Announced in December, the planned US withdrawal of troops from Syria
came without a lot of important details. This seemingly was by design,
allowing officials to spin it as needed. Instead, it threatened to derail the entire process.
A lot of this was the decision last week to send John Bolton and
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo abroad to “reassure” allies about what
the pullout meant for them. This allowed both of them, particularly
Bolton, to tack conditions onto the process, conditions that would
please hawkish allies but undercut the pullout itself.
Bolton conditioned the US pullout on ensuring that the Kurds were
protected, and that ISIS was totally wiped out and could never reemerge.
These were favored talking points of the Pentagon when trying to sell
the US staying in Syria, but as conditions suggested the pullout might
not happen at all.
When the administration started trying to reassure that the pullout was
going to happen, the assurances about the Kurds were kept intact, which
has led the US to threaten Turkey. Pompeo has tried to spin the pullout
as a minor “tactical change,” with US troops just relocating to Iraq and
retaining all the same goals.
According to Pompeo, those goals include expelling Iran from Syria. This is noteworthy because President Trump had only recently said Iran could do what it wants in Syria.
Committing the US to trying to expel Iran sold well in Israel, and in
other countries hostile toward Iran, but greatly undercut Trump.
Deliberately vague policy announcements have allowed President Trump to
argue that Bolton and Pompeo aren’t really undercutting his plans,
because he never explicitly said what those plans were. Yet in not
making his intentions clear, he is effectively allowing them to shift
the policy in ways that complicate their overall intentions.
Trump is just covering up the fact he has his best buddy Nutlessyahoo bombing Syria for him while he withdraws the troops he deployed there on the down low.
The next time he needs a bump in the polls he’ll say what’s popular and have his neocon brothers conflate yet another tactical move with a policy goal change.
“Trump also said he had no plans to withdraw the 5,200 U.S. forces in Iraq”
“We can use this as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria,” he
said. “If we see something happening with ISIS that we don’t like, we
can hit them so fast and so hard” that they “really won’t know what the
hell happened.”
See how that works ??
Re-bottled and orange tinted hope and change sold over twitter to desperate folks waiting for a top down solution that is never going to come.
MSNBC most war-like network. All the MSM – craving war. The Democratic Party is now the primary warmongering party.
And so that makes everything Dave said false?
Indeed, this is how it works.
But the history shows that change (good or bad) happens when discord among ruling elites can no longer be papered over by money. Either because they ran the system into ground, so there is less and less money to go around resulting in intra elite fights, or there is a deepening ideological divide. Or both.
It is true — elites at the top never intend to destroy the system that feeds them. But elites in their Hubris do not notice the contradictions they create, nor do they notice when their squabbles start tearing society appart.
Do you really believe that the ruling elites are unified? That there is no rift? What do you think the rift is all about? And who is behind Trump? If you think that rulling powers are unified — and Trump is just another actor on the stage — why the viciousness of the press and some of US elites in pursuing Trump-Russia collusion? If all we see is just an Orange Act, no ideological fervor would be needed. No need to mobilize Democratic identity armies. Against whom?
So, besides running our finances into ground — what else is tearing elites apart? The nature of Anerican nationalism and its relationship to empire? Is it Trump’s empire that starts with narrowly defined national interest in determining imperial investment of cash and military? Or is it the globalism (empire) based on multilateral economic and financial obligations coupled with global permanent and rising military footprint? Hillary’s globalism of no borders.
At the height of Obama era cracks in globalism architecture were obvious. Money was just flowing out through multilateral and bilateral agreements, and fossilized conflicts leading nowhere. Years of NATO expansion, interventions in Balkans, Middle East, North Africa and Horn of Africa — resulted in economy that crashed in 2008. It has been propped up ever since, and the mere suggestion by Fed to start soaking up that massive pool of liquidity — sent stock market crashing on Christmas Eve. Even though financial collapse occurred already in 2007, it was papered over in US until fall of 2008. And before elections in 2008, globalism vent into overdrive, in naive hope that Georgia would surprise Russia, and on the day of Beijing opening Olympic games — 8.8.2008, Georgia attacked South Ossetia, with McCain being the chief cheerleader. The net result, secessionist South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence and recognized by Russia. Russia demolished Georgian military, and went home.
Obama doubled up on globalism. Reckless coup in Ukraine resulted in Crimea returning to Russia, and Eastern Ukraine in limbo. And the longer the chaos lasts — the more will Russia’s position strenghten. All that European Ukraine produced is rising prices of everything — from food to fuel, and rising debts. Obama went into Libya, and we are still paying the tab. In 2015 Russian military moved into Middle East, and Russian hysteria went into overdrive.
And will continue so for as long as Israel does not accept Russian presence in the Middle East. So, is Trump really alone coming up with bizzare tweets hoping of sitting down with Xi and Putin to discuss global meaningfull arms reduction? OK, I can say this is just for the oublic consumption, meaning nothing. But if THIS is what public wants to hear — isn’t it of grave concern for the ruling elite? Especially, if one part of that elite wants nothing to do with Russia for as long as it stays in the Middle East, while others — including public, want US out of Middle East, and talk to Russia on arms control. What gives?
And if elites do not come to terms, another color of President’s hair will not solve anything.
But economic reality, long denied as irrelevant — is assertjng itself. Right after Fed dutifully accepted its responsibility for market crash, and promised to not endanger the Holly lLiquidity — pricing pressures will start affecting US products as overpriced on global market. Collapse of Apple IPhone price in China is just a sign of times.
So, is priority the economy OR the continuation of US military global footprint costs?
Orange is just tossing it all out. Speaking from all corners of his mouth, but advocating for emoire we can afford. Either elites figure out how to solve economic enigma AND keep peace on foreign policy — or the unfortunate fate will be theirs if change comes from below.
Either way, this Humpty Dumpty cannot be out back together again.
Brilliantly said, Bianca, brilliantly said.
Pentagon said theyvdo not take orders in Syria from Bolton. Everything else is about reassuring one ally that we will remain “engaged”. So — a formula is still needed that would trip some red lines and bring US back. Turkey was thought bought and delivered — and the fact that is still standing up for its interests us infuriating. Just the tought of Turkey marching into Euphrates valley is enough to drive Bibi insane. And an added insult — NATO member on good terms with Iran. Not just good terms, but in a virtual alliance on Syria aling with Russia! And since all of this is clearly cool with Damascus, YPG is forced to choose. So — here is a majic bullet. Threaten Turkey, and keep YPG in charge of Euphrates valley. But there are only 2 Kurds per 100 angry Arabs there! Who cares, shouts Bibi — they can build walls, Kurd only roads! I can just imagine tthe unease that Israel must feel at the prospect of Turkey, Iran and Russia having a say in Syria, and not US. How about US recognizing Gollan Heights as Israel? Did nit wuite take traction in Washington yet.
It is all the result of Russian meddling! A collusion! Not enough talk of Russian danger in Washington!
The bottom line — unhappy Israel. Having invested so much in various Syrian “rebbels” , paying monthly salary to fighters, tons of food, medical supplies and serviices, weapons — and nothing to show for it. And to think of good old days when Saudi Arabia was paying armies of freedom fighters, Islamic cults of all stripes, rebels and insurgents. Now, funds cut off, as if June 2017 Saudis changed focus on their economy, Turkey picked up many “rebels” on the cheap, and — who will now fund Kurdish nation building? If US does not want to pick up the tab — who will? Clearly, Trump needed to br “tough” on Turkey, and he dutifully delivered. And equally dutifully, translator from Putin-Trump meeting has been threatened with being dragged in this pseudo legal process. Yes, there is plenty of collusion going on in Washinton. And it is all about Russia and its malign influence in the Middle East. It is all about Russia and Israel. Our European partners are dutifully participating, but are merely a decorative distraction.