In the last weeks we have heard of US military threats and confrontations regarding multiple countries.
China. In the South China Sea, US ships have encroached on waters where they truly have no purpose. In one instance, it led to a confrontation and near collision with a Chinese ship diverting the US ship from a controlled area. Of course, the US blamed the Chinese ship.
Russia. Our government is increasing tensions with Russia to the degree of inferring that the US would conduct a preemptive missile strike. These are not words to be taken lightly regarding any country but when it involves one nuclear power against another, the implications and risks become truly deadly.
Venezuela. Regarding Venezuela, we have heard multiple times of threats of a military invasion because our government does not like the way they run their economy. Even though their economic distress is solely due to sanctions placed on that country! There is no accusation of Venezuela being considered a military threat to any country at all.
Over 80 countries under threat by the US. The threats are not only military. The UN Peace Council makes clear that sanctions are acts of war. Yet the US has active sanctions against at least 20 countries at this moment, with threats of sanctions against over 80 countries. Make no mistake, sanctions cause economic distress, failure of entire industries, sickness, hunger, starvation and death. There is nothing peaceful about sanctions, they just don’t involve bombs.
Iran. Yesterday the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an order to the US to lift sanctions against Iran because the sanctions are causing humanitarian suffering and risk aviation safety. The US was ordered to lift sanction which limit Iran’s importation of food, agricultural commodities, medication/medical supplies and replacement parts and equipment for aviation safety. The US has refused to comply and has withdrawn from the 1955 Amity Treaty with Iran. This, after withdrawing from the multinational JCPOA, signed by 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany.
Right now it has been 220 years since Iran invaded another country. The US makes the laughable claim that Iran is the world leading sponsor of terror. Even as the US sends Israel almost $4 billion each year while Israel conducts genocide against the Palestinian people. We trade with Saudi Arabia which profits them more $billions each year, then sell them weapons which they use to commit genocide in Yemen.
Syria. It is well known and documented that the US has financially backed and armed terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria and perhaps Iraq. There was no refugee crisis from either of these countries until the US got involved. Their cities were intact. Did they have some problems? Maybe so but nothing like they have now. Their country will never fully recover from what we have done to them.
Yet we maintain a military presence in Syria which the UN Peace Council has made clear is illegal under international law. We have bombed them using $multi-million missiles for accusations of actions that were proven once inconclusive and once completely false. Yet refuse to wait or endorse an investigation on the ground by the OPCW.
Our own people. Even the citizens of the US are not safe from our own government. Consider the assault on the Water Protectors in 2016–17 North Dakota against the DAPL. Native Americans and civilians who joined with them to protest a pipeline were arrested, shot with rubber bullets at close range and sprayed with water in sub-freezing temperatures at night. All done by law enforcement paid by taxpayers and defending the rights of a corporation over the people. Regarding a pipeline that later ruptured underground. Ferguson Missouri is well documented. The rising tide of police abuse gains more evidence daily. Chicago shown to have have a police black ops site for years. We have no idea how many other police departments have similar sites we don’t yet know about. Flint, MI called attention to the problem of lead in the water yet many cities have even higher levels of lead. Censorship, which I have written about many times. This list could go on for days.
No reason to trust the US. As of this point, other countries truly have no reason to trust the US government. Our history of failing to adhere to treaties with Native Americans is known globally. Our history of racism is legendary. Our fabrication of evidence to wage military invasion is known and feared by all countries. Even past empires made no such pretense of humanitarian cause or righteous indignation for invading countries (since the Crusades, that is). Past empires invaded countries with the express intent of seizing resources for their own enrichment. However, that was before the League of Nations and the UN.
It is amazing to me that the US is allowed to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council. There has been no other country in history that has caused as much of a risk to global security as the US. The mention of the CIA causes cold chills for most global leaders. It’s not even something to joke about with them.
Many people want to blame only Donald Trump for these actions. Yet he is simply a continuation of US policy for decades which has slowly escalated. His actions are more blatant but ask people in most countries if they are the least bit surprised by our actions. They will tell you no. This level of escalation is something other countries have hoped against but expected to eventually happen. They had hoped they would not see it in their lifetime.
For most US citizens, we expected it less than other countries and thought we would never see it come to this. This is not the country we were raised to believe we are. Many deny it because they do not want it to be true. Yet we can no longer run from the fact that this is what our government represents to other countries and our own citizens. WE are the oppressors. WE are the evil regime. WE are the terrorists.
Denying this does nothing to change it. Closing our eyes does not help. The only way we stand a chance of correcting the situation is waking up, seeing our country for what it has become and changing it. Before the rest of the world decides to change it for us. Which they are becoming more prone to do on a daily basis.
So, what’s it going to be?