Illustrative Image
Written by Eric Zuesse
There is now emerging among congressional Republicans (at last) a recognition that (though they have until recently been every bit as neocon and pro-military-industrial-complex as their Democratic Party colleagues have been and are), the best path forward for the Republican Party to again come to hold the reins of power in the U.S. federal Government is for congressional Republicans to declare the war in Ukraine to be a Democratic Party project (begun, in fact, by Barack Obama, back in February 2014, and even earlier, starting secretly in 2011), and to present themselves as being instead the party of peace, anti-war, and favoring domestic spending instead of spending on foreign countries. So: who, REALLY, have been the leaders in Congress backing the $40-billion+ U.S. expenditure to defeat Russia in the battlefields of Ukraine?
On 23 May 2022, the World Economic Forum at Davos presented the far-right West Virginia Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Manchin saying “I am totally committed as one person to seeing Ukraine to the end as a win” against its next-door neighbor Russia, “not basically resolving itself in some type of treaty; I don’t think that that is where we are and what we should do [i.e., ‘we’ should instead proxy-wage that war by Ukrainians down to its last Ukrainian corpse — NEVER allow Ukraine to continue to retain U.S. support if Ukraine’s government signs “some type of treaty” with Russia].” The great international investigative journalist Caitlin Johnstone headlined about it, “They’re Just Outright Telling Us That Peace In Ukraine Is Not An Option”, and she noted that Manchin added “Ukraine has the determination to do it. We should have the commitment to support it,” and that he also said this included “getting rid of Putin.” So: that’s what American taxpayers are now funding, to the tune of $40B, this war by Ukrainians, to achieve, for America’s billionaires (who control Lockheed Martin, etc.).
The complete video can be seen from Davos; and, in it, (starting at 16:00 in the video) a group of U.S. lawmakers were repeatedly pressed on whether Congress is united in support for Ukraine and would continue with financial aid in the coming months even if Republicans take control of both chambers after the 2022 midterm elections. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY) participated in the conversation. All participants supported increasing military spending and slashing everything else, in order for Ukraine to defeat Russia on Ukraine’s battlefields.
At that same time, the independent foreign-affairs journalist Stephen Kinzer, headlined on 26 May 2022, “Republicans return to their roots as the antiwar party”, and he was the earliest to recognize what was then shaping up:
Since the Vietnam era, Americans have come to expect antiwar rhetoric from liberal Democrats. Cancel that.
With Americans now engulfed in passion for Ukraine, it wasn’t surprising that President Biden proposed sending $33 billion worth of weaponry and other aid to Ukraine’s beleaguered military. Nor was it surprising that Congress raised the number to $40 billion, or that both the Senate and House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor. Hidden within that lopsided vote, though, was a shocker: Every single “no” vote — 11 in the Senate and 57 in the House — came from a Republican.
Since the Vietnam era, Americans have come to expect antiwar rhetoric from liberal Democrats. Cancel that. This month’s votes in Washington signal a dramatic role reversal. Suddenly it is conservative Republicans who oppose US involvement in foreign wars.
The most ringing antiwar speeches during this month’s debate came from far-right members of Congress. Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida sounded like a latter-day George McGovern when he warned of “a dangerous bipartisan consensus that is walking us into war with Russia. Just a year ago we lost a war against goat herders waving rifles. Now we’re rushing to fight a nation that possesses 6,000 nuclear warheads?”
On the Democratic side, by contrast, there was nothing but outrage, denunciation of Russia, and aggressive chest-beating. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a self-described democratic socialist, voted for the $40 billion. So did Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and her ultra-progressive comrades in “the Squad.” Even Representative Barbara Lee, who in 2001 cast the only vote against launching what became the “global war on terror,” supported it.
Finally, the fake ‘left’ in American politics (which is all that still exists in America politics of “the left” — it’s now all gone) is starting to be exposed for what it is: prostitutes to America’s billionaires in the dark, just like virtually everyone else in Congress has been ever since WW II — i.e., after 12 April 1945).
This now leaves congressional Republicans free to blame ‘the Democrats’ if Russia defeats Ukrainians in the battlefields of Ukraine. Suddenly: the Republican Party is becoming ‘the peace party’. But this means that the Democrats in Congress need to double-down on spending whatever it takes to defeat Russia in Ukraine — even if that will mean sending U.S. troops there (and cease this war’s being any longer MERELY a war by proxies of the American side, Ukrainians backed by NATO waged against Russia, on Russia’s very doorstep). However, that would be suicidal for the U.S. Democratic Party — even if not for the entire world.
Consequently: this is the biggest political opportunity that the Republican Party has had in recent times — to blame ‘the Democrats’ (not that they don’t all deserve it) for bringing the entire world to the brink of WW III (nuclear termination) for stakes that on the American side have no national-security significance but ONLY “KEEP AMERICA #1” ‘significance’. (Though this war has total national-security significance for Russia, it has none for America, and takes place many thousands of miles away from America.) Fooling the American people to believe that because Obama started this war, it’s ‘a war by the Democrats’ (i.e., WASN’T bipartisan — which it WAS), will be the most successful way for the Republican Party to regain its clear dominance over U.S. politics. If they’re smart, they’ll do it (on the basis of recent history showing how gullible the American public are). It is a huge opportunity for the Republican Party. We’ll soon see how smart they are (or aren’t).
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse’s new book, AMERICA’S EMPIRE OF EVIL: Hitler’s Posthumous Victory, and Why the Social Sciences Need to Change, is about how America took over the world after World War II in order to enslave it to U.S.-and-allied billionaires. Their cartels extract the world’s wealth by control of not only their ‘news’ media but the social ‘sciences’ — duping the public.
It goes on as it has throughout the time I have been around.
13 men have set in the Oval office as president, 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats both parties are equally warmongering and blood thirsty, and it will continue to be that way until God brings the Terrorist States of America to its bloody end.
At what point in time did the democrat party transition from the anti (vietnam, e.g.) war party to the party of Russian hating war mongers of today?
The author doesn’t examine that phenomenon; so, let me offer an explanation.
The transition occurred during the trump presidential campaign. The name to recall is “Wiki leaks”
“Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, whose emails were hacked, has claimed the Russian government [Putin] was behind the leak …”
From that day forward, to all serious democrats, the despicable Putin and the Russians denied Hillary her rightful place as president of the United States. And, revenge is required.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37639370
I guess the “Democrats” were in favour of wars much longer than that. Consider Syria, for instance, or Libya.
maybe this congress would like to visit the front lines? Look, think about what was required for a government to commit to scientific and technological progress that resulted in landing human beings on our moon. Then think about what changed that fostering of progress as the US Constitution required. What went wrong? What un-American opération contaminated our purpose and mission? Communism some say, no. Socialism others say, no. Try British liberalism.
You silly man. The blame lies with Putin. He started this war. In doing so her forfeited great economic opportunity for a Russian German detente.
Republicans try to avoid foreign wars as a basic tenet of the party. Kennedy and Johnson got us into and escalated the Vietnam war. Democrats wee at the helm in WWI and WWII. Trump would have avoided the war. But now it is a reality and the Ukies are winning.
The public opinion in this country so strongly favors a free Ukraine that the Republicans will allow the profiteering to continue and in doing so advance the cause of Anglo hegemony.
Putin didn’t start, but will end this war, because western nazism on the borders is not the option. War has started in 2014. 21th of February — foreign ministers of France, Germany and EU promises guarantees to president Yanukovich. 23th — guarantees are broken, the pro-western coup has ended. Spring 2014 — relocation of military units to suppress anti-coup rebels in Donbas. 2014 till late winter 2015 — active phase of war against Donbas people. February 2022, one week before the special operation was noted with heavy artillery fire at Donetsk. The number of shells is more than in active phase of war in 2014-15. It was artillery preparation before large offensive which could lead to hundreds of thousands deaths of civilians. Putin stopped this demonic plan and saved people, true peacekeeper — North Caucasus in early 2000s (international terrorists supported the US, S.Arabian money and western MSM), S.Ossetia in 2008th (american plan “Clear field” of ethnic cleansing against ossetians and abhazians), Syria 2015 (Us-supported ISIS and “democratic” forces of kurds) and now Donetsk and Lugansk 2022 (american plan again). Each episode worth the Nobel prize much more than 10 Obamas, but Putin has ruined american plans, so doesn’t deserve. The Nobel is not for a noble men.
Old fart Mac was no1, the most aggressive. He betrayed his country by serving to vietnamese propaganda in prison. He took a part in radio broadcasting with proclamation to yanks lay weapons down. To cover his treason, he simulated his legs are broken after torture. When he came out from a plane, which delivered him back home, he used plaster and crutches. But there is photo of Mac without plaster and crutches 1 day before departure. That’s why Mac is the no1, but he was elected 7 times by people who loves to eat delicious “patriotic” lies, i doubt that senatorial elections are fraud as Biden’s, so majority of people in the US loves such madmen as McCain.
McCain now serving with worms where he is more welcome they say he has good tastes but are still looking for brain and creating toxic waste issue
servants of satan!!