by Stephen Lendman

US hostility toward Russia is unprecedented. It exceeds the worst of Cold War politics. John Kerry's Tuesday Senate testimony highlights what's ongoing. Big Lies substitute for truth.

Kerry hypes one after another. Credibility isn't his long suit. Or integrity. He represents the worst of imperial arrogance. His style reflects demagoguery, bullying, and bluster.

He's contemptuous of rule of law principles. He deplores democratic values. He's committed to war, not peace. He's vying to become America's worst ever diplomat.

His Senate testimony was transparently dishonest. He turned truth on its head. He threatened more sanctions. He maliciously accused Moscow of "aggression" on Ukraine.

He blamed nonexistent "Russian provocateurs" and special forces for spontaneous Eastern Ukrainian protests.

He lied saying "everything that we've seen in the last 48 hours from Russian provocateurs and agents operating in eastern Ukraine tells us that they've been sent there determined to create chaos."

"And that is absolutely unacceptable. These efforts are as ham-handed as they are transparent, frankly."

"And quite simply, what we see from Russia is an illegal and illegitimate effort to destabilize a sovereign state and create a contrived crisis with paid operatives across an international boundary engaged in this initiative."

"Russia's clear and unmistakable involvement in destabilizing and engaging in separatist activities in the east of Ukraine is more than deeply disturbing."

"No one should be fooled, and believe me, no one is fooled by what could potentially be a contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea."

"It is clear that Russian special forces and agents have been the catalyst behind the chaos of the last 24 hours."

"Some have even been arrested and exposed. And equally as clear must be the reality that the United States and our allies will not hesitate to use 21st-century tools to hold Russia accountable for 19th-century behavior."

"We have stated again and again that our preference - and the preference of our friends and allies - is de-escalation and a diplomatic solution."

"But Russia should not for a single solitary second mistake the expression of that preference as an unwillingness to do what is necessary to stop any violation of the international order."

Russia has a choice, Kerry added. Bow to Western demands or "face greater isolation."

Fact check

Washington bears full responsibility for toppling Ukraine's democratic government. It did so violently.

It installed illegitimate fascist putschists replacing it. Eastern Ukrainians reject them. Perhaps Western ones will follow.

It's likely once the full impact of repression combined with IMF neoliberal harshness hits home. People take only so much before rebelling. Perhaps it's coming nationwide.

Uprisings across Eastern Ukraine are significant. Ordinary people want their rights respected. They want local autonomy.

They want democratic governance. They want what Washington won't tolerate at home or abroad. It remains to be seen what follows.

Obama's new imperial trophy is far from secure. Throughout his tenure, his policies reflect one blunder after another. Perhaps Ukraine will turn out his worst.

He's already America's worst ever president. A previous article urged impeaching him. It called doing so a national imperative. World peace depends on it. The alternative is too unacceptable to tolerate.

America makes more enemies than friends. Its influence has been declining for decades. It's low heading lower. It may disappear altogether.

The late Chalmers Johnson was right. Militarism is "bankrupting" America. It's heading the country for "ruin."

He said "dismantling the empire (is its) last best hope." He called reliance on global imperialism a "suicide option."

Hubris and overreach assure self-destruction. It's unavoidable, he said. It's far too late for mere scattered reforms. Things are way too out-of-control to make a difference.

History is clear, said Johnson. Choose democracy and survive. Or continue as present and perish. America is plagued by the same dynamic that doomed past empires unwilling to change.

"(I)solation, overstretch, the uniting of local and global forces opposed to imperialism, and in the end bankruptcy," he explained. Combined with growing despotism and loss of personal freedoms.

America is on a fast track to ruin. It's permanently at war with invented enemies. It's waging it against humanity.

It seeks one imperial conquest after another. It's unaccountably repressive. It's the most ruthless government in world history. Bipartisan complicity supports it.

Monied interests decide things. Democracy is a convenient illusion. Media scoundrels stoke fear. They do it to manipulate public sentiment. It's to manufacture consent.

Johnson predicted military dictatorship or its civilian equivalent. "(T)he combination of huge standing armies, continuous wars, military Keynesianism, and ruinous military expen(ditures) destroyed…republican (governance)," he said.

Once down that path, destructive dynamics follow. Freedom is fast disappearing. World peace hangs in the balance. Potential global war looms. Humanity may not survive its destructiveness.

Kerry is Washington's diplomatic front man. He's unprincipled. He represents rogue state policies. NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a convenient US stooge.

On April 8, he addressed an Allied Command Transformation seminar. He discussed Eastern Ukrainian events.

His comments reflected US sentiment. He noted great concern. He irresponsibly blamed Russia, saying:

"Any further move into Eastern Ukraine would represent a serious escalation, rather than the de-escalation that we all seek."

"We call on Russia to pull back the tens of thousands of troops it has massed on Ukraine's borders, engage in a genuine dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities, and respect its international commitments."

"We must prepare a readiness action plan. We must reinvest in our defence. And we must reinforce the transatlantic bond."

"Because from Sevastopol to Syria and the Sahel, we are facing a dangerous world. Where threats are complex, unpredictable and interconnected."

"Newer challenges, such as terrorism, failed states, cyber and missile attacks. And old challenges in new guises, such as attempts to redraw borders by force."

"The current crisis poses a serious challenge to our common security. But North America and Europe stand together in facing up to it. And we stand united in our firm response."

He barely stopped short of declaring war. Washington wants Russia marginalized, weakened, isolated, contained, and co-opted. It risks open conflict to achieve objectives.

US policies reflect madness. Johnson left one thing out of his analysis - possible mass annihilation. An ancient proverb said "(t)hose whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad."

Perhaps they had Obama in mind. Perhaps neocons infesting his administration. Perhaps bipartisan complicity. Imperial madness is self-destructive. Super-weapons threaten humanity.

Confronting Russia belligerently risks mutually assured destruction. Cold warriors wouldn't risk it. Today's lunatics might do what they wouldn't dare. The worst of all possible outcomes may follow.

Mumbo jumbo security threats don't exist. Power politics trumps reason. Russia prioritizes peace and stability.

Aggression isn't in its vocabulary. Claiming otherwise turns truth on its head. Big Lies repeat one after another.

Provocatively challenging Russia risks global war. Waging it risks armageddon. Push heads dangerously closer to shove.

Washington bears full responsibility for Ukrainian crisis conditions. Moscow didn't send troops cross border. It has no intention doing so. It's official statements fall on deaf ears.

A Tuesday Foreign Ministry statement said "everyday activity by Russian forces on its national territory does not threaten the security of the United States of America or other OSCE member states."

No evidence suggests otherwise. "The attempts to accuse Russia of building up armed forces are groundless," its FM added.

It accused Washington and Kiev putschists of waging propaganda war on Moscow. Doing so substitutes Big Lies for truth.

Provocative US policies persist. Increasing numbers of Pentagon assets are being deployed in Eastern Europe.

Doing so provocatively targets Russia. Around 300 marines are in Romania. Another 175 will join them. It's part of Washington's Eastern European buildup.

The USS Truxton guided missile destroyer provocatively patrols Black Sea waters. A second one will join it. The Donald Cook is set to be deployed.

On April 9, US Assistant Defense Secretary Derek Chollet said it's being sent "within a week." It's in response to Ukrainian crisis conditions, he said.

Crimean reunification with Russia "challenges our vision of a Europe whole, free and at peace," he added.

Claiming it is polar opposite US policy. Chollet didn't explain. Lies substitute for truth. It's longstanding US practice.

Pentagon spokesman Col. Steven Warren said America's buildup is "primarily to reassure our allies and partners in the region that we're committed to the region."

What's ongoing and planned targets Russia provocatively. Sergei Lavrov responded saying:

"There exists the Montreux Convention, which gives extremely clear criteria limiting the deployment of warships not belonging to the Black Sea governments in regard to tonnage and length of stay."

"We have noticed that US warships have extended their deployment beyond the set terms a couple of times lately, and at times they did not always comply with the regulations that are set within the Montreux Convention."

Itar Tass quoted Russia's Defense Ministry saying:

"It isn’t known yet if the ship will call into the port of Odessa to demonstrate the US support for the incumbent illegitimate authorities in Kiev, which owe so much to the Americans for arrival at power."

US actions reflect "an extreme intensification of visits of their warships fitted out with the antimissile system to the Black Sea."

Pentagon warships provocatively patrol Black Sea waters "on a regular basis. As soon as one ship leaves, (another) or sometimes a detachment of ships arrives."

Eastern Ukrainian protests continue. Right Sector thugs arrived to confront them. Dmytro Yarosh heads them.

He has presidential aspirations. He's militantly anti-Russian. He openly boasts about "fighting Jews and Russians till I die."

Greystone Limited mercenaries were deployed in Eastern Ukraine. Reports say about 150. Maybe others will follow.

Greystone formerly was an Academi (aka Blackwater USA) owned company. Both firms maintain close ties. Elements involved are trained killers. They're terrorists.

They operate extrajudicially. They're unaccountable under local laws. Their mission is mischief. It's destabilization.

They represent America's imperial agenda. They operate covertly. They get away with murder. They came to suppress nonviolent protests.

They'll do whatever it takes to try. Expect bloodshed. It follows wherever they're deployed.

An earlier notorious incident reflected numerous lessor ones. In September 2007, Blackwater elements killed 17 Iraqi civilians. Another 20 or more were injured.

They were attacked in Baghdad's Nisour Square. No one was held accountable. Cold-blooded murder didn't matter.

Private military contractors (PMCs) operate under their own rules. Challengers face possible death.

PMC's are notorious. Expect Ukrainians to feel the brunt of their harshness. How they'll respond remains to be seen.

Crisis Ukrainian conditions remain incendiary. Escalating them makes things worse. A potential East/West confrontation looms. Washington bears full responsibility.

A Final Comment

On April 8, illegitimate Kiev putschist parliamentarians targeted Eastern Ukrainian activists. They passed legislation criminalizing what they called "crimes against the foundations of the country's national security."

They threaten it. So do fascist ministers. They operate in collaboration with Washington and rogue EU partners.

Pro-Russian protesters are targeted. Dozens were arrested. They face separatism charges.

During debate, Communist Party leader Piotr Simonenko was attacked. He voiced sympathy for Eastern Ukrainian protesters.

He accused putschist officials of dismissiveness toward their rights. He urged respecting them. He was accosted while speaking.

He was dragged from the rostrum. He was shoved. He was jostled. He was roughed up. He was denied his right to speak freely. Fighting followed between his supporters and Svoboda neo-Nazis.

Fascist regimes operate this way. Washington offers Kiev full support. Both countries partner in crime. A potential social explosion looms. Perhaps open conflict.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity"

http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com

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