by Stephen Lendman

He’s refreshingly forthright and straightforward - saying what he means and meaning what he says. Compare him with Obama:

● a serial liar with no credibility, disgracing the office he holds, heading a neocon-infested administration, waging war on humanity at home and abroad;

● a war criminal belonging in prison;

● nominally heading a police state apparatus, spying on everyone without just cause;

● operating the world’s largest gulag, a global enterprise filled with political prisoners;
serving monied interests exclusively at the expense of ordinary people, suffering from forced-fed austerity;

● systematically destroying America’s social contract; thirdworldizing the nation, leaving tens of millions impoverished, unemployed or underemployed, food insecure, with growing numbers homeless;

● responsible for making America the world’s leading pariah state, universally reviled for good reason.

On October 22, Putin addressed the Valdai International Discussion Club’s (VIC) 12th annual meeting. The conference’s theme was “Societies Between War and Peace: Overcoming the Logic of Conflict in Tomorrow’s World.” Experts from 30 countries participated from October 19 - 22.

For over a decade, VIC addressed key world issues, Putin explained, as well as “directions and prospects for the development of Russia and the whole world” - featuring open and frank discussion, giving participants a chance to exchange views.

Nothing is more important than war and peace. Putin cited Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” magnum opus, saying war contradicts human reason, nature and welfare.

“(P)eace (is) humanity’s ideal,” he stressed. War turns nations against each other, vying for dominance. Today’s nuclear weapons assure no winner in a global conflict.

“There can only be one end,” said Putin - “guaranteed mutual destruction.” Humanity has a choice. Live together in peace or perish.

“(C)ompetition and conflicts of interest (can cause) acute crises and dramatic outbursts,” said Putin.

It happened repeatedly before, again now. "Attempts to promote a model of unilateral domination, as I have said on numerous occasions, have led to an imbalance in the system of international law and global regulation, which means there is a threat, and political, economic or military competition may get out of control,” he explained.

America used the fabricated threat of a possible Iranian nuclear missile attack to destroy “the fundamental basis of modern international security - the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.”

Washington unilaterally abandoned it. No Iranian threat exists, not earlier or now, especially since P5+1 countries and Tehran completed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

America’s so-called missile defense system is for offense, targeting Russia and China. US officials lie claiming otherwise.

America’s scheme is “an attempt to destroy the strategic balance, to change the balance of forces in their favour not only to dominate, but to have the opportunity to dictate their will to all: to their geopolitical competition and, I believe, to their allies as well,” Putin stressed. This is a very dangerous scenario, harmful to all, including, in my opinion, to the United States.”

America imposes illegal sanctions on other nations, as well as fines on foreign companies unilaterally. “Flimsy pretexts are used.” Anyone violating US sanctions is “severely punished.”

“Is that the way one treats allies,” Putin asked? “No, this is how one treats vassals who dare act as they wish. They are punished for (allegedly) misbehaving.”

Washington is conspiratorially creating “non-transparent economic blocs…to reformat the world economy in a way that would make it possible to extract a greater profit from domination and the spread of economic, trade and technological regulation standards…creat(ing) time bombs, conditions for future conflicts.”

Russia’s approach is different, working cooperatively with partnered nations, including with BRICS countries and China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative.

“(G)lobal information space is…shaken by wars today,” said Putin. “The ‘only correct’ viewpoint” is hegemonically imposed on others.

“(A)uthorities in countries that seemed to have always appealed to such values as freedom of speech and the free dissemination of information…are now trying to prevent the spreading of objective information and any opinion that differs from their own.”

“They declare it hostile propaganda that needs to be combatted, clearly using undemocratic means” - notably wars of aggression against countries threatening no one.

Military power is a fact of life, Putin explained. World peace hangs in the balance when it’s used for pure evil objectives, when it hangs like a dagger over humanity. Obey or be punished.

The Middle East today is a cauldron of endless conflicts, violence, instability and chaos. ISIS controls vast areas in Syria and Iraq, with greater territorial ambitions.

Imagine “if they occupied Damascus or Baghdad,” Putin stressed. (US-supported) “terrorists…could achieve…official power…creat(ing) a stronghold for global expansion.”

“Is anyone considering this? It is time the entire international community realised what we are dealing with…an enemy of civilisation and world culture that is bringing with it an ideology of hatred and barbarity, trampling upon morals and world religious values, including those of Islam, thereby compromising it.”

“We do not need wordplay here. We should not break down the terrorists into moderate and immoderate ones.” No such distinction exists.

“(S)o-called moderate militants behead people” like others. They all operate the same way, using different names for a common pure evil purpose.

They’re motive isn’t ideological. It’s raw power, using “terror (and) murder, turning people into a timid, frightened, obedient mass.”

How do their get their weapons, equipment, training and funding? From foreign nations, of course, Washington orchestrating everything, the world’s leading belligerent, threatening global war. Humanity’s survival is up for grabs more than ever.

America’s so-called war on ISIS produced zero results. How is this possible? Is its vaunted military inept, its weapons faulty, its leadership lacking competence?

Its war strategy uses ISIS and other takfiri terrorists as proxy foot soldiers - supporting them, not combating them. Washington “declare(s) war on terrorists and simultaneously…use(s)…them to arrange the figures on the Middle East board in (its) own interests…”

Terrorists can’t be eliminated by supporting them. Russia is confronting them in Syria legitimately, invited by its government, operating according to international law - polar opposite US wars of aggression.

Instead of “all(ying) in a common fight…honestly and openly,” it supports what it claims it’s against. Russia’s main objective is defeating terrorism, preventing it from spreading to other areas.

Irresponsibly blaming Moscow for troubling world events assures endless conflicts and potentially devastating East/West confrontation - what Washington appears perilously heading toward initiating. Lunatics in charge threaten world peace.

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

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

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

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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