Means, motive, opportunity. Cui bono? That's pretty much open-and-shut. Watergate was single-source info I believe. Bernard at Moon of Alabama came to the same conclusions as Hersh weeks before, using open source info and a convincing trail of logical deductions. You made no mention of the US interests that would profit immensely from Nord Stream 1 and 2's destruction, reason enough just there. And they have prospered, or rather, profiteered from the deed. As was said: Follow the money. And Europe has become the victim of "beggar thy neighbor" with the price of natural gas quintupled in some instances. It is not difficult at all to reach the conclusion that The US did it, given the circumstances. In fact, it requires some acrobatic angling to conclude that it wasn't as Hersh put it, plus or minus a detail, nothing you could call dispositive. And why is it that Sweden will not release their findings to the world? Why have Danish, Swedish, and German authorities have refused to share evidence with Russian investigators or news outlets? Consider the news blackout by virtually all major media on Hersh's story and on any speculation or reporting on the event and its sequelae. Remember the US fracking/LNG businesses that could not find customers for their overpriced gas? Problem solved. Putin had enquired in a recent speech why had no one asked for NS gas in the remaining working pipeline, NS2? If sanctions were the cause of the fuel shortage and subsequent price gouging, they could be lifted with the stroke of a pen. I believe that the US has shot itself in both feet with this vile act of environmental destruction. I am no supporter of Putin's war or any war, but given the provocations of the West (see Mearsheimer et al), it was all but inevitable. Now we must find peace.
This is the kind of thing that great powers do, and Russ Baker knows that. And we all look the other way when it is all but obvious that the US did it. The Maine, stolen Mexico, Lusitania, Gulf of Tonkin, Grenada medical students, Panama Noriega’s sacks of manioc flour, WMD, all casus belli, We find excuses to go to war and glory in it. I wish we could say, we’re better than that, but we’re not.
Yes, good article. I thought the same. I think it's always a bad idea to just give someone, even a great journalist, a blanket approval & belief for everything they write. The key to great journalism is of course, proof, evidence, etc.. As you said, Hersh's sources aren't bulletproof, so I'm inclined to wait before passing judgement. I find it odd how so many continue to paint Russia as the victim & turn on their own country. It's true our CIA has done evil acts in our name, but it wasn't necessarily with the cooperation of our gov't as we know from JFK & others. I don't think we are giving enough attention to the devastating propaganda put out by Russia & how it's eroding trust in our gov't. I think we need to do something about that. CIA Bush Sr. did not casually get a corrupt FCC to strike down the Fairness Doctrine because "it conflicted with the 1st A". That was a lie. If anything, the U.S. should follow the lead of other countries in outlawing propaganda during news casts. I don't know what is in the way of that, whether it's political will, or obstacles within the law.
Means, motive, opportunity. Cui bono? That's pretty much open-and-shut. Watergate was single-source info I believe. Bernard at Moon of Alabama came to the same conclusions as Hersh weeks before, using open source info and a convincing trail of logical deductions. You made no mention of the US interests that would profit immensely from Nord Stream 1 and 2's destruction, reason enough just there. And they have prospered, or rather, profiteered from the deed. As was said: Follow the money. And Europe has become the victim of "beggar thy neighbor" with the price of natural gas quintupled in some instances. It is not difficult at all to reach the conclusion that The US did it, given the circumstances. In fact, it requires some acrobatic angling to conclude that it wasn't as Hersh put it, plus or minus a detail, nothing you could call dispositive. And why is it that Sweden will not release their findings to the world? Why have Danish, Swedish, and German authorities have refused to share evidence with Russian investigators or news outlets? Consider the news blackout by virtually all major media on Hersh's story and on any speculation or reporting on the event and its sequelae. Remember the US fracking/LNG businesses that could not find customers for their overpriced gas? Problem solved. Putin had enquired in a recent speech why had no one asked for NS gas in the remaining working pipeline, NS2? If sanctions were the cause of the fuel shortage and subsequent price gouging, they could be lifted with the stroke of a pen. I believe that the US has shot itself in both feet with this vile act of environmental destruction. I am no supporter of Putin's war or any war, but given the provocations of the West (see Mearsheimer et al), it was all but inevitable. Now we must find peace.
This is the kind of thing that great powers do, and Russ Baker knows that. And we all look the other way when it is all but obvious that the US did it. The Maine, stolen Mexico, Lusitania, Gulf of Tonkin, Grenada medical students, Panama Noriega’s sacks of manioc flour, WMD, all casus belli, We find excuses to go to war and glory in it. I wish we could say, we’re better than that, but we’re not.
See, re. Cuba : https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Great piece Russ. You give Sy his due but show why we should be skeptical.
Very disappointing article.
Yes, good article. I thought the same. I think it's always a bad idea to just give someone, even a great journalist, a blanket approval & belief for everything they write. The key to great journalism is of course, proof, evidence, etc.. As you said, Hersh's sources aren't bulletproof, so I'm inclined to wait before passing judgement. I find it odd how so many continue to paint Russia as the victim & turn on their own country. It's true our CIA has done evil acts in our name, but it wasn't necessarily with the cooperation of our gov't as we know from JFK & others. I don't think we are giving enough attention to the devastating propaganda put out by Russia & how it's eroding trust in our gov't. I think we need to do something about that. CIA Bush Sr. did not casually get a corrupt FCC to strike down the Fairness Doctrine because "it conflicted with the 1st A". That was a lie. If anything, the U.S. should follow the lead of other countries in outlawing propaganda during news casts. I don't know what is in the way of that, whether it's political will, or obstacles within the law.