Chicago Tribune applauds further US destruction of Afghan people

The Trib, in its editorial ‘After a year under Taliban rule, Afghans feel the price of peace’ argues it’s OK for President Biden to withhold $7 billion in Afghan treasure from Afghanistan because the Taliban aren’t the legitimate Afghan government.

But President Biden, and his cheerleading Chicago Tribune, are in denial the Taliban whupped America fair and square. Outside of the corrupt US puppet government in Kabul, the Taliban had the support of the Afghan masses, tired of 20 years of US murder and mayhem that killed over 200,000 Afghans, destroyed their economy, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises on earth.

The Trib supported all 20 years of America’s senseless war in Afghanistan that did nothing but turn Afghanistan into a failed state.

But once the US quit the war won by the Taliban last year, it had a chance to make amends for that 2 decade destruction of Afghanistan by supporting worldwide humanitarian efforts to assist Afghanistan’s resurrection.

Tragically for the Afghan people, a year on the Trib now fully supports President Biden’s theft of $7 billion due the Afghan Central Bank but frozen in the US. That $7 billion is needed to alleviate the 95% of Afghanistan’s 34 million people suffering food insufficiency. Fully a third, over 10 million, face acute food shortage.

In addition, a myriad of US sanctions worsens acute food, medicine and life sustaining staples as international banks and businesses fear doing any business there to avoid incurring Uncle Sam’s wrath. They even hampered relief efforts after an earthquake killed a thousand in June.

The Taliban may well rule Afghanistan for the next millennium. Time for President Biden and the Chicago Tribune to ‘get over it’ and begin alleviating the grotesque humanitarian crisis the US caused.

It’s Bailey’s campaign that’s in a hole

Downstate farmer and state legislator Darren Bailey has sure gone down the low road in his gubernatorial campaign.

He’s championing his political hero and mentor in divisive, mean spirited campaigning: Donald John Trump.

Four years ago Trump looked at largely black countries Haiti and African nations and called them “shithole countries.” The UN human rights office shot back that such comments were “shocking, shameful and racist.”

Working solely on a statewide stage, Bailey looked as Illinois’ largest black populated city and called it a “hellhole”. Then he doubled down on his hateful rhetoric calling Chicago Mayor Lightfoot, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Governor Pritzker “the three musketeers of crime.” He’s even charged they “attack police.”

I checked out Bailey’s gubernatorial website for his plan to address Chicago’s high crime rate. There was not a single issue on crime; indeed, not a single word. The 4 issues listed were:

Lowering income and property taxes

Reopening Illinois’ economy and creating jobs

Protect the 2nd Amendment

Fight for the unborn

Click further and one gets:

Reopening the economy and schools

2nd Amendment

Taxes

Agriculture

Government Transparency

Calling Chicago a “hellhole” is not a one off Bailey gaffe. He trotted out his extreme right Chicago hellhole meme at a debate 3 months ago. He proudly repeated it at what should be a decent, inclusive, uplifting event: the Illinois State Fair.

The only hole worth mentioning in Darren Bailey’s sorrowful gubernatorial run is the hole of ignominy and shame he and his campaign have descended into.

Bomb, bomb, bomb Somalia

Does even one in a hundred Americans; indeed, one in a thousand, know we’ve been bombing the bejesus out of Somalia, 7,800 miles from the Homeland, for 15 years?

That’s because we bomb Somalia in virtual secrecy from the American people. Our government barely acknowledges the strikes. The media maintains a virtual blackout on the bombings. When pressed by the peace community, the official response is we’re killing bad guys in al-Shabab, an anti-Somalia government outfit the US helped create with its meddling in Somalia politics as part of its endless GWOT (Global War On Terror).

The US injects military forces to Somalia to meddle in its affairs, then launches endless bombings to protect them and the government we demand must rule Somalia. We’ve conducted hundreds of such bombings using drones, AC-130 gunships, attack helicopters, naval bombardments and cruise missile strikes.

While local organizations claim scores of civilians have been killed, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) responds, ‘Nope…only bad guys.’

While we’re dropping bombs on Somalia and other African countries we’re determined to dominate, China is dropping tens of billions in investment infrastructure to dominate the continent is less destructive ways. Any wonder why economically speaking, China is devouring our lunch?

Bombing Somalia is good policy for weapons makers, military careerists, war loving congresspersons and their media cheerleaders. But why do something that is so bad for Somalia, long term US interests and the folks we needlessly kill?

Because we can.

Proft PAC needs name revision

Back in May, Illinois conservative activist Dan Proft unveiled his new PAC, People Who Play By The Rules with an mean spirited, racist ad opposing black GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin. It criticized Irvin for supporting Black Lives Matter that Proft characterized as a violent, Marxist organization fomenting racial violence.

He doubled down on his hysteria by showing clips of civil unrest having nothing to do with the millions of Americans, including me, participating in peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. He even quoted President Trump claiming BLM was a “symbol of hate.” My response at the time was that the People Who Play By The Rules….don’t.

Three months later Proft and his People Who Play By The Rules is at it again. His 30 second spot opposing Gov. Pritzker’s re-election bid is even more racist and mean spirited than the first. He darkened Mayor Lightfoot’s black skin color in her brief appearance before showing videos of violence, including shootings and carjackings in minority communities. Then comes a despicable warning “Thanks to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the lawlessness of Chicago will soon be the law statewide.”

We already knew Proft’s People Who Play By The Rules don’t. He can provide some truth in political advertising if he changed its name to People Who Degrade The Rules.

Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Syria

Last month President Biden told Congress, "Next week, I will be the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without U.S. troops engaged in a combat mission there. It's my aim to keep it that way."

Tell that to the 3 US troops wounded Wednesday in an attack on the 900 US troops illegally engaged in our decade long combat mission of regime change in Syria.

The troops were wounded in revenge rocketing for previous US bombing of suspected bad guys opposed to US presence in Syria. US response to that attack was….more bombings. The recent string of bombings killed at least 14, all bad guys deserving of being blown up, according to the US.

We claim our bombings are strictly defensive, authorized under the Constitution to protect US troops and interests in Syria. They don’t mention our troops are there illegally as correctly pointed out by the Syrian government. Several years back, President Trump made one of the most cynical defenses of our troops defiling another country when he declared they would stay to ‘steal Syrian oil.’

Just like with our endless bombings of suspected bad guys in Somalia, the US conducts endless bombings in Syria….because we can.

Ready, aim, fire up the world

Brits might consider passing on Boris Johnson PM replacement candidate Liz Truss. When asked at a Town Hall political event how she'd feel if she had to give the order to launch nuclear weapons, she replied:

“I think it’s an important duty of the prime minister and I’m ready to do that,” When asked again by the moderator how that would make her feel, she simply stated, to load applause, “I’m ready to do it.”

Let’s honor America’s loss in Afghan war a year on

A year ago yesterday US military left Afghanistan with its proverbial tail between its murderous legs.

How murderous? Couple hundred thousand dead including over 3,500 US and allied troops and contractors. Hundreds thousands more wounded. Trillions squandered on a war with no purpose that lasted 20 years. Afghan’s economy and infrastructure destroyed.

Once out, America took its revenge on the Taliban who beat us fair and square: they had the support of the Afghan masses. We refused to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate, though authoritarian, Afghan government. That allowed us to justify maintaining cruel, life suffocating sanctions, theft of $7 billion in Afghan treasure desperately needed to rebuild Afghanistan. Most ghoulish was US refusal to recognize and alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe we inflicted upon the hapless Afghans. Millions face deprivation and starvation from America’s two decade war and post loss revenge.

Every American should demand President Biden and both parties coalesce to rebuild rather than further destroy Afghanistan and its people. It would be the best way to honor the end to one of the most sorrowful episodes in US history.

US sanctions crashing Europe’s economy not Russia’s

With friends like America, Europe does not need enemies.

US economic sanctions against Russia following their February 24 invasion of Ukraine have failed spectacularly. They have made no dent in Russia’s quest, albeit criminal war, from prosecuting its border security concerns with NATO, and protecting Russian leaning Donbas Ukrainians brutalized by the West leaning Ukraine government.

By cutting off purchase of Russian oil and natural gas, the US and the EU are cutting off their nose to spite their face. Europe’s industrial sector is natural gas driven. Europe is already experiencing calamitous shortages of energy to run their economy, drive their vehicles, eventually heat their homes. Benchmark gas has already surged 33%.

Russia, meanwhile, has replaced most lost energy sales to the US, Canada and Europe with sales from the rest of the world. Why? Outside of the aforementioned, most of the world’s 195 countries are boycotting the US boycott because they either support the Russian war or remain neutral. They are tired of US trying to control the world, including NATO expansion up to Russia’s borders.

Russian oil profits this year are up 27% to $20 billion monthly from $14.6 billion last year due to US caused surging gas prices. In response the US, Europe G7 is attempting to cap oil prices to lower Russian profits. In response, Russia cut off all natural gas flowing to Germany via the Nord Stream I pipeline. US efforts to cap Russian oil profits may end up, according to JP Morgan Chase analysts, goosing oil from the current $100 to over $300 a barrel.

Current US inflation pain from its utterly failed Russian sanctions are a pittance of that occurring in Europe, with much worse to come as winter approaches. But when Europe slides into full blown recession, it will begin cutting back on its $365 billion in annual US imports. Can you say ‘US recession brought to you be well meaning but self-destructive policies?’

This winter, Europeans will have a lot more to worry about than recession. Thanks to Uncle Sam, their biggest concern will simply to keep from freezing.

Extremist groups using violence videos as hate props

The 2022 election has brought out a disturbing attack on electoral decency, one every thoughtful citizen should reject.

I refer to at least 2 such extreme right groups using video of black urban violence to turn out conservative votes on Election Day.

This trend surfaced in Illinois during the June Primary when GOP activist Dan Proft successfully used those videos to derail black GOP gubernatorial frontrunner Richard Irvin, throwing the GOP nod to ultra conservative Darren Bailey. Proft slimed Black Lives Matter as a Marxist organization. He doubled down on his hysteria by showing clips of black civil unrest having nothing to do with the millions of Americans, including me, participating in peaceful Black Lives Matter protests. He even quoted President Trump claiming BLM was a “symbol of hate.”

With the General Election coming up Proft is at it again. His 30 second spot opposing Gov. Pritzker’s re-election bid is even more racist and mean spirited than the first. He darkened Mayor Lightfoot’s black skin color in her brief appearance before showing videos of violence, including shootings and carjackings in minority communities.

Next up is GOP activist and former Trump administration official Ian Prior. His nearly 2 minute ad is a horrifying collage of violent street crime with the admonition “Stop the extreme left’s love affair with criminals.”

Both Proft and Prior avoided diversity in their violence porn depictions. Black street criminals represented: 100%. White: 0%.

Both Dan Proft’s group ‘People Who Play By The Rules’ and Prior’s ‘Citizens For Sanity’ are scurrilously using videos of black street crime as props to inflame voters to vote against candidates promoting sensible policies to uplift life in poor, violence prone urban communities.

Neither group plays by the rules or promotes sanity. Both tear at the delicate fabric of our political and cultural life at its most vulnerable condition in memory.

Why did US torpedo April Ukraine war negotiated settlement?

Most Americans are unaware how close Russia and Ukraine came to ending the current war in April.

Last March 27, Ukraine president Zelensky told his people "Our goal is obvious – peace and the restoration of normal life in our native state as soon as possible."

He was hinting at what went unsaid: Ukraine and Russia, brokered by NATO member Turkey, reached a tentative fifteen-point peace plan to end the month old war. Key points were Russia withdraw from all Ukraine except for breakaway Donbas and Crimea. Ukraine were pass on future NATO membership, pledging neutrality between Russia and NATO. Donbas and Crimea would undergo political transition based on self-determination to be recognized by both combatants. Ukraine security would be guaranteed by neighboring countries but no foreign troops would enter Ukraine.

What’s not to like? For the US weapons makers, the end to a weapons manufacturing boondoggle. That $60 billion in free weaponry to Ukraine fighters has depleted our ammo dumps.

For the US military, the end to a new perpetual war, albeit a proxy one, to relieve the boredom of peace.

For the political class, the end to the new Cold War with Russia to weaken, marginalize, and keep them from economic integration with Europe.

So on April 9, Uncle Sam sent Boris Johnson, the latest version of America’s British Prime Minister poodle, to Kiev, to school Zelensky on who’s running the war. The UK, Johnson advised "was in it for the long run”, would not be party to any Ukraine, Russian agreement since the "collective West" saw a chance to "press" Russia and make the most of it. Johnson cannot be accused of subtlety.

Two weeks later, the US sent Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Kyiv to reinforce Johnson’s warning and make clear the US and NATO were determined to use the war to "weaken" Russia. NATO ally Turkey has blamed the US and UK for sabotaging a promising chance to end the war early on.

When it comes to provoking, preventing and prolonging senseless war, America always fails the test of peace. Getting back to the question posed: Why did the US torpedo the April Ukraine war negotiated settlement?

Because we can.