I’ve tried in idle moments to draw up a list of female gamekeepers turned poacher. Contrary to the useful idiocies of identity politics, Facebook’s Frances Haugen does not qualify. One who emphatically does is GCHQ’s Katharine Gun (not be confused with Keira Knightley) who paid a high price for revealing that when it comes to spying on Britons, and doubtless much besides, Cheltenham takes its orders from NSA HQ in Maryland.
A case can also be made for Stephanie Gibaud, who disobeyed the instructions of the world’s largest private bank, UBS, in refusing to destroy incriminating evidence on the tax evasions of some of the wealthiest folk on the planet.
(What tales might a Hillary Clinton or Victoria Nuland, an Ursula von der Leyen or Nikki Haley, an Angela Merkel or even a minnow like Annalena Baerbock tell should they suddenly take it into their heads to prioritise conscience over ambition? Then again, they do a pretty good job even when boasting; witness Hillary’s “he died – ha ha” and Angela’s “Minsk was a decoy” . Or when plotting an honest to God Kiev coup, as in Victoria’s “fuck the EU”.)
Karen Kwiatkowski, retired colonel in the US Air Force, gets my vote. It’s not just that many of her assessments – almost all 1 in fact – chime with mine. (And her grasp of global realpolitik is matched by a savvy soldier’s dry understanding of how the Beltway, including but not confined to its dealings with the military industrial complex, operates.) It’s also that her command of the facts comes with a refreshing absence of the bombast, geekiness or worse of male counterparts I otherwise hold in high regard.
But judge for yourself. Me, I’ll be ducking and weaving between negotiating the tinsel turmoil, and gathering my thoughts for a post on how shadow banking rules the Western world.
And of course, refusing to avert my eyes from Holocaust in Gaza.
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Wow! Where to start?
Thanks for this gem Phil and I agree that despite what the collective west thinks, Putin will decide what happens in the EU east.
The Col. kept using the word think/thinking, but there is very little evidence of “thinking” in Washington circles, or anything remotely related to what constitutes critical or realistic thinking as she herself is probably one of the few analytical and informed minds in the US psyche.
I much appreciated her no nonsense statements regarding the state of America’s standing in the world, technologically, militarily, politically and economically where it is now trailing behind other countries.
Unless we the people, can remove the dictators in our Parliaments,(I don’t remember being consulted on whether we should bomb Libya or sanction Gazprom Bank or given any say on such mundane decisions) then the EU countries will continue to hang on to the US coattails just as the US intended and stuff the consequences. I really don’t think the majority of western peoples want to face up to the realities much less act on them, so any chance of our politicians concerning themselves with what is best for their citizenry and country will be just another baby out with the bath water job.
I could go further with regard the F35(it really doesn’t like wet weather)and the newest and greatest carrier ships(still using technology that is 20-25 years old and very vulnerable to sea, air and land attacks)but that will evidence itself if the US really is stupid enough to over extend itself still further, which, with the current eejits in charge, is quite possible.
My greatest regret with this latest offering by you, is that there is no transcript of the discussion, as a deaf old bat(even with the headphones on) and relying heavily on subtitles, I prefer reading.
Think I’ll watch it again xmas day to relieve the boredom.
Hope you enjoy your Christmas(I don’t celebrate it myself and certainly not with Israel genociding the Palestinians(the Palestinian Christians have cancelled Christmas this year) and have a good New Year.
Regards,
Susan:)
The F35 failures remind me of British train operators’ “wrong kind of snow”.
You did well to opt out of Christmas!