Hillary Clinton Answers Questions For The 2008 Presidential Campaign

 

Hillary Clinton made her first attempt to win the White House in 2008. The problem with her campaign was that was political centrist oriented. Appearing on MSNBC's Hardball, Clinton was doing a visit of college campuses. When answering questions, she refused to condemn the wars of aggression in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda was not the most powerful terrorist network around the world. While she admits that there was no evidence of an Iraq and Al-Qaeda alliance, Hilary Clinton favored military intervention. During this interview, the audience voiced their discontent with her vote for the Iraq War resolution. When discussing social issues, Hilary Clinton expressed that she did not favor same sex marriage. Clinton's response to reproductive rights protection appears to be deflection. There was no mention of the codification of Roe v. Wade. Hilary Clinton sounds closer to a moderate Republican and does not criticize the errors of the Bush administration. Hilary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign failed because she did not offer solutions or new approaches to leadership. Voters wanted a new candidate with effective solutions.    

Venezuela Threatened

 

Venezuela since 2002 has been the target of US interference. Now, tensions have risen with US naval forces being detected off the coast. What was deployed to Venezuela were Aegis guided-missile destroyers. Three warships were detected indicating possible military aggression directed at Venezuela. Prior to this provocation, the US government issued a bounty for President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration asserts this is an effort to stop drug cartels and that Venezuela contributes to the traffic of  illegal substances. President Donald Trump without evidence claimed President Nicolas Maduro was in control of drug trafficking throughout the region. The true motivation is to obtain Venezuela's vast oil reserves. The official statements from the White House, Department of Defense, and Justice Department was the warships were part of an operation to stop the transport of narcotics. Fighting gangs and drug cartels are a cover to either intervene or possibly occupy Latin American countries. Designating gangs and drug cartels as terrorist organizations provides the justification. The United States of America continues to undermine South America's sovereignty and attack leftist governments. If Venezuela is invaded, it could induce a massive refugee crisis. Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana would be effected. The War on Drugs has become a curtain for an invasion of the entire South American continent. Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia do have challenges related to drug cartel crime. There is no evidence cartels are being directed by Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro announced that he seeks to mobilize 4.5 milita members to defend the country if military action is taken by the United States.    

President Obama Greets Qaddafi At The G8 (2009)

 

During the G8 Summit in 2009, President Barack Obama greeted Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. Sky News did a segment criticizing a simple handshake. A simple gesture can be a pathway to better relations. The major disappointment of the Obama administration was that it would later call for regime change in Libya. President Obama was responsible for attacking a prosperous African country. Sky News asserts that Qaddafi was arming terrorist organizations, but the US, UK, and France used terrorist to depose Qaddafi in 2011. Libya was no threat to the security of the United States of America. President Barack Obama promised a new era in foreign policy that differed from that of the Bush administration. The Iraq War, the invasion of Afghanistan, and the drone strikes in Somalia caused much discontent among the American public. The NATO invasion would cause the migration crisis forcing many Africans to flee to Europe. The motivation for the attack on Libya was based on energy. Oil was a natural resource that the US wanted to obtain. President Obama after leaving office would admit that the invasion of Libya was an error.    

John F. Kennedy Discusses A Change In Vietnam Policy (1963)

 

President John F. Kennedy gave his final press conference on  November 14th , 1963. What was different about this discussion with the press was a change in Vietnam policy. After the coup that saw the death of Ngo Diem it was clear that the policy with South Vietnam had to be adjusted. The Honolulu conference was proposed by Kennedy's administration to address the issues surrounding the instability and war in Vietnam. President Kennedy expressed he wanted Americans out, but did not want to abandon the conflict. This seems like a contradiction, because a military industrial complex would not allow such a policy. President Kennedy articulated that he wanted the South Vietnamese military powerful enough to fight the Viet Cong by itself. The desire to make South Vietnam democratic was not possible. To a degree it was more of a puppet state with military rulers. Some have theorized that the reason Kennedy was assassinated was because he wanted withdraw from Vietnam and an eventual peace with the Soviet Union. When American and South Vietnam officials met in Honolulu in 1966, policy had been dramatically altered. From that point onward, the war would be escalated. If President John F. Kennedy had lived, the US Military might not gotten trapped in a violent conflict. 

Haiti Could Be Invaded By Kenya

 

An African nation could be invading a Latin American country. The United States has convinced Kenya to sign a defense agreement to deploy troops in Haiti. The justification of  stopping gang violence and lawlessness has been used for an invasion. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the agreement with Kenya's Defense Minister Aden Dulae. Kenya would be leading the mission into Haiti. The multinational force is not about restoring order or human rights protection. The United States is using other nations to be regional enforcers in Latin America. The intent is to keep an unpopular regime in power. Prime Minister Ariel Henry requested assistance from the international community to save his government. The United Nations has been supportive of military intervention. All the the UN missions in Haiti have left the country in a worse condition. The reason military intervention has not occurred sooner is because few countries want to volunteer. The only way to stop a military strike is if the UN Security Council does not approve a mandate. The way of hiding imperial designs is by having Global South nations engage in most of the fighting. The optics of  European countries occupying Haiti would increase suspicion of intent. Kenya has been involved in missions in Kosovo, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is why the US reached out to Kenya. The interest in Haiti is in the untapped naturals resources in its territory. Iridium and gold are present in the country. Haiti has oil, but all of the sites are not fully explored. Natural gas potential has not been unlocked either. The reason Haiti is attacked by various nations is due to its wealth. Destabilization, corrupt government, and foreign occupation hinder economic development. A Kenyan led military mission will cause another humanitarian crisis in which Haiti cannot not recover from. What Kenya does in Haiti could cause controversy on the African continent itself.      

The Status The Wagner Group

 

Through out the world a number of mercenary groups are active. The Wagner Group has become notable since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War. The death of Yevgeny Prigozhin has created questions about the Wagner Group's status. Accusations have been made that President Putin wanted him eliminated, but there is no evidence of this. Prior to his death, there was an attempt at a Wagner Group coup. A settlement was reached that was proposed by President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus. The forces would remain in his country and Yevgeny Prigozhin would be pardoned. The likely candidates for the assassination  could be Ukraine, Poland, or one of the Baltic states. An investigation has not been conducted so this remains mere conjecture. What the Russian government did determine was that Prigozhin did die in a plane crash.  The Wagner Group was not only active in Eastern Europe. Africa is another place of operation for the mercenary group. The Wagner Group has been active since 2014 and remains independent of the Russian government. The organization itself is listed in Russia as a private military company. Under Russian law mercenary groups are illegal. The Wagner Group has similarities to Black Water. The distinction between private military company and mercenary becomes blurred considering the majority are operating in war zones. The Wagner Group could either be disbanded or put into exile in Belarus. It seems unlikely that President Putin would arrest all members of the Wagner Group. Operations in  Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Libya are still active. The Wagner Group is being used by some leaders to fight terrorist organizations and armed insurgencies. The reward from this are gold mining contracts which generates wealth for the company. One option for the Wagner Group is to merge with the Russian military. Unless there is some crackdown on the Wagner Group, it will continue to function. The death of    Yevgeny Prigozhin creates a high level of tension and uncertainty. The Russian Federation might be more cautious in regards to the use of mercenaries and private military companies. 

The US Military Has A Recruitment Concern

 

The US Military has stated there is a recruitment crisis. The number of recruits according to the Department of Defense are decreasing. Since 2022, reaching the quota numbers has been getting more challenging. Some have blamed the Genesis medical records system. The system might make errors about a recruit's health and disqualify them from service. The aftermath of the pandemic and vaccine mandates could also be contributors. The shift indicates that most of the public no longer sees the US Military as a force for positive change. The wars of aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan have damaged the image of the institution. The reason military recruiters target secondary school students is due to the fact it could finance university ambitions. The drop in  college attendance has increased from the rise in tuition. Serving in the military no longer seems like an option for paying for higher education. The public also has become frustrated with the permanent state of warfare. Since 1945, the US continues to have combat operations around the globe. The prospect of war with China and Russia becomes more of a concern. Most are not willing to join in conflicts that are provoked by US foreign policy. The recruitment crisis as it has been referred to is not that serious. It shows that the militarist state is weakening. If there are few soldiers to fight in wars, then the military industrial complex cannot survive. Attempts could be made to reinstitute the draft. Public reaction would certainly cause massive protests. The real crisis is that America continues to wage war in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The Russia-Ukraine War provides another justification for militarization of another continent. Maybe the reduction of combat soldiers will force the military interventions to stop. To the people seeking employment, working in the US Military provides very little benefit. Veterans struggle homelessness, low quality healthcare, and getting work.    

NATO Expansion Continues

 

NATO continues to expand with the addition of Finland. While the majority of the expansion has happened in Eastern Europe, now it has gone to Scandinavia. The justification for this addition to the military alliance is due to the Russia-Ukraine War. NATO expansion was one of the reasons the conflict broke out there. Sweden might also follow Finland in membership. The error is that this makes Europe more militarized and also contributes to the arms trade. Numerous corporations make profit from the military build-up and conflict in Europe. The failure of the West and Russia to reach a consensus has resulted in destabilization. The Russian Federation has no intent to invade Finland and Sweden. The Soviet Union lost a war to Finland. This was during the rule of Joseph Stalin and it demonstrates that Finland is more than capable of its own defense. Russia would not attack Finland considering its involvement in Ukraine. The invasion on the behalf of Russian militias in the Donbas has resulted in the opposite effect. More ate supporting NATO expansion, when the real objective is not security. NATO is being used as an armed force for regime change. Russia could in the distant future fall to a Yugoslavia style military intervention. Russia has another means of confronting this. Belarus overtime will be armed to counter the Baltic states and Ukraine. Finland's addition comes at a time when Europe is more tense than ever. The price of membership could have negative effects on the internal politics of Finland and its economy. 

Germany Will Send Leopard 2 Tanks To Ukraine

 

Germany  has confirmed that it will give Ukraine more arms. What Ukraine will be getting is leopard 2 tanks. For months, the public has been told that Russia will not be successful. Now, it appears that the Russian Federation will maintain the territories in the Donbas. Russia has more tanks than Ukraine, so this will not dramatically change the situation. The only people who benefit are the arms manufacturers. The war in Ukraine has increased profits for these corporations. The Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrates the devasting effects of the military industrial complex. The major concern for Germany is that they would be pushed out the arms market in Europe by the United States. Gradually, the war is escalating and might spread. Belarus or Moldova could be drawn into the conflict. Chancellor Olof Scholz stated only 14 tanks are being sent to Ukraine. It should be assumed that more will come. The US and United Kingdom are sending tanks, which indicates some economic competition. Sending more weapons prolongs the conflict and results in more loss of life. More arms come, a peace settlement becomes more unattainable. NATO does not want a peace settlement and Russia has lost patience . The conflict could last months or  years with more arms shipments.