Sunday Colloquy: "Some Thoughts You Mayn't Have Had Thought on the Ukraine Crisis"
by John Kendall Hawkins
I've decided to write what amounts to a weekly column called Sunday Colloquy. I'll set upon some serious tug-of-war in the news and attempt a slightly skewed angle on it. Chuckles will hopefully be had and the entertainment of trying on new news lenses. Won't you join on Sundays, if you're not hitting the pews and transubstantiation queue?
It's amazing this little pistolero fight that "We, the People" have had going with the Russians since 1945, heading off the sure Soviet victory over Japan by blowing up Hiroshima and Nagasaki first, a kind of double-tap, leaving behind people-shadows reminiscent of early box cameras. (One theory is that the Japs saw it that way, too, later, when they looked at pics of the devastated cities and soon thereafter became legends of photography as a culture -- annoying the hell out of the West everywhere they went with the crick of the camela. As if to say.) "We, the People" didn't need to "do" Nagasaki, but "We, the People" wanted that capitulation from the Emperor before Stalin could kick down some Japanese culture and make even the endless varieties of sushi hopelessly bland and Communistic, separate but equal.
Indeed, "We, the People" agreed that after the Soviets chased out the Japs (along with the now-hated Kim family's help) that Korea would be handed back to the Koreans, but "We, the People" reneged, leading to the split-state horror of today. And when "We, the People" occupied Okinawa permanently, "We, the People" told the Japs Never Again, and that "We, the People" would now be their overseers, and would defend Taiwan (next door) against the Chinese and no one was to touch our friendly little "spark plugs" the Phillipinos. America was the new Clint Eastwood in town, and the Chinese and Soviets were the Ugly and the Bad. The Asian Pivot is actually 75 years old. If we'd let Kim have South Korea instead of bringing a war still in play (only an armistice keeps the peace), they'd have been united again, as they had before the war for thousands of years, and probably happily eating Mickey D burgers. If we'd let the Chinese have Taiwan, they'd be united now. The occupation of Okinawa would be pointless. That's the point.
So, what's this got to do with Ukraine, you might wonder. In a word, my friend: Hegemony.
If things work out for "We the People," then the Russian invasion could lead to defense of Ukraine -- from Foreign Legion types (watch Legionaire's disease, ladies; exposure to it it drove the war orderly Nietzsche mad)-- and a brave new Yeltsin in Moscow, and China threatened from the west and east. China and Russia are old adversaries now joined up to create a new world currency reserve to replace the American IOU system, which, if it collapsed (and it's teetering -- think: 9/11 and popping rivets) would end middle class lifestyles in the US immediately, since debt-bound. "We, the People" would be We, the Paupers. And, of course, this would be bad news for race relations in America.
- As if in secret understanding of the risks involved for our American Way, the MSM has been hoisting notions again. Suddenly, there's a swarm on to rescue Ukraine's virtues. (Some vanguard Russian soldiers heard about this rescue plan and tried to strike first, talking up some 'perestroika' with wodka to Ukrainian women on date apps.) Zelensky is now a "hero," the MSM is now crowing. He is a Great Communicator, making us recall ol' Trickle Down Reagan, who, I'm told, played The Postman Always Rings Twice with Lana Turner during the Hollywood war years. Suddenly, a country teeming with neo-Nazis and swindlers and oligarchs who've porkle-snorkled their way through public purses are now just Vichy eager for reforming. Ukraine, one day the most corrupt nation-state in Europe, is now the virginal Sleeping Beauty needing Green Zone protection by soldiers of fortune who picture their future intersectional children with Disney smiles, trophy wives with apples hanging on their every word at keg festivals back home after the war has become VA vet mythology. Where's my acid?
- The MSM is reporting that about 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled from the motherland (or is it the Vaterland?) to escape the inevitable ravishments of war. Mostly skedaddling to Poland, where the lucky Poles will now have to figure out to dignify their refugee status, while also suddenly dealing with a Covid super-spreader event and convoys of Yankee Doodle Dandy intermediate range nukes peppering their landscape. Will They, the People of Poland, be happy? Isn't you not? But what's left out is the exodus of millions of folks from Ukraine before the invasion -- folks looking for a better life in Europe and overseas, ,including America, where some X have emigrated. One recent piece I read said,
According to his estimates, up to 9 million Ukrainians out of a total population of 42 million annually work abroad for some part of the year, and 3.2 million have regular full-time work outside the country; of these, most do not plan to return.
There's a million or so Ukrainians who sought better lives in Russia. Hey, it's complicated.
- The SWIFT war tactic as blitzkrieg and war crime rolled into one. Like thugs who leverage families to get their way with targets, SWIFT allows the US to do damage to a hostilized nation-state by Internet keystrokes. Here, where I am residing, I shop for food online a lot and have been noticing that a growing number of products have been out of stock -- including, Sweet Cheezuz, coffee! -- and wondered what would happen if that increase continued and were permanent. You could imagine panic-driven runs on staple products and chaos ensuing quickly. For a moment, you could even put yourself in the place of an Iraqi family just after the Shock and Awe began. America's reliance on SWIFT action is seen in some quarters as a declaration of war and a war crime in one. The UN was set up to prevent such future nation-state incursions and violations, but the UN, too, is largely corrupt when it comes to the "oversight" of elite security member doings. SWIFT drives the desire to find an alternative banking and trading system that voids American control and interference. Even Europeans are booking into alternatives. Do you smell a wake-up call in your pantaloons?
- One could ask, and this one does, as a hypothetical (puts eyeglass stem in mouth professorially) was Putin drawn into his own Kuwait? The Soviets already knew how much Afghanistan resembles a jungle when you are up against American-trained Usama bin Laden and his Freedo' banditos with that decentralized Sunni fatwa thing going. (Soviet vanguard tankmen would drive over bridges into the 'Ghan and yell to pretty green-eyed girls lining the 'village' streets in curiosity, "Piece of candy, go for a ride," and be met with a simple disheartening, Nyet.) Well, we know what happened after Kuwait. The kinder, gentler CIA president said, "This aggression will not stand" and proceeded to stomp Sad-dam's flying monkey squad all the way back to the Emerald City. And then George Clooney starred in Three Kings, which was not about the Magi but about Kelly's Heroes looting. When Biden said he'd be okay with a little incursion, drawing heavy fire from critics, including from Repugs who thought he threw away Afghanistan, was going, "Here, kitty, kitty?"
- You could call Ukrainian president Zelensky, of the Servant of the People Party, a hero. Some of you thought of Smoke-Em-Out GW Bush that way -- presumably because you're daft. But though Zelensky literally acted his way to the presidency ("we" Americans know that scene), one needs reminding that his popular anti-corruption TV comedy was sponsored by Igor Kolomoisky, an oligarch, and that Zelensky has been outed as a secret offshore bank account holder with millions of dollars under his control and normally beyond scrutiny. Kolomoisky stole billions of everyday people's savings in Ukraine and laundered it through American small towns desperate for a taste of that old time sugar again. Kolomoisky is being investigated by US Justice for fraud. Plus, it's worth considering that Zelensky followed the Petro Poroshenko who was essentially installed by the CIA during the 2014 coup and later driven from office because of his corruption -- leading to the perhaps inevitable rise of the feel-good populist, Z. Reactionary, knee-jerk. Like our very own Trump, Z had no previous political experience -- understandably seen as an advantage for the job of acting like Ajax man on horseback out to close down money laundering to make it safe for clothes again.
- Let's recall that Ukraine -- corrupt Ukraine -- was the Talk of the Town back in the Clown Era (2016-2021). The war has been a boon for Biden and his associates. Whatever dirt Ukrainians may have had on the Bidens will now be obliterated. Burisma is no longer talked about at all, although it may yet rear its ugly head again, if the midterm elections lead to a change the House to a Repug majority -- after which, expect impeachment payback (as promised). Perhaps anticipating this potentiality in the fall, Biden said he'd look the other way to get Putin to seize the bait. Years of war-mongering have made me cynical about the motivations of American politicians who become the commander-in-chief and essentially the CEO of the Military-Industrial-Complex, with bennies.
- In Beautiful Things, Hunter Biden's ghost-written memoir (presumably, given the benders Hunter went on, as described in the book, his memory of events had to be coaxed), Joe Biden waxed proudly about his sot of a son being on the board of the corrupt Ukrainian Burisma Gas (the UK had to drop an investigation into fraud and money-laundering activities because Ukraine would cooperate), earning $50,000 per month that "Hunter" says in his memoir kept him drunk for four years, but still, mysteriously, averred of his position on the board: "Nothing says f*ck you to Putin like a Biden on the board." Evidently, imitating Boris Yeltsin's slobbering tenure was meant as a red flag taunt to the Barechested One on Horseback in Moscow. Wouldn't you?
- Leading to another question. If we take at face value what Hunter regarded as his Abbie Hoffman-esque raison de etre for being on the board, what can we make of ex-CIA director of the Counter Terrorism Center (Duane Clarridge's old roost) and the bio description Black has at his current analyst gig with OODA: "He conceived, planned, and led the CIA's role in the war in Afghanistan." Scary enough. The reader might want to note the eerie similarity between the end of the film Fight Club and the photograph of a conference taking place at the OODA site About page. How strange to hold a conference in the dark. Are they conspiring? Or just theorizing? Cofer set up the global interrogation black sites after 9/11. Cofer is affiliated with Erik Prince and his rough-and-ready soldiers of fortune, who already seem to be active there. So, if Hunter's slurry f*ck You to Putin was worth bonus points and happy feet dancing, then what might Cofer Black's presence on the board of Burisma (emplaced just a couple of weeks after the Clown's inaugaurtion in Jan 2017) mean to Putin? Is the MSM even asking? That's rhetorical. But if Cofer was there for 9/11(fail) and Afghanistan (fail), then we should be curious about his specific activities with Burisma. Because what he brings to the table is the table. And if he fails with Russia, we may all die.
- Anybody who thinks placing a no-fly zone in Ukraine is okay is not okay in the head. It would be a de facto NATO installation likely to be pushed toward permanency and Armageddon.
So, that's it for my Sunday colloquy this week. Thanks for listening. Donations at the door are appreciated. Comments even more so. Show me your strong suit. Make me see what a real admirer of democracy sounds like. Rule of Law in action. Critical Thinking devoid of reactionary fervor. And remember the swarming they drive us toward is part and parcel of their means for controlling the narrative. Don't give in. Remember that the real great thing about the American Experiment is not the stupid Monroe Doctrine. or even the Constitution, but the precious Bill of Rights that guarantees our personal freedoms -- first of thought and then of expression -- and We, the People, do not need to go along with warmongering that does not serve democracy. Alright, I've grown didactic. Drive safely through the sleet ahead.
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