UKRAINE CONFUSION

I won’t spend too much time writing about the military situation in Ukraine today, but as usual, I want to hit a few points that the mainstream media and American foreign policy critics seem to be silent about.

First, we’re talking about UKRAINE, folks! By the turn of the century,  Ukraine may not even exist as a country – with or without intervention from Russia, the European Union,  or the US.

All current economic indicators point to Ukraine being the Sick Man of Eastern Europe.

And don’t let this Pro-Pemocracy vs. Facism talk fool you. BOTH sides of the current conflict are led by oligarchs who care very little about the Ukrainian masses. In other words – with apologies to my American friends whose Hollywood upbringing makes them cling to the idea that there’s always an Absolute Good vs Absolute Evil in any scrap — this is yet another struggle between Ugly and Ugly.

So, this begs the question: Why does the European Union, given its own economic problems these days, want to admit such a dysfunctional country into its ranks?

Likely for similar reasons Russia wants Ukraine.

Which happens to be why the EU doesn’t want Russia to have Ukraine.

And that reason is connected to why the US doesn’t want Russia to have Ukraine.

I don’t have to break that down much further, right?

Anyway, My crystal ball isn’t fool-proof, but I can say that it would be irrational for the West, including the US, to throw-down with Russia over Ukraine. But like a street confrontation where two guys want to flex their muscles to show strength, mistakes and subsequent irrational outcomes can happen.

The Ukraine situation has zip to do with American power in retreat. Hell, look at NATO’s membership expansion into Eastern Europe since the fall of the Soviet Union. It’s not like Russia’s rolled back any of those gains by the West. I’m referring to true members, and not affiliates.

Still, Team Obama needs to stop the serial junk-popping. drawing a virtual red-line for Russia to cross just prior to The Bear macking parts of Ukraine makes the administration look like suckas. You would think this administration would’ve learned from last year when they tore their backsides on Syria.

While Victoria “F**k the EU” Nuland was caught on tape making plans for the political future of the Ukraine inclusive of desired leaders to support, she seemed to have left Russia completely out of her calculus while arguably emboldening the Ukrainian opposition at the time. That behavior is not only dangerous, but in a rational world, I would predict that she and her boss, Secretary Kerry, would be drop-kicked out of the State Department…

song currently stuck in my head: “trouble man” – marvin gaye

(Photo: Andrew Lubimov/Associated Press)