The United States, Israel and Ukraine Are Shooting themselves in the Foot
Quite a few developments today. Let’s start with the FBI raid on Scott Ritter’s home today. I am giving a shout out to Mark Wauck, a retired FBI agent who frequently links to my posts, for his latest post on this. Mark writes:
The RT article is the first full length account I’ve seen. Note that Ritter states that the search warrant was issued pursuant a supposed violation of FARA—the Foreign Agents Registration Act. It so happens that I was considering writing a post this afternoon about AIPAC and FARA. That idea was sparked by listening to Danny Davis trying to get a straight answer out of John Mearsheimer regarding AIPAC. Almost any way DD asked his questions, Mearsheimer stonewalled him with the goofy line that anything that AIPAC does is “perfectly legal” as regards FARA, and that AIPAC and its operatives are not foreign agents under FARA. Well, first, regarding Scott Ritter:
I encourage you to read the full article. The raid is an effort by the US Government to silence Scott. I have known Scott for 20 years and he is not working on behalf of any foreign government. Scott’s opinions are his own and he is not writing or saying what he does regarding the war in Ukraine and the war in Palestine because of some foreign financial incentive.
Mark Wauck correctly notes the double standard with respect to the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which is acting as an agent for Israel. Note also that Hunter Biden, who was pulling down thousands of dollars from foreign governments, was getting paid to influence policy when his father, the Big Guy, was serving as Vice President. Don’t recall the FBI raiding his homes to recover documents. Just one more reminder that the scales of justice in the United States are weighted in favor of the politically connected.
Now to Israel and the photo that heads this article. Israel’s Channel 12 TV station conducted a poll — “Do you agree that a soldier is allowed to rape a ‘terrorist’?” The answers are a damning indictment of Israeli society:
47% Yes
43% No
10% No answer
Does this constitute more evidence that Israel is a genocidal society? I think so. There is no presumption of innocence. Instead, this mindset means that all a government needs to do is label someone a terrorist and that person is deprived of any rights to humane treatment. And it is okay as long as he or she is a “terrorist.” The Soviets used the label, “enemy of the state.” Same difference. Once a government dispenses with the legal concept that a person accused of a crime has a right to an attorney and to face his or her accusers in court, that government is a tyranny.
The United States lost its moral authority to condemn this kind of behavior when it allowed the sexual abuse and humiliation of prisoners in Abu Ghraib. To continue to fund Israel when reprehensible, vile acts against prisoners is celebrated makes the United States an accomplice. The US is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is busy committing military suicide with its PR attack into Russian territory near Kursk. The attacking force lacked air cover and the power to sustain the attack. The Ukrainian troops were savaged by Russian air strikes, artillery and drones. Some have opined that this was a feint or a diversion, i.e., focus Russian attention in the north and then strike at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Maybe, but Ukraine lost significant resources in terms of men and equipment that cannot be easily replaced.
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that Ukraine managed to reach Kursk. Okay. How do they resupply their troops and sustain the momentum of the attack. Russia has a wealth of resources — manpower, combat air, artillery and drones — to bog the Ukrainians down and chew them up. Those who believe that this would force Russia to seek a negotiated end to the war are the same delusional clowns who promised that Ukrainian troops would be sloshing around on the beaches of Crimea last summer.
This attack is likely to have the opposite effect — Russia will accelerate its offensive against Ukraine and will not negotiate until Ukraine begs for mercy.
Danny Davis and I discussed these issues on Deep Dive.
