Another war prevented accidentally by electing a Democrat
Posted by Charles II on October 1, 2014
As much as I criticize Barack Obama for his overuse of military force, I am pretty sure it would be a lot worse if John McCain or Mitt Romney were in charge. Here’s a bit of history that should scare us all:
Washington, DC, October 1, 2014 — Secretary of State Henry Kissinger ordered a series of secret contingency plans that included airstrikes and mining of Cuban harbors in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s decision to send Cuban forces into Angola in late 1975, according to declassified documents made public today for the first time. “If we decide to use military power it must succeed. There should be no halfway measures,” Kissinger instructed General George Brown of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a high-level meeting of national security officials on March 24, 1976, that included then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. “I think we are going to have to smash Castro,” Kissinger told President Ford. “We probably can’t do it before the [1976 presidential] elections.” “I agree,” the president responded.
The story of Kissinger’s Cuban contingency planning was published today in a new book, “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana,” co-authored by American University professor William M. LeoGrande and Peter Kornbluh, who directs the National Security Archive’s Cuba Documentation Project.
The Cubans, you may recall, were in Angola to resist the brutal South African invasion of that country, an invasion intended to squelch any resistance to apartheid.
Our leaders are insane. Especially, most especially, the Republicans. Ironic that both Kissinger and Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Maybe next year we can award it to Vladimir Putin.
6 Responses to “Another war prevented accidentally by electing a Democrat”
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jo6pac said
Maybe next year we can award it to Vladimir Putin
That works for me;)
I hate those dam Cubans they’re always invading countries in need with Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, and assorted construction crews making bomb happy Amerika look bad;)
Sadly I don’t see Amerikas neo-cons letting up any time soon.
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2014/09/the-ned-hong-kong-riots.html#comments
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2014/10/us-now-admits-it-is-funding-occupy.html
Sad Occupy Hong Kong leaders are rewarded by the West and Occupy Wall Street was beaten down at every chance the by the powers to be named later.
Charles II said
You know that I despise the so-called “democracy promotion” efforts of the kind Moon describes. But I think he’s kidding himself if he thinks that half a million in NED funds is behind the demonstrations in Hong Kong. There’s a deep–as appropriate–uneasiness about the Chinese government. It is all too much like the government in Washington. A lot of Hong Kong people have got a foot out the door already, expecting to have to flee when Beijing takes charge. If the US is on the side of protests, it might be the first time in a long time that it’s on the right side.
Moon links and recommends an article by Peter Lee. That article shows just how much the events in Hong Kong are driven by local politics, not by distant puppeteers.
There are big differences between Hong Kong and Ukraine. Hong Kong is much more ethnically homogeneous (though there are pro- and anti-Beijing factions). Also, in Hong Kong, the oligarchy is pretty much at peace with the PRC takeover. They have a lot of their money squirreled away elsewhere. In Ukraine, most of the oligarchs thought Yanukovich was taking too big of a piece of the pie while blocking them from selling off the country to oil and agricultural interests. So, as I read it, the Ukrainian oligarchs were in favor of the coup against Yanukovich and against annexation, while in Hong Kong, they are in favor of annexation.
jo6pac said
Yes, I agree with the long held feeling of Hong Kong people against China in fact those feeling have been there since the wonderful last rulers controlled Hong Kong. Then with continue helping hand from the neds of Amerika the young are looking to see if China will budge and they won’t. They might make a few small concession but nothing serious.
Yes, there is a huge difference in the two. Hong Kong overlords moved their money out before China took over and have little or no problem with prc because in the long run their much the same.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2014/10/03/on-occupy-central-and-the-ned/
Charles II said
Great link, Jo.
jo6pac said
http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-to-make-of-current-situation-in.html
Charles II said
I’m not sure that I understand why the VineyardSaker cannot see that the fundamental problem is an imbalance of power. Beijing has overwhelming power. Hong Kong can only gain a bit of leverage by shaming Beijing, especially by protesting in a manner that other Chinese regions who also feel bullied by Beijing might respond to. So, this trust-building that VineyardSaker is talking about– realistically, only Beijing can make it happen.