World War Roundup

Yesterday and today I came across several items this fit together somewhat loosely under this heading, so I’ll lump them into this post.

First, Larry Johnson includes in his post today an interesting video of an RT host interviewing Charles Kupchan. Surprisingly, to me, there’s no Wikipedia page for Kupchan in English (there is one in German). Johnson describes Kupchan as:

a former Clinton and Obama National Security official and current shill for the Atlantic Council

and you can find his academic credentials at this link: bio charles kupchan.

Kupchan is a dyed in the wool Neocon, and the 14 minute excerpt from a longer video serves a useful purpose. We all think we know who the Neocons are, but how many of us have listened to one for any length of time being grilled by a well informed interlocutor? It’s an interesting experience, because Kupchan, despite his impressive sounding creds, comes across as simply a deeply disingenuous propagandist. Just one example. When the discussion turns to press freedoms, Kupchan maintains that there are none of those in Russia, while we live in the land of the free. The host responds by pointing to the case of Julian Assange and cites international organizations that maintain that the conditions of Assange’s incarceration amount to torture. He asks Kupchan for his response to that, and Kupchan responds—after what I would call a pregnant pause: You wouldn’t want to be identified as a supporter of Vladimir Putin. Really. And there’s more of the same technique illustrated throughout the interview. Faced with uncomfortable questions and factsm, Kupchan simply changes the subject. Same with Nordstream, to take another example.

As Johnson says, the whole thing illustrates the delusional mindset of the Neocons as well as the impossibility of arriving at a negotiated settlement of the conflict. A negotiated conflict—as, below, Ambassador Charles Freeman and Col. Douglas Macgregor maintain—is eminently possible, but only between two non-delusional sides. The Russians are under no illusions regarding Neocons, and Kupchan is a textbook example of their mindset.

I rarely read read John Helmer at Dances With Bears. I know that, for example, Alexander Mercouris does follow Helmer but, well, color me a bit skeptical. In his latest post Helmer asks:

BRAVADO BEFORE CAPITULATION – WILL RUSSIAN DEFEAT OF US PATRIOT MISSILE BE FOLLOWED BY “UKRAINIAN F-16” ATTACK  DURING  THE NATO  “AIR DEFENDER 23” EXERCISE ON JUNE 12

Part of Helmer’s reasoning to support his speculation is the

“May 13 … US-directed ambush of Russian aircraft was rehearsed when an Su-34 fighter-bomber, an SU-35 air-defence escort, and two Mi8 helicopters were hit simultaneously and downed in Russian airspace, over Bryansk region. “

Will Schryver takes serious issue with Helmer’s speculation. I’ve always found Schryver to be careful and level headed about war reporting, so it’s worth quoting him in full:

Will Schryver

@imetatronink

I've just listened to this interview with John Helmer, who is convinced NATO is planning an ambush attack against Russia as soon as June 12th, under the guise of long-planned NATO exercises in Germany, Poland, and Romania.

Helmer believes this "ambush attack" will incorporate a full complement of top-shelf US air assets, including F-22s and F-35s.

While I do not categorically dismiss the possibility of such an astounding move by the US and its NATO vassals, I consider it effectively impossible. It is, in my judgment, an unthinkable and assuredly catastrophic escalation to no-holds-barred World War 3.

So, I suppose we must all "wait and see", but I remain highly dubious that the #EmpireAtAllCosts cult has sufficiently seized the reins of American military power that it could bring to pass an act of such unmitigated madness.

/end

https://podbean.com/media/share/pb-23fe6-1412c8e…

9:20 PM · May 20, 2023

So, you see, there is a connection to Kupchan, who arguably represents the “#EmpireAtAllCosts cult” within the US Deep State. The likes of Kupchan might want to do this, but I don’t see our military brass—much as I may find fault with them—as being suicidal. Suicide would interfere with the comfortable retirements most of them are planning.

On the subject of US air assets, specifically the promised-to-Ukraine F-16s:

Jewish Russophile

@JewRussophile

TASS, reported today that the Russian Foreign Ministry has notified the United States and European nations that, if they decide to follow through with their plan to provide F-16s to Ukraine, it will carry “Colossal Risk” to the West.

7:36 PM · May 20, 2023

Will Schryver

@imetatronink

No doubt they understand as well as anyone else with a brain that, if F-16s show up in Ukraine anytime within the next year, they will necessarily be piloted by experienced NATO personnel.

8:05 PM · May 20, 2023

In response to the Russian warning, Zhou clumsily attempted to taunt Russia:

Biden Taunts Russia At G7 When Asked About "Colossal Risk" Of Escalation

President Joe Biden taunted Russia while speaking with reporters Sunday at the G-7 summit in Japan. The big decision which has been a main talking point at the meeting was the White House telling European allies that the US will allow them to export F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if they desire. 

This has led to questions over whether this escalation in policy could bring NATO and Russia into direct clash. Here's how a particular exchange went as the G7 wrapped up:

Journalist asks Biden about Russia saying that giving Ukraine F-16s is a “colossal risk”.

Biden: It is, FOR THEM.

U.S. President Biden while at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan was asked what his Response was to Russia who stated yesterday if F-16 Multirole Fighter Aircraft are provided to Ukraine it will be a “Colossal Risk to the West” with Biden stating, “It is for them”. pic.twitter.com/sKjJnN2d9g

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 21, 2023

Again on the subject of military hardware, but also on the economic and financial front of the World War, we learn from the WSJ that world war and the decline of dollar hegemony leverage is jeopardizing a major source of income for the MIC—the export market. Now, the title of the article doesn’t exactly imply a criticism of the quality of our exports, but it does explicitly admit that the US is facing stiff competition fromChina for arms export sales, as also from Russia:

Dimitri Lascaris

@dimitrilascaris

The WSJ reports that U.S. officials are worried that some U.S. allies might start buying weapons from Russia and China. U.S. officials have every reason to be worried. Again and again, the Ukraine war has demonstrated that U.S.-made weapons are grossly overpriced and grossly overrated.

2:38 AM · May 21, 2023

Pentagon Aims to Speed Arms Sales to Allies to Better Compete With China

New task force seeks ways to streamline foreign weapons-sales program, spurred by the war in Ukraine

State Department plans to develop more creative and flexible financing for countries

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon has launched a wide-ranging push to speed up sales of U.S. arms to foreign allies in an effort to better compete with China and refill the arsenals of friendly nations that have given military gear to Ukraine.

I’ll finish this with another video. This is a discussion that features Ambassador Charles Freeman and Doug Macgregor. The entire video is about an hour in length, but I’ve cued it at about the 37:30 minute mark. I found those concluding minutes the most compelling, although it’s all worthwhile. Highlights—beside the weird background noise:

This war is a European problem, but the bankrupt European leadership has failed to come to terms with that reality.

There’s a role for the US in Europe, but the Neocons are jeopardizing it. When the anger of the European population finds an outlet, it could bring down NATO.

The Neocon default zero-sum ideology makes negotiation impossible. All bridges to Russia were burned long ago, and the process continues.

Nordstream was the height of incompetence. Beneath the surface there is rage, especially in Germany.

The fact that our media is silent on the Nordstream story shows that Americans are “prisoners of our own propaganda.”

American dominance of the Middle East. The US has lost virtually all its influence in the Middle East. Most traditional allies now make decisions based on their national interests without consulting the US and no longer defer to our requests.