Douglas Macgregor – The American Conservative Oct 19, 2022
Of the Vietnam War, Henry Kissinger, former national security advisor and secretary of State under Presidents Nixon and Ford, said, “We should never have been there.” Before long, Americans, even the politicians inside the Beltway, will reach the same conclusion about Washington’s Ukrainian proxy war against Russia.
No one in the White House, the Senate, or the House consciously set out to turn the proxy Ukrainian war with Moscow into a contest of “competitive societal collapse” between Russia and NATO. But here we are. No one imagined that the Biden administration and the bipartisan war party would drive Americans and Europeans into a political, military, and economic valley of death, from which there is no easy escape. Yet that is precisely what is happening.
For the moment, Washington remains blind to these developments. Whether in print, radio, television, or online, the narrative is clear: despite horrific losses—at least 400,000 Ukrainian battlefield casualties including 100,000 soldiers killed in action—Ukrainian forces are winning. Moreover, the narrative says, America’s financial and economic dominance will ultimately overwhelm the deceptively weak Russian economy.
The Ukrainian-victory narrative admittedly benefits hugely from Western media that actively “tune out” opposing views and depict Russia and its armed forces in the worst possible light. The fact that nearly half a century of the Cold War conditioned Americans to think the worst of Russians certainly helps.
Yet there is also a measure of “true faith” at work, a condition of national narcissism, inside the Beltway that believes Washington can control what happens thousands of miles away in Eastern Ukraine. The message resonates in Congress because it rests on a critical strategic assumption that American citizens have yet to challenge: that American national power is limitless and unconstrained—as though a series of strategic failures, from Vietnam to Afghanistan, never happened.
Given that American politicians are always more preoccupied by domestic affairs than foreign policy, members of Congress are quick to adopt the “true faith.” This faith explains why for the last eight years members thought a future war with Russia was a low-risk affair. Ukrainians would provide the cannon fodder and Washington would provide the expensive weaponry and munitions.
Predictably, Washington’s governing strategic principles are unchanged from previous U.S. interventions around the world. Muddle through: masses of soldiers—in this case Ukrainians advised by U.S. and allied officers—and huge infusions of cash, equipment, and technology can and will permanently alter strategic reality in America’s favor.
The stupefying air of self-righteousness the Biden administration assumes when it attacks erstwhile strategic partners such as Saudi Arabia or delivers moralizing lectures to Beijing’s leadership, or when its media surrogates express contempt for the Russian state, is downright dangerous. Political figures in Washington are ready to indulge any transgression if it is committed in the name of destroying Russia. They do not view U.S. foreign policy in the context of a larger strategy, nor do they comprehend Russia’s capacity to hurt the United States, a bizarre judgment of Russia’s actual military and economic potential.
The result is a toxic climate of ideological hatred making it hard to imagine a contemporary U.S. secretary of State ever signing an international agreement renouncing war as an instrument of U.S. national policy, as Secretary of State Frank Kellogg did in 1928. But as one of Shakespeare’s characters in the Merchant of Venice warned, “The truth will out.”
The ongoing buildup of 700,000 Russian forces with modern equipment in Western Russia, Eastern Ukraine and Belorussia is a direct consequence of Moscow’s decision to adopt an elastic, strategic defense of the territories it seized in the opening months of the war. It was a wise, though politically unpopular choice in Russia. Yet, the strategy has succeeded. Ukrainian losses have been catastrophic and by November, Russian Forces will be in a position to strike a knockout blow.
Today, there are rumors in the media that Kiev may be under pressure to launch more counterattacks against Russian defenses in Kherson (Southern Ukraine) before the midterm elections in November. At this point, expending what little remains of Ukraine’s life blood to expel Russian forces from Ukraine is hardly synonymous with the preservation of the Ukrainian state. It’s also doubtful that further sacrifices by Ukrainians will assist the Biden administration in the midterm elections.
The truth is Moscow’s redline concerning Ukrainian entry into NATO was always real. Eastern Ukraine and Crimea were always predominantly Russian in language, culture, history, and political orientation. Europe’s descent into economic oblivion this winter is also real, as is support for Russia’s cause in China and India and Moscow’s rising military strength.
In retrospect, it is easy to see how Congress was beguiled by the denizens of think tanks, lobbyists, and retired generals, who are, with few exceptions, people with a cocktail level of familiarity with high-end conventional warfare. Members of the House and Senate were urged to support dubious strategies for the use of American military assistance, including reckless scenarios for limited nuclear war with Russia or China. For some reason, U.S. politicians have lost sight of the reality that any use of nuclear weapons would overwhelm the ends of all national policy.
It is not the first time that American political leaders misjudged the true nature of a situation. In 1969, Kissinger advised President Nixon against de-escalation on the grounds that keeping U.S. troops fighting in Vietnam remained one of Washington’s few bargaining weapons in its negotiations with Hanoi. Kissinger was wrong. Washington gained nothing at the negotiating table with Hanoi by sacrificing more Americans in Vietnam after January 1969.
In view of Ukraine’s bleak prospects of ever regaining lost territory and its deteriorating strategic health, Ukraine’s future now rests in Russian hands. For Washington, there is a morally responsible and practical answer: Kiev should stop the bloodletting and make the best possible peace with Moscow it can. Unfortunately, for Washington this solution is unthinkable.
As long as Washington delivers cash, military assistance, and equipment to Ukraine, Kiev will fight its unwinnable war, and Washington’s ruling political class will profit from the transfer of cash to the Pentagon and the U.S. Defense Industrial Base. But Washington, its NATO allies, and Ukrainians will gain nothing of strategic value, while Russia is likely to grow stronger. That is a development Washington will regret.
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Douglas Macgregor, Col. (ret.) is a senior fellow with The American Conservative, the former advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the Trump administration, a decorated combat veteran, and the author of five books.
british families struggling to survive economically
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/10/21/691303/UK-Britons-Struggling-Economic-Crisis-Bills-FCA
“No one in the White House, the Senate, or the House consciously set out to turn the proxy Ukrainian war with Moscow into a contest of “competitive societal collapse” between Russia and NATO.”
Big fat lie. Maybe I should cut Macgregor some slack, as he’s military, but guys on his level are taught geopolitics, so no slack required.
Neocons are rednecks, they just wear suits & have more power.
The rhetoric against Russia started decades ago. I know first hand from Amerikans, that some in Washington were demanding was against China 25yrs ago.
Just an observation, why do Macgregor, and Ritter videos stop at such stupid times? Same editor?
There’s NO dignity in being an American ‘decorated combat veteran’. NONE.
Government considering a commision to look into london black crime gangs
JUST DEPORT THEM
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/commission-on-knife-crime-in-black-community
The usual horseshit laid over the cabbage patch… you were all told three years ago that you ‘would own nothing and be happy’…(even you rich peasants)..
but as always you were being lied to…
because you wont be happy at all… in fact you’ll probably be very miserable..
or dead..
The US will fight to the last Ukrainian, and when it runs out of them, it will stage a false flag to commit NATO.
The THICKBrits (Boris Johnson said that Britain was ‘prepared to go it alone against Russia’) will do as they are told. The Poles, itching to attack Belarus and governed by ultranationalist crazies and crooks on the MI6 payroll, will join in.
The Baltic statelets will be carried along. The Germans will try to back away, and the Fremch will avoid any form of commitment at all.
This article is full of misleading nonsense.
“No one in the White House, the Senate, or the House consciously set out to turn the proxy Ukrainian war with Moscow into a contest of “competitive societal collapse” between Russia and NATO.”
Nonsense. Of course they did. The U.S. “government” made no secret of the long-standing plan to conquer/destroy Russia. Anyone casually paying attention could’ve predicted the ultimate result of relentless NATO expansion towards Russia.
“No one imagined that the Biden administration and the bipartisan war party would drive Americans and Europeans into a political, military, and economic valley of death, from which there is no easy escape.”
Nonsense. What did everyone think was going to happen? There were always only a few possibilities possibilities: (1) The Satanic cult that runs the corrupt West has a spiritual epiphany and gives up on its agenda of proselytizing the world for Satan; (2) Russia surrenders, disarms and hoists the rainbow flag; and (3) conflict with Russia, ultimately WW3, most likely a nuclear WW3.
“Given that American politicians are always more preoccupied by domestic affairs than foreign policy…”
Nonsense; they actually don’t give the slightest damn about domestic affairs – beyond their obligatory, cynical manipulation and control of the contemptible domestic cattle so the cattle don’t get in the way of their pursuit of their Satanic global agenda, that is.
“Predictably, Washington’s governing strategic principles are unchanged from previous U.S. interventions around the world. Muddle through: masses of soldiers—in this case Ukrainians advised by U.S. and allied officers—and huge infusions of cash, equipment, and technology can and will permanently alter strategic reality in America’s favor.”
Nonsense. Obviously, nothing that U.S. rulers do is in America’s best interests. Rather, everything they do they do for the sake of their Satanic agenda; i.e. the imposition of their Satanic, messianic, judeo-communist new world order, everywhere on earth.
You see, U.S. “government” foreign policy can only be properly understood from a Biblical perspective. That’s why articles such as this one (to the extent that they’re not intended to deceive) fail miserably at actually explaining anything.
Put simply, the the U.S. “government” is controlled by a cult of demon-possessed, devil-worshiping, theistic Satanists who’ve launched a spiritual war against all of humanity, seeking to fulfill the agenda set forth in Isaiah 14:13,14. And to these madmen, failure to accomplish this spiritual objective – i.e. the establishment of decadence and corruption EVERYWHERE ON EARTH – is a fate worse than nuclear war. And this is why things are the way they are.
THIS WAR IS FOUGHT FOR THE JEWS
TO DESTROY ANY ARIAN NATIONAL
GENTILES SELFAWARENESS OR REBELLION.
therefore that ukrainian gentiles + russian gentiles
dont unite are foreign islamic throatcutters + israeli
ExIDF implemented .
IMHO, only reason Biden and his minions (all controlled by you know who) are still in this insanity is, well, “follow the money”…and Hunter Biden’s laptop.
putin is no threat to us same as Hitler was no threat to us
but rothschild politicians love to push us stupid brits into the firing line
the only real threat to the UK is from immigration
Excellent, Harold Smith, couldn’t agree more.
Non-religious people feel uncomfortable to use the word Satanic yet their argument can’t pass beyond semantics. Satanic basically means opposition to the natural order. Obviously, opposition to the natural order produces nothing but subversion, failure & chaos. Jewish Supremacy is intrinsically Satanic because Jews, broadly speaking, have always been misfits & outcasts, not to mention unattractive.
Jewish Supremacy, or Communism, is anti-Darwinism because it proposes society being governed by the bottom. The inevitable chaos brought by world Communism is only transitory. What’s the point of governing a burning circus? After total sabotage & collapse of remaining White nations (((they))) are going to implement a sort of global right-wing dictatorship. On the other hand prosperous Aristocracy is govern by the better, not to confound with Oligarchy.
From your comment, Harold: (1) The Satanic cult that runs the corrupt West has a spiritual epiphany… Forget about it, Jews aren’t going to repent in numbers required to alter Organized Jewry’s policy. (2) Russia surrenders, disarms and hoists the rainbow flag… Unlikely, Putin is considered moderate compared to hardliners below him. Thus, unfortunately, the only option on the table seems to be WW3, nuclear or not.
How could a prophet be so prescient? How could a prophet see thousands of years in the future? Perhaps it’s not that complicated, perhaps total war on mankind is the only result Jewish Supremacy ever produced. It didn’t happen yet therefore it isn’t inevitable, however there is no turning back when Organized Jewry gets what they want, which is Global dictatorship.
Since the Jew sees it as a holy war his Generals are not men in military uniforms or fancy suits but Rabbis, a soft spot indeed.
@ PROF SUSAN FOSTER
real threat from Rothschilds-Soros immigration-
industry .
i ask myself why always the yankees start wars
from west europa + never from Kamtshatka ?
I think it would be beneficial for us if the yankees
get war on their californian coast ! israel already
laser burned california (paradise) like they nuked
NY 9.11.
when will the stupid yankee goyim understand ?