Escalation has been a major feature of this war. Supplying defensive weapons like ATMs and shoulder-launched SAMs has grown to main battle tanks, heavy artillery, combat aircraft, even longer-range missiles. It's become an arms bazaar for the West and especially the USA.
Somehow, Ukraine's looming defeat is linked to NATO, a referendum on its vitality. Yet NATO was designed to defeat an attack from an empire that ceased to exist in 1991. NATO is an organization grasping wildly for a purpose and seizing on Ukraine as its reason for being.
The longer the war lasts, the higher the stakes, I think, and the less predictable the outcome. Meanwhile, plenty of soldiers continue to die on both sides as Congress waves Ukrainian flags to another $60 billion handout to the military-industrial complex.
It's all so unnecessary even as the potential for larger disaster increases.
This is great! For all of us living in our warm and safe cocoons, we need to be reminded of what current policy has wrought for hundreds of thousands of INNOCENTS in Iraq, Ukraine and Palestine: "Dying will ruin your day."
Excellent analysis! My added concerns are the costly impact on the Ukrainian public are suffering, both human and infrastructure, and the costs to the public in NATO nations who are forced to foot the bill for all the military armament that takes away funds for needed public services. I view this war, Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, and the growing tensions with China as a 21st century new Cold War policy that the US and EU NATO nations are pursuing since the neocolonial world free market economy established after WWII is crumbling.
Russia and China are no longer Communist countries that the free market can claim as a threat. Both are engaged deeply in capitalism, and both want more economic influence in the world economy. BRICS is the alternative they are building. This is a threat to the world economic power of US and EU.
The right thing to do is to restructure the world economic system to make it more inclusive and equitable so that developing nations are enabled to provide needed goods and services to their citizens so they are not subject to inadequate wages and benefits, to stop all threatening child labor practices, to stop cheapening of the value of their natural resources excavated and sold elsewhere, and to stop polluting the ecosystems in the communities that cause unnecessary sickness and deaths.
Unfortunately, the power and addiction of extreme wealth is blocking this from happening in the developed industrialized countries, and the neoliberal consensus is maintaining their power and influence in these governments. As former US President Carter said in the recent past “we live in an oligarchy with unlimited bribery”.
Thanks for all the important work you are doing for our country & the world at large! Caught your comments on Judge N show — on the nose, as usual. Please keep keeping on! Your friend & fan in MA ☺️
Escalation has been a major feature of this war. Supplying defensive weapons like ATMs and shoulder-launched SAMs has grown to main battle tanks, heavy artillery, combat aircraft, even longer-range missiles. It's become an arms bazaar for the West and especially the USA.
Somehow, Ukraine's looming defeat is linked to NATO, a referendum on its vitality. Yet NATO was designed to defeat an attack from an empire that ceased to exist in 1991. NATO is an organization grasping wildly for a purpose and seizing on Ukraine as its reason for being.
The longer the war lasts, the higher the stakes, I think, and the less predictable the outcome. Meanwhile, plenty of soldiers continue to die on both sides as Congress waves Ukrainian flags to another $60 billion handout to the military-industrial complex.
It's all so unnecessary even as the potential for larger disaster increases.
Thanks for fighting for sanity and peace, Matt.
Thanks Bill.
May your excellent speech change one important mind.
I think we did change some minds that day. Thanks Mike. Just became familiar with your work. Well done.
Good to know, and thanks.
This is great! For all of us living in our warm and safe cocoons, we need to be reminded of what current policy has wrought for hundreds of thousands of INNOCENTS in Iraq, Ukraine and Palestine: "Dying will ruin your day."
Excellent analysis! My added concerns are the costly impact on the Ukrainian public are suffering, both human and infrastructure, and the costs to the public in NATO nations who are forced to foot the bill for all the military armament that takes away funds for needed public services. I view this war, Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, and the growing tensions with China as a 21st century new Cold War policy that the US and EU NATO nations are pursuing since the neocolonial world free market economy established after WWII is crumbling.
Russia and China are no longer Communist countries that the free market can claim as a threat. Both are engaged deeply in capitalism, and both want more economic influence in the world economy. BRICS is the alternative they are building. This is a threat to the world economic power of US and EU.
The right thing to do is to restructure the world economic system to make it more inclusive and equitable so that developing nations are enabled to provide needed goods and services to their citizens so they are not subject to inadequate wages and benefits, to stop all threatening child labor practices, to stop cheapening of the value of their natural resources excavated and sold elsewhere, and to stop polluting the ecosystems in the communities that cause unnecessary sickness and deaths.
Unfortunately, the power and addiction of extreme wealth is blocking this from happening in the developed industrialized countries, and the neoliberal consensus is maintaining their power and influence in these governments. As former US President Carter said in the recent past “we live in an oligarchy with unlimited bribery”.
Thank you Kaspar. All very well said! I had not heard that President Carter quote before.
Thanks for all the important work you are doing for our country & the world at large! Caught your comments on Judge N show — on the nose, as usual. Please keep keeping on! Your friend & fan in MA ☺️
Excellent analysis, Matt. Thank you for your efforts
I think we are all gonna die.
https://youtu.be/jtwkfqLboX0?si=WC56sdR3MpMgppv3