50,000 people attended the peace rally in Berlin yesterday which was organized by German politician Sahra Wagenknecht of The Left party. It's a start, there's more to come.
"In fact, it is fair to say that there has never in history been a time when the need to forcefully oppose the warmongering of our own western governments was more urgent."
And never in recent history has there been a time in which the antiwar movement was more thoroughly neutered.
It seems that the only way to get insouciant Americans away from their mindless TV programs and onto the streets is to bring back the draft. Really, the huge Vietnam War protests were more about the draft than the war itself. The draft ended in 1972, but the war didn't come to a complete end until 3 years later. Once the draft ended so did most of the protests.
Yes in retrospect the end of the draft was a huge loss for the antiwar movement. It let the children of the elite officially off the hook, and muted protest from everyone else.
This is it exactly and I've been saying it for years. Americans have for far too long been able to act as though war is something they watch on TV, read about in a paper and then forget, or pretend to wage in some video game. It's only when Americans start coming home in body bags and then the prospect of joining those becomes inescapable that Americans will start having a problem with war again. In other countries outside America and the European West, war is not something that happens to "they". There is no detached witless flag waving that is done when people that can be disassociated with start getting bombarded and dying in the thousands and hundreds of thousands as a direct result of the idiocy of Western leaders. War needs to come to Western shores directly. Sons and daughters need to be missed, with no assurances that they're ever coming home and more assurances that they never will. Then the insanity of it all becomes familiar quickly and people start acting as if it's a problem.
Woke warmongering will fluff the nuclear and hydrogen bombs like cuddly stuffed puppies. I, myself, am comforted knowing the bombs rocketing towards us will be stamped with our preferred personal pronouns.
I like how you are thinking. I think CONgress and the Rail Workers let us down. CONgress I expected to screw rail workers, I thought that was the tipping point to general strike. The rail workers walk off and we follow. That was the opportunity of a lifetime in the u.s. There are zero other groups with that power. We collectively wet the bed : (
She is much more than that. She is the political heroine of the Kagan clan, one of the most active family groups in the US acting for Israel. Here is the Google entry for her husband, Robert Kagan as an example….
Robert Kagan is an American neoconservative scholar, critic of U.S. foreign policy, and a leading advocate of liberal interventionism. A co-founder of the neoconservative Project for the New American Century, he is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Wikipedia
Nationality: American
Victoria Nuland, , like her husband states that her nationality is American as well and yet they spent all their time in actively promoting the dictates of Israel to the Israeli controlled US houses of political management. Have done for years. That is her single role in life, while being well remunerated by the US government.
She typifies all that is wrong with the US political system as she, along with over 50% of the senior White House advisors, are totally controlled by their religious and therefore blind loyalty to and promotion of all Israel's dictates, evident daily.
America’s Neocon nasties, thick on the ground. The US parasites
Until America realises the ill effects that such an extremely large influential group have on the policies of weak presidents like Biden with his total support for all the devious activities that these these groups engage in and then monitor the excessive financial support given to any politician who is prepared to sell his/her country down the drain, the wars for Middle East peace will continue to be unjustly supported by the taxpayers of America.
I refer to Syria (regime change);, Iran, (ongoing plans for a war with this non-warlike country, now approved by the US); Lebanon (crippling sanctions); Palestine (the apartheid occupation of this country in train for over 50 years); Yemen (an enthusiastic partner in the destruction of Yemen) all driven by the long term objective of "Eretz Israel", the ownership and control of all the lands from the Euphrates River to the Nile, only ell known to be the major reason for all the disruption in that part of the world. This encompasses Jordan, parts of Iraq, Lebanon, parts of Saudi Arabia, parts of Egypt, all of Palestine, parts of Kuwait, a small piece of Turkey.
Now where are the problems in that part of the world? Guess.
And who is the only long term beneficiary? Guess again.
And where does the Israeli-cntrolled USA stand? Weaponry and financial support worth billions of dollars the order of the day.
As well, total support in the feeble United Nations and with the use of the US veto, removing any chance of any action for justice which requires an anti-Israel vote..
Now to do all these things, Israel need the unquestioning support of the USA, They have it totally. ”We own America" said Sharon and they do….lock stock and barrel. Every day of every week, of every month, of every year, and it shows. Ask the poor Palestinians, Yemen children, Syrian families, the Lebanon people, the attacks on Iran, with more to come in all geographies, all backed up by by an estimated 400 nuclear warheads, illegally developed and that Israel has never admitted to having in their arsenal. These are their future threat weapons. The end result? Ask the American people living with a Defense budget of US$ 850 billion, impacting health, education, cost of living, social security and on.
Who remembers those cockeyed days in the 1950’s when "Un-American" activities occupied the thinking of Americans through the likes of Joe McCarthy and his Senatorial buddies. Communism was the big target then. That same Communism, when compared to the influence and control by Israel on the lives of 330 million Americans by means of a corrupted government, is harmless by any measure.
It's bad enough for the world's most powerful nation to have one Dr. Strangelove in its war industry, but the United States' government is composed entirely of Dr. Strangeloves. This is why America's national elections are completely meaningless. Nothing short of direct revolt by the people has a snowball's chance in hell of changing anything, and even that might not be enough at this point. Hug your loved ones close while you still can.
Q. I would like to join an anti-war movement. I live in Kansas City. Does anyone have any suggestions? While I would prefer meeting face-to-face, I am happy to also join something online.
PeaceWorks Kansas City is one (https://peaceworkskc.org/about). Another is your local Friends Meeting, or Quaker Meeting (https://kcquakers.org/). If you've never been to a Quaker meeting, give it a try. You don't have to be religious.
Not to minimize the risk of nuclear war, I'd like to believe that Victoria Nuland does not speak for the President (or the Pentagon). In any event, Russia has, and will always have, "escalation dominance," and the war will end when Russia is ready for it to end.
At the same time, "Consortium News" has a piece by Joe Lauria which reports on certain NATO leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, informing Zelensky that victory is not a possibility for Ukraine and that it is time for him to seek some sort of negotiated settlement. At a minimum, this suggests that the fracture lines in the NATO alliance are getting wider--a good thing. I expect that Germany and Italy, among other nations, will be looking for an off-ramp soon.
I think your logic is flawed. If the weapons manufacturers in the U.S. can give billion dollar packages to Ukraine quarterly, Russia will be militarily stretched and socially stressed with reduced capacity to end the war on its timetable. I am not without hope. The sanctions from the U.S. and Europe are boomerangs that are impacting everyday life in Europe severely. Add to this the destruction of the Nordstream pipeline, and the pain is compounded. The West has the wealth to wage war indefinitely, but it is contingent upon European doors being open for them, and material conditions may lead to some of them being closed before they have weakened Russia to their own satisfaction.
The combined west lacks the industrial capacity to replace losses on the battlefield. I'm talking about both the United States and Europe. What the U.S. did in mobilizing its industry in World War II is no longer possible. That heavy manufacturing base has been almost completely dismantled and the work outsourced to China and elsewhere. And it's not coming back. The rules of capitalism have so decreed.
Russia, in contrast, has its heavy industry cranking out artillery, missiles, tanks and ammo 24/7 at a phenomenal pace that they appear to be able to maintain almost indefinitely. I have lost count of how many times western "experts" have assured the masses that Russia was about to run out of weapons, but it has never been true. The war in Ukraine is a war of attrition, and it's happening right in Russia's front yard. There is no doubt which side is going to prevail, assuming, that is, that the whole world doesn't get blown up first.
I don’t pretend to have a clear picture of Russia’s capacity to manufacture arms as needed, but I think you may underestimate the west’s ability to expedite production. Ukraine is a far cry from WWII, and weapons from the west had been pouring into Ukraine since 2014. The mere fact that the proxy war was planned years ahead of the Russian invasion suggests that availability of weapons would have been a topic of keen interest. As has been the case in all of America’s wars of choice, Russia’s greatest advantage exists in the fact that, for Russia this is not a war of choice,
It is an open secret that the US and NATO nations have already burned through their stocks of surplus weapons and are now dipping into their own reserves to supply Ukraine. With a little research, you can find more than a few articles containing statements from independent observers, including some defense contractors, to the effect that it is no longer possible to replace more than a small fraction of Ukraine's weapons that have been and continue to be destroyed in the field. And, let's face it, even those replacements will be destroyed in short order.
My understanding is that virtually all of Ukraine's heavy weaponry was demolished by Russian artillery in the first phase of the war. The western alliance provided replacement weapons that have been largely destroyed as well. Now Zelensky is pleading with beggar's bowl in hand for another round of replacements. One can think of Ukraine as having already lost two armies and now begging for yet a third army. At this point, Z must know that it will not be forthcoming, despite all the nice-sounding promises from NATO. The well has run dry.
Don't kid yourself. Zelenskii will get all that he asks for and more, just as nobody in NATO or on Bankovskaya in Kiev cares how many Ukrainians are killed, just as long as the army continues to fight.
If you follow Brian Berletic at "The New Atlas," you would already be aware that the list of items being sent to Ukraine is steadily shrinking, and deliveries are often scheduled for 2024 or beyond. Western nations are keenly aware that they might deplete their own arsenals, if they supply Zelensky with everything on his wish list. Of course, Z doesn't care about that, but he is the supplicant, not the master.
Thanks for shedding some light where there isn’t much. I check out a substantial amount of independent, alternative media on a consistent basis, but I don’t typically get much strategy analysis with prognostications that seem credible. The aphorism that the first casualty of war is the truth is always in my head when I wade into reports and commentaries that I am unable to corroborate. I saw the piece by Joe Lauria that you referenced, and that is very encouraging.
A website that I find invaluable for this sort of information is "Moon of Alabama." Its proprietor, Bernhard, is a German army veteran who does a tremendous amount of deep research.
I responded and I should have just wrote, See Rob's comment. Do you think this strategy was to move u.s. nato troops into Ukraine? Allow your own forces to be decimated on television and demand to be rescued? I ask this because of the way Ukraine fought and lost the most important battle in Ukraine, Bakhmut. Wave and wave of reinforcement into Bakhmut people there think 30k Ukrainian soldiers died. Now Russia has split Ukraine into behind defensive lines established back in 2014. Very strange.
I think that Zelensky would like nothing more than for the US/NATO to become directly involved in fighting Russia, which would amount to World War III. Whether drawing them in has been part of his motivation for the Bakhmut suicide stand is not something that any of us can know.
The latest 40 Billion in purchase of weapons and ammunition is scheduled for 2024 delivery so......................................... a bit late considering Russia has now divided the Ukrainian army in half at Bakhmut. Once Russia reaches the Dnipro river, Kyiv is isolated from ports. Russia is getting stronger not having destroyed their industrial base as we did in the u.s. If we are playing Risk, I'll take Russia.
Who can blame them? Let the white nations that have been screwing the global south over for half a millennium blow each other up and leave them in peace. Panama is one of the safer places to be when the nukes start flying. You might want to remain there for the next hundred years. I'm actually jealous.
Sorry, with a multi continent exchange there is no safe place. The Jet stream North and South mix. What doesn't die quickly gamma, thermal neutron, dies in the fire storm and pressure shock waves. The fire storm generates a global smoke cloud blocking sun for months and really crazy exchange years. So sorry my friend we are in this together.
“Social media” is a carefully manipulated space in which truths are censored and the govt is given free rein to manipulate the masses, and the “fact checkers” are govt spooks.
How reliant is the U.S. on China for all the crap we use? Including pharmaceuticals.
Nothing the Biden administration has done makes any sense unless their plan is assured destruction of America.
Since the U.S. hasn't won any wars since WWII (correct me if I'm wrong) and is losing their proxy war to take down Russia, destroying yet another country in the process, I'd not bet any money on a U.S. win if they launch WWIII.
This whole situation is just incomprehensible, immoral and sickening. Except for Roger Waters, not particularly encouraged by the line-up in the anti-war protest.
Jimmy Dore and Chris Hedges deserve as much credit as Waters for their consistent anti-war messaging and real left politics. As for the anemic anti-war movement, I welcome anyone who stands in solidarity for opposing the war industry. Any differences on other issues need to take a back seat to the urgency of this political moment. In a post-nuclear hellscape nobody's going to give a shit about preferred personal pronouns -- and God help anyone who does in that environment.
"We need to start organizing against those who would steer our species into extinction, and working to pry their hands away from the steering wheel if they refuse to turn away."
Amen. We might even need to divert the car onto a side road and rip the keys out of the ignition or shoot out the tires. Figuratively, that is. Non-violent action such as protests, sit ins, lie ins/die ins can work if we all can get on the same page and work in concert together. Now is not the tame to quibble with each other over non-important issues. If you want to save the world from nuclear annihilation--you're with us! Give peace a chance!
"We need to start organizing against those who would steer our species into extinction, and working to pry their hands away from the steering wheel if they refuse to turn away."
The sheep are too divided to get out and march and the Congress us too bought off to be influenced by the likes of mere citizens. But what the hell. Might as well do a Greta—march by myself until someone else joins me. Got nothin better to do! 🥰😆🤪😸
Unfortunately, if the majority of the population in the Western bloc countries only get their information from the pro-government press, and that uncritically, we are not about to see a mass peace movement emerge. I just read an article in Foreign Policy: "U.S. Deterrence Failed in Ukraine". The title seems to suggest a critical and reasonable reading of American foreign policy. But it does not. This article, written by two former Special Forces colonels (i.e., guys who have spent their careers losing wars and occasionally perpetrating a few war crimes thousands of miles from the U.S. border), denounces the successive administrations of Obama, Trump and even Biden. "Peaceful America has been too patient and kind to bloody Russia. It refused to arm Ukraine when it was attacked as early as 2014 by that madman Putin." This is in essence what these two colonels write. It is a matter of psychiatry to lie so much when you are an adult. It's been more than 30 years that the United States has been caught up to its elbows in the jelly pots but no, it's not them, it's the others. They can't possibly believe their lies. (Although, with some of the military, you have to expect the worst.) So what? Are they so locked into their ideological logic that makes them believe in the necessity of a world government of liberal essence controlled by Washington that they cannot face reality? Or is their reality that only a headlong rush to world war could get them out of the impasse into which more than thirty years of blindness of every kind has led them? Beyond the fact that a new world war would be very likely to be nuclear and therefore the last one, due to the lack of combatants on all sides, these brilliant Western strategists (politicians, academics, military) seem to be unaware of the fact that neither the first nor the second world war solved the problems.
Well, the third world war will solve all problems, big and small. There won't be any of us left to have any problems. Maybe that's their rationale, the reasoning of psychotics, which nearly all of them are. We can't fix anything since we created all this madness, so let's be consistent at least and just blow it all up.
Or one can hope that the warmongering neocons who rule in Washington will be stopped at the brink by their own selfish interest - just enjoying their immense wealth to take it easy - but that would mean that they are ready to give up their race for power, for might, i.e. that their excessive ego is deflated. I fear that this is not won!
This is really a scary time. I have contacted my reps many times and unfortunately they are all warmongers and seem to either not have a clue or outright don't see a problem with the continuation to nuclear Armageddon. When I mention over and over the path to nuclear Annihilation is not the one we want they don't even acknowledge it! The scripted response is always "I believe in a strong America that can protect against the aggressions of other countries". I ask what happened to diplomacy and there is silence! They must have some serious bunkers and I have heard especially from Bill Gates that they want to thin the population. This doesn't look good for us. I want to say one thing about the "alleged insurrection" I think it was a planned operation to batten down the hatches in preparation for the real thing in order to know what to do if people actually got together to remove them!
Sad to say, but if those in charge of Iran would like for Iran to continue to exist, complete with Iranians, they need to be cranking up to a level higher than North Korea a nuclear program capable of doing MAD-type destruction on its attackers. And then, announce it. With twisted gleams in their eyes, while staring straight at Netenyahu. That tactic has, so far, worked pretty well for the North Koreans. It sure couldn’t hurt. If they don’t, they’re doomed. This is where we are now. Sigh. Beating head on table.
50,000 people attended the peace rally in Berlin yesterday which was organized by German politician Sahra Wagenknecht of The Left party. It's a start, there's more to come.
Good. But since when did western governments start to care about public opinion?
I know. Just trying hard not to lose hope.
I try never to let what I want to see to interfere with what I actually before my eyes.
"In fact, it is fair to say that there has never in history been a time when the need to forcefully oppose the warmongering of our own western governments was more urgent."
And never in recent history has there been a time in which the antiwar movement was more thoroughly neutered.
It seems that the only way to get insouciant Americans away from their mindless TV programs and onto the streets is to bring back the draft. Really, the huge Vietnam War protests were more about the draft than the war itself. The draft ended in 1972, but the war didn't come to a complete end until 3 years later. Once the draft ended so did most of the protests.
Yes in retrospect the end of the draft was a huge loss for the antiwar movement. It let the children of the elite officially off the hook, and muted protest from everyone else.
This is it exactly and I've been saying it for years. Americans have for far too long been able to act as though war is something they watch on TV, read about in a paper and then forget, or pretend to wage in some video game. It's only when Americans start coming home in body bags and then the prospect of joining those becomes inescapable that Americans will start having a problem with war again. In other countries outside America and the European West, war is not something that happens to "they". There is no detached witless flag waving that is done when people that can be disassociated with start getting bombarded and dying in the thousands and hundreds of thousands as a direct result of the idiocy of Western leaders. War needs to come to Western shores directly. Sons and daughters need to be missed, with no assurances that they're ever coming home and more assurances that they never will. Then the insanity of it all becomes familiar quickly and people start acting as if it's a problem.
Victoria Nuland is a psychotic karen. Just like Lynne Tracy. Gotta love diverse warmongering!
Woke warmongering will fluff the nuclear and hydrogen bombs like cuddly stuffed puppies. I, myself, am comforted knowing the bombs rocketing towards us will be stamped with our preferred personal pronouns.
You know, I think you are on to something Nuclear War Comedy. Comedy for the intellectual bunker class.
"Don't Look Up" could easily be transposed to the war in Ukraine.
Levity is more useful than despair. :)
Yes, but what is anyone going to do about it?
General strike is really the only thing that would bring the U.S./NATO war machine to a screeching halt. May I live to see it.
It'll have to happen in Europe 'cuz it'll never happen in the U.S.
I like how you are thinking. I think CONgress and the Rail Workers let us down. CONgress I expected to screw rail workers, I thought that was the tipping point to general strike. The rail workers walk off and we follow. That was the opportunity of a lifetime in the u.s. There are zero other groups with that power. We collectively wet the bed : (
Exactly. Complaining isn't taking action. Marching a million strong into the White House is.
Even that would be ignored or steamrolled, unless and until there was force to back it up.
For that is the only language sociopaths understand.
Massive numbers are difficult to steamroll.
I dunno, look at the protests before the War On Iraq.
Still I think it would be worth a try, but people are too passive, they do not recognize what is happening ...
Nuland should be removed. She is a WEF puppet.
She is much more than that. She is the political heroine of the Kagan clan, one of the most active family groups in the US acting for Israel. Here is the Google entry for her husband, Robert Kagan as an example….
Robert Kagan is an American neoconservative scholar, critic of U.S. foreign policy, and a leading advocate of liberal interventionism. A co-founder of the neoconservative Project for the New American Century, he is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Wikipedia
Nationality: American
Victoria Nuland, , like her husband states that her nationality is American as well and yet they spent all their time in actively promoting the dictates of Israel to the Israeli controlled US houses of political management. Have done for years. That is her single role in life, while being well remunerated by the US government.
She typifies all that is wrong with the US political system as she, along with over 50% of the senior White House advisors, are totally controlled by their religious and therefore blind loyalty to and promotion of all Israel's dictates, evident daily.
America’s Neocon nasties, thick on the ground. The US parasites
Until America realises the ill effects that such an extremely large influential group have on the policies of weak presidents like Biden with his total support for all the devious activities that these these groups engage in and then monitor the excessive financial support given to any politician who is prepared to sell his/her country down the drain, the wars for Middle East peace will continue to be unjustly supported by the taxpayers of America.
I refer to Syria (regime change);, Iran, (ongoing plans for a war with this non-warlike country, now approved by the US); Lebanon (crippling sanctions); Palestine (the apartheid occupation of this country in train for over 50 years); Yemen (an enthusiastic partner in the destruction of Yemen) all driven by the long term objective of "Eretz Israel", the ownership and control of all the lands from the Euphrates River to the Nile, only ell known to be the major reason for all the disruption in that part of the world. This encompasses Jordan, parts of Iraq, Lebanon, parts of Saudi Arabia, parts of Egypt, all of Palestine, parts of Kuwait, a small piece of Turkey.
Now where are the problems in that part of the world? Guess.
And who is the only long term beneficiary? Guess again.
And where does the Israeli-cntrolled USA stand? Weaponry and financial support worth billions of dollars the order of the day.
As well, total support in the feeble United Nations and with the use of the US veto, removing any chance of any action for justice which requires an anti-Israel vote..
Now to do all these things, Israel need the unquestioning support of the USA, They have it totally. ”We own America" said Sharon and they do….lock stock and barrel. Every day of every week, of every month, of every year, and it shows. Ask the poor Palestinians, Yemen children, Syrian families, the Lebanon people, the attacks on Iran, with more to come in all geographies, all backed up by by an estimated 400 nuclear warheads, illegally developed and that Israel has never admitted to having in their arsenal. These are their future threat weapons. The end result? Ask the American people living with a Defense budget of US$ 850 billion, impacting health, education, cost of living, social security and on.
Who remembers those cockeyed days in the 1950’s when "Un-American" activities occupied the thinking of Americans through the likes of Joe McCarthy and his Senatorial buddies. Communism was the big target then. That same Communism, when compared to the influence and control by Israel on the lives of 330 million Americans by means of a corrupted government, is harmless by any measure.
Hardly worth a comparison.
More reason why she should not be at State.
It's bad enough for the world's most powerful nation to have one Dr. Strangelove in its war industry, but the United States' government is composed entirely of Dr. Strangeloves. This is why America's national elections are completely meaningless. Nothing short of direct revolt by the people has a snowball's chance in hell of changing anything, and even that might not be enough at this point. Hug your loved ones close while you still can.
Q. I would like to join an anti-war movement. I live in Kansas City. Does anyone have any suggestions? While I would prefer meeting face-to-face, I am happy to also join something online.
The only movement I know of in the US is the one Jimmy Dore is involved in... also Kim Iverson and Max Blumenthal I think.
there's a much broader coalition organizing for March 18th actions here: https://www.answercoalition.org/protest_march_18_19_peace_in_ukraine_say_no_to_endless_u_s_wars
Inside info from Max : ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsTo6hQ_Oos&t=1715s
I would urge you to join up with the March 18 marches happening in different cities including Washington DC. See here: https://twitter.com/UNAC1/status/1628888711315300353?s=20 and here: https://www.answercoalition.org/protest_march_18_19_peace_in_ukraine_say_no_to_endless_u_s_wars
here too: https://www.unacpeace.org/
World Beyond War
Stay tunned, Max Blumenthal during his speech at Rage said there is a local version of a national group happening. News shortly he said.
PeaceWorks Kansas City is one (https://peaceworkskc.org/about). Another is your local Friends Meeting, or Quaker Meeting (https://kcquakers.org/). If you've never been to a Quaker meeting, give it a try. You don't have to be religious.
Thank you, Carol, Norm, Phil, and Jennie for your responses. I will take a screenshot of your responses, and look into them.
Unfortunately no one gives a damn anymore.
Many give a damn; I certainly do. It's just that we all give a damn in near total isolation from each other.
Not to minimize the risk of nuclear war, I'd like to believe that Victoria Nuland does not speak for the President (or the Pentagon). In any event, Russia has, and will always have, "escalation dominance," and the war will end when Russia is ready for it to end.
At the same time, "Consortium News" has a piece by Joe Lauria which reports on certain NATO leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, informing Zelensky that victory is not a possibility for Ukraine and that it is time for him to seek some sort of negotiated settlement. At a minimum, this suggests that the fracture lines in the NATO alliance are getting wider--a good thing. I expect that Germany and Italy, among other nations, will be looking for an off-ramp soon.
I think your logic is flawed. If the weapons manufacturers in the U.S. can give billion dollar packages to Ukraine quarterly, Russia will be militarily stretched and socially stressed with reduced capacity to end the war on its timetable. I am not without hope. The sanctions from the U.S. and Europe are boomerangs that are impacting everyday life in Europe severely. Add to this the destruction of the Nordstream pipeline, and the pain is compounded. The West has the wealth to wage war indefinitely, but it is contingent upon European doors being open for them, and material conditions may lead to some of them being closed before they have weakened Russia to their own satisfaction.
The combined west lacks the industrial capacity to replace losses on the battlefield. I'm talking about both the United States and Europe. What the U.S. did in mobilizing its industry in World War II is no longer possible. That heavy manufacturing base has been almost completely dismantled and the work outsourced to China and elsewhere. And it's not coming back. The rules of capitalism have so decreed.
Russia, in contrast, has its heavy industry cranking out artillery, missiles, tanks and ammo 24/7 at a phenomenal pace that they appear to be able to maintain almost indefinitely. I have lost count of how many times western "experts" have assured the masses that Russia was about to run out of weapons, but it has never been true. The war in Ukraine is a war of attrition, and it's happening right in Russia's front yard. There is no doubt which side is going to prevail, assuming, that is, that the whole world doesn't get blown up first.
I don’t pretend to have a clear picture of Russia’s capacity to manufacture arms as needed, but I think you may underestimate the west’s ability to expedite production. Ukraine is a far cry from WWII, and weapons from the west had been pouring into Ukraine since 2014. The mere fact that the proxy war was planned years ahead of the Russian invasion suggests that availability of weapons would have been a topic of keen interest. As has been the case in all of America’s wars of choice, Russia’s greatest advantage exists in the fact that, for Russia this is not a war of choice,
It is an open secret that the US and NATO nations have already burned through their stocks of surplus weapons and are now dipping into their own reserves to supply Ukraine. With a little research, you can find more than a few articles containing statements from independent observers, including some defense contractors, to the effect that it is no longer possible to replace more than a small fraction of Ukraine's weapons that have been and continue to be destroyed in the field. And, let's face it, even those replacements will be destroyed in short order.
My understanding is that virtually all of Ukraine's heavy weaponry was demolished by Russian artillery in the first phase of the war. The western alliance provided replacement weapons that have been largely destroyed as well. Now Zelensky is pleading with beggar's bowl in hand for another round of replacements. One can think of Ukraine as having already lost two armies and now begging for yet a third army. At this point, Z must know that it will not be forthcoming, despite all the nice-sounding promises from NATO. The well has run dry.
Don't kid yourself. Zelenskii will get all that he asks for and more, just as nobody in NATO or on Bankovskaya in Kiev cares how many Ukrainians are killed, just as long as the army continues to fight.
If you follow Brian Berletic at "The New Atlas," you would already be aware that the list of items being sent to Ukraine is steadily shrinking, and deliveries are often scheduled for 2024 or beyond. Western nations are keenly aware that they might deplete their own arsenals, if they supply Zelensky with everything on his wish list. Of course, Z doesn't care about that, but he is the supplicant, not the master.
Thanks for shedding some light where there isn’t much. I check out a substantial amount of independent, alternative media on a consistent basis, but I don’t typically get much strategy analysis with prognostications that seem credible. The aphorism that the first casualty of war is the truth is always in my head when I wade into reports and commentaries that I am unable to corroborate. I saw the piece by Joe Lauria that you referenced, and that is very encouraging.
A website that I find invaluable for this sort of information is "Moon of Alabama." Its proprietor, Bernhard, is a German army veteran who does a tremendous amount of deep research.
I responded and I should have just wrote, See Rob's comment. Do you think this strategy was to move u.s. nato troops into Ukraine? Allow your own forces to be decimated on television and demand to be rescued? I ask this because of the way Ukraine fought and lost the most important battle in Ukraine, Bakhmut. Wave and wave of reinforcement into Bakhmut people there think 30k Ukrainian soldiers died. Now Russia has split Ukraine into behind defensive lines established back in 2014. Very strange.
I think that Zelensky would like nothing more than for the US/NATO to become directly involved in fighting Russia, which would amount to World War III. Whether drawing them in has been part of his motivation for the Bakhmut suicide stand is not something that any of us can know.
The latest 40 Billion in purchase of weapons and ammunition is scheduled for 2024 delivery so......................................... a bit late considering Russia has now divided the Ukrainian army in half at Bakhmut. Once Russia reaches the Dnipro river, Kyiv is isolated from ports. Russia is getting stronger not having destroyed their industrial base as we did in the u.s. If we are playing Risk, I'll take Russia.
Well, one big last super shot of vitamin D.
Not funny. But think about this. Governments own the media. Protests in Europe against the war are not covered despite thousands of people protesting
Now being a boomer I remember when protests of this size garnered a lot of attention.
Nowadays, not so much.
We need our media returned to us.
Got a phone camera? On social media? Become an independent citizen journalist. Cover protests and share the news with others.
Let's think about this for a second. Currently, I am in Boquete Panama. No protests anywhere here.
Who can blame them? Let the white nations that have been screwing the global south over for half a millennium blow each other up and leave them in peace. Panama is one of the safer places to be when the nukes start flying. You might want to remain there for the next hundred years. I'm actually jealous.
Sorry, with a multi continent exchange there is no safe place. The Jet stream North and South mix. What doesn't die quickly gamma, thermal neutron, dies in the fire storm and pressure shock waves. The fire storm generates a global smoke cloud blocking sun for months and really crazy exchange years. So sorry my friend we are in this together.
Really? Do you mean share “in near total isolation from each other”. This is the problem of our times.
“Social media” is a carefully manipulated space in which truths are censored and the govt is given free rein to manipulate the masses, and the “fact checkers” are govt spooks.
How reliant is the U.S. on China for all the crap we use? Including pharmaceuticals.
Nothing the Biden administration has done makes any sense unless their plan is assured destruction of America.
Since the U.S. hasn't won any wars since WWII (correct me if I'm wrong) and is losing their proxy war to take down Russia, destroying yet another country in the process, I'd not bet any money on a U.S. win if they launch WWIII.
This whole situation is just incomprehensible, immoral and sickening. Except for Roger Waters, not particularly encouraged by the line-up in the anti-war protest.
Jimmy Dore and Chris Hedges deserve as much credit as Waters for their consistent anti-war messaging and real left politics. As for the anemic anti-war movement, I welcome anyone who stands in solidarity for opposing the war industry. Any differences on other issues need to take a back seat to the urgency of this political moment. In a post-nuclear hellscape nobody's going to give a shit about preferred personal pronouns -- and God help anyone who does in that environment.
Actually, Germany surrendered to Russia who arrived in Berlin first. The u.s. brought the cameras.
"We need to start organizing against those who would steer our species into extinction, and working to pry their hands away from the steering wheel if they refuse to turn away."
Amen. We might even need to divert the car onto a side road and rip the keys out of the ignition or shoot out the tires. Figuratively, that is. Non-violent action such as protests, sit ins, lie ins/die ins can work if we all can get on the same page and work in concert together. Now is not the tame to quibble with each other over non-important issues. If you want to save the world from nuclear annihilation--you're with us! Give peace a chance!
"We need to start organizing against those who would steer our species into extinction, and working to pry their hands away from the steering wheel if they refuse to turn away."
this is OUR Planet
they haven't Permission
if we don't grant it To them
we may not have total Safety in
Numbers but hey baby - Size Matters
.
and WE Dwarf
them by TEN to one.
.
Amen is right.
The sheep are too divided to get out and march and the Congress us too bought off to be influenced by the likes of mere citizens. But what the hell. Might as well do a Greta—march by myself until someone else joins me. Got nothin better to do! 🥰😆🤪😸
That's the spirit! Become a Pied Piper and lead a parade of anti-war protesters to the White House.
Unfortunately, if the majority of the population in the Western bloc countries only get their information from the pro-government press, and that uncritically, we are not about to see a mass peace movement emerge. I just read an article in Foreign Policy: "U.S. Deterrence Failed in Ukraine". The title seems to suggest a critical and reasonable reading of American foreign policy. But it does not. This article, written by two former Special Forces colonels (i.e., guys who have spent their careers losing wars and occasionally perpetrating a few war crimes thousands of miles from the U.S. border), denounces the successive administrations of Obama, Trump and even Biden. "Peaceful America has been too patient and kind to bloody Russia. It refused to arm Ukraine when it was attacked as early as 2014 by that madman Putin." This is in essence what these two colonels write. It is a matter of psychiatry to lie so much when you are an adult. It's been more than 30 years that the United States has been caught up to its elbows in the jelly pots but no, it's not them, it's the others. They can't possibly believe their lies. (Although, with some of the military, you have to expect the worst.) So what? Are they so locked into their ideological logic that makes them believe in the necessity of a world government of liberal essence controlled by Washington that they cannot face reality? Or is their reality that only a headlong rush to world war could get them out of the impasse into which more than thirty years of blindness of every kind has led them? Beyond the fact that a new world war would be very likely to be nuclear and therefore the last one, due to the lack of combatants on all sides, these brilliant Western strategists (politicians, academics, military) seem to be unaware of the fact that neither the first nor the second world war solved the problems.
Well, the third world war will solve all problems, big and small. There won't be any of us left to have any problems. Maybe that's their rationale, the reasoning of psychotics, which nearly all of them are. We can't fix anything since we created all this madness, so let's be consistent at least and just blow it all up.
That is what's meant by creative destruction isn't it.
Or one can hope that the warmongering neocons who rule in Washington will be stopped at the brink by their own selfish interest - just enjoying their immense wealth to take it easy - but that would mean that they are ready to give up their race for power, for might, i.e. that their excessive ego is deflated. I fear that this is not won!
This is really a scary time. I have contacted my reps many times and unfortunately they are all warmongers and seem to either not have a clue or outright don't see a problem with the continuation to nuclear Armageddon. When I mention over and over the path to nuclear Annihilation is not the one we want they don't even acknowledge it! The scripted response is always "I believe in a strong America that can protect against the aggressions of other countries". I ask what happened to diplomacy and there is silence! They must have some serious bunkers and I have heard especially from Bill Gates that they want to thin the population. This doesn't look good for us. I want to say one thing about the "alleged insurrection" I think it was a planned operation to batten down the hatches in preparation for the real thing in order to know what to do if people actually got together to remove them!
Sad to say, but if those in charge of Iran would like for Iran to continue to exist, complete with Iranians, they need to be cranking up to a level higher than North Korea a nuclear program capable of doing MAD-type destruction on its attackers. And then, announce it. With twisted gleams in their eyes, while staring straight at Netenyahu. That tactic has, so far, worked pretty well for the North Koreans. It sure couldn’t hurt. If they don’t, they’re doomed. This is where we are now. Sigh. Beating head on table.
There is absolutely zero reflection by US elites - they are consumed in their self righteous bubble - a form of insanity.
They are totally impervious to reality or criticism. Deep Delusion.
I don't know that its any better amount so called "progressives".
Kind of like climate catastrophe of the mind and spirit.
Sociopaths, as a rule, are not known for self-reflection.
"After a nuclrar war thr living will envy the desd." Nikita Khrushchev.