“As Zelensky says…”, “As Ukraine tells us…”, as “the Heroic Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin marches on Moscow…”
Really? What happened to independent, truthful investigative journalism?
Oh, I remember now. That was cancelled to push the COVID lockdown dictates; control the working-class; prop up the theology of the vaccines; and enable the entrenched-elites to cash-in to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars.
Serious question: When did it become forbidden, “Un-American,” or “Pro-Putin” simply to question U.S. policy regarding Ukraine?
I would certainly argue that questioning our policy as it pertains to the war between Ukraine and Russia is one of the most “Pro-American” actions one could take. Most especially as multiple tripwires crisscross the war and stepping on just one may initiate a nuclear missile strike, which could lead to the unthinkable.
Ukraine and Zelensky are in the fight of their lives against Russia. Spinning any and every situation to their advantage is part of their job description. That said, it is incumbent upon the government of the United States – and hopefully our professional media – to separate fact from fiction and then act or report accordingly.
Neither our government nor our media should act as fawning, unquestioning cheerleaders for Zelensky and his policies. Most especially as those policies – and spins – can have a direct negative impact upon the welfare of the American people.
One of the most important questions seemingly not allowed to be asked or which gets ignored if it is asked being: “Is the United States, Britain, and other allies supporting Ukraine in a quest to save the Ukrainian people, or are the 'leaders' of those countries in reality using them as cheap and disposable pawns in order to fight a proxy war against Russia while testing some of the latest weapons systems, depleting their own military supplies, and reaping billions in profit for defense contractors?”
If it’s because we want to save the lives of the people of Ukraine and salvage their infrastructure, then we are failing miserably.
Let us cast our minds back to just before the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003 during the administration of President George W. Bush. Back then many liberal news sites were not only rightfully warning of the potential cost in human lives and infrastructure should such a conflict begin but were questioning the “spin” of “Weapons of Mass Destruction” in Iraq, which the administration was advancing to justify the invasion.
Back then, it seemed that some advocating for that invasion to “overthrow” the “evil” Hussein were coldly viewing the process as some sort of board game or sporting event with human pawns to be played with at will. Politicians, pundits, and “experts” who had no skin in the game were making this case, meaning they were not in the military; they would not be walking point in the coming combat; nor would any of their children, relatives, or friends. Some literally pushed for that war from luxurious offices thousands of miles from the pending battlefield atop six and even seven figure financial platforms.
Of course, that “war” turned out to be anything but a sanitized and dispassionate board game. A very steep price in human lives lost or destroyed was the ultimate cost. A price tens of thousands of human beings -- and their families -- are still tragically paying today.
Approximately 4,500 American soldiers killed; 32,000 wounded; between 100,000 and 400,000 Iraqi deaths depending upon the study; and a Middle East that is destabilized to this day.
Back then, the left most especially wanted to – again, rightfully – question every single aspect of that “war” before, during, and after.
Could the US “War” with Iraq have been prevented? Of course.
Could most of those lives lost have been spared? Yes.
Could the war between Ukraine and Russia have been prevented? Yes. Could most of the lives already sacrificed in that war have been saved. Of course.
But here we are. Most of our political, media, academic, and celebrity class have unilaterally spot-welded the United States to Ukraine. No questions asked.
Within the entrenched-elite bubbles of privilege, that may be a fait accompli, but as American citizens with skin in the game, it is not only our right to question our “leaders” but our duty.
One can still be strongly against Putin and his aggression while challenging suspect policy being offered up in the name of the people of Ukraine.
Questions such as: Is this war pushing the world closer to nuclear conflict? If so, have our leaders – without our input – decided that a nuclear conflict, which may result in millions of lives lost, is simply the price to be paid to defeat Putin in Ukraine?
Next, before the war, there were multiple news reports outlining corruption at the highest ranks of Ukrainian leadership; offshore bank accounts; and connections to organized crime. Has our government investigated those reports? Have our media? Has it been determined – again, without our input or permission – that we are simply backing the “lesser of two evils"?
Next, our government – via the hard work of American taxpayers – have promised or sent approximately $200 billion in monetary aid as well as pledging $1.2 billion in military aid since Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
How is that money and aid being accounted for? Is any of it ending up in personal bank accounts? Are any of those weapons systems or supplies being sold on the black market for profit?
Last, going back to one of the original justifications for this war -- that being that we are supporting it to save the lives of the soldiers and people of Ukraine.
How is that really going?
Last month on the “All In” podcast, Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. answered that question in part: “This is the most violent conflict since World War Two…Over 300,000 Ukrainian dead. The Russians are killing Ukrainians…at a ratio of five-to-one, to eight-to-one. It was seven-to-one in the recently leaked whistleblower leaked Pentagon documents…”
If you dispute those numbers, what are the real ones? Why isn’t our media tracking down and reporting the exact number of Ukrainian dead? They were more than willing to track down those numbers during the U.S. “war” with Iraq?
What has changed?
Even if Ukraine is firmly on the side of the angels, “We the people” still have the right to question the policies of our leaders. Most especially when so much is at stake.
Why are so many seemingly afraid of those questions while smearing those who dare to ask?
*** Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 -- Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.