War on the Brain

A roundup on the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Disney has had a busy month of demonstrating its corporate virtue.

On March 9, CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s new “anti-grooming” law, designed to protect children from inappropriate content about sex and gender theory in schools. The next day, citing the “unrelenting assault on Ukraine,” the company announced it would pause all business in Russia.

But on March 16, a multi-agency law enforcement effort swept up more than 100 people, including four Disney employees, in a prostitution, human trafficking, and child predator sting not far from Orlando.

One of the suspects “just happens to be a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney,” noted Sheriff Grady Judd. “You think there’s a few children around there?” Judd added. “That’s right, I didn’t stutter. He was a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort. And was bragging about that.”

If only Disney would stop its unrelenting assault on children.

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This issue is a roundup of Ukraine-Russia takes. There’s a lot of noise on the topic, so here is some signal, old and new. We ignore it to our peril.

An Interview with George Kennan from 1998 | New York Times

by Thomas L. Friedman

“And Russia’s democracy is as far advanced, if not farther, as any of these countries we've just signed up to defend from Russia,” said Mr. Kennan, who joined the State Department in 1926 and was U.S. Ambassador to Moscow in 1952. “It shows so little understanding of Russian history and Soviet history. Of course there is going to be a bad reaction from Russia, and then [the NATO expanders] will say that we always told you that is how the Russians are—but this is just wrong.”

In another blast from the past, Russian writer and Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitsyn warned in a 2006 interview with the BBC that NATO was “preparing to completely encircle Russia and deprive if of its sovereignty.”

How?

“This involves open material and ideological support for the ‘colour revolutions’ and the paradoxical forcing of North Atlantic interests on Central Asia,” he said.

Why the West Is Principally Responsible for the Ukrainian Crisis | The Economist

by John Mearsheimer

“The West, and especially America, is principally responsible for the crisis which began in February 2014. It has now turned into a war that not only threatens to destroy Ukraine, but also has the potential to escalate into a nuclear war between Russia and NATO.”

How the West Sowed the Seeds of War in Ukraine | Contra

by Pedro Gonzalez

Putin invaded Ukraine. But an alliance of bad actors, the U.S. foreign policy establishment, and NGOs paved the road that made the present crisis inevitable.

How Not To Think About Ukraine | The American Conservative

by Sohrab Ahmari

“As Russia wages war on its neighbor, Western observers fall into familiar patterns of thought, with potentially disastrous results.”

How Western Elites Exploit Ukraine | UnHerd

by Arta Moeini

“The Ukraine crisis is undoubtedly a tragedy, but it is merely the latest in a series of geopolitical events stretching back at least 20 years in which the media coverage has been biased, one-sided, and ideological. . . . When all roads lead to interventionism and war, pause, think, and consider how we got to where we are. Ask yourself who designed this dystopian city of lies and to what purpose—before it is too late.”

Realism Must Guide Our Reaction to Russia’s Invasion | New York Times

by Tanner Greer

“In columns and Twitter threads across the Western world, we read equally charged demands that Western governments do more to stop the Russian advance—and do it now. This too is natural, but it is also not prudent. Failure to slow down and examine the assumptions and motivations behind our choices may lead to decisions that feel right in the moment but fail to safeguard our interests, secure our values or reduce the human toll of war in the long run.”

The Truth About the Ukraine | Revolver News

“Way back in 2016, President Obama said something that was surprisingly cogent and astute in an interview in The Atlantic. While speaking with Jeffrey Goldberg, of all people, Obama articulated that the American people are simply not willing to go to war in Ukraine. To put it simply, the Ukraine is simply not a core American interest that is worth killing and dying over.”

Ukraine’s Deadly Gamble | Tablet

by Lee Smith

“By tying itself to a reckless and dangerous America, the Ukrainians made a blunder that client states will study for years to come.”

How NATO Expansion Led to the Current Ukraine Tragedy | Cato Institute

by Ted Galen Carpenter

“History will show that Washington’s treatment of Russia in the decades following the demise of the Soviet Union was a policy blunder of epic proportions.”

In Ukraine and Syria, Alluring ‘False Flags’ Demand Strategic Skepticism | The National Interest

by Christopher Mott

In the twenty-first century, we have seen multiple examples of “false flags” exploited in the interest of war.

Ukraine and the Clash of Civilizations | The National Interest

by William S. Smith

“As America is ravaged by a pandemic and its consequences, the American people are going to be far less willing to tolerate a meddling, universalistic U.S. foreign policy in parts of the world having little connection to our interests.”

Ukraine and the NGO Archipelago | Late Republic Nonsense

by David Reaboi

“Western oligarchs funded an ecosystem of influence in order to pull Ukraine into Europe, setting it on a collision course with Russia.”

Clarity on Russia, Ukraine and the American National Interest | Newsweek

by Josh Hammer

“Above all, Americans must remain clear-eyed about the current morass. Putin is in the wrong for launching this conflict and setting off such a horrific humanitarian nightmare. He should certainly be punished for that. But Putin is not Hitler, and this is not the beginning of World War III. Temper your emotions and your hot takes, accordingly.”

Asking Questions About Ukrainian Biolabs | The American Conservative

by Bradley Devlin

The United States invested more than $21 million in the construction and operation of various facilities located in cities scattered across Ukraine, such as Lviv and Karkiv.

Fog of War | New Left Review

by Wolfgang Streeck

Europeans are currently learning that if you allow the U.S. to protect you, geopolitics trumps all other politics, and that geopolitics is defined by Washington alone.

The Ugly Truth About No-Fly Zones | Wisdom of Crowds

by Damir Marusic

“If we get directly involved in the Ukraine war, we probably won’t win.”

The Fog of Information War in Ukraine | Human Events

by Pedro Gonzalez

The Western intelligence apparatus has been busy in Ukraine. With financing and collaboration through various non-governmental organizations, it won the information war with the help of Ukrainian media before Russia ever fired a shot in February. Even the country’s newest publications, like the Kyiv Independent, have received support and funding from institutions associated with the Central Intelligence Agency. 

U.S. Vital Interests Dictate an End to This War | Creators Syndicate

by Pat Buchanan

“Wars finished all the great powers of the 20th century, save the USA. America's desire today may be to inflict a defeat on Putin's Russia. U.S. vital national interests, however, dictate a negotiated peace.”

Coming Food Shortages | Muzzle Velocity

by Adam Korzeniewski

How the world is facing a potential food crisis because of the Russo-Ukraine conflict.

We Have Yet to See the Full Economic Costs of War With Russia | The National Interest

by David C. Hendrickson

Editor’s Note: I added this article after publishing the newsletter. It came late but was highly recommended by a friend.

The interdependence that allowed the West to execute such a devastating blow against Russia in the initial phases of this economic war leaves the West and the world acutely vulnerable to very serious retaliatory costs.

Thoughts on Ukraine | Martyr Made

by Darryl Cooper

An informative podcast on the current crisis.

Why is Ukraine the West's Fault? | Mearsheimer

How the United States Created Vladimir Putin | Vladimir Pozner

The Crisis in Ukraine | Mearsheimer

How Liberal Interventionists Undermine Peace | Col. Douglas Macgregor

“. . . at this point, I think, we have to conclude that there is a universal opposition to any peace arrangement that involves a recognition of any Russian success. In fact, if anything, it looks more and more as though Ukrainians are almost incidental to the operation, in the sense that they are there to impale themselves on the Russian army and die in great numbers.”