"...Tucker Carlson Criticized for Saying 'Russia Poses No Threat to the United States At All'"

"If we're really being honest here, Russia poses no threat to the United States at all."

"Too many careers depend upon keeping our assumptions exactly where they were in the fall of 1977, when fighting the Soviet Menace consumed the lion's share of our federal budget," Carlson said.

"So here in Washington that's what we're doing. Our real fear is that the rest of America will at some point discover that the Soviet Union no longer exists," he continued.

Carlson went on to list things about Russia intended to minimize their power: an economy the size of Italy's, a military budget that is one-tenth of ours and an aircraft carrier "that needs to be towed around the ocean because it's broken."  Newsweek

------------

Yup.  It is true, pilgrims.  The USSR no longer exists.

For years after the fall of that communist monstrosity, Soviet specialist analysts in the IC used to sing at office Christmas parties in Washington that they were dreaming of "A Red Christmas Just Like The Ones They used to Know."  These characters had lived "high on the hog" since WW2.  They got the lion's share of everything, funds, attention, you name it.  Poor sods like me who specialized in regions where people actually fought each other with rusty rifles and machine guns were definitely the poor relatives come to town hat in hand.

And then, all of a sudden, the Soviet specialist people were essentially out of a job.  Or, at least, they were a hell of a lot less important.  The same thing happened to all the Iranian specialists when the Pahlavis went down.  Fortunately for me, my good old Arabs and other assorted ME scoundrels kept right on bashing and backstabbing each other while most of them sat on a great big puddle of oil.  That and the Zionist thing kept me well employed.

The Soviet guys needed a few years to rebound, but as Tucker says, they have done so by merchandising the notion that Russia = the USSR.  The two pomposities (Taylor and Kent) from the Foreign Service who testified yesterday made it very clear that their real bitch against Trump is that 1.  He thinks he can do business overseas without their bureaucratic intervention and 2.  He doesn't really accept the assumption that Russia is an indispensable and inevitable enemy.  Kent rather sadly said that it has been a basic assumption of his entire career that Russia is THE ENEMY.  The whole swamp is infected with group think to that effect.  In the case of the Foreign Service it is remarkable that such a group of soi-disant intellectuals and sophisticated veterans of the FOREIGN SERVICE EXAM should in truth be just another bunch of conformists seeking the approval of their colleagues.  But, then, that is how one gets promoted.

No, pilgrims, China is THE REAL ENEMY.  pl

https://www.newsweek.com/fox-news-tucker-carlson-criticized-saying-russia-poses-no-threat-united-states-all-1471681

Comments

[TedBuila]

Bingo..Pat. Neocon kabuki is back for a run. Rats. Can the US budget support the realities of Belt to World China? Or have we already been sucked in?

[scott s.]

For the life of me, I can't understand why we push Russia towards China and away from us. If we really think China a problem, then it seems a strategic imperative to get Russia on board.

[Fred]

I taped the Schiff hearings and watched a few bits and pieces. I agree, this seems very much to be about continuing the anti-Russia narrative, defending the foreign aid money (with accompanying commissions and host nation graft) and sinecures for neocons. Did we really spend $billionss on the NED to orchestrate the "orange revolution" that replaced a "pro-Russian" leaning government with a "pro-Western" one? What did the USA gain by that? An obligation to sepnd billions for years to come? Thank goodness career non-bureaucrat Taylor got all those years of employment. Imagine if he and fellow witness Mr. Kent had been obligated to work in the private sector.

I believe Trump announced a reduction in NSC staff at the White House. He should reduce that down to about ten people. Then he should reduce the foreign service staff by similar numbers.

[Walter]

China isn’t our enemy, they are our competitor.

[Jack]

“China is THE REAL ENEMY.“

Sir,

I couldn’t agree with you more.

[J]

Colonel

'When' Putin decides to take Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomolsky urging and create a new Warsaw Pact 2, and the Ukraine slides back to the peaceful existence between the two before the Obama Clinton regime installed their Nazi puppets. Obama Clinton regime will have given the new Warsaw Pact 2 a lot of lethal military weapons.

U.S. made Javilin anti-tank missiles sitting in warehouses in the Ukraine, with at least a 150 more readying to be shipped by State to the Ukraine. There were 210 shipped to the Ukraine last year just ripe for the picking.

Meanwhile the Russians now have in their possession a fully in tact Israeli Stunner that was handed over to them by Syria.

Anticipate the Ukraine withdrawal from the Minsk agreement.

[akaPatience]

The Ukraine history lessons I heard from the 2 impeachment witnesses yesterday grew tiresome, and yet it was obvious that to suggest Russia isn't the threat it used to be is considered a heresy that no one of either party dare speak. The dogged and determined Cold Warriors seem to have done a good job of controlling the narrative.

[JamesT]

Colonel

I am not sure that China needs to be an enemy - but China is certainly America's number one geopolitical rival. Unfortunately for those Chinese who would like to see China become the worlds #1 hegemon, the Chinese leadership doesn't understand that the biggest chimp can't complete with a smaller chimp who is better at forming alliances. China is nowhere close to as effective as the US at building alliances and coalitions. Those nitwit neocons may however force China and Russia into an alliance.

[J]

I agree with you that China is the one to worry about. Even Russia sees what you're referring to and has decided not to seek a military alliance with China.

[Daniel McAdams]

I remember during my brief 1992 stint at INR watching the old Soviet hands turned into what they called "hall walkers." Just spending the day wandering down the corridors at Main State with nothing to do nowhere to go. Like ghosts. Little did we know that they (or their progeny) would so soon be back on top! Yippee!

[Daniel Good]

In what sense is China an enemy?

[Paco]

Even at the peak of the cold war -the first an hopefully the only one- there was cooperation between the rivals, maybe not as romantic as the Elba encounter or the allied days of WWII, but quite effective anyway, joint fishing developed the american fishing industry that made Dutch Harbor the biggest US port by fishing volume. Small example, there is space as well and surely a lot of areas could be explored, as partners Russia and the USA have more in common than with other cultures, Russians are europeans after all. But it seems there is a lot of people in the USA interested in not burying once and for all the Soviet Union.

[re silc]

A++++!!!!!!!!!!!
as a junior varsity USAID FSO, this is 12,847% on the mark!!!

In the case of the Foreign Service it is remarkable that such a group of soi-disant intellectuals and sophisticated veterans of the FOREIGN SERVICE EXAM should in truth be just another bunch of conformists seeking the approval of their colleagues. But, then, that is how one gets promoted.

[walrus]

Yes; and while Americans remain focused on Russia, the Chinese are quietly buying their way into Africa and the Pacific.

[b]

I fully agree with Pat's analysis on this.

Let me add that these folks are anti-democratic and act against the constitution.

Trump got elected after campaigning for better relations with Russia.

It is the elected president of the U.S. who is entitled to define the "national interest" and foreign policy goals, not the "steady state".

I disagree with many of Trump's foreign policy views. But he is entitled to pursue those.

[b]

The prosecutor in Ukraine who was investigating Burisma and Biden dossier gets dismissed because he did not take a newly required test while on sick leave.

The report about that states in its last paragraph:

"This dossier states that Ukrainian prosecutors have evidence of corruption aimed at personally enriching Joe Biden." (machine translation)

Prosecutor Kulik, leading the Burisma case, will be dismissed from the Prosecutor General
https://zn.ua/UKRAINE/veduschego-delo-burisma-prokurora-kulika-uvolyat-iz-genprokuratury-336088_.html

[Serge]

The insidious danger of China seems to go right over people's heads, compared to the nonexistent one of Russia. An example, Russia embraces its minorities, notably even the most historically recalcitrant ones occupy the higher echelons of the Russian military and security system. I'm looking at you Chechens, and that was only in the 90s. China wipes them off the face of the earth. Go to any right-leaning news website and look at stories about the Xinjiang concentration camps, the lemmings will be cheering China on. Muslims=Bad. Well, you could be next. The Chinese colonies of anglo Canada aren't that far away. But hey, the plastic crap is worth it I guess. It should be seen as a patriotic duty for Americans to avoid buying Chinese products, no tariffs needed.

[fredw]

"China is THE REAL ENEMY."

What puzzles me even more than our continuing obsession with Russia is their continuing obsession with us. If China is our real enemy, it is vastly more the enemy of the Russians. The Russians are paranoid about defensible borders on their west, where there is no perceptible will for military adventure and consistently declining strength. Meanwhile they face real threats to much less defensible borders on their east with declining resources. It feels as though they have their priorities backwards.

[Stephanie]

"In direct contravention of U.S. interests" says the NBC and quotes a member of the permanent state who declares "it is clearly in our national interest" to give weapons to Ukraine.

If that is the premise, then the Democrats will have elected Donald Trump... just like they did the last time with a similarly premise-based strategy to nominate Hillary Clinton. No one to blame but themselves.

[turcopolier]

Daniel Good
A self-consciously focused geo-political rival that intends to dominate the western Pacific Ocean area at the expense of US trade and military presence.

[catherine]

Our real enemies can be found at 50 Constitution Ave NE and 45 Independence Ave SW Washington, DC.

[turcopolier]

re silc

As a USAID FSO you must have been subjected to many snubs and condescensions from the main state types.

[turcopolier]

all

I agree with the point made here that China is at present a cometitor but one who seem destined to be an enemy. Trump is IMO trying to head that off by bliunting China's ambitions by demonstrating strength of purpose.

[Quartered Safe Out Here]

Serge, some 10 years ago, an American couple tried just that, to avoid Chinese products. It's possible if you are willing to sacrifice the time and energy to research. It takes more than just avoiding WalMart. Clothing was easy thanks to Vietnam and Sri lanka, but Christmas presents, blades for your blender, etc were more difficult. Hardest thing was children's shoes. Here's the link:

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12056295

[catherine]

The Ukraine thing is much bigger than that and why the Dems wont let the Repubs call Alexandra Chalups for the hearings.
If they did we would all find out that the Dems colluded with the Ukraine to get dirt on Trump and have the Ukraine officals publically say Manafort was working with the Russians.
Whatever Trump did isn't worse than turning the US congress into a Kangaroo Court.

Read all about DNC contractor Alexandra Chalupa , Ukraine American activist for Ukraine.

Ukrainian Embassy confirms DNC contractor solicited Trump dirt in 2016
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/441892-ukrainian-embassy-confirms-dnc-contractor-solicited-trump-dirt-in-2016