John Chuckman

COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE BY PATRICK LAWRENCE IN CONSORTIUM NEWS

 

“Now That Washington’s Most Dangerous Man is Sacked

“This week provides chances to monitor resets in Trump’s foreign policy after John Bolton’s destructive tenure.

“Bolton was the most irrational impediment to Trump’s foreign policy aspirations, but hardly did he act alone.”

 

Very strange statement by my reckoning.

Yes, Bolton is, and always has been, an “irrational impediment.”

But no more so than the man who appointed him in the first place.

In fact, Trump is so twisted, so inconsistent, I don’t understand anyone speaking of his “foreign policy aspirations.”

This is in a sense the ultimate American president. “The real thing,” as it were.

Rude. Given to personal insults. Rushed and impatient. Highly prejudiced on many topics. Ignorant of many matters he insists on speaking of. Offering no fresh insights on anything. Truly dishonest. Grasping. Unfaithful, to staff and even family.

God, he’s like something from a movie. An American horror movie.

One that symbolically speaks about the dark realities of America with its abuse of power and pretty close to complete corruption.

_______________________

ADDED LATER FROM ANOTHER SOURCE…

“Trump selects Robert O’Brien to be his next national security adviser

“O’Brien most recently served at U.S. State Department as envoy for hostage affairs”

 

I am sure he’s just a charmer.

I found a quote from a book O’Brien “wrote” which suggests his quality:

“The Obama Administration’s foreign policy has emboldened our adversaries and disheartened our allies. Indeed, Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran is a 1938 moment.”

Now, even if you don’t like Obama, and I don’t, the statement is absurd, the nuclear agreement being Obama’s one worthy success in eight years of foreign affairs, years mostly spent killing people.

O’Brien’s last notable mission was a trip to Sweden to represent Trump’s strange interest in the case of an American rapper called ASAP Rocky. The rapper had been detained in Sweden, facing charges for assault. Perhaps, Trump saw this as a way to lure black votes?

O’Brien’s success in such an important task undoubtedly earned him some “points” with Trump towards appointment as National Security Advisor. Makes sense to me.

His presence In Sweden was inappropriate, interfering in the country’s internal affairs, its normal police activities.

But that’s what the United States does today, throughout the world, interfere in the internal affairs of others.

Each time Trump names a new appointment, I feel as though I’m reading about changes reported from police wiretaps at the Mafia’s headquarters.

John Chuckman

COMMENT – UNRELENTING HOSTILITY AND AGGRESSION, A SINGLE MORNING IN THE LIFE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

 

Just glancing through some news sources early in the day, we have the following reports relating to American activities.

The United States has imposed a new economic embargo on the government of Venezuela, freezing all of its assets. America’s earlier coup attempt against the country’s elected government, a government it just doesn’t like, was such a public failure, it is taking more strangulation measures. Already, from five years of various ugly measures, the people of Venezuela suffer badly.

John Bolton announced that the United States would support no new election in Venezuela so long as the existing government remains. How’s that for interference in other people’s elections?

The United States says it will base new intermediate range nuclear-capable missiles in countries within range of China, just as soon as it can. One location mentioned is near Darwin, Australia. Intermediate range missiles seriously shorten the flying time for delivering a nuclear warhead, as compared to intercontinental missiles. That fact, of course, shortens reaction times and raises the risk of a pre-emptive strike.

Right now, all Chinese short and intermediate range missiles are defensively positioned well within Chinese territory and not in positions to target others, but that will, of course, change if the United States does what it says it is going to do. In the world of nuclear weapons, allowing any nuclear-capable missiles to be based on your territory makes you an automatic target, a practice the United States, just as much as others, strictly follows.

Stock indexes in the United States fell hard in view of Trump’s threat of further massive tariffs against China.

China’s currency, the yuan, fell, as of course you would expect in response to all the bad news from the markets, but the United States’ Treasury immediately designated China as a “currency manipulator,” just a totally false claim, but one with consequences.

Britain’s new Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, promised to work towards building a stronger alliance with the United States against Russia and Iran after completing BREXIT. That of course begs the question of just what threat either Russia or Iran in fact represent. They aren’t the ones ringing other countries with warships and bombers and tanks.

Britain is to be part of a United States naval mission in the Gulf with two ships joining two American ships to accompany tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Hasn’t Britain blundered enough with its idiotic tanker hijacking near Gibraltar, done at John Bolton’s suggestion, having started a whole wave of negative activity? Iran is perfectly capable of policing the waters of the Strait, as it has for years, and foreign warships only represent new risks.

Large-scale American military drills with South Korea are proceeding despite North Korea’s strong protests. Such regular drills, always rather threatening and requiring close watching owing to the threat of disguised invasion, are one of the American practices North Korea reasonably expects to see ended before any agreement on denuclearization.

Just a few days ago, the United States withdrew from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty that dates back to Reagan’s time. The act threatens the security of Europe because any placement of intermediate-range nuclear-capable missiles will be matched by Russia. All reaction times are shortened by such missiles and the threat of a pre-emptive strike is raised, just as in the case of China discussed above.

Today marks the 74th anniversary of America’s atomic-bombing of Hiroshima, a civilian center of no military importance, an act that set one of the most dangerous precedents of all time. In three days, it will be the anniversary of America’s atomic-bombing of Nagasaki.

John Chuckman

COMMENT POSTED TO AN ARTICLE FROM VETERAN INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS FOR SANITY IN RUSSIA INSIDER

 

Ex-US Intelligence Officers Warn Trump Over Syria Attack: ‘Don’t Be Surprised When the Russians Start Firing Their Missiles’

“We know that your advisers tend to be dangerously dismissive of Russian capabilities and intentions”

“Russian missile-armed naval and air units are now deployed in unprecedented numbers to engage those tempted to interfere with Syrian and Russian forces trying to clean out the terrorists from Idlib”

 

https://russia-insider.com/en/ex-us-intelligence-officers-warn-trump-over-syria-attack-dont-be-surprised-when-russians-start

 

An excellent statement of the situation.

Unfortunately, what John Bolton represents, as do Nikki Haley and a number of others in the administration, are the Neocons and the Israel lobby.

Those are the people pushing the renewed aggressiveness in Syria.

Just as with Trump’s (illegal) recognition of Jerusalem which was pushed hard for by Netanyahu and American Sheldon Adelson, billionaire and dogged Netanyahu supporter.

Trump should never have agreed to this de-stabilizing illegality, but he is worried about being re-elected in 2020, and Adelson offers tens of millions of dollars, as he has done many times for the politicians he likes. He literally keeps Netanyahu afloat with money and publicity support.

The truth is America has no genuine interests of its own in destroying Syria, and Assad is a pretty decent head of government for the region, but the men running Israel loathe him, and Washington is constantly made to feel their pressure.

After all, Israel’s government wants to keep the land it stole from Syria and perhaps steal more. Already, a Trump-appointed American official has publicly mused about the United States recognizing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel, and that goes against all international law and order.

The Neocons and the Israel lobby are entrenched and powerful in Washington.

But no one can say so openly in Western media.

Trump has buckled every time these people push him.

He likes to be regarded as strong and decisive, but he is not at all.

His weakness has been on display for all those who want to look, taking off their blinders of ideology. Why is Bolton even in his post?

Everyone has known what a horror he is for long years. You could not find a worse character if you tried.

There is a terrific interview in Sputnik from a rare American politician giving a fair-minded assessment of Syria. It is only the truth that many who study the situation understand, but it is so unusual to hear from an American political source.

I assume the Senator is not dependent on funds and publicity in his state from the Israel lobby or he would never speak this way. See:

https://sputniknews.com/interviews/201809101067877625-us-senator-black-syria-interview/

Further on John Bolton and the Neocons, as I write this, we have this development:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/trump-administration-palestinian-mission-embassy-washington-israel-john-bolton-plo-a8530656.html