by Stephen Lendman

Previous articles explained. Propaganda wars precede hot ones. Deception, popular fiction and Big Lies launch them.

Intense Russia bashing rages. Risking international peace, stability and security.

Last month in Brisbane, Obama irresponsibly called Russia "a threat to the world." US-led NATO and Israel alone menace world peace, stability and security.

Russia's Foreign Ministry commented, saying:

"The latest NATO fact sheet on the so-called problem issues of its relations with Russia is a fresh attempt to present the bloc’s policy as the only one possible and to justify its efforts to strengthen its military capability and military presence in close proximity to Russia’s borders."

"NATO has again provided loose interpretations and partisan assessments of the norms of international law and political agreements, surrendering objectivity and fairness to political expediency and bloc interests."

"This is evidence of the bloc’s inability to analyse and admit the mistakes of its eastward expansion policy, which it has been pursuing for the past two decades and which has largely led to the current crisis in the Euro-Atlantic security system."

"This is also evidence of a desire to shift the blame onto Russia and to present it as a geopolitical adversary in order to justify the bloc’s existence, as can be seen from the tone and content of the final documents of the 2 December meetings of the NATO foreign ministers and the NATO-Ukraine Commission, which are highly confrontational with regard to Russia and will only increase tensions and create new dividing lines in Europe."

"We don’t accept this. This presentation of allegedly objective facts, which is designed to suit the NATO agenda, is perplexing and cause for concern. Russia has presented its principled position and arguments on all issues in the NATO fact sheet more than once and at various levels."

"We note with regret that NATO has not abandoned its politically motivated approaches and is not willing to develop equal cooperation with Russia on real rather than imaginary threats to the Euro-Atlantic region."

On December 4, Putin delivered his annual state of the nation address to Russia's parliament. Discussing major issues.

Explaining his views. His outlook. Short and longer-term. Speaking forthrightly. Candidly. Telling like it is. No spin straight talk.

Polar opposite Obama's demagogic mumbo jumbo. Featuring a litany of Big Lies every time he speaks.

Mocking legitimate leadership. Buffoon-like and then some. Nothing he says is credible.

Putin commented on US/Russian relations, saying:

America "always" tries to "influenc(e) our relations with neighbors directly or behind-the-scenes."

"Sometimes I don't even know who it is better to talk with - with the governments of certain states or directly with their American patrons and sponsors."

It's senseless to deal with Russia from a position of strength, he said. Containment is official US policy. Directed at sovereign independent states.

Sanctions reflect it. So does expanding US-led NATO east. Encroaching menacingly on Russia's borders.

Containment wasn't "invented yesterday," said Putin. "It has been carried out against (Moscow) for many and many years - always, if one can say. For decades if not centuries."

"Each time when someone believes that Russia has become too strong, independent, these tools are used immediately."

Moscow remains resolute. "Under no circumstances…planning to curtail…relations with Europe and America."

Wants good relations with all nations. Unwilling to let itself become balkanized. Like Yugoslavia.

"They would have gladly applied the Yugoslav scenario of dismemberment and disintegration to us with all the tragic consequences for the peoples of Russia," said Putin.

"They failed. We did not allow them to do that. (S)tate sovereignty is an absolutely essential condition for Russia's existence."

Russia won't get involved in an expensive arms race, he explained. At the same time, it'll "reliably ensure (its) defense capability."

"This will be done," said Putin. "Russia has such possibilities and nonstandard solutions."

It launched a new National Defense Control Center (NDCC). Upgrading its Central Command of the General Staff.

Built nderground. In a Moscow-fortified facility. Including several large war rooms.

With state-of-the-art supercomputer capability. Including encryption. Multiple backup sites nationwide. Secret transport routes for emergency evacuation.

Meant to monitor national security threats. Including ballistic missile launches. Nuclear weapons deployment. Able to control things in case of war.

According to NDCC head Lt. General Mikhail Mizintsev:

The facility is "one of the biggest military projects of the past few years."

"The closest analogy in the past in terms of functions and tasks was the Commander-in-Chief HQ in 1941-45, which centralized all controls of both the military machine and the economy of the nation in the interests of the war."

When Bush abandoned the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) in 2002, a strategic world imbalance followed, said Putin.

Calling it harmful for America and other nations. "(B)ecause it creates the dangerous illusion of invincibility."

Addressing Ukraine, he condemned Kiev's coup. Seizing power forcefully. Ruling illegitimately.

"What we currently see in Ukraine, the tragedy of its south-eastern regions fully confirms that our stance is right," he said.

"In this context, is it possible to support an armed seizure of power, violence and murders?"

"How can one support that under the cover of protecting international law and human rights? This is pure cynicism."

On December 4, US House members barely stopped short of declaring war on Russia. Overwhelmingly passing a non-binding resolution. Signaling hostile US intentions toward Russia.

Former Congressman Denis Kucinich commented, saying:

"NATO encirclement, the US-backed coup in Ukraine, an attempt to use an agreement with the European Union to bring NATO into Ukraine at the Russian border, a US nuclear first-strike policy, are all policies which attempt to substitute force for diplomacy."

Heading things dangerously toward open confrontation. The unthinkable. Possible nuclear war.

Last May, Senate members introduced S. 2277: Russian Aggression Prevention Act of 2014.

Its full title is "(a) bill to prevent Russian aggression toward Ukraine and other sovereign states in Europe and Eurasia, and for other purposes."

Senator Bob Corker (R. TN) introduced it. With 26 Republican co-sponsors. It went to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for consideration.

No further action so far. Perhaps soon. Perhaps passage. Along with House legislation. Making the unthinkable possible.

Open confrontation with Russia. Senate legislation provides "major non-NATO ally status for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova for purposes of the transfer or possible transfer of defense articles or defense services."

Effectively incorporating these countries into NATO. Making its killing machine more formidable. Letting Washington establish bases on Russia's borders.

Policies implemented much earlier. Well advanced. Obama's Asia pivot advances America's footprint east. Challenging China's economic might and military strength.

Targeting Russia at the same time. Encircling both countries with US bases.

Positioning long-range/multiple nuclear warhead missiles targeting their heartlands. Enhancing Washington's first strike capability. It bears repeating. Risking the unthinkable. Possible global war.

Madness defines US policy. Fascists infest Congress. Lunatics make policy. Obama is the latest in a long line of belligerent US presidents.

Waging multiple direct and proxy wars. Planning more death and destruction. Threatening world peace. Risking humanity's survival.

Putin is geopolitically opposite. Has no imperial ambitions. Despite Western Big Lies claiming otherwise.

Championing multi-world polarity. Believing rule of law principles matter. So does nation-state sovereignty.

Going all-out for world peace, stability and security. Saying mutual cooperation with all nations works best.

Benefitting everyone. Without interfering in their internal affairs. Or threatening neighbors. Or having revanchist ambitions.

Unlike America. Targeting one country after another. Ousting sitting governments. Installing pro-Western puppets.

Ukraine Washington's newest colony. Making policy behind the scenes. Putschists are convenient stooges. One fascist regime supports another.

Media scoundrels are on the wrong side of history. Supporting US state terror. Imperial wars. Kiev's putschist government.

Bashing Russia irresponsibly. A Washington propaganda bullhorn. Regurgitating Big Lies. Risking global conflict.

The New York Times responded to Putin's state of the nation address as expected. Ignoring hard truths.

Saying it reflected "the winter of Mr. Putin's discontent." Citing sanctions. Falling oil prices. A depreciating ruble.

Mocking Putin. Claiming he "served up yet another hyper-aggressive rant about the purportedly relentless efforts of the perfidious West, orchestrated by Washington, to dismantle, undermine, isolate, humiliate, contain and otherwise destroy Russia."

Blaming him irresponsibly for Ukrainian crisis conditions. Ignoring Washington's full responsibility. With complicit NATO partners.

Calling Putin's straight talk "a combination of bravado and carrots." Praising Obama's "muscular new course…in a turbulent world" earlier.

Ignoring his war on humanity. Russia's commitment to world peace, stability and security.

Denigrating Putin's forthright address as "bluster." Accusing him of becoming "more belligerent and ruthless, at home and abroad…"

Other media scoundrels repeat the same rubbish. Burying hard truths. Spreading Big Lies.

A collective mouthpiece for US wealth, power and privilege. In lockstep with its war machine.

Fascists running things. Ignoring what matters most. Humanity's fate hangs in the balance.

-###-

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.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.