What, exactly, is the U.S. government’s plan for Ukraine?

American officials keep saying they won’t negotiate with Russia, but now they’re also leaking a belief that Ukraine can’t win. If both strategies are off the table, what exactly is the American plan?https://t.co/JjeYbdrFT6

— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) October 13, 2022

Independent journalist Matt Taibbi writes, “Fifteen years ago, in a July 2007 Democratic primary debate in Charleston, South Carolina, Senator Barack Obama won applause by saying sure, he’d meet with the leaders of countries like Iran, Cuba, and North Korea. ‘The notion that somehow not talking the country is punishment to them’ was ridiculous, he said, adding even JFK and Reagan were willing to talk to the Soviets.

‘They understood that we may not trust them, and they may pose an extraordinary danger,’ Obama said. ‘But we have the obligation to find areas where we can potentially move forward.’

Obama’s line won him new admirers and helped dent progressive support for frontrunner Hillary Clinton. The episode is now mostly forgotten, as Talking to Bad People has again been deemed forbidden, even by former liberals, perhaps especially by them, even with the country suddenly at greater risk of nuclear war than at any time since the Cuban Missile crisis.

These dynamics resurfaced in a confusing way this week. To no one’s surprise the Biden administration continued to say it won’t negotiate with Russia, but it suddenly also began leaking a belief that it doesn’t think fighting will work, either. If both strategies are off the table, what exactly are we doing?”

Read the entire column.

The post What, exactly, is the U.S. government’s plan for Ukraine? appeared first on Liberty Tree.

Ukraine set to become largest recipient of U.S. military assistance in a century

I’ve always fought to protect tax dollars from going towards wasteful spending overseas and instead prioritize them for needs here in Kentucky. I’m proud of the strength and resilience in our Commonwealth and I’ll continue to support Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/HiZGF3ZGdk

— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 5, 2022

As Floridians recover from Hurricane Ian and Kentucky contends with major tornado damage, President Biden just pledged another $625 million of our taxpayer dollars to Ukraine on top of the billions and billions already sent.

Ukraine is now set to become the largest recipient of American military assistance in a century.

The Intercept reported last month, “Since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February, the U.S. government has pumped more money and weapons into supporting the Ukrainian military than it sent in 2020 to Afghanistan, Israel, and Egypt combined — surpassing in a matter of months three of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid in history…”

“Analysts estimate that Ukraine, already the largest recipient of U.S. security assistance in Europe since 2014, is well on track to become the largest recipient of U.S. security assistance of the century altogether.” the report continued.

The Intercept noted how unprecedented this foreign spending was, “There is little precedent for the breakneck pace and scale of U.S. spending on Ukraine. ‘It’s more than the peak it paid to Afghanistan by a long shot and many times more than aid to Israel,’ William Hartung, senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, told The Intercept. ‘And it’s somewhat unique that they’ve been arming a country where there are two nation states at war.”

Read the entire story.

The post We need less U.S. tax dollars going overseas. Put America First appeared first on Liberty Tree.

On Monday, a video clip of Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs saying he believed the United States more likely destroyed the Nord Stream pipeline than U.S. government claims that Russia did.

During an interview on Bloomberg TV, Sachs delved into “the destruction of the Nord Stream Pipeline, which I would bet was a U.S. action, perhaps U.S. and Poland. That is speculation.”

The Bloomberg host interjected, “Jeff, we’ve got to stop there. Why do you feel that was a U.S. action? What evidence do you have of that?”

Sachs proceeded to give the audience an earful.

CNBC host panics when guest speculates that the Nord Stream pipeline bombing was a “U.S. operation.”

The guest is asked to back up his statement… and he does pic.twitter.com/TGHYt9aC8C

— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) October 3, 2022

Sachs explained, “Well, first, there is direct radar evidence that U.S. military helicopters that are normally based in Gdansk were circling over this area. We also had the threat from the U.S. [President Biden] earlier this year that ‘one way or another we are going to end Nord Stream.”

“We also had a remarkable statement from Sec. Blinken last Friday in a press conference where he said ‘this is also a tremendous opportunity,” Sachs continued. “That’s a strange way to talk if you’re worried about piracy on the international infrastructure of vital significance.”

“I know it runs counter to our narrative, you’re not allowed to say these things in the West, but the fact of the matter is all over the world when I talk to people, they think the U.S. did it,” he admitted. “Even reporters on our papers that are involved tell me ‘of course’ [the U.S. did it], but it doesn’t show up in our media.”

Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald wondered why journalists weren’t asking who blew up Nord Stream rather than just accepting government claims at face value.

Nothing angers employees of large Western media corporations more than suggestions that US intelligence services may not be telling the truth and might do bad things.

The ideology of corporate media isn’t so much “left” or “right” as it is subservience to establishment power. https://t.co/XNaI4dmiuU

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 3, 2022

Some journalists have asked questions.

Tucker Carlson questions what happened to the Nord Stream pipeline:

“Did the Biden administration really do this?”

OMGosh, just listen — the thought of this is horrifying!pic.twitter.com/bxf5nsSD10

— NEWSNANCY (@NewsNancy9) September 28, 2022

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the bombing of the pipelines “offers a tremendous opportunity” three days before saying bombing them was “in no one’s interest.”

Sec. State Blinken: Nordstream Bombing ‘Offers Tremendous Opportunity’ – today on the Liberty Report:https://t.co/zAzhTd1PHy

— Ron Paul (@RonPaul) October 3, 2022

Blinken Sept 27: Sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines “in no one’s interest”

Blinken Sept 30: Destruction of pipelines a “tremendous strategic opportunity” to “pursue the transition to renewables” pic.twitter.com/pioYYU8PZz

— Michael Shellenberger (@ShellenbergerMD) October 2, 2022

Back in January, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nulan said that “Nord Stream 2 will not move forward” if Russia invaded Ukraine.

President Joe Biden said the U.S. “would bring and end” to Nord Stream

“If Russia invades…then there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.” – President Joe Biden.

pic.twitter.com/B96Q7Qffny

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) September 27, 2022

That’s a lot to work with. There should be more questions. Not less.

The post Economist Jeffrey Sachs says U.S. likely blew up Nord Stream: ‘You’re not allowed to say these things in the West’ appeared first on Liberty Tree.

My statement following the announcement by @POTUS to deploy additional troops to Europe. pic.twitter.com/gZKGikznI6

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 3, 2022

The post We can’t be the world’s police appeared first on Liberty Tree.

Establishment Republicans are very upset with @TuckerCarlson for opposing their desired war over Ukraine. There are zero Democrats being loud about opposing this war.

That leaves only a Fox News host and a handful of libertarian Republicans to oppose it. https://t.co/Lv2xS4syiH

— Jack Hunter (@jackhunter74) February 3, 2022

From my latest at BASEDPolitics, “Politico reported Tuesday that hawkish Republican politicians are getting upset because Carlson’s ‘America First’ message is registering with voters back home.

These Republicans have a message for Tucker: We’re in charge. Not you.

But are they?

In a story that reads more like an opinion column at times, Politico  reporter Andrew Desiderio writes, ‘Republican senators are unmoved by Tucker Carlson’s relentless warpath against support for Ukraine—even as it widens an existing rift in their party.’

‘The Fox News prime time host and others on the far-right’ (author’s note: hawkish Republicans aren’t considered ‘far-right’ anymore? That’s new!) ‘have excused and even rationalized Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine and downplayed its relevance to U.S. national security,’ the Politico story reads.

‘And while GOP senators are shrugging off his name-and-shame campaign, Carlson’s views are permeating the GOP base in a way that could undermine Republicans’ efforts to emphasize cross-party unity as they seek to deter a Russian invasion of Ukraine,’ the piece continues.

In other words, Carlson is messing up hawks’ plans for the next war. Which is… the entire point of what he’s doing.”

Read the entire story.

The post Establishment Republicans team up to attack Tucker Carlson for opposing US war in Ukraine appeared first on Liberty Tree.

President Trump Calling Out Biden & Washington For Focusing On Ukraine’s Border Instead Of America’s Border

“It’s always America Last.”

“Before Joe Biden sends any troops to defend a border in Eastern Europe he should be sending troops to defend our border right here in Texas.” pic.twitter.com/sqUeQo09fI

— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) January 30, 2022

The post Why not defend the U.S. border instead of Ukraine’s? appeared first on Liberty Tree.

Sanctions almost always punish innocent citizens more than the military and political leaders of countries. https://t.co/tOwqZnqCfo

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 27, 2022

The post Sanctions always punish innocent citizens appeared first on Liberty Tree.

“It is no secret that I have had a lot of foreign policy disagreements with the bipartisan War Caucus in Washington D.C. during my time in office. From Iraq to Syria, and Yemen to Afghanistan, it seems that there is always a war they want to be in.

I was heartened when President Trump spoke of stopping our ‘endless wars’ and I was hoping for more restraint from President Biden. Unfortunately, that wasn’t his history and it doesn’t seem to be his current direction. The endless wars are ramping up again even as I write today.

Let’s hope diplomacy succeeds before we are dragged into yet another war. https://t.co/h1XoA7EnZC

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 26, 2022

The war-as-first-resort crowd, including the Biden Administration, put 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe. Folly best describes the idea of sending a small contingent off to a potentially big war. This mistake was made in Syria and elsewhere in recent years…

From our perspective, Ukraine should not and cannot be our problem to solve. It is not our place to defend them in a struggle with their longtime adversary, Russia. There is no national security interest for the United States…

The neocons are trying to fool people that NATO entrance would lead to deterrence and peace, when in fact it is a recipe for war and disaster.”

Read the entire column.

aaaa

The post The U.S. shouldn’t be dragged into another war appeared first on Liberty Tree.

My latest at Responsible Statecraft, “The fight on the right for what constitutes a conservative or Republican foreign policy continues. This time the battlefront is Russia and Ukraine.

That there is a fissure on this issue among conservatives is in a way, a big deal, showing that the ‘America First’ restraint approach that garnered support among the base didn’t go away completely when power changed hands in Washington and its chief advocate, Donald Trump, left town. Unfortunately, many Republicans have gone back to form and are talking like it’s the post 9/11-era — as if Trump’s criticisms of George W. Bush’s wars and nation-building had no effect on their party whatsoever…

Must read @jackhunter74 on how @TuckerCarlson @TulsiGabbard & other populists are peeling off from the Borg & asking why everyone is so bananas about going to war over Ukraine. https://t.co/TbkdMNAaUk @RichardHanania @brad_polumbo @JDVance1 @AndrewBeckUSA @jimantle @ToryAnarchist

— Kelley B. Vlahos (@KelleyBVlahos) January 26, 2022

Suddenly more conservatives and Republicans began speaking out against the prospect of U.S. military action in the region.

‘The United States should not be involved in any future war in Ukraine,’ charged libertarian populist Republican Congressman Thomas Massie on Monday.”

Read the entire column.

The post Populists on the right are now openly challenging Republican war lust appeared first on Liberty Tree.

There is no treaty with Ukraine that obligates the US to attack Russia.

Congress declares war, not the President.

This week’s assigned reading is the Constitution.

Class dismissed.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 25, 2022

The post Congress declares war, not the president appeared first on Liberty Tree.