Author: Walt Zlotow

When the Soviet Union disappeared in 1991, U.S. weapons makers saw their Cold War gravy train grind to a halt. By 1993, the big weaponeers like Boeing, Raytheon, Northrup and Lockheed stemmed the bleeding by gobbling up the smaller players, acquiring new economic muscle in a dwindling domestic market.

To keep profits booming they turned eastward, all the way to the former Soviet republics. Their brilliant scheme was to bring these nations into NATO so they could sell them endless billions in weaponry. Weapons hawkers flooded these new markets while their lobbyists flooded Congress, making defense contractors among the most prominent supporters of NATO expansion. They had plenty of help from NATO expansionists in Congress, the military and the pundit class.

Continue reading “Weapons-Makers Fueled NATO Expansion from 16 to 30 Members”

Russia’s war on Ukraine has the potential to spiral out of control, leading to exchange of nuclear weapons between Russia and the U.S. That is because US economic sanctions against Russia and funneling arms to Ukrainians defending against the Russian assault, places America on a potential collision course with Russia. These two countries possess over 11,500 nuclear weapons between them. It just takes one mistake, one miscalculation, one rogue person with the ability to unleash just one such weapon to set off a mutually devastating exchange that could blanket the earth with nuclear destruction.

Russian president Putin alluded to such potential when he announced he put Russia’s strategic nuclear resources on high alert due “aggressive statements” from Western powers. He also stated “No matter who tries to stand in our way or create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history."

Continue reading “Ukraine Crisis an Eerie Reversal of Cuban Missile Crisis”

We need to go back 31 years to begin the diplomatic failures that led to war in Ukraine Wednesday. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, it represented one of the most remarkably peaceful transformations of a belligerent empire in history. The West had a golden opportunity to embrace that transformation, incorporate Russia into the European community, but chose not to. Rather than dissolve NATO, the U.S. promoted Russia as an existential threat to Western Europe, requiring its expansion. Beginning with Poland, Hungary and Cech Republic, NATO gobbled up 12 former Soviet republics, encroaching senselessly right up to Russia’s borders.

George F. Kennan, architect of U.S. strategic containment of the Soviets in 1947 that led to NATO in 1949, was aghast at this diplomatic blunder saying, “I think it is the beginning of a new cold war. I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anybody else. This expansion would make the Founding Fathers of this country turn over in their graves.”

Continue reading “All War Is Essentially a Failure of Diplomacy. Russia’s Criminal War in Ukraine Is a Prime Example.”

President Biden announced Friday he’s “convinced” Russia will invade Ukraine “in the coming week. When challenged why he thought that, he replied “significant intelligence capabilities.

Of course, the president and Congress  have been saying attack is imminent for the last 2 months. During that time both have been ratcheting up weapons sales to Ukraine and other pro West states on Russia’s border. Over $650 million in weaponry in pouring into Ukraine and $6 billion of it, including 250 Abrams tanks, has just been sold to Poland.

Continue reading “Ukraine Crisis a Boondoggle for US Munitions Makers”

The Afghan economy has crashed into ruin from 20 years of U.S. warfare. The UN’s World Food Program estimates 23 million of Afghanistan’s 40 million people face starvation. The economy is in free-fall, putting Afghanistan into humanitarian crisis.

But the Biden administration is fueling Afghanistan’s descent into darkness by holding $7 billion in Afghan funds in the Federal Reserve. That represents the entire reserve of the Afghan central bank; cash desperately needed to restart the Afghan economy.

Instead of releasing those assets forthwith, Biden is committing outright theft of $3.5 billion to set aside for victims of the 911 attacks. The other half being withheld will go into a trust fund to be doled out for Afghan relief as the US sees fit. Meanwhile Afghans die every day from lack of food and medicine.

Continue reading “Biden Theft of Starving Afghans’ Treasure a Humanitarian Crime”

President Biden is calling on the Taliban Afghan government to release Navy vet and civil engineer Mark Frerichs after 2 years of captivity in Afghanistan. Once America was ousted from Afghanistan last August 30, the victorious Taliban should have released Frerichs forthwith. Their failure to do so is a cruel act causing much needless pain to Frerichs, his family, friends, neighbors; indeed all Americans.

But while Biden is demanding Frerichs release, he’s strangling the Afghan economy with cruel, inhuman sanctions that degreed life for Afghanistan’s 40 million people. His cruelest sanction is withholding of $9.4 billion of Afghan assets in the Federal Reserve. Upwards of 23 million Afghans face starvation this year. Food insufficiency affects 98% of Afghans. Many Afghans die every day from America’s sore loser punishment for the Taliban defeating the world’s most powerful country.

Continue reading “Time for US To Recognize Taliban Afghan Government and Stop Starving Millions”