In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.
Woodrow Wilson Asks for War, April 2, 1917
The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them.
To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other.
The title of this post is taken from an ongoing dialogue between John Batchelor and Michael Vlahos. To summarize (in my words, not theirs): the United States’ role as described by Wilson is dying; the United States’ role as the tool to surround and ultimately subdue MacKinder’s world island is dying.
This is evidenced by the impotence of the United States in achieving any meaningful military or political victories in the half-dozen or more ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. One can say it has been true since 1950 and Korea, to include Vietnam.
Current Prices on popular forms of Silver Bullion
It is further evidenced by the expanded role and influence that Russia and China have – influence in the regions immediately bordering the world island that is…Russia and China.
Russia is setting the agenda, for example, in Syria; maybe not setting the agenda, but more accurately dictating the action given the American-instigated turmoil. The same can be said regarding Ukraine. The same was true regarding the 2008 attempt in Georgia.
China is setting the agenda in a region known as – wait for this – the South China Sea. China is apparently becoming more involved in the Middle East and has long been involved in Africa.
Is this all by accident? Or is it solely explained as the inevitable result for all empires?
I think no…and maybe.
Enter Obama
Why was Obama chosen in 2008 over Hillary? She was the slam-dunk winner in the democratic primaries that year until out-of-the-blue came this relative unknown. And, relatively speaking, the dove of the bunch.
It is easy to list all of the wars Obama is fighting and that have started under his watch. It is also easy to consider how much worse many of these might have been had Hillary (or McCain or Romney) been elected instead.
There was no reason at all for the neocon American imperialists to promote Obama over Hillary if their desire was hawkish. They (or at least their dutiful followers) weren’t the ones who promoted him.
Conclusion
This is why I at one time felt Rand Paul was the chosen one. Unfortunately, he couldn’t read the tea leaves. He tried to walk the non-existent line between neocon warmonger and libertarian/conservative and ended up not gaining support from the former and losing support from the latter.
And this is why since Rand’s self-inflicted demise I have felt Trump has survived…and thrived. Who on earth could have gone past the first republican debate after some of the things said by Trump…unless some powerful people wanted him to continue?
This is why – despite the mood of the moment – I do not yet count Trump out.
And this is why it is certain that, even if Trump loses the election, this movement – begun by Ron Paul – will gain more traction.
Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.
