EUROPE: ALL PAIN, NO GAIN

EUROPE: ALL PAIN, NO GAIN – FROM WASHINGTON-ENGINEERED RUSSIA SANCTIONS & UKRAINE CRISIS

New sanctions on Russia, announced today (Apr 26, 2014) by the G-7 countries, a part of the Obama “All Bluster, No Muster”-Ukraine policy, are inherently anti-European. They cannot hurt Russia without hurting Europe first and foremost.

European banks and businesses are far more exposed to the Russian economy than are their American counterparts. Fourteen-fold more, to be exact. Trade between the European Union and Russia amounted to almost $370 billion in 2012, while United States trade with Russia was a paltry $26 billion that year, according to today’s story in the New York Times.

As a result, the European business executives have lobbied energetically to head off or at least dilute any sanctions, making it hard for American and European political leaders to come up with a package of measures with enough bite to influence Moscow’s behavior in Ukraine.  Still, they managed to commit today a form of financial hara-kiri.

So “more bluster, no muster” from Perfidious Washington even on the economic front? Indeed. Because the result will be “all pain, no gain” for Europe.

Which begs the question: How long will Obama’s “European allies” stay as “allies” if they are the ones expected to suffer so the US “death merchants” can profit?  Sadly, they have been blind to the obvious for at least two decades: Washington is not their friend; the US/NATO is a bear in sheep’s clothing.

That’s what this writer said in a Chronicles magazine column 16 years ago.

Here’s an excerpt…

US/NATO: A Bear in Sheep’s Clothing (a 1998 TiM article)

The oft-used term “America’s European allies” is one of the greatest oxymorons of our time. “America’s European vassals” would be more appropriate. For, American government’s policy is virtually destroying our so-called “allies,” while aiding the multinational corporations. 

This is not unlike the Soviet bear’s treatment of its Eastern European “allies,” read minions. Only more perfidious. For, the West Side bear has stuck its six big claws into the back of Madame Europe, and is dragging her into its lair, while pretending to save her and her heir. (“Save her from what?” – has been a mystery ever since the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet bear).

Perhaps the best possible outcome of the Ukrainian crisis would be if NATO were to fall apart. Its death was expected a quarter century ago, when the Berlin wall fell. For, the only beneficiaries of its existence are the American and other western arms manufacturers and dealers.

NATO’s lease on life was extended by American misadventures in Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq and Afghanistan, among some “made in Washington” foreign wars. So far, the European allies have gone along with their Washington Big Brother like obedient poodles. But that may change if the European BUSINESS leaders decide to say “Nyet” to Washington.

“Neither in energy terms, nor politically, should we turn away from Russia,” Rainer Seele, chairman of Wintershall (a subsidiary of German chemical giant BASF), was quoted as saying on Friday. “Sanctions will not help anybody, they would not just hurt Russia, but also Germany and Europe as a whole.”

Gerhard Roiss, the chief executive of the Austrian oil and gas supplier OMV, told New York Times that his company has been working with Russian energy giant Gazprom for five decades, but has never before seen its business ties endangered as they are now.

And you think the Ukrainian blunder is Obama’s doing? Think again. The above map of Europe, bearing the bear claw scars, and the cartoon below were created and publised by the Truth in Media during the Clinton administration. We can just substitute Obama and Kerry for Clinton and Albright on the deck of New World Order’s “Santa Maria.”

As we noted in yesterday’s article – OBAMA’S “ALL BLUSTER, NO MUSTER” UKRAINE POLICY, “there is nothing new under the sun” (quoting King Solomon noted in Ecclesiastes  1:4-11). Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. And the New World Order leaders show no signs of learning from anything or anybody in their unceasing pursuit of greed and power.

 * * *