I Understand Tucker.

But I am on record for many years that US "elites" are not only incompetent, most of them are cowards, across the board.

One of the items which really attracted my attention today was this. Oh, I know, it is Russian "propaganda", but still--this is Miami Police showing "solidarity": 

This is so reminiscent of one relatively recent event, that it is almost creepy. Remember, 2014, Kiev, Maidan, "Revolution". Here is Ukraine's riot police, being "politely" asked to kneel and ask for forgiveness. I, believe this particular event (among many similar ones) took place in Lvov. (or Lviv)

So, for Miami Police I have a message--you do not carry out your duties, choosing instead virtue signalling, like "solidarity" with domestic terrorists and thugs--you will get on the knees in the end, and not by your own volition. I know, I know, US political class being cowards and wussies that they are, most of them anyway, or, altogether being instigators of this outrage are not capable of normal governance. Of course, the jokes about Maria Zaharova and Ryabkov flying to US and beginning to distribute cookies and muffins for American "democracy movement", like Vikki Nuland did in 2014 in Kiev, are very popular currently in Russia:

Nuland at Maidan

But (bitter) jokes aside, as I stated many times, US is ungovernable and the root cause of this, all economic and other very important issues aside, for now, is in the policies of Democratic Party, DNC and most US Main Stream Media. GOP can create only revulsion in normal person and the percentage of truly decent people from this Party in US Congress is approaching zero, but, even considering a definite and constantly growing economic disparity and war-mongering modern GOP perpetuates, it is precisely Democratic Party Establishment which since 2016 and launching of the Anti-Trump campaign is directly involved in seditious and treasonous activity. 

This whole mayhem long ago stopped being about the killing of George Floyd, it is about de-stabilization of already barely standing country, undermining what's left (not much) of its political system, governance and state institutions. Recall, browse this blog, on many occasions I stressed--I have, as many of my peers from Soviet Union and from Soviet Armed Forces, some of them long dead, an experience in the collapse of the country. We were at the front lines, or rather running seams, then in late 1980s- early 1990s. The collapse could have been stopped, but Soviet "Party" elite, headed by coward and moron Gorbachev, was so incompetent that it couldn't even react properly and use force accordingly. This whole thing reminds me of that, in fact it is so reminiscent of those times, that it is getting very uncomfortable. I can tell you more--US political class is even stupider than Gorbachev and his cabal. US Main Stream Media is a human compost, which thinks that when shit will truly hit the fan they will be spared. They are wrong. During 911, NYC was a city united in tragedy and people were helping each-other, let editorial board of NYC, as an example, navigate city divided. Hopefully, this will not come to this.

The United States is done (it was for some time now) as a "shining city upon a hill", the main issue today is merely if this could be contained more or less, and how fast this country will turn into a third world shithole, a destination it is heading to with an impressive acceleration. Well, the country where cops and somebody's guilt-ridden imbeciles express solidarity or beg for forgiveness, while their country is burning--chances of such a country surviving are diminishing with each passing day. But in the good news, stock market is doing great! While great democratic hope and specialist in urban combat tactics, law enforcement, firearms and huge experience in the line of duty, Joe Biden suggests:

Joe Biden said Monday that police under attack in the line of duty should shoot their assailants “in the leg instead of the heart” as a way to avert the killing of civilians. “Instead of standing there and teaching a cop, when there’s an unarmed person coming at them with a knife or something, you shoot them in the leg instead of in the heart is a very different thing. There’s a lot of different things that could change,” Biden said in a meeting with community leaders at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Del.

Wait, Joe never served a day in any armed capacity in his life? He never faced a bogey with a weapon, especially shooting at him ever? So, he doesn't know the difference between safety of a firing range and the street? Yep, he doesn't and never did, so I guess Joe's advice is as good as his mental faculties. I may not like Trump, but he is right--The National Guard should be deployed en-force, Antifa--to be designated a domestic terrorist group, I wish some media were too, I know a couple who are into fomenting riots and troubles. Hey, FBI, here is a real interesting case for ya.  In the end, those bricks may turn out to be... Russian, right? And most importantly--the investigation into Russiagate must continue:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told lawmakers Wednesday that he would not have approved an FBI surveillance application for a former Trump campaign aide during the Russia investigation had he known at the time about the problems that have since been revealed.

Aw, poor Rod. I wonder if all this mayhem has anything to do with exposing Democratic top as treasonous seditious organization? Hm. 

On a more serious note, beyond the campuses of US universities infested with white upper-middle class students who study there nothing of value and who are one of the major brainwashed segments cheering (and participating) on the breakdown of law and order, beyond the mostly black hoods where drugs, incest and violent crime rule, there is still out there a silent majority (for now), which is thinking while looking at all that--I know it is, arms sales and applications for Concealed Carry skyrocketed in May, even among those who otherwise would vote Democrat. As I said, the root cause of a present mayhem is with DNC and its media machine and if the whole thing blows up really--I wouldn't want to be the one with the record of calling on what amounts to destruction of this country. On a lighter note:

One of the overseen gems of a comedy.   

P.S. Meanwhile in a major addition to a circus that the United States has become, get this:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five U.S. senators are to announce legislation on Wednesday to expand sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2, a natural gas pipeline that would increase exports to Germany but is opposed by many in Washington who say it would tighten Moscow's political and economic grip on Europe. 

The question is not about sanctions on NS 2, that is clear that the US simply has no other instruments than blackmailing Europeans. The kicker is the title of the bill:
           Protecting Europe's Energy Security Clarification Act
This is truly, sincerely hilarious. But Europe deserved it. Russia will do just fine even without NS 2. 

P.S. Always loved Coeur D'alene. Love Idaho in general. Vacationed there many times. Love this town and inhabitants are not bad either;)

Everything One Needs To Know.

In many respects America's fate, even despite an economic calamity of a gigantic scale, was contingent upon bringing justice to those who unleashed unprecedented, historically, witch-hunt and mass-psychosis campaign. Anyone with an average IQ and even fleeting acquaintance with principles on which law operates knew and know where and who all those Russia, Ukraine and other "Gates" originated from. Well, it doesn't matter, evidently. 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr said on Monday he does not expect a Justice Department review of the FBI's handling of 2016 election interference to lead to criminal investigation of former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden. "As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don't expect Mr. Durham's work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man," Barr said.

Sad, but totally expected, to be honest.  Barr, however, made some clarifications:

Barr did not rule out the possibility of others being criminally investigated, without offering specifics.

We'll see about that, which, I am a bit on a shaky ground here, since Barr's statement is not born out by the reality:

Barr added that the election should be decided strictly on policy debates, and that any investigation of a political candidate would need to be approved by him personally. "We cannot allow this process to be hijacked by efforts to drum up criminal investigations of either candidate," Barr said.

Well, sure, we all know that Biden sonny's, Hunter, tenure with Ukrainian Burisma had nothing to do, like really-really nothing, with the fact of his senile cretin-father being Ukraine's Gauleiter not only on Obama's orders (Obama always was an amateur in foreign relations, not that there are any professionals in them in D.C. nowadays, but still) but on his own volition, being also an architect of a bloody coup and war there, having blood of thousands of innocent people on his wandering hands. This is not to mention that this coward is now hiding from exposure for his sexual exploits and, once those 2020 "elections" begin to delve into, quoting Barr, "policy debate" (Good ol' Joe cannot, fvcking orient himself in space-time continuum, let alone have "policy debates") we all can be 100% sure that sexual history of Joe will hit the "printing presses" of partisan media. So much for the "policy debate". But, as we all know, the land of the "laws" doesn't really hold up that well under the closer scrutiny. Evidently prosecuting corruption (sedition and treason is also not biggy anymore, evidently) in the US nowadays is contingent merely on who holds and how much power and influence. As Larison reports:

The president announced on Friday that he was firing Steve Linick, the State Department’s Inspector General. One possible reason that Linick was removed may have been that he was conducting an investigation into the bogus emergency declaration that the administration used to expedite arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year. 

Say it ain't so! Come on, we all know that Mike Pompeo... oh, wait:

If Linick was investigating the bogus emergency declaration, he would have come across reporting that showed how a former Raytheon lobbyist serving at the department was instrumental in pushing through the plan to expedite arms sales that benefited his old employer. He would have discovered that there was no genuine emergency that justified going around Congress. Once his investigation was concluded, it would have found that the emergency declaration was made in bad faith and that the law was abused so that the administration could proceed with arms sales that Congress opposed. Another reason for the firing was to protect Mike Pompeo from an investigation into the Secretary’s abuses of government resources for personal purposes.

We all know that a person who openly states that he "lied, cheated and stole" for a living as CIA's big honcho, is being truthful. How can anyone doubt Pompeo's truthfulness? Reality of the American political discourse, however, is such that one cannot stop wondering if any normal, not damaged mentally, people are left in D.C. I am sure many people around the globe ask the same question. American political "elites" today represent a gruesome picture. All politics, everywhere is a dirty business, always was and often it did attract people with serious psychological, if not psychiatric, problems. There is an excellent work titled The Psychological Assessment of Political Leaders: With Profiles of Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. It is long and, at times, tedious read including delving into this proverbial psychobabble, but it is unequivocal in singling out narcissism as one of the main features of Western politicians. Lust for power and narcissism. It is in the foundation of the explanation to the phenomenon of American politics driven by non-stop lowbrow "election cycle" circus. 

Once "look good" triumphs over all other considerations, the political class and its subservient media are doomed and so is the nation this political class pretends to lead. I am on record for years, that the only things US political class knows how to do is to "look good", unless they are caught in corruption or sexual scandal. And that is the problem--they are not caught often enough and this is everything one needs to know about present moment.      

Is There Anybody (Else) Out There? (c)

By now we have to learn one simple fact, which, evidently neither Daniel Larison (for all his valiant effort) nor Andrew Bacevich understand, when they call out warmongers in present American media-political establishment. Most of them are warmongers, including in Congress, and this can not be changed. Sure, I get it and I respect Bacevich, but what is the point when he singles out yet another political "scientist" turned journo calling for war on Iran? 

The teaser for a recent Bret Stephens column in The New York Times accurately summarizes its contents: “If Iran won’t change its behavior we should sink its navy.” We’ve done it before and, by golly, we can do it again. Stephens offers his readers this sanitized version of history to make his case: “On April 14, 1988, the U.S.S. Samuel B. Roberts, a frigate, hit an Iranian naval mine while sailing in the Persian Gulf. The explosion injured 10 of her crew and nearly sank the ship. Four days later, the U.S. Navy destroyed half the Iranian fleet in a matter of hours. Iran did not molest the Navy or international shipping for many years thereafter.” Stripped bare of context, that paragraph is factually correct. But stripping it of context, as Stephens does, transforms it into a form of untruth, not a blatant lie perhaps, but an exercise in sleight of hand. Indeed, the very purpose of his column is not to enlighten, but to deceive and manipulate.

I have news for Bacevich (I am sure he knows it)--there is NO context in US history of 20th and, especially, 21st century. There never was--did Andrew Bacevich look at the American historiography, bar some few superb exceptions of note such as Glantz and House, of World War Two lately? A DEFINING feature of an American political class and punditry, apart from utter lack of professionalism, is an astounding ability to exist in causality-free world. The fact that cause precedes the effect is a concept many American pundits may find intolerable.

Enter this comparative politics educated political philosopher Stephens--what can possibly this neocon boy write about other than some delusional BS on US "foreign policy", which long ago became the foreign policy by and for Israel. Apart from having zero tools required for any competent opinion of foreign policy, the way it is formed and conducted by competent people, including this tricky teeny-weeny military part, what can possibly neocon shill from New York write? I long ago stated, that you cannot argue with these people--they exist in their fake universe and are not configured to argue as in using knowledge and reason--they have neither. Most of them are humanities "educated" journos with zero military-academic and operational experiences who live off NYC media-Parnassus and Israeli interest groups in US. No, arguing, debating them is useless. The only way to deal with them is to do what they only can do, in the breaks between writing their sophomoric crap on US "foreign policy", personal (sophisticated) attacks. Most of them are cowards who wouldn't enlist to fight, nor will their children. None of them have any clue nor credentials (this is important) to competently speak on any tactical, operational or strategic issue. In the end, they have no clue about weapons. 

Pointing this out, as did Phil Giraldi in 2011:

“Neoconservatives are characteristically better versed in reading and writing about battles than actually fighting them, though that deficiency has not inhibited their initiation of vast schemes to remake half the world through force of arms.”

Statecraft, especially military craft today, is the realm for truly gifted and exquisitely educated, cultured and experienced--what could possibly some second-rate journo from totally discredited and corrupt US establishment media offer of value on the issue of war remains a puzzle. Until these warmongers and ignoramuses begin to be called for what they are--people who must have their mouths shut on any American war due to them being utterly unqualified, until all their "educational" credentials be exposed for what they are--useless concoction of a humanities' abstracts and glorified English degrees, until they are called out as Israeli shills and until they are forced into debate, which they will lose, on actual military art--until then these SOBs will continue to act as people whose useless opinions matter. But we also have to understand that this type of arrogance and ignorance is what dominates today corridors of US media-political power because it is a demand by the system. In the end, there is simply nobody else out there who could have seriously challenged this state of the affairs--the experience of the last 27 years provides an overwhelming empirical evidence of that. But that is the whole other story.   

No, Daniel Larison, You Are Wrong Here.

I am talking about Daniel Larison trying to figure out what really drives Trump-Bolton relations. Larison explains US getting into the regional wars' trap this way:

For someone “not playing along,” Trump has obediently given Bolton and the Iran hawks practically everything they have wanted so far. He has gone much further in laying the groundwork for war with Iran than any of his predecessors, and the only reason that many people seem confident that he won’t order an attack is their mistaken belief that he is a non-interventionist when all of the evidence tells us that he is no such thing. Trump presumably doesn’t want to start a multi-year, extremely expensive war that could also throw the economy into a recession, but then every president that launches an illegal war of choice assumes that the war would be much easier and take less time than it does. No one ever knowingly opts for a bloody debacle. The absurdly optimistic hawkish expectations of a quick and easy triumph are always dashed on the rocks of reality, but for some reason political leaders believe these expectations every time because “this time it’s different.” There will come a point where Bolton will tell Trump that attacking Iran (or Venezuela) is the only way to “win,” and Trump will probably listen to him just as he has listened to him on all of these issues up until now.

I disagree--see highlighted in yellow. Larison must ask himself a question--when was the last time POTUS was a man with serious military or intelligence background, not to speak of his national security team? Even when one discounts baneful corrupt influence of Israel and Gulfies' on the US foreign policy, how about we face the fact that in the last 27 years we have one non-stop reshuffling of the lawyers, entrepreneurs, media figures and political pseudo-scientists at the American political top and national security apparatus. Being former Attorney General or a journo does not qualify one for expressing competent opinions on the issues of real warfare or serious intelligence matters. US political top and decision makers are utterly ignorant and uneducated in these matters as are in actual practical geopolitics once one considers a disastrously pathetic level of geopolitical thought in the US in the last 30 years--no wonder, it was written by people who saw explosions on TV screen only. In other words, most people in US elites from POTUS position down lack every single quality imperative for running such a country as the United States or any other superpower. These are the real, not "some", reasons for "absurdly optimistic hawkish expectations"--ignorance. There is absolutely no mystery about it by anyone with even rudimentary knowledge of what real war is.

I know, it is a painful realization, but that is what one gets when electing a kindergarten to run a nation, which has NO real life experience with war and is absolutely confused by a real state of the affairs inside and outside its borders. I know, it is insulting to recognize that all those allegedly high IQ people in legislature, media and executive are not very bright and are not fit to offer any opinions on any issues related to real national security. This also explains not just forced but truly admired by many in US  Israel's military "accomplishments"--it is easy to BS the Sect of Desert Storm Witnesses. But in the end, one has to ask this simple question--how all those, primarily humanities and social studies "educated", people constituting US political class can possibly think other than "this time is different"? They can not--they simply lack appropriate instruments, a cognitive apparatus, which require many years of study, practice, including in operational zones, and study again, especially when it goes for operational and strategic planning level. Without these instruments everything related to warfare in US is reduced to doctrine-mongering and ROI, and Hollywood. Real war? Forget it, after all these will be those deplorables who will be sent to die in some God-forsaken locality, while serving as mass murder instruments of an Empire which has no clue. 

I am forced to use words of Russian intelligence professional Andrei Bezrukov:

What is THEIR weakness? As enemies these guys are mediocrities, second rate. They overate. Their previous generation was stronger. They respected us, we respected them. We don't respect these ones,they didn't deserve it. They can bully, as for the real fight--we'll see about that... They are enraged that soon they will have to live within their means.They forgot how to do so long time ago. That is why they want to solve a problem with us now, while others are still afraid of them. 

I can only clarify Bezrukov--mediocrity is too noble a term to describe those who run this pathetic (and dangerous) spectacle. I wonder if Daniel Larison understands this.  

It Is Not Just Trump Admin.

I understand Daniel Larison's frustration with US actions abroad, with him, finally, starting to use proper terminology about US foreign policy, which includes such terms as lunatics, fanatics and now degenerates--about time:

No one has ever accused the Trump administration of being interested in history or logic, so we shouldn’t expect their policies to be informed by either one. It is nonetheless remarkable how heavily the administration continues to rely on “maximum pressure” tactics to achieve its goals in its three most high-profile foreign policy initiatives (i.e., Iran, Venezuela, North Korea) when there is absolutely no reason to think that such pressure tactics can force another government to make major concessions or capitulate. They have targeted three governments that define themselves in large part by their opposition and resistance to the U.S., and they think that they can squeeze them into surrender or collapse. Like a degenerate gambler at a slot machine, the administration thinks that all they need to win is just one more set of sanctions, and then another and another, and when the latest effort doesn’t get them the desired result they keep pulling on the same lever in the hope of a jackpot. 

But truth to be told, it is not just Trump Administration, this applies to  US political class as a whole, granted with few and notable exceptions. Can we start from the beginning and admit--US political class as a whole is utterly incompetent and aggressive. Replacing Bolton with someone else will make few, if any, differences. Even what passes in the US for so called realists is an amorphous group of good ol' American exceptionalists, who still think that US is "good". It is not--this whole, let's call it for what it is, US imperialism and militarism is a natural state of what came to be known as national security-warfare state which sits firmly on the foundation of a large financial capital, which in desperate attempts to save itself will go to any length to find something to consume. So, low life Bolton or Pompeo are merely material manifestations of the most sinister interests of globalist financial mafia, which will dispose of the remnants of the American Republic if need be. 

The transformation I observed in the US since 9/11 cannot be described in words other than an accelerating slide towards totalitarian society. And then you have, of course, moral freaks such as Maddow and HRC:

Clinton offered a hypothetical to Maddow: A Democratic candidate for the 2020 election comes on her show and says, "China, if you're listening, why don't you get Trump's tax returns? I'm sure our media would richly reward you." 

And here is my pitch--could it be that there are few, if any, simply decent human beings left in US political class? By decency, I, of course, do not mean nice on the surface people who pay taxes and attend church on Sunday--by that I mean not being a moral freak and lowlife scumbag in a larger metaphysical sense. I mean people who do the "right thing" and who are honest in the most fundamental way, under most difficult circumstances. Judging by the position United States finds itself today--no such people exist anymore. Just zombies, but that is precisely a social demand of a system--honest (and competent) people are simply filtered out. Look at the faces and behavior of Marco Rubio, Mike Pence or imbecile Joe Biden--little, fragile people who convinced themselves through ballot, which is to say through professional lying to people, that they are great. Indeed, it is not just the Ship of Fools, it is the Ship of Zombies. Zombies have no morality or decency and that is their defining characteristic which makes them not human and that can explain a lot. The system is IN the process of implosion and we observe it right in a front of our eyes and do not expect anyone to save it--there is simply no one decent out there. 

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

I think it is really symptomatic that on this 11 September 2018 we read this.

MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. The filming of staged chemical attack, allegedly carried out by the Syrian army against civilians, is already underway in the Idlib Governorate with the terrorists’ assistance, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria told reporters. "According to the data from the Idlib Governorate’s residents, currently the filming of a staged provocation of the alleged chemical weapons use by the Syrian army against the civilians is underway in Jisr ash-Shugur. Film crews from several Middle East TV channels and also a regional branch of a leading US news TV channel arrived in Jisr ash-Shugur this morning for filming," the center said. The scenario includes a staged video of providing assistance to the citizens of Jisr ash-Shugur and activists of the Civil Defense (the White Helmets) after the alleged use of the so-called barrel bombs with toxic substances. The militants delivered two samples with a poisonous substance including chlorine this morning to ensure that the filming looks "natural," the center said. The Russian military notes that all videos are to be sent to the editorial offices of TV channels for broadcast after they are posted in social networks. In late August, the Russian Defense Ministry warned that militants were making preparations together with British intelligence services to stage a chemical weapons attack in the Idlib Governorate and blame it on the Syrian government. The ministry later said that the US-led Western coalition planned to use this provocation as a pretext to carry out another strike on Syria’s government facilities. The United States is already pulling in its forces to Syria. According to the ministry, in late August USS The Sullivans armed with 56 cruise missiles arrived in the Persian Gulf, while a US B1-B bomber equipped with 24 air-to-surface standoff missiles was relocated to the Al Udeid US air base in Qatar.

Of course, what could be better than to mark a sad anniversary of a slaughter of thousands of innocent Americans and other nationals by supporting the very same people who are responsible for 911 atrocity? There, assuredly, will be many honest average Americans who will be in denial that USAF and US Navy have become Al Qaeda and ISIS' forces—but it is what it is. Same goes for Western media who long ago turned into propaganda machine and they always supported Jihad. Meanwhile, Russia calmly reacts to a hysterical material by Wall Street Journal.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 11. /TASS/. The Kremlin does not take media reports about US airstrikes on Russian troops in Syria seriously any more, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters."We don’t take media reports seriously because they have completely discredited themselves," he said, commenting on a Wall Street Journal publication. "We focus on official statements," Peskov added

This is the only way to handle this and, indeed, what can Russia do? Well, except of being ready militarily to deal with possible escalation. I don't know what Donald Trump wrote to Putin in his recent private letter to him, and there are some reasons to believe that Trump and Putin could be in cahoots, but the probability of that is really low. Russians are extremely well aware of the situation Trump is in, granted he put himself into this situation by assembling a cabinet of ambitious war-mongers, but it is reasonable to assume that Kremlin, at this stage, understands that even the POTUS is not representative of an American power and there is literally nobody to talk to in D.C. American power structure is broken and there is no anymore any particular power center worthy of negotiating with. If that was true several years ago, it is just that today this chaos became much more pronounced and visible to anyone with the IQ higher than room temperature. In other words, American political system is in runaway mode and there is nobody of human and political statue who can take responsibility and restore some kind of order. US Congress is nothing more than organization, which, under the slogans about "democracy", is busy 24/7 in spreading the responsibility for dangerous and damaging decision as thin as possible. We also have a show-biz celebrity and NYC real estate developer in the White House who thinks that boarding school for the boys is a military experience one needs to run a nuclear power. So who? Among current political top—nobody. American top political class today is nothing more than a collection of spoiled brats most of whom have zero hard life experiences and who never served a day in uniform. It is an exclusive club of good ol' boys and girls who are utterly unqualified to run a nuclear superpower and most of who are corrupted to the very core.

This is not the kind of environment which produces outstanding statesmen or stateswomen. Same goes for Europe whose "leaders" like Angela Merkel are nothing more than political parties' apparatchiks—colorless, not very smart and ready to preach whatever is necessary to get elected. Fact is, I suspect that Merkel is not just not bright, I think she is dumb as fvck. This is the human material combined West in general, and the US in particular, have to live with and "choose" from. Indeed, the country which honors John McCain as a "hero"—there are some real issues with the state of mind of such a country. I will have to address the issue of "elites" in depth at some point of time, granted we live, but I want to remind you all that I delved into this topic once and even singled out draft dodger John Bolton. But for now, Russia launched the largest military exercise in her modern history and since 1981 and presses on with operations in Idlib.

"You Can't Handle The Truth"(c).

Yvonne Lorenzo sent me link to this and I decided to put it here too. First, Paris Dennard is an absolutely top class act in this instance--intelligent, eloquent and cultured. Secondly, the behavior of this Philip Mudd "top intelligence" dude of CIA-FBI fame, which can only be described in psychiatric terms--ranging from open hysteria to teenage desperation--is very indicative of the overall state of the American "elites". The off-the scale amount of pathos of this counter-terrorism "specialist" is an immediate indicator of a huge inferiority, human and professional, complex he has. The guy "can't handle the truth" and CNN sure as hell knows how to "choose" its "national (in)security" contributors.   

Now, get this: obviously Deep State operatives such as former CIA big honcho in lie Brennan or this Mudd guy may not necessarily reflect on all, especially middle level, people working in national security complex--I am sure there are many top notch professionals and decent people in this bureaucratic behemoth--but they sure as hell reflect on a pathetic state of American political class, which, should it have been less homicidal, would have been a complete laughing stock. Wait, it is. Now to a more profound thing: this Philip Mudd guy has a graduate degree in... English Literature. Oh, I am sure he was taught in all kinds of "spy" schools along the way, but one is forced to ask the question--does anyone in their freaking mind still believe that you can grow and hone a top notch intelligence, forget real military, professional who in his formative years was a student of literature and didn't serve a freaking single day in uniform? Good luck with that, but don't be surprised with increasingly pathetic outcomes in terms of personnel. It is a sad exhibition on CNN but entirely not unexpected one. As many stated not for once--these people are not agreement-capable, precisely for the reasons of them not being able to handle the truth. Well, that, and being pompous ass-holes. 

Excellent Piece By Phil Giraldi.

Who I respect profoundly despite not always agreeing with him. But here is his piece from Strategic Culture Foundation which is very much worth reading and gets many things right, except one. This is where I disagree with him. 

One has to conclude that the United States has now become the ultimate angry imperial power, lashing out with the only thing that seems to work – its ability to interfere in and control financial markets – to punish nations that do not play by its rules. Given Washington’s diminishing clout worldwide, it is a situation that is unsustainable and which will ultimately only really punish the American people as the United States becomes more isolated and its imperial overreach bankrupts the nation. As America weakens, Russia, Turkey, Iran and all the other countries that have been steamrolled by Washington will likely seek revenge. To avoid that, a dramatic course correction by the US is needed, but, unfortunately, is unlikely to take place. 

Russia will not seek revenge on Americans, absolutely not. Not being vengeful is one of the features of Russians as people. Unless, of course, one seriously takes Anthony Beavor's Solzhenitsyn-scale, in terms of BS, claims of millions of German women raped by the Red Army. This British so called "historian" never heard of a brutal punishment including executions (IIRC, 800 soldier and officers were executed, around 4000 were court martialed for rape and sent to "GULAG") of Red Army personnel who did actually rape German women in 1945, one has to remember, paradoxically, Stalin's famous: Hitlers come and go but Germany and German people remain. Russian people have no beef with Americans (guess who were the largest contingent of tourists at the WC 2018 in Russia), they also do not hate the United States, but Russian nation DOES have issue with what today passes as an American power "elite" which is both dangerous and treasonous primarily to own people. 

But the end of US "power" is near, in fact we are in the initial stages of collapse of the edifice of what became known as Pax Americana. It is only accelerating and, I am sure, there are number of people in the whatever you want to call it--"establishment", Borg, Deep State, etc.--who may begin to fill a slight pinch from the unfolding situation. Somebody has to answer for the rise and support of ISIS, somebody has to answer for war crimes against too many nations to be listed here. After all, people like this:

have to understand that old Soviet/Russian post-Great Patriotic War slogan Nobody Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Forgotten, is not just about those fallen who fought for the motherland, but also about atrocities and those who committed them. Somebody, somewhere always keeps the score and somebody always has to answer. 

As per American state and government themselves--it is American people's task to save them and make them work, because, among those really important things about Russia's attitudes towards the United States one thing remains constant--Russia is keenly interested in the United States as peaceful, stable and prosperous nation. Why so--is a separate huge issue. Can the US become such? Some people think that the nature of current US political and economic systems completely precludes that, and these people may have a point, but at least today I personally still have to give some benefit of a doubt regarding Phil Giraldi's "unlikely" verdict, which automatically implies at least non-zero probability of positive outcome, since some healthy forces in the US do exist. If they lose (and I don't mean DJT) then, yes, the United States will be done not only as a locomotive of global "liberalism" but as a nation. There will be no coming back from the catastrophic implosion of a system. And here is my point: as I stated not for once in the last 4-5 years--Russia is not interested, neither is China, in America's catastrophic collapse, so instead of "revenge", most likely some arrangements are already being made for some sort of a "soft landing". Russia is run by the adults who are extremely well informed and aware of the world outside and they are too busy to be engaged into any kind of revenge on the US--they have a bigger fish to fry. As per this: 

Though Russian President Vladimir Putin has responded with restraint, avoiding a tit-for-tat, he is reported to be angry about the new move by the US government and now believes it to be an unreliable negotiating partner. Considering the friendly recent exchanges between Putin and Trump, the punishment of Russia has to be viewed as something of a surprise, suggesting that the president of the United States may not be in control of his own foreign policy.

I can only reiterate: current American political class is not treaty worthy, or non-agreement-capable, party and that is why this class is already doomed by the history.