The same facts, a different narrative
Originally appeared at Pressenza
The belt of civil wars festering on Europe’s borders is not accidental but has been intentionally built since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The unilateral dismantling of the bi polar world which prevailed since 1945 by the former Soviet Union had massive strategic consequences for USA and Europe… and the rest of the world of course.
The justification as protectors of the “free world” by USA, the policy of containment of communism, no longer had any basis.
Russia after Perestroika entered a fast transformation of its economy, started development of its civil society, including political structures, freed its colonies in Asia and central Europe and set in motion an in-depth internal transformation while opening its markets and goodwill to the rest of the world, declaring unilaterally the end of the Cold War.
Like a rotating axle that suddenly loses a wheel, vis-a-vis these unexpected changes, the USA had to go back to the drawing board. “Hmmm this doesn’t look good,” thought the “think tanks” in Washington while proclaiming themselves as winners of the “Cold War” but… winners or losers? In fact the previous 50 years had been good years indeed for the dominant power.
The Bretton Woods financial institutions allowed the US dollar to reign supreme over the world. No international transaction took place which was not transacted in US$. No one knew how many billions of dollars circulated in the international monetary system except for the Federal Reserve. The cost of international wars by the only real power was in fact financed by the rest of the world since all the US needed to do was to print money. With monetary control and the international financial institutions, the most powerful weapons, and largest banks and corporations… who needs colonies in these times of global banks and ATM’s?
The old imperial powers were advised to free their colonial territories in Asia and Africa and the new “Sheriff State” represented the forces of good and containment of evil in a world which started to globalize.
Europe licked its wounds and initiated its reconstruction slowly and steadily having to acquire capital goods, finance, weapons and technology from the great existing power.
Of course this generous “help” required political obedience and payment of dues, that is, a proper relationship of master-servant.
It worked so well for quite a few decades! If we consider historic acceleration, the last fifty years of the 20th century could well correspond to a couple of centuries of previous historical times.
In just 50 years US GDP multiplied by about 600%, consolidating its position as the largest in the world while its corporations dominated the world economy.
But old Europe, cradle of civilizations, including the North American one, with nearly seven thousand years history, finally realized after the bloodiest war ever that it inevitably had to unite. That was the message of the founding fathers of the Union and the Treaty of Rome in 1957 giving origin to the EEC the following year.
The common project progressed over subsequent decades. And the need for a monetary and political union, as well as territorial enlargement covering all European nations, including one day Russia gained clarity in the minds of its more alert supporters.
With the fall of the Berlin wall and the unification of Germany the strengthening of Europe gathered pace.
Today Europe’s GDP is about 20% bigger than the USA’s. If we were to include Ukraine, Russia and former USSR nations we reach a GDP over 40% larger than the USA’s. Hmmm… this is worrying!
This larger Europe with an international currency, a political and administrative structure, advanced technology, efficient and cheaper energy, one of the best industries in the world thus becomes again one of the main players in the new international order. Most important with a population of over half a billion well educated and cultured inhabitants… eight hundred million if we were to include the former USSR that is, as important as China and the USA itself.
Because, in fact, people are the creators of wealth! And everything else by the way. This is the best kept secret of our times. The fallacy that markets create wealth. That managers create wealth that investors create wealth that the stock exchange… Yes, it is true to an extent. But who created the wealth of China for instance? Second largest economy in today’s world?
Not loans, not managers, not markets, not investors. China was left dry after unification in 1949. They carried stones with their hands to build the big dams required to generate energy and cultivate the land. Yes, it was the people, the people of China, working with their bare hands who made China what it is today. Ancient civilization, with a great sense of history yes, absolutely, but it was its people.
There is no discussion that people create wealth… and small minorities attempt to rob it, concentrate it and use it to dominate and control the large majority, while taking credit for their feat.
And the same examples are found in most regions and cultures. But we seem to be straying from our subject.
Is it by chance that subsequent to the end of the Cold War a belt of civil wars has been created systematically by different US governments in the Middle East and North Africa? Wars between factions of Islam who lived together in peace for hundreds of years? Wars where the intention seems to be to create anarchy and to keep them festering for as long as possible? Wars directed more to the civilian population and the unity of the nation state than to specific military targets? These conflicts have been instigated by the military interventions of the USA and its proxies. You don’t need to be clever to understand that the destruction of housing and infrastructure and indiscriminate killing of civilians will produce massive migrations. That the destruction of one’s religion and culture will produce extreme reactions particularly among the young.
Where are people going to migrate to in search for survival and a safer and better life? Where are the disaffected going to project their anger and desire for revenge? Not to the USA obviously but to Europe. Europe is connected culturally, historically and by geographical proximity to the war belt.
The exercise is intended to destabilize Europe, to create insecurity in Europe, to create divisions amongst European States. To generate a state of panic which slows down European integration and development and creates pretexts to strengthen NATO, directing massive financial resources to military spending. 2% of European GDP, minimum, is the required commitment. Perhaps in the area of 500 billion euros… let us not even ask where the weapons need to be purchased from! President Obama chose to circulate his picture surrounded by the latest US fighter jets and bombs when he came to the G7 meeting in Europe in 2014, when the conflict in Ukraine was raging, while he warned Europeans about the need to spend a minimum 2% of GDP in defence.
What about Ukraine? And the relationship between Europe and Russia?
Was it in defence of “democracy” that a coup was orchestrated with neo-Nazi, anti-Russian minorities in Kiev to force a conflict with Russia? The rhetoric coming out of Maidan Square was so ethnically anti-Russian that it forced a protective action in the Crimean base of Russia’s Black Sea fleet where there is an absolute majority of ethnic Russians and in Donbass which have similar Russian majorities.
The result has been a war in the eastern gate of Europe and subsequent sanctions and embargo affecting the flow of energy into Europe. Sanctions which are costing Europe, Russia and Ukraine massively.
The economy of Europe is in difficulty, the security situation the most serious in recent history, the massive migrations are imposing such a pressure on Europe that its consequences could last for years with a massive human and economic cost.
This unprecedented sequence of events cannot be attributed to clumsiness by Washington. How could the greatest power in the world for the last 70 years who ruled supreme and unchallenged be attributed such erratic policies for such a prolonged time? On the contrary it is so obviously an intentional strategy oriented to subordinate and slow down Europe, implemented in the most systematic and ruthless manner at the expense of millions of civilians in the Muslim world.
This strategy is of such an aggressive and virulent nature with such destructive human and economic effects that even the most gullible and dithering amongst European politicians should at this stage adopt a coherent position in front of it.
NATO must stop all military interventions. Discussions must be initiated between Europe, the Middle East and North African conflict areas with participation of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Russia. Full implementation of the Minsk agreement with real commitment from Germany, France, the Ukrainian factions and Russia must take place and the trade embargo (with the exception of weapons) and sanctions lifted. A common security and immigration policy needs to be urgently agreed since the problem is gathering momentum.
Europe’s leadership ought to reflect and remember they do not represent themselves but half a billion people in the Region.