![Twitter avatar for @geoallison](https://substackcdn.com/image/twitter_name/w_96/geoallison.jpg)
Publication date: 2022-01-26
Updated 2022-01-27:
added a piece from the wonderful Danny Sjursen to the Sources list
added Regis Tremblay interviewing Vladimir Kozen in which we learn that the Russian government has received written responses to their draft treaty proposal from both the USA and NATO, separately.
Update 2022-01-29: Paul Jay interviews Lawrence Wilkerson taking a wide and historical analysis of current events
Update 2022-01-30: Scott Horton interviews Gilbert Docotorow, new source.
Is there any pushback against the Mighty Wurlitzer's "the Russian's are about to invade Ukraine" song? Well, yes, there certainly is.
To inform you, the Sources section below is replete with geopolitical analysts, a veteran journalist, a Professor of International Relations, a former Independent Expert to the UN's Human Rights Council, a former Colonel and a Major of the USA Army, a member of a USA political party, and an international security researcher. 7 articles and 4 videos pieces await your inspection, with one related article.
The boring caveat needs be said: Of course, my own views do not uniformly comport with all sources. How could they? Nonetheless, in each case, insights and interesting analysis are on offer.
What is Behind All this Idiocy?
Recently in commune with my brains trust I was asked the question above. Via some obvious understanding, and also needing to reflect a little, I listed the following, in roughly decreasing order of influence and importance:
The USA/NATO military industrial complex (remember, they compete amongst themselves, as perfectly highlighted by the recent AUKUS declaration which saw France lose a 50 billion USD contract for submarines to Australia to the USA/UK)
The largely USA "cold war hawks" who are still living in a world which disappeared 30 odd years ago
A USA and to some degree Brussels' based bureaucracy which believes the narratives issued by its media. In the USA case, these people are also removed from the reality of history. If you are a 50 year old European, then your parents were likely exposed to WWII as children, and perhaps your grandparents to WWI. It is this lack of a visceral connection to history which insulates the USA foreign policy advisers and players from a very different understanding in Europe.
A USA leadership which is itself constantly trying to balance these forces and the Mighty Wurlitzer to achieve its own political objectives
My brains trust responded: "Yes for the Military Industrial Complex, and maybe a little of the others."
What is your view? How do you see the motivation for this insane action to exacerbate conflict on Russia's border? It is not being created, its been running for 7+ years. Why stoke it, especially when so many European national economies will suffer if economic sanctions are applied to Russia, forcing it to stop supplying gas to Europe? Does the benefit from this behavior outweigh the fracturing of the NATO alliance which we've been seeing?
Welcome to these and other conundra which plague publications at YesXorNo.
What’s the difference between Ukraine and Syria? In Syria, the USA and “allies” created a civil war to topple the government. In Ukraine, the USA and “allies” toppled the government to create a civil war.
@YesXorNo
For discussion or feedback, YesXorNo now has a twitter account with the most obvious title.
@yesxorno
This account will be used to provide notifications of this and future publications of the newsletter, and any updates.
Questions and flame wars are welcome. The universal principle is “attack the argument or evidence, not the individual”.
Welcome aboard!
Sources
PATRICK LAWRENCE: Russia’s Red Line, Patrick Lawrence, Consortium News, 2022-01-25
The US-Russia Commitment Gap: And Its Tragic Potential, Danny Sjursen, AntiWar.com, 2022-01-27
Matt Taibbi: Let’s Not Have a War, Matt Taibbi, Scheerpost, 2022-01-25
Reporting on Russia – A Case of Rigid Orthodoxy, Paul Robinson, Irrussianality, 2022-01-23
Russia and the West: Piercing the Fog of Hysteria, Pepe Escobar, Unz Review, 2022-01-26
NATO as Religion, Alfred de Zayas, Counter Punch, 2022-01-24
Andrew Bacevich, Why Washington Can't Learn, Andrew Bacevich, Tom Dispatch, 2022-01-23
Stripping Away the Bulls**t: U.S. and Russian Threats Over Ukraine—What They’re About and Who’s the Aggressor, Dee Knight, Global Research, 2022-01-26
MK Bhadrakumar: Russia Will Intervene in Ukraine, former Indian diplomat MK Bhadrakuma, Originally from IndianPunchline (2022-01-23) republished at Natylie's Place: Understanding Russia, 2022-01-26
Ukraine: Dangerous Dance of Military-Industrial Complex - Paul Jay, "By George" interviews Paul Jay, theAnalysis.news, 2022-01-25
The TRUTH About Ukraine, Russia & War, Jimmy Dore interviews Peter Lavelle, The Jimmy Dore Show, 2022-01-25
Ukraine amassing military on border of East Ukraine, Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou, The Duran (youtube), 2022-01-26
Ukraine amassing military on border of East Ukraine, George Szamuely and Peter Lavelle, The Gaggle on youtube, 2022-02-23
1/20/22 Clint Ehrlich on Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, Scott Horton interviews Clint Ehrlich, Scott Horton Show, 2022-01-20
Audio: https://dissentradio.com/radio/22_01_20_ehrlich.mp3
During his discussion with Mr Horton, Clint Ehrlich mentions the all too unknown Vasili Arkhipov. On a USSR nuclear armed submarine during the Cuban Missile Crisis, with depth charges exploding all around them, and running out of power, their submarine overheating and out of radio contact with the USSR’s military command, the vessel’s captain and next officer wanted to launch nuclear missiles. This one man, Arkhipov, used his position to deny this action which could have literally ended the world as we know it. Please learn about this important historical event. You have his name. Search. Find sources from a USA perspective, from a Russian one, from European etc.. Compare and contrast.
Have fun. Here’s a beginning.
Vasili Arkhipov – Soviet Hero that Prevented WW 3, Herbert Kikoy, War History Online, 2018-07-04
Runup to War in Ukraine - Who Is The Real Aggressor, Regis Tremblay interviews Vladimir Kozen, Global Conversations, 2022-01-27
It’s Time to Roll Back NATO Itself - Larry Wilkerson, Paul Jay interviews Lawrence Wilkerson, theAnalysis.news, 2022-01-28
Ep. 5665 - Gilbert Doctorow on the War Hysteria in Eastern Europe - 1/27/22, Scott Horton interviews Gilbert Doctorow, Scott Horton Show, 2022-01-27
Audio: https://dissentradio.com/radio/22_01_27_doctorow.mp3
Action
Don't let Biden go to war with Russia over Ukraine!, the wonderful people at Code Pink
Culture
Missy Higgins 'Shoes Under My Bed' Paul Kelly Tribute, Missy Higgins, Missy Higgins Archives youtube channel, uploaded 2017-12-07
If you like what you read here, you can please the author by sharing it.
Do Not Subscribe: This blog does not issue "notifications" via Substack. Use RSS. The URL is the obvious: https://yesxorno.substack.com/feed .
Following @YesXorNo on Twitter is the next best alert mechanism.
Copyright and Licensing
This work is copyright to the blog's author with CC BY-SA 4.0 licensing. Have fun, reuse, remix etc. but give credit and place no further restrictions. Lets build culture. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode