Newsweek has an article out today quoting retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges to the effect that Ukraine should ignore President Biden’s request that they not attack Russian oil production facilities inside of Russia. Hodges points out that Russia has attacked Ukraine’s oil production facilities and so “fair is fair.” President Biden has not explained publicly why he opposes Ukraine attacking Russian oil production facilities, but his critics suggest that he is worried about the price of oil escalating and adversely impacting his reelection bid as well as worrying that it increases the risk of a further escalation of the conflict. I think both considerations to be valid and I am not surprised that an American military professional would argue with the policy. I also well understand that I am too far away from the information flow to argue the case one way or the other.
I continue to try to stand back away from the nuts and bolts of the imbroglio and ask myself how we end the Ukraine stupidity without either escalating to World War III or accepting continued Russian aggression. The first thing that I believe we need to establish is that America is prepared to go to war with Russia should Moscow continue to try to piece the Soviet Union back into existence and we are clearly, repeat clearly, capable of winning that war. I believe that we need more military leaders like Hodges that advocate cleaning Moscow’s clock once and for all, even though I do not want to actually go down that road. I disagree with the current effort to make our military polite, caring, sensitive people. I advocate having a military that is clearly capable of winning a war - mano a mano. We also need a nuclear capability that is clearly capable of obliterating any nation that chooses to exchange nuclear weapons, but the principal objective of both is to ensure that no one misunderstands what will happen should they pull the trigger on a war with us. This requires national leaders with balls and intelligence, not charlatans that are seeking the political support of idiots on one side or the other of out current tribal pissing contest that vote depending on the age of the fetus, the number of chips in the bag, the price of gasoline, the proper use of pronouns and/or our feelings.
Once we have restored the America that I was born into, I advocate inviting Moscow, Beijing, and Teheran to sit down at the table and discuss how we come together to help the shit hole countries. I would start that discussion by telling all and sundry that throwing money at poverty is off the table. I would insist that we restore and expand the concept behind the Peace Corps, our objective being to get people rather than organizations involved in the challenge facing mankind, and I would establish corruption as humanity’s number one enemy. I realize that I have lost my audience long ago in this article. What I am suggesting is “unworkable” and that ensures that we will not do it. As one of my readers pointed out, I live in Lala land. Humanity has “developed” to such a point that we “fully understand” our limitations and that fact alone ensures that we will destroy ourselves. Absolutely hilarious if I were not stuck in the middle of it.
I look around and I see my fellow citizens ducking their head and going with the flow. Each of us has to cope with the reality of our immediate existence. We have to earn a living and that, all by itself, requires us to accept societal discipline imposed by our tribal betters. To diverge is to be ostracized, canceled and shunned. Today’s America gives us two choices to cheer on in our social media “conversation,” neither of which is particularly attractive, but what can you do? Conform or be shunned. Duck your head and accept conformity even if you have some serious questions. Avoid substantive discussion, ignore the obvious, hide behind your mask, fervently wish that things will get better. Bah! We are a nation of intellectual cowards, noses buried in our phones, yelling at the top of our voices about trivia, and firmly ignoring all that is inconsistent with the mythical world that we have created for ourselves here inside our non-existent borders.
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