In his Farewell Address of 1796, Geo. Washington famously warned Americans against “the party spirit”, linking that spirit to the danger of foreign entanglements. Washington was a guy who knew whereof he spoke. The young American Republic had achieved its independence with the significant aid of foreign powers (France, Spain) and after suppressing significant internal opposition from Loyalists. In succeeding decades of the 19th century the United States was forced to thread the needle of military preparedness (Barbary Pirates) and involvement in the Napoleonic Wars (War of 1812). The US Civil War featured attempted foreign intervention once again. Thank goodness the Russian navy had our back.
It was really only with the onset of the Progressive Era that the US turned from North America to Empire Building (Spanish American War), followed by involvement in the Great European Meltdown (The “Great” War). Since WW2, the worst of Washington’s fears have been realized, as America careens from one war to another, one bugout to another (Ukraine, listen up!).
OK, that’s a simplified version of history, but you get the idea. Washington knew a thing or two, and a reading of his address confirms his prescience. What follows is derived from an edited version of that address.
“For Washington, both foreign influence and newly emerging political parties threatened liberty and undermined the promise of republican government.”
..., the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
Washington shifts almost immediately to a remarkably modern theme—the way in which foreign influence uses our party system to gain access and to corrupt our legitimate political processes.
[Washington inveighs against the "spirit of party"]. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. . . .
Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence (...) the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy to be useful must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it. Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.
Yikes! Can you say Russia Hoax? How did Washington know about that? Or …
... Hence [Europe] must be engaged in frequent controversies, the causes of which are essentially foreign to our concerns. Hence, therefore, it must be unwise in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties in the ordinary vicissitudes of [Europe’s] politics, or the ordinary combinations and collisions of her friendships or enmities.
...
...? Why, by interweaving our destiny with that of any part of Europe, entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor or caprice?
It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world; ... I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy. I repeat it, therefore, let those engagements be observed in their genuine sense. But, in my opinion, it is unnecessary and would be unwise to extend them. …
Well, granted, the world is a lot different than it was in Washington’s time. Our splendid isolation isn’t so isolated anymore. What would Washington have thought of the mass immigration during periods of the 19th and 20th centuries? It’s true that Benjamin Franklin and others harbored fears of a potential Pennsylvania German problem, but what would they have thought of the current state of invasion from around the world on a our borders? As for the development of war technologies, our island nation is now within minutes reach of Russian missiles.
Still, there are lessons to be learned from Washington’s words. Our chief competitors on the global scene, China and Russia, have—like pre-WW2 America—largely confined themselves to manageable geographic parameters. Both Russia and America span continents, but until the post-WW2 era stopped more or less at that. Yes, America had its entanglements, mostly hangovers from the Spanish-American War, but there were no serious thoughts of invading Mexico or even Canada. But since the end of WW2 matters have gotten progressively (there’s that word) more out of control.
Now, along these lines, Judge Napolitano ran a discussion with Jeffrey Sachs yesterday that I really can’t recommend highly enough. Sachs gets into all the business about where America’s delusional dismissal of Washington’s strictures on foreign entanglements has landed us. Follow the link for the entire video (28 minutes), but here are some pertinent highlights:
Despite that title, as you’ll see, the discussion is by no means solely about Israel and its Lobby in the US:
[11:31]
JS: The basic point that has been hammered into every politician's head in Washington for decades is: 'Never show any space between the United States and Israel.' And every politician is on a rote [sic] pattern to believe that, and every political advisor emphasizes: 'Don't ever raise a question mark, don't ever raise a moment of hesitation. You will be attacked. You will be attacked by large Jewish donors, you will be attacked by Christian fundamentalist donors, you will be attacked by interest groups, you will be attacked by the Israeli government.' It's a basic standard of American mainstream political life, not to show any space between the United States and any Israeli government. So it's not that they love what's going on, it's that the politicians are trained--absolutely trained by habit, trained by circumstance, trained by experience, trained by their advisors: don't question anything that Israel is doing.
Of course, it's terrible for the United States--absolutely terrible. You have to think in this world, you can't just be on rote and expect that things can work out, especially when you're in a deep crisis. That's actually the main role of a president of the United States, is to not have us slip into disasters, and right now we don't have leadership. We have our spokesman doing the normal politics which is, 'Israel has no red lines.' And it's led by Netanyahu, and when you tell Netanyahu, 'No red lines,' Oh my God! because, even if you gave him red lines it might not matter the first 10 times he hears it.
AN: I have a friend and colleague who's a Libertarian like I am, Tom Woods, who has a funny oneliner: 'No matter who you elect for president you end up with John McCain.' I mean, it's the same attitude over and over again. ...
[24:46]
Basically, Zelensky, in March, 2022, bought into the US delusion. He put everything on the line--his country, his personal conditions--for a US delusion. Because the fact, as we've discussed, is that in March, 2022, the Ukrainians and Russians were close to an agreement based on Ukrainian neutrality. But the United States swooped in and said, 'Don't do that, we've got your back!' That's when Biden said, 'For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power!' referring to Putin. And our Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, said that our purpose is to weaken Russia. We put the Ukrainians on the path of self-destruction.
Ha ha! Ukrainians gotta learn how to take a joke.
Prime Minister Netanyahu should take note, if he expects the United States to save Israel. The United States claimed it was saving Ukraine; instead we have facilitated and paid for its destruction. Judge, you know one of Kissinger's most famous lines, that to be an enemy of the United States is dangerous but to be a friend is fatal. What we're watching is that, when the United States says, 'We have your back!' my God, you'd better be worried! This kind of approach by the US--especially in the last 30 years, the period when Biden referred to the US as the indispensable nation, and all this delusion--it's exactly this that has led the United States to think we can have our way on anything. And other countries that depend on the United States believe--or have believed--that this all powerful nation that has its way on everything will protect them. What is happening in Ukraine and what is happening in Israel is showing how profoundly dangerous it is to forego diplomacy--not to engage in problem solving but instead to try to rely on force--and to believe that the United States, through force, can absolve a country of the responsibilities of decency and international law, of diplomacy and cooperation. We can't.
There is no magic anti-gravity to avoid realities and this is what Ukraine and Israel are going to find out the hard way, I'm very sorry to say.
Foreign entanglements, fueled (as predicted by Washington) by our party system, have led America into a moral swamp. No, I’m not absolving Ukraine’s corrupt government—installed by America via a coup—of their share of responsibility in destroying their country. Nevertheless, but for our Neocon owned government, this tragedy—totally avoidable—doesn’t happen. Now it’s bugout time:
NBC News @NBCNews
U.S. and European officials have begun quietly talking to the Ukrainian government about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the war, according to one current senior U.S. official [Jake Sullivan?] and one former senior U.S. official [Susan Rice?].
Hey, Z man, we gave you everything you needed. If you surrender nicely without causing us too much humiliation, maybe we’ll let you join the EU. Meanwhile, don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi visiting the troops on the Gaza Front. The impression I get from this photo is of a man consumed by the realization he is neck deep in a military/geopolitical debacle-in-progress whose evolution is out of his control.
The White House is run by criminals. The DOJ and FBI cover for them. Corruption is rampant. The rule of law and your rights are suspended. Elections are rigged. The truth is censored. Deep State propaganda on all channels. Big tech spying on you. Your country is getting wrecked.
4:18 PM · Aug 9, 2023
Other than that …
Hey, piece o’ cake. We’ll get that fixed. Right after Netanyahu gives another speech to Congress.
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It's worse than all this. The Zionist controlled US government is carrying out genocide against the whole world because Netanyahu hates the world.
Anyone have an over/under on the chances of a False Flag Attack on the USS Eisenhower in the Strait of Hormuz?