2014_08_29
21:05
The madness of the West's (USA, EU, NATO, Germany) attempt to tiptoe into Ukrainia is turning out not so much as the Obama State Department (and affiliated secret services) planned. Such big brains and wise knowledgeable souls, too. Shame they didn't foresee that Putin and the actual 'folks' who live in Eastern Ukraine didn't just say 'OK' when a democratically elected government was brutally overthrown, admittedly with intense involvement of the US, led by Assistant Secretary of State Victoria 'fuck the EU' Nuland, and all the atrocities of the subsequent civil war, fueled and funded by US dollars, weaponry and policies.
This historic episode, unfolding since the start of this year, has been fantastic and surreal. I am especially struck by three aspects--the increased level of raw lies and misinformation being relentlessly spewed by our government; secondly the astounding success of the Eastern Ukrainian people in winning this civil war (it ain't over yet, but the fat lady is warming up); finally, Putin's actions which have seriously reduced the risk of WW3, while at the same time securing the best interests of his nation using minimal military force and maximal diplomatic efforts.
I have not written much on this topic, but it is far more important than other current events. ISIS in Syria/Iraq, Israel-Hamas, Ferguson, Mo are all repetition of well-established behaviors. The clash of Russia and The West, this round at least, is novel, and has not been this hot and dangerous for decades. One reason I have not written much is that the narrative of the USG and the media is so 180˚ from reality, and that false narrative is so widely accepted. I can climb that steep hill in my own mind easily (a lifetime of practice) and in face to face discussions with friends, but not so much on a humble, little-read blog.
I tried to write a summary of events of the past eight months, but I just don't have the heart. Instead, an extremely brief synopsis.
The US/NATO/EU actively overthrew the democratically elected, Russian leaning leader and government of the Ukraine in February. The US supported and financed, to the tune of ~$5 billion the junta that overthrew a democratically elected, Russian-leaning
government. This government was corrupt, but not particularly compared
to prior Russian-leaning or West-leaning governments. The rebellion
followed the unacceptable rejection of a free-trade agreement with the
EU. (Funny, people don't generally turn out on the streets to demand
regime change over trade agreements--not exactly the emotional hot
button that fuels revolution.) Without overt US prodding and support,
there is no regime change--this is not a matter of opinion.
Nuland video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y0y-JUsPTU#t=447
They installed a hand-picked junta, which immediately passed laws restricting ethnic/cultural Russian Ukraine citizens in the eastern part of the country from basic rights of citizenship. Not long afterward, people in two eastern provinces voted to secede, and Kiev launched a civil war to prevent their secession.
In response to the US coup d'etat in Kiev, Putin snatched the Crimean
Peninsula, an essential piece of territory if you have a big navy. It
was far less of a snatch than portrayed by the US, as Russia had a
long-term lease on naval bases there, the population is overwhelmingly
Russian-speaking and otherwise ethnically/culturally, the new government
in Kiev quickly passed laws outlawing the speaking of the Russian
language and other stupid discriminatory laws, and the people of the
Crimea overwhelmingly voted to secede, and to join the Russian
Federation.
Obama and the West did not like this. The leveled economic sanctions against Russia, and sent money and arms to Kiev to push the civil war.
The US loves elections, except when they don't. Twice
this spring in Ukrainia, the USG declared elections they did not like as
invalid. The second time, in Crimea, they couldn't do shit about it.
So they declared sanctions, the next best thing to doing nothing (but
running their mouth.)
The civil war quickly became an exercise in ethnic cleansing, by the Kiev junta, with full matériel support and probable operational support of the USA, NATO and the EU. But instead of a quick victory (as promised by Kiev,) the war bogged down.
The Kiev junta (and their west backers) have screamed and screeched repeatedly blatant large lies that Russia was 1) invading; 2) massing troops on the border getting ready to invade; 3) was directly responsible for the civil war (conveniently ignoring the direct responsibility of the USA for the civil war and the whole mess; 4) frequent outrageous specific lies regarding destroyed invading Russian armored columns, but providing zero evidence, just replacing the lie of the day with a new lie.
Then, someone shot down a civilian airplane, murdering 300 people. Russia was immediately blamed, Putin anointed the next Hitler, and more sanctions leveled.
Funny thing, since that airliner was destroyed nearly two months ago. There has been no large scale Russian invasion--only support on the same covert level as that of the West. The actual culprit in the airline murder is likely the Kiev government. Yet, no info from the black boxes, from satellite surveillance, from examination of the wreckage has been produced. You can be sure were there proof of Russian or rebel blame, it would be all over the tv. But, crickets.
Another funny thing. The rag-tag rebels have been winning the civil war. Despite weekly pronouncements (ie lies) that the rebels are being crushed, on the verge of defeat by the junta forces, the rebels are kicking ass and establishing their freedom from Kiev. And while Putin is certainly providing some level of materiel support, just as is NATO and the USA, this is a rebel thing. Putin's overt actions are sending food, water and generators into the war zone. And advocating peace and negotiation.
I could go on and on. I am distressed because the Kiev junta has murderously bombed the urban centers of the rebel territory relentlessly for weeks now. As their defeat materializes, they increase the bombing. Murdering their own citizens, with the full support of the US/NATO. As they scream 'it's all Putin's fault--the Russians are coming'.
The lies and propaganda are distressing enough. The mass bombing and murder of civilians, women and children, which dwarfs that happening simultaneously in Gaza, to the silence of the western media saddens me deeply. Particularly because Obama and the west could stop the madness at any time.
But, there are fish to be fried. The motives of the US were 1) NATO expansion, including military
presence in Ukrainia, on Russia's doorstep, in violation of prior US
promises across several administrations; 2) economic rape of the
Ukrainian natural resources and assets, primarily fossil fuel, pipelines
for fossil fuels, and vast agricultural lands; 3) retribution against
Putin for his involvement in Syria, for Edward Snowden, and for his repeated making Obama
look like the fool he is.
As usual, oil/gas/pipelines underlie the whole murderous mess. Mass civilian bombings, war fever, slav killing slav while the west prompts their proxies to kill some more. And, ignominious defeat looms, with likely dismemberment of Ukrainia.
That is if we are lucky. World wars start amid such instability and active stupidity/propaganda/casual mass murder/bullshit rhetoric from political leaders. False accusations of invasion and shooting down airliners (passenger ships/the USS Maine) are lifted straight from our history books.
If only the USA would mind it's own fucking business, there would be a hell of a lot less killing and war. But, not much profit nor political power in that.
