Catching Up With Larry Johnson: Ukraine, Disinformation

With one thing and another, I lost track of Larry Johnson for a few days and went back this morning to catch up. A few days ago Johnson had a very interesting and wide ranging interview with Clayton Morris. I'll embed the Youtube video and then highlight the points that I found most worthy of note. A lot of what’s discussed—and “Ukraine” and “disinformation” kinda scratches the surface—plays into the posts from yesterday, especially with regard to sanctions and politics in the West. The interview is a good hour or a bit more in length. My comments below are only approximately in the order that the topics come up, partly because I want to tie some of the topics together and expand on them a bit:

Propaganda and disinformation, as well as efforts at censorship, are topics that Morris and Johnson keep “circling back” to. However, two examples that I’d like to ties together—because they do relate well to the posts from yesterday—involve Iraq and the current Russia sanctions.

Johnson, in response to questioning by Morris, points out that American propaganda, often prepared by the CIA, is sometimes prepared well in advance of the event that it relates to and can be well thought out. On the other hand, it can also amount to little more than ad hoc talking points that represent the self delusions of the persons propagating them. This last, for example, was the case with regard to the US narrative with regard to the invasion of Iraq--it was a narrative with no experience in warfare and no real understanding of Arab culture. The idea was that America would simply change the regime, install democracy, and make the world a better place. The whole thing, says Johnson, “was as simple and stupid as that.”

Fast forward to Russia sanctions—which have turned out to be the West self sanctioning itself. The same basic group of people who had embraced the Iraq adventure again exhibited their ignorance: ignorance of history—that sanctions have never once proven effective in bringing about regime change or a change in behavior, and a near total lack of understanding of Russia's economy. The simply came up with a narrative that sanctions could magically bring Russia to its knees. The reality is that 1) Russia is one of the most self sufficient countries on earth, and 2) sanctions have acted “like an asteroid” striking the Western economy. Germany’s leader has recently said that sanctions are "crumbling", but the damage already done to the West is immense.

Worse, because of structural problems, this damage isn't going to simply go away if sanctions end. The political and economic damage will be long term, and the demise of Boris Johnson in the UK is just the beginning.

Later in the interview, when the topic of China comes up, Johnson maintains that China is playing a shrewd game. They're avoiding military confrontation, deflecting US and US proxy provocations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea—for a Chinese perspective:

mmy @trashman_coming

China being "aggressive" against Canadian and Australian warplanes....

Instead, China has played the Covid Card, locking down Shanghai, which is a key hub for trade with the US. This will impact the US economy at a time when the US is under considerable economic strain.

Johnson is in agreement with Andrei Martyanov that America has invested too much money in super expensive hardware (e.g., F-35) that has been outpaced by technology. A prime example has to do with aircraft carriers. Carriers are fantastically expensive, but are now extremely vulnerable to hypersonic missiles. Johnson maintains that enormous systemic corruption in the military industrial complex as it intersects with our political establishment has led to a dangerously destabilization of our military capabilities.

The CIA actually had a Trump Team for gathering info on Trump to try to take him out. It was done using foreign intel services, who passed their take on to the CIA. The UK’s GCHQ (which may actually lead NSA in collection) led the way in that regard, spying not only on Trump but also on Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders. In other words, this was being done in behalf of Hillary.

Michael Chertoff, who will now take over the Disinformation Board, is dangerous because he’s competent. But these people who are trying to suppress "disinformation" are ignorant of history. As we noted the other day, this is a sign of desperation. The fact is, information gets out. Viewership of MSM has collapsed. OTOH, there is also "a level of ignorance" in the public which is also dangerous, but it’s the result of the takeover of the news media by political factions.

Morris twice brought up the question: Is America heading for civil war? Johnson allowed that historical parallels do exist and that there is undoubtedly a cultural civil war raging.

End of summary.

OK, on that final note, of cultural civil war, we note that Progs—including one or more justices on the SCOTUS—have instigated an assassination attempt on Justice Brett. While the animus against Brett goes back years, the previously unthinkable SCOTUS leak has led to a rise in Prog violence (firebombing of pro-life locations, illegal demonstrating at the homes of Justices, etc.). Chuck Schumer called for this violence and its happening. The Zhou regime has approved of the violence by failing to decry these developments. The MSM is also complicit.

Don Surber minces no words:

Democrats want to kill and replace justices

Excerpts:

I am not going to mince words. Democrats want to kill justices and replace them with loony lefties like Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Chuck Schumer implied this in March.

The Democrat Senate leader said, "I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price."

...

Today, someone tried to assassinate Kavanaugh.

…

Republicans rightly are worried. When Democrats began demonstrating in front of the homes of justices, Republicans tried to get Democrats to beef up protection of justices.

Democrats refused.

…

Nancy Pelosi won't because she wants a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Keep in mind, the Democrat Party mantra is by any means necessary.

Schumer's call for a whirlwind was similar to the warning he issued on national TV two weeks before President Trump's inauguration.

The senator said, "Let me tell you: You take on the intelligence community — they have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you."

On Inauguration Day, the New York Times published on its front page a story based on transcripts of the FBI wiretapping of Donald Trump.

Schumer knew then.

Schumer knows now. Kavanaugh, Gorsuch and Barrett will serve on the Supreme Court for decades, unless a whirlwind between now and when Republicans retake the Senate gives Schumer a chance to confirm another ideological nutcase.

Chesa Boudin is looking for a job.

Now, some are suggesting that this is a Dem ploy to advance “gun control”. I’m not buying that. That’s not the way people’s minds work. People won’t jump to “gun control”, they’ll jump to “crazy Prog extremism trying to destroy our constitutional order.”

Interestingly, the Prog group that doxxed the conservative justices attempted to make light of the assassination attempt—although somewhat defensively:

Left-Wing Group That Doxxed SCOTUS Justices’ Home Addresses Downplays Death Threat Against Kavanaugh

With the horses/cows all long ago out of the barn, Merrick Garland put on a pro forma performance:

“This kind of behavior is obviously behavior that we will not tolerate. Threats of violence and actual violence against the justices of court strike at the heart of our democracy and we will do everything we can to prevent them and to hold people who do them accountable,” Garland said. “Last month, I accelerated the protection of all the justices’ residences 24/7.”

Where was he when Schumer and Warren were spouting threats? Will he charge them? Will the SCOTUS get serious about the leak that led to this? Have the American people had enough of Leftist violence?