America 2024: Strangelove Part 2?

Written by Julian Macfarlane, Tokyo based investigative journalist, writer, author, geopolitical and military analyst. Originally published on February 27, 2024

A Fourth Reich?

At the end of Dr. Strangelove, the doctor can walk again. “Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!” is his cry of victory. Hitler is dead but Strangelove has survived to develop weapons that will destroy both Russia and the US and inaugurate a new fascist world. The Fourth Reich,

Let us not forget the CIA and US weapons programs relied on imported Nazi talent after 1945,

Is this a parable for 21st Century America? Did the Nazis plant the seeds of what we are becoming?

Does that mean WWIII?

If so will it start in Europe? In West Asia? In the Pacific? Has it already begun?

Can we learn to love the bomb?

Talking Heads

Naturally, talking heads are all over the place—on this subject of WWIII.

One such as is Stephen Bryen who founded and headed the Defense Technology Security Administration within the U.S. Defense Department back in the days of Reagan and later became a fixture in academia, government, industry, and national-security think tanks.

He also ran Finmeccanica North America (now Leonardo) — the world’s 9th-largest seller of armaments— and was a senior staff director of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He writes for the Asia Times. He is very good when discussing weapons – but, politically, one should always remember his neoconservative credentials.

On the other hand, he’s not a DNP neocon.

Biden Seeks WWIII

Eric Zuesse’s article for the Duran is entitled —or mistitled — “Biden Now Seeks WW3 Against Russia, Says High U.S. Defense Expert” and refers us to a recent interview with Bryen in which he talks about the dangers of using F-16s flown by NATO pilots to bomb Russia.

Jans Stoltenberg has said Ukraine can use the F-16s anyway it likes, of course— without actually committing to the involvement of NATO pilots.

The range of an F-16, which was designed as a lightweight dog fighter in the 70s by John Boyd is fairly limited. With drop tanks and a modest bomb load, its range is about 500 miles maximum but practically speaking about 350 miles. In this attack configuration it is also highly vulnerable to counter-air and AD systems.

Zuesse notes that Finland’s new anti-Russia president, Alexander Stubb, appeared to favor nuclear weapons on Finnish territory—which would be escalatory, with bases just 509 miles away from Moscow.

But….

When asked about his views on nuclear weapons at his first news conference as president, Stubb said it would be for the Finnish government and parliament to decide if Finland wants to alter its current legislation that bans nuclear weapons on Finnish soil, including their transfer.

Still, Zuesse writes….

Russia responded militarily on 24 February 2022 in order to prevent Ukraine from allowing the U.S. to place a missile there a mere 317 miles or five minutes of missile-flying-time away from The Kremlin and thus too brief for Russia to respond before its central command would already be beheaded by America’s nuclear strike. 

WWIII Cancelled?

Okay. So World War III might not happen tomorrow. If ever. Please do not take this as a criticism of Zuesse who is a superb writer and analyst. He is right most of the time and more often than me!

In this case maybe not so much.

So…..why are we so worried?

Let me remind you that this is an Election Year.

And Biden’s Sorry State of the Union Address is coming up, which will upstage Saturday Night Live—as the year’ s premier comedic event. The specter of total extinction is one of those fun things that always gets a laugh. Especially with a President who keeps on trying to start his car with the nuclear keys.

Really? Should he be driving at all? For Biden the presidency is hit-and-run.

That said— let me reassure you about nuclear war. Who would want to be President of a vast, sooty smoking wasteland?

Oh, an old guy with a comfy bunker who’s going to die anyway….

Anyway, Biden is not going to get elected – that’s now almost a certainty.

And Trump just wants to make money – not war.

Talking War

The neocons like to talk about “war” more than they like to do it— especially when the odds are not in their favor.

That’s one reason why mental fruit cases like Nuland have been forced out.

Also, only Russia has a First Strike capability— with the capability of destroying nuclear bases with hypersonic missiles before NATO missiles can finish warming up.

And…Russia has a credible defense system to counter NATO ballistic weapons. The S500 has a range of at least 500 km and a response time of 3 to 4 seconds— and an altitude of 100 km allowing it to kill satellites as well.

Okay—so ICBMs are out — like those old folding cellphones.

How about stealthy cruise missiles like Taurus?

Ummmm…. Much ado about nothing.

Given that Taurus is really an upgraded Storm Shadow the Russians have been shooting down such missiles with a better than 90% success rate. They adapted fast.

This is called an Aerostat. 24-hour surveillance, capable of detecting low-flying cruise missiles.

Of course, you haven’t heard of these things. Not sexy.

The one shown in the photo is American, but the Russians have been manufacturing a lot of them. Prices range from $40,000 to $7 million. Are they actually using them? An AWACS costs the Americans over $500 million and $40,000 an hour. Russian AWACS’ cost about $300 million.

Aerostats have advantages in detecting cruise missiles. but the Russian military has done just fine using Krasukha EW systems and aerosol-clouds to confuse optical and thermal (infrared target acquisition.

War just aint what it used to be.

Modern warfare has to be adaptive to the practicalities of an ever-changing battlefield. Investing in complex expensive systems that take years to perfect can limit adaptability and flexibility and lead to defeat in war.

Waste not, want not

The Russians make weapons for the battlefield. They are practical and economical.

Anti-Drone Device

Americans make weapons big and complicated so that companies can make a lot of money and their executives can buy islands in the Caribbean. Doesn’t matter if they work or not.

Russians have other priorities. Waste not, want not.

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