May 9—During the celebrations in Moscow for Victory Day—celebrating the triumph over Nazism—Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the threat NATO and Ukrainian militarism pose today to Russia’s security, and of the “timely” and “pre-emptive strike” he ordered against the “absolutely unacceptable threat” to Russia.
Far from exaggerating the situation, these statements by Putin perhaps do not go far enough; the Anglo-American/NATO imperial policy threatens not only Russia, but the entire world.
At a Sunday morning White House press conference, yesterday, an administration official detailed the latest round of sanctions against Russia. When asked by a reporter under what conditions the sanctions against Russia would be rolled back, the official had essentially no answer. But the official did make it clear that the ultimate goal is not a rapid peace in Ukraine, but regime change in Russia:
“You know, these sanctions are not an end to themselves; they’re intended to change the strategic calculus… Putin, like any autocrat, has a social contract. He has taken away the freedom of the people of Russia in exchange for stability, and he’s no longer delivering upon that.”
The Anglo-American/NATO imperial order threatens Asia from the East as well. The U.K. directly talks about a global role for NATO. The new South Korean President is being courted for entry into such alliances as the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia Quad. (And if you thought the U.K. was missing from that arrangement, it formed the AUKUS just last year.)
China is not only creating a new paradigm through its Belt and Road Initiative; it is increasingly identifying and calling out the true goals of the Anglo-American elite. At Monday’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs press event, Zhao Lijian summarized a Chinese report on the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S.’s “second CIA” for manipulating countries around the world:
“NED was seen behind color revolutions instigated and orchestrated by the U.S., including the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Rose Revolution in Georgia, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Arab Spring. NED has been stirring up protests and demonstrations in Thailand, inciting the opposition parties in Nicaragua to seize power by force, funding anti-Cuba forces to manipulate public sentiment against the government, and long interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs through various means. Hellbent on disrupting the world, NED has not brought social stability and development or contented lives and good work to other countries. On the contrary, it has caused a host of issues including withered livelihood, languishing economy and social confrontation. NED also extends its evil hand to China and invests heavily in anti-China programs every year….”
It’s not only military confrontation—there is also the economic destruction wrought by the financialization of the economy and the withholding of development financing on the basis of “green” criteria.
More and more of the world’s nations and people are saying “how dare you!” to demands that they limit themselves to low-energy-density “renewable” technologies, forgoing the development made possible by, for example, inexpensive coal. The “Just Transition” proposal coming from the COP26 conference in Glasgow last November, would “compensate” lesser-developed countries for eliminating coal. Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati explained things, “If you ask Indonesia to transition off this energy, that will bankrupt my budget, bankrupt the [state electrical utility], it will not fly.”
The green opposition to hydrocarbons has also played a role in the skyrocketing inflation in fuel prices. The shortage of refinery capacity is partly a consequence of demonizing fossil fuels.
But there is a way out! Even as censorship grows, the basic opposition to nuclear war, deliberate economic ruin, and cultural separation is finding expression. A group of prominent Greeks has just written an open letter denouncing that government’s policy. A retired Italian general, a former NATO commander, insists that NATO be replaced by a new security architecture. Industry experts and economists recognize the devastating results that would come from a new iron curtain of sanctions. Artists speak out against the attacks on Russian culture. Scientists condemn witch hunts against collaboration with Chinese colleagues and with Russia’s space program.
What role will your voice play in bringing about the new security and development architecture promoted by the LaRouche movement?
