Thursday, May 4, 2023

Senate Armed Services Committee Gives Us A clearer Picture of the Ukraine Russia Conflict.

Richard Mellor

Afscme Local 444, retired
5-4-23

 

It’s really worth taking the time to browse through these two hours of entertainment. You can scroll through and each time you see the general, stop and check it out. You can learn what the military industrial complex wants us to hear with the help of its political branch in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The general, the male anyway, is Christopher G. Cavoli Supreme Allied Commander Europe and, like all prominent members of ruling classes, likes to be called Supreme or a similar title, Supreme leader Khameni in Iran for example.

 

I have tried to assist a little giving some times but I had other things to do and might be a second or two off on some of them. It is fascinating though. A farce I think this type of theatre is called. Hang in there because it’s positively nauseating as the ass kissing and back slapping was almost more than I could bare.

 

The members of this panel are our political representatives from the two war mongering Wall Street parties that most workers have abandoned; they are our face to the world and what an ugly face it is.  Just consider the hard hitting  question Senator Rick Scott (around 1.22.15) posed to the general asking him that given the $100 billion the US taxpayer has given to Ukraine what would he tell the ordinary guy who’s “not very political…” is the reason why we are involved in the Ukraine war. Cavoli responds, (don’t laugh), “America does not like bullies and having bullies around does not help America”

 

“Russia is a bully” Try and consider what millions of people in the world who have been victims of US bullying and violence think when they hear this.

 

In a very honest statement he adds that, “The United States doesn’t let adversaries control things that are valuable”. What the esteemed general means by that is oil, water, air, raw materials, their own economies and political systems.

 

His answers to Deb Fischer of Nebraska at 33.58 who, seemed to be flirting with him a little, were revealing about the state of the Russian military forces. Cavoli claims that Russia ‘s losses have mainly been in the “ground domain” meaning dead troops (workers). It has lost about 80 fighters he adds but has 1000 left and that “long range aviation has not been touched and the navy barely been touched, lost a ship or two……it’s nuclear and space facilities are untouched”  and Russia still remains the “Core security challenge, but there are others….China is gaining influence.”

 

Fischer is gung ho on Ukrainians fighting for the US against Russia it’s clear. “When we look at munitions that are being used…” she asks the general,  “….especially in the conflict in Ukraine and the amount of munitions that are being expended, do you think that we need to increase our production capacity here in this country and would you encourage our allies to do the same?

 

Oh boy! The general liked that one, “Absolutely, Senator, to both” he replies, no doubt thinking of his friends at Lockheed and Northrop Grumman and how pleased they will be at such declarations. In a response to a Senator Budd about the US and its selling of “defense articles” to its allies, Cavoli assures him that, “…without a doubt Senator there is an enormous appetite around the world for U.S armaments right now.” And “all U.S armaments are looked upon around the world with great desire.”

 

Another war Hawk, Richard Blumenthal (1.13.51), one of the wealthiest members of the Senate was very interesting in his questions. Blumenthal is in love with Zelensky as he couldn’t stop praising him. He talks bout the Importance of training Ukrainians and the “bonding” between the US forces and the Ukrainians in this process. He boasts of the US commitment to supporting Ukraine but is “deeply troubled” at the balance of power between the two sides but never mentioned sending in troops. He wants to feel comfortable that the Ukrainians are getting enough to defeat the Russians. “What about planes?” he asks. The general assureds shim they’re getting enough and points out they’ve received “…a bunch of Mig -29’s from two of our allies.” I think Poland is one of them.

 

What is clear throughout this farce is that Russia can easily last another year and that “Much of the Russian military is unaffected by this conflict”. It’s most powerful weapons, air, navy space is basically untouched and of course, there’s its nuclear capabilities. The general points out that there are more Russian troops in Ukraine now than at the beginning of the war. He also stresses that that the, “Russians have strategic depth, they have manpower and are not to be underestimated and they have the ability to endure.

 

It is so clear when you watch this that it is a sham. The closed door session follows. The politicians that will argue in public about prayer in schools, LGBTQA+ issues, gender roles and stuff, are all very much on the same team in here. No opposition politicians at all and naturally, no opposition party at all.

 

Farce that this is, it does shine a little light on things and it’s clear the war is not going to end soon and in my opinion it won’t end with the Russians being driven out of Ukraine. I saw two headlines this morning. One that the US reports Russia lost 20,000 troops in five months. The other that Ukraine lost 15,000 troops in April.  Most of us have no clue from one day to the next what is actually happening but I think what we hear in this Senate Armed Services Committee is more valuable what we get from CNN or the BBC. Take the time to watch it, you don’t have to do it all at once or watch it all. That’s what the cursor is for.

No comments: