Must See NeoCon TV by Publius Tacitus

Tucker Carlson is on fire. Gob bless him. He is taking on two of the more vocal, visible policy nerds eager to cheerlead the United States into a conflict with Russia and Iran. If you have not seen these verbal sparring events then you should carve out 20 minutes and enjoy.

The first is Tucker's interview with Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters. Important to note that Ralph Peters never made it to full bird Colonel. While treated by some media types as a 21st Century version of Clausewitz, I think that Peters is captive to a world view that will imperil America if implemented. Here is his interview with Tucker:

Next up, Max Boot. Boot is even crazier and more strident than Peters.

 

Tucker's position is very simple and wise--our support for certain countries and policies should hinge on whether or not a policy or relationship serves the interests of the American people. One of the lies that Max Boot pushes in his feckless attempt to best Tucker is the false assertion that Iran killed "hundreds of U.S. soldiers in Iraq." Iran did no such thing. Of the total U.S. fatalities in Iraq during our ill-fated time there, about 10% of the casualties were attributable to groups with ties to Iran. One of these Iraq Shia groups was led by Moqtada al Sadr aka MOOKIE. Those familiar with MOOKIE and his moods understand that he is anything but an Iranian puppet. He marches to his own drum beat and does not readily nor easily take instructions from Iran. Those familiar with the intel during this period know that Iran was discouraging attacks on Americans. Why? Because we were doing their dirty work for them. We were helping destroy the Sunni leadership and infrastructure. Everything we did in that regard furthered the interests of Iran.

Those insistent on demonizing Russia and Iran need to answer a couple of basic questions? First, what is our end game in seeking a conflict with both? Is it war? Something short of war?

Second, what would Russia and Iran need to do differently in order for us to find them acceptable as policy partners?

The World View of both Peters and Boot rests on the delusion that the United States is in control and can dictate the future. We have convinced ourselves that we are the GREAT OZ. We refuse to come to grips with the reality that we are like the doddering old fool behind the curtain. Yes we have nukes and a global military presence. But we are hanging on to this status by spending with the equivalent of credit cards while refusing to make any substantive  investments in human capital and infrastructure at home. In pursuit of our ambition for global dominance our leaders are allowing America to be hollowed out at home. Peters and Boot are prime examples of this rot.

 

Comments

[b]

Video links above do not work for me. These do:

Tucker Peters video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHPX_3U1W2M

Tucker Boot video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HjVipLZYns

[Publius Tacitus]

Thanks. I think I fixed the problem (the FoxNews embed code sucks).

[Seamus Padraig]

Preach it, Publius!

[Peter in T.O]

The Boot interview was classic Tucker gold. The muppet was frothing mad when Tucker proposed that he take up a career in selling insurance or painting homes, "something you might be good at", referring to his past policy predictions.

Tucker has been a breath of fresh air on the rancid cable news circuit. I have followed him since late last year, and he's drawing quite a diverse audience now. He can get a little petty at times and a bit dogmatic on the religious stuff, but I'll take him over insufferable zealots like Hannity.

[Outrage Beyond]

Perhaps Tucker is finally taking to heart that advice he got from John Stewart to "stop hurting America." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFQFB5YpDZE)

Re: "The World View of both Peters and Boot rests on the delusion that the United States is in control and can dictate the future."

In the case of Boot, I think a different country may be the source of his delusions.

But in addition to all that, these guys are both paid to promulgate these bloodthirsty demands for more war, and to never apologize. From Boot's perspective, the Iraq war was a grand success...for Israel.

[prawnik]

Even if it were true that all Shia in Iraq took orders from Iran, the best way to prevent the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq would be...not to invade.

The neocon muppets start a war and are outraged that the people who live in the countries that we invade actually have the effrontery to fight back.

Of course, ask a muppet how many US personnel died at the hands of Sunni jihadis and who supports those jihadis, if you want to watch a muppet develop a case of sudden amnesia.

[MRW]

We refuse to come to grips with the reality that we are like the doddering old fool behind the curtain.

Correct.

refusing to make any substantive investments in human capital and infrastructure at home

Also, correct. Because our congressmen do not understand how federal accounting works, and the constitutional powers granted them. They think the federal government operates like households or businesses; “tighten the belt.” It doesn’t.

But we are hanging on to this status by spending with the equivalent of credit cards

No such thing, Publius. The United States of America issues the US dollar [physical currency (11-12%) and treasury securities]. We don’t borrow USD from anyone. If that were true, someone would be counterfeiting those USD somewhere, and that ain’t happenin’, sir.

You’ve got to start wrapping your head around this basic reality, and ditch the 30 years of neoliberal indoctrination everyone is infected with. The US federal government creates the currency, sole issuer. Globally. Period. Basta. Finito. Everyone but the USG is a user of the currency; to wit: households, businesses, banks, state and local govts, foreign govts, banks, and investors.

The ‘crime’ in this country right now is Congress failing to do fiscal policy for the benefit of the people—which is what happened in WWII when Congress created the middle class by buying/spending armaments in our factories and creating everything needed by Great Britain and ourselves to win the war—but, instead, Congress these days leaves it up to the Federal Reserve to do monetary policy. (“Tax dollars” did not exist after the Great Depression, Publius. People were broke. US federal government accountants understood what going off the gold standard in 1933 meant to our standard of living, and used their power to create USD to increase our prosperity 10/20-fold. The historical financial tables at whitehouse.gov can prove that.)

The Federal Reserve is an agent of Congress, not the other way around. But it flails around because Congress fails to do the job given it in the Constitution to manage the economy effectively. Trump appears to have bought the microeconomic kool-aid Goldman Sachs boys peddle as federal government financial action, and does not understand macroeconomics. All his advisors are leading him down the garden path—at least FDR and Lincoln had the brains to listen to people smarter than themselves—and I predict a disaster down the road unless someone wakes up.

Peters and Boot are prime examples of this rot.

And tedious, small-minded, appealing to the most craven hyperbolic tendencies of what our elite class entertains itself with of late.

But all hail Tucker! The guy is on a roll. Thanks god Megyn left.

[Kooshy]

"Because we were doing their dirty work for them. We were helping destroy the Sunni leadership and infrastructure. Everything we did in that regard furthered the interests of Iran."
Yes, in fact for years after the first US Iraq war Iranians were complaigning why the Americans stop at invading Iraq and left Saddam to rule. Back in 90s no one in Iran and the Shia ME dreamed, what George dad didn't do will be done get done by his son a decade later. IMO the sooner US leaves the ME is far better for the US, ME and the rest of the world. IMO if we truly concentrate at home in a matter of few years we will be the largest producers and exporters of energy, food and technology in the world, with no need to kill and get killed in endless wars.

[Kooshy]

These guys ( specially Peters) know if they don't say what the Borg policy asks, they will not be invited to other shows, or quoted in prints. Living testimony to that is Colonel Lang.

[Eric Newhill]

Emotionally laden hyperbolic BS, veiled threats, accusations, illogical and contradictory scatter shots, lame attempts to turn the tables when pressed instead of answering direct questions.....these craven lunatics present like women on PMS.

Scary that they have any influence over anything.

[turcopolier]

kooshy et al

I rarely speak of my exclusion from the public square and would appreciate it if you all do not speak of it. pl

[Kooshy]

My deep apologies sir, will not do again.

[Croesus]

How very clever, Eric Newhill.
Did you learn to denigrate women from Donald Trump, or does it come natural-like?

[Peter in Toronto]

Colonel, I'd love for you to at least brief Tucker on Syria, so he could at least fire back against the barrage of Borgist talking points thrown at him by these vipers.

A man can dream..

[Croesus]

I'm intrigued by the differences between/among the Medici banking system; Bank of England (a kind of precursor of our central bank/Federal Reserve), and the US fiat-based Fed.

From your extensive study of the dollar/fiat system, MRW, do you have information or references for such a comparison? thx

[Babak Makkinejad]

Difficult to know who murdered Khoei. There has never been an inquest and I find it very hard to concieve of him as a US agent.

[Fred]

luxetveritas,

This was discussed in detail here a number of years ago. There is a search button on the right. You can find a number of articles on Sistani in the archives.

[ked]

When I first heard Ralph Peters speak (almost 20 yrs ago). I found him entertaining.
As time went by his stridency was revealed as more than quirky... super-patriot wearing it on his sleeve? religious fervor?
Now, he's got Newt Gingrich Syndrome.

[BraveNewWorld]

First let me say Tucker did a stand up job. Calm, cool, kept turning back to facts and asking the the key questions. Those guys just weren't at his level and it showed badly. Great job.

Second I know these two clips have gotten lots of play across the internet. This is the first time I have been able to see them but I have seen them referenced in a number of places. To me that says there is still a thirst for first rate journalism. I hope others take notice and are inspired to up their game.

Thanks for sharing the links.

[The Twisted Genius]

Publius Tacitus,

I'm in total agreement with all you've said here. And you have a strong constitution if you watch a steady diet of that stuff. I can't watch more than what you provided.

To your main point, that the hysterical demonization of Russia and Iran is a foolish and destructive policy, you are absolutely correct. I come from a Lithuanian family who was intimately involved in the long fight for independence. They killed Stalin's NKVD thugs and, in turn, were killed and deported to Siberia. My great grandmother at times proudly proclaimed "I shot the bolsheviki." If any family had reason to hold a grudge against Russia (most of those NKVD thugs were Russian) it is mine. Yet my father does not hold a grudge. He's taken several river cruises to Russia, likes the country, the people, the culture and the music. He doesn't forgive or trust the Russian government or Putin (just another KGB thug to him), but he doesn't waste time on vitriolic hate and fear like Peters and Boot. I'm the same way. As a young SF officer I had visions of driving a flaming T-62 full tilt across Red Square into the Lenin Mausoleum and dying in a massive fireball as the last act in the fall of the Soviet Union and liberation of Lithuania. Years later I stood in front of the Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten, Berlin and saluted the Soviet guards. The officer of the guard returned my salute. I truly felt sympathy for them as the Soviet Union was crumbling around us. I've always loved Russian history and culture, even when I wanted to blow up Lenin's tomb. I see no need to demonize them. There are plenty of Russian pricks out there, but very few demons. I don't want to go to war with them.

[Eric Newhill]

Croesus,
Weren't you some wealthy elite defeated after a mere 14 years by the Persians? I guess you probably like to focus more on the part where you escaped immolation and turned traitor advisor to Cyrus. That probably makes you feel clever.

It takes no innate talent to see that which is obvious. It must take extraordinary effort to deny it.

[Croesus]

Why does Tucker invite these ideologues to his program and give them an audience? They are useless or worse: they're propagandists.

Not at all impressed with Tucker Carlson; he's doing entertainment not information gathering - dissemination.

The Jeff Gates reference is much appreciated: Gates seeks to educate his audiences on numerous tactics used by what SST calls 'the Borg' and Gates calls the "Criminal State." One such tactic was defined by Robert Gates: the Criminal State controls the "Middle ground," -- those who control access to information, and as James Madison stated, sound information is the sine qua non of a healthily functioning democracy.
Tucker Carlson does NOT purvey serious information, he's an "asset" -- someone who has been profiled to the degree that it can be reliably predicted how he will act in a given situation. He's the straight-man that the Borg can rely on to give a veneer of credibility to their secondary agenda, which is to distract and engender fear, in support of their primary agenda, which is to gain total control of as many levers of power as possible.

If Tucker Carlson were a serious journalist or civic-minded person, he would not give either Peters or Boot the tremendous benefit of access to a microphone. Carlson taunts both men with the fact that they have been destructively wrong in the past. Who is the bigger fool: they, for pushing their failed "expertise," or Carlson for giving them a hearing?

Incidentally, it appears Jeff Gates' website, CriminalState.com, no longer exists or has been blocked by -- the criminal state??

[Anna]

"...most of those NKVD thugs were Russian."
A minor addition to your story:
Stalin - "Born to a poor Georgian family, Stalin was educated at Tiflis Spiritual Seminary."
Genrikh Yagoda (Yenokh Iyeguda) - "Was born in Rybinsk into a Jewish family;" was the first director of NKVD and founder of Gulag.
“About 40 percent of high-ranking NKVD officers had Jewish nationality recorded in their identity documents,” writes Yale University professor Timothy Snyder in "Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin," “as did more than half of the NKVD generals. . . . The Great Terror could be, and by many would be, blamed on the Jews.”
http://jewishcurrents.org/december-20-the-secret-police/
"... the hysterical demonization of Russia and Iran" is coming from the same quarters of rabid Russophobes of zionist persuasion (encouraged and supported by war profiteers)

[ISL]

In my case, I have quite a few friends in Germany, love German beer, and like visiting the country. But I reserve the right to hate nazis (German, Ukrainian, American, etc.). Categorizing a nation/people with the vast complexity that human society embraces into a stereotype for derision reminds me of Orwell's 1984, and has no place in a civilized society.

[Green Zone Café]

There was an FBI investigation in 2003, which included interviews of witnesses and a midnight disinterrment of the body and forensic examination in Najaf's necropolis. The FBI had a big presence in Iraq for several years, for "regime crimes," counterterrorism, CI.

After that, an Iraqi investigative judge issued a complaint against Muqtada. There were several operations scheduled to arrest Moqtada from about September 2003 on, based on observation of his habits in Najaf and Kufa. Bremer wrote about Rumsfeld's role in stalling these.

Among Iraqis from Najaf, I have heard various theories, from Moqtada being present and ordering the killing, to him being a silent bystander, to him being framed by witnesses connected to and paid by SCIRI.

Someday me or someone will file a FOIA for those FBI files.

10% seems a bit low to me for US deaths attributable to Iranian backed militias, but I don't fault Iran for following its interests and working to degrade the US mission. After all, the neocons like Boot and Peters were all about "Tehran next" in 2003.

There's a book to be written on the blowback of David Frum's framing of "the Axis of Evil" GW Bush speech and the lessons learned by North Korea and Iran from the invasion of Iraq and regime change in Libya after it ended its nuclear program.