fact that some things are happening right before our eyes.
The news media is no help because it has its own agenda, not to mention political aspirations. Our news media has become the "king makers" of the modern era. They can manipulate public opinion so easily that essentially, it is the news media that elects our presidents! I know it sounds like the ranting of an anti news media lunatic, but think about it! Notice how some candidates are shown in favorable light even if they are known to be involved in scandals or illegal activities. While others, on the other hand, are constantly portrayed as incompetent or otherwise unsuitable for the office. The news media has been doing this for quite a while now, since TV became an important vehicle of presidential candidates, from about the 1960 elections.
But it is also strange how the news media keeps the foot off the accelerator when it comes to Iran. I am puzzled as to why the news media is not covering Iran more thoroughly, especially our government's involvement with Iran. Could it be that the news media, which heavily favors the current administration, does not want to show how incompetent it is, after all the news media helped put it in office! Remember how heavily the media criticized George W. Bush for not visiting Louisiana soon enough after Katrina? Bush wasn't even on vacation playing golf, yet the media ripped him apart. Notice how light the criticism is of Obama and his late visit to flood disaster areas? Obama was playing golf when even one of the presidential candidates was visiting the disaster region, for PR, of course! Yeah, the news media does have its darlings and its agenda.
Modern history buffs will undoubtedly say that the worst foreign policy deal ever struck by anyone was the Munich Pact of 1938 when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Eduard Daladier signed an agreement with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, giving away Czechoslovakia. It has been hailed as the worst deal ever carried out by anyone and Chamberlain's political career was ruined thereafter when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia shortly after signing the agreement. However, I beg to differ at this point, because at least Chamberlain and Daladier did not give away money or make other concessions. They only gave away a country - something that we have done a lot!
The Iran Nuclear Deal that we made is much worse than any deal that Chamberlain made with Hitler! We not only gave away a country, Iraq, but we also paid out billions of dollars, and are still paying, and also made various concessions, gave favorable trade deals, etc. What we did when we signed that deal with Iran is much worse, much more far reaching, and something that we will have to pay for a long time to come!
We will never know the exact amount that our government paid out to Iran. You can be sure that Washington will not release the true figures. It took the recent bit of accusations from Trump's campaign to unveil some of the facts. Initially Obama's government vehemently denied any such doing, i.e., paying ransom to Iran for the release of four American hostages. Remember, our government does not pay ransom to terrorists, or so it claims! But when things got a bit too hot, State Department finally admitted last week that $400 million in cash was paid to Iran shortly after the release of hostages. Remember, at first it was claimed that the payment was all part of the funds that our government was releasing on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Then this week, the government announced that we paid out a total of 1 billion 300 million dollars to Iran in 13 payments.
The staggering amount of money that we have paid out to Iran thus far for the so-called Nuclear Deal far exceeds what was "frozen" and held in the U.S. The explanation we get from our government is that the amount is greater because of the compounded interest that had accrued over all these years, since 1979 when the Iranian funds were "frozen." I am a bit confused on this issued. It was my understanding that when funds are "frozen," that is exactly what takes place. Money cannot be taken out or otherwise used, therefore no interest is accrued during the "frozen" period. However, it appears that the Iranians had their funds in some sort of special accounts that accrued interest! The explanation makes no sense and even an elementary school student would have a hard time accepting it!
It seems to me that we are essentially helping to strengthen and enrich Iran! The colossal amount of money that we have poured in so far has not only increased Iran's military capability and strengthened their economy, but has emboldened their government to a point that they just don't give a damn about us! We are still the great "Satan," a name that they have applied to us since 1979 and have been using constantly after signing the deal! Only now they probably add "sucker" to that name! Iran doesn't just thumb its nose at us, it regularly shows us the middle finger in no uncertain terms! Just yesterday their gunboats harassed our destroyers in international waters, openly daring us to do something, which of course, we didn't do! We have no credibility with Iran, and by extension, any country in that region that is under their influence.
Just who is under their influence? Iraq, a country where thousands of American lives were lost and maimed is now under Iran's sphere of influence. We gave it to them as part and parcel of that terrific Nuclear Deal that our government swore will bring world peace! Iran has extended its influence into Syria, where Iranian troops and their proxy, the Hezbollah, are supposedly fighting ISIS, but in fact are more occupied fighting anti Assad forces!
Recently, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that Russia will no longer be allowed to fly combat missions into Syria from Iranian bases. This announcement was made after a controversial bombing of rebel forces and the heart wrenching images of injured children appeared on television. So, as PR damage control, the Iranian Foreign Minister made that announcement. But Russians really don't need Iranian bases to bomb Syrian rebels! They have bases in Syria! The use of Iranian air bases was a demonstration of Russia's influence, and it was Russia that released the information that their bombers used Iranian bases. Make no mistake about it, Iran and Russia are partners in that region. Iran is a much valued customer of Russia's military hardware, and of course, we provide the money to Iran to pay Russia for those weapons!
We have the most muddled, incomprehensible foreign policy ever in the history of the modern world. The wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world just stumbles and muddles along, not knowing what it will do in the next hour, let alone tomorrow! Our superbly trained and armed military is hamstrung by stupid policies imposed on them by bureaucrats that are only concerned with their political survival and are blind to what is going on around them. Our government, in short, has become an expert in postponing the inevitable and sidetracking important issues and not informing the public of the truth. We, the public, in turn have listened to what the government wants us to believe for so long that we don't know what really is going on, despite the fact that some things are happening right before our eyes.
The news media is no help because it has its own agenda, not to mention political aspirations. Our news media has become the "king makers" of the modern era. They can manipulate public opinion so easily that essentially, it is the news media that elects our presidents! I know it sounds like the ranting of an anti news media lunatic, but think about it! Notice how some candidates are shown in favorable light even if they are known to be involved in scandals or illegal activities. While others, on the other hand, are constantly portrayed as incompetent or otherwise unsuitable for the office. The news media has been doing this for quite a while now, since TV became an important vehicle of presidential candidates, from about the 1960 elections.
But it is also strange how the news media keeps the foot off the accelerator when it comes to Iran. I am puzzled as to why the news media is not covering Iran more thoroughly, especially our government's involvement with Iran. Could it be that the news media, which heavily favors the current administration, does not want to show how incompetent it is, after all the news media helped put it in office! Remember how heavily the media criticized George W. Bush for not visiting Louisiana soon enough after Katrina? Bush wasn't even on vacation playing golf, yet the media ripped him apart. Notice how light the criticism is of Obama and his late visit to flood disaster areas? Obama was playing golf when even one of the presidential candidates was visiting the disaster region, for PR, of course! Yeah, the news media does have its darlings and its agenda.
Our Policy with Iran
First of all, let me clarify something. We do not have a policy. We just react to different situations, nothing more! In fact, let's face it, we don't have a policy on dealing with anybody. As I stated in the previous blog about our policy with Russia, we simply react to situations, most of the time very passively!
Modern history buffs will undoubtedly say that the worst foreign policy deal ever struck by anyone was the Munich Pact of 1938 when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Eduard Daladier signed an agreement with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, giving away Czechoslovakia. It has been hailed as the worst deal ever carried out by anyone and Chamberlain's political career was ruined thereafter when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia shortly after signing the agreement. However, I beg to differ at this point, because at least Chamberlain and Daladier did not give away money or make other concessions. They only gave away a country - something that we have done a lot!
The Iran Nuclear Deal that we made is much worse than any deal that Chamberlain made with Hitler! We not only gave away a country, Iraq, but we also paid out billions of dollars, and are still paying, and also made various concessions, gave favorable trade deals, etc. What we did when we signed that deal with Iran is much worse, much more far reaching, and something that we will have to pay for a long time to come!
We will never know the exact amount that our government paid out to Iran. You can be sure that Washington will not release the true figures. It took the recent bit of accusations from Trump's campaign to unveil some of the facts. Initially Obama's government vehemently denied any such doing, i.e., paying ransom to Iran for the release of four American hostages. Remember, our government does not pay ransom to terrorists, or so it claims! But when things got a bit too hot, State Department finally admitted last week that $400 million in cash was paid to Iran shortly after the release of hostages. Remember, at first it was claimed that the payment was all part of the funds that our government was releasing on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Then this week, the government announced that we paid out a total of 1 billion 300 million dollars to Iran in 13 payments.
The staggering amount of money that we have paid out to Iran thus far for the so-called Nuclear Deal far exceeds what was "frozen" and held in the U.S. The explanation we get from our government is that the amount is greater because of the compounded interest that had accrued over all these years, since 1979 when the Iranian funds were "frozen." I am a bit confused on this issued. It was my understanding that when funds are "frozen," that is exactly what takes place. Money cannot be taken out or otherwise used, therefore no interest is accrued during the "frozen" period. However, it appears that the Iranians had their funds in some sort of special accounts that accrued interest! The explanation makes no sense and even an elementary school student would have a hard time accepting it!
It seems to me that we are essentially helping to strengthen and enrich Iran! The colossal amount of money that we have poured in so far has not only increased Iran's military capability and strengthened their economy, but has emboldened their government to a point that they just don't give a damn about us! We are still the great "Satan," a name that they have applied to us since 1979 and have been using constantly after signing the deal! Only now they probably add "sucker" to that name! Iran doesn't just thumb its nose at us, it regularly shows us the middle finger in no uncertain terms! Just yesterday their gunboats harassed our destroyers in international waters, openly daring us to do something, which of course, we didn't do! We have no credibility with Iran, and by extension, any country in that region that is under their influence.
Just who is under their influence? Iraq, a country where thousands of American lives were lost and maimed is now under Iran's sphere of influence. We gave it to them as part and parcel of that terrific Nuclear Deal that our government swore will bring world peace! Iran has extended its influence into Syria, where Iranian troops and their proxy, the Hezbollah, are supposedly fighting ISIS, but in fact are more occupied fighting anti Assad forces!
Recently, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that Russia will no longer be allowed to fly combat missions into Syria from Iranian bases. This announcement was made after a controversial bombing of rebel forces and the heart wrenching images of injured children appeared on television. So, as PR damage control, the Iranian Foreign Minister made that announcement. But Russians really don't need Iranian bases to bomb Syrian rebels! They have bases in Syria! The use of Iranian air bases was a demonstration of Russia's influence, and it was Russia that released the information that their bombers used Iranian bases. Make no mistake about it, Iran and Russia are partners in that region. Iran is a much valued customer of Russia's military hardware, and of course, we provide the money to Iran to pay Russia for those weapons!
We have the most muddled, incomprehensible foreign policy ever in the history of the modern world. The wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world just stumbles and muddles along, not knowing what it will do in the next hour, let alone tomorrow! Our superbly trained and armed military is hamstrung by stupid policies imposed on them by bureaucrats that are only concerned with their political survival and are blind to what is going on around them. Our government, in short, has become an expert in postponing the inevitable and sidetracking important issues and not informing the public of the truth. We, the public, in turn have listened to what the government wants us to believe for so long that we don't know what really is going on, despite the fact that some things are happening right before our eyes.
The news media is no help because it has its own agenda, not to mention political aspirations. Our news media has become the "king makers" of the modern era. They can manipulate public opinion so easily that essentially, it is the news media that elects our presidents! I know it sounds like the ranting of an anti news media lunatic, but think about it! Notice how some candidates are shown in favorable light even if they are known to be involved in scandals or illegal activities. While others, on the other hand, are constantly portrayed as incompetent or otherwise unsuitable for the office. The news media has been doing this for quite a while now, since TV became an important vehicle of presidential candidates, from about the 1960 elections.
But it is also strange how the news media keeps the foot off the accelerator when it comes to Iran. I am puzzled as to why the news media is not covering Iran more thoroughly, especially our government's involvement with Iran. Could it be that the news media, which heavily favors the current administration, does not want to show how incompetent it is, after all the news media helped put it in office! Remember how heavily the media criticized George W. Bush for not visiting Louisiana soon enough after Katrina? Bush wasn't even on vacation playing golf, yet the media ripped him apart. Notice how light the criticism is of Obama and his late visit to flood disaster areas? Obama was playing golf when even one of the presidential candidates was visiting the disaster region, for PR, of course! Yeah, the news media does have its darlings and its agenda.
Modern history buffs will undoubtedly say that the worst foreign policy deal ever struck by anyone was the Munich Pact of 1938 when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Eduard Daladier signed an agreement with Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy, giving away Czechoslovakia. It has been hailed as the worst deal ever carried out by anyone and Chamberlain's political career was ruined thereafter when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia shortly after signing the agreement. However, I beg to differ at this point, because at least Chamberlain and Daladier did not give away money or make other concessions. They only gave away a country - something that we have done a lot!
The Iran Nuclear Deal that we made is much worse than any deal that Chamberlain made with Hitler! We not only gave away a country, Iraq, but we also paid out billions of dollars, and are still paying, and also made various concessions, gave favorable trade deals, etc. What we did when we signed that deal with Iran is much worse, much more far reaching, and something that we will have to pay for a long time to come!
We will never know the exact amount that our government paid out to Iran. You can be sure that Washington will not release the true figures. It took the recent bit of accusations from Trump's campaign to unveil some of the facts. Initially Obama's government vehemently denied any such doing, i.e., paying ransom to Iran for the release of four American hostages. Remember, our government does not pay ransom to terrorists, or so it claims! But when things got a bit too hot, State Department finally admitted last week that $400 million in cash was paid to Iran shortly after the release of hostages. Remember, at first it was claimed that the payment was all part of the funds that our government was releasing on the Iran Nuclear Deal. Then this week, the government announced that we paid out a total of 1 billion 300 million dollars to Iran in 13 payments.
The staggering amount of money that we have paid out to Iran thus far for the so-called Nuclear Deal far exceeds what was "frozen" and held in the U.S. The explanation we get from our government is that the amount is greater because of the compounded interest that had accrued over all these years, since 1979 when the Iranian funds were "frozen." I am a bit confused on this issued. It was my understanding that when funds are "frozen," that is exactly what takes place. Money cannot be taken out or otherwise used, therefore no interest is accrued during the "frozen" period. However, it appears that the Iranians had their funds in some sort of special accounts that accrued interest! The explanation makes no sense and even an elementary school student would have a hard time accepting it!
It seems to me that we are essentially helping to strengthen and enrich Iran! The colossal amount of money that we have poured in so far has not only increased Iran's military capability and strengthened their economy, but has emboldened their government to a point that they just don't give a damn about us! We are still the great "Satan," a name that they have applied to us since 1979 and have been using constantly after signing the deal! Only now they probably add "sucker" to that name! Iran doesn't just thumb its nose at us, it regularly shows us the middle finger in no uncertain terms! Just yesterday their gunboats harassed our destroyers in international waters, openly daring us to do something, which of course, we didn't do! We have no credibility with Iran, and by extension, any country in that region that is under their influence.
Just who is under their influence? Iraq, a country where thousands of American lives were lost and maimed is now under Iran's sphere of influence. We gave it to them as part and parcel of that terrific Nuclear Deal that our government swore will bring world peace! Iran has extended its influence into Syria, where Iranian troops and their proxy, the Hezbollah, are supposedly fighting ISIS, but in fact are more occupied fighting anti Assad forces!
Recently, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that Russia will no longer be allowed to fly combat missions into Syria from Iranian bases. This announcement was made after a controversial bombing of rebel forces and the heart wrenching images of injured children appeared on television. So, as PR damage control, the Iranian Foreign Minister made that announcement. But Russians really don't need Iranian bases to bomb Syrian rebels! They have bases in Syria! The use of Iranian air bases was a demonstration of Russia's influence, and it was Russia that released the information that their bombers used Iranian bases. Make no mistake about it, Iran and Russia are partners in that region. Iran is a much valued customer of Russia's military hardware, and of course, we provide the money to Iran to pay Russia for those weapons!
We have the most muddled, incomprehensible foreign policy ever in the history of the modern world. The wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world just stumbles and muddles along, not knowing what it will do in the next hour, let alone tomorrow! Our superbly trained and armed military is hamstrung by stupid policies imposed on them by bureaucrats that are only concerned with their political survival and are blind to what is going on around them. Our government, in short, has become an expert in postponing the inevitable and sidetracking important issues and not informing the public of the truth. We, the public, in turn have listened to what the government wants us to believe for so long that we don't know what really is going on, despite the fact that some things are happening right before our eyes.
The news media is no help because it has its own agenda, not to mention political aspirations. Our news media has become the "king makers" of the modern era. They can manipulate public opinion so easily that essentially, it is the news media that elects our presidents! I know it sounds like the ranting of an anti news media lunatic, but think about it! Notice how some candidates are shown in favorable light even if they are known to be involved in scandals or illegal activities. While others, on the other hand, are constantly portrayed as incompetent or otherwise unsuitable for the office. The news media has been doing this for quite a while now, since TV became an important vehicle of presidential candidates, from about the 1960 elections.
But it is also strange how the news media keeps the foot off the accelerator when it comes to Iran. I am puzzled as to why the news media is not covering Iran more thoroughly, especially our government's involvement with Iran. Could it be that the news media, which heavily favors the current administration, does not want to show how incompetent it is, after all the news media helped put it in office! Remember how heavily the media criticized George W. Bush for not visiting Louisiana soon enough after Katrina? Bush wasn't even on vacation playing golf, yet the media ripped him apart. Notice how light the criticism is of Obama and his late visit to flood disaster areas? Obama was playing golf when even one of the presidential candidates was visiting the disaster region, for PR, of course! Yeah, the news media does have its darlings and its agenda.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Our "Passive-Reactive" Policy Against Russian Aggression
With all the sound bites and the incredibly self-destructive campaign being carried out by Trump, all of the very serious controversy surrounding Hillary is being completely overshadowed and ignored by the news media and the voters. It is a sad state of affairs in our politics and one that is bound to lead to another disastrous four years, with U.S. credibility and prestige seriously continuing to erode on the world scene!
It seems that the news headlines are completely taken over by either another one of the continuous controversial statements made by Trump or by the results in the Rio Olympics. Bad weather also has taken center stage in some parts of the U.S. and occasional terrorist bombings sprinkle the news here and there. But there has been hardly a "peep" in the news about what is going on in Ukraine, possibly one of the more dangerous situations anywhere around the globe. Russia has taken on a much more aggressive posture in Ukraine, building up their forces and increasing their aggression not only in the eastern part but in areas bordering Crimea which they occupy!
The American public has been led to believe that NATO will take care of any problems in its bailiwick. After all, NATO membership has been increased by nine additional countries that were formerly in the Soviet Bloc. What most Americans don't seem to realize is that NATO is totally dependent on U.S. leadership. During the Cold War Era, when NATO was created, U.S. was very active and demonstrated strong leadership in support of NATO against possible Soviet attack. But today, we seem to have lost interest in maintaining that strong posture. Our military presence in Europe has been reduced drastically, although we did set up bases in some of the former Soviet Bloc countries. Of course, our military has been reduced dramatically in the last eight years to the point of reaching its lowest numbers since the end of World War Two! This, in spite of the two wars that we are engaged in the middle east.
For the last eight years, we have practiced a "passive-reactive" policy when it comes anything to do with foreign policy. We have maintained this policy all over the globe! It began with our threat to Syria not to cross the "thin red line," which was promptly crossed and we did nothing. This was followed by our inaction in Libya during the ousting of Qaddafi and our change of policy, withdrawing of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia watched and didn't miss anything, and true to their behavior in the past, whenever they spotted a weakness, they exploited that weakness. They gobbled up parts of Ukraine and Crimea knowing full well that with our "passive-reactive" approach to everything, we wouldn't do anything. Of course, if we don't do anything, then NATO will not budge!
The situation in Ukraine is critical, to say the least. The country is essentially at war with a much bigger and stronger neighborhood bully who is being unchecked by NATO! Quite frankly, the only members of NATO that I believe are willing to face Russia, with our help, are the former Soviet Bloc countries! They know Russia and have little love for their former oppressors! The larger European countries with bigger and stronger military, such as France and Germany, are too dependent on Russia's natural gas and oil to anger their supplier. Did you know that Germany was proposing a free trade agreement with Russia while Russia was in the process of annexing Crimea a few years back? Yup, sort of like the non-aggression treaty that Russia signed with Germany while Germany was gobbling up most of Europe back in the day! There's historical precedence in this behavior and it is highly unlikely that either Germany or France will come to Ukraine's rescue! We are the only hope, and we are not doing anything!
I am not suggesting that we go to war with Russia. But we should play better poker! Russia will back down if it thinks there is a threat of war with us. Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? When push came to shove, they backed off. Putin is a bad guy, but he is not crazy, he doesn't want to go to war with us over something like a piece of real estate in Ukraine! But, since we are such bad poker players and such wimps, he keeps pushing. At this rate, who knows when he'll stop, perhaps not until he gets everything he wants. He certainly seems to be getting his way with our "passive-reactive" policy!
It seems that the news headlines are completely taken over by either another one of the continuous controversial statements made by Trump or by the results in the Rio Olympics. Bad weather also has taken center stage in some parts of the U.S. and occasional terrorist bombings sprinkle the news here and there. But there has been hardly a "peep" in the news about what is going on in Ukraine, possibly one of the more dangerous situations anywhere around the globe. Russia has taken on a much more aggressive posture in Ukraine, building up their forces and increasing their aggression not only in the eastern part but in areas bordering Crimea which they occupy!
The American public has been led to believe that NATO will take care of any problems in its bailiwick. After all, NATO membership has been increased by nine additional countries that were formerly in the Soviet Bloc. What most Americans don't seem to realize is that NATO is totally dependent on U.S. leadership. During the Cold War Era, when NATO was created, U.S. was very active and demonstrated strong leadership in support of NATO against possible Soviet attack. But today, we seem to have lost interest in maintaining that strong posture. Our military presence in Europe has been reduced drastically, although we did set up bases in some of the former Soviet Bloc countries. Of course, our military has been reduced dramatically in the last eight years to the point of reaching its lowest numbers since the end of World War Two! This, in spite of the two wars that we are engaged in the middle east.
For the last eight years, we have practiced a "passive-reactive" policy when it comes anything to do with foreign policy. We have maintained this policy all over the globe! It began with our threat to Syria not to cross the "thin red line," which was promptly crossed and we did nothing. This was followed by our inaction in Libya during the ousting of Qaddafi and our change of policy, withdrawing of forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia watched and didn't miss anything, and true to their behavior in the past, whenever they spotted a weakness, they exploited that weakness. They gobbled up parts of Ukraine and Crimea knowing full well that with our "passive-reactive" approach to everything, we wouldn't do anything. Of course, if we don't do anything, then NATO will not budge!
The situation in Ukraine is critical, to say the least. The country is essentially at war with a much bigger and stronger neighborhood bully who is being unchecked by NATO! Quite frankly, the only members of NATO that I believe are willing to face Russia, with our help, are the former Soviet Bloc countries! They know Russia and have little love for their former oppressors! The larger European countries with bigger and stronger military, such as France and Germany, are too dependent on Russia's natural gas and oil to anger their supplier. Did you know that Germany was proposing a free trade agreement with Russia while Russia was in the process of annexing Crimea a few years back? Yup, sort of like the non-aggression treaty that Russia signed with Germany while Germany was gobbling up most of Europe back in the day! There's historical precedence in this behavior and it is highly unlikely that either Germany or France will come to Ukraine's rescue! We are the only hope, and we are not doing anything!
I am not suggesting that we go to war with Russia. But we should play better poker! Russia will back down if it thinks there is a threat of war with us. Remember the Cuban Missile Crisis? When push came to shove, they backed off. Putin is a bad guy, but he is not crazy, he doesn't want to go to war with us over something like a piece of real estate in Ukraine! But, since we are such bad poker players and such wimps, he keeps pushing. At this rate, who knows when he'll stop, perhaps not until he gets everything he wants. He certainly seems to be getting his way with our "passive-reactive" policy!
Thursday, August 4, 2016
A Most Dangerous World
With all the hoopla over the upcoming elections, I think most Americans have failed to recognize the extreme dangers that we are facing in this "new" world. Between all of the minor scandals that seem to pop-up each day concerning one or the other presidential candidate and the zika virus scare, it seems the most dangerous occurrence in a long time has been completely been ignored. Our news media is largely responsible for this, for they have relegated these latest threats to world peace to the back burners.
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
A Most Dangerous World
With all the hoopla over the upcoming elections, I think most Americans have failed to recognize the extreme dangers that we are facing in this "new" world. Between all of the minor scandals that seem to pop-up each day concerning one or the other presidential candidate and the zika virus scare, it seems the most dangerous occurrence in a long time has been completely been ignored. Our news media is largely responsible for this, for they have relegated these latest threats to world peace to the back burners.
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
A Most Dangerous World
With all the hoopla over the upcoming elections, I think most Americans have failed to recognize the extreme dangers that we are facing in this "new" world. Between all of the minor scandals that seem to pop-up each day concerning one or the other presidential candidate and the zika virus scare, it seems the most dangerous occurrence in a long time has been completely been ignored. Our news media is largely responsible for this, for they have relegated these latest threats to world peace to the back burners.
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
While daily, whatever each candidate says gets front page coverage, the fact that Russia and China have been conducting a series of military maneuvers (war games) is either stuck in the back pages or lost all together. Think about this. During the height of the Cold War, when Soviet Union and PRC were our arch enemies, and supposedly allied against capitalism, the two never held war games together! If anything, there were border disputes and actual firefights along the Amur and Ussuri Rivers! Now, since the demise of the Soviet Union and the "new" PRC which has supposedly become our friend, most certainly trading partner, the two are holding a series of military maneuvers. The latest naval exercise, as if to rub our nose in it, they are holding naval maneuvers in the Mediterranean! Neither Russia nor China have any ports, or other interests in the Mediterranean, yet they are holding naval maneuvers, actually even shooting naval guns and missiles! Meanwhile, North Korea is firing off missiles towards Japan, this time reaching farther than ever before!
Remember a few blogs back I talked about the new Axis, i.e., Russia-China-North Korea. It seems it is alive and doing well. There are those in our government as well as the news media who "pooh-pooh" the whole idea of the new Axis. They think it is simply Putin trying to flex his muscles and China trying to respond to our support of Japan and other countries in their maritime disputes with China. That may very well be. But it was the muscle flexing that got Putin Crimea and part of eastern Ukraine. It is muscle flexing that allows China to continue to hold Tibet as one of its provinces! As for North Korea, everyone knows that they are a nut case and unpredictable. Well, they may be a nut case and unpredictable, but they are also shrewd and not completely foolish. They would not do something without knowing that they will either get away with it or that they have backing. In this case, it is Russia and China.
Yes, we have problems with ISIS/ISIL and it won't go away soon. American lives will continue to be in danger and will be lost to terrorist activities. Ironically, we are now financially supporting the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, Iran. I know that the White House has denied the accusations that the money (sacks full of cash) given to Iran on the eve of the release of hostages was not payment, that it was Iranian money. But even if it was Iranian money, it was still a pay off. Why did we have to release the money just then? Why not before or well after the release of hostages? Besides, if it was indeed Iranian money which was kept frozen in banks, why not just make an electronic transfer to Iranian treasury? Why deliver payment like some drug dealers in sacks filled with cash?
But, all in all, that is small potatoes compared to what we could be facing if we don't watch out and counteract what is going on with Russia and China. Both China and Russia are convinced that we won't do anything because at this point we are so dependent on China economically. They may be right. As I said before, China really doesn't need to go to war, it only needs to call in its IOUs and we will be up the creek without a paddle! Russia, on the other hand, knows no other way but the heavy handed way, intimidation. They have practiced this type of foreign policy since the Tsarist days, so this is nothing new, it is in their DNA!
Sadly, I believe we have developed a reputation for being patsies, easy marks in the poker game of international affairs. Our fabulous Iran Nuclear Deal demonstrated how well we play the game, that our game plan is basically to give up everything and gain nothing! Aside from our miserable negotiating on the international scene, we have developed a reputation for inaction, of being indecisive. Our government has developed this wonderful art of inaction and indecisiveness to a fine point. We always have all the answers, verbally. But when you look at the results, it shows a totally different picture.
We desperately need a change. We need a change to a strong government that responds to international crisis and not just makes threatening noises then sits and waits! This may very well mean more "brush fire" wars, small wars that erupt around the world. Sadly that is how it is today, the nature of things and international politics. But we are the only superpower, the only country capable of being the "policeman" of the world. If we don't want chaos all around us, then we have to step in and do something to stop it. If we don't want the responsibility, then we should give up our preeminent position in the world to Russia or China. Make no mistake about it, Russia or China would be more than happy to become the number one nation in the world! Perhaps that is what our government is trying to do, turn over the responsibility to someone else?
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