Democratic Cynicism
On April 17, 2024 (Wednesday), Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives (the lower house of the U.S. Congress), announced that on April 20, he “will take a personal risk and bring up for a vote the long-delayed bill to provide military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.”
Where does this “risk” come from? Johnson faces extreme pressure from some of his fellow Republicans who oppose the bill. When asked by reporters why he was willing to risk his prestigious job by advancing the foreign aid legislation, he responded with a traditional but arguably meaningless cliché: “History judges us for what we do.” He added that the aid is meant to protect democratic allies.
However, I question where he sees an ally in Ukraine, which is merely a NATO candidate, and whether it can be considered a democratic nation at all.
In making this consequential move, Johnson cited information from an unnamed source and also intelligence services, suggesting that Vladimir Putin “will continue to march across Europe.” He even speculated that “it could go to the Balkans… there could be a confrontation with Poland or one of the other NATO allies.”
These are typical platitudes, followed by a cynical confession: “Frankly, I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.” What a concern! What a nobility! But what is the immediate impetus for this stance? “My son,” the congressman candidly admits, “will enter the Naval Academy this fall.”
This is absolute audacity, raising the question of why American boys would be involved in Eastern Europe when it’s clear to all that Russia lacks the capacity for extensive territorial expansion, even within Ukraine, let alone Europe.
Another point is clear: the U.S. alone lacks the capacity to forcefully defend its interests in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region. The problem isn’t just that the U.S. has faltered on many fronts, but that American soldiers aren’t as tough as they are portrayed in the movies. Every military engagement leaves America with another lost generation, and this reality is painfully clear to the American establishment. Therefore, they avoid risking involvement in large-scale military conflicts.
In such a context, pragmatic interests emerge as the driving force behind these political actions. War, among other things, is a highly profitable trade.
We should not ignore the important fact that after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the U.S. quickly reinstated the infamous Lend-Lease Act from World War II (loan-rent). Americans are not accustomed to giving free handouts. They never cut themselves off from profit.
Interestingly, despite going against the Republican tide, Mike Johnson has the support of former President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Nothing happens by chance. Behind the political rhetoric about freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, the foreign military aid bill serves the interests of the powerful military-industrial complex and large financial capital in the U.S. These are the “big wallets” that no American politician dares to challenge.
During Anthony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv (May 14-15, 2024), the U.S. Secretary of State stated unequivocally: “If you look at the investments we’ve made in the defense of Ukraine, it’s clear that 90% of the military aid we provide has actually been spent in the U.S., on our manufacturers. This has led to the creation of more American jobs and growth in our economy. We have to continue this.” (“Trud” newspaper 17.07.2024)
Observers often focus on the superficial fact that the U.S. Secretary of State joined the band 19.99 on stage at Barman Dictat in Kyiv and played guitar to Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” a rock anthem released in 1989 just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. They search for some deeper message in this act but miss the essential nature of American-Ukrainian relations, as illustrated by Blinken’s quote. It is a vivid illustration of the unceremonious, pragmatic nature of American politics, driven primarily by self-interest.
And the Europeans? Let them get stuck in the dead-end of crisis processes, while the Slavs kill each other like dogs, deepening the crisis even further.
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