I regularly ask my students the rhetorical question, "What could possibly go wrong?"
I've been outspoken on the issue of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since last summer when I presented a long paper predicting Putin's invasion of the country. Everything I wrote, or spoke during interviews, has come about. All that is left is the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia.
I expect that Odessa will come under major attack this summer and early fall. Russia has to take this major sea port to completely isolate the Ukrainian government.
Kyiv is seeing lots of people returning as conditions in the city normalize. However, as these returning Ukrainians find their government is bleeding the population to death fighting over ethnic Russian populations and regions that Ukrainians really don't like - the government is going to come under major attack, and possibly be overthrown by its own citizens. Particularly as we enter the next winter period, and Ukraine has no access to oil or natural gas, and can't access supplies from the industrial areas occupied by the Russians.
And, the "gifts" of western arms and ammunition to Ukraine are really being provided under a modified "Lend-Lease" program much as Britain and France were provided during the Second World War. Those countries had to pay back the U.S. for all that material, whether it ever made it into combat or was destroyed along the shipping routes. Ukraine is going to be owing western countries nearly 100 Billion Dollars to the U.S., UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, and Canada before this is over. Without an industrial base to draw on, how are they going to pay back that debt?
Of course the new-cons like Petreaus - are going to find themselves with lots of media face time while I'm stuck in the Colorado mountains paying $5.50/gallon for gasoline and the single grocery store is absent eggs and many other items. Good thing my neighbors are raising chickens and I can get eggs from them.
Of course, I might have to take a couple night shifts standing guard over the chicken and pig pens to do my part... but isn't that why I have firearms? To protect my family and friends (including my Amish friends) from thieves and foxes and politicians?
The CIA's coup and ouster of democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh led us to where we are today. Another lesson in maybe staying the heck out of other countries' business.
Having been convinced that no one in the Biden group can read, what could go wrong here? Biden gets his head handed to him in Europe, Saudi Arabia and Israel. What more can he lose? His self-respect or the respect of his wife, who thinks of Hispanics as tacos. If someone had told me you could assemble this band of lunatics, I would have laughed. Too much work around for loonies for them to be gathered in one place. But, hey, Biden learned from Barry, the expert. Just sayin'
Your comment about Biden's wife was malicious and totally untrue. How would you like it if someone said something nasty about your wife (if you have one)?
Check out her thesis from the University of Delaware! Grammar punctuation and spelling mistakes everywhere, so we can check the stupid box. But a month ago she had one of our decorator generals fired for posting a tweet she did not like. So there we can check the vindictive box. So yes her words and deeds have in fact proven that she is a Lowe intellect and malicious shrew. Sorry dear please check the fax. And by the way I have the greatest wife in the world and she feels the same way about me.
I would be very happy to check out her thesis,if it exists. Many people read them before they are published and the errors would be corrected. By the way, glad you have a happy life.
Blitzkrieg didn’t work in Russia, there were no roads, just cow paths that were either frozen or mired in mud. Russians, in villages,asked Germans how the Czar was. Except for Stalingrad the advance towards Moscow ended the same way Napoleon did, Germans retreating, no supplies. The Germans stayed on the roads and snow was piled up ten feet on either side and Russian planes mowed down thousands while partisans on skis attacked on every side. You would rather be dead than captured.
I wonder, if Russia, divorced from the modern economy and forced to be independent, even though backward for our standards, is not further along at being able to survive the global financial economic breakdown that we are all trying to prepare for.
I don’t know what history means for the present, except war brings the unexpected and the unexpected could be nuclear annihilation.
There is always a bridge too far brought about by stupid dogma, by tunnel vision people whose interests and intent are suspect.
Bill asked the question, is it stupidity or evil? Evil is the thought process and actions divorced from God. Stupidity produces evil and vise versa.
My understanding, Ukraine never indicated or intended to invade Russia, it had too much internal corruption and politico fighting, to decide on such a campaign, despite Russian subversive tactics to grab power & take over Ukraine 100% as one of many subservient colonies.
Putin has had a grand plan from way back from his upbringing in near poverty, to re-establish the Great Russian Empire, East to West with all Baltic countries.
Nato nations actions for collaborative defence, was his justification to act when he thought he was on week off CheckMate by military training summer camps became a necessary ‘military action’ for national motherland protection.
Yes, the massive military industrial complex in the USA is a major player in the capitalist system, with suspect initiatives to garner tax moneys, profits and wealth from war. A military campaign is a great way to quit excess and old stocks from warehouses.
Looking however at China, North Korea, Iran and Russia etc ‘non-capitalists, it’s not just Wall Street in this field of exploiting and making killing equipment. To say their socialist spending is only preventative for home defence is, despite protestations at UN etc and ignoring global treaties, is patently bulldust and not supported by the evidence of their massive military buildup.
Question 1. Israel of now, would it not be other than muslim and arabic inhabited, if it were not for conscription and about 50% of their national budget spend allocated to defending their own right to exist. Is that corrupt and dumb stupid also?
Question 2. If Germany and EU had not been so stupidly naive in dictating green power & renewables and changing nature - would Putin have started his blitz, butcher and obliterate under the proviso of ‘denazification’, used to feed his troops with hated and poison brains into madnesses?
Question 3. When this period of ‘civilization’ is written about in 20 years time some of the players from Biden, Putin, Zelenskyy and many others will be remembered comparatively to Churchill, Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin etc.
Question 4. And, what will be said about Reserve Bankers, Politicians, Bureaucrats Billionaires, New World Order lemmings? Those whom let the viruses of civil disorder, panic and civil wars, become global and encourage the plunder, destroy, and let anarchy loose but wash their hands like Pontus Pilat ?
The thing that is a commonality of history and warring, is the seized awful power and madness of manic egotist leaders, the use of terror and mass killings even in this age of ‘technology and peace movements’
Human lives and deaths yesterday, today and tomorrow are an expendable item at their whim, almost as are fiat currencies in the hands of Reserve bank's!
I have used this graph for many years as the single best graphic representation of data ever. Little did I know and expect that it illustrates the most likely scenario for those who are apparently hell-bent to cross that bridge again. As in the past, if that really happens the toll for Russia will be drastic but for those who try lethal. You can't fight geography.
That is why Putin has started fighting. All of those invasions started well west of the Dnieper River, and it was across the burnt out steppes of Belarus/Ukraine the armies had to march forward and backward. NATO would have started from the Donbas.
My understanding from this history lesson then, is that it’s folly to invade Russia and, therefore, by extension, it’s folly to resist Russia. We should send this information to all the former Soviet satellites and, of course, the Ukrainians.
Russia is not attempting to attack us. It's not even attacking a country belonging to a long-obsolete NATO. The lesson is that we should not have goaded Russia into attacking the Nazis in Ukraine and we shouldn't currently be fighting a proxy war with them.
How did they know those “Nazis” were hiding in all those blown out apartment blocks in various Ukrainian cities? And thank goodness they got the ones shopping at the mall.
I totally get what you're saying. War, and any violence for that matter, is reprehensible and I wish it didn't happen. But you can't pick and choose. What about the 500,000 dead Iraqi children that were "worth it", the thousands of people killed in US wars of aggression, or droned for no reason at all. "Collateral damage" is horrid no matter who's doing it.
I think that's a normal thing. We all want to believe we're the good guys and all the evil is on the other side. I grew up watching Sgt. Saunders's small squadron routinely kick Nazi but and nobody on our side got killed except the new guy. (Talking about Combat! for you young guys). Reality isn't quite the same.
because those Nazis have been hounding and killing the pro-russian populations of those cities since 2014. it is no coincidence that today the BBC announces Zelenksy is to try some of his ministers for 'treason' - they were anti-nazis/pro-Russian. This is a complex situation that the US & the EU should keep their noses out of, IF anything they should be promoting peace. Two corrupt oligarchies, former Soviet Republics fighting over Soviet drawn borders is Balkans Mk2, the problem now being, one of the 2 is Russia and the risk of WW3 isn't worth trying to bleed Russia white as a means of keeping them from being a rival force to the US in Europe.
Given my understanding of "libtard", I believe those are who are currently occupying and controlling the executive and legislative branches. I pretty much oppose almost everything they stand for and are doing, so I don't consider myself a fellow traveler. On the other hand, those that do support support their policies, well …
Washington said trade with all, align with none. Conservative all my life. I think you are watching too much CNN. This is where you call me names in all caps. Civil discourse.
I have a different take on Bill’s history lesson. The latter half 20th century military maxim: “Never start a land war in Asia” is certainly relevant but not the main point. The salient lesson from Bill is that every nation has its’ interests, and those interests normally have a strong geographical component which has historically rarely encompassed the entire globe, or even half way round it. His example here is that Ukraine is to Russia as Cuba is to the US. Of course distinctions must always be made. A distinction might be Taiwan to China. All geopolitical situations are unique and have unique ramifications, both locally and globally. Ukraine is not Taiwan is not Venezuela is not Poland, and on and on. This is why true diplomats are sought for their deep knowledge and prudence.
The Monroe Doctrine never said that an invasion of the Ukraine is an invasion of the United States, and for very good reason. I would argue, however, that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is much more in the global interest of America than a Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the point is arguable, and I am not a state diplomat.
Whenever I take issue with Bill Bonner I have to look long and hard at my opinion. The guy knows way more history, he’s tons smarter, and has a far more encompassing world view. That’s why I read his books and his daily essays. I certainly “get it” as to why he believes we should not be involved. I just re-read a chapter in one of his books about how we got drawn / pushed into WW1. And I also completely agree that the US is a degenerate empire (his words).
There’s an old saying from my earlier days: “..rather be Red than dead.” Though dated, it seems to approximate our author’s beliefs. And he’s probably right on that, too. Once you’re worm food, it doesn’t really matter, so why not make the best of a bad situation? Freedom, democracy, pursuit of happiness? Meaningless when you’re dead, or the neighbor of Russia, so why even try? And yes, I get it that those are smaltzy myths drilled into us from childhood. I’m just glad Mr. Bonner wasn’t one of our county’s founders. I’m pretty sure we’d have the queen’s mug on our gold coins, just like Canada and Australia.
But back to Ukraine...it’s very likely a lost cause (from the beginning). A lot of innocents are dying and we get to see the destruction in near real time. The world will suffer mightily, from our high gas prices (boo-hooo) to famine in the third world. Who knows if the Russians are suffering? I don’t really care. And the bullshit neocons in our leadership will push for more escalation. And Putin will push back harder. The diplomats will be brought in when there are enough body bags on both sides to fill a stadium. Those unfortunates are the ante.
Did the US ultimately cause this? Probably. Should the US then enable the citizens of Ukraine (who have very good reason to despise the Russians) to defend themselves if they choose to do so, or should the west just decide for them? While there were other motivations, I’m glad the French didn’t write us off during the American revolution. Bottom line, both Russia and the US must and will learn, eventually, that there is a high cost to aggression. How high remains to be seen.
Bill really stirred a hornet’s nest among some of his readers by telling the truth here. I think the Warfare State is frightened that, as the central bankers have little choice but to gradually remove the punch bowl after tossing out trillions of dollars of faux money this young century through printing and ridiculously-low interest rates, the Pentagon’s $700B annual budget might be looked at quite closely for a change, as will the Welfare State’s gigantic budget. Look at the “little gods” in tech such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, etc. (Jeff Bezos and Sheryl Sandberg wisely saw the handwriting on the wall and fled.) They aren’t so god-like now that the faux money and easy, low-interest money are being removed. The WSJ recently pointed out that venture capitalists are also sobering up, which means that money won’t be thrown at nearly as many silly little apps or other fads that--might--make a profit a decade from now. Bill has been predicting for years that once the punch bowl starts being removed, there will be a reality check across the board. But I recently heard The WSJ’s Dan Henninger wonder how long the punch bowl will be removed. Or will it be filled again with faux money in 2023, bringing about problems in 2024 that are now occurring in 2022?
And pertaining to Ukraine---where is that $40B of unaudited money? As Bill points out, Vlad has only invaded a tiny portion of Ukraine, and his military has paid a high price. I guess he could have leveled all major Ukrainian cities and saved many Russian troops’ lives. And who says, outside of Pres. Zelenskyy and his globalist backers, a majority of Ukrainians would have wanted to join NATO if Mr. Zelenskyy had told them up front that his wanting to join NATO could provoke serious military action from Vlad? With Ukraine no longer being of interest to a majority of Americans, and if the central bankers hold the line on faux money creation during 2023, I just hope something doesn’t get stirred up somewhere else in the world. Something that might spiral out of control.
I'm in total agreement with the descriptor used by PG V; I'm just not sure which should come first, isolationist or appeaser. You are worse than wrong with your statement about three dozen people in America who care about Unkraine, Donesk, etc. There are more than three dozen people in my neighborhood who care a great deal about the present and future of Ukraine . Every week, the people of Denver fill a large plane (destination Ukraine) full goods of all kinds to help people there. The media around here claim that Thousands of people from the Denver area have contributed to this effort. Believe it or not, thousands (more likely hundreds of thousands ) of people are doing similar things in cities and towns all over the country. How could you have missed all this? Talk about out of touch!
Really, people are actually doing all of that? Shame they didn't do the same for the the Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenese, or Libyans, when they were getting the crap bombed out of them Skin colour maybe?? I doubt most of them could find Donbas on a map, let alone have any real understanding of the region's history. Also, I don't believe anyone had too much sympathy with the citizens of that region as they got wounded, killed and had their homes destroyed, from the bombing by the Ukrainian army for the last 7-8 years.
Unfortunately, you're right. Skin color has a lot to do with it. Hypocrisy abounds, so what else is new? It does not change the fact that we have chosen to help Ukraine, which is the point I was trying to make. Also, history does not matter to us anymore, our own or anyone else's.
Yeah, I get it Criss, but, unless you/they think Putin is the devil incarnate, I'm not sure why this particular war matters to us - there's plenty of others to pick from that hopefully won't go nuclear; which I happen to think is entirely possible in this case.
Well, you can't eat oil but you can definitely eat what Ukraine grows which, short of tropical produce, is just about everything in large quantities. So, we'll see if Putin let's this year's crops go to market or not. Devil incarnate? No, just another Russian thug in a very long line of brutal dictators who probably won't hesitate to starve people who depend on Ukraine. Uncle Joe would be proud! Yeah, he might just decide that MAD is not really a bad result at all.
I regularly ask my students the rhetorical question, "What could possibly go wrong?"
I've been outspoken on the issue of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since last summer when I presented a long paper predicting Putin's invasion of the country. Everything I wrote, or spoke during interviews, has come about. All that is left is the use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia.
I expect that Odessa will come under major attack this summer and early fall. Russia has to take this major sea port to completely isolate the Ukrainian government.
Kyiv is seeing lots of people returning as conditions in the city normalize. However, as these returning Ukrainians find their government is bleeding the population to death fighting over ethnic Russian populations and regions that Ukrainians really don't like - the government is going to come under major attack, and possibly be overthrown by its own citizens. Particularly as we enter the next winter period, and Ukraine has no access to oil or natural gas, and can't access supplies from the industrial areas occupied by the Russians.
And, the "gifts" of western arms and ammunition to Ukraine are really being provided under a modified "Lend-Lease" program much as Britain and France were provided during the Second World War. Those countries had to pay back the U.S. for all that material, whether it ever made it into combat or was destroyed along the shipping routes. Ukraine is going to be owing western countries nearly 100 Billion Dollars to the U.S., UK, France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, and Canada before this is over. Without an industrial base to draw on, how are they going to pay back that debt?
Of course the new-cons like Petreaus - are going to find themselves with lots of media face time while I'm stuck in the Colorado mountains paying $5.50/gallon for gasoline and the single grocery store is absent eggs and many other items. Good thing my neighbors are raising chickens and I can get eggs from them.
Of course, I might have to take a couple night shifts standing guard over the chicken and pig pens to do my part... but isn't that why I have firearms? To protect my family and friends (including my Amish friends) from thieves and foxes and politicians?
You left out the Biden’s and the DNC.
One continuously overlooked piece of history is that the Soviet Union installed nukes in Cuba in response to US nukes already in place in Turkey.
The CIA's coup and ouster of democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh led us to where we are today. Another lesson in maybe staying the heck out of other countries' business.
You state (not ask...) What could go wrong?
Same thing as before - a bitterly cold winter for Germany et al, again.
Did this not happen in Afghanistan as well? The Americans are/were as brilliant as the Swedes, Napoleon and Hitler.
Don't be offended by the truth. The Americans 'practiced' Afghanistan in Viet Nam.
Having been convinced that no one in the Biden group can read, what could go wrong here? Biden gets his head handed to him in Europe, Saudi Arabia and Israel. What more can he lose? His self-respect or the respect of his wife, who thinks of Hispanics as tacos. If someone had told me you could assemble this band of lunatics, I would have laughed. Too much work around for loonies for them to be gathered in one place. But, hey, Biden learned from Barry, the expert. Just sayin'
Don Harrell
Your comment about Biden's wife was malicious and totally untrue. How would you like it if someone said something nasty about your wife (if you have one)?
Check out her thesis from the University of Delaware! Grammar punctuation and spelling mistakes everywhere, so we can check the stupid box. But a month ago she had one of our decorator generals fired for posting a tweet she did not like. So there we can check the vindictive box. So yes her words and deeds have in fact proven that she is a Lowe intellect and malicious shrew. Sorry dear please check the fax. And by the way I have the greatest wife in the world and she feels the same way about me.
I would be very happy to check out her thesis,if it exists. Many people read them before they are published and the errors would be corrected. By the way, glad you have a happy life.
Thank you dear, we are blessed!
Blitzkrieg didn’t work in Russia, there were no roads, just cow paths that were either frozen or mired in mud. Russians, in villages,asked Germans how the Czar was. Except for Stalingrad the advance towards Moscow ended the same way Napoleon did, Germans retreating, no supplies. The Germans stayed on the roads and snow was piled up ten feet on either side and Russian planes mowed down thousands while partisans on skis attacked on every side. You would rather be dead than captured.
I wonder, if Russia, divorced from the modern economy and forced to be independent, even though backward for our standards, is not further along at being able to survive the global financial economic breakdown that we are all trying to prepare for.
I don’t know what history means for the present, except war brings the unexpected and the unexpected could be nuclear annihilation.
There is always a bridge too far brought about by stupid dogma, by tunnel vision people whose interests and intent are suspect.
Bill asked the question, is it stupidity or evil? Evil is the thought process and actions divorced from God. Stupidity produces evil and vise versa.
Wonderful account and perspective, Bill, as always.
For the "few dozen people in the whole US" who are interested in the Ukraine backstory, here's a small piece of it:
https://jdbreen.substack.com/p/the-fluid-frontier
Or for those intrigued by the ongoing malevolence and mindless handwringing underway today:
https://jdbreen.substack.com/p/empty-gestures-and-solemn-prayers
JD, Thanks for the interesting articles on Ukraine.
My understanding, Ukraine never indicated or intended to invade Russia, it had too much internal corruption and politico fighting, to decide on such a campaign, despite Russian subversive tactics to grab power & take over Ukraine 100% as one of many subservient colonies.
Putin has had a grand plan from way back from his upbringing in near poverty, to re-establish the Great Russian Empire, East to West with all Baltic countries.
Nato nations actions for collaborative defence, was his justification to act when he thought he was on week off CheckMate by military training summer camps became a necessary ‘military action’ for national motherland protection.
Yes, the massive military industrial complex in the USA is a major player in the capitalist system, with suspect initiatives to garner tax moneys, profits and wealth from war. A military campaign is a great way to quit excess and old stocks from warehouses.
Looking however at China, North Korea, Iran and Russia etc ‘non-capitalists, it’s not just Wall Street in this field of exploiting and making killing equipment. To say their socialist spending is only preventative for home defence is, despite protestations at UN etc and ignoring global treaties, is patently bulldust and not supported by the evidence of their massive military buildup.
Question 1. Israel of now, would it not be other than muslim and arabic inhabited, if it were not for conscription and about 50% of their national budget spend allocated to defending their own right to exist. Is that corrupt and dumb stupid also?
Question 2. If Germany and EU had not been so stupidly naive in dictating green power & renewables and changing nature - would Putin have started his blitz, butcher and obliterate under the proviso of ‘denazification’, used to feed his troops with hated and poison brains into madnesses?
Question 3. When this period of ‘civilization’ is written about in 20 years time some of the players from Biden, Putin, Zelenskyy and many others will be remembered comparatively to Churchill, Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin etc.
Question 4. And, what will be said about Reserve Bankers, Politicians, Bureaucrats Billionaires, New World Order lemmings? Those whom let the viruses of civil disorder, panic and civil wars, become global and encourage the plunder, destroy, and let anarchy loose but wash their hands like Pontus Pilat ?
The thing that is a commonality of history and warring, is the seized awful power and madness of manic egotist leaders, the use of terror and mass killings even in this age of ‘technology and peace movements’
Human lives and deaths yesterday, today and tomorrow are an expendable item at their whim, almost as are fiat currencies in the hands of Reserve bank's!
I have used this graph for many years as the single best graphic representation of data ever. Little did I know and expect that it illustrates the most likely scenario for those who are apparently hell-bent to cross that bridge again. As in the past, if that really happens the toll for Russia will be drastic but for those who try lethal. You can't fight geography.
That is why Putin has started fighting. All of those invasions started well west of the Dnieper River, and it was across the burnt out steppes of Belarus/Ukraine the armies had to march forward and backward. NATO would have started from the Donbas.
My understanding of the history is, It’s not wise to get too big for your britches.
Germany encountered the same problem with supply lines in World War 2.
My understanding from this history lesson then, is that it’s folly to invade Russia and, therefore, by extension, it’s folly to resist Russia. We should send this information to all the former Soviet satellites and, of course, the Ukrainians.
Russia is not attempting to attack us. It's not even attacking a country belonging to a long-obsolete NATO. The lesson is that we should not have goaded Russia into attacking the Nazis in Ukraine and we shouldn't currently be fighting a proxy war with them.
How did they know those “Nazis” were hiding in all those blown out apartment blocks in various Ukrainian cities? And thank goodness they got the ones shopping at the mall.
I totally get what you're saying. War, and any violence for that matter, is reprehensible and I wish it didn't happen. But you can't pick and choose. What about the 500,000 dead Iraqi children that were "worth it", the thousands of people killed in US wars of aggression, or droned for no reason at all. "Collateral damage" is horrid no matter who's doing it.
You need to understand some people see th US as blameless.
I think that's a normal thing. We all want to believe we're the good guys and all the evil is on the other side. I grew up watching Sgt. Saunders's small squadron routinely kick Nazi but and nobody on our side got killed except the new guy. (Talking about Combat! for you young guys). Reality isn't quite the same.
because those Nazis have been hounding and killing the pro-russian populations of those cities since 2014. it is no coincidence that today the BBC announces Zelenksy is to try some of his ministers for 'treason' - they were anti-nazis/pro-Russian. This is a complex situation that the US & the EU should keep their noses out of, IF anything they should be promoting peace. Two corrupt oligarchies, former Soviet Republics fighting over Soviet drawn borders is Balkans Mk2, the problem now being, one of the 2 is Russia and the risk of WW3 isn't worth trying to bleed Russia white as a means of keeping them from being a rival force to the US in Europe.
Given my understanding of "libtard", I believe those are who are currently occupying and controlling the executive and legislative branches. I pretty much oppose almost everything they stand for and are doing, so I don't consider myself a fellow traveler. On the other hand, those that do support support their policies, well …
Washington said trade with all, align with none. Conservative all my life. I think you are watching too much CNN. This is where you call me names in all caps. Civil discourse.
Thank you for replying without name calling. I am not on FB or Twitter for that reason. As a lifelong conservative I am sick of forever wars!!!!
I have a different take on Bill’s history lesson. The latter half 20th century military maxim: “Never start a land war in Asia” is certainly relevant but not the main point. The salient lesson from Bill is that every nation has its’ interests, and those interests normally have a strong geographical component which has historically rarely encompassed the entire globe, or even half way round it. His example here is that Ukraine is to Russia as Cuba is to the US. Of course distinctions must always be made. A distinction might be Taiwan to China. All geopolitical situations are unique and have unique ramifications, both locally and globally. Ukraine is not Taiwan is not Venezuela is not Poland, and on and on. This is why true diplomats are sought for their deep knowledge and prudence.
The Monroe Doctrine never said that an invasion of the Ukraine is an invasion of the United States, and for very good reason. I would argue, however, that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is much more in the global interest of America than a Russian invasion of Ukraine. But the point is arguable, and I am not a state diplomat.
Whenever I take issue with Bill Bonner I have to look long and hard at my opinion. The guy knows way more history, he’s tons smarter, and has a far more encompassing world view. That’s why I read his books and his daily essays. I certainly “get it” as to why he believes we should not be involved. I just re-read a chapter in one of his books about how we got drawn / pushed into WW1. And I also completely agree that the US is a degenerate empire (his words).
There’s an old saying from my earlier days: “..rather be Red than dead.” Though dated, it seems to approximate our author’s beliefs. And he’s probably right on that, too. Once you’re worm food, it doesn’t really matter, so why not make the best of a bad situation? Freedom, democracy, pursuit of happiness? Meaningless when you’re dead, or the neighbor of Russia, so why even try? And yes, I get it that those are smaltzy myths drilled into us from childhood. I’m just glad Mr. Bonner wasn’t one of our county’s founders. I’m pretty sure we’d have the queen’s mug on our gold coins, just like Canada and Australia.
But back to Ukraine...it’s very likely a lost cause (from the beginning). A lot of innocents are dying and we get to see the destruction in near real time. The world will suffer mightily, from our high gas prices (boo-hooo) to famine in the third world. Who knows if the Russians are suffering? I don’t really care. And the bullshit neocons in our leadership will push for more escalation. And Putin will push back harder. The diplomats will be brought in when there are enough body bags on both sides to fill a stadium. Those unfortunates are the ante.
Did the US ultimately cause this? Probably. Should the US then enable the citizens of Ukraine (who have very good reason to despise the Russians) to defend themselves if they choose to do so, or should the west just decide for them? While there were other motivations, I’m glad the French didn’t write us off during the American revolution. Bottom line, both Russia and the US must and will learn, eventually, that there is a high cost to aggression. How high remains to be seen.
All great points yet someone has to check Russian, Chinese, or back in the day, Japanese aggression, or where would the compulsion end.
Instead of reading de Caulaincourt, they've decided to re-make the movie.
Everything repeats. We advance technically that’s about it.
It will be interesting to see how General Winter treats the Russian invaders
Bill really stirred a hornet’s nest among some of his readers by telling the truth here. I think the Warfare State is frightened that, as the central bankers have little choice but to gradually remove the punch bowl after tossing out trillions of dollars of faux money this young century through printing and ridiculously-low interest rates, the Pentagon’s $700B annual budget might be looked at quite closely for a change, as will the Welfare State’s gigantic budget. Look at the “little gods” in tech such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, etc. (Jeff Bezos and Sheryl Sandberg wisely saw the handwriting on the wall and fled.) They aren’t so god-like now that the faux money and easy, low-interest money are being removed. The WSJ recently pointed out that venture capitalists are also sobering up, which means that money won’t be thrown at nearly as many silly little apps or other fads that--might--make a profit a decade from now. Bill has been predicting for years that once the punch bowl starts being removed, there will be a reality check across the board. But I recently heard The WSJ’s Dan Henninger wonder how long the punch bowl will be removed. Or will it be filled again with faux money in 2023, bringing about problems in 2024 that are now occurring in 2022?
And pertaining to Ukraine---where is that $40B of unaudited money? As Bill points out, Vlad has only invaded a tiny portion of Ukraine, and his military has paid a high price. I guess he could have leveled all major Ukrainian cities and saved many Russian troops’ lives. And who says, outside of Pres. Zelenskyy and his globalist backers, a majority of Ukrainians would have wanted to join NATO if Mr. Zelenskyy had told them up front that his wanting to join NATO could provoke serious military action from Vlad? With Ukraine no longer being of interest to a majority of Americans, and if the central bankers hold the line on faux money creation during 2023, I just hope something doesn’t get stirred up somewhere else in the world. Something that might spiral out of control.
Sorry, typo---I meant $700B, not $700T.
I'm in total agreement with the descriptor used by PG V; I'm just not sure which should come first, isolationist or appeaser. You are worse than wrong with your statement about three dozen people in America who care about Unkraine, Donesk, etc. There are more than three dozen people in my neighborhood who care a great deal about the present and future of Ukraine . Every week, the people of Denver fill a large plane (destination Ukraine) full goods of all kinds to help people there. The media around here claim that Thousands of people from the Denver area have contributed to this effort. Believe it or not, thousands (more likely hundreds of thousands ) of people are doing similar things in cities and towns all over the country. How could you have missed all this? Talk about out of touch!
Really, people are actually doing all of that? Shame they didn't do the same for the the Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenese, or Libyans, when they were getting the crap bombed out of them Skin colour maybe?? I doubt most of them could find Donbas on a map, let alone have any real understanding of the region's history. Also, I don't believe anyone had too much sympathy with the citizens of that region as they got wounded, killed and had their homes destroyed, from the bombing by the Ukrainian army for the last 7-8 years.
These people are simply virtue signalling. They are better than you and I. Just ask them.
Unfortunately, you're right. Skin color has a lot to do with it. Hypocrisy abounds, so what else is new? It does not change the fact that we have chosen to help Ukraine, which is the point I was trying to make. Also, history does not matter to us anymore, our own or anyone else's.
Yeah, I get it Criss, but, unless you/they think Putin is the devil incarnate, I'm not sure why this particular war matters to us - there's plenty of others to pick from that hopefully won't go nuclear; which I happen to think is entirely possible in this case.
Well, you can't eat oil but you can definitely eat what Ukraine grows which, short of tropical produce, is just about everything in large quantities. So, we'll see if Putin let's this year's crops go to market or not. Devil incarnate? No, just another Russian thug in a very long line of brutal dictators who probably won't hesitate to starve people who depend on Ukraine. Uncle Joe would be proud! Yeah, he might just decide that MAD is not really a bad result at all.