Bumbling and Stumbling Towards Armageddon, Times Two

Western Anti-Diplomacy and Militarism Charge Onward to Disaster

Self Portrait with the Gates of Hell © PaulRandallPhotography.com

Two proxies led by politically unstable, ruthless leaders, both losing wars they think they must win to survive- maybe literally. Two wars nurtured by Western support, both on the verge of dangerous expansion, with the West and the much larger “non-West” lining up on opposite sides. Two struggles where losing Western proxies flirt increasingly with every red line imaginable, including the nuclear ones.

And in both instances, shockingly incompetent and warmongering Western leadership have done everything possible to push both situations towards the ultimate disaster, with little sign of any willingness to control conflict driving proxies completely dependent on their support. Being the imperial end-timers they are, there is no room for real dialogue, involving real concessions, even as they find themselves locked in losing, unwinnable battles against implacable, powerful, highly competent foes. All demands are maximal; every fight is to be pursued to the last dead imperial proxy soldier, regardless of damage to those proxies, or the possibility of success. And as conventional military solutions clearly fail, the crazier parties in both the proxy combatant nations and the West don’t seem to understand that taking additional, more extreme steps, including nuclear threats, will not win them their war, and may get them a war they very much do not want.

Would any of these Western leaders, even your Lindsey Graham (aka death chipmunk) and Tom Cotton (aka teenage H*tler) types, actually purposefully initiate World War Three? Probably not, although the real hardcore nuts (including, possibly, a demented, angry old man), who knows for sure?

But the problem is of the last two world wars, only one was in any way intended (and that, driven by a deeply racist, supremacist society that thought it deserved more space, has parallels requiring much more discussion than can fit here). The other, the first World War, was a sleepwalking stumble, a mindless carrying on, a “doing what one must” that instead of being a brief glorious spasm of limited violence turned into nearly half a decade of bloody, muddy, pointless hell. All preceded by a period where the various colonial powers, wrapping themselves in the chains of disastrous alliances and unforgiving political postures, all but guaranteed that even the smallest spark, like the assassination of a marginal figure in Sarajevo, could ignite a worldwide conflagration.

And have no doubt, just like that room full of mousetraps that led to World War One, both of these current Western promulgated disasters provide clear routes to not only larger regional wars, but World War 3. And as both conflicts accelerate to inflection points, with Western backed proxies, long nurtured for their extremism, becoming increasingly desperate as military victory becomes ever more clearly impossible, the possibility of either or even both engaging in some extreme provocation or false flag becomes disturbingly likely.

In Ukraine, the peak level of desperation has resulted in the supposedly brilliant Kursk counteroffensive. Despite claims the object was to create a “buffer zone” (along a practically uninhabited, largely valueless border area), or any of a number of amorphous reasons, from land to exchange, to creating pressure towards negotiations, multiple nuclear threats appear to be the actual object of this desperate Zelensky Hail Mary pass, not only the Kursk nuclear power plant that is the only real thing of strategic value in the area, but possibly also a tactical nuclear weapon storage facility in the vicinity.

Unfortunately for the Ukrainians, the operation’s location in the Kursk region turned out to be ironic, considering the area’s World War Two history. Like the WW2 German operation that turned into abject failure after initial minor success (although comparing this pitiful tactical blip to the hefty Nazi armored thrust at Kursk in 1943 is silly), it is doomed to actually enable further Russian advances.

So an increasingly unhinged regime’s desperate grab did not get them nukes, either weapons or a power plant. How close they came is a question for history, but the extent of the effort was clearly large. The overall tactical impact of this operation is likely to be minimal, except as another attritional disaster bleeding an anemic, battered military even further, but the strategic implications are where things get disturbing.

For this represents yet another example of Western mission creep, where every limit on Western threats to Russia slowly fall away. And as those limits are dismissed and exceeded, without Russian responses (which they never promised- they have set almost no real red lines), the question of where any Western limits ARE becomes disturbingly vague.

For the imperial end-timer led West, this latest adventure in Kursk shows just how indefinite, to the point of being effectively non-existent, any limits may be. Even if there was no direct Western involvement in the planning (unlikely) of this Ukrainian grab at nuclear goodies, Western weapons were very much involved. In fact practically every piece of junk… err, equipment, the West has supplied to Ukraine has been used in this operation in RUSSIA to kill RUSSIANS. And this fact has been openly acknowledged by the West as entirely acceptable, on the basis that this is all now Ukrainian equipment, post transfer.

So having German Marder armored vehicles used to possibly hijack Russian nukes, or shoot up a Russian nuke plant is- shockingly- fine, beyond what should be the historical gag reaction to having German vehicles named “Marder” burning in Russia. Sure, they may still have controls labeled in German, be shooting German ammo out of a German gun, and are effectively being maintained by Germans, but they still claim this is a totally Ukrainian exercise. If you are Russia, concerns that the West will go to the most extreme lengths to try to not lose this unwinnable war increase.

Already Russian belief that blatant, direct western assistance, involving western weapons being used by Ukrainian (and very possibly “Ukrainian”- Western technicians in Ukrainian employ) operators acting on Western provided intelligence, killed Russian civilians on a Crimean beach, appears to have triggered direct willingness, via aggressive air patrols, to confront and destroy the Western drones enabling such attacks. This open statement of a real red line, a detailed threat to destroy American military equipment operating in international airspace, from a cautious nation that simply doesn’t do such things, should have provoked alarm. It may have among official circles, but the Western media reaction was the usual knee jerk hostility, demonstrating their perverse tendency to use every instance of serious Russian pushback as a prod, an excuse to be even more aggressive toward Russia in Ukraine.

And it is far from the first, or most extreme, warning being given by the Russians. Most shocking are hints that they see a nuclear exchange situation as increasingly possible, from recent Putin orders to basically take a tactical nuke out of its box and say to the West, “Want one of these in your lap?”, to warnings, from the very edge of the front, from key figures like General Apty Alaudinov, reminding the West that the greatest nuclear power on the planet will not lose this existential struggle. And in typical “what best advances the war option?” idiotic Western analysis, these threats, instead of being seen properly for what they are- a genuine plea from serious people to stop a reckless act- are seen as evidence of Russian weakness and dishonesty; a lack of “redlines.” Continual Russian complaints that escalatory actions were unhelpful, as almost every Western limit on Ukraine support fell away, from Leopard 2’s to ATACM’s, are continually characterized as harmlessly exceeded Russian ultimatums.

Statements akin to “you shouldn’t do that because it is a bad idea and we find it threatening” are not a red line, they are warnings. Warnings that incredibly twisted, Russophobic Western “journalism” can only interpret as dangerous Russian threats, which later are portrayed as dishonest bleating that only betrays Russian weakness. How both of these can be true is never explained, or is there any consideration of the actual geo-political significance of a serious warning from the world’s largest nation and nuclear power. Fools to be laughed at, or monsters ready to jump at your throat; there is no middle ground. Although there is somehow ground for both to be true at the same time.

In an age where the proverbial “Mighty Wurlitzer” of Western propaganda, despite being ever more widely mistrusted, is operating at a level of volume and omnipresence never seen before, repurposing Russian warnings into signs of dangerous, threatening belligerence and craven, cringing weakness at the same time is easy as pie. Indeed, the factual pretzel that is the long running information war against Russia shows signs of ratcheting up to alarming levels.

Specifically, hints that Russia is either directly attacking, or preparing to attack German facilities have suddenly appeared regularly, with vague and indefinite causes. Someone cut the fence at a German base that supposedly is a prime Russian target, and reports of water tampering followed. A mystery drone (actual source, again, unknown, curiously, or one might say, conveniently) flew conspicuously over a massive German industrial target then managed to get away (again, rather conveniently).

And vague reporting of mysterious possible Russian messing about is just a corollary to shockingly belligerent statements from Western officials. Here is where the question of whether there are actually elements that WANT World War 3 cannot avoid being raised, for the rhetoric being thrown around is that of individuals priming their societies for war.

NATO (the most offensive defensive organization in history) head Jens Stoltenberg’s statement regarding reports of sabotage- not actual evidence of real sabotage, let alone who did it- reflects this shocking escalation of rhetoric. “NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had recently warned that a pattern was evolving of Russian intelligence becoming more bold in its operations against member states. This went for cyberattacks as well as field operations.”

So just as Ukraine becomes ever more exhausted, stretched, and bitter, elements in the Western media and leadership set up conditions where one spectacular Ukrainian false flag, especially if it kills Westerners, blamed on Russia could trigger World War 3. Likely Russian and Western military personnel have already killed each other, both through munitions launched by Western weapons operated by “Ukrainian” troops and Russian counterstrikes that have destroyed those Western weapons. There is little doubt active Western military personnel have been widely “sheep dipped”, where willing, becoming Ukrainian troops overnight, both to provide expertise and in some cases bring the knowledge they gain back to their respective militaries, if they survive. It seems likely significant numbers of French Foreign Legionnaires (an organization far from unknown to have Ukrainian and Russian members) have been fighting and dying in the Ukrainian cause, explaining recent bitterness and belligerence from France’s Micron, err, Macron.

So, increasingly, the Ukraine conflict veers towards disaster. Despite delusions of tide turning at Kursk, every other sign is of a doomed, increasingly stretched military on the verge of losing the Donbas. Every factor that basically guaranteed a Ukrainian defeat from day one are coming fully into force, as the Russian military industrial complex cranks up to win its favorite kind of war- attritional- where its huge land mass, resources, and population can be brought to bear. All as Ukraine completely collapses economically, stuck living on handouts of stolen interest from Russian assets.

Where the autocrats in Kiev turn for answers to this unwinnable situation is unknown. The obvious solution is some expansion of the war, as it is clear Ukraine alone has no chance by itself. Perhaps some stab at Transnistria will force the Romanians, at least, to somehow get involved? Maybe some border provocation in the vicinity of Belorussia can get ever Russophobic Poland to jump on board?

But the big prize, despite its clear booby prize nature, being that the planet almost certainly gets nuked to a greater or lesser degree if they “succeed”, is to drag the US and/or NATO into the war. If it takes a regional kerfuffle first, no problem, as long as the big boys come in on their side eventually. If they can trigger something directly, all the better.

And this is not the only situation where disastrous Western diplomacy, combined with continual Western militarism and belligerence, all promoted and defended by a servile media, is leading an unhinged Western proxy regime to continue to push towards more war, including World War 3, if that is what it takes. Israel’s brutal attempted Gaza genocide in reaction to the shattering of their myth of military superiority 10/7/2023, and beyond, by Hamas, is also dragging the planet towards regional if not international war. Continual Israeli provocations, from assassinating the man they were negotiating with, to blatant violations of every aspect of international law, seem intended by an extremist driven government to prod enemies up the escalation ladder.

And as in Ukraine, the West has been ever ready, especially in the media, to lean into well established prejudices and fears, nearly as enthusiastically as their fanatical proxies, to push for more war to solve their lost war. Western threats against Iran are effectively priming the pump for at the very least a regional war, if not the proverbial “Big One,” as again, as in Ukraine, the other great nuclear powers align firmly against the West.

Beyond their disgust with the Gaza genocide, Russia/China and global south increasingly see Netanyahu as a unhinged and out of control, whose crimes are enabled, encouraged, and covered for by Biden’s decrepit Empire. Crimes which continue to expand to ever more countries, in part in an increasingly desperate effort to trigger even more conflicts to draw the Empire and their toadies in.

Although the Empire’s efforts to overthrow the Iranian government have been constant and mindless, this time the threats are both dangerous and vulnerable, as multiple US warships, including the USS Prince of Wales , err, USS Liberty, err… whatever, are openly dangled in front of Iran as both fat targets and dangerous threats.

And not only the great powers are becoming increasingly suspicious and disgusted. In another brilliant demonstration to the larger world what exactly the “Rules Based International Order” means (basically “we make the rules, doesn’t mean we follow them”), the core “democratic” West- UK, France, Germany- has openly told Iran that Israel has a right to violate its sovereignty at will, while if it responds in kind to blatant provocations, they will consider it an excuse to again violate its sovereignty.

All while, amazingly, the Apartheid State literally engages in a genocide- provisionally, and undoubtedly, eventually, officially- recognized by one of the core institutions of the West (and of international law), the ICJ at the Hague. This genuine crime of the century is the larger factor driving the region towards war, undoubtedly dragged out as long and brutally as possible, in part hoping to provoke that war, by world class war criminal and Congressional favorite Benjamin Nutty-yahoo.

The epic, shocking failure of Western leadership on Gaza, led by Joe “everything for Israel” Biden, rates its own discussion, but the level of hypocrisy it represents is amazing, and completely unmissable by any individual paying attention and not guzzling Western mainstream narratives via Western media. Facts and their accompanying images that never seem to quite impact Western MSM, from a little boy’s legs bagged up like chicken hindquarters, to mangled, burned, dismembered babies and children, again and again and again, are very much getting through in the non-West. And like those of us actually paying attention to reality via independent media, it enrages and sickens them.

And that popular pressure has leaned on a BRIC’s leadership that already sees Netanyahu’s actions for what they are: an attempted genocide in Gaza, and continual efforts to continue and expand the conflict purely to save his own skin. Efforts that are setting off alarm bells in Beijing and Moscow, and in the case of the Russians, triggering concrete efforts to stop the cycle of escalation by providing defensive (and likely offensive) assets to deter further Apartheid State (literal) bomb throwing.

Facts and their accompanying images that never seem to quite impact Western MSM, from a little boy’s legs bagged up like chicken hindquarters, to mangled, burned, dismembered babies and children, again and again, are very much getting through in the non-West.

And here is where the WW3 trigger most obviously lies for this conflict- through the increasing threats and belligerence by the West toward Iran, and matching responses by Russia (and to a lesser degree China) to reinforce and align more closely with Iran. Again, the two greatest nuclear powers, pushed in this case by the blood soaked tantrum the Apartheid State continues to throw, find themselves one step removed, if not directly involved, in targeting assets (and personnel) of the other great nuclear powers.

In reverse of the Ukrainian situation, complicated air defense systems supposedly “Iranian” will undoubtedly have a strong Russian presence, to match any incoming Israeli attack’s strong American presence, from the weapons being employed, to refueling aircraft that make any attack even possible. Russian and American satellites are undoubtedly helping with targeting. Again, sensitive and complicated American/Russian defense systems, undoubtedly in part operated by Americans/Russians, have/will be targeted by the other superpower, as a part of suppressing air defenses.

Just like their support of Syria that likely rescued that nation, in the face of a Western sponsored, jihadi driven dirty war, Russia will not let another vital ally in Iran be abused and destabilized by unhinged Western proxies. Here the West is bumping up against real, if not explicitly stated, Russian red lines, just as they are reaching the limit of Russian patience in Ukraine, demonstrated most dramatically recently by a sudden change in Russian nuclear doctrine.

Meanwhile, there insanely appear to be elements in Western society, and influential elements, that are actually coming to the conclusion wider wars in one or both regions, or simply a massive world war, are the only ways to preserve two psycho political darling proxy nations; nations whose falls will take their precious Empire with them. They simply cannot comprehend losing either of these wars, even though they are very clearly losing both of these wars. So many Western politicians have stupidly chained themselves to these two nutso nations, and are either unwilling or unable to get free, even as those chains drag them down into the abyss.

All to support Nutty-yahoo and the Comic, both with their backs to the wall, both amoral, self centered autocrats undoubtedly capable of horrific acts, including multiple potential false flag scenarios. If you are looking for individuals desperate, and morally decrepit enough, to start World War 3 in an effort to save their own skin, would not Benjamin Netanyahu and Vlodomir Zelensky qualify as top candidates?

Both have said and done incredibly extreme things in the interest of defending their own power. Both depend on support from fascist, extremist elements to maintain power. Both are in dead end, failing and flailing military struggles that only limp onward due to increasingly unsure imperial backing.

And both, undeniably savvy political survivors, sense that Empire is lead by a walking corpse, whose admonitions to not take extreme actions are the meaningless bleating of a empty headed old man no one really believes is running anything. Not that Joe Biden seems to understand the concept of leverage anyway, as he is constantly giving away everything he can, without conditions, in an effort to, ironically, play the tough guy.

Two conflicts with no obvious solutions that are increasingly unsustainable. Two leaders with no moral or ethical limits, facing oblivion. A braindead Empire, stumbling, zombie like, toward two different cliffs.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. And let’s all do what we can to keep these fools and maniacs from destroying our lives.