NATO expansion might have provoked the war in Ukraine, but surrounding Russia isn’t the organization’s only pursuit. NATO participated in the US “war on terror” in Afghanistan, NATO destroyed Libya and today NATO is expanding into Africa. To help break it all down, Rania Khalek was joined by Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and author of many books, including “Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations.”

Article on Telegram by Storm Clouds Gathering

Very few westerners seem to understand that the brief lull in the food and energy crisis observed in recent months was artificial (and is now over). To buy themselves time EU “leaders” made a short sighted gamble: In direct violation of the terms of the Grain Deal they rerouted grain intended for poor countries to wealthy European nations.

They also violated the agreement by allowing the ports to be used to launch military attacks. This latest attack on the Crimean bridge was the last straw. Russia isn’t just ending the Grain Deal. Their “Special Military Operation” is transitioning towards full scale war; a move that will draw in new direct participants and extend the zone of conflict far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

The Russians take their time to get in the saddle, but when they do they ride fast. The restraint Putin has exercised up to this point in the face of repeated and egregious provocations (the Nord Stream sabotage, and 2 attacks on the Crimean bridge for example) has been extraordinary (and from the perspective of many Russians, excessive). It was a mistake to confuse this restraint for weakness (and the Europeans will pay a high price for it).

Predictably, the ass-hats in Brussels and Washington are attempting to frame Russia for the misery that is coming. They will continue blaming Russia as they corner the bear and force him to fight. They will continue lying and gaslighting the public as this war goes sideways and arrives at their door .

They will act surprised as Russia defeats every conventional assault NATO can throw at it, bringing the world to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe. Oops! How could we have known that Russia’s superior anti-aircraft, hypersonics and 5th generation fighters would trample the dilapidated armies of western Europe? Who needs air superiority?

Here again, the conspiratorial perspective is the only one that makes sense: The Europeans KNOW that they cannot win the fight they are picking. They KNOW that their escalations in Ukraine and elsewhere will lead to millions dead on the battlefields and even more from famine and disease.

But as we see in Ukraine, forced conscription is a very efficient way to purge a population of fighting age men. What better way to deal with future trouble makers than to send them to be killed in some far away meat grinder? They don’t need to win the war against Russia or China or Iran. They need to win the war against their own people. They know you will hunt them down if they don’t.