The United States government, from the President to Senator McCain, are at it again...that is continuing the United States government's long history of hypocrisy. In this case it is condemning Russia and President Putin for interfering with the United States presidential election this year. As the old expression says, "Well! If THAT is not the Pot calling the Kettle BLACK!"
A little reading of American History will readily provide nearly innumerable instances where the US government, Democrat, Republican, Whig, Bull Moose, or whatever party might have been in charge, has "influenced" elections in nearly innumerable nations from Argentina to Zimbabwe. This interference has been going since the early days of our Republic. We can look back to the French Revolution for example, and to American intrigues in Mexico prior to 1836.
More recently, the United States exercised influence on Chinese politics and elections starting in 1949. Then we can think of other nations in the decade following, including Cuba and Albania. In the Fifties the US helped "elect" the first Shah of Iran. During the same time the US took over France's "meddling" in Viet Nam. In the Sixties and Seventies it was extremely difficult to name a nation in Central or South America, and Africa, not to mention Cuba, in which the United States helped "elect" or outright INSTALL corrupt and vicious dictators and strongmen, very often leading to the murder or imprisonment of millions of people.
In the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties the United States continued its policy of influencing politics in other lands, even up to assassinating candidates who were deemed less than friendly to US government and corporate interests. How can we forget the constant US interference in the Baltics after the breakup of the Soviet Union? And such activities continued through Bill Clinton's presidency. I guess Hillary forgot about that, as did Senator McCain.
Now President Obama is threatening retaliation on Russia for its as yet UNPROVEN "hacking" into the 2016 Presidential Election. Retaliation? Really. Usually we would want a tangible fact that could prove the "charge" before we would retaliate. President Putin of Russia is not being unreasonable in asking for proof of Russian "meddling." And what about retaliation. Are we going to go to the "brink" again over as yet unfounded allegations? Would the retaliation be "economic sanctions" or something more lethal?
Leaving that question for another post, let's ask another question. With all the evidence now available regarding US interference, including assassinations, what if all the nations concerned decided it was now time to retaliate against US? Senator McCain is calling for Congressional hearings into "Russian Hacking" of US elections. Why does he not also call for a Congressional resolution admitting US interference in the various foreign elections and making reparations for that interference? Well, I know, that is not going to happen. But wouldn't it be our duty to do this before "retaliating" against Russia (bear in mind the average person in Russia had nothing to do with any real or imagined governmental interference with American elections)?
Whether or not Russia interfered with US elections, and whether or not our leaders choose to "retaliate" against Russia, I think we should acknowledge the great hypocrisy going on in the American news media right now, as orchestrated by our President, by Hillary Clinton, by John McCain, and by many other politicians. How ridiculous it is to hear those mentioned above crowing about Russia's political interference while over-looking our own nation's much more expansive and still continuing influence-mongering that has earned the United States so much bad will over the past century and a half. Once again, I urge you, don't just read this blog. Do some research for yourself. But if you are my age, you really don't have to do a lot of research, as you lived through much of it yourself.
I hope that our leaders will one day resolve to let other nations choose their own destinies, whether they "align" with US goals or not. We want our elections to be free and without outside influence. The other nations of the world ask for, and deserve, nothing less than this as well.
May God Bless America.
A little reading of American History will readily provide nearly innumerable instances where the US government, Democrat, Republican, Whig, Bull Moose, or whatever party might have been in charge, has "influenced" elections in nearly innumerable nations from Argentina to Zimbabwe. This interference has been going since the early days of our Republic. We can look back to the French Revolution for example, and to American intrigues in Mexico prior to 1836.
More recently, the United States exercised influence on Chinese politics and elections starting in 1949. Then we can think of other nations in the decade following, including Cuba and Albania. In the Fifties the US helped "elect" the first Shah of Iran. During the same time the US took over France's "meddling" in Viet Nam. In the Sixties and Seventies it was extremely difficult to name a nation in Central or South America, and Africa, not to mention Cuba, in which the United States helped "elect" or outright INSTALL corrupt and vicious dictators and strongmen, very often leading to the murder or imprisonment of millions of people.
In the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties the United States continued its policy of influencing politics in other lands, even up to assassinating candidates who were deemed less than friendly to US government and corporate interests. How can we forget the constant US interference in the Baltics after the breakup of the Soviet Union? And such activities continued through Bill Clinton's presidency. I guess Hillary forgot about that, as did Senator McCain.
Now President Obama is threatening retaliation on Russia for its as yet UNPROVEN "hacking" into the 2016 Presidential Election. Retaliation? Really. Usually we would want a tangible fact that could prove the "charge" before we would retaliate. President Putin of Russia is not being unreasonable in asking for proof of Russian "meddling." And what about retaliation. Are we going to go to the "brink" again over as yet unfounded allegations? Would the retaliation be "economic sanctions" or something more lethal?
Leaving that question for another post, let's ask another question. With all the evidence now available regarding US interference, including assassinations, what if all the nations concerned decided it was now time to retaliate against US? Senator McCain is calling for Congressional hearings into "Russian Hacking" of US elections. Why does he not also call for a Congressional resolution admitting US interference in the various foreign elections and making reparations for that interference? Well, I know, that is not going to happen. But wouldn't it be our duty to do this before "retaliating" against Russia (bear in mind the average person in Russia had nothing to do with any real or imagined governmental interference with American elections)?
Whether or not Russia interfered with US elections, and whether or not our leaders choose to "retaliate" against Russia, I think we should acknowledge the great hypocrisy going on in the American news media right now, as orchestrated by our President, by Hillary Clinton, by John McCain, and by many other politicians. How ridiculous it is to hear those mentioned above crowing about Russia's political interference while over-looking our own nation's much more expansive and still continuing influence-mongering that has earned the United States so much bad will over the past century and a half. Once again, I urge you, don't just read this blog. Do some research for yourself. But if you are my age, you really don't have to do a lot of research, as you lived through much of it yourself.
I hope that our leaders will one day resolve to let other nations choose their own destinies, whether they "align" with US goals or not. We want our elections to be free and without outside influence. The other nations of the world ask for, and deserve, nothing less than this as well.
May God Bless America.
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