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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 7/2/13

Has Washington's Arrogance Undone Its Empire?

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No one likes a bully, and Washington's NATO puppets have been bullied for six decades. British prime ministers, German chancellors, and French presidents have to salute and say "yes sir."

They all hate it, but they love Washington's money; so they prostitute themselves and their countries for Washington's money. Even a person of Winston Churchill's stature had to suck up to Washington in order to get his bills and his country's bills paid.

But what the bought European leaders are finding is that Washington doesn't pay enough for the prostitution required. One year out of office Tony Blair was worth $35 million dollars. But that's not enough to get Blair on the waiting list for $50 million 200-foot yachts, to have a chalet in Gstaad, $50 million penthouses in Paris and New York, and a private plane to fly between them, or to wear a $736,000 Franck Muller watch on his wrist, sign his name with a $700,000 Mont Blanc jewel-encrusted pen, and drink $10,000 "martinis on a rock" (gin or vodka poured over a diamond) at New York's Algonquin Hotel.

In a world in which every member of the Forbes Four Hundred is a billionaire plus or multi-billionaire, $35,000,000 just doesn't cut it. In 2006 the manager of one hedge fund was paid $1,700,000,000 for one year's thieving. Another 25 were paid $575,000,000 for their skills in front-running trades. $35 million is probably the annual budget for their household servants.

The British seem content in their role as Washington's favorite lackey, but France and Germany have not enjoyed that role. France's last real leader, General DeGaul, would have nothing to do with it and refused to join NATO. Germany, dismembered with East Germany occupied by the Soviets, had no choice. Germans' gratitude to President Reagan for their unification resulted in re-unified Germany falling under Washington's hegemony.

However, if news reports from Berlin are true, Germany has had enough. The catalyst was Edward Snowden's revelations that Washington spies on everyone including its allies, both Germany and the EU in particular. Moreover, Washington uses Britain as the Trojan Horse within the EU as a backup spy in case NSA misses something.

According to news reports, the German, French, and EU governments are upset to find out that their extreme subservience to Washington has not protected them and their citizens from being spied upon. Here they are, fighting Washington's wars in far distant Afghanistan, the fate of which is completely unrelated to their own, and what does Washington do but embarrass them by spying on the personal lives of their citizens.

Who does the Merkel government represent, Germans are asking, Germans or the NSA? Why does the Merkel government kowtow to Washington? The next question will be: "what do Washington's spies have on Merkel?"

With the German government put on the spot by Washington's betrayal, news headlines are: "Germany Ready to Charge UK and US Intelligence Over Bugging Operations."

Little wonder Washington and its media whores hate Edward Snowden. "A spokesman for the [German] Federal Prosecutor said the office was preparing to bring charges against" the UK and US intelligence services. In light of the Snowden affair, it will be wonderful if Germany issues arrest warrants and Washington and London refuse to extradite its NSA and UK spy operatives who have violated every law and every trust.

The German Justice Minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenburger, demanded an "immediate explanation" why Washington was applying to Germany policies "reminiscent of the actions against enemies during the Cold War."

The president of France has said that France will not again cooperate with Washington on any issue until France receives "full assurances" that Washington will cease spying on France.

The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, and the EU Commissioner for Justice, Viviane Reding, demand Washington's answer to Snowden's revelations that Washington has betrayed its own allies.

The question that must be asked is: do any of these protests from politicians who are almost certain to be on Washington's payroll mean anything, or are they just make-believe protests to quiet the domestic European populations who have been betrayed by their elected leaders? Why would the French president and the German justice minister think any reassurance from Washington meant anything? When in human memory has Washington told the truth about anything? When has Washington's reassurance meant anything?

The Tonkin Gulf? Iraqi weapons of mass destruction? Iranian nukes? Assad's sarin gas attack? FBI orchestrated "terror attacks"? It is a proven fact that the US government lies every time it opens its mouth. Compared to Washington, Stalin, Hitler, Tojo, Mao, Castro, Chavez, and Pol Pot were truthful.

Washington's reply to Europe's demands for explanation is: "We will discuss these issues bilaterally with EU member states," but "we are not going to comment publicly on specific alleged intelligence activities."

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Paul Craig Roberts Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Dr. Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury for Economic Policy in the Reagan Administration. He was associate editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal, columnist for Business Week and the Scripps Howard News Service. He is a contributing editor to Gerald Celente's Trends Journal. He has had numerous university appointments. His books, The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West is available (more...)
 

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