Episode 330 Show Notes- Armageddon and the Decline of American Power and Influence
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Episode Description
As President Biden talks of nuclear Armageddon, America’s power and influence have been declining abroad. The decline of American power and influence creates more instability in the international system, increasing the risk of conflict. In this episode, Professor Giordano provides examples and explains why American power and influence are declining.
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Intro
Welcome to The P.A.S. Report Podcast.
It’s no secret that American power and influence have been on the decline, and we see the evidence every day. From the international to the domestic front, the litany of crises continues to plague our society and it’s only getting worse.
There is a leadership void here in the United States, and that void is one of the greatest contributing factors to the decline of American power and influence. Another major contributor is the dropping of standards within society.
This is another thing we have witnessed firsthand. See, in the United States, we would rather operate on emotion and feelings rather than use critical thinking skills to develop policies that are in our self-interests and benefit the nation as a whole.
Too many are ignoring the obvious. Then you have all those supposed deep thinkers and policy wonks who still believe that nothing has changed in the great power structure since the Soviets collapsed in the 80s and early-90s when we became the sole superpower.
But look at American power and influence. Last week was an embarrassment. While we remain the sole superpower, nearly everything we are doing is weakening America, both at home and abroad. The policies being implemented are a disaster.
Not only are they a disaster, but the policies do more to harm our nation than strengthen it. Just look at every issue I’ve been harping on, between the economy, inflation, gas prices and energy policy, open borders, the collapse of our education system, foreign policy, and whatever other issue you can think of. Are we in a better position today? Are we stronger or weaker as a country?
It is stunning how quickly everything seems to be declining, and the worst part is that it doesn’t have to be this way. The policies being pushed today aren’t based on any reason or logic. They aren’t based on what’s in America’s best interests. They are based on a fringe ideology where it doesn’t matter if the policies make sense. What matters is that those pushing these policies believe they are the moral holy warriors. They are virtuous and pat themselves on the back for their self-righteousness.
It’s logic like that that has done immense damage to our country. As I said, they think they are the moral holy warriors of the 21st century. They believe they know what is in your best interest than you do for yourself.
Listen, it’s not about Democrats or Republicans. If the house of cards comes crumbling down, do you think it will matter what political party you’re registered with? It’s about a strong United States. A United States where we grow, prosper and thrive. Where American power and influence are respected and feared.
And as far as policies being based on morality and ethics, understand that it’s not always feasible. Sometimes, it can come back and have the opposite effect. It doesn’t mean you don’t take morality and ethics into consideration.
I’ll get to it all, but before I do be sure to subscribe to the podcast, and if you find the show informative, share it with your family and friends.
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Is Armageddon Upon Us?
A few things happened last week that are pretty significant and go to the heart of what I mean when I talk about American power and influence.
President Biden was giving a closed-door speech at a democrat fundraiser where he said, “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” Some are jumping all over that statement, and there is plenty of reasons why.
First off, while what the President said isn’t necessarily wrong, a president isn’t supposed to say that out loud. A president needs to choose his words wisely whether he is speaking to the public or behind closed doors because what a president says matters, even for a person like President Biden. The more a president talks like this, the closer it gets to reality.
Remember when President Trump came into office? He was listed as a top-ten global threat. The talking heads in the media industrial complex endlessly talked about Trump getting us into a nuclear war. They constantly undermined the administration in the international arena. They criticized the former President for excoriating Germany for relying on Russian natural gas.
They criticized him when he called out NATO member-states for not paying their fair share in NATO. They said he was alienating our allies, even though after 30 years, they finally started to pay more into the alliance. They criticized him for taking out Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Quds Force and a person directly responsible for the deaths and life-altering injuries to thousands of U.S. service members. They lied about bountygate.
Everything under the last administration was a five-alarm fire to the media industrial complex, but guess what? The world was certainly more stable. There were a lot fewer conflicts, and we certainly weren’t on the brink of Armageddon. The world maybe didn’t like Trump, but they certainly feared him, and American power and influence were felt throughout the world.
Look at what we got now. American power and influence are nowhere to be seen or felt.
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Lack of Leadership
We have a complete lack of leadership on the world stage which brings me to the more important point. When President Biden talks of Armageddon, why are we on the brink of Armageddon? Maybe he should look in the mirror. The fact is that Russia’s war was entirely predictable and preventable. This could have been avoided if President Biden had used American power and influence.
Instead, the President chose to listen to the neocons and the failed foreign policy establishment of the last 25 years and continues to do so. Some of them probably wanted this conflict. Then you have those who despise Putin, and I understand why Putin is a monster, but that’s not why they despise him. They despise him because of Trump. They truly believe that Russia got Trump elected and for that, they want to destroy Putin and oust him from power. Remember, these are the folks that called the 2016 elections the “digital version of Pearl Harbor.” They called the 2016 elections an “act of war,” and now, finally, they may get their war.
Last week, I was giving a talk in front of a group, and I explained that the Russian war in Ukraine was having a destabilizing effect on the world. That the longer the crisis goes on, the more likely the conflict can spread beyond its borders. I explained that the two deadliest wars began in Europe, and we could be witnessing the beginnings of the next great war which would be far deadlier than both WWI and WWII combined.
I explained how we should show leadership, using American power and might to force Russia and Ukraine, Zelensky and Putin, to the diplomatic table and force a diplomatic solution. One person rebuffed me saying how can we even think about negotiating a peace agreement with Putin. I responded that the alternative is far worse, and these people always amaze me.
The world is full of authoritarian monsters, and every administration has had to make deals with the devil. FDR made a deal with Stalin, even though Churchill warned about the rise of the Soviets and a Cold War. JFK negotiated with Khrushchev. Nixon negotiated with Mao. And there are plenty of other examples. The fact is that leaders lead.
And if we are going to play this sanctimonious holier-than-thou diplomacy, well, what about communist China? Xi Jinping and the communist regime are currently engaged in a friggin’ genocide against the Uyghurs, and to a lesser degree Christians. So, are we going to take out those monsters? What about Kim Jong Un and his labor and death camps? Are we going to take him out? What about brutal regimes like Iran or the Saudi Royal family?
The fact is that monsters exist all over the place, and unfortunately, we have to deal with them. But we don’t ask questions anymore. We don’t think things through. Instead, we go with emotion and the narrative. Anyone that speaks out will be shamed and ostracized as a Putin sympathizer. These brave moral holy warriors push their self-righteousness even though it won’t be them that suffers. It won’t be them on the frontlines. It won’t be them that has to sacrifice, and sadly, they will never be held accountable for their actions because…
While some seem to have no problem with this war escalating, the fact is if this conflict expands, it will be like nothing we have ever seen, and every luxury you enjoy today will be gone tomorrow. Sorry, but I won’t remain quiet as we watch this administration slowly walk us into a disaster.
One thing you don’t want is a destabilized Russia that has over 6,000 nukes. But that doesn’t matter because we have to go along with these dumb policies and pretend they’re in our interest.
And what the hell is up with Zelensky? I said last week how I was getting a little sick and tired of his constant demands. Notice how he never asks, he just demands more money. More arms. Now he is demanding a preemptive strike on Russia. He is just as dangerous as Putin at this point. First off, he should show some appreciation for all the money and arms we already sent. He should be grateful for the training we’ve provided. He should be thanking us for the intelligence we shared with him.
The fact is that if it wasn’t for us, Ukraine would have been finished a long time ago. We are the ones who have given Ukraine the means to put up a fight and push back a much stronger country. Now, he wants to demand we conduct a preemptive strike on Russia.
That’s insane, but even more, it’s dangerous and this rhetoric can go wrong in so many ways. Yet the Zelinsky cheerleaders are out in full force ready to label anyone who calls this out as a Russian sympathizer. Never once do they think to themselves- what happens if Russia believes a U.S. military strike is imminent? They are already struggling to take on Ukrainian forces. How can they possibly take on the U.S. military and NATO members at the same time?
If they believe it’s only a matter of time before we strike, what happens if they decide to do a preemptive strike of their own? I can assure you that while some in Putin’s orbit may be warning against this, others are encouraging Putin to strike first. Think about where this can go.
Rather than use American power and influence to end this conflict, too many are encouraging the theater of war to expand. While Russia is solely to blame for its dumb decisions that are destabilizing the international arena, it doesn’t mean we have to go along with it and compound the conflict.
And I really don’t get it. If we can end this conflict we win. American power and influence increases. Think about it this way. If the conflict ends today, we have enormous leverage over Ukraine to influence their policies given all the aid and military support we provided. Even if Russia walks away with an agreement that Ukraine can’t join NATO, its military was humiliated. They lost, and they are significantly weaker today than they were prior to the invasion. Some stability gets restored to the international system. It’s a win all around.
NATO Membership Expansion
Instead, you have the loons calling for Ukraine’s NATO application to be fast-tracked. This is how insane these fools are. If you want to talk about strategic interests, I never heard of anything dumber than accepting a nation currently at war into NATO thereby immediately invoking Article 5 of the NATO charter which states an attack on one is an attack on all.
Seriously? Not for nothing, but NATO membership increases our risk, and benefits those joining. Any politician that is taking this proposal seriously needs to be immediately thrown out of office because it is not in our strategic interests, nor is it in the interests of Europe or Ukraine.
However, there is a reason some of the officials are pushing this. For the United States to get directly involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine, it would have to be approved by Congress, either through a Declaration of War or through an authorization to use force. As crazy as this Congress is, I believe that if a vote were held today, the majority in Congress would vote no.
However, if Ukraine gets accepted into NATO, then Congress is irrelevant as per the terms of the charter. It wouldn’t necessarily require Congressional approval. It’s how we justified the Libya operation to oust Muammar Gaddafi. Of course, many of those who have been responsible for pushing the worst policy decisions of the last 25-30 years are the ones cheerleading this effort.
You want to push arms transfers, intelligence sharing, providing money and training, that’s one thing, but pushing for a hot war is a bridge too far.
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How Quickly Will a Conflict Expand?
And if we get sucked into this conflict, how long do you think it would take for China to invade Taiwan. The only reason communist China hasn’t attempted to recapture Taiwan and make the one-China policy reality is that they still worry about American involvement.
However, if the United States is fighting a war with Russia, the communist regime would have little to fear and could quickly mobilize to recapture the tiny island. And if China does decide to give it a go, it won’t be anything like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They have been watching that conflict carefully, conducting lessons learned, and determining where Russia has failed.
Not only are they studying Russia’s war in Ukraine, but they have also studied our failures, and do you think they don’t know the pressure and strain we put on our military fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan at the same time? Russia and China are no Afghanistan and Iraq. It would be impossible to take both countries on at the same time.
They aren’t stupid. They know the quicker they can take over Taiwan, the less likely we would confront them militarily. Also, don’t forget that China doesn’t have that good of relations with other countries in the Pacific. If China decides to move on Taiwan, what would the reaction be from Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, and even Australia? Remember, there are disputes over many islands in the South and East China Seas where these countries, except Australia, all lay claim to the islands.
Would some of these countries view it as an act of aggression and the opening salvo of Chinese imperialism? Would China’s neighbors see an existential threat and declare war on China? Would Australia decide to declare war given how they would be directly impacted by a Chinese takeover of the Pacific? In May of 2021, an Australian military general warned that there was a high likelihood of a conflict with China in the coming years. Australia also purchased billions of dollars of American air defense systems over the last few years. Why do you think they want air defense systems?
Any conflict with Russia has the likely potential to result in waning American power and influence in the Pacific region, and China isn’t the only country that may move militarily against another nation.
Kim Jong Firing Missiles Again
The Kim Jong regime is at it again, launching a barrage of missiles, including a couple over Japan. The missiles over Japan are a provocative move. However, it is not like we haven’t been down this road before.
Over the last 2-3 decades, the Kim Jong regime routinely engages in these types of tests to seek attention and try to win concessions from the United States. Things changed slightly under the Trump administration when President Trump called out Kim Jong Un, and they engaged in a barrage of insults. President Trump also coordinated crushing sanctions that even China signed onto. Ultimately, President Trump would meet with Kim Jong Un and the missile tests ended.
Now, I think the whole idea of North Korea denuclearizing isn’t a realistic policy because it’s the only thing that keeps the regime in power. And make no mistake about it, the regime saw what happened to Gaddafi after Gaddafi did away with Libya’s nuclear program. Even though we assured Gaddafi that regime change is off the table under the Bush administration, the Obama administration reversed course in 2011. Gaddafi met a very violent end and that’s not lost on Kim Jong Un.
However, the question today is whether these missile tests and, perhaps, a nuclear test, are part of the same old strategy of North Korea to get attention and possibly win some concessions or if something different is going on.
Is North Korea becoming emboldened as American power and influence decline? Are the North Koreans calculating that if the United States is engaged in a major conflict in Europe and then they may make a move to seize South Korea in an attempt to unify the Korean peninsula under his dictatorial regime? I don’t have the answer to that, but it is certainly a possibility that cannot be dismissed.
While most in America don’t pay attention to South Korean politics, earlier this year, South Korea elected a new president who has taken a much tougher stand against North Korea than his predecessor. The new president identified the Kim Jong regime as the country’s main enemy. At a time when we are witnessing growing instability on the world stage, this is a situation to monitor.
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OPEC
However, the clearest example of a decline in American power and influence took place last week when OPEC announced that it was cutting production by 2 million barrels of oil per day. I’m not going to lie, this one surprised me. I’ve been following the administration’s attempts to lobby Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production, or at the very least, maintain productivity levels given the increasing costs of energy and the inflation crisis.
Saudi Arabia is the main influence within OPEC, and they are the ones that have say when it comes to productivity levels. Because the Biden administration was lobbying the Saudis so hard, this is nothing less than a major embarrassment on the world stage for the United States.
And the level of the cuts is staggering. 2 million barrels per day. This will certainly make oil prices climb again as Americans are already struggling. While OPEC stated that the cuts were in response to a decline in demand, don’t believe the BS. It was designed to be a slap in the face to the Biden administration and publicly humiliate the United States on the world stage.
In response to OPEC’s announcement, the Biden administration announced that it would be releasing an additional 10 million barrels of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and maintain current pricing. Think about how idiotic that is on several levels. First, just look at the obvious. If OPEC is cutting production by 2 million barrels a day, releasing 10 million barrels is five days’ worth. Second, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve was meant to be used in case of an energy crisis, not to manipulate gas prices ahead of an election.
When oil prices crashed in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns, the Trump administration sought to replenish the stockpiles, by buying 77 million barrels of oil bringing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to full capacity. At the time they would be able to purchase the oil at a cheap price so it would have been a good decision.
Unfortunately, Senator Schumer and the Democrats torpedoed the bill, calling it a “$3 billion bailout for big oil”. Only Congress is authorized to make the purchase and so when Trump left office, the oil reserves had 638 million barrels.
Today, under the Biden administration, the number is far worse. In an attempt to manipulate pricing, our Strategic Petroleum Reserves have sunk to levels not seen in decades. As of September, the number was around 422 million barrels and continuing to drop. It’s at its lowest level since 1984 and soon we will be lower than that.
And what many aren’t taking into consideration is the growth of our nation since 1984 so it’s even worse than it sounds.
Tapping the reserves is nothing more than a joke and will have no real benefits except jeopardize our national security.
Even worse, the Biden administration is now begging the Maduro regime in Venezuela to produce more oil. How embarrassing is that? The fact that we are even considering this is insane because we don’t have to be beholden to the Venezuelans, the Saudis, or any other nation when it comes to energy production here in the United States.
We have plenty of oil here in the United States to flood the markets and crash the prices, but they won’t do that because it goes against their radical green energy agenda. You have all these so-called climate warriors who don’t want the United States to drill its own oil but don’t have any problem relying on brutal regimes and asking those regimes to increase their output. They are such phonies. We can produce the oil in a clean and efficient way with a much smaller footprint on the environment.
Instead, they would rather make us beholden to brutal dictatorships, who certainly don’t have our best interest in mind, and don’t have any regard for the environment. But as long as the eco-warriors can pat themselves on the back, they don’t care. It shows you what frauds they are and that it’s all about optics rather than a sensible climate policy.
This represents one of the best examples of the decline of American power and influence.
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Closing
But don’t worry. Ignore the incompetence. Ignore the fires raging throughout the world and weakening us here at home.
The moral holy warriors are just, and it’s not what’s in the best interests of the United States that matters, it’s their self-righteousness where they get to pat themselves on the back and think that they are better and more virtuous than everyone else. Remember, Play AOC Clip
It’s sad because it doesn’t have to be this way at all. All these policy decisions can easily be reversed. We could have a strong United States. One where American power and influence are increasing, not decreasing. One where we advance our policy agenda that not only benefits us but benefits the free world.
We have to stop playing checkers and start playing chess, and all these politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, that continually push policies that hurt us need to go.
That’s the beauty of the United States. In just four weeks, we are the ones that get to determine the future of this country. We can at least slow things down, and maybe, just maybe, if Republicans win the House and Senate, President Biden and his administration will pull a 1994 Bill Clinton and moderate.
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Maybe if we elect a Republican governor here in New York, maybe we can stop the bleeding. We can begin to put New York back together, and we can turn New York City and the State into the vibrant place it once was.
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