Newsline

National Security , Newsline

Accidental War with Russia?

Posted on Tuesday, June 7, 2022
|
by AMAC, Robert B. Charles
|
15 Comments
|
Print
Russia

Biden runs the risk of an accidental escalation in Ukraine – with sloppy words, confused policies, disjointed and strategically unanchored actions. All-out war with Russia, undefined parameters, is a lose-lose. Incomprehensibly destabilizing, economically suicidal, risking nuclear weapons, it must not happen. Could it?

Biden’s words mean less each month, his White House increasingly adrift, incoherent, national security strategy incomprehensible. From Afghanistan – a total loss, at enormous credibility cost – to “open borders,” pleading with Iran for a vacuous peace, and begging Saudis for oil, Biden’s policies boggle.

Shutting down US energy independence and clobbering fossil fuel production, then suddenly tapping the strategic oil reserve to reduce gas prices – a strategy that did not work – Biden is becoming a walking policy failure. The world knows it.

China has become comfortable chiding and insulting US economic, trade, security, space, maritime, and diplomatic leadership, declaring itself – with Russia – the world’s future, daring Biden to do something.

Biden’s response – late May via his Secretary of State – was appeasement, casting China as a mere competitor or “pacing challenge.” China loves that, underestimation, and minimization, as they load for bear, or eagle.

North Korea meantime, silenced and dog-eared under Trump, has resumed ballistic missile launches and nuclear testing. As China’s sidekick, they feel empowered. Iran goes full throttle on uranium enrichment, pushing nuclear status.

And back to Russia…Biden’s happy words, catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, fear of the Taliban, then “minor incursion” invitation to Russia, compounded by missing aid for Ukraine – are textbook foppery, an open admission he has no foreign policy, no consistent security strategy.

All that brings us to…now. Critics in national security see this – but hesitate to speak. On center and right, no one wants to point this out, as it could invite added Chinese and Russian adventurism. They worry – rightly – for Taiwan, US allies in the Pacific, Middle East, Africa, South America.

On the left, critics are mum because they know this is another Biden failure, as politically dangerous for Democrats in November as Biden-driven inflation.

Here is what no one is saying, but everyone is thinking: Freedom fighters, like those in Ukraine, are admirable, worthy of moral support, speak to our hearts. But they are not NATO, not worth sacrificing our nation, economy, or nuclear war.

The Biden people seem to be feeling their way in the dark, not clear on US engagement policy, limits of their support, wider geopolitical awareness. They are bumbling – with the awesome prospect of superpower confrontation in the balance.

Needed are clear statements, where we will go, and not go for a non-NATO ally, a nation not formerly sharing deep defense understandings like Taiwan. Clarity, incisive thinking, and an attempt to reestablish credibility are now vital.

Instead, even Biden fumbles. Even New York Times is suddenly worried.  In recent weeks, they asked: Is Biden “trying to help bring an end to this conflict, through a settlement that would allow for a sovereign Ukraine and some kind of relationship between the United States and Russia? Or is the United States now trying to weaken Russia permanently?”

They added: “Has the administration’s goal shifted to destabilizing Vladimir Putin or having him removed? Does the United States intend to hold Mr. Putin accountable as a war criminal? Or is the goal to try to avoid a wider war — and if so, how does crowing about providing U.S. intelligence to kill Russians and sink one of their ships achieve this?”

For once, the paper is right – their questions the iceberg’s tip. Big questions – about failed engagement and its effect on aggression globally – abound.

Where is hope? What can be done? What must be done? Biden’s potential for triggering an accidental war with Russia depends on Russia not misinterpreting.

Beyond clarity on intentions, what we will and will not do, preventing an accidental war depends on some group in the Administration regaining control over the agenda, persuading Biden that strategy, policy, law, and scripts count.

Biden is his own worst enemy, sowing confusion in public statements, blurring former clarity, a one-man source of misunderstanding, adversarial insecurity, and potential preemptive action that gets out hand, spins out of control, triggers war.

The best thing we can all do is seek consistency, coherence, and clarity from this White House. Appeasement is worthless, accidental provocation of war worse.

Saying Putin “cannot stay in power,” implying Americans will “deploy” to Ukraine, mischaracterizing defensive weapons as offensive, boasting about helping Ukraine with “intelligence” to sink Russian ships, making policy on the fly – for Russia, China, Taiwan or anywhere else – is pure folly. That folly must stop.

Is a direct war with Russia likely? No, as Russia knows – and we should – that is a lose-lose. But humiliating Russia is not in our interests either, any more than retroactively making Ukraine NATO. Peace depends on credibility, judgment, proportionality, morality, and foresight. Biden is short on all five. Maybe we could get leading policy makers to clarify strategy, as accidental war is a bad one.

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
15 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
PaulE
PaulE
2 years ago

RBC,

You write “Biden runs the risk of an accidental escalation in Ukraine – with sloppy words, confused policies, disjointed and strategically unanchored actions. ” The same can be said for China by the way. Well then perhaps we, the American people, should NOT continue to allow what amounts to a dementia patient, under the direction and control of the same incompetent people that gave us both ISIS and the ill-fated and soon to be resurrected Iran nuclear deal under Obama, to be the POTUS. Inactions, as well as actions do have profound consequences after all.

Rather than continuing to hope that the current administration somehow undergoes some amazing and total change of direction across the board, which is completely unrealistic given the agenda of the left, the correct course of action is simply to replace those causing these probems in the first place. The option of the 25th Amendment is one option, but there are others as well that could be used to accomplish the task. Simply hoping that somehow, something changes in the Biden administration to drastically improve polcies and radically change course is NOT a viable strategy to accomplish either.

Stephen Russell
Stephen Russell
2 years ago

No, his staffers planning for war day 1

Barb304
Barb304
2 years ago

IMO Biden is the reason this war started in the first place. I pray we can make it through unscathed! Let’s drain the swamp in November and put someone in our WH in 2024 who actually cares about the USA and her LEGAL citizens. Please vote carefully! ‘We the People’ can better our country IF we can get nonfraudulent elections!!!

Richard C..
Richard C..
2 years ago

So we’re going to sit back and hope the Biden administration is going to change somehow…that’s a good one!

The Biden administration has been a disaster since day one. Yet were constantly being told everything is going according to plan, all is good, and that were in the middle of this great reset. It’s always someone else’s fault…only if Putin, the republican party, or America First Conservatives would just fall in line and quit causing trouble. If the American public would all buy electric cars and install solar panels on their home’s then everything would turn around and we could all have a triple scoop of chocolate ice-cream!!

This is the man and his administration that pulled off the biggest coup in history, then after declaring himself President, shuts down our domestic oil production, approved Russia’s own oil pipeline, then goes to foreign governments and begged for oil. All in the name of green energy and appeasing the far left. This is the same man and administration that gave something like three hundred thousand weapons to the Taliban, then turns around and tells us we need gun control…and btw, China is not a threat, but a competitor.

I feel as if I’m in an episode of the twilight zone and I’m unable to get out. This country is being sold down the drain by our own government and nobody wants to speak up or do anything about it. If we should happen to survive until the next election it will be a F-ing miracle.

Commie Joe and the Democratic party is the biggest threat to this country since British troops fired on American Patriots at Lexington and Concord.

Becky
Becky
2 years ago

I hope every, single demonrat Communist sees what they have done to America with decades of their stupid, imbecilic, braindead voting……and take themselves off to China of N Korea to die for their treachery and sins.

Joanne4 justice
Joanne4 justice
2 years ago

Accidental war with Russia is not a joke!!!! BUMBLING Mr Biden is at work ; and this senile POTUS definitely has NO diplomatic diplomacy / AND HE IS IN LA LA LAND ABOUT EVERYTHING !!!!! as well.

Andrew P
Andrew P
2 years ago

“Or is the United States now trying to weaken Russia permanently?”
That has ALWAYS been the Deep State policy regarding Ukraine. Ukraine has always been seen as the wedge that will help bring down Russia and break it up into 5 or more countries. Biden is a puppet of the Deep State.

old silk
old silk
2 years ago

There are no “accidental” anythings with the uniparty. And don’t let that dementia scam fool you either.

Ronnie
Ronnie
2 years ago

Stolen elections have consequences we are now paying the price for this debacle created by our government. Every branch of the government turned a blind eye.. We the people know it and we will vote when it comes time.. The problem is the states haven’t set up laws to stop this and the elections will probably go the same as the last elections. Dead people voting. Illegal aliens voting, stuffed ballot boxes, all the Disney characters voting, and the list goes on. In the meantime we loose our country, and they save their democracy to quote the time magazine article on how they saved their country by using the pandemic as a perfect storm. Maybe it just happens to be of Biblical prediction.b;y

Fema.gov Disasters USA Government home page under magnifying glass.
Medicaid text sign on calculator with pills and money. Medicaid text calculatoron American paper money with pills and orange prescription bottle
Vote Here Sign and Line. Yellow sign with VOTE HERE is standing by a line of people wating to get to the polls in Arizona
Miner inside an underground gold and copper mine. Region del Maule, Chile - April 02, 2016: Miner inside the access tunnel of an underground gold and copper mine

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

15
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games