Caleb Maupin
EDITED BY PATRICE GREANVILLE
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Dispatch dateline: 20 March 2023
By Caleb T. Maupin
The destruction of the Nordstream 2 pipeline on September 26th, 2022 was no small incident. It resulted in the largest release of methane in history, with estimates that roughly 500,000 tons of gas were released over the course of 17 days. The incident caused natural gas prices to jump by 12% across Europe.
Prior to the incident, the White House had threatened that if Russia intervened in Ukraine, the Nordstream pipeline would be destroyed. US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland made similar statements. In response to the destruction of the pipeline, anti-Russian voices across social media thanked the United States for making good on its threat. Russia went to the United Nations Security Council saying that it appeared the USA had been involved as US helicopters had been close by.
BELOW: WSJ video presenting the laughable new US version of the Nord Stream pipelines attack.
Mar 13, 2023
#NordStream2#WSJ#GasWestern investigators have shifted focus as they search for answers behind explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines last September. Months after considerable leaks halted gas flow from Russia, German prosecutors appeared to mark a significant shift in the investigation.
US media, however, immediately blamed Russia. This claim was illogical. Russia has spent loads of money and pushed back against all kinds of pressure in Europe to complete the pipeline and expand its ability to sell natural gas to EU countries. Russia’s economy is primarily centered around the export of oil and gas and the ability to export it is vital.
The incident demonstrates the absolute arrogance of the US political establishment. There has been no attempt to debunk or challenge the facts put forward by Hersh’s report from US officials other than flat-out denials and dismissiveness. With phrases like “conspiracy theory” and “Russian disinformation” and “Russian propaganda” US officials feel no need to even bother to make a case for their innocence. The mainstream US press, with the exception of FOX New’s Tucker Carlson, follows their lead.
Why would Russia take a destructive measure that would damage its economy so badly? Why would Russia destroy its own pipeline, a pipeline it had fought so hard to complete? The logic was “Russia must have done it, because Russia is bad and does bad things.” Such thinking would make sense to those who only view American news and have no knowledge of economics. The anti-Russian tone of US media and lack of context or facts made it easy for a big chunk of the US public to follow.
Now, a report from Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist Seymour Hersh indicated that the White House was directly responsible. Hersh’s report went into detail about how the operation was carried out with C4 explosives and different nationals involved. White House has denied this and the New York Times followed up with a report saying a “Pro-Ukrainian Group” had done it.
At the United Nations, the US representative referred to the notion that the US was responsible as a “conspiracy theory from the internet.” Victoria Nuland commented that she was glad that the pipeline was “a hunk of metal at the bottom of the sea.”
The incident demonstrates the absolute arrogance of the US political establishment. There has been no attempt to debunk or challenge the facts put forward by Hersh’s report from US officials other than flat-out denials and dismissiveness. With phrases like “conspiracy theory” and “Russian disinformation” and “Russian propaganda” US officials feel no need to even bother to make a case for their innocence. The mainstream US press, with the exception of FOX New’s Tucker Carlson, follows their lead.
No Explanation Owed?
US officials are demonstrating that despite all of their rhetoric about climate change and pollution, they do not think the releasing of 500,000 tons of a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere is worth taking seriously.
Furthermore, despite their cherishing of NATO and pledges of loyalty to European allies, they do not consider a very serious crime against the economy of Germany and other EU countries to be a big deal either.
In their bland denials that lack any details or responses to alleged facts, US officials are more or less saying “We don’t owe you an explanation.” The comments from Victoria Nuland about “a hunk of metal at the bottom of the sea” indicate even more sinister sentiments. It is as if Nuland is saying “maybe we did not do it, but if we did, so what?” These are usually not the words or sentiments of an innocent person accused of a serious crime.
Attacks on infrastructure like power plants have been a serious concern in the United States in recent months. January 18th saw attacks on power substations in North Carolina. The Electricity Information Sharing and Analysis Center reported that attacks on electric facilities in the United States had increased by 71% in 2022 over 2021.
At a time when serious fears that critical infrastructure across America might be targeted and the public put at risk, US officials are laughing off serious allegations that they went and destroyed a natural gas pipeline, hurting not just Russia, but countries they are in alliance with.
A student of recent history is forced to recall how George W. Bush invaded Iraq with claims about weapons of mass destruction, only to have the world see that after the country was bombed and destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people died, no such weapons existed.
However, this invasion that Joe Biden voted for, happened in 2003. Two decades later the global landscape, in terms of both physical economy and information is very different. US leaders strut around assuming they have the same kind of “sole superpower status” they had at the dawn of the millennium.
What they seem not to notice is that most of Africa abstains from anti-Russian resolutions at the UN General Assembly, and longtime US allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel do not seem enthusiastic about Washington’s efforts against Moscow.
Many governments and emerging economic forces are weighing potential relationships with the United States as opposed to its emerging competitors. “Be an ally of the United States and we might just blow up your infrastructure” is not the best selling point. In its arrogance, Washington may be expediting the already unfolding process of multipolarity.
Many countries across the developing world want to begin exporting their natural resources, cultivating their own economies, and building themselves up. America is not presenting itself as the most trustworthy friend in this process.
Caleb Maupin is a widely acclaimed speaker, writer, journalist, and political analyst. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and in Latin America. He was involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement from its early planning stages, and has been involved many struggles for social justice. He is an outspoken advocate of international friendship and cooperation, as well as 21st Century Socialism.
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