THE WILD WEST SEEKS THE ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN WITH THE “CROOKED” EAST

The global geopolitical arena has become the venue for a high noon showdown.

As in the b&w westerns of the far past such as ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’, ‘High Noon’ and ‘Shane’ this “town” isn’t big enough for the two protagonists and deadly rivals involved.

A mutual intolerance for each other requires a fight to the death, in fact a mega showdown and shoot-out at some global O.K. Corral.

As I wrote in the weeks leading up to the election of Joe Biden as president of the USA what I called an ‘Ice Cold War’ was coming, that Biden would seek to unite all U.S. allies in a solid bloc against the rising powers of the east, namely Russia and China.

So it has come to be. No quarter is to be given, no meaningful diplomacy (except as a temporary tactic) will be engaged in by the West and progressively, mere demands leading to greater and greater levels of confrontation will be the order of the day. The opposition will be told to get out of “town” or face the consequences.

Though China is no Soviet Union similar tactics are being deployed against it. Unlike with the Soviets, no significant facade of surface acceptance is being attempted. Those too young to remember may not be aware that the Soviet Union appeared, on a surface level, to be an accepted reality by the West during much of the Cold War. China too saw at least one major attempt at conveying this message by Richard Nixon in 1972. These surface manifestations while covert warfare continued were deemed acceptable when the USA was in a much stronger position globally than now.

With Russia having miraculously recovered its former pride, prowess and economic power over the Putin years and China having incredibly successfully embraced a hybrid system of communist control and free-market capitalism these nations now pose a great threat to U.S. hegemony than ever before. This situation has become totally unacceptable to the political elites and establishment of both the USA and UK with Europe being somewhat more ambivalent.

What have the sheriffs of the West to lose? Only everything most dear to them.

The plot of the 1952 movie, ‘High Noon’ provides a kind of mirror image of all that’s involved:

‘In Hadleyville, a small town in New Mexico Territory, Marshal Will Kane, newly married to Amy Fowler, prepares to retire. The happy couple will soon depart for a new life to raise a family and run a store in another town. However, word arrives that Frank Miller, a vicious outlaw whom Kane sent to prison, has been released and will arrive on the noon train. Miller's gang—his younger brother Ben, Jack Colby, and Jim Pierce—await his arrival at the train station.

For Amy, a devout Quaker and pacifist, the solution is simple—leave town before Miller arrives, but Kane's sense of duty and honor make him stay. Besides, he says, Miller and his gang will hunt him down anyway. Amy gives Kane an ultimatum: She is leaving on the noon train, with or without him.

Kane visits with a series of old friends and allies, but none can (or will) help: Judge Percy Mettrick, who sentenced Miller, flees on horseback, and urges Kane to do the same. Kane's young deputy Harvey Pell, who is bitter that Kane did not recommend him as his successor, says he will stand with Kane only if Kane goes to the city fathers and "puts the word in" for him. When Kane refuses to do so, Pell turns in his badge.

Kane's efforts to round up a posse at Ramírez’ Saloon, and then the church, are met with fear and hostility. Some townspeople, worried that a gunfight would damage the town's reputation, urge Kane to avoid the confrontation entirely. Some are Miller's friends, but others resent that Kane cleaned up the town in the first place. Some are of the opinion that their tax money goes to support local law enforcement and the fight is not a posse's responsibility. Sam Fuller hides in his house, sending his wife Mildred to the door to tell Kane he is not home. Jimmy offers to help, but is vision impaired and drunk; Kane sends him home for his own safety. The mayor continues to encourage Kane to just leave town. Kane's predecessor, Martin Howe, cannot assist Kane, as he is too old and arthritic. Herb Baker had agreed to be deputized, but backs out when he realizes he is the only volunteer. A final offer of aid comes from a 14-year-old boy; Kane admires his courage, but turns him down.

While waiting at the hotel for the train, Amy meets Helen Ramírez, who was once Miller's lover, then Kane's, finally Pell's, and is leaving as well. Helen tells Amy that if Kane were her man, she would not abandon him in his hour of need.

At the stables, Pell saddles a horse and tries to persuade Kane to take it. Their conversation becomes an argument, and then a fist fight. Kane finally knocks his former deputy senseless. Kane returns to his office to write out his will as the clock ticks toward noon.’

(Text from Wikipedia.)

Of course, ultimately the ‘good guy’ in ‘High Noon’ wins the day and survives, ensuring everyone who is good and law-abiding lives happily ever after.

This is how western elites see things, or pretend to.

They are the good guys, those holding up the sacred banners of freedom and democracy. They wear their metaphorical white hats with pride as a potent symbol of complete sanctity (despite engaging in mass murder and other dastardly deeds from time to time as deemed to be unfortunate, but necessary, never harming their reputation for complete purity of intent.)

The bad guys, who stand ‘over there’, are guilty of all kinds of nefarious deeds. Almost no good word can be said about them. Like the notorious western villain played by Jack Palance in the movie ‘Shane’ they are simply bad through and through, incapable of redeeming themselves and only showing their true colours blatantly in glorying in their evil exploits. When they are finally shot down by the hero we are to applaud wildly and feel not a trace of compassion as they lie humbled in the dirt.

So it is now in the global theatre of the new Cold War, the Ice Cold War. It is Icy because even the seeming warmth of occasional diplomacy seen during the Cold War has all but disappeared leaving two gimlet-eyed opponents facing each other with hardly a trace of understanding or compassion between them.

The shoot-out will not be in any minor O.K. Corral but in somewhere like the Taiwan Straits. If not there then on the Russian-Ukraine border or some as yet unforeseen location. The two opponents stand ready, though only one of them has guns drawn, advancing on the others. That is the USA. Neither Russia nor China are remotely advantaged by a hot war ‘brought on’ by the USA.

Bill Hicks, the late-lamented comedian with the sharpest, most insightful take on the geopolitical scene as well as many others described the scene perfectly in his routine, ‘You Saw Him, He Had A Gun’. This is where we as bystanders are now, watching a modern version of an old and well-oiled tactic of the United States and western elites in general. Push your opponents with all means necessary until the pressure gets so great you have your chance to destroy them.

If the USA and UK are successful much of the world may well applaud, at least their political representatives will. But though Hadleyville in ‘High Noon’ can be envisaged as being peaceful, law-abiding and prosperous after the shoot-out the same I am sure would not hold true for Planet Earth. The new, all-vanquishing “Sherriff” would soon become its de facto jailor.

TONIGHT’S NEWS ON AN ALTERNATE EARTH

“In China today the CCP once again called on the USA to desist in its policing policies which continue to result in massive numbers of civilian deaths year on year.

The Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission went on to reiterate the view of the Chinese government that it was entirely unacceptable for the USA to so consistently abuse the human rights of its citizens in this way.

The members of the European Council unanimously backed the statement by the CCP with an agreed statement of its own deploring the continued use of excessive force on U.S. citizens and posing the suggestion that all member states and interested parties meet in an appropriate forum to discuss possible sanctions against the USA in an effort to persuade it to adopt the civilized standards of policing agreed as the ideal across the international community.

In response Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State for the USA adopted a confrontational approach restating the policy of the USA that it would tolerate no interference in its internal affairs.”

“In other, related news, continuing efforts are being made by the international community to free the people of Cuba from the human rights-abusive nature of the USA’s policy of life-threatening acts of war against it, including its long-running embargo.

Specifically, a joint communique by officials from Canada along with representatives of PROSUR (Forum for the Progress and Development of South America) called for renewed pressure on the United States to end the long-running abuse of the Cuban people.

Specifically, a joint communique by officials from Canada along with representatives of PROSUR (Forum for the Progress and Development of South America) called for renewed pressure on the United States to end the long-running abuse of the Cuban people.

The statement reads as follows:

‘We deplore in the strongest possible terms the blatant human rights abuses amounting to state terrorism against the people of Cuba by the USA. The current administration ought to work in a proactive fashion to scale back and ultimately end its unwarranted attacks on the Cuban people in the shortest time possible. It ought not to underestimate the will of the international community to hold its political elite to account.

The lessons learnt over the similar abusive behaviour towards the government and people of Venezuela resulting in the global condemnation of the USA and the sanctioning of a full twenty-five of its political leadership ought to show how seriously we take this matter.”

We have consulted a number of expert commentators on these several issues this evening to present their take on whether the present U.S. administration is likely to take heed of these new warnings concerning its behaviour.

First of these is General Wei Fenghe, CCP Minister of National Defence.

Anchor: “General Fenghe, is it your view that what is obviously the clear intransigence of the U.S. leadership on these issues can be modified in any way by the application of the pressure we have heard coming from China, Canada, the EU and PROSUR members today? This in light of previous attempts to persuade the U.S. administration to change its behaviour being unsuccessful in the United Nations due to use of the veto by the USA and its ally Britain.”

General Wei Fenghe: “There are few causes for optimism I’m afraid. During consecutive administrations, we have seen the same intransigence and disregard for international opinion repeated over and over again. It seems unlikely that a change of heart is possible at this stage. The political will to do so appears to be completely absent.”

Anchor: “What do you see as the root cause of this intransigence, what factors are causing it to be so persistent, continuing as you say over many consecutive administrations?”

General Wei Fenghe: “It appears that a fervent nationalism is at the basis of these attitudes, a self-asserting notion of absolute superiority over others, an attitude stemming from a long history of racism within the body politic of the USA, this combined with a lack of understanding or toleration for other cultures. The political culture of the country lends itself to the notion of its population and political systems being exceptional, reinforced at all levels by a ready use of violence to emphasize this exceptionally arrogant and unwarranted belief.”

Anchor: “Thank you General for sparing time to provide your insightful views. I am sure we will call on you again in future on these and related matters.”

General Wei Fenghe: “My pleasure.”

As was said before, an attempt was made in recent days to persuade the USA to modify its behaviour with a resolution before the Security Council of the United Nations. This implored the United States to reconcile itself to the norms of international behaviour and to instigate changes to its legislature which would bring it into line with the formats agreed across the civilized world.

As said previously this resolution had unanimous agreement across all but two nations that opposed it and ultimately applied their power of veto to nullify its effect, those two nations being the United States itself and Great Britain.

Our resident expert on the United Nations, Mr Filippo Grandi, is here with us now to give his insight on this failed resolution and the broader question we are discussing tonight, whether the USA, acknowledged as a rogue state disrupting international norms can be made to change its ways.

Anchor: “Mr Grandi do you see any hope at all that any institution across the globe can bring this nation to its senses and adapt itself to the processes, procedures and norms agreed as of a truly civilized standard across the world at this point?”

Mr Filippo Grande: “The question is a very good one and I would like to respond in full if you don’t mind.

The USA has a long history of abusing civilian populations, whether within its borders or outside them. Beginning with the genocide of the native population of the landmass it expropriated for itself. This was followed by the enslavement of millions on the African continent along with its primary ally Great Britain. Having shown this proclivity for the blatant abuse of human rights and mass murder we have seen these repeated over and over in the subsequent years.

Invasions, mass death, the use of nuclear weapons, aggression, fear and threats, covert subversion, pernicious abuse of sanctions and covert and overt subversion of other nations leading to the disruption and destruction of societies have been keynote in the way the political class of the USA has approached its foreign policy decision making.

To answer your question, sad to say I’m afraid I don’t see even an iota of political will within the closed network of U.S. group-thought consensus among its political class that could provide even the merest glimmer of hope on these issues. This being the case I doubt they will pay any attention to what any institution out there says to them.”

Anchor: “Thank you very much Mr Grande for providing our viewers with the benefit of your insight here tonight.”

Mr Filippo Grande: “It has been my pleasure. Goodnight.”

Anchor: “That concludes our 6 pm broadcast. Please join us in one hour’s time for continuing updates on the most pressing issues of your day and our times.”

ARE WE ON COURSE FOR GEOPOLITICAL SUICIDE?

It is beyond belief that while humanity struggles to survive the latest pandemic with anything approaching the retention of normality, and we head inexorably into the increasing effects of human-caused climate change, that the world’s elites behave like duelling bullies in a kindergarten playground.

What are the forces driving such irresponsible behaviour? This must surely be the question in many minds now.

We hear a lot of talk from world elites these days about the need to put policies in place so that the Earth’s diverse environments are not put at risk by the effects of climate change. But as Greta Thunberg points out these plans usually turn out to be ‘smoke and mirrors’, deceptions to make it appear something significant is being done when in reality little or nothing of consequence truly is.

The current pandemic revealed the inadequacy of current systems everywhere outside of China to cope. Yet even in this potentially disastrous situation requiring an urgent need to unify the response, there was an obvious lack of willingness to coordinate and share resources, most notably the patents for the various so-called vaccines and most notably of all to members of the so-called developing nations.

These puny reactions to enormous threats and the clear unwillingness to act with anything approaching unity surely reveal with utmost clarity how our world continues to struggle forward in the kindergarten stage of its political and geopolitical evolution. And this mind you in spite of the greatest threats to humankind known in our lifetimes and arguably in any human lifetime ever lived.

Daily we see evidence of the fractured nature of political and geopolitical life across the planet. The elites of the western world in particular are clearly of the opinion that those who they perceive as an economic threat are most appropriately waged war against. In the face of the obvious and growing need for cooperation to mitigate the threats facing us all, they choose to emphasize division to the absolute limit and seek constantly to raise the temperature within the geopolitical pressure cooker.

An all-out war on the information and economic fronts fill the airwaves and each print medium in the West pushing for a permanent split between east and west, greater fear and misunderstanding, suspicion and every aspect of negativity making cooperation increasingly impossible.

Those who think in terms other than their own personal benefit in life are surely massively perturbed by these developments. The latter may well be a small percentage of humanity and located far from the levers of power. The scale of current disputes at an elite level can’t help but impact even those most selfish egotists and materialists who compose a greater percentage, however. And the average man and woman on the street simply trying to make a living for themselves and their families. The seriousness of our situation cannot help but get through to all humanity if present trends continue.

We appear to be on juggernauts driven by a tiny minority of elites worldwide and the destination appears to be a solid wall of cast iron.

In my mind and I suspect in the mind of an increasing number of others this has all the hallmarks of a mass extinction event, of a geopolitical suicide.

THE WEST IN EVANGELICAL WAR MODE DEMANDS GLOBAL CONVERSION

Western elites have constructed an unquestioned, impermeable and impregnable group-thought reality for themselves that informs all they do.

Within this mind boundary, certain concepts are sacrosanct. The thought of dislodging these concepts within this cult-like group is unthinkable.

The all-permeating reality is held firmly in place by its overwhelming necessity to the entire western elite structure which would immediately begin to collapse without it.

The concepts within this reality have become an unquestioned dogma that no single individual or grouping within the whole is allowed in any way to undermine. Any individual or group seeking to do so would suffer immediate ejection from the group-thought bubble the remaining elites exist within.

The concepts within the western elite belief bubble and group-thought boundary are well known, hardly requiring delineation. Concepts regarding exceptionality, superiority, freedom and democracy, the aura of being imbued with a grave responsibility to enlighten, influence, convince and coerce others to their way of thinking that comes from wielding the enlightened power that entitles them to carry the torch of impeccable western liberal values before them.

With these concepts, precepts and principles imbuing them with virtual perfection, why would western elites conceive of other realities as to some degree valid? This, however, is the most vital requirement of the diplomatic approach where the possibility of a negotiated compromise becomes possible. When you consider the reality of your mode of existence and political environment to be perfect and universally applicable as a dogmatic tenet requiring distribution globally, would you alloy it by any form of compromise?

This mode of thought, if it can even be called rational thought at this stage of unquestioned belief in the reality required by all western elite participants, delivers the present geopolitical war we see reflected in the western approach to those it targets for change. It sees no benefit except in the short term to compromise en route to the ultimate goal, the transformation, by force if necessary, of all others to its own virtually holy standard.

This evangelical requirement to convert others and bring them into the holy fold of perfection makes unthinking zealots of its leaders and of those within the belief bubble in their cult-like status. All those outside their sphere of perfection are seen as unclean heretics who may have to be humoured before their ultimate conversion in these modern times rather than simply put to death as in times past.

What role can true diplomacy play when you conceive yourself to be perfect and that a vital necessity and existential requirement exists to convert all others? How can you bring yourself to negotiate a lesser outcome than the total submission of the heretics to your requirements? A pretence of diplomacy can be allowed to be used as a snare, being an unpleasant necessity but for a temporary period only while the ultimate goal of complete dissolution and conversion of the heretics is achieved. Nothing approaching true diplomacy can be contemplated that might risk leaving the evildoers able to continue their devilish activities unhindered. To engage in such an activity would be seen as a totally iniquitous ‘Devil’s Bargain’ in the current western elite mindset.

As the most zealous of the zealots occupy the most powerful positions within the church of the perfect system the most common features will be a stream of lectures and demands aimed at the impure below them. The dogmatic thought processes revealed in those moments show just how impossibly impermeable to true reason and willingness to compromise the cult-like reality within the western elite has become.

Just as in evangelical Christianity where its primary adherents and advocates likened themselves to soldiers vanquishing the minions of the Devil to save the souls of humankind, so too do western political elites see themselves in a similar light. They conceive themselves as carrying the light of democracy before them, all imbued with the solemn and holy mission to bring down those denying that holy light to others. How in heaven’s name could they bring themselves to compromise in this task and so leave some poor souls in the dark? So, they too are soldiers, and have accustomed themselves to fighting the ‘long war’ using all means deemed necessary.

War mode allows almost anything to be said about an enemy and anything done to that enemy in light of the vital end goal conceived of. All ethical values can be put to one side for the greater good of that ultimate goal. All ethical and moral concerns such as those concerning truth and lies can be set to one side while the war mode prevails. All is fair in love and war and when you love yourself conceiving yourself and your systems to be the holiest and most perfect of all then all your actions become fair, even at the cost of millions of lives. Kidnap and torture then become ‘unfortunate necessities’, as do the dirtiest tricks of covert subversion along with the manufacture of useful lies with the distortion and undermining of journalistic integrity.

The smiting of those heretics refusing all attempts at “diplomatic” conversion to the obvious “truth” of western superiority are seen in acts of mass murder. All fully justified as seen through the eyes of those with the unquestionable and largely unquestioned goal of creating the best of all possible worlds.

U.S. POLICY ON CHINA REGARDING TAIWAN - THE CRIMEA EFFECT

Could it be that the USA is seeking to goad China into action that would have a severely limiting effect on the headway China is making regarding its trading potential via such innovations as the Belt and Road Initiative but of course not limited to it.

The use made of Russia’s reunion with Crimea gave the USA a potent tool with which to attack Russia and limit its trading potential via the sanctions which are still in existence to this day.

What if the current U.S. actions are designed to push China just far enough to achieve such a Crimea effect over Taiwan? Almost any military action on the part of the PLA would probably do to churn out all the resolutions and demand for sanctions against China required by the USA. In addition and arguably even more importantly it would provide the U.S. with what they would assert was full justification to penalise any nation doing business with China in the same way as it has done previously regarding Russia, Iran and Venezuela.

It may well be that the Taiwanese authorities have been fully briefed on this plan and have full knowledge of the required outcome. That outcome as I see it would be to goad the Chinese to such an extent that some breach of current norms by military means so that the actions above regarding sanctions etc. could be speedily applied to China just as they were regarding Russia and Crimea.

On the face of it this belligerence by the USA looks completely reckless and irresponsible, risking an all-out war. However, if this policy is NOT the result of hot heads but rather of cool, calculating ones we may see a calculated restraint come into being once the required military activity of the PLA has been brought into being quite knowingly by both the USA and Taiwan.

It is more likely that a step by step approach is being taken by the USA in conjunction with Taiwan and allies Australia and the UK. The attempt to weaken China through disrupting its at present rather favourable reputation in most nations it trades with, appears much more likely to me than any kind of suicidal attempt to generate an outright, full-scale war with the nation. I say suicidal as there is no prospect whatsoever that the USA, Australia, UK and Taiwan could win against China in its own backyard. The human casualties in Taiwan and Australia and the devastation to the infrastructure in both nations would be immense. Fomenting a full-scale war with China would also end in ignominious defeat for the U.S. and UK as they would not have the capacity to mount a serious challenge within the South China Sea.

In my view, it is far more likely that the USA and its allies are simply pushing China to do something that would allow it to be attacked financially and economically via sanctions and a full range of American-led prohibitions on countries attempting to do business with a China it has goaded so far into a pariah state by intent.

2025: A SECURE RUSSIA & NEW WORLD TAKE SHAPE

President Sergey Kuzhugetovich Shoigu was feeling relatively relaxed. The years of his presidency so far had seen him negotiate the transition begun by his predecessor and good friend Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin better than he had ever dared hope.

He had felt the weight of the responsibility bequeathed him keenly, but now he had begun steadily to feel more assured than ever that the correct path had been taken. He had seen clearly in recent months that the new policies had bedded down extremely well.

The build-up of western elite opposition to Russia had increasingly emphasized and reemphasized the need to create the kind of robust economic systems and structures that had served well in the past. Not that these were designed to mirror any previous system or structure exactly, and most certainly not that of the Soviet Union. But the direction was certainly cast in the strong Russian bedrock that had created a stable society in the past, a bedrock that had always kept Russia in a well-defended posture, safe from foreign aggressors.

China had long been a convincing example of how robust a society and economy can be, free from outside aggression and pernicious influence. In time, as the intent of the West to exert overwhelming influence in Russia through whatever means it could became obvious, it was clear that the Chinese model, though not to be followed slavishly, was the direction of travel most assured to provide the defence required against a predatory West.

Putin’s advocacy for Shoigu had been accepted due to the certainty among the vast majority of Russians that it was the result of many years of intent observation. When Putin stated that Shoigu was the right man to take over the reigns of the presidency it resonated strongly among the Russian people and in the election period which followed it was clear by every poll that Russians trusted the opinion of Vladimir Putin much higher than any other and on the 25th of July 2023 Shoigu became president of the Russian Federation.

There were times in previous years when some thought good faith might eventually be shown the the elites of the West. There were periods of quiet when diplomacy appeared to be bearing fruit and these times provided hope to some. However, in the upper echelons of the Russian state a clear-eyed awareness of the ultimate plans of the West had been known for over two decades. The necessity to safeguard the Russian state and its people, culture, traditions and political requirements was of the highest priority. Subsequently a range of policies gradually insulated the federation from the attacks which it was known would not be ending but would only escalate with the years.

As with the Chinese model planning was moved increasingly to the centre while leaving entrepreneurs free to create thriving businesses. But also, as with China, corruption would not be tolerated within any business community or culture. Everything would be done for the Russian people and that meant insulating them from the economic attacks that were known to be in the pipeline emanating from the West. Creating an alternative to the SWIFT system, gradually cutting holdings of the dollar and euro, finding new trading partners and allies and diversifying its economy would be the way to insulate Russia from attack.

Shoigu had spent many hours with Putin discussing all this, both in Moscow and in their many one-to-one trips in the Siberian wilderness. He knew precisely what Putin and his closest advisers had determined was the only sure path to not only to a robust military defence for Russia but also an economic and social one. Nothing mattered to either man than the safeguarding of Russia and the Russian people and both were totally selfless in pursuit of the goal of a thriving Russia as totally immune to western aggression as it was possible to be.

Meetings with President Xi had resulted in a plethora of agreements that saw the two nations arm in arm regarding the most major aspects of both economic and foreign policy. Both nations had committed fully to use trade and investment as the way forward along with a commitment to finding common ground when dealing with other nations and especially so when nations were in conflict. There would be no reflection whatsoever of the strongarm tactics of the West and absolutely no attempt to impose any systems or values by force or any other means. Trade and investment with a constant emphasis on finding common ground had begun to create an entirely new geopolitical paradigm for the world.

As these plans progressed the West fell ever further into turmoil with ever more chaotic and wrong-headed solutions advocated within societies at a loss regarding how to cope with the world of anarchy and division they had created for themselves. Energy crisis followed energy crisis as climate change effects hit and a dysfunctional, atomized, anarchic and disorganized West became ever more intent on internal strife while engaging in irresponsible fingerpointing at the two nations forging successfully ahead, those of Russia and China.

It wasn’t how Shoigu and Xi wished it to be as they were very much hoping that western nations would be part of a global win-win economic scenario where an end could be brought to the seemingly endless wars that America and British exceptionalism engendered. However, such was the power of the group-thought concepts of superiority and so-called western liberal values held by western elites that it was clear they were simply and utterly incapable of any meaningful change to their disastrous approach.

Shoigu though, was relaxed in his confidence that the changes begun by Putin and continued by himself were at such a point that Russia was safe no matter what the West now attempted. With China as an ever-stronger ally and with the changes now completed within the financial restructuring plan and currency policy he could afford to let some of the burdens of office fall from his shoulders. His team was extremely effective and committed, fully cognisant of what was at stake and ready for every task remaining to ensure a protected Russia and an increasingly safer world at large.