CounterPunch
August 25, 2016

by Mike Whitney

The main architect of Washington’s plan to rule the world has abandoned the scheme and called for the forging of ties with Russia and China. While Zbigniew Brzezinski’s article in The American Interest titled “Towards a Global Realignment” has largely been ignored by the media, it shows that powerful members of the policymaking establishment no longer believe that Washington will prevail in its quest to extent US hegemony across the Middle East and Asia. Brzezinski, who was the main proponent of this idea and who drew up the blueprint for imperial expansion in his 1997 book The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives, has done an about-face and called for a dramatic revising of the strategy. Here’s an excerpt from the article in the AI:

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Friends, reread Tom Friedman’s eloquent interview with George Kennan, the titan of US-Russia relations….and weep.

What opportunities we have missed. Even today it’s not too late to do a course correction. But….is it possible with the current political “mice” already in place and others coming into office behind them?

Only a massive “public awareness” effort to wake up American citizens across this country will prevent more wars and global disaster. And if such a effort is possible, in the beginning it will need to be accomplished outside of mainstream media….which at this moment would not cover it.

For the future of our families, communities, country, and peoples across our world, would you be ready to give input to and to participate in a high-level, respectable “public awareness” educational campaign starting in January 2017? This would not be about protests and demonstrations (although at times these have their place). I’m more interested in activities that would be carried out by our mainstream professionals and business communities across America.

If so, please let me know.

Sharon

…. and please, please read the interview below. Thanks!

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The Intercept
August 19, 2016

By Lee Fang

The escalating anti-Russian rhetoric in the U.S. presidential campaign comes in the midst of a major push by military contractors to position Moscow as a potent enemy that must be countered with a drastic increase in military spending by NATO countries.

Weapon makers have told investors that they are relying on tensions with Russia to fuel new business in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and modest increases in its military budget.

In particular, the arms industry — both directly and through its arsenal of hired-gun, think-tank experts and lobbyists – is actively pressuring NATO member nations to hike defense spending in line with the NATO goal for member states to spend at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

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Dear Friends,

I’m pleased to share with you an exceptional analytical piece concerning Putin and Russia. John Pepper, the author, has served in numerous notable positions and roles, including former CEO and Board Chairman of Procter & Gamble. John’s decision to take P&G to Russia (to both sell and manufacture there) has been a huge success story.

While introducing P&G to Russia, John immersed himself in the country’s history and culture, as well as in the worlds and lives of his Russian managers and staff. He is widely known as a noble American businessman who exudes ethics, integrity and the spirit of “giving back” to the countries in which his businesses have operated.

While John was working in St.Petersburg, he led an initiative to develop a high quality School of Business. He began a funding campaign and obtained the support of the academic leadership at St. Petersburg State University. Thanks largely to his efforts, the city gave the University two all-but-destroyed 19th century palaces for the first buildings of the new School of Management. It was here that my life intersected with John’s work. The project needed a respected US-based 501C3 organization through which to receive donations and pay bills for renovating the two palaces. I was delighted by the concept and invited to sit on the board. CCI became the U.S. NGO for this amazing project––giving me the opportunity to begin a long-term friendship with this remarkable man.

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Friends, interesting …. when reading a few days ago that President Obama was considering “No First Use” regarding nuclear weapons, I pondered at that time, “Is this a ploy to get the issue aired (because others have begun bringing it up) …. then get a hefty response from the “First Use” crowd around him? I’m not psychic, but it was obvious that this would happen––and it has.

So now we have it — our futures look to be relentlessly driven toward a confrontation, or in less sanitized words, a massive Nuclear War. Meanwhile, our hard-working American citizens who run daycare centers, schools, churches, hospitals, businesses, universities and city halls know little to nothing about this. Why? Because they read only mainstream media and watch U.S. TV news — which are not reporting what our top investigative journalists, academicians, scientists and now mayors of American cities are urging. That is, back off on pushing Russia from all directions, reduce the number of nuclear weapons, and declare a ’No First Strike” policy.

Do our current U.S. policymakers have a death wish? Will they force a war with Russia and Putin because they’ve begun to believe their own disinformation? Do they think their grandchildren won’t be destroyed in the process? It is unfathomable …. simply unfathomable.

What are we knowledgable, informed citizens of America to do?

Your thoughts please.

Sharon

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Wall Street Journal
August 12, 2016

‘No First Use’ Nuclear Policy Proposal Assailed by U.S. Cabinet Officials, Allies

Obama’s disarmament agenda hits significant roadblock on opposition from Kerry, Carter and Moniz

By PAUL SONNE, GORDON LUBOLD and CAROL E. LEE

WASHINGTON—A proposal under consideration at the White House to reverse decades of U.S. nuclear policy by declaring a “No First Use” protocol for nuclear weapons has run into opposition from top cabinet officials and U.S. allies.

The opposition, from Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, as well as allies in Europe and Asia, leaves President Barack Obama with few ambitious options to enhance his nuclear disarmament agenda before leaving office, unless he wants to override the dissent.

The possibility of a “No First Use” declaration—which would see the U.S. explicitly rule out a first strike with a nuclear weapon in any conflict—met resistance at a National Security Council meeting in July, where the Obama administration reviewed possible nuclear disarmament initiatives it could roll out before the end of the president’s term.

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