The Most Dangerous Candidate

The blathering that negotiation with Vladimir Putin is more dangerous than backing him into a corner would be laughably absurd if the consequences of the latter weren’t so potentially devastating.

Guest post by Robert Gore at Straight Line Logic

U.S. Conducts Airstrikes Against ISIS in Libya reads The New York Times’ August 1 headline, capturing virtually everything wrong with US foreign interventionism. Tracing the strands emanating from that headline regrettably requires a deep dive into an ideological and moral cesspool, on which Hillary Clinton luxuriates in a floating lounge chair, sunning herself and sipping a piña colada, evidently not put off by the stench.

What’s ISIS doing in Libya? It’s an offshoot of ISIS in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, which is an offshoot of al Qaeda in Iraq. That group was formed from an embittered core of Sunnis dispossessed of positions and property and jailed by the US government-installed majority Shiite government after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Al Qaeda’s family tree starts with the mujahideen in Afghanistan, who were backed by Presidents Carter and Reagan in their war against the Soviet Union. The goal was to draw the Soviet Union into a protracted and debilitating quagmire.

The strategy worked, but not without unfortunate consequences. Allies can turn into enemies. The leader of the mujahideen, Osama bin Laden, became the US’s implacable foe after the US set up permanent military bases in Saudi Arabia, home of sacred Islamic shrines Medina and Mecca, during the first invasion of Iraq in 1990. His anger was reportedly the impetus behind 9/11. The Afghanistan success also taught US policymakers a “lesson” they would have been better off not learning: supporting local groups in armed conflict could produce low-cost, desirable outcomes.

Clinton supported the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. She claims it was a mistake now, but the invasion was, in light of later events, fully consistent with her stance on US interventionism. In subsequent situations, she has repeated her Iraq “mistake.” Afghanistan and Iraq were the first neoconservative forays into regime change and replacement with US-compliant governments, securing oil supplies, and nation building on the way to an efflorescence of democracy and increased regional toleration of Israel.

That’s not the way things have worked out. After a financial tally in the trillions of dollars, thousands of military casualties, and a civilian death toll in the millions, Afghanistan and Iraq are sectarian hell holes, beset by ISIS; US military forces are still present in both nations (Afghanistan counts as the longest war in US history); US intervention has been a major spur for Islamic extremism and blowback terrorism, and Afghans and Iraqis are part of the refugee flood overwhelming Europe.

There is no darker stain on Clinton’s record than Libya. The brutal regime change that led to chaos in Iraq was repeated in Libya, except the death by sodomy of Muammar Gaddafi was more grisly than Saddam Hussein’s comparatively dignified hanging. She was the prime proponent within the Obama administration of the Libyan fiasco, remembering everything but learning nothing from Iraq. Donald Trump’s campaign would be well advised to show Clinton’s infamous, “We came, we saw, he died…cackle” video over and over, juxtaposed with scenes of the chaos that has engulfed Libya, where three rival “governments” contest for control of the country. And let’s not forget Benghazi.

Clinton, her neoconservative cohorts, and the US’s Sunni allies in the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey—have their hearts set on yet another regime change in Syria. (Many of these allies have made large donations to the Clinton foundation.) One shudders to think of the death they have envisioned for Shiite Bashar Assad if they’re successful. Clinton fully supports the US’s muddled policy of getting rid of Assad by using Islamic extremists pursuing the same goal. The US has quietly succored ISIS and affiliated jihadists while appearing to fight them, and has done nothing to stop its allies from doing the same.

However, they have been stymied by the Russia-Iranian-Hezbollah alliance, which has proven far more effective against ISIS and its affiliates than the US alliance. Clinton’s proposed response? Institute a no-fly zone over northern Syria, potentially risking a confrontation with the Russian air force and stifling its ability to fight ISIS.

Clinton continues to embrace neoconservative goals, presumably expecting different results than the chaos, instability, inability of the US to disengage, blowback terrorism, and refugee flows which mark their strategy as an abysmal failure. Per Einstein’s famous dictum, that’s insanity. Failed as it has in second-tier countries throughout the Middle East and northern Africa, the idea of directing it towards Russia, the world’s second strongest military power, is beyond insanity. Yet, there has been no more vociferous supporter of the US effort to stigmatize and replace Vladimir Putin, and isolate and provoke Russia, than Clinton.

Accept as gospel US government and media propaganda concerning Ukraine since 2014 and policy there still amounts to deranged. Even if the revolution in 2014 was spontaneous and had no US sponsorship, even if the duly elected and deposed president, Viktor Yanukovych, was corrupt, authoritarian, and a Russian pawn, even if the annexation of Crimea by Russia contravened international law, even if the rebellion in eastern Ukraine has been supported by Russia, so what? By what rational calculation does the US have an interest in Ukraine?

It’s been part of Russia for most of its history and was the doorway for Napoleon’s and Hitler’s invasions. The administration of Petro Poroshenko is stocked with neo-Nazis and is no less corrupt, incompetent, or repressive than the one it replaced. The country is bankrupt, dependent on IMF bailouts that break its own rules. Russia’s only port on the Black Sea, Sevastopol, is in Crimea and a substantial majority of its populace would rather align with Russia than hapless Ukraine. Belying US rhetoric about Russia’s “invasion” of Ukraine, Putin has not moved to take it over, although his forces could do so in a week or two.

If they did, it would take—judging from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria—at least a century for the US to “liberate” it, absent resort to nuclear weaponry. Ukraine is as vital an interest to Russia as Canada and Mexico are to the US. Any Russian attempt to insert itself into Canadian or Mexican affairs to the same extent as the US has inserted itself into Ukraine’s would rightly be regarded as provocative, demanding a response that could escalate into war.

So far Russia has demonstrated restraint, although the government and media have tried to portray Russia military exercises within Russia as aggressive. Russia appears intent on securing its sphere of influence. The US has insisted on securing its sphere of influence since the promulgation of the Monroe doctrine in 1823. The Crimean annexation and aiding eastern Ukraine’s rebels fit Russian aims, but there is no evidence to support the endlessly repeated claim that Russia and Putin are bent on reconstituting the old USSR and eventual world domination. Attempting to dominate the world is a much more accurate description of US policy. The only purposes of US aggression towards Russia in Ukraine and eastern Europe has been to try to diminish Putin in Russia (which has failed) and to goad his government into a military response, which would provide cover for a US military response. Maybe Putin should make a large donation to the Clinton Foundation.

Fortunately the US effort, fully supported by Clinton but questioned by Donald Trump, has to date not worked. Both countries can inflict global nuclear devastation. Putting Russia’s safety in doubt, backing it into a corner from which it has no other choice but to fight, would be suicidal, beyond insane.

Yet that is the policy Clinton has pushed. Victoria Nuland, wife of neoconservative doyen Robert Kagan and a staunch neoconservative in her own right, stands accused of stage managing Ukraine’s 2014 “revolution” and is an ardent hardliner against Russia. She is a contender for Clinton’s Secretary of State. Clinton has likened Putin to Hitler and accused Russia of hacking DNC emails, a charge for which only the flimsiest of proof has been offered.

The Democrats, the mainstream media, and various “important people” within the intelligence community have spun tales of undue influence and a “bromance” between Trump and Vladimir Putin. For argument’s sake accept that as true. Wouldn’t a measure of amity between the Russian and US heads of state be vastly preferable to escalating tension? Negotiation or nuclear holocaust? Which is the most dangerous policy, and who is the most dangerous candidate?

 

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Ouirphuqd
Ouirphuqd

There are so many wild cards in the deck, that anything that is dealt will be a winning hand for whatever the players perceive. This is what dystopia is and the future looks bleak. The elites smell blood in the water and the feeding frenzy of total chaos is about to begin. My problem with it all is that I don’t know who the good guys are, or even if there are any!

Ed
Ed
Grog
Grog

Ed,
Thanks for the vid.

starfcker
starfcker

Nice work, Robert. Sums it up perfectly

fear & loathing

remenber the days when msm called afganis freedom fighters, let the propaganda begin. payback for nam my ass. sitting on the sidelines was fine with me. just think the russians are in the middle of that part of the world today. could it be any worse than it has been for last 35 years.

bb

You think Hillary is dangerous?.I just picked up a load at Valero Refining . It is …..Flammable liquids ,this is what it can do besides catch on fire or blow up , 1.Acute toxicity , 2.Skin corrosion ,3.Specific Organ Damage , 4.Aquatic Hazard ( Acute ) . If inhaled or put on skin.

Pays Damn good . I’ll take my chances.

bb

Robert Core ,while sitting here waiting for paper work. I thought more of your post .I like Trump but he is not going to save us from anything even though he will be so much better the Hillary.No one is going to challenge the Fiat money system or central banking or fractional reserve banking . No one is going to make America great again .America has lost its once moral greatness Well ,I guess I will carry this load out to Wyoming. I a nice day .

Stucky

“Clinton has likened Putin to Hitler” ——– article

You must realize such rhetoric wasn’t used by ANY American politician against ANY Soviet Union politician (back when they had real dictators) during the entire Cold War era.

Demonizing the enemy is just a preliminarily step preceding actually attacking them.

Hillcunt is pure evil. Demonic. Dangerous. And I’m not kidding when I say I’m open to idea of her being the Antichrist.

Anonymous
Anonymous

According to the polls I’ve been seeing she’s also the likely next President if she doesn’t die, become mentally incompetent or drop out (from health issues) first.

Stucky

Polls, in general, are worthless. Especially ANY MSM-poll …. which can so easily be distorted and manipulated.

Polls, specifically, this far in advance of the election are COMPLETELY worthless.

At least wait until after the three (?) debates before you even look at a poll.

The MSM will likely attempt to manipulate polls right up to election day …. they will do whatever-it-takes to manipulate people and data to achieve their goal of AnybodyButTrump.

The only poll that matters occurs on Nov. 9th.

Jimmy Torpedo
Jimmy Torpedo

You mean the poll performed by Diebold on November 9th?
I’m moving to the Falkland Islands,…

javelin
javelin

Polls are worded to lead the naïve to a reflexive answer that the pollsters want in the first place.
Plus, like most politics, I believe that polls are pure theater. They also are a powerful tool to indoctrinate and then verify……What I mean by that is this for example::::
Repeatedly, when brought to vote, Americans overwhelmingly rejected homosexual partnerships being called “marriage.” Even in liberal California prop 8 proved by a 67% to 33% that America wanted marriage defined as a woman and a man.
Enter the polls and complicit media–over and over they reported, “latest poll shows gap closing”, and then “latest polls shows majority of Americans now favor allowing gay marriage” on and on and on. I believe it was all fake and a set-up.
Eventually they establish the dynamic -“if you are not for gay marriage then you are the outsider, the homophobe, racist, misogynist, islamophope yada, yada, yada ( because if you are one of these, you are lumped in the club which has all of these.) So then when the Supreme Court somehow supercedes their power and Constitutional role and legalizes gay marriage, nobody cries foul. Their is no legal/legislative backlash.
So back to my point–these polls will slowly show Hillary’s lead in the pre-election attitudes to be growing and growing…EVEN if it is completely FABRICATED.
Come election day, after the backroom counting and electronic programming of the voting machines spits out the numbers as Hillary as the winner–regardless of who the people actually voted for–then Hillary is coronated and the masses accept their fate.

Veritas
Veritas

Very impressive. How many years did the author spend as a generl staff officer and how many military institutions did he attended to acquire such a wealth of knowledge and develop such insights?

Truly he must have spent decades as a member of the intelligence services.

But I’m betting the closest he ever got to USMA was the faculty lounge at some community college.

Do yourself a favor and try and learn some history rather than spout bumper sticker slogans.

Unclassified
Unclassified

Hi Veritas! Troll much? I’m betting you are a Deep State Bootlicker. Am I right?

kokoda
kokoda

Ad hominen attack – you must be a vacuous liberal.
Suppose you would enlighten us with your version of history.

Unclassified
Unclassified

“By what rational calculation does the US have an interest in Ukraine?”

Robert – My understanding is that the conflicts in both Ukraine and Syria determine who delivers energy to Europe: NATO (+ Saudis) versus the BRIC’s (+ Iran). The Petrodollar (or whatever ensues) is the whole game, set and match.

Regardless, you had me at this line:

“… regrettably requires a deep dive into an ideological and moral cesspool, on which Hillary Clinton luxuriates in a floating lounge chair, sunning herself and sipping a piña colada, evidently not put off by the stench.”

kokoda
kokoda

The “rational calculation” is energy reserves and agricultural assets. Int’l Corporations had previously (before the UKR blow-up) been actively seeking to own those assets in UKR.

We have a Fascist system in U.S., approved by the political establishment of both Dem and Rep Parties. Thus, our gov’t will go to great lengths to help the Int’l Corp’s achieve those assets.

Homer
Homer

Nothing new here to the informed.

hardscrabble farmer

You seem like a sharp guy Robert, but you don’t actually believe that these policies and programs are the result of incompetence and mistakes, do you? I don’t think you have the right premises so the conclusions are flawed.

Best I can do is an analogy- you hire someone to remodel your bathroom. They come and give it a look see, write up and estimate and then you sign the contract and write them a check. He shows up one morning with his tools and you and the family are having breakfast when he comes in, murders every one of you and burns your house down.

Was he just a bad contractor who messed up or was he a serial killer who used the contractor ruse as means to his own ends?

Everyone who writes any kind of analysis of our current state of affairs begins with the premise that the people in charge are just like us, good intentions with maybe some sketchy politics or bad judgment thrown in to the mix. There’s always faulty intelligence, inadequate funding, failure of training, blah, blah, blah- more excuses than there are stars in the sky, endlessly recycled over and over, one destructive campaign after the next.

These people are not like you and I. They feed on human suffering like we’d enjoy a soft serve cone on a Summer evening. They relish human suffering like most people would a caress from a loved one. If your premise is that they’ve tried and failed, then you haven’t understood the intent- how could you possibly grok the outcome?

This is their purpose, they feed on it, they plan and execute each and every debacle and catastrophe as if it were a wedding reception and they all go off without a hitch. These are not humans as we understand them, they are demons incarnate, purest evil in human form, masquerading as one of the gang in order to inflict maximum carnage. What happened in Iraq and Afghanistan were not failures, they are wild successes and only a taste of what is planned not just for the wreckage and ruins of what were once nations, but for the entire planet.

This is the plan. They are winning because no one wants to see it for what it really is. And this isn’t the first time it’s happened.

Lather, reince, repeat.

RiNS

comment image?w=680

hardscrabble farmer

I like that quote.

kokoda
kokoda

HSF:…”Everyone who writes any kind of analysis of our current state of affairs begins with the premise that the people in charge are just like us, good intentions with maybe some sketchy politics or bad judgment thrown in to the mix.”
“These people are not like you and I.”

1000% Correct.

FYI, when Trumps talks about politicians being incompetent, he is actually lying – they know exactly what they are doing, and Trump is just appealing to the general public.

IndenturedServant

HSF said:
“Lather, reince, repeat.”

I see what you did there. Very nice touch! Bravo!

And you are entirely right if not a little soft on just how evil these fuckers are.

Chris P

Bravo, a sterling rant on the evil scum of our rulers and some of our neighbors.

unit472
unit472

The end of the US/Iran strategic alliance in 1979 is the starting point for all of our woe in the middle east. From that moment on the US had to cobble together an alliance with the Sunni world to maintain order in the Persian Gulf but the petro monarchies + Iraq were not the geopolitical equal of Iran even if they could be united under American leadership.

From then on the Levant began to fall apart into its ethno religious rivalries. Lebanon, then Iraq and now Syria. Short of a US/Iranian rapprochement I don’t see how it can ever be put back together again. The foray into Libya was beyond stupid but that may have been the Europeans doing. Sarkozy and Cameron both had reason to want Khadafy gone and Obama didn’t have the spine to tell them no.

kokoda
kokoda

Libya….it was the Golden Dinar along with uniting 20+ African nations using the Dinar as the currency. Woe to anyone that tries to supplant the Dollar, especially a small nation.

Teri
Teri

+1000. Understand petro dollar = understand world politics.

susanna

Mr. Gore,
Good essay…I offer no critiques.
I do want to wish you a fun and restoring vacation time.
We can always expect good essays from you. Now you get to relax,
and hopefully put evil politicos and neocons out of your mind.
Suzanna

Southern Sage
Southern Sage

To all who might vote for Hillary, if she wins you will regret it for the rest of your lives, as will your children. She is an ignorant, unstable woman who is a puppet in the hands of men who will involve us in a war we will not win. Her election will be a catastrophe. Count on it.

harry p
harry p

I personally know only 2 people who are hillary supporters (1 is really just never trump)and i dont think its a coincidence that neither have kids or ever want kids.
Maybe they simply care less about the future.

Ed
Ed

Yeah, sausage. TBP is just crawling with people who might vote for Killary. You just saved who knows how many lives.

Ottomatik
Ottomatik

Ask Stevens where the gold to back the Dinar is.

General
General

Actually no, very few of these people enjoy the suffering of other people. Some do yes, but they are very few. They simply don’t care at all who dies. They have no empathy at all.

For example:
Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price–we think the price is worth it.

And btw, she was lying. It wasn’t a hard choice at all.

Think about it.
Who was she referring to, when she said “we.”
Who is Hillary referring to, when she said “we.”

There is a relatively small group of people making these decisions.

The feeling that I get from these people, is that if millions die in the United States from genocide killing the “Evil White Christians,” so that they get their socialist utopia, they will say “it was worth it.”

And yes, I have dealt with psychopaths before….

RiNS

I see dead people.

ZombieDawg
ZombieDawg

comment image

ZombieDawg
ZombieDawg

Awwww…look at all those Hillary supporters having fun at her rally…heh heh..

Rube Goldberg's Razor
Rube Goldberg's Razor

She’s also demented:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqbDBRWb63s (6 min.)

She’s a dain-bramaged, narcissistic sociopath with delusions of grandeur. Clitory Hitman can’t wait to get a Huma in the Oral Office, just like her husband did.

};^D

Gay Veteran
Gay Veteran

on another website Hillary was called Haligua (after Caligua)

Boat Guy

Winston Chruchill said “The Americans will eventually do the right thing , after exhausting all other alternatives” . I am saddened to disagree with his observation though probably true an correct for the time now I am certain as a nation we wouldn’t recognize the right thing to do even if it smacked us between the eyes ! As a few of my friends who survived my age groups quagmire Vietnam the one judgement was most of the people were cool the fucking governments were all fucked up ! Having traveled this world a bit myself I agree with their assessment . So in November we do have a choice vote Trump and attempt to get along with the world as it is , this includes Russia or vote Hillary and continue to import people who wish to kill us and probably keep getting our military in and out of Shit storms until it’s too late !

Homer
Homer

Trump came out today and said he would do away with the Inheritance Tax (the estate tax). This is good. A person should be able to pass on their wealth to their children rather than having it taken by the rapacious State . The Millennials who will have nothing but debt need that wealth to start their own lives.

Of course, HiLlARy has the same idea of doing away with the Inheritance Tax, too. Her plan is to tax you so much while you’re alive that you won’t have anything left to pass on to your children.

Two plans to achieve the same goal!

For those of you who think you know what rapacious means, look it up. You might be surprised.

Homer
Homer

I’ve been stocking up on cases of super size, jumbo Vaseline just in case HiLlARy get elected. It pays to be prepared. Someone’s going to get a screwing. I’m not a fan of rough sex and HiLlARy is about as rough as it gets.

Be Prepared! hmmm! I think I learned that in the Boy Scouts.

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