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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| US chooses between shame and war |
| 2023-08-10 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Irina Alksnis [RIA] Yesterday gave the clearest illustration of what the process of disintegration of the US global hegemony looks like. It began with the downright shocking news that Victoria Nuland had been to Niger. And really, just think about it: the deputy secretary of state, leaving all her affairs, urgently flew to Africa to negotiate not even with the official authorities, but with the rebels, whom her country threatened in recent days with all possible punishments. Moreover, the high-ranking official was never allowed to see the leader, and the negotiations themselves turned out to be fruitless. That is, the situation in an impoverished, underdeveloped, seemingly godforsaken country on the other side of the world suddenly turned so sideways for the Americans that the superpower arrogance had to be pushed to hell, sending a very status figure to the place to save the situation. At the same time, Chief Nuland, the US Secretary of State, carefully lied that the United States had done everything to resolve Russia's issues in order to unblock the grain deal. The most interesting thing about this fact is not even what exactly Anthony Blinken said, but why he had to do it. The answer is actually simple: stopping the grain deal entails huge losses for the multinational business (both agricultural and financial), which successfully made astronomical capital on it. And it is quite natural that now this business, which traditionally has very serious lobbying resources in Washington, is pressing all the buttons there, demanding that everything be returned back. Here are just options for the US administration that are worse than one another: either really fulfill Russia’s demands - and thereby bend before the whole world before Moscow , or risk escalation by organizing military convoys to export grain. The funny thing is that in the second case, the main problem for Washington is not even the danger of a direct clash between the American and Russian armies escalating into a global nuclear conflict. Another thing is worse: how can the Russians really sink some American destroyer in the Black Sea? Well, the States will not start a nuclear war because of this, they will not start. And all that remains for them is to put the brakes on the problem, again demonstrating their weakness to the entire planet. So the State Department, played by Anthony Blinken, is forced to dance on a hot frying pan and play for time in the hope that the situation with the grain deal will somehow collapse. For complete happiness, the States became very hot in the Middle East. And it's not just Russian pilots who are "unprofessional" chasing their American colleagues in the Syrian sky. The main headache is the sharp aggravation of relations with Iran . So significant that an additional amphibious assault force and 3,000 troops had to be sent to the Red Sea as "a response to Iran's recent attempts to threaten the free flow of trade." As you know, the Americans have been pursuing a policy of detaining tankers with Iranian oil for many years. However, it turned out that this game can be played together, and Tehran is already regularly arresting ships moving in its territorial waters on various charges. It is worth recalling that Iran owns the northern coast of the Strait of Hormuz - a thin artery connecting the Persian Gulf with the World Ocean: a third of the gas produced on the planet and a quarter of the oil produced enter the market through the strait. In general, the States found that their sacred right to do whatever they want and punish "rogue states" to their liking was followed by an Iranian response that has become more sensitive and unpleasant over time. This means that the Americans have no other choice but to put the insolent in his place, or at least try to do it. But the three problems described, along with dozens not mentioned, are of secondary importance in relation to the main geopolitical challenges facing the United States: the conflict with Russia and preparations for a tough confrontation with China. American geopolitical omnipotence is spreading before our eyes, and new "holes" appear in the most unexpected and inconvenient places (for example, in the same Niger). And plugging these holes requires resources, time, and just professionals who are qualified enough to deal with the problem. The most valuable staff of the State Department in Africa, apparently, did not succeed. And this process will only grow. The growing examples of Washington's inability to defeat opponents, punish "apostates", force the hesitant to obey (hello to the Jeddah summit !) serve as an inspiration for new "rebels" who are ready to take the risk of challenging the former hegemon and turning the trishkin caftan of his omnipotence into the naked dress of the king. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #10 RIA is the propaganda arm of the Russian government. To report on Niger without mentioning the importance of the uranium mined there indicates that Russian news has not really changed since the Cold War. I suggest that R would do well to require the identification of all sources published on its site. GHive the Russian a break and another 20 years. They're new at this news disseminating and reporting. Then they'll be every bit as convinced of their independence as western press |
| Posted by: badanov 2023-08-10 20:50 |
| #9 RIA is the propaganda arm of the Russian government. Of course, Jerens Black9355. But it’s useful to know what they care enough to propagandize — and such a fun chew toy for our Readers to exercise their teeth on. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2023-08-10 20:14 |
| #8 Ref #5: You telling me there is shame in DC? The only "shame" is that there is a D.C. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-08-10 18:19 |
| #7 Somebody forgot to take their meds. Irina, dear, is the shame in the room now? |
| Posted by: Roth LaDoad 2023-08-10 16:42 |
| #6 Shameful is one thing. Being able to feel shame is quite another. Nobody is telling you that anybody in The Swamp feels shame. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2023-08-10 14:14 |
| #5 You telling me there is shame in DC? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2023-08-10 14:11 |
| #4 Strictly speaking, it's between shame and war and profit. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2023-08-10 12:51 |
| #3 Getting into shameful situations is inevitable when we have a shameful old dementia patient like Joe Biden in the White House. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2023-08-10 12:22 |
| #2 RIA is the propaganda arm of the Russian government. To report on Niger without mentioning the importance of the uranium mined there indicates that Russian news has not really changed since the Cold War. I suggest that R would do well to require the identification of all sources published on its site. |
| Posted by: Jerens Black9355 2023-08-10 09:41 |
| #1 US chooses between shame and war Irina, Shows how much YOU know - take a look at our Afghan withdrawal. We can do shame AND war quite nicely, Sugarplum. So there. Mike |
| Posted by: MikeKozlowski 2023-08-10 08:34 |