The Bulldog Barks
There are multiple signs that Donald tRump is getting frantic as Robert Mueller's noose is tightening around his neck. He is behaving--as so many people have pointed out--like someone who's got something to hide.
Our Poser Prez is really into posturing and talking tough. Many of us are leery of all his saber-rattling and are convinced that he's capable--more than capable--of starting a war just to deflect attention from his many mistakes, outrages and crimes and to thwart the Independent Counsel's investigation. I know he would do that in a heartbeat.
Journos and pundits have written volumes about this disastrous possibility. The two situations about which we've been most concerned are, of course, Iran and North Korea.
I'm not at all discounting the possibility that the madman occupying the White House at the moment would go back on the agreement under which the Iranian regime has stopped their nuclear program, and eventually start a war or conflict in the aftermath. Wouldn't surprise me in the least.
And the potential flash point on the Korean peninsula is an even bigger threat to our safety and security. The possible results there are just too horrible to contemplate. Anybody and everybody with even a shred of expertise in military, security or international affairs is predicting a bare minimum of two million casualties if the shit hits the fan in Korea.
Our losses could run as high as 70-80% of our 20,000 troops serving in that theater. I have no doubt that several thousand of the civilians from just about every country on earth who live and work in Seoul--a very modern mega-city and South Korea's capital--would become casualties. To say nothing of the loss of life among Korean non-combatants on both sides of the border--in very-vulnerable Seoul in particular.
So the American public is appropriately freaked out about any possible conflict in Iran or, especially, on the Korean peninsula.
But I'm saying that a conflict--right up to and including an actual, no-shit war-- with the Russians in Syria is quite possible and growing more likely by the minute.
The very serious engagement between our proxies and those in the employ of the Russians this week have barely drawn notice in the national media.
I'm not a pollster, but I'd wager that fewer than 10% of Americans have the slightest idea that the conflict blew up in the last 72 hours, let alone how serious it was. And it's not the first time that militias or forces supported by our side and the Russians have clashed. Not by a long shot.
A wag-the-dog scenario playing out with the Russians might be very appealing to Cadet Bone Spurs as it could give him a somewhat plausible-sounding cover in the matter of his collusion with Putin & Co. Something like "how could I be Vladimir's puppet if I'm willing to attack his peeps in Syria?" I don't think that gambit would work very well, but I absolutely believe it could seem like a good way to go in his head.
Having a president who's capable of blowing stuff up and inflicting possibly millions of casualties for short-term political gain or to stroke his fragile ego is mind-blowing. And very, very distressing.
And the fact that the other party in this possible shit-scenario could be the Russians takes a terrible situation and kicks it into the realm of terrifying. The realm of literally too-bleak-to-contemplate.
Yeah, it really sucks. The part that sucks the worst: it should never, never have come to this.
"Bulldog Ben" Basile
© 2018 Benjamin Lawrence Basile
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