FLOGGING A DEAD WARHORSE

When the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies were deeply committed to communism, along with a substantial number of other nations worldwide including within Africa and Latin America, it is unsurprising that the capitalist elites of the West considered themselves at war.

This war, they believed, was to save the democratic values of the western world and their allies from the dead hand of communism as they saw it. To save freedom and democracy from those who were planning to snuff out both and forever. If you are going to engage in war I think you will agree these are very good reasons, whether you agree with the facts as seen by them, or not.

But what of the current situation?

The elites of the USA and the UK appear to be in some kind of throwback position to those dark and deadly days (as they saw them) where a rapacious foe confronts them, a strong and deadly foe that could wipe out their civilized customs and freedom-loving values. But where IS this foe?

Apparently it is Russia, over and above any other possible candidates.

That Russia has an economy approximately the size of that of South Korea and has a political system that, even if it is not a mirror image of the U.S. or UK democratic systems, is still far and away more democratic that for instance North Korea or China. But no, Russia is the primary villain of the piece if we listen to Biden’s Obama rehash of a cabinet and the man himself. Russia is America’s rival, Putin is Hitler reborn. Yes and Alexei Navalny is Winston Churchill.

Why and from where does this pantomime villain portrait emerge?

I can only guess it emerges from the same place as any entity for which there is an enormous need. You can fill in the gap:

“If there wasn’t any _________________ it would have to be invented.”

Meanwhile the big red elephant in the room stands unnoticed... or so we might think.

China

Without doubt China is the ultimate target. It is not Russia that threatens the foundations of America’s primacy in the world. It is not Russia that is taking America’s manufacturing base from it. It is not Russia that has the vast resources in terms of money, a massive, highly skilled/productive workers and influence across Africa, Europe and across the USA itself. It is China. And very obviously China.

But there are huge problems connected to waging war against China. Trump in his mendacious idiocy and hate-fueled rhetoric along with his futile tariffs was waging a war of sorts against China. Much of it was a war of words using his usual vindictive tones which he has the ability to turn on and off at will, able to become lovey-dovey at the turn of some internal dial it seems. In his delusionary state he believed that was a successful tactic. It wasn’t. China has continued to rise economically in spite of all Trump’s vindictive rhetoric and mean-spirited, counterproductive tariffs.

Essentially the USA is impotent in regard to reducing China’s inevitable growth. It will not even be able to keep it frozen. Already China is once again beginning to power ahead after being the main major nation to beat Covid.

No, Russia remains the primary whipping boy and scapegoat for the USA, the primary useful target for a variety of purposes. The unwarranted fear of Russia is a useful tool with which to coerce the American public into a state of sheeplike obedience when it comes to state and security demands that require them to relinquish a few rights and freedoms. Ironic in light of what they say they wage the war to protect, no?

“Russia! Russia!! Russia!!!”

Whenever western states or their compliant mass media wheel out the cardboard cutout facade of Russian evil these days greater and greater numbers within western populations groan in rejection of this obvious ruse. The skepticism has rightly become enormous. Not that there was so much skepticism during the Trump years. For those who saw the pantomime for what it was, yes. But many believed the charade. Others were unsure but if it hurt Trump then “Yeah! That devil Trump! He’s Putin’s Puppet!” This despite Trump doing all he could to hurt Russia by attacking every ally Russia has and giving hi-tech weapons to the Ukrainian regime to kill pro-Russians and Russian volunteers in eastern Ukraine.

With scarcely any evidence at all apart from some weird Facebook ads that didn’t mention Trump and nonsense about ‘collusion’ that turned out to be b.s. there was no there, there. But that didn’t stop the clamor to find Russia guilty of anything and everything under the sun.

Meanwhile if you follow the money you will find some interesting winners in all this. The Military Industrial Complex of the USA for one. Wall Street for another, intimately involved as it is with the first benefactor.

With Trump now gone we can see Biden and his team carrying on where Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton left off. The meme about Russia can’t possible be abandoned now. How would THAT look? No, naturally that old cardboard cutout depicting the existential threat of economically tiny Russia must be given a make over and wheeled out yet again.

Drawn by home they hope? The same old horse from last time? Why yes.

It has also been refurbished with new technology inside and a fresh leather coat. It looks almost new... for those with memories like a sieve.

That old, dead warhorse has new glazed glass eyeballs and is all ready for the road once again.