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They lied about Afghanistan. They lied about Iraq. Now they're lying about Ukraine
Salon via Yahoo ^ | July 8th, 2023 | Chris Hedges

Posted on 07/08/2023 2:15:07 PM PDT by Mariner

The playbook the pimps of war use to lure us into one military fiasco after another, including Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and now Ukraine, does not change. Freedom and democracy are threatened. Evil must be vanquished. Human rights must be protected. The fate of Europe and NATO, along with a "rules-based international order" is at stake. Victory is assured.

The results are also the same. The justifications and narratives are exposed as lies. The cheery prognosis is false. Those on whose behalf we are supposedly fighting are as venal as those we are fighting against.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was a war crime, although one that was provoked by NATO expansion and by U.S. backing of the 2014 "Maidan" coup, which ousted democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych wanted economic integration with the EU, but not at the expense of economic and political ties with Russia. The war will only be solved through negotiations that allow ethnic Russians in Ukraine to have autonomy and Moscow's protection, as well as Ukrainian neutrality, which means the country cannot join NATO. The longer these negotiations are delayed the more Ukrainians will suffer and die. Their cities and infrastructure will continue to be pounded into rubble.

But this proxy war in Ukraine is designed to serve U.S. interests. It enriches the weapons manufacturers, weakens the Russian military and isolates Russia from Europe. What happens to Ukraine is irrelevant.

"First, equipping our friends on the front lines to defend themselves is a far cheaper way — in both dollars and American lives — to degrade Russia's ability to threaten the United States," admitted Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Once the truth about these endless wars seeps into public consciousness, the media drastically reduces coverage. The military debacles, as in Iraq and Afghanistan, continue largely out of view.

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia; Ukraine; War
KEYWORDS: 5thcolumn; dnctalkingpoints; leftistsource; propaganda; salon; salonreally; war
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I take exception to his assertion that the war serves US interests. It serves the interest only of US politicians and arms manufacturers.
1 posted on 07/08/2023 2:15:07 PM PDT by Mariner
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To: Mariner

Ping


2 posted on 07/08/2023 2:17:29 PM PDT by Jan_Sobieski (Sanctification)
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To: Mariner

Oh, they know it’s all lies. And that’s what ANGERS many here.


3 posted on 07/08/2023 2:17:45 PM PDT by BobL (Trump has all the right Enemies; DeSantis has all the wrong Friends)
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To: Mariner

Wow. Salon via Yahoo published this? Let me check, is Hell freezing over?


4 posted on 07/08/2023 2:21:10 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Responsibility2nd

It’s Chris Hedges.


5 posted on 07/08/2023 2:22:38 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

“These pimps of war con us into one conflict after another with flattering narratives that paint us as the world’s saviors. They don’t even have to be innovative. The rhetoric is lifted from the old playbook. We naively swallow the bait and embrace the flag — this time blue and yellow — to become unwitting agents in our self-immolation.”


6 posted on 07/08/2023 2:25:29 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

I don’t think all the cases (Vietnam to Ukraine) are the same.

Trump headed of a Ukraine-Russia crisis. Stolen elections have consequences.


7 posted on 07/08/2023 2:26:16 PM PDT by ChessExpert (Required for informed consent: "We have a new, experimental vaccine.")
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To: Responsibility2nd

Why is this coming from Salon? Anyone? Bueller?


8 posted on 07/08/2023 2:26:32 PM PDT by Spok (“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”)
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To: Mariner

“Wasn’t the Russian military — because of poor morale, poor generalship, outdated weapons, desertions, a lack of ammunition that supposedly forced soldiers to fight with shovels, and severe supply shortages — supposed to collapse months ago? Wasn’t Putin supposed to be driven from power? Weren’t the sanctions supposed to plunge the ruble into a death spiral? Wasn’t the severing of the Russian banking system from SWIFT, the international money transfer system, supposed to cripple the Russian economy? How is it that inflation rates in Europe and the U.S. are higher than in Russia despite these attacks on the Russian economy?”


9 posted on 07/08/2023 2:27:02 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner
---- "I take exception to his assertion that the war serves US interests. It serves the interest only of US politicians and arms manufacturers."

Agree totally.

From the article: "The pimps of war who orchestrate these military fiascos migrate from administration to administration. Between posts they are ensconced in think tanks — Project for the New American Century, the American Enterprise Institute, Foreign Policy Initiative, Institute for the Study of War, the Atlantic Council and the Brookings Institution — funded by corporations and the war industry. Once the Ukraine war comes to its inevitable conclusion, these Dr. Strangeloves will seek to ignite a war with China. The U.S. Navy and military are already menacing and encircling China. God help us if we don't stop them."

10 posted on 07/08/2023 2:36:13 PM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Spok

Contrary to conventional wisdom and media narrative, there is MUCH agreement between MAGA and the traditional left on endless wars and the corruption and evil they bring.

This is why they fear Trump because he gives it voice. This is also why they hate Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr.

The elites want war because it opens the budget and printing press so they can transfer our wealth to themselves.


11 posted on 07/08/2023 2:38:57 PM PDT by volunbeer (We are living 2nd Thessalonians)
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To: volunbeer

Mansfield amendment-early 70’s. Get us out of Europe.

Are the lefties ahead of us? Sometimes I wonder.


12 posted on 07/08/2023 2:41:27 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (e allowed )
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To: volunbeer

Indeed.


13 posted on 07/08/2023 2:42:05 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: Mariner

Exactly.


14 posted on 07/08/2023 2:42:19 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: BobL

That’s right.


15 posted on 07/08/2023 2:42:38 PM PDT by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: volunbeer

The elites want war because it’s the only politically acceptable way to have a massive welfare program for white people.


16 posted on 07/08/2023 2:44:10 PM PDT by Alberta's Child ("I've just pissed in my pants and nobody can do anything about it." -- Major Fambrough)
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>> is designed to serve U.S. interests. It enriches the weapons manufacturers

We have much to be proud of in terms of advanced military capabilities, but the spoils are disturbing, the efficiencies are non-existant, and the “field testing” comes at a profound human cost.

It was no mistake to leave the $billion$ of military equipment in Afghanistan.


17 posted on 07/08/2023 2:45:01 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Hedges is a leftist, but not a Regime supporter.

The Regime left was against the FBI, CIA and foreign wars when they were out of power.

Now that they control those institutions, any dissent from the globohomo war agenda is treason


18 posted on 07/08/2023 2:49:00 PM PDT by Reverend Wright ( Everything touched by progressives, dies !)
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To: Alberta's Child

I agree with the ‘welfare’ sarcasm, but how does the average tax-paying white person benefit from military spending? We know their children that fight the battles certainly aren’t benefiting.


19 posted on 07/08/2023 2:50:28 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Mariner

Salon finally comes out against the war. Of course, though, they blame Mitch McConnell.


20 posted on 07/08/2023 2:50:47 PM PDT by Fido969 (45 is Superman! )
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