Podcast: What’s Wrong with ‘Détente’ Anyway?

On FPF #423, I break down an Oliver Stone tweet saying the US should develop a more diplomatic relationship with Russia. I look at some of the reasons, so many Americans reflexively oppose the US strengthening ties with our nuclear rival. I take on some establishment lies that created the dangerous situation we are now in with Russia and explain Trump has been more aggressive against Russia than Obama. 

Links

• Russia showed US inspectors its hypersonic nuclear missile system under the auspices of the NEW START Treaty. [Link]
• The Pope visits Nagasaki to call for an abolition of nuclear weapons. [Link]
• Turkey is refusing to sign off on a NATO defense plan until NATO starts to recognize the Syrian Kurdish militia the YPG as a terror group. [Link]
• Erdogan says Turkey will manufacture fighter jets in house. [Link]
• NATO countries are working on a plan to pay more of NATO’s budget in an attempt to appease Trump. France has said they will not sign on to the plan and already contribute enough to defense. [Link]
• Turkey says their newly purchased Russian-made S-400 air defense system will not be integrated into NATO’s air defense. Russia says Turkey is looking to purchase more S-400s. [Link] 

War Crimes

• The Navy is pushing back against Trump’s decision to restore the pay and rank of war criminal Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher. [Link]
• The Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer proposed a secret deal to the White House that would allow Gallager to retire a Navy Seal. Publicly, Spencer pushed to hold a hearing to determine if Gallager would be allowed to retire a Seal. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper asked for Spencer’s resignation in response to the secret proposal. [Link]

Bolivia

• The coup government in Bolivia has passed a new law that annuls the recent election won by Evo Morales and bars him from the coming election. The government made an agreement with protesters to withdraw the military in exchange for the end of protests. [Link]
• Bolivia’s coup government is investigating the former president for sedition and terrorism. [Link] 

UK

• The UK is refusing to hand control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. A UN court rules the UK had to return the islands. [Link]

China

• The US accuses China of attempting to influence the Taiwanese election. [Link]
• The US sailed warships through waters claimed by China in the South China Sea. [Link]
• Pro-democracy parties win a majority of council seats in an election. [Link]

Afghanistan

• Trump says the US is working on a deal with the Taliban. [Link]

• An American civilian was killed by a grenade attack on a UN convoy in Afghanistan. [Link]

Iraq

• The State Department has cut or withdrawn almost all personnel in Iraq, overseeing the distribution of $1.16 billion in aid. [Link] 
• Iraq shuts down 12 tv and four radio stations for supporting the protest movement. [Link] 

Libya

• US officials meet with Libyan strongman Haftar. Haftar controls the majority of the country and is fighting an offensive for Tripoli. The US pushed Haftar to end the offensive. [Link]