The Saker interviews Paul Craig Roberts | The Vineyard of the Saker

I had been wanting to interview Paul Craig Roberts for a long time already. For many years I have been following his writings and interviews and every time I read what he had to say I was hoping that one day I would have the privilege do interview him about the nature of the US deep state and the Empire. Recently, I emailed him and asked for such an interview, and he very kindly agreed. I am very grateful to him for this opportunity.

The Saker

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The Saker: It has become rather obvious to many, if not most, people that the USA is not a democracy or a republic, but rather a plutocracy run by a small elite which some call “the 1%”. Others speak of the “deep state”. So my first question to you is the following. Could you please take the time to assess the influence and power of each of the following entities one by one. In particular, can you specify for each of the following whether it has a decision-making “top” position, or a decision-implementing “middle” position in the real structure of power (listed in no specific order)

Federal Reserve
Big Banking
Bilderberg
Council on Foreign Relations
Skull & Bones
CIA
Goldman Sachs and top banks
“Top 100 families” (Rothschild, Rockefeller, Dutch Royal Family, British Royal Family, etc.)
Israel Lobby
Freemasons and their lodges
Big Business: Big Oil, Military Industrial Complex, etc.
Other people or organizations not listed above?

Who, which group, what entity would you consider is really at the apex of power in the current US polity?

Paul Craig Roberts: The US is ruled by private interest groups and by the neoconservative ideology that History has chosen the US as the “exceptional and indispensable” country with the right and responsibility to impose its will on the world.

In my opinion the most powerful of the private interest groups are:
The Military/security Complex
The 4 or 5 mega-sized “banks too big to fail” and Wall Street
The Israel Lobby
Agribusiness
The Extractive industries (oil, mining, timber).

The interests of these interest groups coincide with those of the neoconservatives. The neoconservative ideology supports American financial and military-political imperialism or hegemony.

There is no independent American print or TV media. In the last years of the Clinton regime, 90% of the print and TV media was concentrated in 6 mega-companies. During the Bush regime, National Public Radio lost its independence. So the media functions as a Ministry of Propaganda.

Both political parties, Republicans and Democrats, are dependent on the same private interest groups for campaign funds, so both parties dance to the same masters. Jobs offshoring destroyed the manufacturing and industrial unions and deprived the Democrats of Labor Union political contributions. In those days, Democrats represented the working people and Republicans represented business.

The Federal Reserve is there for the banks, mainly the large ones.The Federal Reserve was created as lender of last resort to prevent banks from failing because of runs on the bank or withdrawal of deposits. The New York Fed, which conducts the financial interventions, has a board that consists of the executives of the big banks. The last three Federal Reserve chairmen have been Jews, and the current vice chairman is the former head of the Israeli central bank. Jews are prominent in the financial sector, for example, Goldman Sachs. In recent years, the US Treasury Secretaries and heads of the financial regulatory agencies have mainly been the bank executives responsible for the fraud and excessive debt leverage that set off the last financial crisis.

In the 21st century, the Federal Reserve and Treasury have served only the interests of the large banks. This has been at the expense of the economy and the population. For example, retired people have had no interest income for eight years in order that the financial institutions can borrow at zero costs and make money.

No matter how rich some families are, they cannot compete with powerful interest groups such as the military/security complex or Wall Street and the banks. Long established wealth can look after its interests, and some, such as the Rockefellers, have activist foundations that most likely work hand in hand with the National Endowment for Democracy to fund and encourage various pro-American non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in countries that the US wants to influence or overthrow, such as occurred in Ukraine. The NGOs are essentially US Fifth Columns and operate under such names as “human rights,” “democracy,” etc. A Chinese professor told me that the Rockefeller Foundation had created an American University in China and is used to organize various anti-regime Chinese. At one time, and perhaps still, there were hundreds of US and German financed NGOs in Russia, possibly as many as 1,000.

I don’t know if the Bilderbergs do the same. Possibly they are just very rich people and have their proteges in governments who try to protect their interests. I have never seen any signs of Bilderbergs or Masons or Rothchilds affecting congressional or executive branch decisions.

On the other hand, the Council for Foreign Relations is influential. The council consists of former government policy officials and academics involved in foreign policy and international relations. The council’s publication, Foreign Affairs, is the premier foreign policy forum. Some journalists are also members. When I was proposed for membership in the 1980s, I was blackballed.

Skull & Bones is a Yale University secret fraternity. A number of universities have such secret fraternities. For example, the University of Virginia has one, and the University of Georgia. These fraternities do not have secret governmental plots or ruling powers. Their influence would be limited to the personal influence of the members, who tend to be sons of elite families. In my opinion, these fraternities exist to convey elite status to members. They have no operational functions.

The Saker: What about individuals? Who are, in your opinion, the most powerful people in the USA today? Who takes the final, top level, strategic decision?

Paul Craig Roberts: There really are no people powerful in themselves. Powerful people are ones that powerful interest groups are behind. Ever since Secretary of Defense William Perry privatized so much of the military in 1991, the military/security complex has been extremely powerful, and its power is further amplified by its ability to finance political campaigns and by the fact that it is a source of employment in many states. Essentially Pentagon expenditures are controlled by defense contractors.

The Saker: I have always believed that in international terms, organizations such as NATO, the EU or all the others are only a front, and that the real alliance which controls the planet are the ECHELON countries: US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand aka “AUSCANNZUKUS” (they are also referred to as the “Anglosphere” or the “Five Eyes”) with the US and the UK are the senior partners while Canada, Australia and New Zealand are the junior partners here. Is this model correct?

Paul Craig Roberts: NATO was a US creation allegedly to protect Europe from a Soviet invasion. Its purpose expired in 1991. Today NATO provides cover for US aggression and provides mercenary forces for the American Empire. Britain, Canada, Australia, are simply US vassal states just as are Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the rest. There are no partners; just vassals. It is Washington’s empire, no one else’s.

The US favors the EU, because it is easier to control than the individual countries.

The Saker: It is often said that Israel controls the USA. Chomsky, and others, say that it is the USA which controls Israel. How would you characterize the relationship between Israel and the USA – does the dog wag the tail or does the tail wag the dog? Would you say that the Israel Lobby is in total control of the USA or are there still other forces capable of saying “no” to the Israel Lobby and impose their own agenda?

Paul Craig Roberts: I have never seen any evidence that the US controls Israel. All the evidence is that Israel controls the US, but only its MidEast policy. In recent years, Israel or the Israel Lobby, has been able to control or block academic appointments in the US and tenure for professors considered to be critics of Israel. Israel has successfully reached into both Catholic and State universities to block tenure and appointments. Israel can also block some presidential appointments and has vast influence over the print and TV media. The Israel Lobby also has plenty of money for political campaign funds and never fails to unseat US Representatives and Senators considered critical of Israel. The Israel lobby was able to reach into the black congressional district of Cynthia McKinney, a black woman, and defeat her reelection. As Admiral Tom Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “No American President can stand up to Israel.” Adm. Moorer could not even get an official investigation of Israel’s deadly attack on the USS Liberty in 1967.

Anyone who criticizes Israeli policies even in a helpful way is labeled an “anti-Semite.”

In American politics, media, and universities, this is a death-dealing blow. You might as well get hit with a hellfire missile.

The Saker: Which of the 12 entities of power which I listed above have, in your opinion, played a key role in the planning and execution of the 9/11 “false flag” operation? After all, it is hard to imagine that this was planned and prepared between the inauguration of GW Bush and September 11th – it must have been prepared during the years of the Clinton Administration. Is it not true the the Oklahoma City bombing was a rehearsal for 9/11?

Paul Craig Roberts: In my opinion 9/11 was the product of the neoconservatives, many of whom are Jewish allied with Israel, Dick Cheney, and Israel. Its purpose was to provide “the new Pearl Harbor” that the neoconservatives said was necessary to launch their wars of conquest in the Middle East. I don’t know how far back it was planned, but Silverstein was obviously part of it and he had not had the WTC for very long before 9/11.

As for the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, US Air Force General Partin, the Air Force’s munitions expert, prepared an expert report proving beyond all doubt that the building blew up from the inside out and that the truck bomb was cover. Congress and the media ignored his report. The patsy, McVeigh, was already set up, and that was the only story allowed.

The Saker: Do you think that the people who run the USA today realize that they are on a collision course with Russia which could lead to thermonuclear war? If yes, why would they take such a risk? Do they really believe that at the last moment Russian will “blink” and back down, or do they actually believe that they can win a nuclear war? Are they not afraid that in a nuclear conflagration with Russia they will lose everything they have, including their power and even their lives?

Paul Craig Roberts: I am as puzzled as much as you. I think Washington is lost in hubris and arrogance and
is more or less insane. Also, there is belief that the US can win a nuclear war with Russia. There was an article in Foreign Affairs around 2005 or 2006 in which this conclusion was reached. The belief in the winnability of nuclear war has been boosted by faith in ABM defenses. The argument is that the US can hit Russia so hard in a preemptive first strike that Russia would not retaliate in fear of a second blow.

The Saker: How do you assess the current health of the Empire? For many years we have seen clear signs of decline, but there is still not visible collapse. Do you believe that such a collapse is inevitable and, if not, how could it be prevented? Will we see the day when the US Dollar suddenly become worthless or will another mechanism precipitate the collapse of this Empire?

Paul Craig Roberts: The US economy is hollowed out. There has been no real median family income growth for decades. Alan Greenspan as Fed Chairman used an expansion of consumer credit to take the place of the missing growth in consumer income, but the population is now too indebted to take on more. So there is nothing to drive the economy. So many manufacturing and tradable professional service jobs such as software engineering have been moved offshore that the middle class has shrunk. University graduates cannot get jobs that support an independent existence. So they can’t form households, buy houses, appliances and home furnishings. The government produces low inflation measures by not measuring inflation and low unemployment rates by not measuring unemployment. The financial markets are rigged, and gold is driven down despite rising demand by selling uncovered shorts in the futures market. It is a house of cards that has stood longer than I thought possible. Apparently, the house of cards can stand until the rest of the world ceases to hold the US dollar as reserves.

Possibly the empire has put too much stress on Europe by involving Europe in a conflict with Russia. If Germany, for example, were to pull out of NATO, the empire would collapse, or if Russia can find the wits to finance Greece, Italy, and Spain in exchange for them leaving the Euro and EU, the empire would suffer a fatal blow.

Alternatively, Russia might tell Europe that Russia has no alternative but to target European capitals with nuclear weapons now that Europe has joined the US in conducting war against Russia.

The Saker: Russia and China have done something unique in history and they have gone beyond the traditional model of forming an alliance: they have agreed to become interdependent – one could say that they have agreed to a symbiotic relationship. Do you believe that those in charge of the Empire have understood the tectonic change which has just happen or are they simply going into deep denial because reality scares them too much?

Paul Craig Roberts: Stephen Cohen says that there is simply no foreign policy discussion. There is no debate. I think the empire thinks that it can destabilize Russia and China and that is one reason Washington has color revolutions working in Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. As Washington is determined to prevent the rise of other powers and is lost in hubris and arrogance, Washington probably believes that it will succeed. After all, History chose Washington.

The Saker: In your opinion, do presidential elections still matter and, if yes, what is your best hope for 2016? I am personally very afraid of Hillary Clinton whom I see as an exceptionally dangerous and outright evil person, but with the current Neocon influence inside the Republican, can we really hope for a non-Neocon candidate to win the GOP nomination?

Paul Craig Roberts: The only way a presidential election could matter would be if the elected president had behind him a strong movement. Without a movement, the president has no independent power and no one to appoint who will do his bidding. Presidents are captives. Reagan had something of a movement, just enough that we were able to cure stagflation despite Wall Street’s opposition and we were able to end the cold war despite the opposition of the CIA and the military/security complex. Plus Reagan was very old and came from a long time ago. He assumed the office of the president was powerful and acted that way.

The Saker: What about the armed forces? Can you imagine a Chairman of the JCS saying “no, Mr President, that is crazy, we will not do this” or do you expect the generals to obey any order, including one starting a nuclear war against Russia? Do you have any hope that the US military could step in and stop the “crazies” currently in power in the White House and Congress?

Paul Craig Roberts: The US military is a creature of the armaments industries. The whole purpose of making general is to be qualified to be a consultant to the “defense” industry, or to become an executive or on the board of a “defense” contractor. The military serves as the source of retirement careers when the generals make the big money. The US military is totally corrupt. Read Andrew Cockburn’s book, Kill Chain.

The Saker: If the USA is really deliberately going down the path towards war with Russia – what should Russia do? Should Russia back down and accept to be subjugated as a preferable option to a thermonuclear war, or should Russia resist and thereby accept the possibility of a thermonuclear war? Do you believe that a very deliberate and strong show of strength on the part of Russia could deter a US attack?

Paul Craig Roberts: I have often wondered about this. I can’t say that I know. I think Putin is humane enough to surrender rather than to be part of the destruction of the world, but Putin has to answer to others inside Russia and I doubt the nationalists would stand for surrender.

In my opinion, I think Putin should focus on Europe and make Europe aware that Russia expects an American attack and will have no choice except to wipe out Europe in response. Putin should encourage Europe to break off from NATO in order to prevent World War 3.

Putin should also make sure China understands that China represents the same perceived threat to the US as Russia and that the two countries need to stand together. Perhaps if Russia and China were to maintain their forces on a nuclear alert, not the top one, but an elevated one that conveyed recognition of the American threat and conveyed this threat to the world, the US could be isolated.

Perhaps if the Indian press, the Japanese Press, the French and German press, the UK press, the Chinese and Russian press began reporting that Russia and China wonder if they will receive a pre-emptive nuclear attack from Washington the result would be to prevent the attack.

As far as I can tell from my many media interviews with the Russian media, there is no Russian awareness of the Wolfowitz Doctrine. Russians think that there is some kind of misunderstanding about Russian intentions. The Russian media does not understand that Russia is unacceptable, because Russia is not a US vassal. Russians believe all the Western bullshit about “freedom and democracy” and believe that they are short on both but making progress. In other words, Russians have no idea that they are targeted for destruction.

The Saker: What are, in your opinion, the roots of the hatred of so many members of the US elites for Russia? Is that just a leftover from the Cold War, or is there another reason for the almost universal russophobia amongst US elites? Even during the Cold War, it was unclear whether the US was anti-Communist or anti-Russian? Is there something in the Russian culture, nation or civilization which triggers that hostility and, if yes, what is it?

Paul Craig Roberts: The hostility toward Russia goes back to the Wolfowttz Doctrine:

“Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power.”

While the US was focused on its MidEast wars, Putin restored Russia and blocked Washington’s planned invasion of Syria and bombing of Iran. The “first objective” of the neocon doctrine was breached. Russia had to be brought into line. That is the origin of Washington’s attack on Russia. The dependent and captive US and European media simply repeats “the Russian Threat” to the public, which is insouciant and otherwise uninformed.

The offense of Russian culture is also there–Christian morals, respect for law and humanity, diplomacy in place of coercion, traditional social mores–but these are in the background. Russia is hated because Russia (and China) is a check on Washington’s unilateral uni-power. This check is what will lead to war.

If the Russians and Chinese do not expect a pre-emptive nuclear attack from Washington, they will be destroyed.

Vuki on March 26, 2015 · at 4:03 pm EST/EDT

The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution was based on the teachings of Karl Marx who advocated a violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie and the unity of the working classes or the proletariat. In The Communist Manifesto Marx called for the abolition of Capitalism. He stated that “the proletariat will use its political supremacy in order, by degree to wrest all capital from the bourgeoisie to centralize all the means of production into the hands of the State” Many Americans feared these ideas. Furthermore, many Americans after WWI were disillusioned with European squabbles and intrigues and wanted to distance their society from further involvement in their conflicts. As a result America with its new Republican government turned inwards and politically became isolationist. In ‘isolationist’ America, ‘internationalism’ was a dirty word.

The new government under Warren Harding promoted business and wanted to bring America “back to normalcy”. This new administration refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles and participate in the League of Nations. The new world economic and military power abrogated its moral responsibility to shape the post war world and in fact some Americans saw Europe and particularly events in Russia as dangerous and uncivilized. “During the winter of 1918-1919 the committee heard a parade of Russian émigrés and Americans back from Russia recite hair-raising tales of Bolshevik outrages against private property, churches, the family, and everything sacred.” (Powers, 20). America government reacted with fear to these events and dispatched armies of intervention to restore capitalism in Russia. Specifically they feared left wing ideas, as they perceived them to be a threat to their way of life. Even though, in 1920 only some 150,000 American were anarchist or communists, American business classes saw these left-wingers as union leaders, troublemakers and criminals.

Readjustment in the post World War One markets caused some dislocation in the American economy. Many workers during the war joined unions and since the trade union movement was weak organizers wanted changes in the relationship with their employers. To achieve this new relationship the unions wanted to organize many more industrial workers. Specifically the coal miners, Boston police and the steel workers went on strike to demand better wages and working conditions. The industry owners and politicians saw this as some Bolshevik plot to undermine the American way of life. As a result the new Republican administration and the business classes blamed the communists and anarchists for this unrest. Furthermore, many Americans remembered that an anarchist assassinated President McKinley in 1901 and they did not want a repeat of this violence.

However, more important at this time was the attitude of American business class who did not want to see unionism succeed. Republican politician and industrialists feared that the growing trade union movement might lead to a Bolshevik-style revolution such as had swept the tsar from power in 1917.Since many union leaders had left-wing ideas business owners fired these union organizers and their supporters. Industrialists such as Henry Ford and others went so far as to employ gangs of ex-soldiers to break up trade union and/or socialist meetings and the private police, the Pinkertons, were used to intimidate, beat up and in some cases even kill union organizers. The ‘Reds’ as they were called were viewed as enemies of American business and politics. Of particular interest is the activity of the Attorney General Mitchell Palmer and his Justice Department lawyer J. Edgar Hoover.

Mitchell Palmer was the Attorney General in charge of law and the police in the Harding Administration. He hated the ‘Reds’. As a chief law officer in the nation he used his position to persecute the left-wingers. His anti ‘Red” campaign organized by Hoover became particularly rigorous after a botched attempt on Palmer’s life. A bomb exploded on his front porch killing the perpetrator who was carrying a communist newspaper the Plain Words. During the same period many factories were destroyed by gang activities and many politicians received bombs in their mail. Palmer and Hoover organized a campaign against foreigners and ‘internationalism’ and police and troops were ordered to raid magazine offices, public houses, union headquarters and meetings of any liberal organization and “over 6000 were arrested and put in prison” (Brooman, 8). Americans did not protest this action, which went against the Bill of Rights “even though America’s leading law officer had wrongly arrested 6000 innocent people” (Brooman, 8). However the “newspapers cheered the Justice Department with headlines like “ALL ABOARD FOR THE NEXT SOVIET ARK””(powers, 27). However, more important for the anti communists was Palmer and Hoover’s success in splintering the American Socialist party and destroying the only viable left wing option in American politics.

Most interesting case of legal persecution and manipulation of justice occurred in 1920 in the Sacco and Vanzetti case. This landmark case in American jurisprudence was tainted with racism and political fear. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who spoke English poorly and both were anarchists. They were accused of killing a guard in a wages robbery and when they were arrested they were carrying guns and anarchist literature. Sixty-four witnesses identified them as the perpetrators of the crime while some one hundred and seven witnesses at their trial stated that they were elsewhere during the robbery. Judge Webster Thayer sentenced them to death in the electric chair.

Even though, many petitions were signed and demonstrations held which called for a general strike unless a fair trial was held, Judge Thayer refused to grant an appeal. A leading lawyer stated that he has known judge Thayer all his life and describes him as “a narrow-minded man… a half educated man… unintelligent man… full of prejudice …carried away by fear of ‘Reds’, which [has] captured about ninety five percent of the American people” Brooman, 9). Sacco and Vanzzetti died in the electric chair on 24 August1927 and it is now generally agreed that the two Italians were innocent and victims of the ‘Red scare’ campaign.

The ‘Red scare’ ant communist campaign of the early twenties gradually gave way to a more organized and less hysterical attack on the communist movement in America. The Catholic Church who saw communism as anti God led this new movement and it became “the backbone of American anticommunist movement for most of the movement’s history” (Powers, 51). Jewish American and black American communities who also became vocal opponents of Communist ideas joined the Catholics. However, the strongest anticommunist voice came from the Democratic Socialists who attempted to unify the American left. Like other segments of American society in the post war years the left went through the process of restructuring, however it was never able to win the confidence of he American public because the challenge from the right was to strong.

America went through four Republican presidents from 1920 to 1933. This period in American history was characterized by isolationism from the world political stage and the power of American entrepreneurship. By 1928 America was the richest nation in the world. Even though, with all this prosperity America had its dark side where prohibition led to crime, religious fundamentalism led to censorship and racism while overproduction and speculation led to the stock market crash. However, for the American left prosperity of the twenties reduced the number of card carrying communist and anarchist. At the same time, the United States refused to recognize the Soviet regime and this was in part due to its international revolutionary program the Comintern as well as its failure to acknowledge the financial obligations of earlier governments. Senator William Borah of Idaho was a consistent critic of the American non-recognition policy.

In conclusion, politicians and newspaper editors who warned Americans against the danger of ‘international’ trade unionism orchestrated the “Red scare”. Industrialist feared trade unionism and under the guise of international communist threat to the American way of life they financed anti communist activities. It was Roosevelt’s use of Keynesian economic policies and his passage of the Wagner Act in 1935, which brought some peace to the union movement in America. The ‘Red scare’ abated until after World War Two when post war political competition between the two new Superpowers led to the resumption of the ‘Red scare’ and once more its leading campaigner was J. Edgar Hoover.

329 Comments

Anonymous on March 25, 2015 · at 12:43 am EST/EDT

You left out a VERY important one: the rc church; then there are satanists, not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Also PNAC.
Luke Harwood on March 25, 2015 · at 1:08 am EST/EDT

Oh, I think this goes way back to Wall streets’ financing of the revolution and ousting of the Tsars.
This is very deeply connected to the Russian orthodox view towards morality and social responsibility.
It is centuries in the making!!!
It strikes at the core of divergence between eastern and western attitudes, mentality.
If I may quote JRR. Tolkien here; (the West) would break a thing of beauty just to see how it was made.
That attitude runs against the grain for those who respect culture and beauty!!!
Simply observe how low western culture has sunk, in it’s crassness and anti-intelligent agenda (socially engineered on purpose).
The Wolfowttz Doctrine is only the icing on the cake.
cherubim & seraphim on March 25, 2015 · at 2:20 am EST/EDT

The Joosuits run everything, especially Hollywood. They commissioned Oliver Stone to make ‘JFK.’ Because it is fun for them to tease the public with who really pulled the trigger. The last frame of the film shows you; it fills the whole screen. They also commissioned James Cameron to make ‘Titanic.’ Because it is fun to show the ship’s officers, beginning with the captain, behaving very very strangely. It was very calculated to depict Murdoch taking money; it’s an important clue. They are such big bullies, the Jesuits. All the other papal orders hate them – because they are such great big bullies. Pope Francis is a great guy, though! He’s like a clown or the village idiot, everybody loves him!! He doesn’t come off like a bully at all. He says pets go to heaven, what’s not to love. He puts a smile on everybody’s face. Pope Francis, for a Jesuit, you are one hell of a fun guy! Don’t ever change.
B Cat Stone on March 25, 2015 · at 4:11 am EST/EDT

Dr Roberts says Russia/China can help prevent a nuke war by having global media report that “Russia and China wonder if they will receive a pre-emptive nuclear attack from Washington the result would be to prevent the attack.” Just recently Russia has had nuclear war military exercises & has been making covert & overt threats of nuclear strikes (for example bombers flying near UK,US, etc. & threat to Poland if they allow missile defense shield)…This is more than just publishing their worries about a US/NATO nuke attack; it’s a response to the ongoing aggression against Russia by the Washington psychos. And the dumbsh*ts in DC respond w/an ICBM test launch…etc. etc. It’s a deadly game of my-nukes-can-beat-your-nukes US-Russian Roulette.
IMO Russia/China will eventually feel forced to launch a preemptive strike on the US BECAUSE they believe it the only way to SURVIVE what they feel is an inevitable first strike BY THE US! (God help us all…)
ATTILA727 on March 25, 2015 · at 5:19 am EST/EDT

Poppycock
Paul E. "Marbux" Merrell on March 25, 2015 · at 9:50 am EST/EDT

I’ll need to do this in two comments because of the length. But I think it’s important information that is necessary to understanding the U.S. position regarding Russia.

The U.S. government hostility to Russia (and its interest in Ukraine) predate the Wolfowitz Doctrine. Bear in mind here that Obama learned his geopolitics from the Russia-hating former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and still consults with him.

American foreign policy since World War II has been haunted by a pseudoscience called geopolitics with its corresponding geostrategy that attaches inordinate strategic importance to Eurasia. For an excellent and well-written critique of those concepts that should substantially aid understanding, see this thoroughly-referenced U.S. Army War College Quarterly paper from 2000.

Like Henry Kissinger and McGeorge Bundy, Brzezinski is from the classical realist school of American foreign policy, heavily influenced by “godfather of containment” Nicholas Spykman and by his predecessor, the father of both “geopolitics” and “geostrategy,” Sir Halford John Mackinder, whose “Heartland Theory” was published in his 1904 paper, “The Geographical Pivot of History.”

Macinder posited that Russia had become militarily vulnerable because of the advent of railroads and that a “pivot” moment in history was at hand when railroads in Eurasia would supplant the mobility advantage previously held by naval powers. Because Eurasia was located at the center of the connected land masses of Europe and Asia, which formed a “World-Island,” military power would shift from the rim (naval power) to the center (the Eurasia “Heartland”). In 1919, Mackinder summarized his view and strategy of the coming age as:

Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland;
who rules the Heartland commands the World-Island;
who rules the World-Island commands the world.

Spykman, an American, in 1942 turned Macinder’s guiding principle on its head, positing that this concededly strategic area of Eurasia could be contained:

Who controls the rimland rules Eurasia;
Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world.

And there we can begin to see the policy wonk mindset behind NATO’s later eastward march to the borders of Russia lending Ukraine enormous potential to become a Very Big Thing in U.S. foreign policy, justifying the risk of nuclear war, because Ukraine forms a large part of the southern portion, the soft underbelly of the Heartland itself.

Nazi Germany’s government may or may not have attempted to implement Mackinder’s Heartland Theory when it attacked the Soviet Union during World War II, as the War College paper explains, but the important factor is that U.S. policy wonks acquired the belief that the Nazis had rediscovered Mackinder’s “science” and were applying it to seize the Heartland. This was about the same time that Spykman published his theory that the Heartland could be contained.

(continued in my next comment)

[Most excellent comments about the long & sordid history of Yankee hatred of Russia! ~ Moderator-D.C.]
- Paul E. "Marbux" Merrell on March 25, 2015 · at 12:07 pm EST/EDT
  
  I apologize for the delay in posting. I hit two problems: [i] I realized I had given the wrong URL for the War College paper and of course had it wrong in my notes too so I had to apply some Google Fu; and [ii] the new Saker web site doesn’t seem to want me to post more than a single somewhat lengthy paragraph now.
  
  So I’ve posted the entire piece on my own blog, The Relatively Free Press. See U.S., Russia, and Ukraine: The Heartland.
  
  Best regards to all,
  
  Paul
  - US Woman on March 25, 2015 · at 9:30 pm EST/EDT
    
    Thank you, Mr. Merrell.
    
    Among other things, I suppose a shocking (to me) video presentation originally dated 2004 had first galvanized my attention on the world war scene, as it may appear to utterly inexperienced desk bound civilians like me. Of course, this led to ZB, Mackinder and so on. I will happily proceed to the linked blog post.
Anonymous on March 25, 2015 · at 10:23 am EST/EDT

@ Alexis TK27

Re the difficulty in wiring the buildings without being noticed, I suppose it could be done under certain circumstances with appropiate security access etc. and don’t forget that a large part of those buildings were unoccupied.

In any case, back when I was researching this topic, I came many times accross the notion that at the time of construction there existed some kind of regulation or requirement (at least in Chicago and NYC) that buildings above a certain height needed to be prepared for demolition at the time of construction.

I first came accross this theory or notion back around 2008 and I remember there was one particlar documentation that seemed very convincing, but can’t even remember what exactly it was. About 3 years later I came accross comments by one “Howard T. Lewis III” character that appears in many places if you search his name as an exact phrase. He claims, very emphatically, that his father worked on the WTC 1 and 2 construction or preparations, and he claims that he (Howard T. Lewis III) was present in the room during discussions and is absolutely certain that this was discussed.

Samples of this fellow’s comments:
http://mycatbirdseat.com/2010/09/architects-engineers-for-911-truth-hit-the-american-mainstream/

https://www.facebook.com/ExposingIsraelsAgenda/posts/526557437484352

However that may be, your reasoning is flawed. Regardless how difficult it may have been to keep an operation of this caliber from getting too much publicity, it seems to me that the impossible is always much more difficult. And cleary the behavior of those buildings (all 3 of them) is impossible without some massive additional energy and choreography causing them to do what they did. There is no escaping that. Try to imagine how you would make a physical model of a building behave that way after some impact and some fires, and without anything else. Ready The Progressive Collapse Challenge by Jim Hoffman. It remains a good start for a mental exercise.

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/analysis/challenge.html

I have no idea how they did it, who did it, what they used etc. But I am 100% certain those buildings did not do what they did spontaneously merely as a consequence of the impact + some relatively small fires. I find that notion kind of insulting.
epi on March 25, 2015 · at 11:08 am EST/EDT

Mr Wolfowitz of the “Wolfowitz doctrine” is a dual citizen as are most of the neo-cons.

Nuclear weapons are symmetrically locked to each other, US and European nukes to Russias and Chinas, Indias to Pakistan. The only country with “free” nukes and a complete triad is Israel.

If nuclear block 1 and 2 destroy each other, who will be the next number one?
What about the northern hemisphere including Israel becoming inhabitable?

IDF presence in Patagonia has been documented and land purchases too. Two critical resources exist, potable water and what may become the world’s largest remaining oil reserve when the middle east and central asia are taken off line. As a coincidence, right now Britain is sending arms to the Falklands to boost defenses there.
Andrew on March 25, 2015 · at 11:23 am EST/EDT

Saker:

Thank you for obtaining and publishing this interview.

A few comments on things PCR spoke of or did not make clear enough for some here:

(1) Freemasons. The main strength of Freemasonry in the US is not the lodge system. It is the very strong influence of Freemasonry in the American collegiate fraternity/sorority system. Most major donors to universities are former fraternity members, therefore they usually control the trustee system. The fraternities serve as meeting places for future business associates who spend their lifetime enmeshed in a web of being helped by prior members and helping current and future members to get ahead in corporate America, the Senior Executive Service, professorships, municipal and state government leadership, and in the professions with an extra thumb or two on the scales when it comes to hiring, raises, bonuses, and promotions. The female sororities serve the same purpose for women and also as a place for fraternity members to meet future spouses. Various secret societies and non-fraternatities like Yale’s Skull and Bones, the Princeton dining clubs, “Societies” at Wellesley College all serve the same purpose each in their own niche. This system is reinforced throughout life through University Clubs, Country Clubs, and Social Clubs in the major cities.

(2) Most powerful person(s). PCR is completely right about this – there is no man behind the curtain pulling strings, or even a secret cabal sitting in a secret boardroom. The strength of the American elite governing system comes from its bredth, depth, and willingness to accept new blood. It is not an oligarchy or even a hereditary aristocracy. It is not controlled by a relative handful of named families (and certainly not has-been families from 100 years ago like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts and Rothschilds). Fundementally, it is a meritocracy based on a combination of native intelligence and money/business wealth and the thought that the cream rises to the top and deserves economic and political power. Membership in it must be renewed in every generation. Being Bill Gates child is nice, but it does not get you a chairmanship or a powerful political office. While the upper 1, 5, 10, or 15% of American society may various be thought of as making this group up, ultimately anyone can rise from obscurity and even petty criminality (for example Representative Darrel Issa, or Jay Z) and join and become respected if they make the effort. The American system is purposefully inclusive of all potential elites in order to not create embittered elite groups with an alternate identity feeling left on the margins (hence the importance to the system of Gerrymandering, Affirmative Action, minority party political representation and the like to ensure an inclusion of diverse voices in government). The system is strongly Quaker influenced with its emphasis on inclusion and consensus. The bredth of the system is also impressive – there are literally millions of millionaires (people with liquid assets in the seven digits) in the US, who are ultimately people with enough resources and contacts to become a major source of political influence if they so desired.

(3) Control over the American elite is exercised by its own group mind through the use of the Overton Window. This sets the limits of socially acceptable political discourse and political and economic and social opinions. No one person enforces it. A determined minority can slowly move the window on various issues if it frames its arguement in the right way. Anyone watching the American scene for the past 20-40 years has seen this happen with the homosexual issue. The gatekeepers here are not just the mainstream media, but college professors, hiring managers, internet moderators, think tank scholars, authors, celebrities, religious ministers, and anyone else with a functional position that provides a platform for broadcasting ideas and shaming dissidents.

(4) The President is the single most powerful individual in the country, but ultimately the power is his office, which is bigger than any one person. When PCR says a President with a mass movement behind him could change the discourse or direction of the country, this is true. A movement of this sort would be a group of a critical mass of voters and people capable of political administration who had pulled the Overton Window into a new direction. The election of the Reagan Administration did represent such a political event, and the critical changes it brought about are very well known – direct belligerent confrontation with the Soviet Union with an aim of making it collapse as a world power and state entity and supply-side economics.

(5) The political-economic influence of various groups of corporations is seen in the level of spending they receive and the political and military power placed behind their success. The ranking I see is:
Military-Security, including defense/intelligence and related industrial manufacturing and related consulting companies
Resource extraction and processing (oil, gas, coal, steel, petrochemicals, corporate agriculture, etc.)
Merchant banking/Wall Street/Corporate Law/Consulting
Computers/Technology/Silicon Valley/Electronics
Automotive
Entertainment/Media
Pharmacueticals/Medical
Niels Nielsen on March 25, 2015 · at 12:24 pm EST/EDT

The russian ambassador here in Denmark had an article in one of our big newspapers a few days ago. The message was, that if Denmark mounts anti-ballistic missile radars on our frigates, they will be targets for russian a-bombs.

So the scenario PCR describes: “Putin should focus on Europe and make Europe aware that Russia expects an American attack and will have no choice except to wipe out Europe in response” is already unfolding.

Unfortunately, the warmongers tend to use the ambassadors statement as yet another reason to escalate hostilities. Hubris indeed.
Marcus Wolfe on March 25, 2015 · at 12:45 pm EST/EDT

Great interview! I tried to post a link to it from the Guardian, but it was removed. The media are closing ranks, burying their heads in the sand and just hoping they live through the shit storm. OffGuardian is now apparently banned from mention!

http://offguardian.org/2015/03/23/has-offguardian-been-deemed-off-limits-on-the-graun/
TR on March 25, 2015 · at 2:59 pm EST/EDT

Thank you very much, this is an extremely interesting interview!
Vuki on March 25, 2015 · at 3:02 pm EST/EDT

You asked Mr. Roberts, “Why Russophobia in the West”? This is not something that is recent as Mr. Roberts states. This is as old as the 1054 Schism. Many attempts have been made by Rome to bring the heretics in the East under their control. Every attempt has failed. Until the 20th sentry the European masses were controlled from the pulpit and up to that time Europe did not target the Russian man and woman the target was their religion.

With the implementation of Stalin’s “opium of the masses” policy Russian leadership was targeted. Europeans , regardless of their political stripe, who were opposed to religion as a dominant force in society, found sanctuary in America. From the Puritans on, every institution, public education, universities, and media, particularly Hollywood, in America, promoted reverence to religion and hate of those who were opposed to it. Religion was celebrated by every institution in America and anyone opposed to religion could be elected, even as a dog catcher.

America prospered in the 20th century from the chaos in Europe . Many Europeans fled this chaos, including the most reactionary elements who were welcomed and found sanctuary in this cesspool of religious dogma. Those that prospered, shared their prosperity with their extended families in Europe. European poor were convinced that streets in America were paved with gold. They bought into this view that America was exceptional, a beacon of hope for the lice infested masses from Europe. The myth of American prosperity and democracy was promoted by the Hollywood glamour where anyone could be a Gabel or Wayne.

Anyone who spoke out against this myth was vilified and marginalized in the Red Scare of the 20’s and the McCarthy Era of the fifties. These were not accidents, this was a targeted attack against the left. The American propaganda from the 20’s and the 50’s hammered home these events , and sold the Russian Revolution and the WWII Russian victory as a threat to American way of life. This like present day terrorism, was used by the American Military Industrial Complex, for its wars and economic domination over others.

With fall of USSR American elite celebrated their victory by promoting into NATO and government the like minded subservient elements in counties from “Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic”. Those who opposed this “drang nach osten” were bombed into submission. Russia was almost in their grasp until Putin had something to say about that. Reemergence of Russian power once more became the excuse and the media like a rabid dog trotted out the scarecrows of the 20th century to attack Russia.

I don’t believe, that this anti Russian policy of today is something new. Yes, as Mr. Roberts states, “Russia is hated because Russia (and China) is a check on Washington’s unilateral uni-power” This is not new just another justification of the 1% in America to hold onto world hegemony. by trotting out the specter of Communism, anti God, anti democracy sold to the evangelical crowd which they consume with their cornflakes.
Peter Grafström on March 25, 2015 · at 3:13 pm EST/EDT

About nuclear war
Weather control increases the willingness to risk it. One may redistribute a large fraction of the downfall. If they have more effective countermeasures against cancer than what they have made available since they want the population to decrease, this would give them more hope to ‘win’. Robot technology enables them to an increasing degree to handle previously intractable difficulties. Such as large scale decontamination work.
And remember Doctor Strangelove’s promis:ten girls for every male belonging to the master race.
And they rehersed some of this before during and after 9/11. Weather anomalies certainly helped decrease any downfall over Manhattan for which there is evidence concidering both cancer statistics and anomalous abundance of atomic species. Were the weather anomalies random? The National Nuclear Security Administration personell was rapidly deployed to wtc on 9/11 and proceeded to cleanse steel to be sold to China. Truckloads less than half full and seemingly with precise quantities of some dark substance were present. Had they been transporting ordinary sand there would have been no reason to transport such modest quantities per truck. Was it quantitatively precise portions of decontamination chemicals the modest amounts seem motivated. Some people claim it was a decontaminant M291 but it isnt clear to me whether it would be the best choice against radioactivity. Ion exchange chemicals probably work to some extent against a broad range of hazardeos materials.
James Blank on March 25, 2015 · at 5:37 pm EST/EDT

I think PCR is spot-on with everything he states with the exception of his tired anti-semitic rants about Israel controlling mid-east foreign policy. It is exactly 180 degrees in favor of, as he correctly calls it, the American empire. His argument about Israel controlling every U.S. president completely falls on its face with Barry Soetoro, aka, Barack Hussein Obama. Admit that the Obama administration is about to punish Israel for daring to re-elect Bibi Netanyahu after the misguided attempt to get him defeated! No, the nation of Israel is as much a vassal of U.S. foreign policy as are the Europeans! Mr. Netanyahu is a victim of U.S bullying for daring to stand up to the president for his refusal to heed Israel’s warnings concerning a potentially nuclear armed Iran. I do not know if Dr. Roberts is a christian or not, but I’ll have you know that if America ever fully turns against Israel, that will truly mark the day that America spirals into destruction. As the Lord Himself told Abraham; ‘I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you’.
- Just Wondering on March 30, 2015 · at 2:45 am EST/EDT
  
  I disagree. PCR is underestimating the influence of the Jewish Dual Citizenship Israeli Firsters who make U$ policy. There is some resistance in the military and the intelligence communities from the effective control of Zionism.
  
  Is there a nexus between the irrational and destructive policies of the West and the disportionate influence of Jews ?
  
  Total Jewish Population ? less than 15 – 20 million.
  Total Global Population ? about 7000 million.
  
  Could the agenda of a minority destroy the majority ? Only if the minority is in control ?
  
  Never Again, the only insurance from another “holocoust” is absolute global control ?
  
  “Manifest Destiny”
WestCoast on March 25, 2015 · at 8:06 pm EST/EDT

Paul Craig Roberts is forced to respond herein to Saker’s ongoing Jewish World Conspiracy thinking.

PCR completely failed to mention the larger Christian evangelical backing for Israel. And PCR, of all people should know. Because it was under Ronald Reagan whom Roberts worked for that the Christian Evangelical Right in this country, embodied by Jerry Falwell, became a huge and powerful force in government. In fact, Reagan rode into power with this rightwing, Zionist Christian base.

Sadly, PCR reveals a lack of current knowledge about the US missile system and the Russian missile systems and how they operate. And he has no current connections within the deep State.

And last, the US has a lot more plans to make mischief for both Russia and China. It is waay too early to talk about a nuclear war which would only end everything. No winners. No ability to function financially or otherwise. No societies left. No capitalism and/or profits.
Tony_0pmoc on March 26, 2015 · at 2:00 am EST/EDT

I think this is the most Brilliant article I have read in years..I can compare it with some things…but both the Questions, Answers and Discussion…are pure genius…possibly human race saving genius…

You guys The Saker and Paul Craig Roberts…are both getting better.

Thank You Both So Much.

You Guys are RockStars

Tony
Jayfusjonezinchina on March 26, 2015 · at 5:06 am EST/EDT

Wow. Some pretty sobering news from pcr and his comments (anyone’s for that matter) being tempered by the statement concerning “insanity” rings of great wisdom. My concern is if we go beyond this and can actually understand insanity then we’ve joined ranks with this crowd. Ouch. Thanks saker for the great interview and for prompting this letter by reporting on the Russian Ukraine conflagration and other political issues in a way that’s not so rabid as many who fancy themselves bleeding edge in the alternative news realm are prone to .

The comment by pcr about getting on the wrong side of the Zionist jihadist whack jobs being worse than getting targeted by a hellfire missle serves as the basis for my the following rant. One of Rayguns crowning “achievements” during his reign was the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the usa and the vatican in 1984 (thanks Orwell). From the 1260 years of papal domination of the world (except China???) from 538 until the French Revolution culminated in the removal of the pope by Napoleon’s army in 1798 this reign of terror dominated these dark ages.

And so it is today. I’m quite shocked at how few who are paying close attention to the world’s political, economic, social, environmental, and religious free fall see the role that this insidious dragon has played and is playing in all these affairs. Of course she has always disguised herself in a chameleon like deceptive garb of innocence. The so called christin evangellyfish element in the political arena provides a sneaky cover for this monstrosity. Seems the RC church/state has found the usa’s military might quite handy for her vendetta against the Muslim nations particularily those with lots of easy oil.

But now… hang on dear brothers and sisters and if this troubled planet can hold on until then we have the big event on the doorstep! If you thought nuttinyahoos visit to congress was a bombshell you ain’t seen nuttin yet. His holiness (gag) accends the steps of the hallowed halls in the final week of September. Many things converging in those final days of September… Ask and I will tell you more… Stay tuned precious brothers and sisters! jc
Serg Derbst on March 26, 2015 · at 3:00 pm EST/EDT

Thanks so much for this interview. It’s an eye-opener in many ways. I’ve always thought that Bilderberger and the masons etc. were way overrated (Bilderberger is merely a shoulder rubbing fest and some sort of lobby group in my opinion). But I also have to admit that I underestimated the Israeli influence.

I agree, Germany would be the key to bring down the empire. The Germans (the people) are seriously getting angry, but there is no central big figure or movement yet to lead some sort of protest movement, but if there were, enough people could be mobilized. But on the upside there is quite a large front of “alternative media” forming on youtube, for example KenFM (Ken Jebsen), who keeps interviewing tons of scholars, former politicians and others. There is something forming, but I doubt it will bear fruits by the end of this year. A very interesting figure is Dirk Müller, a famous stock broker and a fierce critic of the finanical system and especially Merkel’s austerity program. He’s quite outspoken against the US aggression and popular enough to even appear on our otherwise streamlined TV channels.

I also think that the German industry for the largest part is 100% against this war against Russia and starts to realize that the US is not their friend. They also have realized that the future is East, not West. I’m pretty sure this is true even for high-ranking officials. But the problem for them, of course, is that we are an occupied country. Unless the German people rise, they simply don’t have the mandate to exit NATO or do anything other than what Washington tells them.

The problem simply is that since the British imposed WW1 on us, we have lost our souls and identities, especially after WW2 and the long separation during the Cold War (imposed on us by no other than the US/UK, btw). Most Germans don’t even know the strength and importance of their country. Their horizon stops with football (Wir sind Weltmeister).
Vuki on March 26, 2015 · at 4:03 pm EST/EDT

The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution was based on the teachings of Karl Marx who advocated a violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie and the unity of the working classes or the proletariat. In The Communist Manifesto Marx called for the abolition of Capitalism. He stated that “the proletariat will use its political supremacy in order, by degree to wrest all capital from the bourgeoisie to centralize all the means of production into the hands of the State” Many Americans feared these ideas. Furthermore, many Americans after WWI were disillusioned with European squabbles and intrigues and wanted to distance their society from further involvement in their conflicts. As a result America with its new Republican government turned inwards and politically became isolationist. In ‘isolationist’ America, ‘internationalism’ was a dirty word.

The new government under Warren Harding promoted business and wanted to bring America “back to normalcy”. This new administration refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles and participate in the League of Nations. The new world economic and military power abrogated its moral responsibility to shape the post war world and in fact some Americans saw Europe and particularly events in Russia as dangerous and uncivilized. “During the winter of 1918-1919 the committee heard a parade of Russian émigrés and Americans back from Russia recite hair-raising tales of Bolshevik outrages against private property, churches, the family, and everything sacred.” (Powers, 20). America government reacted with fear to these events and dispatched armies of intervention to restore capitalism in Russia. Specifically they feared left wing ideas, as they perceived them to be a threat to their way of life. Even though, in 1920 only some 150,000 American were anarchist or communists, American business classes saw these left-wingers as union leaders, troublemakers and criminals.

Readjustment in the post World War One markets caused some dislocation in the American economy. Many workers during the war joined unions and since the trade union movement was weak organizers wanted changes in the relationship with their employers. To achieve this new relationship the unions wanted to organize many more industrial workers. Specifically the coal miners, Boston police and the steel workers went on strike to demand better wages and working conditions. The industry owners and politicians saw this as some Bolshevik plot to undermine the American way of life. As a result the new Republican administration and the business classes blamed the communists and anarchists for this unrest. Furthermore, many Americans remembered that an anarchist assassinated President McKinley in 1901 and they did not want a repeat of this violence.

However, more important at this time was the attitude of American business class who did not want to see unionism succeed. Republican politician and industrialists feared that the growing trade union movement might lead to a Bolshevik-style revolution such as had swept the tsar from power in 1917.Since many union leaders had left-wing ideas business owners fired these union organizers and their supporters. Industrialists such as Henry Ford and others went so far as to employ gangs of ex-soldiers to break up trade union and/or socialist meetings and the private police, the Pinkertons, were used to intimidate, beat up and in some cases even kill union organizers. The ‘Reds’ as they were called were viewed as enemies of American business and politics. Of particular interest is the activity of the Attorney General Mitchell Palmer and his Justice Department lawyer J. Edgar Hoover.

Mitchell Palmer was the Attorney General in charge of law and the police in the Harding Administration. He hated the ‘Reds’. As a chief law officer in the nation he used his position to persecute the left-wingers. His anti ‘Red” campaign organized by Hoover became particularly rigorous after a botched attempt on Palmer’s life. A bomb exploded on his front porch killing the perpetrator who was carrying a communist newspaper the Plain Words. During the same period many factories were destroyed by gang activities and many politicians received bombs in their mail. Palmer and Hoover organized a campaign against foreigners and ‘internationalism’ and police and troops were ordered to raid magazine offices, public houses, union headquarters and meetings of any liberal organization and “over 6000 were arrested and put in prison” (Brooman, 8). Americans did not protest this action, which went against the Bill of Rights “even though America’s leading law officer had wrongly arrested 6000 innocent people” (Brooman, 8). However the “newspapers cheered the Justice Department with headlines like “ALL ABOARD FOR THE NEXT SOVIET ARK””(powers, 27). However, more important for the anti communists was Palmer and Hoover’s success in splintering the American Socialist party and destroying the only viable left wing option in American politics.

Most interesting case of legal persecution and manipulation of justice occurred in 1920 in the Sacco and Vanzetti case. This landmark case in American jurisprudence was tainted with racism and political fear. Sacco and Vanzetti were Italian immigrants who spoke English poorly and both were anarchists. They were accused of killing a guard in a wages robbery and when they were arrested they were carrying guns and anarchist literature. Sixty-four witnesses identified them as the perpetrators of the crime while some one hundred and seven witnesses at their trial stated that they were elsewhere during the robbery. Judge Webster Thayer sentenced them to death in the electric chair.

Even though, many petitions were signed and demonstrations held which called for a general strike unless a fair trial was held, Judge Thayer refused to grant an appeal. A leading lawyer stated that he has known judge Thayer all his life and describes him as “a narrow-minded man… a half educated man… unintelligent man… full of prejudice …carried away by fear of ‘Reds’, which [has] captured about ninety five percent of the American people” Brooman, 9). Sacco and Vanzzetti died in the electric chair on 24 August1927 and it is now generally agreed that the two Italians were innocent and victims of the ‘Red scare’ campaign.

The ‘Red scare’ ant communist campaign of the early twenties gradually gave way to a more organized and less hysterical attack on the communist movement in America. The Catholic Church who saw communism as anti God led this new movement and it became “the backbone of American anticommunist movement for most of the movement’s history” (Powers, 51). Jewish American and black American communities who also became vocal opponents of Communist ideas joined the Catholics. However, the strongest anticommunist voice came from the Democratic Socialists who attempted to unify the American left. Like other segments of American society in the post war years the left went through the process of restructuring, however it was never able to win the confidence of he American public because the challenge from the right was to strong.

America went through four Republican presidents from 1920 to 1933. This period in American history was characterized by isolationism from the world political stage and the power of American entrepreneurship. By 1928 America was the richest nation in the world. Even though, with all this prosperity America had its dark side where prohibition led to crime, religious fundamentalism led to censorship and racism while overproduction and speculation led to the stock market crash. However, for the American left prosperity of the twenties reduced the number of card carrying communist and anarchist. At the same time, the United States refused to recognize the Soviet regime and this was in part due to its international revolutionary program the Comintern as well as its failure to acknowledge the financial obligations of earlier governments. Senator William Borah of Idaho was a consistent critic of the American non-recognition policy.

In conclusion, politicians and newspaper editors who warned Americans against the danger of ‘international’ trade unionism orchestrated the “Red scare”. Industrialist feared trade unionism and under the guise of international communist threat to the American way of life they financed anti communist activities. It was Roosevelt’s use of Keynesian economic policies and his passage of the Wagner Act in 1935, which brought some peace to the union movement in America. The ‘Red scare’ abated until after World War Two when post war political competition between the two new Superpowers led to the resumption of the ‘Red scare’ and once more its leading campaigner was J. Edgar Hoover.
ET on March 26, 2015 · at 5:01 pm EST/EDT

Saker! Have you heard the rumor that Putin is being currently portrayed by a double?? What does this mean about the whereabouts of the real Putin?? I’m in a panic! Your thoughts deeply appreciated. I thought he seemed very bloated in recent photos … not thinking that it could have been a double. Help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2A5COBwltQ

http://plasticmacca.blogspot.com/2015/03/does-fake-putin-prove-hes-still-alive.html
- A Friend on March 26, 2015 · at 6:31 pm EST/EDT
  
  Dear Extra Terrestrial,
  
  Your deeply appreciative comment is of exactly the same quality as http://img1.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2013/09/19/19-putin-dog.w529.h352.2x.jpg
  
  (Have you considered taking a long rest in a reputable Earthly spa?)
Anonymous on March 26, 2015 · at 5:55 pm EST/EDT

I am presently reading THE FALSIFICATION OF HISTORY, by John Hamer. a very wonderfull expose well researched and detailed, how mankind has been ruled for centuries by (THE CHOSEN ONES) . The ZIONISTS. I think this book should be read by everyone in the world , then humanity will be saved from the disasters planned by these psychopaths that control the world!!!
BEG on March 27, 2015 · at 5:36 am EST/EDT

Sounds really scary!
David Walters on March 31, 2015 · at 12:57 am EST/EDT

Yep. Russia and China had best wake up to what is said above for not only their sake, but also, for the sake of the world.

LF
Phall on March 31, 2015 · at 9:18 am EST/EDT

I seriously hope that this is not a valid assessment and that at least the Government is aware of the truth.
QUOTE
As far as I can tell from my many media interviews with the Russian media, there is no Russian awareness of the Wolfowitz Doctrine. Russians think that there is some kind of misunderstanding about Russian intentions. The Russian media does not understand that Russia is unacceptable, because Russia is not a US vassal. Russians believe all the Western bullshit about “freedom and democracy” and believe that they are short on both but making progress. In other words, Russians have no idea that they are targeted for destruction.
UNQUOTE
I have the feeling that the Chinese might have an inkling of this and might be calculating to come out better off, than RF or USA + vassals, in case one or the other do a preemptive?
Ivan Lukic on March 31, 2015 · at 2:14 pm EST/EDT

In order for the offensive side’s war effort to be successful that side must prepare it’s on public for the war they intend to start. They can not suddenly start war in which their own people must die and suffer. That’s what propaganda and mass media campaign against Russia is all about.

There is much discussion about “guilt” for the WW1 but the truth is that Austro-Hungarians started media campaign against Serbia many years before the war started. In their own words Serbia was disturbing the world order they imagined. Recent media campaign against Russia is the same scenario. It is sure sign what US military complex and banksters intend to do.
L Schneider on March 31, 2015 · at 6:08 pm EST/EDT

Very interesting article and very disturbing. I cannot find much to disagree with.
mmiriww on April 02, 2015 · at 7:55 am EST/EDT

Another one of the stupidest articles to fill the NYT. Where you only look at others but not at anyone else and then try to figure out what is going on. Kind of watching someone scratching their itch and going, hey maybe you should take a shower once in a while.. While not noticing the swarm of wasps flying all around. Makes me wonder if they just want to dumb down americans even more than they are. If so, places like the NYT should be on the top of the world universities for the west to attend.

BODO, Norway — From his command post burrowed deep into a mountain of quartz and slate north of the Arctic Circle, the 54-year-old commander of the Norwegian military’s operations headquarters watches time flowing backward, pushed into reverse by surging Russian military activity redolent of East-West sparring during the Cold War.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/02/world/europe/a-newly-assertive-russia-jolts-norways-air-defenses-into-action.html
Dieter Rueggeberg on April 03, 2015 · at 10:22 am EST/EDT

I appreciate the comments of Mr. Roberts since a longer time. He is one of the very few who is in an open opposition against the misuse of power of the US.
But it seems he has no idea about the importance of the secret societies. He not even knows that Adolf Hitler was an Agent of Freemasonry and Zionism.
http://www.secret-politics.com/E/Hitler-Agent-e.html
Good luck for the truth!
Deanna Johnston Clark on April 03, 2015 · at 5:56 pm EST/EDT

2 thoughts:

Russia’s Christianity is mostly Eastern Orthodox, Orthodoxy, like methodism, believes in pre-emptive grace…that the Incarnation changed the dna of the universe and is not a franchise owned by any power structure. They adhere to the Gospel of Good News. This threatens whom?

Also: I read a lot about certain Jews who “run” things. They are smart and good at this…they get good jobs as managers. But who hires them? Who has controlling shares of the banks and institutions? When a CEO gets a mammoth bonus it is for doing a great job for WHOM? Who owns Manhattan…the actual real estate?
American Expat on April 05, 2015 · at 12:11 pm EST/EDT

I think we should not blame Rothschild, Israel, Jews, Anglo-Zionists, military-industrial complex, or America for anything. It’s within human nature to want more power and territory. A Discovery Channel documentary said that our violent nature is due to our chimpanzee DNA. We’re descended from chimpanzees, a very violent and warlike species that fights over females, territory, and resources. If we had been descended from bonobos, we would be peaceful, communist, and polyamorous (they practice incest, share sexual partners, etc.)

Anyways, regardless of who is on top, we’re stuck on this planet as a species and we have to deal with our situation. Every empire goes down the same path, the American Empire is not any less ruthless or aggressive than the Roman Empire, Egyptian Empire, Russian Empire, etc. of yore. Russia has to understand that the US is belligerent and hostile towards any nation that is capable of challenging America’s global military/economic supremacy. In the 1950s-70s, the Soviet Union was the bad guy. In the 1980s, it was Japan, lots of talk about going to war against Japan (predicted by Stratfor intelligence group), Japan-bashing, tariffs on Japanese electronics and cars, etc. In the 2000s, it’s been the Islamic Arabic world. Now in 2010s, it’s Russia and China.

I’ve always wanted the USA to stop parroting the hypocrisy of “spreading democracy and freedom” and just say it how it is. It would engender less distrust towards America. This quote is from one of my favorite diplomats of the 20th century, George Kennan:

“We have about 50% of the world’s wealth but only 6% of its population.

Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We should cease to talk about vague and unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better.”

George Kennan, Director of the Policy Planning Staff of the U.S. Department of State, 1948.
Suzanne Majo De Kuyper on April 19, 2015 · at 7:11 pm EST/EDT

I started watching rt.com every day since about February 14th 2014. I have never missed one day. I remembered reading the 163 US Presidential Midnight Briefing Papers as they were published in the New York Times as the new laws they were. Attorney John Woo approved them as legal. They were written to replace the US Constutition. Written as temporary, President Obama made them permanent. I realised, watching the theft of poor Ukraine, that all those laws were being activated.
An old way of making new laws legal is to publish them in a leading newspaper. They each of them read right out of Nazi Germany. They are hard to find but this US Government is using them every day in every way.
In fact I knew the 9/11 was a government razing of the business building as I watched it being built. Thermite is an explosive that melts steel was built into all the walls as they were going up. The gossip was so intense that no-one rented anything for over three years past the third floor. The owner must have been in on it.
I was divorcing my husband with my sons by my side and weekends he visited with them. I would take the 45 minute train to wander the metropolis, read the gossip sheets and get home in time to welcome them back. Yes. 9/11 was a False Flag. So has been every terrorist US plot since 9/11. The Christmas Bomber, The Boston Bomber, the tony Connecticut High school was a False flag too. The method used to militarize all the public Schools.
Darwin26 on May 11, 2015 · at 6:32 am EST/EDT

Yiiiikes ~ PCR, i wonder if i shouldn’t just turn to the bottle / pipe and give up.
These jackasses in the US State Dept are the death of the Universe. i call it the Statagon along with the other two branches of gov’t: Wall St and K-Street / plutocracy-oligarchy-fascist we are fn’g doomed if we don’t make enuff noise/Revolution and call for Justice, Esp on those that let this all get away Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table ~ she hangs twice.
Anyways good interview Sacker ~ i liked all the questions ~ can you imagine asking these questions to say, Obama-Crypto-fascist?
i wonder why Mr. Roberts did not say the word US State Dept? This is where that Neo-con policy comes from that has the mendacity to invade any defenseless country at will… and herein is one reason i think there won’t be a war with Russia ~ The US only takes on something that is easily annihilation, in short order or predicated on prolonged ban of merchandise…
i was meaning to get to say that not saying US State Dept conspicuous by its absents? And yet he points the finger right at the concept Foreign Policy but avoids the label. OK,
i certainly agree with almost everything. EU are vassals to the US and the US is a vassal to Israhell ~ He’s right on as he nail Israhell, and the Military Industrial/Security Complex ie the %1.
Generals may order some kind of all out war but i would thing the ground soldier will drop his weapon and head for home ~ die there of radioactive poison with family… Not every Gen is hell bent on riding the nuke ala Perkins in “Fail Safe” .
The ‘Movement’ better hurry imo. where’s MLK Jr when ya need him? How do we make the masses turnaround? We tried to take over Wall St perhaps we should take over the Newspapers next? Stop going that crap coming out of Hollywood. Speak up against the American Snipper types. My Cong critter is one arrrrrrrrrr and Friday eve i was the lone protester of an appearance by Neo-Condi ‘smoking-gun’ lezza Rice ~ Torture Queen ~ ahhh it was good… at one point a cop came up to me all smiles ‘n giggles ~ i didn’t say a word and he’s you have every right to be where you are ~ well thank’s officer ~ come officer, stand next to me ‘n my NeoCondi / War Criminal florescent sign as a fw was taking a photo of me from his car ~ i jestured to put my arm around him as a fellow traveler and he took off so fast i didn’t get a chance to thank him for ck’n up on my safety. ~ (yeah Billings, MT ~ the Capitol of Apathy).
A campaign to let other countries know what we wish ~ like we should have a way to mail India State Dept/ whomever and tell them the need for them to stand up to the hegemonic US of A. Don’t sell out? i wonder if foreign gov’ts know how so many of us in murikka feel sick to death for what they are doing and have done. Basta!
Janis Schmidt on May 15, 2015 · at 8:09 pm EST/EDT

Thank you, Saker, for this interview. Mr. Roberts doesn’t pull any punches and is willing to tell the truth on anythIng, plus he is informed on how American politics work. This is very frightening news for humanity. I am sure Putin is aware he is dealing with a bully 3-year-old who has a loaded gun and thinks he is in charge. Baby bully likes to fire gun at adults and tell them to jump. Rather than pull out his gun and shoot the bully, Putin needs to take away all his bullets. This is a very scary situation for all of us. Could we not send the neocons to Mars? I really love the Russian youth art show picturing Putin spanking Obama.
Majo on May 31, 2015 · at 9:43 am EST/EDT

The Wolfowittz Doctrine is not the first doctrine of the planned genocide of Russia, Paul Craig Roberts is wrong on that, but nothing else. As the Ottoman Empire was beginning to unravel, hungry, powerful, Britain decided to form a move to eliminate Russia before the Ottoman Empire came apart by stating in it’s Parliament it’s intention to eliminate her as a matter of State policy so grabbing the best pieces of the Ottoman Empire would be easier. WW1 would have had definite elements of this policy active in that war of horrors as by the end of it the reparations and the change of European country borders pointed in the direction of containing Russia even then by making sure there would be a WW11.

The sudden emergence of the US/UK Cold war was a clear attempt to fulfill the needs of the UK 1814 Parliament descision as the unexpected had happened, Russian had won WW11 hands down, losing probably more than the 27 to 30 million formal numbers of Russian dead. To over four hundred thousand US dead. The propaganda Cold War was in fact the beginning of WW111 to erase Russia by way of two hundred years of Western nations (US/UK/European) hate speech and criminal actions done as if legitimate, against her.

Roberts omission of those facts is understandable but needlessly limit the visualization of the history behind the US/EU/UK erasure of Ukraine today. True debate must in fact include it. The combined West does not understand Russia at all and must be informed 100% about it’s realities.
Majo on May 31, 2015 · at 9:50 am EST/EDT

I looks to me that the US/UK/EU linked intelligence services are monitoring and removing comments to these blogs at will. I just wrote one about the incomplete Paul Craig Roberts history of the relations between the West and Russia as it began demonization of Russia in British Parliament in 1814, not just with the Wolfowittz Doctrine! This comment of mine I assume will not be published. After all incomplete historical data on this subject means it can never be properly debated or resolved therefor.
B2B on June 05, 2015 · at 10:24 pm EST/EDT

I find it hard to believe that Russia or China are that naïve as not to expect a first strike by the US. Haven’t they both got early warning systems?

Russia calls them ‘partners’ in public but in private I bet its something else.
olde reb on June 29, 2015 · at 8:44 pm EST/EDT

A breathtaking interview in scope and depth.

May I be so bold as to suggest the crux of the problem is Wall Street?

Wall Street, using the IMF and World Bank, have oppressed and economical devastated the third world for decades. They are currently moving up to Europe. Internal memos have identified collection on the $18 trillion U.S. National debt is the “ultimate goal.” Ref. http://farmwars.info/?p=12078 NEW WORLD ORDER: DEAD AHEAD.

Wall Street embezzles $3 billion from the U.S. Government DAILY using the exclusive control over the auction accounts of Treasury securities exclusively controlled by the FRBNY to fund the above action. Ref: htts://www.scribd.com/doc/153024003/Amended-Complaint-Federal-Reserve-whistleblower

This money is also used to buy congressional votes to expand military action. The worldwide U.S. military keeps oppressed nations in line and deficit spending which profits WS.

Wall Street has used the CIA for both domestic and foreign policy enforcement for decades. They assassinated JFK, ruined Ike’s peace plan, impeached Nixon, nearly killed RR, and installed HWB, Clinton and BO as presidents, and created perpetual war among other nefarious acts. Ref. http://www.scribd.com/doc/49566880/CIA-ROGUE-AGENCY-RUN-AMUCK

To declare the U.S. government is the problem is to distract attention from the real problem.

Respectfully submitted.
Ari benDavid on September 01, 2015 · at 12:59 pm EST/EDT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6BJrROeQCY
Canada Currency on September 15, 2015 · at 1:39 pm EST/EDT

There are some fascinating closing dates in this article however I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There’s some validity but I will take maintain opinion till I look into it further. Good article , thanks and we wish extra! Added to FeedBurner as well
edgar bergen on December 03, 2015 · at 10:19 pm EST/EDT

when I hear the term neo-com I want to vomit there is nothing new nor conservative about these lunitics pyschosociiophats theyare 2 3 4 and deficating out 5th corporate facist Zionist Nazi lunatics pyschosociophats