The ‘Biden Foreign Policy Fumbles, Macbeth, and Red Dragon Cinema’ Edition – Opinion

There are a lot of things happening in Eastern Europe, and Biden is ready to do everything he can to prevent us from getting burned. Basically, there’s the threat of war brewing — no one’s really sure at this point if it’s anything more than a threat — because Vladimir Putin is making moves like he might want to invade Ukraine (although he’s insisting that’s not what the 100,000 troops near the border would do), and Biden is willing to commit U.S. troops to stop it, says the man in the Oval Office.

There’s a lot to unpack on the Ukraine situation, and I’m no expert on the history of the region; but I do know Putin would very much like to get the Soviet Bloc band back together. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian leader’s been pretty clear about wanting to be the guy to reclaim some of the nation’s former glory (see: Crimea).

But there’s another, far more practical, consideration, at least to European nations like Germany: energy. You can be specific about natural gas.

[A]Russia is responsible for about 40% of Europe’s natural gas consumption. And this dominance is enhanced by the major customer being Germany, which explains why it is being marked “absent” from most of the diplomatic pressure that is aimed at Moscow. By all means, allow yourself a wry smile about Berlin’s history, but the result is that British military transports avoided flying through German air space last week to deliver anti-tank missiles to Ukraine. Although more such munitions come from the U.S. their flight paths remain unclear.

A side lesson in political realities: Germany’s particular dependence on Russian natural gas is also a consequence of going “green.” The country has moved away from nuclear power and coal to generate electricity. The answer was probably natural gas. Russia is a trusted supplier. But, the truth about its true costs is just now being revealed to most.

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We are facing an unusual event: An energy-centric crisis that isn’t Middle East-focused. But that is not to say it won’t have implications for that region. Oil-rich countries benefit from high oil prices, while oil-poor nations suffer. For those not able to access the benefits of hydrocarbon wealth, it can be destabilizing. Iran is a country that has been hit by sanctions, but it’s oil and gas-rich. Iran could benefit if the United States perceives that Iran can withstand American pressures to reduce its nuclear activities. Talks in Vienna seem to be concluding without agreement.

Many are asking the legitimate question: Why would America want to be involved in such a situation? Is there some reason that pushing back against Russia is in America’s interest? Sure, we’ve had diplomatic relations with Ukraine since the bloc collapsed, but they’ve never been a particularly stable place. And they’ve certainly had their fair share of corruption.

Some even come dangerously close the man in the Oval.

So this doesn’t seem as much like an America problem as it does a Biden problem. Which has been the difficulty with his presidency from the beginning…and it doesn’t look like it’s destined to change any time soon.

Then of course there’s the time-tested truth that war distracts from failed domestic policy (of which there is much) and also has the added benefit of being quite profitable for that infamous military-industrial complex.

It appears that the neocons are back in Democrat clothing.

I cover all that on the show today, as well as offer thoughts on the eerie but compelling “Macbeth” (trailer below). And there’s a bit about China dissing Hollywood. They are, of course.

It’s worth a try.

The show lives on Spotify and you can also find me at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, FCB Radio’s Spreaker, and Deezer.