“The Irresponsibility of Small Nations” by Paul Craig Roberts
August 23, 2019 "Information Clearing House" -
After falsely accusing Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear
Forces Treaty (INF), Washington unilaterally repudiated the treaty. Thus did
the US military/security complex rid itself of the landmark agreement achieved
by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev that defused the Cold War.
The INF Treaty was perhaps the most important of all of the
arms control agreements achieved by American 20th century presidents and now
abandoned in the 21st century by US neoconservative governments. The treaty
removed the threat of Russian missiles against Europe and the threat of
European-based US missiles to Russia. The importance of the treaty is due to
its reduction of the chance of accidental nuclear war. Warning systems have a
history of false alarms. The problem of US missiles on Russia’s border is that
they leave no time for reflection or contact with Washington when Moscow
receives a false alarm. Considering the extreme irresponsibility of US
governments since the Clinton regime in elevating tensions with Russia,
missiles on Russia’s border leaves Russia’s leadership with little choice but
to push the button when an alarm sounds.
That Washington intends to put missiles on Russia’s border
and pulled out of the INF Treaty for this sole purpose is now obvious. Only two
weeks after Washington pulled out of the treaty, Washington tested a missile
whose research and development, not merely deployment, were banned under the
treaty. If you think Washington designed and produced a new missile in two
weeks you are not intelligent enough to be reading this column. While
Washington was accusing Russia, it was Washington who was violating the treaty.
Perhaps this additional act of betrayal will teach the Russian leadership that
it is stupid and self-destructive to trust Washington about anything. Every
country must know by now that agreements with Washington are meaningless.
Surely the Russian government understands that there are
only two reasons for Washington to put missiles on Russia’s border: (1) to
enable Washington to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike that leaves Russia no
response time, or (2) to enable Washington to threaten such a strike, thus
coercing Russia to Washington’s will. Clearly, one or the other of these
reasons is of sufficient importance to Washington for Washington to risk a
false alarm setting off a nuclear war.
Military analysts can talk all they want about “rational
players,” but if a demonized and threatened country with hostile missiles on
its border receives a warning with near zero response time, counting on it to
be a false alarm is no longer rational.
The 1988 treaty achieved by Reagan and Gorbachev eliminated
this threat. What purpose is served by resurrecting such a threat? Why is
Congress silent? Why is Europe silent? Why is the US and European media silent?
Why do Romania and Poland enable this threat by permitting US missiles to be
stationed on their territory?
Little doubt the Romanian and Polish governments have been
given bagfulls of money by the US military/security complex, which wants the
multi-billion dollar contracts to produce the new missiles. Here we see the
extreme irresponsibility of small countries. Without the corrupt and idiotic
governments of Romania and Poland, Washington could not resurrect a threat that
was buried 31 years ago by Reagan and Gorbachev.
Even the American puppet state of occupied Germany has
refused to host the missiles. But two insignificant states of no importance in
the world are subjecting the entire world to the risk of nuclear war so that a
few Romanian and Polish politicians can pocket a few million dollars.
Missiles on Russia’s borders that provide no response time
are a serious problem for Russia. I keep waiting for Moscow to announce
publicly that on the first sign of a missile launching from Romania or Poland,
the countries will immediately cease to exist. That might wake up the Romanian
and Polish populations to the danger that their corrupt governments are
bringing to them.
Why aren’t the Romanian and Polish provocations sufficient
justification for Russia to pre-emptively occupy both countries? Is it more
provocative for Russia to occupy the two countries than it is for the two
countries to host US missiles against Russia? Why only consider the former
provocative and not the latter?
No one is capable of coming to Romania and Poland’s aid even
if anyone was so inclined. NATO is a joke. It wouldn’t last one day in a battle
with Russia. Does anyone think the United States is going to commit suicide for
Romania and Poland?
Where are the UN resolutions condemning Romania and Poland
for resurrecting the specter of nuclear war by hosting the deployment of US
missiles on their borders with Russia? Is the entire world so insouciant that
the likely consequences of this act of insanity are not comprehended?
It does seem that human intelligence is not up to the
requirements of human survival.
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Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal.
He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators
Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have
attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of
Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West, How America Was
Lost, and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order. Donate and support Dr. Roberts' Work.
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