Quote Originally Posted by jclay View Post
Posted in Moon over Alabama

Jack Matlock, the last U.S. ambassador to the USSR, has one answer:

Maybe I am wrong – tragically wrong – but I cannot dismiss the suspicion that we are witnessing an elaborate charade, grossly magnified by prominent elements of the American media, to serve a domestic political end. Facing rising inflation, the ravages of Omicron, blame (for the most part unfair) for the withdrawal from Afghanistan, plus the failure to get the full support of his own party for the Build Back Better legislation, the Biden administration is staggering under sagging approval ratings just as it gears up for this year’s congressional elections.

Since clear "victories" on the domestic woes seem increasingly unlikely, why not fabricate one by posing as if he prevented the invasion of Ukraine by "standing up to Vladimir Putin"?

Actually, it seems most likely that President Putin’s goals are what he says they are – and as he has been saying since his speech in Munich in 2007. To simplify and paraphrase, I would sum them up as: "Treat us with at least a modicum of respect. We do not threaten you or your allies, why do you refuse us the security you insist for yourself?"

More here:

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2022/0...sion-scam.html

And wrt Cuba: We put missile batteries in Turkey first....so exactly who precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis?

And something upon which I agree with the American Conservative mag: https://www.theamericanconservative....ne-government/
The problem with this conspiracy theory is the Russian troop buildup, the military exercises and recent shelling originating with the Russians, and at this point, Putin needs to come back with real concessions from NATO.

The media may be over blowing this for ratings, but I do not think this is some coordinated campaign between the WH and media when someone like Chuck Todd is asking Tony Blinken on 'Meet the Press' why Putin did not act up during the previous administration.

If Putin does back down, it will most likely be because he underestimated the resolve of Germany and France on this issue. When you have a former Chancellor Gerhard Schroder running political interference for Nord Stream 2, Rosneft, Gazprom, Putin probably thought he had this in the bag. This may be an issue for US also since Germany and France may force the US into some NATO concessions... In which case, Putin gets a win.