the empire is trashing about in its death throes as we watch and hope it doesn't take us down at the same time; 

In the aftermath of the brazen bombings of the Nord Stream pipelines, there is no turning back. The battleground has asymmetrically expanded beyond Ukraine to Europe proper. The lid on Pandora’s Box is off. Anything might happen now. 

Moreover, the Washington establishment has so thoroughly demonized Russia with a barrage of mendacious propaganda for at least a decade that, with or without Putin, Russia has been economically and spiritually cut off from Europe. For the West, Russia is now a pariah and regarded as a menace.

Vlad Putin’s Russian Federation has become the second “Evil Empire” replacing the Soviet Union under the Washington-Neocon-Neoliberal-NATO scenario. The deluded promoters of this narrative evidently believe it. Irrespective of the noise coming from all directions, that perception is now the reality in Europe and America. Russia has definitely lost the PR war.

As Ambassador Chas Freeman sagely noted back in April, “We are witnessing the end of the post-Cold War period and the passing of the post-World War II and Bretton Woods eras as well as other historic shifts in the world order… Russia’s three-century-long effort to attach itself to the West has definitively failed. Sanctions are decoupling it from Europe and North America….”

Hence, the Washington Blob appears at this juncture to be at least half way along the path to achieving its two primary goals with our faddish, sanctimonious crusade in Ukraine. The Neocons/Neoliberals and Joe Biden are on a roll.

I would not be surprised to see officials dancing in the streets outside the State Department and Pentagon. It’s full speed ahead to final victory in carrying out their vendetta against Putin and Russia.

Even if it is ascertained that Washington sabotaged the Nord Streams—another wonderful example of “the rules-based order” don’t you think?—it will hardly matter. Washington follows the Tel-Aviv playbook. Ignore and proceed with further outrages.........more........