The Madness Pivot of History

Article, 2022

The Madness Pivot of History

by John Little | March 12, 2022

History pivots. Pressures build, pulling civilization in one direction until someone makes a decision that forces us onto a different path. Our path to where we are now, is made up of these pivot points. And, we are going through one right now.

We knew that a pivot was coming. Something was bound to happen that would change our path into the future, and we knew that it was going to be bad. We just didn’t know that it would be this.

On June 28, 1914, Serbian madness murdered Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian Empire. Austrian madness, followed by German madness launched World War I. Millions died, and madness was ultimately the cause.

German and Japanese madness launched World War II. The madness of Russia and China launched the Cold War. American madness killed millions in the (un)Civil War, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. And yes, those regions had their own share of madness that killed millions.

I illustrated some of that madness here:

The Stories That Send Us To War

I would love to stop the madness. In one sense, that’s why I write these articles. But, I’m afraid that our insanity will not be cured until there’s a new heaven and a new earth. So, I hope that you are ready for even more madness.

Our madness governs our history. The madness of Muhammad kept the rest of Europe and Asia out of the Land of Israel. And, when the madness of World War I destroyed the Ottoman Empire, the stage was set for the Children of Jacob to return to their land. European and Arab madness demonstrated the need for a Jewish State, and here we are.

Each turning point in our history seems to be governed by these fits of madness. Of course, our insanity would have little effect, without resources, wealth and technology. As our ability to kill each other grows, so does the cost of madness.

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

This brings us to Putin’s War in Ukraine. Russians and Ukrainians normally don’t want to kill each other, and it took someone named Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin to make it happen. Yes, I’m sure that there were others who convinced him that it was a good idea. At least, I hope so.

The idea that someone could start a war all by himself is worse than if it was a group decision. We often tell stories about ‘that one guy’ who caused it all, but usually it ‘takes a village’ to make it happen. This time it was that mad little ‘village’ inside the Kremlin that started this war.

Oh, I’m sure that there was some pragmatism and maybe even a little of those ‘good intentions’ that everyone talks about. But, it was still an insane thing to do. And, it was just as insane for the United States to lure him into doing it. There’s a lot of blame for everyone.

It’s even a little insane for the Ukrainians to resist so strongly against this Russian invasion. I identify better with that kind of madness, so you won’t hear me complain about it very much. I have a soft spot for self-defense, and I admit to not being very rational about it.

So, here’s the question:

Where is this pivot in history taking us?

And, there’s another question that weighs heavily on my heart:

How many will suffer and die because of this?

Even if this war ended right now, and even if the world was immediately able to resume ‘normal’ life, the suffering will be immense. The rise in food cost will condemn many to famine and starvation in the most vulnerable countries. And, we have yet to understand the cost that we will all pay in terms of lost jobs, inflation and misery.

Of course, the war won’t end today. Putin cannot back down. He and his Kremlin are stuck in a situation of winning, or death. Every time Russia lost a war, there was a bloody revolution.

So, what happens if Ukraine loses?

What happens if Russia fails to win?

Well, if Russia loses this war, it will ultimately be Sergei Shoigu‘s fault. He’s a corrupt politician without any military experience, and it looks like he bungled the whole operation:

The Failed Logistics of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

“Infantry wins battles, but logistics wins wars” – General John Pershing.

Russia made a serious mistake in how they started this war. In fact, if they understood what they were facing, they would not have launched it in the first place. Either they really thought that Ukraine would welcome them with open arms, or they thought that the Ukrainian military was weak and unprepared. Or, both.

To bring it back to the terms of this article:

It was madness to launch this war in the way that they did.

Here’s another look at the mistakes that they’ve made:

Russia’s war in Ukraine is not going to plan

Putin’s Motivation

However, that doesn’t tell us Putin’s motivation for this invasion. For that, we need to look at Aleksandr Dugin, who has often been referred to as Putin’s Brain.

Investigating Aleksandr Dugin and the “soul of Russia”

Dugin’s ideology is sick, twisted and violent. It’s also pretty much the ideology of everyone in the 19th century. Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, America… again, everyone …believed in their own version of ‘manifest destiny’ and were willing to kill people to make it happen. And, if you think that I’m unfair to include the US in this, you need to read what Major General Smedley Butler had to say about his time serving in the US Marine Corps.

Smedley’s book, War Is A Racket is required reading for anyone who thinks that American foreign policy is anything but vile. And, as an American, I share in some of the blame for letting Washington and Big Business lead us into one obscene war after another. I wasn’t thinking and let the masters of propaganda fill me full of their talking points.

When Paul said that the love of money was the root of all evil, he wasn’t kidding.

Russian Culture

However, there is something distinctly Russian about the evil that we’re talking about here. Just as a point of reference, in 2014, Russians bought 500,000 baseball bats, and only one baseball. You get them at auto parts stores to help solve traffic conflicts. That ‘Russian Spirit’ is reflected in this article that popped up recently:

What the West gets wrong about Putin – When we first met, he already knew the power of terrifying adversaries
https://unherd.com/2022/01/what-the-west-gets-wrong-about-putin/

That article by Harald Malmgren reflects the two decades of rumors that I’ve heard about politics in Russia. In fact, the investment company that I worked for back in the ’90s was approached by Russian ‘businessmen’ about investments. When one of the partners in the company asked them about what happens if their portfolio loses money, they responded:

“We break your legs.”

And, if they lost too much money, it would escalate from there.

Back To Ukraine

Here’s another view of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

There’s another problem with our view of Russia and the Russians. Many think that the Russians could not possibly support Putin in this war, but they’re wrong:

The Russians think that this war is America’s fault, and that ANY suffering they undergo will be our fault as well. I hope that you let that sink in, ‘cuz it’s madness.

Madness Rides Through It

So, you understand that all of this is madness. You get it. You probably ‘got it’ three articles ago. But, there are more serious questions behind all of this:

Will some other country take this opportunity to mount their own plans for conquest?

Two articles popped up this week that point either way:

Turkey Using Ukraine War as Excuse to Claim Greek Islands
https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2022/03/06/turkey-using-ukraine-war-as-excuse-to-claim-greek-islands/

Putin says Russia to use Middle East volunteer fighters against Ukraine
https://news.yahoo.com/putin-says-volunteers-welcome-help-083636317.html

Those ‘Middle East volunteer fighters’ would come from Syria and Iran, and could offer us a picture of something that could grow much larger.

 

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