As deep-rooted hatred of Russia which spans many decades, and now the neocon agenda of dismembering The Bear and plundering its vast natural resources, accelerate the drive by Western powers to initiate a war that will end all wars __ because it will probably end the human race __ it would be helpful for the more thoughtful, rational, and considerably better-informed citizens of our country to remind the ranting, chest-beating bullies who seem to be in charge of our misguided foreign policy, of some basic history. These noxious think tank thugs are the charlatans who can be heard accusing Russians of being paranoid, taunting them for foolishly raising a fuss about the U.S. and NATO taking over Ukraine.
Look at the chart above.
Russia has every reason to be concerned about aggression. It’s a brutal, horrifying fact of history, not some product of conjecture or brooding anxiety.
Russia has every reason to be concerned about the military encirclement now in place. Troops and weapons are not theoretical uncertainties. They are existential threats.
Russia lost more soldiers and citizens battling the Nazi Wehrmacht than England, Poland, Yugoslavia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Italy and Germany itself . . . combined!
So it is hardly a surprise that Russia gets a bit nervous when NATO troops and weaponry are shoved right up next to its borders, when lunatic anti-Russian fulminating prevails in the Western press, when the vicious campaign of demonizing their much-beloved Vladimir Putin __ making comparisons to Hitler with no apparent irony, no less __ is orchestrated on an unprecedented scale, when unnecessary provocations mount week after week in the form of military exercises and war games, and when insults compete with lies to isolate Russia from the rest of the world.
America could be accused of having an enormous tolerance for shame, except it apparently doesn’t have any shame these days. Now in a fanciful re-writing of history __ evidently to bolster its sagging self-esteem and attempt to marginalize Russia with crassly-formulated propaganda __ it has decided that it was the U.S. which defeated Nazi Germany.
Ignore the fact that 9 out of every 10 German troops were killed by the Russian forces in a historic display of military determination and bravery which claimed nearly 11,000,000 of their soldiers.
Ignore the fact that the German army had largely been defeated by the Russians before the landing at Normandy and the Western front assault by the non-Russian Allied troops.
Ignore the fact that 27,000,000 Russians died at the hand of a German nation gone mad.
Just keep repeating the President’s favorite word these days __ exceptional __ and repeat over and over the mantra we will be hearing more and more as Americans are stampeded into another morally, economically bankrupting war: Russia bad . . . America good . . . Russia bad . . . America good . . .
Anyone who is paying attention knows where all this is going. The drums of war beat out a very simple rhythm that even a child can understand.
Anyone who is paying attention also knows why this is taking place.
Anyone who is paying attention knows that yet again, we the helpless pawns of pointless power games, will be required to make the ultimate sacrifice of our precious lives, in the name of imperial plunder and greater riches for the corporate plutocrats.
The problem is . . . very few are paying attention.
After all, we have our own troubles at home: Most recently Ferguson and Baltimore.
And weighty conundrums: “To Hillary or not to Hillary, that is the question!”
No, there’s not much time to worry about all that stuff happening over there, or sufficient calm to think clearly and consider productive alternative plans, with all the hysterical cries of the warmongers relentlessly poisoning the airwaves and opeds, shouting down the few voices of sanity who attempt a balanced, coherent analysis and constructive conversation.
I still have to wonder . . .
In terms of the few isolated individuals who might actually be paying attention, yet still go along with this march to madness, and the neocon psychopaths themselves who can’t wait to chase their self-sabotaging and bankrupt delusions of world conquest and American imperial rule, WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?
Didn’t we learn anything from Vietnam?
Didn’t we learn anything from Afghanistan?
Didn’t we learn anything from Iraq?
I never hear a timidly tendered . . . “Oops.”
Not a chagrin-tinged . . . “Sorry about that.”
Not even a mildly rueful . . . “Hmm.”
Evidently reflection and apologies are for girly-boys or the zombies of the liberal class.
Many of our most respected think tanks now appear to be staffed with students of history equipped with no memory and no conscience. You’re either with us or you’re against us. Either you hate Russia and despise Vlad the Impaler . . . or you’re a Putin boot-licker.
Jingoistic cheer leading driven by testosterone-fueled delusions of empire spews simplistic black-hat/white-hat bumper stickers. The public swoons in Orwellian silence.
Russia bad . . . America good . . . Russia bad . . .
What’s another 27,000,000 bodies?
How about a 1,000,000,000 bodies?
Or if this thing goes nuclear . . . 7,000,000,000 bodies?
YEAH! Now we’re talking!
Actually it’s kind of the perfect ending.
With horror on this scale, there is no one left to feel any shame.
