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U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken participate in a virtual meeting with leaders of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue countries March 12, 2021 at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Brink of War? US' Russia-Ukraine Dilemma
To save the lives of innocent civilians around the world, U.S. citizens must demand our government employ true discussion, dialogue, and diplomacy—instead of war-mongering.
Jan 31, 2022
We've seen this before. The U.S. creates a situation, digs in its heels and makes ultimatums--and tens of thousands die.
President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
We've seen it in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now it may be over Ukraine or Taiwan.
U.S. politicians, think-tank pundits and government war makers have created a war atmosphere on many fronts.
From the U.S. military policy makers in Washington, to the boots on the ground in Europe and the Middle East, to those in ships and aircraft in the Pacific, the U.S. military is under great stress from multiple crises that did not have to happen.
Instead of slowing down and backing off, the Biden administration is led by a very aggressive Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a go-along Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
In response to U.S. war-mongering on steroids, both Russia and China are tugging on the diplomatic and military strings of the United States at the same time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed about 125,000 troops to the border of Ukraine, bringing to a head the Russian Federation's demand that the U.S. and NATO formally declare that Ukraine would not be recruited into NATO military forces. This, after 30 years of the U.S. poaching former Warsaw Pact countries into NATO despite President George H.W. Bush's promise that the U.S. would not do so.
On the other side of the world, in the Asia-Pacific region, President Xi Jinping of China is responding to the U.S. "pivot to Asia" that has withered the 50-year U.S. policy of diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China--while continuing economic and military support of Taiwan. The "One China" policy was begun decades ago in the 1970s under the Nixon administration.
The innocuous sounding "Freedom of Navigation" naval missions to stake out U.S. domination of the South China Sea have morphed into a NATO naval mission with ships from the United Kingdom and France joining the U.S. armada in China's seaside front yard.
Today, two U.S. Navy carrier groups, each with an aircraft carrier and five to eight accompanying ships, are in the South China Sea.
U.S. diplomatic missions to Taiwan that had not happened in 50 years began under the Trump administration and now have the highest-ranking U.S. government officials in five decades making highly publicized trips to Taiwan as a stick to poke in the eye of the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has responded to the U.S. actions in the South China Sea by constructing a series of military installations on small atolls as a line of defense and sending naval vessels into its own coastal waters.
And countering increased U.S. military equipment sales to Taiwan and U.S. deployment of military training personnel there, China sent fleets of military aircraft across the Straits of Taiwan from mainland China to the edge of Taiwan's air defense zone, forcing the Taiwanese Air Force to activate its air defense system.
The U.S. military is stretched to the point that the possibility, if not probability, of an incident or accident occurring that can set off a chain of events that will be disastrous for the world, is explosively high.
To save the lives of innocent civilians around the world, U.S. citizens must demand our government employ true discussion, dialogue, and diplomacy--instead of war-mongering.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. In December 2001 she was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the co-author of the book "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."
We've seen this before. The U.S. creates a situation, digs in its heels and makes ultimatums--and tens of thousands die.
President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
We've seen it in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now it may be over Ukraine or Taiwan.
U.S. politicians, think-tank pundits and government war makers have created a war atmosphere on many fronts.
From the U.S. military policy makers in Washington, to the boots on the ground in Europe and the Middle East, to those in ships and aircraft in the Pacific, the U.S. military is under great stress from multiple crises that did not have to happen.
Instead of slowing down and backing off, the Biden administration is led by a very aggressive Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a go-along Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
In response to U.S. war-mongering on steroids, both Russia and China are tugging on the diplomatic and military strings of the United States at the same time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed about 125,000 troops to the border of Ukraine, bringing to a head the Russian Federation's demand that the U.S. and NATO formally declare that Ukraine would not be recruited into NATO military forces. This, after 30 years of the U.S. poaching former Warsaw Pact countries into NATO despite President George H.W. Bush's promise that the U.S. would not do so.
On the other side of the world, in the Asia-Pacific region, President Xi Jinping of China is responding to the U.S. "pivot to Asia" that has withered the 50-year U.S. policy of diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China--while continuing economic and military support of Taiwan. The "One China" policy was begun decades ago in the 1970s under the Nixon administration.
The innocuous sounding "Freedom of Navigation" naval missions to stake out U.S. domination of the South China Sea have morphed into a NATO naval mission with ships from the United Kingdom and France joining the U.S. armada in China's seaside front yard.
Today, two U.S. Navy carrier groups, each with an aircraft carrier and five to eight accompanying ships, are in the South China Sea.
U.S. diplomatic missions to Taiwan that had not happened in 50 years began under the Trump administration and now have the highest-ranking U.S. government officials in five decades making highly publicized trips to Taiwan as a stick to poke in the eye of the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has responded to the U.S. actions in the South China Sea by constructing a series of military installations on small atolls as a line of defense and sending naval vessels into its own coastal waters.
And countering increased U.S. military equipment sales to Taiwan and U.S. deployment of military training personnel there, China sent fleets of military aircraft across the Straits of Taiwan from mainland China to the edge of Taiwan's air defense zone, forcing the Taiwanese Air Force to activate its air defense system.
The U.S. military is stretched to the point that the possibility, if not probability, of an incident or accident occurring that can set off a chain of events that will be disastrous for the world, is explosively high.
To save the lives of innocent civilians around the world, U.S. citizens must demand our government employ true discussion, dialogue, and diplomacy--instead of war-mongering.
Ann Wright
Ann Wright is a 29 year US Army/Army Reserves veteran who retired as a Colonel and a former US diplomat who resigned in March 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. In December 2001 she was on the small team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is the co-author of the book "Dissent: Voices of Conscience."
We've seen this before. The U.S. creates a situation, digs in its heels and makes ultimatums--and tens of thousands die.
President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
We've seen it in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now it may be over Ukraine or Taiwan.
U.S. politicians, think-tank pundits and government war makers have created a war atmosphere on many fronts.
From the U.S. military policy makers in Washington, to the boots on the ground in Europe and the Middle East, to those in ships and aircraft in the Pacific, the U.S. military is under great stress from multiple crises that did not have to happen.
Instead of slowing down and backing off, the Biden administration is led by a very aggressive Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a go-along Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. President Joe Biden seems to have given a dangerous green light to escalation on all fronts at the same time.
In response to U.S. war-mongering on steroids, both Russia and China are tugging on the diplomatic and military strings of the United States at the same time.
Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed about 125,000 troops to the border of Ukraine, bringing to a head the Russian Federation's demand that the U.S. and NATO formally declare that Ukraine would not be recruited into NATO military forces. This, after 30 years of the U.S. poaching former Warsaw Pact countries into NATO despite President George H.W. Bush's promise that the U.S. would not do so.
On the other side of the world, in the Asia-Pacific region, President Xi Jinping of China is responding to the U.S. "pivot to Asia" that has withered the 50-year U.S. policy of diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China--while continuing economic and military support of Taiwan. The "One China" policy was begun decades ago in the 1970s under the Nixon administration.
The innocuous sounding "Freedom of Navigation" naval missions to stake out U.S. domination of the South China Sea have morphed into a NATO naval mission with ships from the United Kingdom and France joining the U.S. armada in China's seaside front yard.
Today, two U.S. Navy carrier groups, each with an aircraft carrier and five to eight accompanying ships, are in the South China Sea.
U.S. diplomatic missions to Taiwan that had not happened in 50 years began under the Trump administration and now have the highest-ranking U.S. government officials in five decades making highly publicized trips to Taiwan as a stick to poke in the eye of the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has responded to the U.S. actions in the South China Sea by constructing a series of military installations on small atolls as a line of defense and sending naval vessels into its own coastal waters.
And countering increased U.S. military equipment sales to Taiwan and U.S. deployment of military training personnel there, China sent fleets of military aircraft across the Straits of Taiwan from mainland China to the edge of Taiwan's air defense zone, forcing the Taiwanese Air Force to activate its air defense system.
The U.S. military is stretched to the point that the possibility, if not probability, of an incident or accident occurring that can set off a chain of events that will be disastrous for the world, is explosively high.
To save the lives of innocent civilians around the world, U.S. citizens must demand our government employ true discussion, dialogue, and diplomacy--instead of war-mongering.
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