Category Archives: Foreign Policy

UPDATED: Not Russia, But American Ally Turkey Is ‘The World’s Biggest Jailer Of Journalists,’ Frequently For LIFE

Foreign Policy, Free Speech, Journalism, Media, Middle East, Russia, War

If you’re getting your news from the American media, you probably don’t know that Turkey, so far an American ally, headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is massacring “Kurdish insurgents in Syria’s Afrin province.”

Turkish troops are capturing Kurdish villages, and killing members of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Lots of civilians, no doubt, are perishing. Except that Turkish journalists are forbidden to report about their government’s atrocities ongoing.

When “Turkey’s army claims to have ‘neutralized’ over 2,000 YPG fighters in Afrin without killing a single civilian,” that’s what goes to press. “Not a single mainstream media outlet has question[s] the figures.”

Why?

Because “Turkey is the world’s biggest jailer of journalists, with over 100 currently behind bars.” (“Muzzling the Media No one in Turkey dares report accurately on the war in Syria,” The Economist, Mar 1st, 2018.)

On February 16th a court sentenced six media workers, including a prominent novelist, to life in prison without parole on trumped-up charges of involvement in an abortive coup in 2016. … The internet is no longer a safe space for dissent. In the past month more than 800 people have been detained for protesting against the war on social media.

MORE.

UPDATE: Trump turning on the Kurds to pacify the Turks. Us “moving to repair relations with Turkey, endangering ties with Kurdish allies.”

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Hiring The Best People, POTUS? Start By Firing The Family And The Fashion Models

Donald Trump, Family, Foreign Policy

Sadly, it’s true. The one vow Trump made that “went the way of many campaign promises” was candidate “Donald Trump’s promised to hire only ‘the best people.'” (“Land of the flee: Staffing the White House,” The Economist.)

For example, there are now two former models—with no particular gifts or qualifications other than their guile and good looks—in senior positions in the White House: Ivanka Trump and Hope Hicks.

The First Daughter is conducting diplomacy with South Korea, no less. Ivanka is as qualified as her silly husband is to meddle in the Middle East. But at least Jared Kusher is a mute. He doesn’t speak.

“Ivanka Trump Briefed South Korea President on North Korea Sanctions Despite Reportedly Lacking Permanent Security Clearance,” blared a 2/23/18 Newsweek headline. Never mind security clearance. Steve Bannon attested that Ivanka Trump was as “dumb as a brick.”

And you can take that to the bank.

UPDATED (2/12/019): Funding The Soros Alliance … In Ukraine

America, Democracy, EU, Foreign Policy, Russia

Did you know that “the American government approved plans last year to provide lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine, a move … President Barack Obama had resisted.”

Well, now you know.

As I pointed out in “Presstitute-Cultivated Ignorance On Ukraine” (2014),

The “the struggle for Ukraine” is a chapter in a series of US orchestrated provocations, which began with the expansion of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) eastward to abut Russia’s borders—an expansion pursued by Clinton, Bush and Obama alike. It gathered momentum with the US-backed attempts to incorporate Georgia and the Ukraine into the North Atlantic alliance.

The next stage in goading the Russian Bear consisted in American-funded NGO political-action groups—many of them backed by George Soros—flooding Russia proper. (“Purple” in Iraq, Blue in Kuwait, Cotton in Uzbekistan, Grape in Moldova, “Orange” in the Ukraine, “Rose” in Georgia, “Tulip” in Kyrgizstan, “Cedar” in Lebanon, Jasmine in Tunisia, Green in Iran, still un-christened in Russia and Syria: Dig around and you’ll find American activists à la Alinsky behind these “color-coded,” plant-based revolutions, blessed and backed by Foggy Bottom.)

“A US-NATO military outpost in Georgia and missile-defense installations near Russia” completed the provocation. “Whether this longstanding Washington-Brussels policy is wise or reckless, it is … deceitful,” inveighed scholar of Russian history Stephen Cohen.

Back in February of 2014, I also predicted “a second Cold War between the US and Russia …”

The ignoramuses of the Beltway are still flouting America’s national interests and squandering Russian goodwill…

UPDATE (2/12/019):

UPDATED (2/4/018): It’s Been A While Since Foreign Policy Has Been So Perilous On So Many Fronts

Foreign Policy, Middle East, Neoconservatism, Russia, War

Scanning the front page of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity should make all sane people gloomy. The neoconservatives are in charge and no one is the wiser. Certainly in foreign policy, there has been a speedy reversion to the neoconservative mean.

A smattering of headlines:

* “US Troops Arrive in Israel to Practice for Potential War With Hezbollah.” WTF!

* “Mattis Threatens Military Action Over Syria Gas Attack Claims, Then Admits ‘No Evidence‘”

* “Breaking: US-Backed Free Syrian Army Group Shoots Down Russian Jet, Kills Pilot”

* “Rex Tillerson: Neocon.”

Doesn’t look like President Trump has surrounded himself with the best people to optimize his original America First promise. Neoconservatives are indisputably the worst. In my book, The Trump Revolution: The Donald’s Creative Destruction Deconstructed, you will find recommendations for the excellent people we could have had in place, down to the military.

UPDATE (2/4/018):

Follow the money: Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD): Kurt Volker of the aptly named McCain Institute is speaking on Fox New charmingly about what’s essentially a nuclear arms race. So you know: US Missile Defense system has failed recently.

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