Tag: World Affrairs

Is Taiwan Next?

Ukraine seems to be winding down to a stalemate…..and the lobbyists are needing something else to keep the cash flowing in with the help of their lackeys in the White House and Congress.

Not to worry we have a built in ‘enemy’ the Pentagon and State have been priming the public for years and now the president has made his declaration…..

The United States is on board with the “one China” policy—meaning that, in regard to Taiwan, it acknowledges formal ties to China instead. But the American government doesn’t endorse China’s views that it effectively owns Taiwan, and the US enjoys a “robust” unofficial relationship with the breakaway island, and so it would use force to defend Taiwan if it had to, according to comments made by President Biden on Monday. CNN reports Biden’s remarks came during a joint press conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after the US president was asked if the US would come to Taiwan’s defense if it were ever attacked.

“Yes. That’s the commitment we made,” Biden said. “We agree with the ‘one China’ policy. We signed on to it,” but in terms of China possibly trying to take Taiwan against its will, it’s “[just not] appropriate.” Biden added, however, he didn’t see such an attempt at “reunification,” as China puts it, happening anytime soon. CNBC notes Biden’s comments seemed at odds with DC’s longtime “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan, meaning it has been purposely fuzzy on what exactly, if anything, the US would do if China ever invaded the territory. After the news conference, a White House official tried to clarify the president’s comments, reaffirming the US’ adherence to the “one China” policy and “our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

The official noted that Biden’s comments on defending Taiwan referred to the US’ commitment to 1979’s Taiwan Relations Act, which simply means the US would help shore up Taiwan’s ability to defend itself—not necessarily stage a military intervention. The Wall Street Journal notes Biden has appeared to shift on the US’ stance twice before, in August and October, only to have aides similarly walk his remarks back. At any rate, Taiwan is now expressing its gratitude, while China is slamming Biden’s words. A spokeswoman from Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry thanked the US for its “rock-solid” commitment, while a spokesman for China’s counterpart agency expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition,” per CNN, noting that “on issues concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for compromise.”

See NO need to worry the paid representative of the M-IC and the ‘leader’ of the free world has made it official…..the profits will continue for the M-IC.

When will this stop?

Short answer….no time soon….when money is taking out of elections then it will cease.

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I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

I Want American Troops Home

I am one of those shameless antiwar people that thinks diplomacy should replace bullets and drones as a foreign policy tool.

I also like so many others are weary of the troops being used to police the world……our troops are stationed all over the globe and not one of them is there to protect the US homeland…..they are there to protect regimes and such….

The military of the United States is deployed in more than 150 countries around the world, with approximately 170,000 of its active-duty personnel serving outside the United States and its territories.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/06/us-military-bases-around-the-world-119321

Just in the Middle East we have approaching 100,000 troops…..

The U.S. has maintained a costly presence in the Middle East for decades, with at least 60,000 troops currently stationed around the region, according to United States Central Command

https://www.axios.com/where-us-troops-deployed-middle-east-5e96fdb2-c7ba-4f26-90b4-7bf452f83847.html

But an article by John Whitehead says it better than my puny attempts…..

It’s time to bring our troops home.

Bring them home from Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Bring them home from Germany, South Korea and Japan. Bring them home from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Oman. Bring them home from Niger, Chad and Mali. Bring them home from Turkey, the Philippines, and northern Australia.

That’s not what’s going to happen, of course.

The U.S. military reportedly has more than 1.3 million men and women on active duty, with more than 200,000 of them stationed overseas in nearly every country in the world. Those numbers are likely significantly higher in keeping with the Pentagon’s policy of not fully disclosing where and how many troops are deployed for the sake of “operational security and denying the enemy any advantage.” As investigative journalist David Vine explains, “Although few Americans realize it, the United States likely has more bases in foreign lands than any other people, nation, or empire in history.”

Don’t fall for the propaganda, though: America’s military forces aren’t being deployed abroad to protect our freedoms here at home. Rather, they’re being used to guard oil fields, build foreign infrastructure and protect the financial interests of the corporate elite. In fact, the United States military spends about $81 billion a year just to protect oil supplies around the world.

Come Home, America: Stop Policing the Globe and Put an End to Wars-Without-End

Enough is enough!

Time to use our resources to rebuild this country and let others worry about their problems.

This election will do NOTHING to stop them march of endless wars…..because the voter will pick the candidate that has his/her hands deep into the M-IC pockets.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

VOTE!

I Read I Wrote, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Yes, Trump’s Foreign Policy Ideas Are Scary

But I believe that the foreign policy of Clinton is as scary if not more so than anything Trump has muttered to date.

Yes, I think the foreign policy is the most important issue in this election.  We are fighting war after war and No one seems concerned about the fact that we are stretching this country’s resources to a breaking point.

Yes Trump’s foreign policy, if we can call it that, is way scary…..But Clinton scares me more….at least Bernie has the right idea but I do not see him able to put it into action if elected……

Bernie Sanders responded to Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy speech on Thursday with a hit at her credentials, including her involvement in the Iraq War and so-called “regime change” in Libya.

“We need a foreign policy based on building coalitions and making certain that the brave American men and women in our military do not get bogged down in perpetual warfare in the Middle East,” he said in a statement. “That’s what I will fight for as president.”

Source: Sanders to Clinton: Yes, Trump’s Foreign Policy Ideas Are Scary. But So Are Yours | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

The Neocon-Liberal Hawk Convergence

I truly hope that everyone had a good and restful holiday weekend…..and on to more important things that we need to consider….

The 2016 election looms large…..and if you are a person that fears our international interventionism then you have NO real choice in this contest….a protest vote could be wasted…..

As most readers will know I have been writing and posting about the combo, the marriage if you will,  of neocon and Dem warhawks……it is getting to the point that they are almost indistinguishable from each other…….

And to me it is a disturbing occurrence….there is No one left to be the voice of reason within our government….especially when war looms……

I read an article last week that sort of touches on this point…..

by Jim Lobe

Late last month, I published a post entitled “Hillary’s Foreign Policy: A Liberal-Neoconservative Convergence?” that featured the announcement of a new report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) to be rolled out May 16. I was traveling that day, so I missed the formal launch and only got around to reading the report this past weekend.

It was even worse than what I had anticipated.

The report, entitled “Extending American Power: Strategies to Expand U.S. Engagement in a Competitive World Order,” is based on the deliberations of a bipartisan task force of 10 senior members of the foreign policy establishment augmented by six dinner discussions with invited issue and regional “experts.” The task force was co-chaired by former Assistant Secretary of State (under Madeleine Albright) Jamie Rubin and Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Bob Kagan, who also apparently doubled as the principal co-authors.

Source: The Neocon-Liberal Hawk Convergence is Worse Than I Thought « LobeLog

This convergence is disturbing on so many levels….but the most disturbing is that it could lead to even more international entanglements…..and no one cares…..

A Message For The Madame Secretary

Note:  This is not my typical post where I try to educate my readers….this one is more of a personal matter.

No secret that I do not support Clintons…neither Bubba or Hillary…..one has crapped all over our society and the other is waiting her turn to do so.  Most my readers also know that I support the BDS Movement against Israel…..and Clinton is not a supporter and has sent a letter to the founder of the Movement. (read it below)…..

It appears that she wants all the boycott and stuff to end......I guess her Israeli masters need her to earn her money and help heading off the Movement.....

There are a couple of states that are trying to make in illegal to boycott Israel....I sent them a letter basically telling them to "F*ck Off"....NO one can tell me what to spend or not to spend my money om.....

But back to Madame Secretary......she is serious about stopping the Movement for holding Israel responsible for their actions.....actions like jailing children for Facebook criticisms or barring Arab-Israeli PMs from taking their seats in Parliament, etc......

Her words......

On the eve of her religious denomination’s quadrennial meeting, Hillary Clinton wrote a letter to Jewish agency heads saying she opposes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel that the meeting will consider.

“I believe that BDS seeks to punish Israel and dictate how the Israelis and Palestinians should resolve the core issues of their conflict. This is not the path to peace,” Clinton wrote in a letter Monday (May 9) to David Sherman, chair of the Israel Action Network, and Susan K. Stern, vice chair of the Jewish Federations of North America.

Bet this person has no idea what the USS Liberty is all about either....

Madame Secretary...what about the American weapons being used to kill and maiming the Israeli citizens?

So basically....I have one thing to saying to Hillary Clinton......

middle finger photo: middle finger middle_finger.jpg

And........

middle finger photo: Middle Finger middle-finger.jpg

You see my mother never told me how to spend my money and I am sure as Hell not going to let you, Madame Secretary.

(A copy of this has been sent to Hillary Clinton and if she wants to rebut then she may do so here for all to see.)

How America enables its allies’ bad behavior

While I was lecturing I was always having an exchange with this history professor or that…..basically it was always about the US allowing its allies to do extreme things and stand by them when it is proven to be a horrific act….

The worst violators are Israel and Saudi Arabia and the list will grow now that we have the beginnings of a new Cold War…..

Thankfully I have not had that debate in a couple of years and then I read a pretty good article in Vox……

It is satisfying and certainly trendy to complain about America’s allies. President Barack Obama unloaded on them recently in an interview with the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, calling them “free riders” who rely on the US for security but refuse to pay back. The commentariat has piled on, with a special focus on deteriorating relations with such perennial malcontents as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey.

The truth is that our allies behave the way they do because we let them. We provide billions of dollars in military and other aid to countries in order to protect and advance US interests, yet we fail to use this leverage to induce the recipients of this aid to behave in a way that actually advances US interests.

Source: How America enables its allies’ bad behavior – Vox

All in the name of profit……they do not care how or where the weapons are used….only that once used they need to be replaced….and that means more profits….a vicious cycle…that benefits NO one but the M-IC.

What Do Our Presidential Candidates Know About Foreign Policy?

I know that I hit my reader around the head on foreign policy, especially now because of the 2016 election…..I do this because the US gets further and further involved in the situations around the world that could and most likely will make the US on a war footing for the rest of my life……

One of the most important things that a person can do this year is to vote for the next president…..for that reason I think that the voter needs to be aware of any shortcomings our candidates may have.

And I believe that ALL of our candidates are not what is needed in this world that we have created in the 15 years or so…..

The question needs asking…..what do our candidates know about foreign policy?

Micah Zenko poses eight questions for the presidential candidates on foreign policy to test how realistic and substantive their positions are. Here is the first one:Is their proposed policy action

Source: What Do Our Presidential Candidates Know About Foreign Policy? | The American Conservative

Appears that ALL are about as knowledgeable as my dog…..BTW she is more astute than 90% of the people I know…..but if you must vote for one of these “unqualified” people then here is a test…..

Candidates, one of you will be the fifth consecutive American president to make war inside Iraq. What will you face on day one of your administration?

You learned with us recently of the death of a Marine in Iraq, which exposed that the United States set up a fire base in that country, which exposed that the Pentagon used a twist of words to misrepresent the number of personnel in Iraq by as many as 2,000. It appears a second fire base exists, set up on the grounds of one of America’s largest installations from the last Iraq war. Special forces range across the landscape. The Pentagon is planning for even more troops. There can be no more wordplay — America now has boots on the ground in Iraq.

Source: Candidates, Here’s Your Iraq/Syria/Libya Mess To Fix – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

Any confidence and/or optimism that I may have had in the past is long gone…….

All I can say at this point is……I am NOT optimistic at all……I weep for the future of this country.

Russians In Syria…..WTF?

Breaking News!

Yes I know we all are well aware that there are Russians in Syria…..at least if you have been playing attention….that is for the last 6 months….but that is not what I am talking about……

A report is circulating in the news…….

Surprise, surprise: Vladimir Putin is pulling most of his troops out of Syria with his own version of “mission accomplished”:

  • “I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defense Ministry to be generally accomplished,” he said Monday, per RT.com. “That is why I order to start withdrawal of the main part of our military group from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic starting from tomorrow.”

Moscow authorized Russian fighters to begin airstrikes in September with the stated goal of helping Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad defeat the Islamic State. Russia’s “entry into the Syrian civil war tipped the balance in favor of the Syrian government, allowing it to recapture territory from rebels,” says the BBC. On Monday, Putin said he coordinated the withdrawal with Assad, adding that it should give a boost to peace talks currently underway in Geneva, reports AP. He added that a Russian airbase in Hemeimeem and a naval base the Syrian port of Tartous would continue to operate.

There is more as I type…..

Russian officials aimed to save the Assad government, at the time suffering mounting losses, with their intervention, and appear to have succeeded, at least for now, as the government regained considerable territory. They also wanted to back the rebels away from the Tartus base on the coast.

Russia’s ultimate goal, however, was not an outright military victory for Assad in the civil war, but a brokered settlement which would resolve the rebellion with constitutional reform, while still maintaining Syria as an historic Russian ally. While there is much work to be done in the peace talks toward actually ending the war, Russia seems to be pushing Assad to the negotiating table by insisting that they’re not going to keep backing offensives.

An interesting turn of events…..but the question should be….what the Hell is Putin up to?  Is there more to this report than is known at this time?

Any ideas?

Bernie Sanders, Foreign Policy Realist

I know I write a lot about Bernie and almost as much about Trump…..with good reason….these two candidates are the “outsiders” to this corrupt bankrupted system…..one I will support the other not so much……

I harp about the candidates and their foreign policy issues…..again for good reason…..you see the more we intervene overseas the less cash there will be for the much needed programs in this country……I am concerned about Bernie’s bona fides when it comes to foreign policy……I am always looking for clarification on the issues…..that is where I ran across this article in the Nation about Bernie and foreign policy…..

Now first off the title……”Bernie Sanders, Foreign policy Realist”

My first thought is what is meant by “realist”?

Is this realist in the international relations theory sort of way or is it the more “political correct” version of the word?

In international relations Realist theory makes 10 assumptions…….

The core of classical realist theory is best summarized in the form of 10 assumptions:

      1. People are by nature narrowly selfish and ethically flawed
      2. Of all people’s evil ways, none are more prevalent or dangerous than their instinctive lust for power and their desire to dominate others
      3. The possibility of eradicating these instincts is a utopian “pipedream”
      4. International politics is a struggle for power, “a war of all against all”
      5. The primary objective of every state–the goal to which all other objectives should be subordinated to–is to promote its NATIONAL INTERESTS
      6. The anarchical nature of the international system dictates that states acquire sufficient military capabilities to deter attack by potential enemies and to exercise influence over others
      7. Economics is less relevant to national security than is military might
      8. Allies might increase a state’s ability to defend itself, but their loyalty and reliability should never be assumed
      9. States should NEVER entrust the task of self-protection to international security organizations or international law
      10. If all states seek to maximize power, stability will result by maintaining a balance of power

After careful thought I have decided that the “realist” that is mentioned in this article is the more mundane and less academic definition…..that is…… Realists have a firm grip on reality and can see things for what they are, not what they are told they are. Realists have their own views and do not fall victim to propaganda, misconception, or titles.

Sorry about that….but there are times when my mind needs a good work-out session……a word turns it on and I cannot shut it down until I get the answer I was looking for…….

So Bernie is a realist on foreign policy and we go from there about his foreign policy “realism”…….

Without restraint abroad, we will never be able to focus on rebuilding our country at home.

Source: Bernie Sanders, Foreign Policy Realist | The Nation

Bernie is NO war hawk……but then Washington has a way of changing a person and not for the better…..so does the White House…..

Donald Vs War Hawks

The candidates for 2016 give me lots of fodder for me to attack their stands and their ideas for international relations…..to be totally honest….I am NOT impressed with any of the candidates for either party….they show me that there is NOT enough emphasis put on foreign relations….instead they set about convincing the mental midgets that they will “turn” the country around (whatever that is suppose to mean)…..and in the meantime their policy will sink the US further into the shit-hole of armed conflicts….too many to count…..

I will step away from the soapbox now……

My main concern in this election is just what will be the future of our interventionism with a new president….the past has been a absolute disaster……Bush and Obama have done nothing to improve our standing in the world….in arms delivery system we have no match…..but as a nation that can avoid war and find solutions to [problems we are a dismal failure…..

Today I would like to touch on candidate Donald Trump and his policies that have the neo-con war hawks pissed off and a little bit afraid for their future….

Neo-cons are those people that thump their chests like crazed primates but somehow manage to stay well away from any actual fighting…..

The neocons are renowned for their courage on the battlefield. There is no keyboard they are afraid to finger. No pen they won’t commandeer. When the battle cry is sounded, they unhesitatingly push the “on” button at their computers and saddle up for battle. Off with the loafers and under the desk! “Caution to the […]

Source: Neocon Armchair Warhawks Panic Over Trump Foreign Policy – Antiwar.com Original by — Antiwar.com

The war hawks have been all choked up because of Trump’s rise to fame…..they are pushing all the buttons to try and head him, Trump, off at the pass…..

Neoconservatives, led by Eliot Cohen, a former counselor of the Department of State under Bush, and Bryan McGrath, managing director at defense contractor FerryBridge Group, penned an open letter along with 100 signatories committing themselves not to support any GOP ticket that includes Trump, writing that the Donald, “would use the authority of his office to act in ways that make America less safe, and which would diminish our standing in the world.”

Source: Neocons Are Freaking out Over Trump and It’s Hilarious | Alternet

I have been a very vocal opponent of anything neo-conservative I think they have done more harm to the reputation of the US than any one single act that we may have committed…..so to hear that these toads are running around with their heads firmly up their butts, crying foul…..just makes my day…..them having massive strokes would do the world a great favor and it turn perhaps save countless American lives….(if that sounds too harsh then maybe you should join the military and have to deal with their actions first hand)……

I could not ever vote for Trump…..but it pleases me to see him give so much grief to the toads that call themselves war hawks…..these toads need to be put in their place and I do not care who it is that does so…..even the Donald!

Go Donald…..keep up the good work!  After all there is still much treasure we have not committed to foreign wars….