In less than two weeks will be the chilling anniversary of probably the most heinous act by my nation of pre-emptive war against another nation. March 19th, 2003 when this writer awoke for breakfast I was greeted by all the cable news networks’ subtly celebrating our carpet bombing attack on Iraq. As Baghdad was in flames elements of our 177,000 invasion force, with over 70% being Americans ( the rest from the UK, Australia and Poland ) proceeded to slowly occupy that nation. By the end of the slaughter millions of Iraqis became refugees. That nation’s infrastructure was destroyed to a certain extent ( people in Baghdad had to wait hours for drinking water and electricity, struggling with high temperatures). Where was the outrage trumpeted by most of the world? Factor out the countries who had been on the USA ‘ Shit list’ and there was silence. One did not see Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Russia, China or just about any industrialized nation issue sanctions against us. Some of those countries actually waited with bated breath for contracts to rebuild what we had just destroyed with our missiles and bombs. Isn’t capitalism great?
Russia must have observed what went on in March of 2003, and even later on, when no valid proof was produced about Iraqi WMDs. It was all a big lie, and sadly, the majority of those same nations sat by in silence. The big bad US monster had been unleashed and very few cared. Oh, people like my small group of Anti War friends organized to stand on street corners with our protest signs. Throughout the ( So called ) free world others like us did the same… to no avail. Their governments were speechless. What signal did all of this send to the Russians and Mr. Putin? Nineteen years later we have all just found out. In the case of Saddam Hussein he was an easy target for anger. The man taught Dictatorship 101. Presently, the Russians had another target for their ire: The Neo Nazi filled Ukrainian government and society. Add that to the USA led NATO making sure that plenty of WMDs are positioned on Russia’s border. Not easy for the Russkies to forget that they were attacked from the West twice, with the Nazi German one costing them over 25 million dead.
Now we have this USA Two Party/One Party government throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Russians. Followed by most of the aforementioned nations ( excluding China) they will sanction Russia up the kazoo… when all of this madness could and should have been avoided. Imagine if, after Russia shed itself of its Communist clothing in the 1990s, NATO asked Russia to actually join. Or, at least have NATO cease in signing up countries that bordered Russia, and then supplying all with plenty of firepower. Food for thought.
Sadly, in this present case of affairs, there just are no good guys… just various degrees of monsters.