Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Freedom and Prosperity (RPI) was my guest last week on Episode 35 of Tom Mullen Talks Freedom. I am always encouraged to see downloads jump when Daniel is on.
Unlike most war hawks who probably couldn't find places like the Donbass region of Ukraine on the map, Daniel has lived in central Europe where he reported on the post-Soviet transition for the better part of a decade.
As a matter of full disclosure, I am a support of RPI and encourage anyone who can swing it to send them a monthly donation. Even $5/month makes a tremendous difference and helps them continue to be a voice of reason in an insane world.
Daniel's position last week during our conversation was that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not invade Ukraine. He had no incentive to do so and certainly does not want to annex any part of Ukraine for multiple reasons. I encourage you to listen to that conversation if you haven't already.
Daniel was somewhat more concerned over this past weekend due to the Biden administration's escalation of the issue. You probably saw news reports of the administration, along with those of the UK and several other NATO countries, telling their "diplomatic" employees and citizens to leave Ukraine.
The concern is that, along with the aforementioned nationals, those countries are also pulling their Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) special monitoring personnel out of the region as well. These personnel tend to be somewhat objective when it comes to claims the administration might make in terms of what is really happening on the ground.
Once they're gone, the administration can make any claims it wants without having personnel that may contradict its version of the situation. While their principle mission is to observe elections, they nevertheless could be problematic if the administration concocts a narrative too far from the truth.
At the end of the day, it is still completely against Putin's interests to invade Ukraine. He has nothing to gain and everything to lose, the same position Assad was in several years ago when falsely (as we now know) accused of launching chemical weapons attacks on the so-called "moderate rebels" the U.S. armed in Syria.
The concern is that the U.S. and NATO commit some provocation so egregious that Putin is forced or at least goaded sufficiently into invading, providing NATO a pretext to respond, with none of its own OSCE personnel their to push back. OSCE personnel from other countries would still be there, which the Biden administration would then try to discredit as "pro-Putin."
As I surmised when speaking to Daniel, I believe the ultimate goal is not a hot war with nuclear-armed Russia, but a return to the Cold War. I grew up during the previous Cold War. I think this is what the neocons like. Lots of think tank fodder and military spending flowing to their friends, but no U.S. cities being bombed.
I was encouraged to see Ryan McMaken of the Mises Institute take the same position over the weekend. It provides some independent confirmation of my own theory from a source I consider reliable (follow Ryan's writing if you're not doing so already - top notch!).
It's a dangerous game and one that benefits American citizens not at all. I'll continue to provide updates on this U.S.-created crisis as it unfolds.
Don't forget that the U.S. military empire isn't paid for by taxation for the most part. It's mostly funded by Federal Reserve inflation, paid for by American consumers, including the poorest among us.
I explain it all in my latest book, It’s the Fed, Stupid. If you haven't already, download a free e-book copy here.
It’s also available in paperback here. It’s priced at a pre-hyperinflation level so grab a few copies for friends if you can.
It makes a great introduction to the government’s most economically damaging institution for liberals, conservatives, libertarians, socialists, and independents alike.
It also helps me keep the lights on here so I can continue to bring you great content.