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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Hillary Comes Out as the Candidate of the War Party [View all]Octafish
(55,745 posts)89. Hillary’s Foreign Policy Speech: Queen Galadriel Before Her Magic Mirror (Gary Leupp)

Hillarys Foreign Policy Speech: Queen Galadriel Before Her Magic Mirror
by Gary Leupp
CounterPunch, June 6, 2016
EXCERPT...
In last weeks speech she was more circumspect. We need to take out (ISILs) strongholds in Iraq and Syria, she declared, by intensifying the air campaign and stepping up our support for Arab and Kurdish forces on the ground. We need to keep pursuing diplomacy to end Syrias civil war and close Iraqs sectarian divide, because those conflicts are keeping ISIS alive. We need to lash up with our allies, and ensure our intelligence services are working hand-in-hand to dismantle the global network that supplies money, arms, propaganda and fighters to the terrorists.
SNIP...
The fact is, beginning in 1999 at her husband Bills orders, the NATO alliance designed as a binding military pact uniting West European countries against the Soviet Union from 1949that should have been dissolved in 1990 when the Warsaw Pact formed in response shut downhas relentlessly expanded to encircle Russia. Thats post-Cold War Russia, with a military budget about 7% of the U.S. figure. Some NATO leaders aim to ultimately swallow Ukrainewhich just happens to have been part of the Russian state from the 1670s to the Bolshevik Revolution, when it was made a soviet socialist republic until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its economy including its munitions industry are inextricably interwoven with Russias; its eastern regions are peopled by ethnic Russians; it shares a 1,400 mile long border with Russia.
SNIP...
The military action in Ukraine that she alludes to refers to separatists resistance to the U.S.-backed coup in February 2014, surely supported by Russia at some level, and surely by Russian public opinion, but you notice that the Pentagon has produced precious little evidence for large scale military actions. And the annexation of Crimea (Russian from 1783 to 1954, when it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR within the old Soviet Union) was only a military action in that the 25,000 Russian troops stationed there by treaty were deployed to secure government buildings.
SNIP...
But the expansion of NATO to include Ukraine has been a pet project of the former Madame Secretary. Clinton chose as her Under Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nuland, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, neocon and wife of the powerful neocon Republican pundit (John McCain advisor and recently declared Hillary supporter) Robert Kagan. Nuland already had a rich history of warmongering when she embarked on a plan to topple the elected government in Ukraine and replace it with one that would join NATO.
SNIP...
Had Bernie been the antiwar, anti-imperialist candidate throughout, rather than just repeating his (totally valid) tirade against Wall Street, he might have further sharpened his differences with Clinton. If he loses in California, and then betrays his following with a Clinton endorsement, he will be saying that more wars for regime change and more confrontation with Russia is worth some changes in party rules and some meaningless clauses on the party platform.
CONTINUED...
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/06/06/hillarys-foreign-policy-speech-queen-galadriel-before-her-magic-mirror/
Thank you for caring about this, Arazi. Interesting times and all that rot.
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Yes, in lieu of her horrific IWR AUMF vote, the above quote jumps out at one as hypocritical
EndElectoral
Jun 2016
#1
I would disagree that it's hypocritical. It's clearly Hillary-speak. "We will only fight wars if
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#7
Is Counterpunch on the list of sites like FR and JW which cannot be used as sources on 6/16?
LonePirate
Jun 2016
#4
Ahhh to be able to censor those which you don't agree with. And you have that in
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#13
Clinton supporters control MIRT and they decide who gets banned with under 100 posts.
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#44
Like CNN? Funny how the centrists (corporate Democrats) used to not like CNN
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#16
Those that have cheered the demise of the Republicon party don't understand that
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#22
Boy do you not understand. ISIS was created because of us. Our government needs a boggy man to
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#24
So? If a house gets infested with pests because the owners were sloppy, does that mean...
wyldwolf
Jun 2016
#27
Again you don't understand. ISIS provides a great service to the neocons and the MIC
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#28
I can't wait to see those rapists and child killers strung up by the Clinton administration
wyldwolf
Jun 2016
#29
You will have to wait forever. They will invade Iran first. It's about business opportunities.
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#30
And that's about as deep as your side will ever get in discussing an issue.
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#45
Whatever sells. Maybe she should give her rendition of God Bless America to prove her patriotism.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Jun 2016
#25
There were more than that. That picture doesn't show the 2 full flags on each side.
DesMoinesDem
Jun 2016
#49
yet bernie sanders votes for war, war, and more war every year and his crowd .... crickets lol nt
msongs
Jun 2016
#26
How sad. Your desperation is showing. Hillary Clinton voted to invade Iraq and kill maybe
rhett o rick
Jun 2016
#46
Hillary’s Foreign Policy Speech: Queen Galadriel Before Her Magic Mirror (Gary Leupp)
Octafish
Jun 2016
#89
Oh Dear God NO...More "Lies and distortions of what Hillary actually said?"
Miles Archer
Jun 2016
#66
Well stated 'Octafish' - ..... Enough is Enough already.... I'm ashamed, as an American
laserhaas
Jun 2016
#67
It's the weirdest thing. On election day, I pull the lever marked 'D' for peace...
Octafish
Jun 2016
#83
Hillary Clinton’s Speech Against Trump Hypocritically Touts Her Foreign Policy Strength
Octafish
Jun 2016
#88