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Writer's pictureBob O'Brien

Who Do You Trust??

Updated: Oct 31, 2022




I’ll bet most people don’t remember the 1957 hit game show originally titled Do You Trust Your Wife? before the name was changed to Who Do You Trust? It was emceed, first by Edgar Bergen and then by Johnny Carson. At this time, we are thinking that the name should be changed to Do You Trust Your Government?, or better yet, Do You Trust Your President?
This past week President Biden said, “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” He said that in regard to Russian President Putin’s implied threat to possibly use a tactical nuclear weapon in the Russian-Ukraine war. As with Biden’s previous and repeated comments about defending Taiwan and his off-the-cuff comment about sending US soldiers into the Ukraine, the White House walked back the President’s comments, saying “there is no 'imminent' threat and no new indication that Putin is planning to launch this kind of attack.

So, who do you trust? – the President, or whoever it is in the White House that has the power to “walk back” the President’s comments?

Assuming that there is the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons, don’t you think that the US President would lead the world in trying to find a peaceful solution? Would you be surprised to hear the opposite – that the United States chose War, instead?

Don’t believe it? Fiona Hill, who served as the senior director for Europe and Russia on the US National Security Council in the Barack Obama administration, wrote: “According to multiple former senior U.S. officials we spoke with, in April 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators appeared to have tentatively agreed on the outlines of a negotiated interim settlement: Russia would withdraw to its position on February 23, when it controlled part of the Donbas region and all of Crimea, and in exchange, Ukraine would promise not to seek NATO membership and instead receive security guarantees from a number of countries.” These terms had apparently been ironed out in face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey on March 29.

Still don’t believe it, then listen to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who stated publicly on April 25, that Washington’s goal was to use the proxy war in Ukraine to “weaken” Russia. A National Security Council spokesperson said that Austin’s comments were consistent with what the US’ goals have been for months – namely, “to make this invasion a strategic failure for Russia.” We want Ukraine to win.” That strategy doesn’t sound like our government wants the war to end. So, if you truly want peace, and want to stop the death and destruction in Ukraine, who do you trust?

If you want peace, are you worried about what recently happened to the Nord Stream pipeline – that’s the one that was delivering natural gas to Germany from Russia, and it’s the one that former President Trump so fiercely criticized (see our previous article, Who’s Laughing Now)? It was recently sabotaged in what can be described as an act of war.

Who is responsible for the explosions that crippled the pipeline? Is NATO responsible? We’d guess not, for they soon cast blame elsewhere, saying that sabotage will be met with a collective response from the military alliance. Did Russia destroy its own pipeline? Again, it seems unlikely. They are trying to pressure Europe to remove economic sanctions, so why would they want to ruin their best bargaining chip? How about the Ukraine government? Do they have the naval expertise to lay the mines for this kind of sabotage?

What about the United States? Here is what President Biden said back on February 7: "If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2. We will bring an end to it.” When a journalist asked Biden how he could do that since Germany was in control of the project, the president replied: "I promise you: We will be able to do it." Who do you trust?

So, if you want peace, at least you can be comforted that at least the US is committed to not sending troops into Ukraine territory. Or is it? Back in March, the President told US troops in Poland that they will witness the bravery of Ukrainians fighting off Russia’s invasion “when you’re there.” What? He previously said the US must stay out of the European conflict to avoid triggering “World War III.” Anyway, that comment was immediately walked back (by that spokesman with the power to walk back and clarify his comments) by saying that “The president has been clear we are not sending US troops to Ukraine, and there is no change in that position.” Really?

This October, The Intercept, citing unnamed US intelligence and military officials, reported that US special operations forces are on the ground in Ukraine as part of a broad covert operation that includes CIA personnel. Additionally, The Intercept report said the covert operations inside Ukraine are being conducted under a covert presidential finding that indicates President Biden has quietly notified Congress of a "broad program of clandestine operations inside the country." Who do you trust?

With all the talk of using nuclear weapons, you have to think that this war is definitely getting out of control. Just a few days ago, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called on NATO to make preemptive strikes on Russia, saying they “are needed so that they know what awaits them if they use nuclear weapons. Not the other way around, waiting for Russia’s nuclear strikes and then saying, ‘oh, you’ve done that, then get this”. Evidently, Zelenskyy must have caught what we here call the Joe Biden Disease: making rash statements, only to have someone with enough power take back his statements. Immediately after he spoke, an Ukraine spokesman said that the media had misinterpreted Zelenskyy’s comments, for he was only referring to “economic sanctions.” No doubt the Russians were relieved! Who do you trust?

If Biden really meant what he said before he was corrected, and if we are really close to Nuclear Armageddon, why isn’t the President leading the free world to negotiate some kind of peace? We find it appalling that instead of finding a way to deescalate the rising tensions, he instead has aggravated what is a dangerous situation with more rash statements and increased military actions.

Who do you trust?





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