Last week, President Joe Biden signed into law a hefty $40 billion military aid bill to Ukraine. The bill is ostensibly for Ukraine so that it receives sufficient military and economic assistance in its fight against Russia.
The goal here is to, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin previously said, “degrade” Russia’s military capacity in a proxy war. A fantastical geopolitical project to say the least. What’s more, this venture enhances no pressing American interest.
In a recent column, former Congressman Ron Paul observed that “spending on war and empire always seems to trump America’s interests”, especially during a time when inflation is soaring and families are struggling to find baby formula.
The great doctor brought some much needed perspective to the “assistance” that the US government has provided to Ukraine. He observed that the US government
“has provided nearly $60 billion in ‘assistance’ to Ukraine.” Moreover, he noted “That is almost half that country’s entire 2020 GDP!”
The Biden administration and the corporate press have adamantly argued that Ukraine is winning its war with Russia, therefore justifying all forms of aid, financed by the American taxpayer, being sent to it.
Paul also called attention to the post-constitutional nature of American politics, where members of Congress don’t even bother to use war declaration powers. He noted that “Forcing Members of the House and Senate to declare the US to be in a state of war also enables them – through the powers of the purse-string – to define the goals of the war and particularly what a victory looks like.” He added that abiding by the Constitution would prevent “the kind of mission-creep and shifting objectives that have characterized our endless wars in the 21st century – including this current proxy war with Russia.”
The funny part is that the corporate media has started asking questions about the viability of this war. For example, the New York Times’ Editorial Board even published an article titled, “What is America’s Strategy in Ukraine?” This piece revealed fissures that are emerging within the ruling class on the merits of waging a proxy war against Russia.
For one, the pre-imminent challenge the US will be facing on the world stage is China, thus making a “dual containment” strategy of confronting China and Russia at the same time practically suicidal. In addition, the US may be reaching a turning point when it comes to the cocktail of socio-economic policies that have dramatically eroded its economic viability and social fabric in recent decades.
Spending billions on some fantastical geopolitical project in Ukraine is the height of insanity given the gravity of problems the US is currently facing at home. Dr. Paul nails it by asking the right questions about the merits of the US’s unconditional support of Ukraine during this military conflict.
With so many problems at home, America needs to reconsider having a vast footprint abroad and start focusing more on its internal affairs. Pursuing the current path of maintaining a vast warfare/welfare state is a recipe for systemic collapse.
