Friday, July 28, 2017

Drain the swamp: War profiteering US congress alarms the world with Russia sanctions



Abandoning sanity, our millionaire war profiteering congress voted overwhelmingly for punitive sanctions against Russia that will plunge the European Union into deep recession while supporting acts of terror against Russia.  President Donald Trump needs to use this umpteenth month-long congressional vacation to clean house and drain the swamp. 


First to go should be our lunatic UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley America’s shameful embarrassment at the UN.  Her actions at the UN are not only anti-Russia, they are anti-American.  This insane Russia-phobia must end before the world is destroyed.  From Activist Post:

Excerpt:

U.S. Blocks Security Council Resolution Condemning Terror Attacks On Russian Embassy

In a telling display, the United States has actually blocked a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have condemned the July shelling of the Russian embassy in Damascus by terrorist forces.

Terrorists launched a series of mortar attacks on the Russian embassy on July 24 and 25 of this year. Although terrorists have attacked the Russian embassy in the past, the recent attacks came during the backdrop of international peace talks and negotiations that heavily involved Russia as a key player…

Regardless, the U.S. refusal to even agree to condemn terrorist attacks on the Russian embassy is extremely telling, signaling to the world that the U.S. or at least certain elements within the governing structure, have yet to give up on the attempt to not only destroy Syria but Russia as well…

“Alas, despite our partners’ statements of viewing anti-terrorism struggle as their priority, they repeatedly try to protect those who they probably think may be useful in their devastating geopolitical plans regarding Syria. It’s high time they demonstrated their commitment to a political settlement of the Syrian conflict by words, not deeds and tried to join forces in counteracting terrorism,” he added.

Haley’s latest and most dangerous actions at the UN come after our war profiteering congress passed the most hideous, uncalled for sanctions against Russia that have shocked and angered the world.  The sanctions endanger Americans and their interests around the world and have our “allies” ready to jump ship lest they be taken down with us.  America’s politicians’ actions are designed to hamstring our President’s agenda of peace and prosperity.  From Vox:

Excerpt:

Congress has handcuffed Donald Trump on Russia

Nothing unites the parties like mistrust of the president.

Congress has handcuffed Donald Trump on Russia. On Thursday night, sanctions legislation targeting Russia soared through the Senate by a margin of 98-2 just days after it coasted through the House of Representatives 419-3.

So it’s official: One of the first major pieces of bipartisan legislation to pass Congress during Trump’s presidency has been explicitly designed to sharply limit his powers.

The bill takes Obama-era sanctions against Russia that are in place under executive orders — that is, directives that only the president has authority to enact and rescind — and officially enshrines them in the law. It also establishes a new congressional review process that would allow Congress to block the White House from taking steps to ease sanctions if it wanted to. And it imposes a fresh batch of sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Trump now faces an awkward dilemma: veto the legislation and endure the humiliation of seeing Congress — controlled by his own party — override him with ease, as lawmakers in both parties have pledged to do. Or sign the legislation and endure the humiliation of agreeing to a bill that his administration lobbied against in its bid to cling to a key bargaining chip in negotiations with Russia.

Trump wanted to keep sanctions under his control as he angles to turn things around in the rapidly souring US-Russian relationship. Moscow despises US sanctions, and their removal would be central to any kind of major reset between the two countries.

Could it be any clearer that America’s war-profiteering millionaire congress will never allow peace to return to the world?  As long as they continue to reap millions in profits while in and out of congress every American is in grave danger.  It appears the American voters are not their constituents, the terrorists are.  Drain this swamp, now. 

America’s allies are outraged by the betrayal and bullying by our war-profiteering millionaire congress and are lashing out.  From LaRouchepub:

Excerpt:

EU Angry at U.S. Russia Sanctions, Demands White House Response

July 24, 2017 (EIRNS)—European Commission (EC) president Jean-Claude Juncker is warning the Trump administration that the EC will respond sharply to the imposition of new U.S. sanctions on Russia if these are adopted "without EU concerns being taken into account."

Among the responses said to be under consideration according to Politico, is the EU "Blocking Statute," a regulation stating that no decision based on extraterritorial U.S. laws is enforceable in the EU. This is the same principle China has asserted in defending its sovereign interests.

Both the Financial Times and Politico obtained a copy of an internal memo which Juncker has reportedly prepared for a July 26 meeting of the EC, expressing concern about the effects of sanctions on European companies "doing legitimate business under EU measures with Russian entities in the railways, financial, shipping or mining sectors, among others." The bill that the U.S. House will vote on tomorrow imposes individual sanctions for investing in Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, the Caspian Sea oil and gas pipelines, Ukraine gas transit and the Zohr field off the Egyptian coast.

Yep, that’s what the sanctions are about selling US gas at higher prices in the EU.  And who do you think will profit off of that?  Why our war-profiteering congress, that’s who.  From Geopolitics.

Excerpt:

Is the US Congress Engaged in A Controlled Demolition of the US?

When you have nothing else to offer, offer nothing by playing the sanction card – this seems to be the formula that is persistently used by the Deep State-controlled US Congress. The problem is: the rest of the world can survive without depending on the US economy. If that’s the case, then why are the US legislators behaving in such a way, if not to destroy America itself?

So the American bully wants to slap more sanctions on Russia over alleged misdeeds. This is blatant temper tantrums by a frustrated US trying to get “its way or no way”.

It’s so absurd. The biggest rogue nation on Earth, illegally bombing and killing civilians in several countries simultaneously, covertly arming terrorist proxies in the Middle East, and a rampant subversive interferer in foreign elections around the world, has the audacity to lecture others about probity, resorting to financial arm twisting that makes a mockery of international laws and trade rules…

Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov deplored the latest move to tighten punitive measures on the country’s energy, banking and defense sectors, among others. He said it was a calculated step to destroy any prospect of normalizing ties between the US and Russia…

Germany’s foreign ministry sharply criticized America of undermining European energy security and using sanctions as “a tool to advance US industrial interests”.  It’s not Russia being sanctioned so much as America sanctioning its own allies…

The bankrupt US – morally, politically, economically – has nothing worthwhile to offer the world. Its so-called leadership is a lost cause. Attempting to engage with this parasitic wreckage is only a drain on resources.

Few sane people – apart from US politicians and media pundits – would welcome a further deterioration in relations between the world’s two nuclear superpowers. And truth be told, Moscow has up to now shown great patience and amenability to try to improve bilateral ties. But the US political class has shown no interest whatsoever in pursuing any reconciliation. It’s like it has a death-wish.

American lawmakers endorsing the latest sanctions were almost foaming at the mouth, labelling Russia an enemy and citing unhinged accusations against Moscow for meddling in last year’s presidential elections, also for destabilizing Ukraine and, wait for it, “propping up the Assad regime in Syria” – the country where the American CIA has been propping up head-chopping jihadist terrorists for the past six years.

A sign of the impending American political self-destruction is the furious reaction from Europe over the latest sanctions. The Europeans are at last waking up to the fact – long overdue – that Washington is acting brazenly for its own selfish interests and is prepared to inflict pain on Europe, if needs be.

Ah yes, our war-profiteering congress has really shot itself in the foot this time, but the bullet ricocheted and lodged into its head.  The EU and Russia have had it.  From Paul Craig Roberts:

A Ray of Hope

America has been a discouraging landscape ever since the neoconservatives took over US foreign policy during the Clinton regime and started the two decades of war crimes that define 21st century America and ever since US corporations betrayed the US work force by moving American jobs to Asia.

The outlook became darker when the Obama regime resurrected the Russian Threat and elevated the prospect of military conflict between the nuclear powers.

As Europe is caught in the middle, in normal circumstances European countries would have insisted that Washington cease the gratuitous provocations of Russia. But normal circumstances have not existed. Since the end of WW2, European countries have been vassals without independent economic and foreign policies.

Europe hosts US military bases that threaten Russia. Europe has backed Washington’s wars of aggression against Serbia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Washington’s air attacks on provinces of Pakistan, and Washington’s use of Saudi Arabia to fight its proxie war against Yemen.

Europe has backed Washington’s gratuitous economic sanctions against Iran and Russia, sanctions that have cost Europe much and Washington little.

Accustomed to having its way with Europe, Washington commits Europe without even consulting the vassal governments. Now it seems Washington’s extraordinary arrogance and hubris has resulted in overreach…

Europe views the sanctions as a tool of US industrial policy that elevates US business interests over Europe’s business interests.  Let’s hope that Washington’s arrogance will not permit Washington to back down and that Europe will give Washington the finger and disengage from the American Empire.

Without Europe to host its military bases and to parrot its propaganda, Washington’s ability to threaten Russia would significantly decline. Indeed, a continuation of the hostile threatening attitude toward Russia would leave Washington isolated in the world. No country wants the risk of experiencing nuclear war merely for the sake of Washington’s unilateralism.

Last night the war-profiteering U.S. Senate passed the sanctions bill and it was sent to President Trump.  Today Russia has responded.  From Stephen Lendman:

Excerpt:

Moscow Retaliates Against New US Sanctions

Russia’s move was modest, having no effect on bilateral relations.  Washington was ordered to reduce embassy and consular staff in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok to 455 people by September 1 – equaling the number of Russian diplomats and staff in America.

Its southern Moscow warehouses and Serebryany Bor property were frozen, access by US personnel suspended as of August 1.  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin approved the moves. A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said “(i)n the case of new unilateral actions of the US authorities to reduce the number of our diplomats in the US, it will be followed by a tit-for-tat response…”

“The US makes decisions on illegal sanctions against the Russian Federation, seizes Russian diplomatic property, which is formalized in legally binding bilateral documents, Russian diplomats are expelled from the country.”

“This clearly violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and generally accepted diplomatic practice…”  Washington unacceptably acts aggressively toward Russia. “(U)nder the guise of its ‘exceptionalism,’ (it) arrogantly ignores other countries’ stances and interests.”

US ambassador to Russia John Teft expressed strong disappointment over the Kremlim’s order to reduce Trump administration personnel in the country, along with freezing American property.  Perhaps he should reflect on how outrageously his country treats others – no matter which wing of its one-party state is in charge…

Russian academic Nikolai Platoshkin suggested a harsher Kremlin response to new US sanctions if they’re enacted.  Congress excluded bilateral cooperation on space-related activities. The Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act does not apply to Russian cooperation with NASA.  Platoshkin suggested “cut(ting) them off from space. May they take a horse,” he said. 

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov explained nothing is being ruled out “to bring overweening Russophobes to their senses…” 

Putin has kept the door open for bilateral talks between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and President Trump.  President Donald Trump needs to use this month-long war-profiteering congressional vacation to clean house and drain the swamp.  He must clean house and fast.  He made a smart move with his new Director of Communications Scaramucci now it’s time to act and act fast. 

Breaking news!  Trump has begun draining the swamp.  First to go Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.  From The Hill:

Excerpt:

Trump fires Priebus as chief of staff

President Trump has dismissed Reince Priebus as chief of staff, announcing Friday that he has picked Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new top aide.

 Reince Priebus is a great start, now the heavy duty pumps must be fired up and let the great swamp draining begin.   Drain the swamp, President Trump, drain the swamp of war profiteering, anti-American swamp monsters in your administration and bring in American-interests-first replacements.  A good start would be Ron Paul as Secretary of State, Tulsi Gabbard as UN Ambassador and Dennis Kucinich as Ambassador to Russia.  God speed, drain the swamp.



By Patricia Baeten

No comments:

Post a Comment