WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama met with senior policy advisors in the National Security Council on Friday to discuss military options in response to Russian actions targeting the U.S.-backed Syrian arm of Al-Qaida, the Nusra Front, and other Western- and Saudi-backed mercenaries operating in eastern Aleppo.
The month of October has seen a quickening escalation of hostilities unprecedented in recent decades–the ultimate outcome of recent events spawned by the United States, NATO and their Gulf allies’ meddling in the affairs of sovereign nations in the Middle East like Syria and Yemen. Despite ample evidence which suggests that regime change in Syria would be a disaster that would strengthen terrorist forces and further destabilize the Middle East, politicians like Hillary Clinton are openly calling for a no-fly zone over Syria, which would bring the United States into direct confrontation with Russia.
However, these very real dangers haven’t prevented the establishment media from promoting the government and war profiteers’ calls for military intervention for “humanitarian purposes,” the most likely outcome of which is a military quagmire similar to what unfolded in Libya after the U.S.-backed coup or worse.
The media is openly beating the drums of war and parroting Cold War rhetoric while calling on Obama to take action in Syria. In the midst of this, Americans are being led to believe that Russia is not just the enemy, but the one responsible for worsening Middle East conflicts.
That’s the exact opposite of the truth, though. With the Department of Defense’s annual PR budget averaging $626 million, it’s no wonder most Americans support some sort of U.S. military action in Syria. An anti-war campaign partnered with alternative media and spread through public forums like Facebook and Twitter could effectively nullify the Pentagon’s warmongering.
The next World War
It appears that the United States’ proxy war with Russia, which is playing out predominantly in Syria, Yemen, and the Asia-Pacific theater, could fast develop into an all-out hot war. This potentially devastating conflict would likely involve Russian allies, such as China, Syria, and Iran. Even North Korea and quite possibly the Philippines could jump in, as well.
Through months of wrangling in Syria in hopes of ousting President Bashar Assad and ostensibly fighting Daesh (an Arabic acronym for the terrorist group known as ISIS or ISIL in the West, which WikiLeaks recently revealed is funded and assisted by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia), the United States has succeeded most of all in provoking Syria’s allies. By providing weapons and bombs to the Saudis, such as last year’s $1.29 billion smart bomb sale (weapons, it must be noted, that the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition indiscriminately drops on civilians), and by crafting a narrative which states that Russia has acted aggressively despite the fact that no such evidence exists, American politicians and militarist warmongers have soured many ties in the region.
After complicating the situation in Syria, the United States has now officially entered the war in Yemen, firing missiles into territory reportedly occupied by the Houthi rebels. This has infuriated not only the Iranian government, but also the governments of Russia and China, whose ships have been spotted in the same Gulf of Aden waters from which the U.S. Navy ship fired missiles in response to an unproven claim it had been fired upon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, various Russian officials, and, in particular, Russian state media have excoriated the White House for needless aggression and support of Saudi Arabia. A notorious human rights abuser, Saudi Arabia is the most denounced, perhaps even the most hated nation in the Middle East.
Russian officials have also admonished the United States over its continued, uninvited involvement in Syria, stating that U.S. actions there could put the world on an irreversible course toward all-out war. On Tuesday, Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff said the United States’ “illusion of invulnerability and impunity” could lead to Washington “lowering the threshold of nuclear weapons use to preempt enemy actions.”
Coincidently, Russia recently undertook an annual drill to prepare civilians and emergency responders to react swiftly in the event of a nuclear attack. Larger military drills have become an annual event in recent years, but this year, for the first time, the country tested an emergency management system “that allows the Defense Ministry to assume direct control over municipal and regional authorities, police, state security and emergency services,” according to Russian state media outlet RT.
With President Obama discussing the possibilities for official military engagement in Syria on Friday, the consequences of this decision cannot be overstated.
This perilous course the Pentagon insists is necessary, as well as politicians’ continued insistence on the altogether farcical “Russian aggression” narrative, will have resoundingly profound consequences for the countries involved in the geopolitical military dance, as well as the wholly innocent civilians unfortunate enough to be located therein.
We need an anti-war movement, now
In light of what these dark portents indicate, an anti-war campaign is more imperative than ever. We need an effort similar to that which erupted against proposed war with Syria in 2013. While those efforts successfully managed to delay official military involvement, this time it should be notably more expansive.
While some will undoubtedly rebuke such a campaign as laughable in the face of unflinching political obstinance, it would be better to make the attempt and stand on the right side of history.
If we don’t try, we cannot possibly succeed. And in this case, failure would, at minimum, result in a more informed public.
For those who haven’t yet started following these current events, it’s time to start. Alternative media has done a brilliant job of countering the government-backed corporate media narrative, and it is an excellent resource for the un- and mis-informed. Pass that information along to others.
To effectively bring about an anti-war campaign centered around the United States’ proxy war with Russia on such a massive scale, one method would be to share topically-appropriate articles and memes with the hashtags #NoWarWithRussia and #PeaceWithRussia. When possible, include the additional hashtags of the nation the article focuses on, such as #Syria or #Yemen.
Additionally, for those so inclined, alternative media has created profile pictures and cover photos for social media to align with this anti-war campaign.
American leaders have been bought out by by special interests that profit from human casualties, so governments often do not represent the will of their populace. In its quest to undertake wars for profit and control of natural resources, the United States has become a prime example of this.
While civilians in the countries directly affected by American bombs have an obviously negative view of Americans, if we demand peace from our government, we can at least show the world that we don’t back these military actions.
To live peacefully without threat to innocent lives, after all, is most everyone’s goal. To that end, we implore the United States to stand down: