Paul Craig Roberts: The Elite Don’t Want War

Well, that’s not exactly what he writes, but his commentary supports this conclusion.

When it comes to economic and financial assessments, Paul Craig Roberts and I don’t often see eye-to-eye (not that he would notice or care) – he describes the financial problems well, but then goes on to outline his own central-planning solution.  However, on foreign policy and empire, I often find myself in agreement with him. 

He has written a piece posted today at LRC, entitled “Can Putin’s Diplomacy Prevail Over Washington’s Coercion?”  I offer a few quotes from his post that resonate well with or otherwise compliment my view of where we (7 billion of us) stand at this moment.

To summarize my view (at least the portions relevant to PCR’s commentary and this post): the puppet-masters have concluded that the US government has grown too big (and dangerous) for its britches.  While this decision comes with the unfortunate (for the elite) consequence of slowing down or even stepping back from their desires of a centralized, one-world, state, it comes with the benefit of avoiding the risk of a global nuclear holocaust – one that even the elite have no means to survive (don’t tell me about bunkers until you have a solution for the day after…or the next 300 years).

So, here goes:

…President Putin has asked the Russian legislature to repeal the authorization to use force that was granted in order to protect residents of former Russian territories that are currently part of Ukraine…

Putin has placed his future and that of his country on a bet that Russian diplomacy can prevail over Washington’s bribes, threats, blackmail, and coercion. Putin is appealing to Western Europeans. Putin is saying, “I am not the problem. Russia is not the problem. We are reasonable. We are ignoring Washington’s provocations. We want to work things out and to find a peaceful solution.”

Putin’s hope for diplomacy over force rests on Germany and France. Both countries face Europe’s budget and employment woes, and both countries have significant economic relations with Russia. German business interests are a counterweight to the weak Merkel government’s subservience to Washington. Washington has stupidly angered the French by trying to steal $10 billion from France’s largest bank.

I have written often about the possibility of the coming alliance amongst Germany, Russia, China, and maybe even Japan and Australia.  Events daily demonstrate baby-steps in this direction.  Roberts suggests that Putin is betting that Germany and France will ultimately consider the self-interest of their own countries (in the language of national politics), respectively.  Sooner or later they will, as there is no salvation via an “ally” whose primary economic strength lies in exporting funny digits on a banker’s computer screen.

If his bet is a bad one and Europe fails not only Russia but itself and the rest of the world by accommodating Washington’s drive for world hegemony, Russia and China will have to submit to Washington’s hegemony or be prepared for war.

There are a few more places left for proxy wars, I guess – Africa?  South America?  The pickins are slim.  But is there anymore appetite in the west?  Is there the financial capability?  Is there the military capability to “win”?  Events of the last several years seem to indicate “no.”

As neither side can afford to lose the war, the war would be nuclear.

Eventually it will – on purpose (if not to “do” means to “die,” how might political and military leaders act?) or by accident (trigger fingers get itchy when the rhetoric gets hot; there are enough reported such near-miss incidents during the cold war to not dismiss this possibility).

As scientists have made clear, life on earth would cease, regardless of whether Washington’s ABM shield works.

This includes the elite.  No way out, unless they have a plan to get a few hundred million of us (in order to support the lifestyle they enjoy today) and all of their toys and beaches to Mars.

This is why I oppose Washington’s policies and speak out against the arrogance and hubris that define Washington today. The most likely outcome of Washington’s pursuit of world hegemony is the extinction of life on earth.

Yup.  This is why the elite are pulling the leash.  Unless there is no such thing as the elite….